Bible Diary

Daily Reading

Memorial of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary

LECTIONARY
680

FIRST READING

ZEC 2:14-17

Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion!
See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the LORD.
Many nations shall join themselves to the LORD on that day,
and they shall be his people,
and he will dwell among you,
and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you.
The LORD will possess Judah as his portion in the holy land,
and he will again choose Jerusalem.
Silence, all mankind, in the presence of the LORD!
He stirs forth from his holy dwelling.

PSALM

LK 1:46-47, 48-49, 50-51, 52-53, 54-55

Response: The Almighty has done great things for me, and Holy is His Name.

"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior."

"For he has looked upon his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name."

"He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit."

"He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty."


"He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children forever."

GOSPEL

MT 12:46-50

While Jesus was speaking to the crowds,
his mother and his brothers appeared outside,
wishing to speak with him.
Someone told him, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside,
asking to speak with you."
But he said in reply to the one who told him,
"Who is my mother?
Who are my brothers?"
And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said,
"Here are my mother and my brothers.
For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father
is my brother, and sister, and mother."

Daily Reflection

Sing, rejoice, daughter of Zion; for I am coming to dwell in the middle of you...’

We know, now, the joyful fulfillment of Zechariah’s prophecy. But, at the time of her presentation, Mary was just an infant – a child set apart, no doubt, but as yet unaware of the future to come. We, too, are ‘presented’ to God, at the time of our Baptism and receive the ‘commission’ for our own futures. As infants, we may not realise this but, as we grow in faith, we are made fully aware through the teachings of the Church and the Sacraments. Will we be as accepting as Mary was at the time of the Annunciation?

Perhaps Jesus’ statement in today’s Gospel will help us to be in tune with our calling: Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven, he is my brother and sister and mother. As simple as that!

May our response always be: Here I am Lord; I come to do Your will.