DECEMBER 23
695 SAINT JOHN OF KANTY, PRIEST
CCC Cross Reference:
Jas 2:14-26 162; Jas 2:15-16 2447
Lk 6:28 1669; Lk 6:31 1789, 1970; Lk 6:36 1458, 2842
From the Common of Pastors: For Those Who Work for the Underprivileged,
p. 1805,
OR
FIRST READING
James 2:14-17
What good is it, my brothers and sisters,
if someone says he has faith but does not have works?
Can that faith save him?
If a brother or sister has nothing to wear
and has no food for the day,
and one of you says to them,
"Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,"
but you do not give them the necessities of the body,
what good is it?
So also faith of itself,
if it does not have works, is dead.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Psalm 112:1bc-2, 3-4, 5-7, 6-8, 9
R. (1) Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commands.
His posterity shall be might upon the earth;
the upright generation shall be blessed.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Wealth and riches shall be in his house;
his generosity shall endure forever.
light shines through the darkness for the upright;
he is gracious and merciful and just.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Well for the man who is gracious and lends,
who conducts his affairs with justice;
He shall never be moved;
the just one shall be in everlasting remembrance.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
An evil report he shall not fear,
his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.
His heart is steadfast; he shall not fear
till he looks down upon his foes.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Lavishly he gives to the poor,
his generosity shall endure forever,
his horn shall be exalted in glory.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
GOSPEL
Luke 6:27-38
Jesus said to his disciples:
"To you who hear I say,
love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
To the person who strikes you on one cheek,
offer the other one as well,
and from the person who takes your cloak,
do not withhold even your tunic.
Give to everyone who asks of you,
and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.
Do to others as you would have them do to you.
For if you love those who love you,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners love those who love them.
And if you do good to those who do good to you,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners do the same.
If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners lend to sinners,
and get back the same amount.
But rather, love your enemies and do good to them,
and lend expecting nothing back;
then your reward will be great
and you will be children of the Most High,
for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
"Stop judging and you will not be judged.
Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.
Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Give and gifts will be given to you;
a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,
will be poured into your lap.
For the measure with which you measure
will in return be measured out to you."
Back to Memorial Bench
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
DECEMBER 21 SAINT PETER CANISIUS
DECEMBER 21
694 SAINT PETER CANISIUS, PRIEST AND DOCTOR
OF THE CHURCH
CCC Cross Reference:
2 Tm 4 2015; 2 Tm 4:1 679
Ps 40:2 2657; Ps 40:7-9 LXX 462; Ps 40:7 2824
Mt 5:13-16 782, 2821; Mt 5:14 1243; Mt 5:16 326; Mt 5:17-19 577, 592, 1967; Mt 5:17 2053
From the Common of Pastors, p. 1805, or the Common of Doctors of the Church,
p.1838,
OR
FIRST READING
2 Timothy 4:1-5
Beloved:
I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus,
who will judge the living and the dead,
and by his appearing and his kingly power:
proclaim the word;
be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient;
convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching.
For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine but,
following their own desires and insatiable curiosity,
will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truth
and will be diverted to myths.
But you, be self-possessed in all circumstances;
put up with hardship;
perform the work of an evangelist;
fulfill your ministry.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Psalm 40:2 and 4, 7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 11
R. (8a and 9a) Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
I have waited, waited for the LORD,
and he stooped toward me and heard my cry.
And he put a new song into my mouth,
a hymn to our God.
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Burnt offerings or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, "Behold I come."
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
"In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,
To do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!"
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Your justice I kept not hid within my heart;
your faithfulness and your salvation I have spoken of;
I have made no secret of your kindness and your truth
in the vast assembly.
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
GOSPEL
Matthew 5:13-19
Jesus said to his disciples:
"You are the salt of the earth.
But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?
It is no longer good for anything
but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
You are the light of the world.
A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.
Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket;
it is set on a lampstand,
where it gives light to all in the house.
Just so, your light must shine before others,
that they may see your good deeds
and glorify your heavenly Father.
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.
I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.
Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,
not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter
will pass from the law,
until all things have taken place.
Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments
and teaches others to do so
will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.
But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments
will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven."
Back to Memorial Bench
694 SAINT PETER CANISIUS, PRIEST AND DOCTOR
OF THE CHURCH
CCC Cross Reference:
2 Tm 4 2015; 2 Tm 4:1 679
Ps 40:2 2657; Ps 40:7-9 LXX 462; Ps 40:7 2824
Mt 5:13-16 782, 2821; Mt 5:14 1243; Mt 5:16 326; Mt 5:17-19 577, 592, 1967; Mt 5:17 2053
From the Common of Pastors, p. 1805, or the Common of Doctors of the Church,
p.1838,
OR
FIRST READING
2 Timothy 4:1-5
Beloved:
I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus,
who will judge the living and the dead,
and by his appearing and his kingly power:
proclaim the word;
be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient;
convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching.
For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine but,
following their own desires and insatiable curiosity,
will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truth
and will be diverted to myths.
But you, be self-possessed in all circumstances;
put up with hardship;
perform the work of an evangelist;
fulfill your ministry.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Psalm 40:2 and 4, 7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 11
R. (8a and 9a) Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
I have waited, waited for the LORD,
and he stooped toward me and heard my cry.
And he put a new song into my mouth,
a hymn to our God.
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Burnt offerings or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, "Behold I come."
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
"In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,
To do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!"
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Your justice I kept not hid within my heart;
your faithfulness and your salvation I have spoken of;
I have made no secret of your kindness and your truth
in the vast assembly.
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
GOSPEL
Matthew 5:13-19
Jesus said to his disciples:
"You are the salt of the earth.
But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?
It is no longer good for anything
but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
You are the light of the world.
A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.
Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket;
it is set on a lampstand,
where it gives light to all in the house.
Just so, your light must shine before others,
that they may see your good deeds
and glorify your heavenly Father.
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.
I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.
Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,
not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter
will pass from the law,
until all things have taken place.
Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments
and teaches others to do so
will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.
But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments
will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven."
