RE: Readings for Sunday, January 13, 2013

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January 13, 2013

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Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
Lectionary: 21

Reading 1 Is 42:1-4, 6-7

Thus says the LORD:
Here is my servant whom I uphold,
my chosen one with whom I am pleased,
upon whom I have put my spirit;
he shall bring forth justice to the nations,
not crying out, not shouting,
not making his voice heard in the street.
a bruised reed he shall not break,
and a smoldering wick he shall not quench,
until he establishes justice on the earth;
the coastlands will wait for his teaching.

I, the LORD, have called you for the victory of justice,
I have grasped you by the hand;
I formed you, and set you
as a covenant of the people,
a light for the nations,
to open the eyes of the blind,
to bring out prisoners from confinement,
and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.

Or Is 40:1-5, 9-11

Comfort, give comfort to my people,
says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her
that her service is at an end,
her guilt is expiated;
indeed, she has received from the hand of the LORD
double for all her sins.

A voice cries out:
In the desert prepare the way of the LORD!
Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!
Every valley shall be filled in,
every mountain and hill shall be made low;
the rugged land shall be made a plain,
the rough country, a broad valley.
Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
and all people shall see it together;
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

Go up on to a high mountain,
Zion, herald of glad tidings;
cry out at the top of your voice,
Jerusalem, herald of good news!
Fear not to cry out
and say to the cities of Judah:
Here is your God!
Here comes with power
the Lord GOD,
who rules by a strong arm;
here is his reward with him,
his recompense before him.
Like a shepherd he feeds his flock;
in his arms he gathers the lambs,
carrying them in his bosom,
and leading the ewes with care.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 29:1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10.

R. (11b) The Lord will bless his people with peace.
Give to the LORD, you sons of God,
give to the LORD glory and praise,
Give to the LORD the glory due his name;
adore the LORD in holy attire.
R. The Lord will bless his people with peace.
The voice of the LORD is over the waters,
the LORD, over vast waters.
The voice of the LORD is mighty;
the voice of the LORD is majestic.
R. The Lord will bless his people with peace.
The God of glory thunders,
and in his temple all say, “Glory!”
The LORD is enthroned above the flood;
the LORD is enthroned as king forever.
R. The Lord will bless his people with peace.

Or Ps 104:1b-2, 3-4, 24-25, 27-28, 29-30

R. (1) O bless the Lord, my soul.
O LORD, my God, you are great indeed!
you are clothed with majesty and glory,
robed in light as with a cloak.
You have spread out the heavens like a tent-cloth;
R. O bless the Lord, my soul.
You have constructed your palace upon the waters.
You make the clouds your chariot;
you travel on the wings of the wind.
You make the winds your messengers,
and flaming fire your ministers.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul.
How manifold are your works, O LORD!
In wisdom you have wrought them all—
the earth is full of your creatures;
the sea also, great and wide,
in which are schools without number
of living things both small and great.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul.
They look to you to give them food in due time.
When you give it to them, they gather it;
when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul.
If you take away their breath, they perish and return to the dust.
When you send forth your spirit, they are created,
and you renew the face of the earth.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul.

Reading 2 Acts 10:34-38

Peter proceeded to speak to those gathered
in the house of Cornelius, saying:
“In truth, I see that God shows no partiality.
Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly
is acceptable to him.
You know the word that he sent to the Israelites
as he proclaimed peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all,
what has happened all over Judea,
beginning in Galilee after the baptism
that John preached,
how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth
with the Holy Spirit and power.
He went about doing good
and healing all those oppressed by the devil,
for God was with him.”

Or Ti 2:11-14; 3:4-7

Beloved:
The grace of God has appeared, saving all
and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires
and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age,
as we await the blessed hope,
the appearance of the glory of our great God
and savior Jesus Christ,
who gave himself for us to deliver us from all lawlessness
and to cleanse for himself a people as his own,
eager to do what is good.

When the kindness and generous love
of God our savior appeared,
not because of any righteous deeds we had done
but because of his mercy,
He saved us through the bath of rebirth
and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
whom he richly poured out on us
through Jesus Christ our savior,
so that we might be justified by his grace
and become heirs in hope of eternal life.

Gospel Lk 3:15-16, 21-22

The people were filled with expectation,
and all were asking in their hearts
whether John might be the Christ.
John answered them all, saying,
“I am baptizing you with water,
but one mightier than I is coming.
I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

After all the people had been baptized
and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying,
heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him
in bodily form like a dove.
And a voice came from heaven,
“You are my beloved Son;
with you I am well pleased.”

