Key:
What these passages tell us about God
What these passages tell us to do
Commentary
Reading 1 IS 49:1-6
Hear me, O coastlands, listen, O distant peoples. The LORD called me from birth, from my mother's womb he gave me my name. He made of mea sharp-edged sword and concealed me in the shadow of his arm. He made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me. You are my servant, he said to me, Israel, through whom I show my glory.
Though I thought I had toiled in vain, and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength, yet my reward is with the LORD, my recompense is with my God.
For now the LORD has spoken who formed me as his servant from the womb, that Jacob may be brought back to him and Israel gathered to him; and I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD, and my God is now my strength!It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and restore the survivors of Israel; I will make youa light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.
Though I thought I had toiled in vain, and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength, yet my reward is with the LORD, my recompense is with my God.
For now the LORD has spoken who formed me as his servant from the womb, that Jacob may be brought back to him and Israel gathered to him; and I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD, and my God is now my strength!It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and restore the survivors of Israel; I will make youa light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.
Responsorial Psalm PS 139:1B-3, 13-14AB, 14C-15
R. (14) I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.
O LORD, you have probed me,you know me: you knowwhen I sit and when I stand; you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize, with all my ways you are familiar.
R. I praise you for I am wonderfully made.
Truly you have formed my inmost being; you knit mein my mother's womb.I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made; wonderful are your works.
R. I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.
My soul also you knew full well; nor was my frame unknown to you
When I was made in secret, when I was fashioned in the depths of the earth.
R. I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.
O LORD, you have probed me,you know me: you knowwhen I sit and when I stand; you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize, with all my ways you are familiar.
R. I praise you for I am wonderfully made.
Truly you have formed my inmost being; you knit mein my mother's womb.I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made; wonderful are your works.
R. I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.
My soul also you knew full well; nor was my frame unknown to you
When I was made in secret, when I was fashioned in the depths of the earth.
R. I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.
Reading 2 ACTS 13:22-26
In those days, Paul said: "God raised up David as king; of him God testified, I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will carry out my every wish.From this man's descendants God, according to his promise, has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus.
John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel; and as John was completing his course, he would say, 'What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. Behold, one is coming after me; I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.'
"My brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those others among you who are God-fearing, to us this word of salvation has been sent."
"My brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those others among you who are God-fearing, to us this word of salvation has been sent."
Alleluia SEE LK 1:76
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
You, child, will be called prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
You, child, will be called prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel LK 1:57-66, 80
When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her. When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother said in reply, "No. He will be called John."
But they answered her, "There is no one among your relatives who has this name." So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. He asked for a tablet and wrote, "John is his name," and all were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God. Then fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea. All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, "What, then, will this child be?"
For surely the hand of the Lord was with him. The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel.
But they answered her, "There is no one among your relatives who has this name." So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. He asked for a tablet and wrote, "John is his name," and all were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God. Then fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea. All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, "What, then, will this child be?"
For surely the hand of the Lord was with him. The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel.
1. God designed each of us individually for specific purposes. He prepares each of us to accomplish that purpose (first reading, psalm).
2. God knows each of us and the specifics of what we are going through (first reading).
3. Sometimes our primary purpose does not become apparent until late in life. Elizabeth and Zechariah in today’s gospel reading are examples of that. See Luke 1:5-18.
4. We also have lesser, different, purposes that we must fulfill as we move towards, or on after, the accomplishment of our primary purposes. Zechariah from today’s gospel exemplifies that. He served faithfully in the temple (his lesser purpose) for years before and presumably after he fathered John the Baptist (his primary purpose). We just need to faithfully keep doing the things God puts in front of us every day. Indeed, Zechariah wouldn’t have been in position to receive directions about his primary purpose if he hadn’t showed up for work the day the angel showed up. For more on that see Preliminary Work: What we can learn from Joseph and Daniel.
5. It sometimes seems like we are not making progress towards the primary purpose God created us for, but rich blessing will result if we persevere in spite of that—God will bless our efforts in one way or another (first reading). He knows what we are doing/going through and will sustain and reward us (first reading, psalm).
6. The blessing that comes from our persevering my well, indeed probably will, go to folks other than ourselves. That was the case with John the Baptist and the servant described in the first reading.
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