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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Thursday, January 3, 2013
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.
« 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.
Thursday, December 27, 2012
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.
« 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.
Thursday, December 20, 2012
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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."
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."
Thursday, December 13, 2012
12.13.2012~Catholic Matters
SUNDAY READINGS - 3rd Sunday of Advent
FIRST READING: Zephaniah 3:14-18. Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away the judgements against you, he has cast out your enemies. The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall fear evil no more. On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: " Do not fear, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak. The Lord your God is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing as on a day of festival."
EXPLANATION: Zephaniah was a prophet who preached to the people of Judah and Jerusalem during the second half of the seventh century B.C. This was a period of religious degradation. The pure monotheism of Moses was almost forgotten, pagan idols were worshipped even in the holy city of Jerusalem. The prophet chastises the Chosen People and the neighboring pagan peoples who have led them astray. But he ends up with words of hope and consolation. A remnant of the Chosen People will be saved and to that remnant God will fulfill his promise---he will forgive Jerusalem and send it a lasting peace, for he will come to dwell in it as a "mighty savior." Our reading today is taken from this hymn of hope.
Sing aloud . . . Israel: Having pronounced his "woes" and threats against Israel and Jerusalem (which "woes" were later fulfilled to the letter), the prophet now sees the light of hope shining amidst the darkness. In spite of her sins, Zion, that is, Jerusalem will yet have cause to rejoice, and to sing for joy.
the Lord . . . the judgements: God in his mercy will forgive Jerusalem. Many a time that city, humanly speaking, deserved to be wiped out forever, like Sodom and Gomorrah, but God is divine, not human; be has a patience, a mercy which our small human minds cannot even imagine. He promises now, through Zephaniah, that Jerusalem will survive all its disasters and that notwithstanding its citizens' insults to him, through their idolatry, he would yet make it a safe and a happy city because
the King of Israel . . . in your midst: he would dwell once more amongst them; therefore they need fear no enemy.
on that day . . . who gives victory: Some time in the future "on that day," God will come to Jerusalem as its true Savior, not merely to save it from its earthly enemies, but to bring it back to the true worship and to save it from its sins, as the following verses show.
He will rejoice . . . renew you in his love: In the old covenant made on Mount Sinai, God promised to be a father to the Chosen People if they remained true children of his. He would make his throne in the Temple in Jerusalem and dwell in their midst. The Chosen People failed badly in keeping their part and God abandoned them to their pagan enemies. But a remnant would remain true and with that remnant he would make a new covenant, build a new Jerusalem and found a new Chosen People. This is the theme of almost all of the prophets (see Jer. 31: 31-34) and it is to this messianic covenant that Zephaniah refers here.
He will . . . festival: God will rejoice in the people of this new covenant because they will be more loyal, but especially because there will be one amongst them, their Head and Leader, human like themselves but at the same time God's "beloved Son in whom he is well pleased."
APPLICATION: It is very probable that neither Zephaniah nor his hearers saw the full meaning of the consoling words he uttered and that matters not. But we see their full meaning now in their fulfillment and we have every reason to do what the prophet said. "to shout for joy." God has come to dwell amongst us. He, Christ, is head of the new Israel, the Church. We are its members. "I am the vine, you are the branches" he said; while we remain united with him in grace and love we are producing fruit for eternal life, we are progressing daily towards our perfection.
The Israelites of old were indeed thankless and mean towards God, they forgot him and went after false Gods, and God resented this, and we would all say "how right he was"! But what about ourselves? We have seen proof of God's love, exceedingly greater than anything the Israelites saw---his Son came amongst us---and actually died the most shameful and painful death for our sakes! Could we ever forget that? We can and we do, unfortunately. We too desert God and go after idols, false gods of our own making, the pleasures, the riches and the power of this passing world.