Back to Memorial Bench
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Fourth Sunday of Advent
12C Fourth Sunday of Advent
Catechism Links
CCC 148, 495, 717, 2676: The Visitation
CCC 462, 606-607, 2568, 2824: The Son becomes incarnate to do the Father’s will
CCC Cross Reference:
Heb 10:5-10 606; Heb 10:5-7 462, 516, 2568; Heb 10:5 488; Heb 10:7 2824; Heb 10:10 614, 2824
Lk 1:41 523, 717, 2676; Lk 1:43 448, 495, 2677; Lk 1:45 148, 2676
Back to Deacon’s Bench ‘07
Back to Servant of the Word ‘10
Back to SOW II '13
Back to SOW II '16
Back to SOW II '19
Back to SOW II '22
Reading 1:
Mi 5:1-4a
Thus says the LORD:
You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah
too small to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel;
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient times.
Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time
when she who is to give birth has borne,
and the rest of his kindred shall return
to the children of Israel.
He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock
by the strength of the LORD,
in the majestic name of the LORD, his God;
and they shall remain, for now his greatness
shall reach to the ends of the earth; he shall be peace.
Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19
R. (4) Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
O shepherd of Israel, hearken,
from your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth.
Rouse your power,
and come to save us.
R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
Once again, O LORD of hosts,
look down from heaven, and see;
take care of this vine,
and protect what your right hand has planted
the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
May your help be with the man of your right hand,
with the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
Then we will no more withdraw from you;
give us new life, and we will call upon your name.
R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
Reading II:
Heb 10:5-10
Brothers and sisters:
When Christ came into the world, he said:
“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
in holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight.
Then I said, ‘As is written of me in the scroll,
behold, I come to do your will, O God.’“
First he says, “Sacrifices and offerings,
holocausts and sin offerings,
you neither desired nor delighted in.”
These are offered according to the law.
Then he says, :Behold, I come to do your will.”
He takes away the first to establish the second.
By this “will,” we have been consecrated
through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Gospel:
Lk 1:39-45
Mary set out
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
“Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.”
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
First reading Micah 5:1-4
The Lord says this:
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
the least of the clans of Judah,
out of you will be born for me
the one who is to rule over Israel;
his origin goes back to the distant past,
to the days of old.
The Lord is therefore going to abandon them
till the time when she who is to give birth gives birth.
Then the remnant of his brothers will come back
to the sons of Israel.
He will stand and feed his flock
with the power of the Lord,
with the majesty of the name of his God.
They will live secure, for from then on he will extend his power
to the ends of the land.
He himself will be peace.
Responsorial Psalm:
Psalm 79(80):2-3,15-16,18-19
Second reading Hebrews 10:5-10
This is what Christ said, on coming into the world:
You who wanted no sacrifice or oblation,
prepared a body for me.
You took no pleasure in holocausts or sacrifices for sin;
then I said,
just as I was commanded in the scroll of the book,
‘God, here I am! I am coming to obey your will.’
Notice that he says first: You did not want what the Law lays down as the things to be offered, that is: the sacrifices, the oblations, the holocausts and the sacrifices for sin, and you took no pleasure in them; and then he says: Here I am! I am coming to obey your will. He is abolishing the first sort to replace it with the second. And this will was for us to be made holy by the offering of his body made once and for all by Jesus Christ.
Gospel Luke 1:39-44
Mary set out and went as quickly as she could to a town in the hill country of Judah. She went into Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. Now as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and said, ‘Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.’
Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible
4th Sunday of Advent
From: Micah 5:2-5a (NAB - Micah 5:1-4a)
The Messiah, the savior who will be born in Bethlehem
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2] But 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.
[3] 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.
[4] 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.
Assyria repulsed
------------------------
[5] And this shall be peace,
when the Assyrian comes into our land
and treads upon our soil.
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Commentary:
5:2-4. The scenario, darkened for a moment in the previous three verses (4:9-5:1), becomes bright again with the announcement of a "ruler" or governor in Israel, who will be born ("come forth from" O Bethlehem, the city of David, a city in the region of "Ephrath" (Gen 35:16). The region is often distinguished from its leading city (cf. 1 Sam 17:12), but in some passages the region and the city are treated as one and the same (Gen 35:19).
There are many contrasts here, a typical feature of salvation oracles: the future king will have humble origins, for he will be born in a small town ("you … who are little" in v. 2 could also be translated as "you … who are least"); still, Bethlehem is not without honour, for it was the birthplace of David and is therefore the place that guaranteed one's belonging to the line of David; this ruler comes from an ancient line, but to perceive his presence one must wait until "she who is in travail has brought forth" (v. 3); all he will do is tend his flock, yet the benefits of his rule will extend to the ends of the earth (v. 4). No contemporary king could match this description; the prophet is referring to the future Messiah-king. There are many elements in this passage that link it to the messianic passages in Isaiah (Is 7:14; 9:5-6; 11:1-4) and to passages about the future offspring of David (2 Sam 7:12-16; Ps 89:3).
Jewish tradition read this passage as a messianic prophecy, as can be seen from passages in the Talmud (Pesahim, 51, 1 and Nedarim, 39, 2). The New Testament contains clear references to it: for example, the verses in the Gospel of St John that report the opinion of Jesus' contemporaries as to where the Messiah would come from: "Is the Christ to come from Galilee? Has not the scripture said that the Christ is descended from David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was? (Jn 7:40-42); but Matthew 2:4-6 is the main text that applies the prophecy to Jesus: the evangelist subtly ennobles the city of David (he says: "And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah are by no means least among the rulers of Judah", instead of Micah's "who are little" or "least" -- in order to enhance the figure of Jesus, the Messiah).