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses

RE: 01.09.13~Catholic Matters

SUNDAY READINGS - Baptism of the Lord FIRST READING: Isaiah 42: 1-4; 6-7. Thus says the Lord; Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him, he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not fail or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law. "I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness." EXPLANATION. In second-Isaiah (40-55) there are a series of oracles which describe a "servant of Yahweh" who is to come. He will have the qualities of a king, priest and prophet but to a greater degree. He will suffer for his people and be put to death because he carries out the will of (Yahweh) God to the letter. But God will again raise him up and give him numerous spiritual offspring. The New Testament and Christian tradition have always seen these oracles as messianic prophecies. They were fulfilled in Jesus Christ and in him only.
whom I uphold: God is his support and strength for it is God who has "chosen" him and in him God is "pleased." St. Matthew and St. Mark and St. Luke say these words were repeated from heaven when Christ was baptized by John in the Jordan: "Thou art my beloved (chosen) servant (son, in Greek, can be translated son or servant, like boy in English) in whom I am well pleased." (Lk. 3: 22; Mk. 1: 11; Mt. 3: 17).
I have put my Spirit: In the Old Testament the spirit of God was bestowed on kings, priests and prophets. It is given to the servant because
he will . . . justice to the nations: He shall proclaim the will, the law of God, not only to the Jews but to all nations---his jurisdiction will be universal.
not cry . . . or lift . . . voice: Unlike oriental despots, he will accomplish his missions quietly and kindly.
bruised reed . . . burning wick: Nothing is more useless than a broken reed, nothing more loathsome than a smoking wick as used in the lamps of those days. Yet this servant can and will make something of them---his mercy and power can reach to the very dregs of humanity. Our Lord speaking of "mercy" applies these verses of Isaiah to himself (Mt. 12: 15-21).
Justice in the earth: To establish the justice, that is, the will of God on earth, is his mission---he will persevere, come what may, until he has done this.
the coastlands: The nations will anxiously wait until he comes to bring them his teaching, i.e. the law of God. The Jews have some knowledge of it already.
I . . . Lord have called you: His mission is from God; his power is from God, "I have grasped you by the hand," and
I . . . the hand: refers to Christ's human nature. The words used are those used in describing Adam's creation.
covenant . . . light: The Jews had already a covenant, a pact with God, but the servant will make a new one and the nations will share in it; they too will have his light.
Blind . . . prisoners . . . darkness: His work is to open the spiritual eyes of people, to free them from the captivity and the darkness of sin and ignorance of God. APPLICATION: This prophecy of second-Isaiah was chosen for today, the feast which commemorates the baptism of Christ in the Jordan, because on that occasion the Father's voice from heaven proclaimed that Christ was "his beloved servant in which he was well pleased." Following the interpretation of the inspired Evangelists and of the ancient and constant tradition of the Church, we can have no hesitation in seeing in these words of second-Isaiah, written five centuries or so before Christ, a description of the Savior who came on earth to teach Jew and Gentile the new law of God, the law of love and mercy. He who was the Son of God took our human nature in order to represent us, and as one of us to give our heavenly Father the perfect obedience and service which no mere man had done ever since the creation, and which no mere man could ever do. This perfect obedience or service of God which Christ, the perfect servant, gave the Father, went as far as the acceptance of the shameful and excruciating death on a cross. But all this he accepted gladly for us---it was in our name he did it---and because he did it, we are all raised to a new relationship with God. He has made us all, Jew and Gentile, the whole human race, adopted sons of his heavenly Father. As members of his mystical body we can now, because he is our Head, give a service to God worthy of our new status, a service which God accepts from us because it is given to him and through "Christ our Lord." Today, as we offer the Mass, the sacrifice of Christ renewed before our eyes, let us try to realize the privilege that is ours. We are able, through Christ, to offer a sacrifice which gives infinite honor to God. We are able in spite of all our weaknesses and all our faults to give a service that is pleasing to God and to make some return for all he has done for us. We have become "good and faithful servants" because Christ the Son of God became the perfect servant of God for our sakes.

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SECOND READING: Acts 10: 34-38. Peter opened his mouth and said: "Truly I perceive that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the word which he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace by Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), the word which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him." EXPLANATION: These verses of Acts are read for us today because they contain a reference to our Lord's baptism. This reference occurs in a very interesting event which took place soon after the Ascension and is described in Acts 10: 1; 11: 18. Cornelius, a pagan Roman officer stationed in Caesarea in Palestine, a devout man who admires the God of the Jews and the religion of the Jews, is told by an angel to send for Peter. Peter in the meantime has seen a vision from which he learns that the Gentile is as welcome into the fold as the Jew. He comes to Cornelius and baptizes him and his household---the first Gentile family to be accepted into the Christian Church and by none other than by the Prince of the Apostles, Peter himself. Having heard Cornelius's story, Peter has these words to say:
God shows no partiality: Because of the vision he saw and because of the words of Cornelius he has just heard, from which it is evident that Cornelius is dear to God, Peter understands that Christ's salvation is not only for Jews but for Gentiles too.
who fears him . . . to him: He who accepts and respects God does God's will.
the word to . . . Israel: Christ preached to the Jews only, but he gave the order to his Apostles to preach to all nations.
preach . . . by Jesus Christ: This is the essence of the gospel: peace with God and peace between all men brought about by Christ's sojourn on earth.
Galilee . . . John preached: Peter gives a brief summary of Christ's public life in Palestine.
God anointed Jesus: This refers to the descent of the spirit in visible form on Jesus at his baptism in the Jordan, and to the words of the Father proclaiming him his beloved servant-the Messiah. He was the Messiah from the moment of his conception but this was first made evident on the occasion of his baptism and proved apodictically at his resurrection. This was his anointing, i.e. the moment of his inauguration, as the kings and priests were anointed when they actually took on their office.
doing good . . . healing: A reference to the miracles of Jesus of which Cornelius must have heard.
oppressed . . . devil: Epilepsy, madness and most mental illnesses as well as many bodily defects, were attributed directly to the devil at that time. By healing the sufferers, Christ showed his power over the demons.
God was with him: He had the divine power which miracles demand, only God can alter the laws of nature, which he has made. Prophets and holy men in the Old Testament worked miracles by calling on God to give them this power; Christ was God; through his own power he worked his miracles. APPLICATION: That day, nearly two thousand years ago, when Christ by his baptism in the Jordan, began his public preaching of salvation for all men, is a day---a feastday---no true Christian can ever forget. The baptism of John was for sinners---a sign of change of heart and a turning to God. Christ had no sin, he had never turned away from God, he was God---but he was the representative of sinful humanity. He represented us sinners that day and opened the door of salvation for us. In that ceremony Christ was proclaimed by the heavenly Father to be his son and faithful servant, and the power of the Holy Spirit came upon him. But this was all for us; as God he already had all things in common with the Father and the Holy Spirit. But in his human nature---our weak human nature which he took on himself in order to be one of us, and our representative---he was on that day proclaimed God's true and faithful servant. At the same moment we human beings were accepted in him and through him (i.e. through his perfect obedience even unto the death on the cross) as God's adopted children. The mission of Christ was for us. The Incarnation took place because God's infinite love wanted man, the masterpiece of his whole creation, to have a share in the divine gifts of the Blessed Trinity. God united the divine with the human nature in Christ. We mortal men were raised above our human nature; we would become immortal, not that we would never die on this earth---Christ himself died in his human nature-but "he would raise us up on the last day" to share forever with the Father, the Holy Spirit and the Incarnate Son the eternal bliss of heaven. How could a Christian, one who knows all this, ever refuse to do the little part he is called on to do---"to fear God, that is, to reverence and respect him and to do what is right"? Reverence and respect for God should come easily from anyone who realizes what God has done for him. But true respect for God is not proved by a few distracted prayers and a grudging attendance at Sunday Mass. It is proved by striving to keep the laws Christ gave us, i.e. doing what is right, every day of our lives. This is difficult at times but if we keep our eternity---the unending life---before our eyes, the few short years of hardship and training on earth, will seem very short indeed. There is no comparison between what God has prepared for us, and promises us, and the trifling conditions he asks us to fulfill in order to earn his promised reward.

