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Word of the day

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Date20/12/2023
Wednesday of the Third Week of Advent

Reading of the day

A reading from the Book of Isaiah
Is 7:10-14

The LORD spoke to Ahaz:
Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God;
let it be deep as the nether world, or high as the sky!
But Ahaz answered,
"I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!"
Then Isaiah said:
Listen, O house of David!
Is it not enough for you to weary men,
must you also weary my God?
Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:
the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and shall name him Emmanuel.

Gospel of the day

From the Gospel according to Luke
Lk 1:26-38

In the sixth month,
the angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin's name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
"Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you."
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
"Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end."

But Mary said to the angel,
"How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?"
And the angel said to her in reply,
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God."

Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word."
Then the angel departed from her.

Words of the Holy Father

Within the domestic walls, a person reveals him or herself better than elsewhere. And it is precisely within that domestic intimacy that the Gospel gives us a detail that reveals the beauty of Mary’s heart. The angel calls her “full of grace”. (…) Let us remember that this perfection of Mary, the [one who is] full of grace, is declared by the angel within the walls of her house — not in Nazareth’s main square, but there, in hiding, in the greatest humility. In that little house of Nazareth beats the greatest heart that any creature has ever had. Dear brothers and sisters, this is extraordinary news for us! Because it tells us that, in order to work marvellous deeds, the Lord has no need of grand means and our lofty abilities, but rather of our humility, of our eyes open to him, and also open to others. With this annunciation, within the poor walls of a small house, God changed history. Today too, he wants to do great things with us in our daily lives: that is, in our families, at work, in everyday environments. God’s grace loves to operate there more than in great historical events. (…) Let us ask Our Lady for a grace: that she may free us from the misleading idea that the Gospel is one thing and life is another; that she kindle our enthusiasm for the ideal of holiness which is not a matter of holy cards and images, but is about living what happens each day, humbly and joyfully, like Our Lady, free from ourselves, with our eyes fixed on God and the neighbour we meet. (Angelus, 8 December 2021)