2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8-12, 14, 16; Ps 88; Luke 1:67-79
Our first reading for today from the second book of Samuel tells of a message for King David given to Nathan by the Lord. In the message the Lord says that David’s house will be a great house which will be established for ever. This house will be one to which all peoples will come. Our gospel text comes from the birth of John the Baptist and today we see his father – Zechariah the priest – proclaim a hymn of praise for God – the Benedictus. In this hymn, Zechariah blesses God and says that he has come to the help of his people by raising up one from the house of David. He says that his own son, John, ‘shall be called Prophet of the Most High and will go ahead of the Lord to prepare the way before him.’ The season of Christmas is now upon us and the scene has been fully set for the celebration of Christ’s birth. All the signs of the past few weeks, and particularly of the past eight days, have pointed to this moment and it is now time for us to rejoice in the birth of our salvation. At the same time we must not let this opportunity pass – the preparations we have made over the past few weeks must not be allowed to lapse but our ‘new lives’ must continue into the season of Christmas and beyond as people of renewed and invigorated faith.
Our first reading for today from the second book of Samuel tells of a message for King David given to Nathan by the Lord. In the message the Lord says that David’s house will be a great house which will be established for ever. This house will be one to which all peoples will come. Our gospel text comes from the birth of John the Baptist and today we see his father – Zechariah the priest – proclaim a hymn of praise for God – the Benedictus. In this hymn, Zechariah blesses God and says that he has come to the help of his people by raising up one from the house of David. He says that his own son, John, ‘shall be called Prophet of the Most High and will go ahead of the Lord to prepare the way before him.’ The season of Christmas is now upon us and the scene has been fully set for the celebration of Christ’s birth. All the signs of the past few weeks, and particularly of the past eight days, have pointed to this moment and it is now time for us to rejoice in the birth of our salvation. At the same time we must not let this opportunity pass – the preparations we have made over the past few weeks must not be allowed to lapse but our ‘new lives’ must continue into the season of Christmas and beyond as people of renewed and invigorated faith.