Going along with this interpretation in St Matthew, Christian tradition has seen the Micah passage as an announcement of Jesus' birth in Bethlehem. The Fathers developed many arguments to try to convince Jews that Jesus was the expected Messiah. For example, Tertullian wrote: "Since the children of Israel accuse us of grave error because we believe in Christ, who has come, let us show them from the Scriptures that the Christ who was foretold has come […]. He was born in Bethlehem in Judah, as the prophet foretold: But you, O Bethlehem, are by no means least . . . (v. 2)" ("Adversus Iudaeos", 13). And St Irenaeus said: "In his day, the prophet Micah told us of the place where the Christ would be born: Bethlehem, in Judah. O Bethlehem . . . , who are little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth from me one who is to be ruler of Israel. Bethlehem is also in the homeland of David, and Christ comes from the line of David, not only because he was born of the Virgin, but because he was born in Bethlehem" ("Demonstratio praedicationis apostolicae", 63).
5:5-6. "This [the Messiah who will be born in Bethlehem] shall be peace" (v. 5). In the same way as "Egypt" was synonymous with "bondage", now Assyria has come to symbolize the oppressive nation. This oracle, then, comes prior to the appearance of Babylon on the horizon of the chosen people. A Christian reading of the passage sees in it a description of any crisis experienced by the people of God or by a sincere believer, who looks to his Lord for peace. Ephesians 2: 13-14 echoes 5:4: "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near in the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who has made us both one, and has broken down the dividing wall of hostility."
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From: Hebrews 10:5-10
Christ's Offering of Himself Has Infinite Value
----------------------------------------------------------------
[5] Consequently, when Christ came into the world, He said,
"Sacrifices and offerings Thou hast not desired,
but a body hast Thou prepared for Me;
[6] in burnt offerings and sin offerings Thou hast taken no pleasure.
[7] 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."
[8] When He said above, "Thou hast neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings" (these are offered according to the law), [9] then He added, "Lo, I have come to do Thy will." He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. [10] And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
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Commentary:
5-10. This passage carries a quotation from Psalm 40:7-8, but one taken from the Greek translation, the Septuagint, not from the Hebrew. Where the Hebrew says, "Thou hast opened My ears", the Greek reads, "a body Thou hast prepared for Me". The difference is not substantial, because the Hebrew expression points to the docility and obedience of the speaker, who is the Messiah Himself. The Greek translation gives the sentence a more general meaning: God has not only opened the ears of the Messiah; He has given Him life as a man (cf. Philippians 2:7). The words of this Psalm "allow us as it were to sound the unfathomable depths of this self-abasement of the Word, His humiliation of Himself for love of men even to death on the Cross [...]. Why this obedience, this self-abasement, this suffering? The Creed gives us the answer: 'for us men and for our salvation' Jesus came down from Heaven so as to give man full entitlement to ascend (to Heaven) and by becoming a son in the Son to regain the dignity he lost through sin [...]. Let us welcome Him. Let us say to Him, 'Here I am; I have come to do Your will'" ([Pope] John Paul II, "General Audience", 25 March 1981).
The author of the letter, elaborating on the text of the psalm, asserts that the Messiah's sacrifice is greater than the sacrifices of the Old Law, unbloody as well as bloody, sin-offerings as well as burnt offerings as they were called in the liturgy (cf. Leviticus 5;6; 7:27). The sacrifice of Christ, who has "come into the world", has replaced both kinds of ancient sacrifice. It consisted in perfectly doing the will of His Father (cf. John 4:34; 6:38; 8:29; 14:31), even though He was required to give His life to the point of dying on Calvary (Matthew 26:42; John 10:18; Hebrews 5:7-9). Christ "came into the world" to offer Himself up to suffering and death for the redemption of the world. "He knew that all the sacrifices of goats and bulls offered to God in ancient times were incapable of making satisfaction for the sins of men; He knew that a divine person was needed to do that [...]. My Father (Jesus Christ said), all the victims offered You up to this are not enough and never will be enough to satisfy Your justice; You gave Me a body capable of experiencing suffering, so that You might be placated by the shedding of My blood, and men thereby saved; 'ecce venio, here I am, ready'; I accept everything and in all things do I submit to Your will. The lower part of His human nature naturally felt repugnance and reacted against living and dying in so much pain and opprobium, but its rational part, which was fully subject to the Father's will, had the upper hand; it accepted everything, and therefore Jesus Christ began to suffer, from that point onwards, all the anguish and pain which He would undergo in the course of His life. That is how our Divine Redeemer acted from the very first moments of His coming into the world. So, how should we behave towards Jesus when, come to the use of reason, we begin to know the sacred mysteries of Redemption through the light of faith?" (St. Alphonsus, "Advent Meditations", II, 5).
The Psalm speaks of "the roll of the book": this may refer to a specific book or else to the Old Testament in general (cf. Luke 24:27; John 5;39, 46, 47).
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From: Luke 1:39-45
The Visitation
--------------------
[39] In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah, [40] and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. [41] And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit [42] and she exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! [43] And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? [44] For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy. [45] And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord."
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Commentary:
39-56. We contemplate this episode of our Lady's visit to her cousin St. Elizabeth in the Second Joyful Mystery of the Rosary: "Joyfully keep Joseph and Mary company ... and you will hear the traditions of the House of David.... We walk in haste towards the mountains, to a town of the tribe of Judah (Luke 1:39).
"We arrive. It is the house where John the Baptist is to be born. Elizabeth gratefully hails the Mother of her Redeemer: Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honored with a visit from the mother of my Lord? (Luke 1:42-43).
"The unborn Baptist quivers...(Luke 1:41). Mary's humility pours forth in the "Magnificat".... And you and I, who are proud--who were proud--promise to be humble" (St. J. Escriva, "Holy Rosary").
39. On learning from the angel that her cousin St. Elizabeth is soon to give birth and is in need of support, our Lady in her charity hastens to her aid. She has no regard for the difficulties this involves. Although we do not know where exactly Elizabeth was living (it is now thought to be Ain Karim), it certainly meant a journey into the hill country which at that time would have taken four days.
From Mary's visit to Elizabeth Christians should learn to be caring people. "If we have this filial contact with Mary, we won't be able to think just about ourselves and our problems. Selfish personal problems will find no place in our mind" (St. J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By," 145)
42. St. Bede comments that Elizabeth blesses Mary using the same words as the archangel "to show that she should be honored by angels and by men and why she should indeed be revered above all other women" ("In Lucae Evangelium Expositio, in loc.").
