Wednesday in Advent

46Verse 46. Then Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47Verse 47. and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! 48Verse 48. For He has looked with favor on the humble state of His servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed. 49Verse 49. For the Mighty One has done great things for me. Holy is His name. 50Verse 50. His mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation. 51Verse 51. He has performed mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who are proud in the thoughts of their hearts. 52Verse 52. He has brought down rulers from their thrones, but has exalted the humble. 53Verse 53. He has filled the hungry with good things, but has sent the rich away empty. 54Verse 54. He has helped His servant Israel, remembering to be merciful, 55Verse 55. as He promised to our fathers, to Abraham and his descendants forever.”

1Verse 1. In the last days the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and the peoples will stream to it. 2Verse 2. And many nations will come and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us His ways, so that we may walk in His paths.” For the law will go forth from Zion and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 3Verse 3. Then He will judge between many peoples and arbitrate for strong nations far and wide. Then they will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer take up the sword against nation, nor will they train anymore for war. 4Verse 4. And each man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree, with no one to frighten him. For the mouth of the LORD of Hosts has spoken. 5Verse 5. Though all the nations may walk in the name of their gods, yet we will walk in the name of the LORD our God forever and ever.

11Verse 11. Therefore remember that formerly you who are Gentiles in the flesh and called uncircumcised by the so-called circumcision (that done in the body by human hands) — 12Verse 12. remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13Verse 13. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. 14Verse 14. For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has torn down the dividing wall of hostility 15Verse 15. by abolishing in His flesh the law of commandments and decrees. He did this to create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace 16Verse 16. and reconciling both of them to God in one body through the cross, by which He put to death their hostility. 17Verse 17. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18Verse 18. For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. 19Verse 19. Therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household, 20Verse 20. built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone. 21Verse 21. In Him the whole building is fitted together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22Verse 22. And in Him you too are being built together into a dwelling place for God in His Spirit.