Today's Gospel December 19, 2020 with the words of Pope Francis

READING OF THE DAY
From the Book of Judges
Jg 13,2: 7.24-25-XNUMXa

In those days, there was a man from Sorèa, of the tribe of the Danites, called Manòach; his wife was barren and had no children.

The angel of the Lord appeared to this woman and said to her: “Look! You are barren and have had no children, but you will conceive and bear a son. Now beware of drinking wine or intoxicating drink and not eating anything unclean. For, behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son on whose head a razor will not pass, for the child will be a Nazirite of God from the womb; he will begin to save Israel from the hands of the Philistines. "

The woman went to say to her husband: «A man of God has come to me; he looked like an angel of God, a majestic look. I did not ask him where he came from and he did not reveal his name to me, but he said to me: “Look! You will conceive and give birth to a son; now do not drink wine or intoxicating drink and do not eat anything unclean, because the child will be a Nazirite of God from the womb until the day of his death. "

And the woman gave birth to a son whom she named Samson. The child grew and the Lord blessed him.
The spirit of the Lord began to act on him.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY
From the Gospel according to Luke
Lc 1,5-25

In the time of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zaccharia, of the class of Abia, who had as wife a descendant of Aaron, named Elizabeth. Both were righteous before God and observed all the laws and prescriptions of the Lord blameless. They had no children, because Elizabeth was barren and both were advanced in years.

It happened that, while Zaccharia was carrying out his priestly functions before the Lord during the turn of his class, it fell to him, according to the custom of the priestly service, to enter the temple of the Lord to make the offering of incense.
Outside, the whole assembly of the people was praying at the hour of incense. An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right of the altar of incense. When he saw him, Zaccaria was troubled and was overcome by fear. But the angel said to him: «Do not be afraid, Zaccharia, your prayer has been answered and your wife Elizabeth will give you a son, and you will name him John. You will have joy and exultation, and many will rejoice in his birth, because he will be great before the Lord; he will not drink wine or intoxicating drinks, he will be filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother's womb and will lead many children of Israel back to the Lord their God. He will walk before him with the spirit and power of Elijah, to bring back the hearts of their fathers towards children and rebels to the wisdom of the righteous and to prepare a well-disposed people for the Lord ».
Zaccharia said to the angel: «How can I ever know this? I am old and my wife is advanced in years ». The angel answered him: «I am Gabriel, who stand before God and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be mute and will not be able to speak until the day in which these things will happen, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time ».

Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zaccharia, and were amazed by his lingering in the temple. When he then came out and could not speak to them, they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. He gestured to them and remained mute.

His days of service completed, he returned home. After those days Elizabeth, his wife, conceived and hid for five months and said: "This is what the Lord did for me, in the days when he deigned to take away my shame among men."

WORDS OF THE HOLY FATHER
Here is an empty cradle, we can look at it. It can be a symbol of hope because the Child will come, it can be a museum object, empty for life. Our heart is a cradle. How is my heart? It is empty, always empty, but is it open to continually receive life and give life? To receive and be fruitful? Or will it be a heart preserved as a museum object that has never been opened to life and to give life? (Santa Marta, December 19, 2017