Let us stop and think today of our privileged status. We have been made adopted sons of God, brothers of Christ, who lowered himself to become one of us so that he would raise us up to become one with him forever. Would we swap our birthright of adopted sonship of God for a mess of valueless pottage? Would we exchange an eternal happiness for some passing pleasure, some trivial material gain, some foolish sop to our false pride? This has been known to have happened, it can happen again. God forbid it should happen to me!
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SECOND READING: Philippians 4: 4-7. Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let all men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
EXPLANATION: In the first reading you heard read today, the prophet Zephaniah exhorts the new Israel, that is us, to shout for joy, because of the new covenant of love God was to make with mankind. St. Paul too, writing from a prison where he was "in chains," because of this new message of God---the gospel---urges his first European converts to shout for joy, to rejoice always and for the same reason.
rejoice in the Lord always: The true Christian is a man who is on the direct road to heaven. Heaven is a place where there will be happiness, without any admixture of sorrow, in the company of God and his saints, and that happiness will be eternal, everlasting. Surely joy should be the theme-song of his life.
let . . . forebearance: the Greek word means courtesy, tolerance, gentleness. Who should be more courteous, tolerant and gentle to his neighbor than a follower of the gentle Christ who said: "learn of me for I am meek and humble of heart"? The true Christian, conscious of the kindness, the toleration God has shown him, will surely be tolerant and kind to his neighbor. If that neighbor is a definite sinner, which a kind Christian should never presume---he should be all the more sympathetic toward him---his eternal happiness may be in jeopardy.
prayer . . . full of gratitude: We can never thank God sufficiently, but every prayer of ours should begin with thanksgiving.
let your requests . . . God: the true Christian is on the right road to heaven, but he must keep moving always in order to get there. For this he will need God's help and that help is there for him who asks for it. He must tell God of his needs then, not only his spiritual needs but also his temporal ones, always with the proviso "if this temporal favor is conducive to my spiritual good." There are snags and troubles and disappointments in the course of every man's journey to heaven, but these very difficulties are often the means used by God to raise us up spiritually. The true Christian will see them in this light.
the peace of God: What greater gift could St. Paul wish for his converts! To share in that peace, namely, which dwells in the Trinity. No creature could expect such divine peace which "surpasses all understanding." The man who is loyal to God, just and charitable to all his fellow-men, can and does share in that peace even in this life.
will keep your hearts . . . in Christ Jesus: This peace on earth, a foreshadowing of the eternal peace of heaven, has been won for men by our Savior Christ Jesus.
APPLICATION: St. Francis of Assisi tried in his daily life to follow Christ as closely as possible. He was one of the happiest and most joyful of men for this very reason. He was often ill, often hungry, often cold and often fatigued but he was never known to have been sad. He had taken this exhortation of St. Paul to his heart. Whenever he saw one of his early followers gloomy and sad---there were some evidently who were as yet only following from afar---he told him go to confession as he must be in mortal sin. There seemed no other true explanation for sadness in a true Christian's life. Is there? We are really pilgrims, exiles on this earth, but every day we live is a day nearer to our true and lasting home which is heaven. Would an exile on his home-journey complain of the few hardships and discomforts he may meet with on his journey? Not if his heart is really set on coming home.
Troubles and trials there must be in every individual's life, but of this we have been forewarned by our Savior himself---"if anyone will come after me let him take up his cross daily and follow me." The crosses we meet are not impediments to our progress towards heaven but rather necessary aids on our journey. If accepted willingly they will keep us closer to our Leader who carried his cross to Calvary for our sakes.
St. Paul tells us today to pray for all our needs, always with thanksgiving. Such prayers, especially if we stress the thanksgiving we owe God already for the wonderful gifts he has given us, will lighten the cross and even perhaps make us grasp it closely rather than want to cast it from us. We are very mean if we refuse to undergo a little suffering for God who did so much for us and suffered so much for us.
