December 19, 2027

1But you, Bethlehem-Ephrathah least among the clans of Judah, From you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel; Whose origin is from of old, from ancient times. 2Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time when she who is to give birth has borne, Then the rest of his kindred shall return to the children of Israel. 3He shall take his place as shepherd by the strength of the LORD, by the majestic name of the LORD, his God; And they shall dwell securely, for now his greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth: 4he shall be peace. If Assyria invades our country and treads upon our land, We shall raise against it seven shepherds, eight of royal standing;

2I - O Shepherd of Israel, lend an ear, you who guide Joseph like a flock! Seated upon the cherubim, shine forth 3upon Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh. Stir up your power, and come to save us. 15Turn back again, God of hosts; look down from heaven and see; Visit this vine, 16the stock your right hand has planted, and the son whom you made strong for yourself. 18May your hand be with the man on your right, with the son of man whom you made strong for yourself. 19Then we will not withdraw from you; revive us, and we will call on your name.

5For this reason, when he came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; 6holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight in. 7Then I said, ‘As is written of me in the scroll, Behold, I come to do your will, O God.’” 8First he says, “Sacrifices and offerings, holocausts and sin offerings, you neither desired nor delighted in.” These are offered according to the law. 9Then he says, “Behold, I come to do your will.” He takes away the first to establish the second. 10By this “will,” we have been consecrated through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

38Mary 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.

39Mary Visits Elizabeth. During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, 40where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, 42cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. 45Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”