Daily Readings - Sun Dec 31 2017

First Reading - Genesis 15.1-6; 17.3b-5, 15-16; 21.1-7

¹And so, these things having been transacted, the word of the Lord came to Abram by a vision, saying: "Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your protector, and your reward is exceedingly great.²And Abram said: "Lord God, what will you give to me? I may go without children. And the son of the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus.³And Abram added: "Yet to me you have not given offspring. And behold, my servant born in my house will be my heir.⁴And immediately the word of the Lord came to him, saying: "This one will not be your heir. But he who will come from your loins, the same will you have for your heir.⁵And he brought him outside, and he said to him, "Take in the heavens, and number the stars, if you can." And he said to him, "So also will your offspring be.⁶Abram believed God, and it was reputed to him unto justice

Chapter 17

³Abram fell prone on his face⁴And God said to him: "I AM, and my covenant is with you, and you will be the father of many nations⁵No longer will your name be called Abram. But you will be called Abraham, for I have established you as the father of many nations¹⁵God said also to Abraham: "Your wife Sarai, you shall not call Sarai, but Sarah¹⁶And I will bless her, and from her I will give you a son, whom I will bless, and he will be among the nations, and the kings of the peoples will rise from him.

Chapter 21

¹Then the Lord visited Sarah, just as he had promised; and he fulfilled what he had spoken²And she conceived and gave birth to a son in her old age, at the time that God had foretold to her³And Abraham called the name of his son, whom Sarah bore for him, Isaac⁴And he circumcised him on the eighth day, just as God had instructed him⁵when he was one hundred years old. Indeed, at this stage of his father’s life, Isaac was born⁶And Sarah said: "God has brought laughter to me. Whoever will hear of it will laugh with me.⁷And again, she said: "Hearing this, who would believe Abraham, that Sarah breast-fed a son, to whom she gave birth, despite being elderly?

Second Reading - Hebrews 11.8, 11-12, 17-19

Hebrews

Chapter 11

⁸By faith, the one called Abraham obeyed, going out to the place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going¹¹By faith also, Sarah herself, being barren, received the ability to conceive offspring, even though she was past that age in life. For she believed him to be faithful, who had promised¹²Because of this, there were also born, from one who himself was as if dead, a mulititude like the stars of heaven, who are, like the sand of the seashore, innumerable¹⁷By faith, Abraham, when he was tested, offered Isaac, so that he who had received the promises was offering up his only son¹⁸To him, it was said, "Through Isaac, shall your offspring be summoned,¹⁹indicating that God is even able to raise up from the dead. And thus, he also established him as a parable

Gospel - Luke 2.22, 25-27, 34-35, 39-40

Luke

Chapter 2

²²And after the days of her purification were fulfilled, according to the law of Moses, they brought him to Jerusalem, in order to present him to the Lord²⁵And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and God-fearing, awaiting the consolation of Israel. And the Holy Spirit was with him²⁶And he had received an answer from the Holy Spirit: that he would not see his own death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord²⁷And he went with the Spirit to the temple. And when the child Jesus was brought in by his parents, in order to act on his behalf according to the custom of the law³⁴And Simeon blessed them, and he said to his mother Mary: "Behold, this one has been set for the ruin and for the resurrection of many in Israel, and as a sign which will be contradicted³⁵And a sword will pass through your own soul, so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.³⁹And after they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their city, Nazareth⁴⁰Now the child grew, and he was strengthened with the fullness of wisdom. And the grace of God was in him

Sermon

Today’s readings invite us to reflect on the profound theme of faith and trust in God’s promises. In the first reading from Genesis, we encounter Abraham and Sarah, who, despite their advanced age, trust in God’s promise of a son, Isaac. This narrative underscores the theme of faith leading to unexpected blessings, as God fulfills His promise through their unwavering trust. The second reading from Hebrews further elaborates on this theme, highlighting Abraham and Sarah as exemplars of faith, who trusted in God’s promises even when circumstances seemed impossible. This passage reminds us that true faith can lead to the fulfillment of God’s plan, even beyond human understanding. The Gospel from Luke beautifully illustrates the fulfillment of these promises in the person of Jesus. The presentation of Jesus in the temple, where Simeon recognizes Him as the Messiah, serves as a fulfillment of the promises made to Abraham and Sarah. Simeon’s prophecy about Jesus being a sign of contradiction and a sword piercing Mary’s soul emphasizes the transformative power of faith, which can lead to both ruin and resurrection. This narrative invites us to recognize the divine plan in our lives, just as Simeon did, and to trust in God’s promises, even when the path is unclear. In our daily lives, these readings encourage us to embrace faith as Abraham and Sarah did. Like them, we may face challenges that seem insurmountable, but trusting in God’s promises can lead to unexpected blessings. Just as Isaac was born to elderly parents and Jesus was born to a virgin, God’s plans often defy human logic. Let us, therefore, cultivate unwavering faith, attentive to God’s presence and promises in our lives. May we, like Simeon, recognize the divine plan and trust in God’s transformative power, leading us to a deeper understanding of His love and purpose.