When we say the "Hail Mary" we repeat these divine greetings, "rejoicing with Mary at her dignity as Mother of God and praising the Lord, thanking Him for having given us Jesus Christ through Mary" ("St. Pius X Catechism", 333).
43. Elizabeth is moved by the Holy Spirit to call Mary "the mother of my Lord", thereby showing that Mary is the Mother of God.
44. Although he was conceived in sin--original sin--like other men, St. John the Baptist was born sinless because he was sanctified in his mother's womb by the presence of Jesus Christ (then in Mary's womb) and of the Blessed Virgin. On receiving this grace of God St. John rejoices by leaping with joy in his mother's womb -- thereby fulfilling the archangel's prophecy (cf. Luke 1:15).
St. John Chrysostom comments on this scene of the Gospel: "See how new and how wonderful this mystery is. He has not yet left the womb but he speaks by leaping; he is not yet allowed to cry out but he makes himself heard by his actions [...]; he has not yet seen the light but he points out the Sun; he has not yet been born and he is keen to act as Precursor. The Lord is present, so he cannot contain himself or wait for nature to run its course: he wants to break out of the prison of his Mother's womb and he makes sure he witnesses to the fact that the Savior is about to come" ("Sermo Apud Metaphr., Mense Julio").
45. Joining the chorus of all future generations, Elizabeth, moved by the Holy Spirit, declares the Lord's Mother to be blessed and praises her faith. No one ever had faith to compare with Mary's; she is the model of the attitude a creature should have towards its Creator--complete submission, total attachment. Through her faith, Mary is the instrument chosen by God to bring about the Redemption; as Mediatrix of all graces, she is associated with the redemptive work of her Son: "This union of the Mother with the Son in the work of salvation is made manifest from the time of Christ's virginal conception up to His death; first when Mary, arising in haste to go to visit Elizabeth, is greeted by her as blessed because of her belief in the promise of salvation and the Precursor leaps with joy in the womb of his mother [...]. The Blessed Virgin advanced in her pilgrimage of faith and faithfully persevered in her union with her Son unto the cross, where she stood (cf. John 19:25), in keeping with the Divine Plan, enduring with her only-begotten Son the intensity of His suffering, associating herself with His sacrifice in her mother's heart, and lovingly consenting to the immolation of this Victim which was born of her" (Vatican II, "Lumen Gentium", 57f).
The new Latin text gives a literal rendering of the original Greek when it says "quae credidit" (RSV "she who has believed") as opposed to the Vulgate "quae credidisti" ("you who have believed") which gave more of the sense than a literal rendering.
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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.
Catechism Links
CCC 148, 495, 717, 2676: The Visitation
CCC 462, 606-607, 2568, 2824: The Son becomes incarnate to do the Father’s will
CCC Cross Reference:
Heb 10:5-10 606; Heb 10:5-7 462, 516, 2568; Heb 10:5 488; Heb 10:7 2824; Heb 10:10 614, 2824
Lk 1:41 523, 717, 2676; Lk 1:43 448, 495, 2677; Lk 1:45 148, 2676
Back to Deacon’s Bench ‘07
Back to Servant of the Word ‘10
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Back to SOW II '22
Reading 1:
Mi 5:1-4a
Thus says the LORD:
You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah
too small to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel;
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient times.
Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time
when she who is to give birth has borne,
and the rest of his kindred shall return
to the children of Israel.
He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock
by the strength of the LORD,
in the majestic name of the LORD, his God;
and they shall remain, for now his greatness
shall reach to the ends of the earth; he shall be peace.
Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19
R. (4) Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
O shepherd of Israel, hearken,
from your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth.
Rouse your power,
and come to save us.
R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
Once again, O LORD of hosts,
look down from heaven, and see;
take care of this vine,
and protect what your right hand has planted
the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
May your help be with the man of your right hand,
with the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
Then we will no more withdraw from you;
give us new life, and we will call upon your name.
R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
Reading II:
Heb 10:5-10
Brothers and sisters:
When Christ came into the world, he said:
“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
in holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight.
Then I said, ‘As is written of me in the scroll,
behold, I come to do your will, O God.’“
First he says, “Sacrifices and offerings,
holocausts and sin offerings,
you neither desired nor delighted in.”
These are offered according to the law.
Then he says, :Behold, I come to do your will.”
He takes away the first to establish the second.
By this “will,” we have been consecrated
through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Gospel:
Lk 1:39-45
Mary set out
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
“Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.”
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
First reading Micah 5:1-4
The Lord says this:
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
the least of the clans of Judah,
out of you will be born for me
the one who is to rule over Israel;
his origin goes back to the distant past,
to the days of old.
The Lord is therefore going to abandon them
till the time when she who is to give birth gives birth.
Then the remnant of his brothers will come back
to the sons of Israel.
He will stand and feed his flock
with the power of the Lord,
with the majesty of the name of his God.
They will live secure, for from then on he will extend his power
to the ends of the land.
He himself will be peace.
Responsorial Psalm:
Psalm 79(80):2-3,15-16,18-19
Lord of hosts, bring us back; let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.
O shepherd of Israel, hear us,
shine forth from your cherubim throne.
O Lord, rouse up your might,
O Lord, come to our help.
Lord of hosts, bring us back; let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.
God of hosts, turn again, we implore,
look down from heaven and see.
Visit this vine and protect it,
the vine your right hand has planted.
Lord of hosts, bring us back; let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.
May your hand be on the man you have chosen,
the man you have given your strength.
And we shall never forsake you again;
give us life that we may call upon your name.
Lord of hosts, bring us back; let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.
Second reading Hebrews 10:5-10
This is what Christ said, on coming into the world:
You who wanted no sacrifice or oblation,
prepared a body for me.
You took no pleasure in holocausts or sacrifices for sin;
then I said,
just as I was commanded in the scroll of the book,
‘God, here I am! I am coming to obey your will.’
