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| "The Annunciation" -- by James Tissot |
FIRST
READING: Isaiah
7: 10 - 14; 8:
10
10
And the Lord spoke again to Achaz, saying:
11
Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God either unto the depth of hell, or
unto the height above.
12
And Achaz said: I will not ask, and I will not tempt the Lord.
13
And he said: Hear ye therefore, O house of David: Is it a small thing
for you to be grievous to men, that you are grievous to my God also?
14
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Behold a virgin
shall conceive, and bear a son, and his name shall be called
Emmanuel.
10
Take counsel together, and it shall be defeated: speak a word, and it
shall not be done: because God is with us.
PSALM:
Psalms 40:
7 - 11
7
Sacrifice and oblation thou didst not desire; but thou hast pierced
ears for me. Burnt offering and sin offering thou didst not require:
8
Then said I, Behold I come. In the head of the book it is written of
me
9
That I should do thy will: O my God, I have desired it, and thy law
in the midst of my heart.
10
I have declared thy justice in a great church, lo, I will not
restrain my lips: O Lord, thou knowest it.
11
I have not hid thy justice within my heart: I have declared thy truth
and thy salvation. I have not concealed thy mercy and thy truth from
a great council.
SECOND
READING: Hebrews
10: 4 - 10
4
For it is impossible that with the blood of oxen and goats sin should
be taken away.
5
Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith: Sacrifice and
oblation thou wouldest not: but a body thou hast fitted to me:
6
Holocausts for sin did not please thee.
7
Then said I: Behold I come: in the head of the book it is written of
me: that I should do thy will, O God.
8
In saying before, Sacrifices, and oblations, and holocausts for sin
thou wouldest not, neither are they pleasing to thee, which are
offered according to the law.
9
Then said I: Behold, I come to do thy will, O God: he taketh away the
first, that he may establish that which followeth.
10
In the which will, we are sanctified by the oblation of the body of
Jesus Christ once.
GOSPEL:
Luke 1:
26 - 38
26
And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a
city of Galilee, called Nazareth,
27
To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of
David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
28
And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the
Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
29
Who having heard, was troubled at his saying, and thought with
herself what manner of salutation this should be.
30
And the angel said to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace
with God.
31
Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son;
and thou shalt call his name Jesus.
32
He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the most High; and
the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father; and
he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever.
33
And of his kingdom there shall be no end.
34
And Mary said to the angel: How shall this be done, because I know
not man?
35
And the angel answering, said to her: The Holy Ghost shall come upon
thee, and the power of the most High shall overshadow thee. And
therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called
the Son of God.
36
And behold thy cousin Elizabeth, she also hath conceived a son in her
old age; and this is the sixth month with her that is called barren:
37
Because no word shall be impossible with God.
38
And Mary said: Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me
according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