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GOSPEL: Luke 3:15-16; 21-22. As the people were in expectation, and all men questioned in their hearts concerning John, whether perhaps he were the Christ. John answered them all, "I baptize you with water; but he who is mightier than I is coming, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie, he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form, as a dove, and a voice came from heaven, "Thou art my beloved Son, with thee I am well pleased."-c064EXPLANATION: In chapter 3: 1-22, St. Luke tells us of the Baptist's preaching and baptizing at the Jordan. This appearance of John the Baptist was causing great excitement. The people flocked to him from all over the country. We learn from St. John's Gospel that some men from Galilee had become his disciples, Andrew, namely, and most probably John, and that others including Peter, brother of Andrew, and Philip were in the vicinity (Jn. 1: 35-45).
People . . . were in expectation: The messianic prophecies of the Old Testament were well-known to the people. Someone was to come who would be their leader, their king and their liberator. As subsequent events show, it was a political leader and liberator they were looking for at this time, but the coming liberation would be a spiritual one.
perhaps . . . the Christ: The Hebrew title given for some centuries past to the One who was to come was the Messiah, which means the Anointed, for he was to be king, priest and prophet, and all three of these were anointed with oil before assuming office. The Greek word for anointed is Christos, hence the English Christ, the surname given to Jesus. Some of the people thought the Baptist might be the expected Messiah but this he very vehemently denied.
mightier than I am: The Christ is much more powerful, much more important than himself. He, the Baptist, is not even worthy to be his lowly servant---the one who should untie his sandals and do other menial tasks for him.
He will baptize you: John's baptism was only a symbol representing the interior conversion from sin and worldliness. The baptism which Jesus would confer on those really converted to him, would do what it signified, it would be a reality not a symbol.
the Holy Spirit: Those receiving Christ's baptism will receive grace, the friendship, indeed the sonship of God, as well as other gifts through the giving of the Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier.
with fire: In the Old Testament purification of objects by passing them through fire was a ritual practice (Numbers 31: 23), and the presence of God was frequently surrounded by fire (Gn. 15: 17; Ex. 3: 2). Baptism "with fire" then means a thorough purification and the presence of God in him thus purified. (see Mt. 3: 14).
Jesus . . . also had . . . baptized: Jesus insisted (see Mt. 3: 14) that John the Baptist should wash him with water as he washed the other sinners. He had no sin to repent of but he represented all of us sinners that day.
Holy Spirit . . . in bodily form: A vivid description of the inward reality. At the beginning of his mission of salvation for all men, the Messiah, in his human nature, received the fullness of divine assistance.
a voice . . . from heaven: God the Father, at the same time, proclaims that this is the Messiah, the "servant of God , foretold by the second-Isaiah (42: 1-7), which we have heard in the first reading today. That he was more than a mere human servant, that he was God as well, was not understood by those at the Jordan that day, but it was understood and accepted by the disciples and their converts from the day of Pentecost. This fact is testified to by all three Evangelists who change "servant" into "Son" when citing the words of the Father which words are a quotation from Isaiah 42: 1. John does not describe the baptism of Jesus but in describing the Baptist's activity he ends with, "I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God" (Jn. 1: 34). APPLICATION: Of the hundreds of Jews who had flocked to hear the Baptist's message, and who were present when Christ insisted on going through John's baptismal rite and who had probably heard the words from heaven proclaiming him to be the expected Messiah, only two left the Baptist and followed him. One of these was Andrew and the other was most probably John the Evangelist. Later in that day Andrew told Peter, his brother, that he had found the Messiah and Peter joined him too. What was wrong with the hundreds of others? We are told they were all agog about the Messiah and were wondering in their hearts if John was not he. Yet when the real Messiah was pointed out to them they did nothing about it. John had told them the Messiah would baptize them, not with water as he did, but with the Holy Spirit of God, and with fire. As Jews they must have understood that this meant he would make of them a holy people, a spiritual people, a people close to God and cleansed from all earthly attachments. Was it this that held them back? Were their hearts so centered on the things of earth, the things of this life, that they had no time for things spiritual? Were they so anxious for a king, a messiah, who would set them free from the hated pagan Romans and give them once more a powerful earthly kingdom, that talk of the kingdom of God and of a spiritual life made no impression on them? Their dealings with Christ during his public mission amongst them, their disbelief, their opposition, their persecution, which led eventually to the death on the cross answer these questions for us. The vast majority of the Jews of that day did not want a spiritual Messiah or kingdom. They were not interested in a heaven of the future, they wanted their heaven, their happiness, and prosperity here on earth. Before we pass any judgement on such folly let us have a look into our own hearts today. We are Christians, we are followers of Christ, we know he was God, we believe his word. We are convinced that getting to heaven is more important than getting all the treasures and pleasures this earth has to offer. But do we always live up to these convictions, are we true Christians the seven days of the week? In our work, in our speech, in our dealings with others, in our family life are we truly following Christ and his teaching? Is my way of life, my daily conduct, such that it would cause a non-Christian to say: "That man has something noble and sensible about him, that man is concerned with the things that really matter; that man has an inward peace and sense of security which I have not got, a sense of peace and security which comes not from the things of this world. I must find out what it is and get it for myself?" In all sincerity I cannot see any non-Christian speaking thus of me today, but helped by God's grace, it could and may be truly said of me in the days to come. God grant that this may be so.-c064 Click to return to our Home page

RE: Catholic Matters for Sunday, January 6th-2013

SUNDAY READINGS - Feast of the Epiphany


FIRST READING: Isaiah 60:1-6. Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Lift up your eyes round about, and see; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far, and your daughters shall be carried in the arms.



Then you shall see and be radiant, your heart shall thrill and rejoice; because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you. A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.