Notice that he says first: You did not want what the Law lays down as the things to be offered, that is: the sacrifices, the oblations, the holocausts and the sacrifices for sin, and you took no pleasure in them; and then he says: Here I am! I am coming to obey your will. He is abolishing the first sort to replace it with the second. And this will was for us to be made holy by the offering of his body made once and for all by Jesus Christ.
Gospel Luke 1:39-44
Mary set out and went as quickly as she could to a town in the hill country of Judah. She went into Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. Now as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and said, ‘Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.’
Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible
4th Sunday of Advent
From: Micah 5:2-5a (NAB - Micah 5:1-4a)
The Messiah, the savior who will be born in Bethlehem
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[2] But 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.
[3] 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.
[4] 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.
Assyria repulsed
------------------------
[5] And this shall be peace,
when the Assyrian comes into our land
and treads upon our soil.
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Commentary:
5:2-4. The scenario, darkened for a moment in the previous three verses (4:9-5:1), becomes bright again with the announcement of a "ruler" or governor in Israel, who will be born ("come forth from" O Bethlehem, the city of David, a city in the region of "Ephrath" (Gen 35:16). The region is often distinguished from its leading city (cf. 1 Sam 17:12), but in some passages the region and the city are treated as one and the same (Gen 35:19).
There are many contrasts here, a typical feature of salvation oracles: the future king will have humble origins, for he will be born in a small town ("you … who are little" in v. 2 could also be translated as "you … who are least"); still, Bethlehem is not without honour, for it was the birthplace of David and is therefore the place that guaranteed one's belonging to the line of David; this ruler comes from an ancient line, but to perceive his presence one must wait until "she who is in travail has brought forth" (v. 3); all he will do is tend his flock, yet the benefits of his rule will extend to the ends of the earth (v. 4). No contemporary king could match this description; the prophet is referring to the future Messiah-king. There are many elements in this passage that link it to the messianic passages in Isaiah (Is 7:14; 9:5-6; 11:1-4) and to passages about the future offspring of David (2 Sam 7:12-16; Ps 89:3).
Jewish tradition read this passage as a messianic prophecy, as can be seen from passages in the Talmud (Pesahim, 51, 1 and Nedarim, 39, 2). The New Testament contains clear references to it: for example, the verses in the Gospel of St John that report the opinion of Jesus' contemporaries as to where the Messiah would come from: "Is the Christ to come from Galilee? Has not the scripture said that the Christ is descended from David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was? (Jn 7:40-42); but Matthew 2:4-6 is the main text that applies the prophecy to Jesus: the evangelist subtly ennobles the city of David (he says: "And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah are by no means least among the rulers of Judah", instead of Micah's "who are little" or "least" -- in order to enhance the figure of Jesus, the Messiah).
Going along with this interpretation in St Matthew, Christian tradition has seen the Micah passage as an announcement of Jesus' birth in Bethlehem. The Fathers developed many arguments to try to convince Jews that Jesus was the expected Messiah. For example, Tertullian wrote: "Since the children of Israel accuse us of grave error because we believe in Christ, who has come, let us show them from the Scriptures that the Christ who was foretold has come […]. He was born in Bethlehem in Judah, as the prophet foretold: But you, O Bethlehem, are by no means least . . . (v. 2)" ("Adversus Iudaeos", 13). And St Irenaeus said: "In his day, the prophet Micah told us of the place where the Christ would be born: Bethlehem, in Judah. O Bethlehem . . . , who are little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth from me one who is to be ruler of Israel. Bethlehem is also in the homeland of David, and Christ comes from the line of David, not only because he was born of the Virgin, but because he was born in Bethlehem" ("Demonstratio praedicationis apostolicae", 63).
5:5-6. "This [the Messiah who will be born in Bethlehem] shall be peace" (v. 5). In the same way as "Egypt" was synonymous with "bondage", now Assyria has come to symbolize the oppressive nation. This oracle, then, comes prior to the appearance of Babylon on the horizon of the chosen people. A Christian reading of the passage sees in it a description of any crisis experienced by the people of God or by a sincere believer, who looks to his Lord for peace. Ephesians 2: 13-14 echoes 5:4: "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near in the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who has made us both one, and has broken down the dividing wall of hostility."
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From: Hebrews 10:5-10
Christ's Offering of Himself Has Infinite Value
----------------------------------------------------------------
[5] Consequently, when Christ came into the world, He said,
"Sacrifices and offerings Thou hast not desired,
but a body hast Thou prepared for Me;
[6] in burnt offerings and sin offerings Thou hast taken no pleasure.
[7] 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."
[8] When He said above, "Thou hast neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings" (these are offered according to the law), [9] then He added, "Lo, I have come to do Thy will." He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. [10] And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
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Commentary:
5-10. This passage carries a quotation from Psalm 40:7-8, but one taken from the Greek translation, the Septuagint, not from the Hebrew. Where the Hebrew says, "Thou hast opened My ears", the Greek reads, "a body Thou hast prepared for Me". The difference is not substantial, because the Hebrew expression points to the docility and obedience of the speaker, who is the Messiah Himself. The Greek translation gives the sentence a more general meaning: God has not only opened the ears of the Messiah; He has given Him life as a man (cf. Philippians 2:7). The words of this Psalm "allow us as it were to sound the unfathomable depths of this self-abasement of the Word, His humiliation of Himself for love of men even to death on the Cross [...]. Why this obedience, this self-abasement, this suffering? The Creed gives us the answer: 'for us men and for our salvation' Jesus came down from Heaven so as to give man full entitlement to ascend (to Heaven) and by becoming a son in the Son to regain the dignity he lost through sin [...]. Let us welcome Him. Let us say to Him, 'Here I am; I have come to do Your will'" ([Pope] John Paul II, "General Audience", 25 March 1981).
