Advent Weekday

In those days,
    there was a man from Zorah, of the clan of Dan, named Manoah.
His wife was barren and had no children.
    The angel of the Lord appeared to this woman and said to her:
"You are barren and have had no children.
        But you will conceive and give birth to a son.
From now on, be very careful:
do not drink wine or strong drink,
and do not eat any unclean food,
    for you will conceive and give birth to a son.
A razor shall not pass over his head,
for he shall be dedicated to God from his mother’s womb.
He is the one who will begin to deliver Israel
from the hand of the Philistines."
    The woman went and told her husband:
"A man of God came to me;
he had the appearance of an angel of God,
so imposing was he.
I did not ask him where he came from,
and he did not tell me his name.
    But he said to me:
'You will become pregnant and give birth to a son.
From now on, do not drink wine or strong drink,
and do not eat any unclean food,
because the child will be dedicated to God from his mother’s womb
and until the day of his death!'"
    The woman gave birth to a son, and she named him Samson.
The child grew, the Lord blessed him,
    and the Spirit of the Lord began to move him.

            – The word of the Lord.

In you, Lord, I seek refuge:
let me never be put to shame.
In your justice, rescue me and free me,
turn your ear to me, and save me.

Be the rock that welcomes me,
always accessible;
you have resolved to save me:
my fortress and my rock is you!

Lord my God, you are my hope,
you, my support from before I was born,
you chose me from my mother's womb;
you will always be my praise!

I will recall the exploits of the Lord
proclaiming that your justice alone prevails.
My God, you have taught me from my youth,
and until now I have proclaimed your wonders.

There was, in the time of Herod the Great, king of Judea,
a priest of the group of Abijah, named Zechariah.
His wife also was a descendant of Aaron;
she was named Elizabeth.
    They were both righteous before God:
they kept all the commandments and precepts of the Lord
blamelessly.
    They had no child, for Elizabeth was barren
and, moreover, they were both advanced in years.

    Now, while Zechariah,
during the period assigned to the priests of his group,
was performing his service before God,
    he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priests,
to go and offer incense in the sanctuary of the Lord.
    The whole assembly of the people was praying outside
at the hour of the incense offering.
    The angel of the Lord appeared to him,
standing at the right of the altar of incense.
    On seeing him, Zechariah was deeply troubled
and fear seized him.
    The angel said to him:
"Do not be afraid, Zechariah,
for your prayer has been heard:
your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son,
and you will name him John.
    You will have joy and gladness,
and many will rejoice at his birth,
    for he will be great before the Lord.
He will drink neither wine nor strong drink,
and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb;
    he will bring back many of the people of Israel
to the Lord their God;
    he will go before him, in the presence of the Lord,
with the spirit and power of the prophet Elijah,
to turn the hearts of fathers toward their children,
to bring the disobedient back to the wisdom of the just,
and to prepare for the Lord a people well disposed."
    Then Zechariah said to the angel:
"How can I know this will happen?
I am, indeed, an old man
and my wife is advanced in years."
    The angel answered him:
"I am Gabriel
and I stand in the presence of God.
I have been sent to speak to you
and to bring you this good news.
    But look, you will be rendered silent
and, until the day this happens,
you will not be able to speak,
because you did not believe my words;
these will be fulfilled in their time."

    The people were waiting for Zechariah
and wondered at his delay in the sanctuary.
    When he came out, he could not speak to them,
and they realized that, in the sanctuary, he had seen a vision.
He kept making signs to them and remained mute.
    When he had finished the period of his liturgical service,
he returned home.
    Some time later, his wife Elizabeth conceived a child.
For five months, she kept it secret.
She said to herself:
    "This is what the Lord has done for me,
in these days when he looked with favor to take away
that which was my disgrace among people."

            – Let us acclaim the word of God.