EXPLANATION: The prophet (second-Isaiah probably) is trying to cheer the exiles by foretelling the glorious future of the new Jerusalem which is not yet rebuilt. The special radiance of God will illuminate it. Gentiles (who once despised, it) will bring their riches to it. From Fast and West peoples will flock to it.

glory of the Lord: The gloom of sadness and despair which enveloped the derelict Jerusalem during the exile will give way to a heavenly brightness, for God will dwell within it once more.

darkness . . . covers the earth: This divine brightness is first and foremost for the Chosen People.

nations shall come to your light: The Gentiles will partake of this divine blessing---their kings will come to share in the light of Zion.

all gather . . . come to you: The glory of Jerusalem will be such that all nations will come to it, and the scattered children of Israel will return home also (see 49: 22).

abundance . . . sea: The nations of the West (the sea the Mediterranean) will bring their riches in ships.

Midian, Ephah and Sheba: The eastern nations will come in camel caravans, the usual way of travel through the desert, bearing their gifts.

gold and frankincense: Two of the most valuable means of barter-trading of the time.

proclaim the praise of the Lord: They will come with their gifts to honor the God of Israel, forsaking their pagan idols for the true God.



APPLICATION: The feast of the Epiphany is the feast which commemorates the manifestation of God to the Gentiles. This manifestation began when the Wise Men from the East came to Bethlehem to pay their respects and offer their gifts to the newly-born king of the Jews (see Mt. 2 in today's gospel). Though the words of second-Isaiah were not understood by his hearers as referring to this event, it was only in the coming of the Magi, to welcome Christ, that they were really fulfilled. Jerusalem was in no sense an attraction for the nations in the intervening centuries. But the Magi at Bethlehem were the first-fruits of the thousands and millions of Gentiles who have since then seen the glory of God in the Babe of Bethlehem and who have figuratively come to Jerusalem from the West and from the East to form the new Chosen People, the new Kingdom of God.



Let us thank God today for having called us, Gentiles, to his kingdom, his Church, and for giving us the means to reach heaven. Let us never imitate the Chosen People of the Old Testament who so often forgot how good God was to them, and who often so provoked him, that he allowed them to be taken into exile as slaves of a pagan nation. We too could bring exile on ourselves, an exile much more fatal than the Babylonian one. Whatever else may be my lot, whatever hardship I may have to suffer during the few years I am on earth, God forbid that I should ever, through my unfaithfulness, cause myself to be excluded from my true home, heaven, where "the glory of the Lord will shine" forever.





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SECOND READING: Ephesians 3: 2-3; 5-6. I assume that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy Apostles and prophets by the Spirit; that is, how the Gentiles are fellow-heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.



EXPLANATION:

stewardship . . . grace: Paul, writing from a prison in Rome to the Ephesians, whom he had converted to Christianity about 53-56, reminds them of the fact that he was "the Apostle of the Gentiles."

to me for you: This mission to bring the knowledge of Christ to the Gentiles Paul counted as a special grace from God, which it was, both for him and for his converts (see also Rom. 1: 5; 15: 15; Gal. 2: 9).

by revelation: His mission was revealed to him when Christ appeared to him on the road to Damascus (see Acts 9: 15; 22: 21).

in . . . generations: The expected Messiah of the Old Testament was understood to be for the Jews only---this was the common opinion of the Jewish people. Even the prophets, many of whom referred to the Gentiles in relation to the Messiah, had no clear understanding of him.

revealed . . . Apostles and prophets: That Christ the Messiah had come for the Gentiles as well as for the Jews was revealed to the Apostles and prophets---those Christians who in the early Church had special revelations from God for the community. To the Apostles Christ gave the command after his resurrection: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations" (Mt. 28: 19; see Mk. 16: 15; 24: 47).

members of the same body: The Gentiles are equal members with the Jewish converts in the mystical body of Christ, the Church.

promise . . . through the gospel: The eternal reward promised by Christ to his followers, in the gospel, and through living up to its teaching.



APPLICATION: St. Paul's thoughts in his prison in Rome are not for himself nor for the fate that awaits him. He is thinking instead of the mission Christ gave him, to evangelize the Gentile nations. He has done much already, and even in prison he does all he can to continue the good work. He writes to his Gentile converts from Rome, to remind them of their great privilege in being called to the Christian faith. They are now God's new Chosen People, they are now members of Christ's mystical body, they are now guaranteed heaven if they appreciate and live up to their vocation.



Today, on the feast of the Epiphany, we are celebrating the coming of the first Gentiles to the feet of Christ. They were the first of the long stream of Gentile peoples and nations that flowed steadily toward Christ's mystical body, the Church, down through the years. We have the privilege of being part of that stream, and St. Paul, who today in heaven is as interested in us as he was in his Ephesian converts, is exhorting us, through these words of his, to appreciate the privilege which is ours. Through the grace of God and not through any merits of our own, we are Christians and are on the road to heaven. "Rejoice and persevere" is St. Paul's advice to us today. If we truly rejoice it means we truly appreciate what the gift of the true faith means. We know where we came from, we know where we are going, and we are certain there is a place, a wonderful, eternal place, to go to. We know too how to get there. This is no mean knowledge in the world of today, where so many seem content to make this world their heaven, and let the future look after itself---if there be a future (and logically to ease their consciences they must hope there isn't one).



Thank God, our faith and our ordinary intelligence tell us there has to be a future life---God would be a cruel joker if he gave us the nature we possess with its spiritual gifts and desires only to have them end in a grave after a few short years. We can rejoice then because we appreciate the great privilege given us, and if we appreciate it we shall hold on to it and follow the path it indicates. We may have to climb some hills and they may look as steep as Calvary, but after Calvary comes the Mount of Olives, the mount of the Ascension.





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GOSPEL: Matthew 2:1-12. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him." When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it is written by the prophet: 'And you, 0 Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will govern my people Israel."'



Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star appeared; and he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him bring me word, that I too may come and worship him." When they had heard the king they went their way; and Io, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy; and going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshipped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.



EXPLANATION:

Wise men: The term was usually reserved for men learned in the sciences, and among the Persians these were especially the priestly caste.

from the East: From Mesopotamia, of which Persia was the only country of any importance then.

to Jerusalem: Evidently God had revealed to them that a new King of the Jews had been born, and they understood from God that he was a special King; they did not come when Herod or Herod's son was born.

we have seen his star: Astrology was one of the sciences studied by Magi. There was a firm conviction that each human being had his own star and that his fate in life was governed by that star. This was not and is not so, but God made use of their superstition to teach them truth. Some unusual light in the sky aroused their interest; God did the rest.

