Daily Reading for Wednesday, January 1st, 2014

"May Yahweh bless you and keep you. 
 May Yahweh let his face shine on you and be gracious to you. 
 May Yahweh show you his face and bring you peace."

May this year offer you with possibilities that you have not known before, and these possibilities bring you hope enough to continue with your journey, confident and ever so determined. May the reason why the Savior was born illuminate in your life and to others around you. May you be ready for the outpouring of grace and blessings, be ready to receive, be ready to declare the goodness of the Lord. It has all been done. It has all been fulfilled. 

In my journey so far there were times when I find it hard to practice. The faith, the believing that no matter what happens, in the seeming darkness, God has something in store for me. But as 2013 was coming to a close, it was getting more and more clear to me that indeed I couldn't save myself. Someone greater than me has that job and all I need to do is to believe. 

One night, I was in deep darkness and thought of texting my only brother. Told him about my woes, heartaches, fear, the temptation to give up and sulk in stead. I was so struck by his reply: "I've already tried that. Didn't work. Don't wait till He give you no choice but to believe."

And indeed I reached that exact point, where God gave me no choice but to believe. Come to think of it, for us Christians, what else will it supposed to be? 

Reading 1, Numbers 6:22-27

²² Yahweh spoke to Moses and said,

²³ 'Speak to Aaron and his sons and say: "This is how you must bless the Israelites. Youwill say:

²⁴ May Yahweh bless you and keep you.

²⁵ May Yahweh let his face shine on you and be gracious to you.

²⁶ May Yahweh show you his face and bring you peace."

²⁷ This is how they must call down my name on the Israelites, and then I shall bless them.'

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Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8

² Then the earth will acknowledge your ways, and all nations your power to save.

³ Let the nations praise you, God, let all the nations praise you.

⁵ Let the nations praise you, God, let all the nations praise you.

⁶ The earth has yielded its produce; God, our God has blessed us.

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Gospel, Luke 2:16-21

¹⁶ So they hurried away and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger.

¹⁷ When they saw the child they repeated what they had been told about him,

¹⁸ and everyone who heard it was astonished at what the shepherds said to them.

¹⁹ As for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart.

²⁰ And the shepherds went back glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as they had been told.

²¹ When the eighth day came and the child was to be circumcised, they gave him the name Jesus, the name the angel had given him before his conception.

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Reading 2, Galatians 4:4-7

⁴ but when the completion of the time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born a subject of the Law,

⁵ to redeem the subjects of the Law, so that we could receive adoption as sons.

⁶ As you are sons, God has sent into our hearts the Spirit of his Son crying, 'Abba, Father';

⁷ and so you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir, by God's own act.