“You are most blessed among women;

                                                   And blessed is the fruit of your wom!”

 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

Micah 5:1-4a

 But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,

So small that you are hardly named among the clans of Judah, from you shall I raise the one who is to rule over Israel. For he comes forth from of old, from the ancient times.

 Yahweh, therefore, will abandon Is­rael until such time as she who is to give birth has given birth. Then the rest of his deported brothers will return to the peo­ple of Israel.

 He will stand and shepherd his flock with the strength of Yahweh, in the glorious Name of Yahweh, his God. They will live safely while he wins renown to the ends of the earth. He shall be peace.

 

Ps 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19(4)

Lord, make us turn to you, let us see your face and we shall be saved.

 

＊＊＊ 2nd Reading ＊＊＊

Hebrews 10:5-10

 This is why on entering the world, Christ says: You did not desire sacrifice and offering; you were not pleased with burnt offerings and sin offerings. Then I said: “Here I am. It was written of me in the scroll. I will do your will, O God.”

 First he says: Sacrifice, offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire nor were you pleased with them—although they were required by the Law. Then he says: Here I am to do your will.

This is enough to nullify the first will and establish the new. Now, by this will of God, we are sanctified once and for all by the sacrifice of the body of Christ Jesus.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

  Luke 1:39-45

Mary then set out for a town in the Hills of Judah. She entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leapt in her womb. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and, giving a loud cry, said, "You are most blessed among women; and blessed is the fruit of your womb!

How is it that the mother of my Lord comes to me? The moment your greeting sounded in my ears, the baby within me suddenly leapt for joy. Blessed are you who believed that the Lord's word would come true!"

 

Gospel Reflection：

READ: Upon hearing that her cousin Elizabeth was with child, Mary made haste to visit and assist Elizabeth in her pregnancy. Their encounter was joyful, the baby in Elizabeth's womb leaps for joy because the mother of his Lord visits them.

 REFLECT: What sets extraordinary men and women apart from ordinary humans is their capacity to listen and believe. Most of us can hear except those with hearing defects. But very few truly know how to listen.

Within ourselves, we don't even need to hear sounds. It is the quality of the heart, ever attentive to what is said, that matters more than auditory capacity. And in today's gospel, we have two extraordinary women.

Both are blessed by God. Both are fruitfully pregnant by the power of God. One is a girl child, perhaps not more than fourteen years old. The other is a woman unable to have a child according to human standards. When they meet, the blessings they bore in their wombs become a source of joy and thanksgiving to a God who is gracious to them.Elizabeth articulates the reason why Mary is blessed among women and more blessed than she is. She listened and believed.

RESPOND: When was the last time you visited somebody close to you and the occasion of that visit became a joy to everyone? Perhaps today is a good day to plan a visit to those whom you have not seen for a long time. May you bring blessings and joy to everyone you meet along the way.