Herod . . . troubled: He knew the Magi had not come to honor his son---all his sons were grown up at the time, so he immediately thought of an opponent who would oust him from the throne.

all Jerusalem with him: Not because Herod might lose his throne, but for fear of what excess Herod would go to if any opposition arose.

Christ was to be born: Herod, who was a pagan, may have had some idea of the messianic promises which were the kernel of the Old Testament. But when the question of a special king of the Jews arose, some of his household must have told him that this must be the expected Messiah (a Hebrew word meaning the Anointed, or the Christ).

the priests and scribes: They knew their bible, they remembered the prophecy of Micah (see Cycle C (3) 4th Sunday of Advent), and so informed Herod that Bethlehem was to be the birthplace of the Christ.

time the star appeared: Herod had already formed his plans---he would destroy that infant. The Magi had probably spent months on their journey. The star may have appeared some months before they left. The Baby could possibly be a year old. But Herod took no chances: when ordering the murder of all the male children of Bethlehem (3:16), he said: "from two years and under."

I may . . . come and worship: He may have deceived the Magi but could not deceive God.

star . . . over the place: This heavenly light directed them to the place (not the stable, as it says, they "entered the house") where they found the Child.

with Mary his mother: The omission of Joseph may be due to the simple fact that he was absent because he had found employment in Bethlehem as a carpenter. It is, however, more likely that Matthew who has already (1 : 18-25) told of the virginal conception of Christ, is emphasizing here the fact that Joseph was only the foster-father of Christ.

worshiped him: That is, they paid him reverence by prostrating themselves before him. It does not prove they recognized him as God but they did recognize him as a special King.

gold . . . myrrh: Precious gifts to show their respect and esteem.

departed . . . another way: Herod had told them to return to him but God had other plans---the Magi were instructed to return not via Jerusalem but by another route. This gave time to Joseph to remove the Child before Herod could lay hands on him.



APPLICATION: The Magi are the central personages in today's feast of Epiphany. They were pagans who did not know the true God of the Jews. Yet that true God revealed to them that the King he had promised to the Jews had come. The expected Prince was born. They came to Jerusalem, the capital of Judah, expecting, of course, to find the city and the whole country rejoicing. Instead they found suspicion and hatred in the reigning king---a hatred which in a few days turned to murder. Among the religious leaders they found knowledge of their past history, but utter indifference as regards the present and the future. These leaders knew the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem; they must have realized that the Magi were very sure of the truth revealed to them---they would not have come such a long journey on a "fool's errand." In spite of that, the thought of going to Bethlehem with the Magi never entered their minds. These were the leaders who some years later refused to listen to Christ and in spite of his miracles refused to admit his claim that he was not only the promised Messiah, but the true Son of God. These were the men who rejected him because he had mercy on sinners, and spoke of a future life. What they wanted from their Messiah was political power and earthly freedom and prosperity. Like Herod they ended with murder---the crucifixion of the "King of the Jews." The pagan king was not much worse than the indifferent leaders of God's Chosen People.



We too know the true facts concerning Christ, his mission, and his present and future kingdom. Like the leaders of the Jews of his day, we also could become absorbed in the affairs of this life and the quest for wealth, pleasure and power. We could become so totally absorbed in such things as to have neither the interest nor the time to pay our respects to Christ or to welcome him into our homes and our hearts, as our true Lord. God forbid it should ever be thus with us. Rather let us resolve this morning to make the Magi our models, to follow them to Bethlehem and offer him all that we have and are. He will accept our offering and we will return by another way, wiser and better men.-c059



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RE: 01.03.13~Readings for Sunday, January 6th-2013

USCCB » Bible » Daily Readings January 6, 2013


« January 5
January 7 »

Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord

Lectionary: 20

Reading 1 Is 60:1-6Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come,

the glory of the Lord shines upon you.

See, darkness covers the earth,

and thick clouds cover the peoples;

but upon you the LORD shines,

and over you appears his glory.

Nations shall walk by your light,

and kings by your shining radiance.

Raise your eyes and look about;

they all gather and come to you:

your sons come from afar,

and your daughters in the arms of their nurses.



Then you shall be radiant at what you see,

your heart shall throb and overflow,

for the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you,

the wealth of nations shall be brought to you.

Caravans of camels shall fill you,

dromedaries from Midian and Ephah;

all from Sheba shall come

bearing gold and frankincense,

and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.Responsorial Psalm Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13.R. (cf. 11) Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

O God, with your judgment endow the king,

and with your justice, the king’s son;

He shall govern your people with justice

and your afflicted ones with judgment.

R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

Justice shall flower in his days,

and profound peace, till the moon be no more.

May he rule from sea to sea,

and from the River to the ends of the earth.

R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts;

the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute.

All kings shall pay him homage,

all nations shall serve him.

R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,

and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.

He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;

the lives of the poor he shall save.

R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.Second Reading Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6Brothers and sisters:

You have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace

that was given to me for your benefit,

namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation.

It was not made known to people in other generations

as it has now been revealed

to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit:

that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body,

and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.Gospel Mt 2:1-12When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,

in the days of King Herod,

behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,

“Where is the newborn king of the Jews?

We saw his star at its rising

and have come to do him homage.”

When King Herod heard this,

he was greatly troubled,

and all Jerusalem with him.

Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people,

He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea,

for thus it has been written through the prophet:

And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,

are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

since from you shall come a ruler,

who is to shepherd my people Israel.”

Then Herod called the magi secretly

and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance.

He sent them to Bethlehem and said,

“Go and search diligently for the child.

When you have found him, bring me word,

that I too may go and do him homage.”

After their audience with the king they set out.

And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them,

until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.

They were overjoyed at seeing the star,

and on entering the house

they saw the child with Mary his mother.

They prostrated themselves and did him homage.