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GOSPEL: Luke 3: 10-18. The multitudes asked John, "What shall we do?" And he answered them, "He who has two coats, let him share with him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise." Tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Collect no more than is appointed you." Soldiers also asked him, "And we, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Rob no one by violence or by false accusation, and be content with your wages."
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. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into his granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."
So, with many other exhortations, he preached good news to the people.
EXPLANATION: The Baptist's preaching at the Jordan caused a stir all over Palestine. Many thought he was a prophet. They had had no prophet from God for over 200 years. Others thought he was the long-expected Messiah. The theme of his preaching was "change of heart," turn to God and to things spiritual, forget your political ambitions---the Messiah is not here to free you from the Romans and make you a great temporal nation but to free you from your sins and make you sons of God.
What shall we do?: Many of those who flocked to hear him were willing to change their hearts but how? was their question. Be charitable, share with your needy neighbor, was his basic rule. The rest would follow.
tax collectors . . . soldiers: Doubtless he had a word for all classes but Luke picks out two of the most despised classes of that time. The tax collectors were Jews (for the most part), who collected the taxes Rome had imposed on their fellow-Jews. The system of collection opened the door to many abuses. The tax collector had to give the Roman authorities a certain amount each year for his district. He could exact whatever sum he liked provided Rome got the sum decided on. Thus, injustice was widespread, the Roman taxes were a hated burden for Jews, the collector made them more hated still. The "soldiers" were most probably not those of the Roman or Herod's army but the henchmen of the tax collectors who often used strong arm methods to get the taxes, and often collected something extra for themselves. John's answer to both is: "be just."
I baptize . . . water: The washing in the Jordan waters had no value in itself but was a symbol of the interior cleansing---"change" of heart. John answers the question "are you the Messiah?" Although chosen by God to be the precursor---to prepare the way for Christ, he feels he is not worthy to be his most lowly servant---the one who was not fit to tie his superior's sandals.
baptize . . . Holy Spirit and . . . fire: The baptism which Christ will confer will be the reality, it will give the Spirit of God, a new breath of divine life, to those who receive it. As in the Genesis description of creation God breathed on the clay he had formed and made Adam man, so now the new breath "Spirit" of God would make man something greater: sons of God.
fire: Cleansing, purifying by fire, was common in the old testament (see Nm. 21: 33 and Mal. 3: 3-19 where the reference is messianic).
winnowing fork: John now uses a simile well-known to his audience---the farmer threshing his wheat---the good grain will be separated from the useless chaff. Our Lord himself uses the same image in his parable of "the wheat and the cockles" (Mt. 13: 24ff).
he preached good news: John kept on telling the crowds who came to hear him the "good news" of the arrival of the long-awaited Messiah and thus prepared the way for Christ's public ministry.
APPLICATION: The Baptist's words are still very much to the point for all of us. We are all to a greater or lesser degree tax collectors and sinners. They had the honesty to admit it and asked John what they should do in order to be ready to welcome the Messiah, Christ. Let me ask today too what I should do if I mean to welcome Christ sincerely at Christmas. And the answer is in the words I have just heard. Am I just and charitable to my fellow-men? If I am an employer am I paying a just wage to those who are producing my wealth for me? If I am an employee am I doing an honest day's work for the pay I am getting? And both employer and employee must in justice and charity think of the consumer---the third party, when fixing or causing the price of what they produce.
If the employer, through desire for excessive profit, or the employee through not earning his pay, cause prices to rise then the third party, the consumer, is treated unjustly. Our world today is full of such injustices and sad to say, the Christian countries whose citizens profess to be followers of Christ not only do nothing to prevent this state of affairs but instead are even worse offenders than those who have not yet heard of Christ. I may shrug my shoulders and say what can I do about the injustice that abounds on all sides? But stop and think, there are things I can do. I can put my own conscience in order. I can put myself right with God and neighbor by acting justly, "giving every man his due" from this day forward. I can thus become an example to lead others to do likewise.