The author of the letter, elaborating on the text of the psalm, asserts that the Messiah's sacrifice is greater than the sacrifices of the Old Law, unbloody as well as bloody, sin-offerings as well as burnt offerings as they were called in the liturgy (cf. Leviticus 5;6; 7:27). The sacrifice of Christ, who has "come into the world", has replaced both kinds of ancient sacrifice. It consisted in perfectly doing the will of His Father (cf. John 4:34; 6:38; 8:29; 14:31), even though He was required to give His life to the point of dying on Calvary (Matthew 26:42; John 10:18; Hebrews 5:7-9). Christ "came into the world" to offer Himself up to suffering and death for the redemption of the world. "He knew that all the sacrifices of goats and bulls offered to God in ancient times were incapable of making satisfaction for the sins of men; He knew that a divine person was needed to do that [...]. My Father (Jesus Christ said), all the victims offered You up to this are not enough and never will be enough to satisfy Your justice; You gave Me a body capable of experiencing suffering, so that You might be placated by the shedding of My blood, and men thereby saved; 'ecce venio, here I am, ready'; I accept everything and in all things do I submit to Your will. The lower part of His human nature naturally felt repugnance and reacted against living and dying in so much pain and opprobium, but its rational part, which was fully subject to the Father's will, had the upper hand; it accepted everything, and therefore Jesus Christ began to suffer, from that point onwards, all the anguish and pain which He would undergo in the course of His life. That is how our Divine Redeemer acted from the very first moments of His coming into the world. So, how should we behave towards Jesus when, come to the use of reason, we begin to know the sacred mysteries of Redemption through the light of faith?" (St. Alphonsus, "Advent Meditations", II, 5).
The Psalm speaks of "the roll of the book": this may refer to a specific book or else to the Old Testament in general (cf. Luke 24:27; John 5;39, 46, 47).
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From: Luke 1:39-45
The Visitation
--------------------
[39] In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah, [40] and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. [41] And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit [42] and she exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! [43] And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? [44] For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy. [45] And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord."
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Commentary:
39-56. We contemplate this episode of our Lady's visit to her cousin St. Elizabeth in the Second Joyful Mystery of the Rosary: "Joyfully keep Joseph and Mary company ... and you will hear the traditions of the House of David.... We walk in haste towards the mountains, to a town of the tribe of Judah (Luke 1:39).
"We arrive. It is the house where John the Baptist is to be born. Elizabeth gratefully hails the Mother of her Redeemer: Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honored with a visit from the mother of my Lord? (Luke 1:42-43).
"The unborn Baptist quivers...(Luke 1:41). Mary's humility pours forth in the "Magnificat".... And you and I, who are proud--who were proud--promise to be humble" (St. J. Escriva, "Holy Rosary").
39. On learning from the angel that her cousin St. Elizabeth is soon to give birth and is in need of support, our Lady in her charity hastens to her aid. She has no regard for the difficulties this involves. Although we do not know where exactly Elizabeth was living (it is now thought to be Ain Karim), it certainly meant a journey into the hill country which at that time would have taken four days.
From Mary's visit to Elizabeth Christians should learn to be caring people. "If we have this filial contact with Mary, we won't be able to think just about ourselves and our problems. Selfish personal problems will find no place in our mind" (St. J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By," 145)
42. St. Bede comments that Elizabeth blesses Mary using the same words as the archangel "to show that she should be honored by angels and by men and why she should indeed be revered above all other women" ("In Lucae Evangelium Expositio, in loc.").
When we say the "Hail Mary" we repeat these divine greetings, "rejoicing with Mary at her dignity as Mother of God and praising the Lord, thanking Him for having given us Jesus Christ through Mary" ("St. Pius X Catechism", 333).
43. Elizabeth is moved by the Holy Spirit to call Mary "the mother of my Lord", thereby showing that Mary is the Mother of God.
44. Although he was conceived in sin--original sin--like other men, St. John the Baptist was born sinless because he was sanctified in his mother's womb by the presence of Jesus Christ (then in Mary's womb) and of the Blessed Virgin. On receiving this grace of God St. John rejoices by leaping with joy in his mother's womb -- thereby fulfilling the archangel's prophecy (cf. Luke 1:15).
St. John Chrysostom comments on this scene of the Gospel: "See how new and how wonderful this mystery is. He has not yet left the womb but he speaks by leaping; he is not yet allowed to cry out but he makes himself heard by his actions [...]; he has not yet seen the light but he points out the Sun; he has not yet been born and he is keen to act as Precursor. The Lord is present, so he cannot contain himself or wait for nature to run its course: he wants to break out of the prison of his Mother's womb and he makes sure he witnesses to the fact that the Savior is about to come" ("Sermo Apud Metaphr., Mense Julio").
45. Joining the chorus of all future generations, Elizabeth, moved by the Holy Spirit, declares the Lord's Mother to be blessed and praises her faith. No one ever had faith to compare with Mary's; she is the model of the attitude a creature should have towards its Creator--complete submission, total attachment. Through her faith, Mary is the instrument chosen by God to bring about the Redemption; as Mediatrix of all graces, she is associated with the redemptive work of her Son: "This union of the Mother with the Son in the work of salvation is made manifest from the time of Christ's virginal conception up to His death; first when Mary, arising in haste to go to visit Elizabeth, is greeted by her as blessed because of her belief in the promise of salvation and the Precursor leaps with joy in the womb of his mother [...]. The Blessed Virgin advanced in her pilgrimage of faith and faithfully persevered in her union with her Son unto the cross, where she stood (cf. John 19:25), in keeping with the Divine Plan, enduring with her only-begotten Son the intensity of His suffering, associating herself with His sacrifice in her mother's heart, and lovingly consenting to the immolation of this Victim which was born of her" (Vatican II, "Lumen Gentium", 57f).
The new Latin text gives a literal rendering of the original Greek when it says "quae credidit" (RSV "she who has believed") as opposed to the Vulgate "quae credidisti" ("you who have believed") which gave more of the sense than a literal rendering.