Then they opened their treasures

and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,

they departed for their country by another way.Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

RE: 12.27.12~Readings for Sunday, December 30th-2012

December 30, 2012


« December 29
December 31 »

Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph

Lectionary: 17

Reading 1 Sir 3:2-6, 12-14God sets a father in honor over his children;

a mother's authority he confirms over her sons.

Whoever honors his father atones for sins,

and preserves himself from them.

When he prays, he is heard;

he stores up riches who reveres his mother.

Whoever honors his father is gladdened by children,

and, when he prays, is heard.

Whoever reveres his father will live a long life;

he who obeys his father brings comfort to his mother.



My son, take care of your father when he is old;

grieve him not as long as he lives.

Even if his mind fail, be considerate of him;

revile him not all the days of his life;

kindness to a father will not be forgotten,

firmly planted against the debt of your sins

--a house raised in justice to you.

or 1Sm 1:20-22, 24-28In those days Hannah conceived, and at the end of her term bore a son

whom she called Samuel, since she had asked the LORD for him.

The next time her husband Elkanah was going up

with the rest of his household

to offer the customary sacrifice to the LORD and to fulfill his vows,

Hannah did not go, explaining to her husband,

"Once the child is weaned,

I will take him to appear before the LORD

and to remain there forever;

I will offer him as a perpetual nazirite."



Once Samuel was weaned, Hannah brought him up with her,

along with a three-year-old bull,

an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine,

and presented him at the temple of the LORD in Shiloh.

After the boy's father had sacrificed the young bull,

Hannah, his mother, approached Eli and said:

"Pardon, my lord!

As you live, my lord,

I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the LORD.

I prayed for this child, and the LORD granted my request.

Now I, in turn, give him to the LORD;

as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the LORD."

Hannah left Samuel there.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 128:1-2, 3, 4-5.R. (cf. 1) Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.

Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD,

who walks in his ways!

For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;

blessed shall you be, and favored.

R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.

Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine

in the recesses of your home;

your children like olive plants

around your table.

R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.

Behold, thus is the man blessed

who fears the LORD.

The LORD bless you from Zion:

may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem

all the days of your life.

R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.

or Ps 84:2-3, 5-6, 9-10.R. (cf. 5a) Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord.

How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts!

My soul yearns and pines for the courts of the LORD.

My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.

R. Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord.

Happy they who dwell in your house!

Continually they praise you.

Happy the men whose strength you are!

Their hearts are set upon the pilgrimage.

R. Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord.

O LORD of hosts, hear our prayer;

hearken, O God of Jacob!

O God, behold our shield,

and look upon the face of your anointed.

R. Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord.

Reading 2 Col 3:12-21Brothers and sisters:

Put on, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved,

heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,

bearing with one another and forgiving one another,

if one has a grievance against another;

as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.

And over all these put on love,

that is, the bond of perfection.

And let the peace of Christ control your hearts,

the peace into which you were also called in one body.

And be thankful.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,

as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another,

singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs

with gratitude in your hearts to God.

And whatever you do, in word or in deed,

do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,

giving thanks to God the Father through him.



Wives, be subordinate to your husbands,

as is proper in the Lord.

Husbands, love your wives,

and avoid any bitterness toward them.

Children, obey your parents in everything,

for this is pleasing to the Lord.

Fathers, do not provoke your children,

so they may not become discouraged.

or Col 3:12-17Brothers and sisters:

Put on, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved,

heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,

bearing with one another and forgiving one another,

if one has a grievance against another;

as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.

And over all these put on love,

that is, the bond of perfection.

And let the peace of Christ control your hearts,

the peace into which you were also called in one body.

And be thankful.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,

as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another,

singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs

with gratitude in your hearts to God.

And whatever you do, in word or in deed,

do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,

giving thanks to God the Father through him.



or 1 Jn 3:1-2, 21-24Beloved:

See what love the Father has bestowed on us

that we may be called the children of God.

And so we are.

The reason the world does not know us

is that it did not know him.

Beloved, we are God's children now;

what we shall be has not yet been revealed.

We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him,

for we shall see him as he is.



Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us,

we have confidence in God and receive from him whatever we ask,

because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.

And his commandment is this:

we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ,

and love one another just as he commanded us.

Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them,

and the way we know that he remains in us

is from the Spirit he gave us.



Gospel Lk 2:41-52Each year Jesus' parents went to Jerusalem for the feast

of Passover,

and when he was twelve years old,

they went up according to festival custom.

After they had completed its days, as they were returning,

the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem,

but his parents did not know it.

Thinking that he was in the caravan,

they journeyed for a day

and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances,

but not finding him,

they returned to Jerusalem to look for him.

After three days they found him in the temple,

sitting in the midst of the teachers,

listening to them and asking them questions,

and all who heard him were astounded

at his understanding and his answers.

When his parents saw him,

they were astonished,

and his mother said to him,

"Son, why have you done this to us?

Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety."

And he said to them,

"Why were you looking for me?

Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?"

But they did not understand what he said to them.

He went down with them and came to Nazareth,

and was obedient to them;

and his mother kept all these things in her heart.

And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and favor

before God and man.



Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

RE: 12.20.12~Catholic Matters

SUNDAY READINGS - 4th Sunday of Advent FIRST READING: Michah 5: 1-4. Thus says the Lord: You, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days. Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in travail has brought forth; then the rest of his brethren shall return to the people of Israel. And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. And this shall be peace. EXPLANATION: Michah prophesied in Judah during the second half of the 8th century B.C. His preaching was especially against the rich exploiters of the poor who will be punished by God. But a remnant---the few faithful ones, will be saved and God's kingdom will be established. Most of the prophets have references to the coming Messiah, but this prophecy of Michah is one of the clearest in the Old Testament. He names Bethlehem as the birth-place of the Messiah, who will be shepherd and king of not only Israel but of all peoples and his kingdom will be a kingdom of peace.
Bethlehem-Ephrathah: Ephrathah was a family of the tribe of Judah which settled in that locality. They called the town Ephrathah at first but the name was later changed to Bethlehem (see Jos. 15: 59), which means "house of bread."
are little . . . clans of Judah: Ephrathah was a small, almost unknown clan of the tribe of Judah but it had already become famous, for from it David the greatest of Israel's kings had sprung. But a greater than David would yet make Bethlehem more famous still---he would be a ruler (for God) whose greatness would "reach to the ends of the earth."
origin is from old: This refers literally back to Bethlehem and David but typically to the future ruler whose divine sonship was from eternity.
Therefore he shall . . . give them up: Because of the evil doings of kings and people in Israel, they will be subject to foreigners until
she . . . brought forth: The future king of Israel would be born of a woman. The words "she who is to give birth" imply that the prophecy of Isaiah (7: 14) given some years earlier, was known and remembered.
rest of his brethren: The gathering of all the clans from north and south, from east and west under the new Ruler is frequently mentioned by Deutero-Isaiah and also by Jeremiah, Ezechiel and others.
and feed his flock: He shall protect and pasture his flock, his people, he will be the Good Shepherd (Jn. 10: 1-16).
strength of the Lord: He will be the perfect ruler, the perfect shepherd because he has God with him.
they shall dwell: His people will never be scattered again unlike the Chosen People of old---his kingdom will last forever.
ends of the earth: It will be a universal kingdom.
this shall be peace: His kingdom founded on the two commandments of love will be a kingdom of peace for it is based on true love of God and neighbor. APPLICATION: The ways of God are certainly not our ways and the mercy of God surpasses all human understanding. When he sent Michah to recall his rebellious, thankless people, and told him to foretell the national and personal disasters their sins were about to bring on them, he gave at the same time a glimpse of the glorious future that awaited them. They took note of the promise and their descendants remembered their promise, for the priests of Jerusalem were able to tell Herod where Christ the Messiah was to be born (see Mt. 2:4), yet the certainty of a glorious future was not enough to turn them from their sinful way of living. Notwithstanding this, the merciful God still kept his promise. The Messiah, the Redeemer, was born later in Bethlehem and he founded a universal kingdom for Jew and Gentile promising an eternal kingdom to those who would be faithful members of his earthly one. We have called the Jews unworthy and thankless but who are we to offer to take the mote out of their eyes? The Jews had indeed seen the wondrous love and mercy of God, but have we Christians not experienced that love and mercy to an infinitely greater degree? God sent his Son to live and die for us and yet how cold is our love, how meagre and begrudging is our thanksgiving, our return for this infinite divine love? Like the Jews of Michah's time we are aware that God has promised us the kingdom of heaven where we shall have eternal happiness and peace. Yet, how many of us are willing to bear the trials of this life and shun illicit gains and pleasures for the sake of that happy eternal future? The ways of God are mysterious but surely the ways of sinful man who is willing to throw away his everlasting happiness for the sake of a passing pleasure, are more mysterious still.

---

SECOND READING: Hebrews 10: 5-10. When Christ came into the world, he said, "Sacrifices and offerings thou hast not desired, but a body hast thou prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings thou hast taken no pleasure. Then I said, 'Lo, I have come to do thy will, O God,' as it is written of me in the roll of the book." When he said above, "Thou has neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings" (these are offered according to the law), then he added, "Lo, I have come to do thy will." He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. EXPLANATION: The Epistle to the Hebrews was written by some disciple of St. Paul who wrote under the influence of the preaching and writings of the great Apostle of the Gentiles. The letter was written to Jewish converts as the title (given to it in the 2nd century) and especially the contents clearly indicate. The author's purpose is to confirm the converts in their recently accepted Christian faith and to do this he proves from the Old Testament that Christ was the promised Messiah, that all the rites and ceremonies of the old law were but shadows and types of the future, true liturgy. In the verses you have heard read, the author says that the sacrifice offered by Christ (on Calvary) annulled and replaced all the sacrifices of the Temple of Jerusalem. The perfect obedience given by Christ to God, which culminated on Calvary. replaces the religion of the Old Testament and is the one and only means now for men's sanctification.
into the world: The author puts in Christ's mouth, at the moment of his incarnation, the words of Psalm 40: 7-9.
sacrifices and offerings: The offering of sheep and bulls and all the other various sacrifices which God commanded the Israelites to offer had no value of themselves unless the heart and the will of the one offering was given to God.
a body . . . prepared for me: The Hebrew text of the psalm has "you have opened my ear" that is, you, God, have let me hear and obey your will. The Epistle follows the Greek translation "a body you have fitted to me" as more directly messianic. The Son of God was made man, took human nature, in order to sacrifice his human life to God, for our sins.
I have come to do thy will: The Incarnation was freely accepted by the Son in order to carry out God's will regarding man's salvation. Christ came on earth to obey the Father's will in every detail, "even to the death on the cross" and in this he represented all mankind and won back for us the friendship of God.
in . . . the book: The coming of a Redeemer was foretold in the very first chapters of the Old Testament and repeated many times. This very coming was the raison d'être of the Old Law and of the Chosen People.
to do thy will: Perfect obedience to the will of his Father was the driving force in the human life of Christ, and through this perfect obedience he reconciled sinful humanity with God.
he abolishes . . . the second: All the sacrifices and liturgy of the Old Law were but a weak shadow of the one and only really pleasing sacrifice of Christ. These Jewish sacrifices together with the covenant God made with Moses on Mount Sinai were annulled (no longer had any real value) since the real sacrifice was offered on Mount Calvary. The shadow gave way to the reality.
establish the second: Christ made a new Covenant not only with Israel but with all mankind and this Covenant is for all time. "This is my blood of the new and everlasting covenant."
By that will . . . sanctified: We have been brought back to the friendship of God by Christ's sacrifice which unlike the Jewish sacrifices need not be repeated. Christ offered himself once and this has value for all times and for all men. APPLICATION: These words of the Epistle to the Hebrews are aptly chosen to remind us today, the last Sunday of our preparation for Christmas, of the real meaning of the Incarnation. It was out of love, infinite love, God created the world and all it contains. In God's plan of creation man was the highest of all the creatures, he has inorganic and organic life, vegetative and animal life, but over and above what all other living creatures have he has an intellect and free will---a spiritual life which makes him capable of knowing and loving his Creator. From the beginning, according to the teaching of the Scotistic School, God's plan was to raise up man to the highest possible glory, by uniting our human nature with the divine in the Person of his divine Son, and thus in the Incarnation all creation is, in its representative man, joined to its divine Creator. Our finite, puny minds cannot even begin to understand the infinite love which moved God to be so generous towards us. And to make that love more mysterious still the world was full of sin when the Incarnation took place. Man who could and should have known and loved his Creator, had in his pride and selfishness forgotten his Benefactor and offended him. But that did not deter God's love. It entailed suffering and a cruel death for the Son in his human nature, but that was cheerfully borne out of love for us. "Behold I come to do thy will" was the Son's response, he humbled himself so that we should be raised up, he died so that we should live eternally. His perfect obedience, coming from the God-man, made atonement for all the sins (of disobedience) the whole human race had ever committed or ever could commit. All we can say to this mystery of infinite love is: thank you God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, for all you have done and are still doing for us, unworthy, utterly unworthy though we be.