The true Christian in the world is the leaven which will convert the dough into wholesome healthy bread. I can be, and I should be, that energizing leaven. If I will not and if I do not strive to become so, Christ's winnowing-fan on my day of judgement will put me among the chaff which is destined for the unquenchable fire.-c012
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FIRST READING: Zephaniah 3:14-18. Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away the judgements against you, he has cast out your enemies. The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall fear evil no more. On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: " Do not fear, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak. The Lord your God is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing as on a day of festival."
EXPLANATION: Zephaniah was a prophet who preached to the people of Judah and Jerusalem during the second half of the seventh century B.C. This was a period of religious degradation. The pure monotheism of Moses was almost forgotten, pagan idols were worshipped even in the holy city of Jerusalem. The prophet chastises the Chosen People and the neighboring pagan peoples who have led them astray. But he ends up with words of hope and consolation. A remnant of the Chosen People will be saved and to that remnant God will fulfill his promise---he will forgive Jerusalem and send it a lasting peace, for he will come to dwell in it as a "mighty savior." Our reading today is taken from this hymn of hope.
Sing aloud . . . Israel: Having pronounced his "woes" and threats against Israel and Jerusalem (which "woes" were later fulfilled to the letter), the prophet now sees the light of hope shining amidst the darkness. In spite of her sins, Zion, that is, Jerusalem will yet have cause to rejoice, and to sing for joy.
the Lord . . . the judgements: God in his mercy will forgive Jerusalem. Many a time that city, humanly speaking, deserved to be wiped out forever, like Sodom and Gomorrah, but God is divine, not human; be has a patience, a mercy which our small human minds cannot even imagine. He promises now, through Zephaniah, that Jerusalem will survive all its disasters and that notwithstanding its citizens' insults to him, through their idolatry, he would yet make it a safe and a happy city because
the King of Israel . . . in your midst: he would dwell once more amongst them; therefore they need fear no enemy.
on that day . . . who gives victory: Some time in the future "on that day," God will come to Jerusalem as its true Savior, not merely to save it from its earthly enemies, but to bring it back to the true worship and to save it from its sins, as the following verses show.
He will rejoice . . . renew you in his love: In the old covenant made on Mount Sinai, God promised to be a father to the Chosen People if they remained true children of his. He would make his throne in the Temple in Jerusalem and dwell in their midst. The Chosen People failed badly in keeping their part and God abandoned them to their pagan enemies. But a remnant would remain true and with that remnant he would make a new covenant, build a new Jerusalem and found a new Chosen People. This is the theme of almost all of the prophets (see Jer. 31: 31-34) and it is to this messianic covenant that Zephaniah refers here.
He will . . . festival: God will rejoice in the people of this new covenant because they will be more loyal, but especially because there will be one amongst them, their Head and Leader, human like themselves but at the same time God's "beloved Son in whom he is well pleased."
APPLICATION: It is very probable that neither Zephaniah nor his hearers saw the full meaning of the consoling words he uttered and that matters not. But we see their full meaning now in their fulfillment and we have every reason to do what the prophet said. "to shout for joy." God has come to dwell amongst us. He, Christ, is head of the new Israel, the Church. We are its members. "I am the vine, you are the branches" he said; while we remain united with him in grace and love we are producing fruit for eternal life, we are progressing daily towards our perfection.
The Israelites of old were indeed thankless and mean towards God, they forgot him and went after false Gods, and God resented this, and we would all say "how right he was"! But what about ourselves? We have seen proof of God's love, exceedingly greater than anything the Israelites saw---his Son came amongst us---and actually died the most shameful and painful death for our sakes! Could we ever forget that? We can and we do, unfortunately. We too desert God and go after idols, false gods of our own making, the pleasures, the riches and the power of this passing world.
