Today's Gospel 21 December 2020 with the words of Pope Francis

READING OF THE DAY
From the Canticle of Canticles
Ct 2,8-14

A voice! My beloved!
Here it is, it comes
jumping over the mountains,
leaping across the hills.
My beloved looks like a gazelle
or to a fawn.
Here he is, he stands
behind our wall;
look out the window,
spy from the railings.

Now my beloved begins to tell me:
"Get up, my friend,
my beautiful, and come quickly!
Because, behold, the winter has passed,
the rain has stopped, it's gone;
flowers appeared in the fields,
the time of singing is back
and the voice of the dove still makes itself heard
in our campaign.
The fig is ripening its first fruits
and the blossoming vines spread perfume.

Get up, my friend,
my beautiful, and come quickly!
O my dove,
who stand in the clefts of the rock,
in the hiding places of the cliffs,
show me your face,
let me hear your Voice,
because your voice is sweet,
your face is enchanting ».

GOSPEL OF THE DAY
From the Gospel according to Luke
Lc 1,39-45

In those days Mary got up and went quickly to the mountainous region, to a city of Judah.
Entering the house of Zacharias, she greeted Elizabeth. As soon as Elizabeth heard Maria's greeting, the baby jumped in her womb.
Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed in a loud voice: «Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb! To what must I have that the mother of my Lord come to me? Behold, as soon as your greeting reached my ears, the child jumped with joy in my womb. And blessed is she who believed in the fulfillment of what the Lord said to her. "

WORDS OF THE HOLY FATHER
The evangelist recounts that "Mary got up and went quickly" (v. 39) to Elizabeth: quickly, not anxious, not anxious, but quickly, in peace. "He got up": a gesture full of concern. She could have stayed at home to prepare for the birth of her son, but she cares more for others than for herself, proving in fact that she is already a disciple of that Lord she carries in her womb. The event of Jesus' birth began like this, with a simple gesture of charity; after all, authentic charity is always the fruit of God's love. May the Virgin Mary obtain for us the grace of living an extroverted Christmas, but not dispersed: extroverted: at the center there is not our "I", but the You of Jesus and the you of the brothers, especially those who need a hand. Then we will leave room for the Love who, even today, wants to become flesh and come to live among us. (Angelus, December 23, 2018