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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Wednesday of the Third Week of Advent
189 Wednesday of the Third Week of Advent
CCC Cross Reference:
Is 45:5-7 304; Is 45:8 2795; Is 45:22-24 201
Ps 85:11 214; Ps 85:12 2795
Lk 7:18-23 547; Lk 7:19 453; Lk 7:22 544
Back to Servant of the Word ‘10
Back to SOW II '11
Back to SOW II '12
Back to SOW II '16
Back to SOW II '17
Back to SOW II '21
Reading 1:
Is 45:6b-8, 18, 21b-25
I am the LORD, there is no other;
I form the light, and create the darkness,
I make well-being and create woe;
I, the LORD, do all these things.
Let justice descend, O heavens, like dew from above,
like gentle rain let the skies drop it down.
Let the earth open and salvation bud forth;
let justice also spring up!
I, the LORD, have created this.
For thus says the LORD,
The creator of the heavens,
who is God,
The designer and maker of the earth
who established it,
Not creating it to be a waste,
but designing it be lived in:
I am the LORD, and there is no other.
Who announced this from the beginning
and foretold it from of old?
Was it not I, the LORD,
besides whom there is no other God?
There is no just and saving God but me.
Turn to me and be safe,
all you ends of the earth,
for I am God; there is no other!
By myself I swear,
uttering my just decree
and my unalterable word:
To me every knee shall bend;
by me every tongue shall swear,
Saying, “Only in the LORD
are just deeds and power.
Before him in shame shall come
all who vent their anger against him.
In the LORD shall be the vindication and the glory
of all the descendants of Israel.”
Responsorial Psalm:
85:9ab and 10, 11-12, 13-14
R. (Isaiah 45:8) Let the clouds rain down the Just One, and the earth bring forth a Savior.
I will hear what God proclaims;
the LORD –for he proclaims peace to his people.
Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,
glory dwelling in our land.
R. Let the clouds rain down the Just One, and the earth bring forth a Savior.
Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
and justice shall look down from heaven.
R. Let the clouds rain down the Just One, and the earth bring forth a Savior.
The LORD himself will give his benefits;
our land shall yield its increase.
Justice shall walk before him,
and salvation, along the way of his steps.
R. Let the clouds rain down the Just One, and the earth bring forth a Savior.
Gospel:
Lk 7:18b-23
At that time,
John summoned two of his disciples and sent them to the Lord to ask,
“Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?”
When the men came to the Lord, they said,
“John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask,
‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?’”
At that time Jesus cured many of their diseases, sufferings, and evil spirits;
he also granted sight to many who were blind.
And Jesus said to them in reply,
“Go and tell John what you have seen and heard:
the blind regain their sight,
the lame walk,
lepers are cleansed,
the deaf hear, the dead are raised,
the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.
And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.”
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
First reading Isaiah 45:6-8,18,21-25
Apart from me, all is nothing.
I am the Lord, unrivalled,
I form the light and create the dark.
I make good fortune and create calamity,
it is I, the Lord, who do all this.
Send victory like a dew, you heavens,
and let the clouds rain it down.
Let the earth open
for salvation to spring up.
Let deliverance, too, bud forth
which I, the Lord, shall create.
Yes, thus says the Lord,
creator of the heavens,
who is God,
who formed the earth and made it,
who set it firm,
created it no chaos,
but a place to be lived in:
‘I am the Lord, unrivalled:
there is no other god besides me.
A God of integrity and a saviour:
there is none apart from me.
Turn to me and be saved,
all the ends of the earth,
for I am God unrivalled.
‘By my own self I swear it;
what comes from my mouth is truth,
a word irrevocable:
before me every knee shall bend,
by me every tongue shall swear,
saying, “From the Lord alone
come victory and strength.”
To him shall come, ashamed,
all who raged against him.
Victorious and glorious through the Lord shall be
all the descendants of Israel.’
Psalm: Psalm 84:9-14
Send victory like a dew, you heavens, and let the clouds rain it down.
I will hear what the Lord God has to say,
a voice that speaks of peace,
peace for his people.
His help is near for those who fear him
and his glory will dwell in our land.
Send victory like a dew, you heavens, and let the clouds rain it down.
Mercy and faithfulness have met;
justice and peace have embraced.
Faithfulness shall spring from the earth
and justice look down from heaven.
Send victory like a dew, you heavens, and let the clouds rain it down.
The Lord will make us prosper
and our earth shall yield its fruit.
Justice shall march before him
and peace shall follow his steps.
Send victory like a dew, you heavens, and let the clouds rain it down.
Gospel Luke 7:19-23
John, summoning two of his disciples, sent them to the Lord to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or must we wait for someone else?’ When the men reached Jesus they said, ‘John the Baptist has sent us to you, to ask, “Are you the one who is to come or have we to wait for someone else?”’ It was just then that he cured many people of diseases and afflictions and of evil spirits, and gave the gift of sight to many who were blind. Then he gave the messengers their answer, ‘Go back and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind see again, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, the Good News is proclaimed to the poor and happy is the man who does not lose faith in me.’
Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible
Wednesday of the 3rd Week of Advent
From: Isaiah 45:6b-8, 18, 21b-25
Cyrus' Mission (Continuation)
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[6c] [Thus says the LORD:]
I am the Lord, and there is no other.
[7] I form light and create darkness,
I make weal and create woe,
I am the Lord, who do all these things.
[8] "Shower, O heavens, from above,
and let the skies rain down righteousness;
let the earth open, that salvation may sprout forth,
and let it cause righteousness to spring up also;
I the Lord have created it.
The Lord Rules Over All (Continuation)
-------------------------------------------------------
[18] For thus says the Lord,
who created the heavens
(he is God!),
who formed the earth and made it
(he established it;
he did not create it a chaos,
he formed it to be inhabited!):
"I am the Lord, and there is no other.
[21b] "Who told this long ago?
Who declared it of old?
Was it not I, the Lord?
And there is no other god besides me,
a righteous God and a Savior;
there is none besides me.
[22] "Turn to me and be saved,
all the ends of the earth!
For I am God, and there is no other.
[23] "By myself I have sworn,
from my mouth has gone forth in righteousness
a word that shall not return:
'To me every knee shall bow,
every tongue shall swear.'
[24] "Only in the Lord, it shall be said of me,
are righteousness and strength;
to him shall come and be ashamed,
all who were incensed against him.
