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| "The Magnificat" --by James Tissot |
FIRST
READING: Revelation
11: 19; Revelation
12: 1 - 6, 10
19
Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant
was seen within his temple; and there were flashes of lightning,
voices, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.
1
And a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun,
with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve
stars;
2
she was with child and she cried out in her pangs of birth, in
anguish for delivery.
3
And another portent appeared in heaven; behold, a great red dragon,
with seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems upon his heads.
4
His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven, and cast them to
the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to
bear a child, that he might devour her child when she brought it
forth;
5
she brought forth a male child, one who is to rule all the nations
with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his
throne,
6
and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place
prepared by God, in which to be nourished for one thousand two
hundred and sixty days.
10
And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation
and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his
Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown
down, who accuses them day and night before our God.
PSALM:
Psalms 45:
10 - 12, 16
10
Hear, O daughter, consider, and incline your ear; forget your people
and your father's house;
11
and the king will desire your beauty. Since he is your lord, bow to
him;
12
the people of Tyre will sue your favor with gifts, the richest of the
people
16
Instead of your fathers shall be your sons; you will make them
princes in all the earth.
SECOND
READING: 1
Corinthians 15: 20 - 27
20
But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of
those who have fallen asleep.
21
For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection
of the dead.
22
For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.
23
But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his
coming those who belong to Christ.
24
Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father
after destroying every rule and every authority and power.
25
For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
26
The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
27
"For God has put all things in subjection under his feet."
But when it says, "All things are put in subjection under him,"
it is plain that he is excepted who put all things under him.
GOSPEL:
Luke 1:
39 - 56
39
In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country,
to a city of Judah,
40
and she entered the house of Zechari'ah and greeted Elizabeth.
41
And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her
womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit
42
and she exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
43
And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to
me?
44
For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe
in my womb leaped for joy.
45
And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of
what was spoken to her from the Lord."
46
And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord,
47
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48
for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold,
henceforth all generations will call me blessed;
49
for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his
name.
50
And his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation.
51
He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the
imagination of their hearts,
52
he has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of
low degree;
53
he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent
empty away.
54
He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy,
55
as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity for
ever."
56
And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her
home.
