December 21

Official Translation

Reading 1 – Song of Songs 2.8-14

The voice of my beloved!
Behold, he comes,
leaping on the mountains,
skipping on the hills.
My beloved is like a gazelle or a young deer.
Behold, he stands behind our wall!
He looks in at the windows.
He glances through the lattice.
My beloved spoke, and said to me,
“Rise up, my love, my beautiful one,
and come away.
For, behold, the winter is past.
The rain is over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth.
The time of the singing has come,
and the voice of the turtledove
is heard in our land.
The fig tree ripens her green figs.
The vines are in blossom.
They give out their fragrance.
Arise, my love, my beautiful one,
and come.”

My dove in the clefts of the rock,
In the hiding places of the mountainside,
Let me see your face.
Let me hear your voice;
for your voice is sweet,
and your face is lovely.

Or Zephaniah 3.14-18a

Sing, daughter of Zion!
Shout, O Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
O daughter of Jerusalem.
The Lord has taken away your punishment.
He has thrown out your enemy.
The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst.
You will not be afraid of evil anymore.
In that day, it will be said to Jerusalem,
“Do not be afraid, Zion. Do not let your hands be weak.”
The Lord, your God, is in your midst,
a mighty one who will save.
He will rejoice over you with joy.
He will calm you in his love.
He will rejoice over you with singing,
as at the appointed feasts.

Responsorial – Psalm 33.2-3, 11-12, 20-21 Resp. 1a; 3a

R. Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous! Sing to him a new song.

Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre.
Sing praises to him with the ten-stringed harp.
Sing to him a new song.
Play skillfully, with a shout of joy!

R. Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous! Sing to him a new song.

The plan of the Lord stands fast forever,
the thoughts of his heart to all generations.
Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
the people whom he has chosen for his own inheritance.

R. Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous! Sing to him a new song.

Our soul has waited for the Lord.
He is our help and our shield.
For our heart rejoices in him,
because we have trusted in his holy name.

R. Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous! Sing to him a new song.

Gospel – Luke 1.39-45

Mary arose in those days
and went into the hill country with haste,
into a town of Judah,
and entered into the house of Zachariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the baby leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
She called out with a loud voice, and said,
“Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
Why am I so favored,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For behold, when the voice of your greeting
came to my ears,
the baby leaped in my womb for joy!
Blessed is she who believed,
that there will be a fulfillment of the things
which have been spoken to her from the Lord!”