Let us stop and think today of our privileged status. We have been made adopted sons of God, brothers of Christ, who lowered himself to become one of us so that he would raise us up to become one with him forever. Would we swap our birthright of adopted sonship of God for a mess of valueless pottage? Would we exchange an eternal happiness for some passing pleasure, some trivial material gain, some foolish sop to our false pride? This has been known to have happened, it can happen again. God forbid it should happen to me!
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SECOND READING: Philippians 4: 4-7. Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let all men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
EXPLANATION: In the first reading you heard read today, the prophet Zephaniah exhorts the new Israel, that is us, to shout for joy, because of the new covenant of love God was to make with mankind. St. Paul too, writing from a prison where he was "in chains," because of this new message of God---the gospel---urges his first European converts to shout for joy, to rejoice always and for the same reason.
rejoice in the Lord always: The true Christian is a man who is on the direct road to heaven. Heaven is a place where there will be happiness, without any admixture of sorrow, in the company of God and his saints, and that happiness will be eternal, everlasting. Surely joy should be the theme-song of his life.
let . . . forebearance: the Greek word means courtesy, tolerance, gentleness. Who should be more courteous, tolerant and gentle to his neighbor than a follower of the gentle Christ who said: "learn of me for I am meek and humble of heart"? The true Christian, conscious of the kindness, the toleration God has shown him, will surely be tolerant and kind to his neighbor. If that neighbor is a definite sinner, which a kind Christian should never presume---he should be all the more sympathetic toward him---his eternal happiness may be in jeopardy.
prayer . . . full of gratitude: We can never thank God sufficiently, but every prayer of ours should begin with thanksgiving.
let your requests . . . God: the true Christian is on the right road to heaven, but he must keep moving always in order to get there. For this he will need God's help and that help is there for him who asks for it. He must tell God of his needs then, not only his spiritual needs but also his temporal ones, always with the proviso "if this temporal favor is conducive to my spiritual good." There are snags and troubles and disappointments in the course of every man's journey to heaven, but these very difficulties are often the means used by God to raise us up spiritually. The true Christian will see them in this light.
the peace of God: What greater gift could St. Paul wish for his converts! To share in that peace, namely, which dwells in the Trinity. No creature could expect such divine peace which "surpasses all understanding." The man who is loyal to God, just and charitable to all his fellow-men, can and does share in that peace even in this life.
will keep your hearts . . . in Christ Jesus: This peace on earth, a foreshadowing of the eternal peace of heaven, has been won for men by our Savior Christ Jesus.
APPLICATION: St. Francis of Assisi tried in his daily life to follow Christ as closely as possible. He was one of the happiest and most joyful of men for this very reason. He was often ill, often hungry, often cold and often fatigued but he was never known to have been sad. He had taken this exhortation of St. Paul to his heart. Whenever he saw one of his early followers gloomy and sad---there were some evidently who were as yet only following from afar---he told him go to confession as he must be in mortal sin. There seemed no other true explanation for sadness in a true Christian's life. Is there? We are really pilgrims, exiles on this earth, but every day we live is a day nearer to our true and lasting home which is heaven. Would an exile on his home-journey complain of the few hardships and discomforts he may meet with on his journey? Not if his heart is really set on coming home.
Troubles and trials there must be in every individual's life, but of this we have been forewarned by our Savior himself---"if anyone will come after me let him take up his cross daily and follow me." The crosses we meet are not impediments to our progress towards heaven but rather necessary aids on our journey. If accepted willingly they will keep us closer to our Leader who carried his cross to Calvary for our sakes.
St. Paul tells us today to pray for all our needs, always with thanksgiving. Such prayers, especially if we stress the thanksgiving we owe God already for the wonderful gifts he has given us, will lighten the cross and even perhaps make us grasp it closely rather than want to cast it from us. We are very mean if we refuse to undergo a little suffering for God who did so much for us and suffered so much for us.
