First Reading

Second Book of Samuel (2 Sm 7: 1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16)

The kingdom of David shall endure forever before the LORD.

When King David was settled in his palace,
and the LORD had given him rest from his enemies on every side,
he said to Nathan the prophet,

“Here I am living in a house of cedar,
while the ark of God dwells in a tent!”

Nathan answered the king,

“Go, do whatever you have in mind,
for the LORD is with you.”

But that night the LORD spoke to Nathan and said:

“Go, tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD:
Should you build me a house to dwell in?’

It was I who took you from the pasture
and from the care of the flock
to be commander of my people Israel.
I have been with you wherever you went,
and I have destroyed all your enemies before you.
And I will make you famous like the great ones of the earth.
I will fix a place for my people Israel;
I will plant them so that they may dwell in their place
without further disturbance.
Neither shall the wicked continue to afflict them as they did of old,
since the time I first appointed judges over my people Israel.
I will give you rest from all your enemies.
The LORD also reveals to you
that he will establish a house for you.
And when your time comes and you rest with your ancestors,
I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins,
and I will make his kingdom firm.
I will be a father to him,
and he shall be a son to me.
Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me;
your throne shall stand firm forever.”

— The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 89: 2-3, 4-5, 27, 29

For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

The promises of the LORD I will sing forever;
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness.
For you have said, “My kindness is established forever”;
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.

“I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant:
Forever will I confirm your posterity
and establish your throne for all generations.”

“He shall say of me, ‘You are my father,
my God, the Rock, my savior.’
Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him,
and my covenant with him stands firm.”

Second Reading

Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans (Rom 16: 25-27)

The mystery kept secret for long ages is now manifested.

Brothers and sisters:
To him who can strengthen you,
according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ,
according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret for long ages
but now manifested through the prophetic writings and,
according to the command of the eternal God,
made known to all nations to bring about the obedience of faith,
to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ
be glory forever and ever. Amen.

— The word of the Lord.

Gospel

Alleluia, alleluia.

Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke (Lk 1: 26-38)

Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son.

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.

— The Gospel of the Lord.

First reading

First Book of Samuel (1 Sm 1: 24-28)

Hannah gives thanks for the birth of Samuel.

In those days,
Hannah brought Samuel with her,
along with a three-year-old bull,
an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine,
and presented him at the temple of the Lord in Shiloh.
After the boy’s father had sacrificed the young bull,
Hannah, his mother, approached Eli and said:

“Pardon, my Lord!
As you live, my Lord,
I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the Lord.
I prayed for this child, and the Lord granted my request.
Now I, in turn, give him to the Lord;
as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the Lord.”

She left Samuel there.

— The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm

First Book of Samuel (1 Sm 2: 1, 4-5, 6-7, 8abcd)

My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

“My heart exults in the Lord,
my horn is exalted in my God.
I have swallowed up my enemies;
I rejoice in my victory.”

“The bows of the mighty are broken,
while the tottering gird on strength.
The well-fed hire themselves out for bread,
while the hungry batten on spoil.
The barren wife bears seven sons,
while the mother of many languishes.”

“The Lord puts to death and gives life;
he casts down to the nether world;
he raises up again.
The Lord makes poor and makes rich,
he humbles, he also exalts.”

“He raises the needy from the dust;
from the dung heap he lifts up the poor,
To seat them with nobles
and make a glorious throne their heritage.”

Gospel

Alleluia, alleluia.

O King of all nations and keystone of the Church: come and save man, whom you formed from the dust!

Alleluia.

Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke (Lk 1: 46-56)

He who is mighty has done great things for me.

At that time: Mary said,

“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,
and 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 remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.”

Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months
and then returned to her home.

— Gospel of the Lord.

First Reading

Book of Isaiah (Is 61: 1-2A, 10-11)

I rejoice heartily in the LORD.

The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
because the LORD has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor,
to heal the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives
and release to the prisoners,
to announce a year of favor from the LORD
and a day of vindication by our God.

I rejoice heartily in the LORD,
in my God is the joy of my soul;
for he has clothed me with a robe of salvation
and wrapped me in a mantle of justice,
like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem,
like a bride bedecked with her jewels.
As the earth brings forth its plants,
and a garden makes its growth spring up,
so will the Lord GOD make justice and praise
spring up before all the nations.

— The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm

Lk 1: 46-48, 49-50, 53-54

My soul rejoices in my God.

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 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,

Second Reading

First Letter of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians (1 Thes 5: 16-24)

May you entirely, spirit, soul, and body, be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing.
In all circumstances give thanks,
for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
Do not quench the Spirit.
Do not despise prophetic utterances.
Test everything; retain what is good.
Refrain from every kind of evil.

May the God of peace make you perfectly holy
and may you entirely, spirit, soul, and body,
be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The one who calls you is faithful,
and he will also accomplish it.

— The word of the Lord.

Gospel

Alleluia, alleluia.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John (Jn 1: 6-8, 19-28)

There is one among you whom you do not recognize.

A man named John was sent from God.
He came for testimony, to testify to the light,
so that all might believe through him.
He was not the light,
but came to testify to the light.

And this is the testimony of John.
When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests
and Levites to him
to ask him,

“Who are you?”

He admitted and did not deny it,
but admitted,

“I am not the Christ.”

So they asked him,

“What are you then? Are you Elijah?”

And he said,

“I am not.”

“Are you the Prophet?”

He answered,

“No.”

So they said to him,

“Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us?
What do you have to say for yourself?”

He said:

“I am the voice of one crying out in the desert,
‘make straight the way of the Lord,’
as Isaiah the prophet said.”

Some Pharisees were also sent.
They asked him,

“Why then do you baptize
if you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?”

John answered them,

“I baptize with water;
but there is one among you whom you do not recognize,
the one who is coming after me,
whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.”

This happened in Bethany across the Jordan,
where John was baptizing.

— The Gospel of the Lord.