December 18, 2014

Reading

Jeremiah    3: 5-8

23:5 Behold, the days are approaching, says the Lord, when I will raise up to David a righteous branch. And a king will reign, and he will be wise. And he will exercise judgment and justice upon the earth.
23:6 In those days, Judah will be saved, and Israel will live in confidence. And this is the name that they will call him: ‘The Lord, our Just One.’
23:7 Because of this, behold, the days are approaching, says the Lord, when they will no longer say, ‘As the Lord lives, who led the sons of Israel away from the land of Egypt,’
23:8 but instead, ‘As the Lord lives, who led away and brought back the offspring of the house of Israel from the land of the north and from the entire earth,’ from the places to which I had cast them out. And they will live in their own land.”

Gospel

Matthew    1: 18-25

1:18	Now the procreation of the Christ occurred in this way. After his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they lived together, she was found to have conceived in her womb by the Holy Spirit.
1:19	Then Joseph, her husband, since he was just and was not willing to hand her over, preferred to send her away secretly.
1:20	But while thinking over these things, behold, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in his sleep, saying: “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to accept Mary as your wife. For what has been formed in her is of the Holy Spirit.
1:21	And she shall give birth to a son. And you shall call his name JESUS. For he shall accomplish the salvation of his people from their sins.”
1:22	Now all this occurred in order to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:
1:23	“Behold, a virgin shall conceive in her womb, and she shall give birth to a son. And they shall call his name Emmanuel, which means: God is with us.”
1:24	Then Joseph, arising from sleep, did just as the Angel of the Lord had instructed him, and he accepted her as his wife.
1:25	And he knew her not, yet she bore her son, the firstborn. And he called his name JESUS.