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GOSPEL: Luke 3: 10-18. The multitudes asked John, "What shall we do?" And he answered them, "He who has two coats, let him share with him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise." Tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Collect no more than is appointed you." Soldiers also asked him, "And we, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Rob no one by violence or by false accusation, and be content with your wages."
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. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into his granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."
So, with many other exhortations, he preached good news to the people.
EXPLANATION: The Baptist's preaching at the Jordan caused a stir all over Palestine. Many thought he was a prophet. They had had no prophet from God for over 200 years. Others thought he was the long-expected Messiah. The theme of his preaching was "change of heart," turn to God and to things spiritual, forget your political ambitions---the Messiah is not here to free you from the Romans and make you a great temporal nation but to free you from your sins and make you sons of God.
What shall we do?: Many of those who flocked to hear him were willing to change their hearts but how? was their question. Be charitable, share with your needy neighbor, was his basic rule. The rest would follow.
tax collectors . . . soldiers: Doubtless he had a word for all classes but Luke picks out two of the most despised classes of that time. The tax collectors were Jews (for the most part), who collected the taxes Rome had imposed on their fellow-Jews. The system of collection opened the door to many abuses. The tax collector had to give the Roman authorities a certain amount each year for his district. He could exact whatever sum he liked provided Rome got the sum decided on. Thus, injustice was widespread, the Roman taxes were a hated burden for Jews, the collector made them more hated still. The "soldiers" were most probably not those of the Roman or Herod's army but the henchmen of the tax collectors who often used strong arm methods to get the taxes, and often collected something extra for themselves. John's answer to both is: "be just."
I baptize . . . water: The washing in the Jordan waters had no value in itself but was a symbol of the interior cleansing---"change" of heart. John answers the question "are you the Messiah?" Although chosen by God to be the precursor---to prepare the way for Christ, he feels he is not worthy to be his most lowly servant---the one who was not fit to tie his superior's sandals.
baptize . . . Holy Spirit and . . . fire: The baptism which Christ will confer will be the reality, it will give the Spirit of God, a new breath of divine life, to those who receive it. As in the Genesis description of creation God breathed on the clay he had formed and made Adam man, so now the new breath "Spirit" of God would make man something greater: sons of God.
fire: Cleansing, purifying by fire, was common in the old testament (see Nm. 21: 33 and Mal. 3: 3-19 where the reference is messianic).
winnowing fork: John now uses a simile well-known to his audience---the farmer threshing his wheat---the good grain will be separated from the useless chaff. Our Lord himself uses the same image in his parable of "the wheat and the cockles" (Mt. 13: 24ff).
he preached good news: John kept on telling the crowds who came to hear him the "good news" of the arrival of the long-awaited Messiah and thus prepared the way for Christ's public ministry.
APPLICATION: The Baptist's words are still very much to the point for all of us. We are all to a greater or lesser degree tax collectors and sinners. They had the honesty to admit it and asked John what they should do in order to be ready to welcome the Messiah, Christ. Let me ask today too what I should do if I mean to welcome Christ sincerely at Christmas. And the answer is in the words I have just heard. Am I just and charitable to my fellow-men? If I am an employer am I paying a just wage to those who are producing my wealth for me? If I am an employee am I doing an honest day's work for the pay I am getting? And both employer and employee must in justice and charity think of the consumer---the third party, when fixing or causing the price of what they produce.
If the employer, through desire for excessive profit, or the employee through not earning his pay, cause prices to rise then the third party, the consumer, is treated unjustly. Our world today is full of such injustices and sad to say, the Christian countries whose citizens profess to be followers of Christ not only do nothing to prevent this state of affairs but instead are even worse offenders than those who have not yet heard of Christ. I may shrug my shoulders and say what can I do about the injustice that abounds on all sides? But stop and think, there are things I can do. I can put my own conscience in order. I can put myself right with God and neighbor by acting justly, "giving every man his due" from this day forward. I can thus become an example to lead others to do likewise.
