O powerful, almighty ever living God it is by Your design that we have true life.
You who see the hearts of men chose among us Your prophets, Your priests, Kings; and faithful men and women to prepare the way for Your Son.
And then He came and dwelled among us and was one of us. In Your great mercy and love He unites us fully and completely with You. He liberates us from the one true enemy Sin! And so we have hope of eternal life with You.
Glory and Praise be to our Lord Jesus Christ! Who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit One God forever and ever. Amen
First reading
2 Samuel 7:1-5,8-12,14,16
Once David had settled into his house and the Lord had given him rest from all the enemies surrounding him, the king said to the prophet Nathan, ‘Look, I am living in a house of cedar while the ark of God dwells in a tent.’ Nathan said to the king, ‘Go and do all that is in your mind, for the Lord is with you.’
But that very night the word of the Lord came to Nathan:
‘Go and tell my servant David, “Thus the Lord speaks: Are you the man to build me a house to dwell in? I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be leader of my people Israel; I have been with you on all your expeditions; I have cut off all your enemies before you. I will give you fame as great as the fame of the greatest on earth. I will provide a place for my people Israel; I will plant them there and they shall dwell in that place and never be disturbed again; nor shall the wicked continue to oppress them as they did, in the days when I appointed judges over my people Israel; I will give them rest from all their enemies. The Lord will make you great; the Lord will make you a House. And when your days are ended and you are laid to rest with your ancestors, I will preserve the offspring of your body after you and make his sovereignty secure. I will be a father to him and he a son to me; if he does evil, I will punish him with the rod such as men use, with strokes such as mankind gives. Your House and your sovereignty will always stand secure before me and your throne be established for ever.”’
Gospel
Luke 1:67-79
John’s father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke this prophecy:
‘Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel for he has visited his people, he has come to their rescue and he has raised up for us a power for salvation in the House of his servant David, even as he proclaimed,
by the mouth of his holy prophets from ancient times,
that he would save us from our enemies and from the hands of all who hate us.
Thus he shows mercy to our ancestors, thus he remembers his holy covenant the oath he swore to our father Abraham that he would grant us, free from fear, to be delivered from the hands of our enemies, to serve him in holiness and virtue in his presence, all our days.
And you, little child,
you shall be called Prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord
to prepare the way for him,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins; this by the tender mercy of our God who from on high will bring the rising Sun to visit us,
to give light to those who live
in darkness and the shadow of death and to guide our feet
into the way of peace.’
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