December 18

Official Translation

Reading 1 – Jeremiah 23.5-8

Behold, the days come, says the Lord,
when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch,
and he shall reign as king and deal wisely,
and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.
In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely,
and this is his name by which he shall be called: “The Lord our Righteousness.”
“Therefore behold, the days come”, says the Lord, “When they shall no longer say ,
‘As the Lord lives, who brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;
but, ‘As the Lord lives, who brought the offspring of the house of Israel out of the north country’,
and from all the countries where I had driven them.
They shall dwell in their own land.

Responsorial – Psalm 72.1-2, 12-13, 18-19 Resp. 7

R. In his day, justice shall flourish, and the fullness of peace as long as the moon endures.

Give the king your judgment, O God,
and your righteousness to the king's son.
He shall judge your people with righteousness,
and your poor with judgment.

R. In his day, justice shall flourish, and the fullness of peace as long as the moon endures.

He shall deliver the needy when they cry;
the poor, who have no helper.
He shall spare the poor and needy,
and shall save the souls of the needy.

R. In his day, justice shall flourish, and the fullness of peace as long as the moon endures.

Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
who alone does marvelous deeds.
Blessed be his glorious name forever!
Let the whole earth be filled with his glory!

R. In his day, justice shall flourish, and the fullness of peace as long as the moon endures.

Gospel – Matthew 1.18-25

Now the birth of Jesus Christ happened in this way:
After his mother, Mary, was engaged to Joseph, but before they came together,
she was found pregnant by the Holy Spirit.
Joseph, her husband, being a righteous man,
and unwilling to shame her, resolved to divorce her secretly.
But while he thought about these things,
behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying,
“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take in Mary, your wife,
for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
She shall give birth to a son.
You shall call his name Jesus, for it is he who shall save his people from their sins.”

Now all this has happened, that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, might be fulfilled:
“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall give birth to a son.
They shall call his name Emmanuel”; which means “God with us.”
Joseph arose from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him,
and took his wife in but did not know her, until she had given birth to her firstborn son.
He named him Jesus.