The true Christian in the world is the leaven which will convert the dough into wholesome healthy bread. I can be, and I should be, that energizing leaven. If I will not and if I do not strive to become so, Christ's winnowing-fan on my day of judgement will put me among the chaff which is destined for the unquenchable fire.-c012
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RE: 12.13.12~Readings for Sunday, December 16, 2012 _ Catholic Matters
USCCB » Bible » Daily Readings December 16, 2012
« December 15
December 17 »
Third Sunday of Advent
Lectionary: 9
Reading 1 Zep 3:14-18aShout for joy, O daughter Zion!
Sing joyfully, O Israel!
Be glad and exult with all your heart,
O daughter Jerusalem!
The LORD has removed the judgment against you
he has turned away your enemies;
the King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst,
you have no further misfortune to fear.
On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem:
Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged!
The LORD, your God, is in your midst,
a mighty savior;
he will rejoice over you with gladness,
and renew you in his love,
he will sing joyfully because of you,
as one sings at festivals.
Responsorial Psalm Is 12:2-3, 4, 5-6.R. (6) Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
God indeed is my savior;
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water
at the fountain of salvation.
R. Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;
among the nations make known his deeds,
proclaim how exalted is his name.
R. Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;
let this be known throughout all the earth.
Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,
for great in your midst
is the Holy One of Israel!
R. Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
Reading 2 Phil 4:4-7Brothers and sisters:
Rejoice in the Lord always.
I shall say it again: rejoice!
Your kindness should be known to all.
The Lord is near.
Have no anxiety at all, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God.
Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding
will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Gospel Lk 3:10-18The crowds asked John the Baptist,
"What should we do?"
He said to them in reply,
"Whoever has two cloaks
should share with the person who has none.
And whoever has food should do likewise."
Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him,
"Teacher, what should we do?"
He answered them,
"Stop collecting more than what is prescribed."
Soldiers also asked him,
"And what is it that we should do?"
He told them,
"Do not practice extortion,
do not falsely accuse anyone,
and be satisfied with your wages."
Now 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.
His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor
and to gather the wheat into his barn,
but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."
Exhorting them in many other ways,
he preached good news to the people.
Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United
« December 15
December 17 »
Third Sunday of Advent
Lectionary: 9
Reading 1 Zep 3:14-18aShout for joy, O daughter Zion!
Sing joyfully, O Israel!
Be glad and exult with all your heart,
O daughter Jerusalem!
The LORD has removed the judgment against you
he has turned away your enemies;
the King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst,
you have no further misfortune to fear.
On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem:
Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged!
The LORD, your God, is in your midst,
a mighty savior;
he will rejoice over you with gladness,
and renew you in his love,
he will sing joyfully because of you,
as one sings at festivals.
Responsorial Psalm Is 12:2-3, 4, 5-6.R. (6) Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
God indeed is my savior;
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water
at the fountain of salvation.
R. Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;
among the nations make known his deeds,
proclaim how exalted is his name.
R. Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;
let this be known throughout all the earth.
Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,
for great in your midst
is the Holy One of Israel!
R. Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
Reading 2 Phil 4:4-7Brothers and sisters:
Rejoice in the Lord always.
I shall say it again: rejoice!
Your kindness should be known to all.
The Lord is near.
Have no anxiety at all, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God.
Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding
will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Gospel Lk 3:10-18The crowds asked John the Baptist,
"What should we do?"
He said to them in reply,
"Whoever has two cloaks
should share with the person who has none.
And whoever has food should do likewise."
Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him,
"Teacher, what should we do?"
He answered them,
"Stop collecting more than what is prescribed."
Soldiers also asked him,
"And what is it that we should do?"
He told them,
"Do not practice extortion,
do not falsely accuse anyone,
and be satisfied with your wages."
Now 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.
His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor
and to gather the wheat into his barn,
but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."
Exhorting them in many other ways,
he preached good news to the people.
Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United
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