---

GOSPEL: Luke 1: 39-45. Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and she exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!" And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord. EXPLANATION: St. Luke has just described the Annunciation of the birth of Christ. When Mary wondered how she could be the Mother of the Messiah as she was a virgin and evidently intended to remain a virgin, Gabriel told her: "the power of the Most High" would do this. And to confirm this statement he told her that her cousin Elizabeth who had been barren and was now advanced in years (Lk. 1: 5-7) had conceived and was in her sixth month. Mary believed his word and humbly accepted the role God had destined for her. She immediately set out to visit her cousin, today's Gospel reading describes this visit.
in haste into the hill country: The home of Zechariah and Elizabeth, according to an ancient tradition, was in the hills south-west of Jerusalem---a place today called Ain Karem. From Nazareth to Ain Karem was a journey of 50 or so miles---a dangerous journey in those days but this did not worry the young maiden whose one desire was to congratulate her cousin and be of help to her.
the babe leaped in her womb: Elizabeth knew that the Messiah's arrival was imminent. She herself was miraculously pregnant---even though Zechariah was dumb as a punishment for doubting the Angel's word, he was able to write and she or somebody else would have read his message. She knew therefore the son she was expecting was to be the Precursor of the Messiah, and therefore the Messiah himself must be about to arrive. When Mary greeted her, most probably with words of congratulation on her happy election to be mother of the Precursor, the Holy Spirit revealed to her and to the unborn infant in her womb that her visitor and cousin was to be the Messiah's Mother. The following words are proof of this.
exclaimed . . . loud cry: Elizabeth burst forth in praise of Mary's exalted position in God's plan of redemption.
Blessed are you among women: Of all women on earth you are the nearest and dearest to God.
blessed is the fruit of your womb: Elizabeth knows Mary has conceived and whom she has conceived.
Mother of my Lord: In her humility, though she herself has been blessed by God, she feels embarrassed that the Mother of the Messiah should deign to visit her.
behold . . . leaped for joy: She tells Mary that even the unborn babe had recognized Mary as one exalted by God and joyfully welcomed her and the Messiah she bore. APPLICATION: Filled with the Holy Spirit, that is, informed, inspired by God, Elizabeth was the first human being to proclaim the dignity, the special position given to Mary in God's plan for our redemption. "Blessed are thou amongst women . . . the mother of my Lord," she said. Mary was the one chosen from all eternity, from all the daughters of Eve, to be the mother of the Incarnate Son of God---no greater dignity could be conferred on any creature on earth or in heaven, she was surely the "blessed one." The moment she accepted the Angel's announcement in Nazareth and said "be it done unto me according to thy word" she became the Mother of Christ, our Redeemer. And at that same moment she became our Mother also, for Christ has made us his brothers. Fortunate and blest indeed are we to have such a Mother in heaven who loves us and is supremely interested in us. There is no stronger, no greater, no more unselfish love on earth than that of a mother for her child. Expecting nothing in return, an earthly mother will make any sacrifice even that of her own life, for the sake of her child. Mary, our Mother in heaven, has made a sacrifice for us---a sacrifice greater than any human mother could ever make---she offered her divine Son for us on Calvary and stood there to see him die slowly in agony for our sakes. Could we ever doubt her love for us then, her supreme interest in us? She wants nothing for us but the greatest and the best, our eternal happiness with the Holy Trinity in heaven. Every human mother does all she can to help her child succeed in life. Our heavenly mother does all she can (and she surely has influence with her divine Son), to help us succeed in our heavenly vocation. But we must do our part. Unfortunately many a son and daughter forget the sacrifices their earthly mothers made for them in their childhood and youth and leave them unhelped, uncomforted and lonely in their advancing years. God forbid that we should forget our earthly mothers and all they did for us and our temporal welfare, and God forbid we should ever cease to be thankful and grateful to our heavenly Mother who did so much more and who is still doing so much for our eternal well-being. Let us thank God from our hearts at Christmas for sending his divine Son to redeem us, and for giving his Son and us a Mother "blessed amongst women" and greatest of all mothers.-c017 Click to return to our Home page

RE: 12.20.12~Readings for Sunday, December 23, 2012

December 23, 2012

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Fourth Sunday of Advent
Lectionary: 12

Reading 1 Mi 5:1-4a

Thus says the LORD:
You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah
too small to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel;
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient times.
Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time
when she who is to give birth has borne,
and the rest of his kindred shall return
to the children of Israel.
He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock
by the strength of the LORD,
in the majestic name of the LORD, his God;
and they shall remain, for now his greatness
shall reach to the ends of the earth;
he shall be peace.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19.

R. (4) Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
O shepherd of Israel, hearken,
from your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth.
Rouse your power,
and come to save us.
R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
Once again, O LORD of hosts,
look down from heaven, and see;
take care of this vine,
and protect what your right hand has planted
the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
May your help be with the man of your right hand,
with the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
Then we will no more withdraw from you;
give us new life, and we will call upon your name.
R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.

Reading 2 Heb 10:5-10

Brothers and sisters:
When Christ came into the world, he said:
"Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
in holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight.
Then I said, 'As is written of me in the scroll,
behold, I come to do your will, O God.'"

First he says, "Sacrifices and offerings,
holocausts and sin offerings,
you neither desired nor delighted in."
These are offered according to the law.
Then he says, "Behold, I come to do your will."
He takes away the first to establish the second.
By this "will," we have been consecrated
through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Gospel Lk 1:39-45

Mary set out
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
"Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled."

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the U