[25] In the Lord all the offspring of Israel
shall triumph and glory.
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
45:6-7. When these verses were written they may have been designed to counter dualism (very prevalent among the Persians and their neighbors), which held that two counterposed principles existed -- good and evil; hence the emphasis on the fact that the Lord is the only God, the creator of all things of light and of darkness. That would explain why God is described as the maker of "weal" and "woe", whereas because God is infinite goodness he cannot properly be called the author of evil. However, because Christian readers could find the statement (in v. 2) disconcerting, exegetes have commented on it. Origen, quite early on, gave this explanation: "Evil, in the absolute sense of the word, was not created by God [...]. If we speak of evil in a loose sense, meaning physical and natural evils, then we can say that God created it in order to convert men by their suffering. What is strange about this teaching? We refer to the punishments meted out by parents and teachers, and even the prescriptions and operations carried out by doctors and surgeons, as evils and sufferings, without blaming or condemning them. And that is how we should read the verse: 'I form light and create darkness, I make weal and woe' (Is 45:7)" ("Contra Celsum", 6, 55-56). And St Gregory the Great comments: "I make weal and woe: the peace of God is offered to us precisely in the moment when created things, which are good in themselves, though not always desired or sought with rectitude of heart, become the source of suffering and disgrace. Our union with God is broken by sin; it is fitting, therefore, that we return to him along the path of suffering. When any created thing, which is good in itself, causes us to suffer, it is an instrument for our conversion, so that we will return humbly to the source of peace" ("Moralia In Job", 3, 9, 15).
45:8. The terms translated as "righteousness" and "salvation" correspond to three Hebrew abstract nouns. The first and third ("righteousness") mean the same thing. The New Vulgate translates them as "iustitia" and "salvatio". But the Vulgate of St Jerome interpreted the first two as adjectives -- "righteous" and "saving", reading them as having more direct reference to the Messiah, the "Just (One)", the "Savior" and giving rise to a text that is used in the Advent liturgy: "Rorate coeli desuper, et nubes pluant iustum; aperiatur terra et germinet Salvatorem, et iustitia oriantur simul" ("Let the clouds rain down the Just One, and the earth bring forth a Savior..."). A sermon attributed to St Augustine sees these words as finding fulfillment in the birth of Christ: "Today this prophecy is fulfilled: 'Shower, 0 heavens, from above, and let the skies rain down righteousness; let the earth open, that salvation may sprout forth.' The Creator became a creature, so that the one who was lost would be found. This is what we read in the psalms: 'Before I was brought low, I sinned. Man sinned and became a criminal; God was made man so that the criminal could be set free. Man fell, but God descended [from heaven]; man fell into misery, but God came down in his mercy; man fell through his pride, God came with his grace" ("Sermones", 128). And St Proclus of Constantinople, reading these words as a figure of the virginal birth of Jesus, says: "The skies rain down righteousness: the sin of Eve has been undone and destroyed by the purity of the Virgin and by the One who was born of her, God and man. On this day, man is set free from the prison of sin and the burden of darkness that weighed him down is lifted from him" ("De Navitate Domini", 1).
45:14-25. Repeatedly the point is made that the Lord is the only God, there is no other (cf. vv. 14-15, 18, 21, 22). Only God can save. And so, all the nations are invited to acknowledge his sovereignty and worship him on Zion (vv. 22-24). Although at the start of the passage the language has resonances of war (implications of plunder and taking strong men prisoner: vv. 14-17), this is only a graphic way of speaking, In fact, the passage has to do with liberation from idolatry and with allowing oneself be captivated by the truth of that God who is hidden but who is the only God and true Savior
The words "Truly, though art a God who hidest thyself' (v. 15) is a prophetic re flection on the nature of God, a being who is unfathomable, a mystery to the mind of man, who ordinarily acts through persons and events in history, without letting himself be seen. This idea, which has profound and universal philosophical and theological implications, is very much in line with the historical circumstances --the election of Cyrus as the person God uses to advance his plans. This whole chapter is imbued with a universalist outlook, very different from the attitudes of the people before.
The Fathers saw in Cyrus a figure of Christ. God acted in a hidden way through Cyrus to bring about the the Godhead hidden in Jesus. The Septuagint translates "Truly, thou art a God who hidest thyself' as "Thou art God and we did not know it" which some Fathers read as a reference to the divinity of Christ: "The Son of God has always been present, though he hid who he was. When he was revealed in his glory after the resurrection, the people confessed: 'You are God, and we did not know it'. And when the one who is seen according to the Law as a mere Angel and the captain of the Lord's host is recognized finally as the Son of God, the people give thanks, saying: 'You are God, and we did not know it'. What is meant by this is that He is the one who appeared to the patriarchs, the one who was made man and was not recognized by men" (Ambrosiaster, "Ad Romanos", 2, 22).
Verse 23b is reminiscent of Philippians 2:10-11, which attributes to Jesus Christ qualities that the Old Testament applied only to God.
*********************************************************************************************
From: Luke 7:18b-23
The Mission of John the Baptist
----------------------------------------------
[18b] The disciples of John (the Baptist) told him of all these things. [19] And John, calling to him two of his disciples, sent them to the Lord, saying, "Are You He who is to come, or shall we look for another?" [20] And when the men had come to Him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, 'Are You He who is to come, or shall we look for another?'" [21] In that hour He cured many of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many that were blind He bestowed sight. [22] And He answered them, "Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. [23] And blessed is he who takes no offense at Me."
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
18-23. "It was not out of ignorance that John enquired about Christ's coming in the flesh, for he had already clearly professed his belief, saying, 'I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God' (John 1:34). That is why he does not ask, 'Are You He who has come?' but rather, 'Are You He who is to come?' thus asking about the future, not about the past. Nor should we think that the Baptist did not know about Christ's future passion, for it was John who said, 'Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world' (John 1:29), thus foretelling His future immolation, which other prophets had already foretold, particularly Isaiah (chapter 53) [...]. It can also be replied, with St. John Chrysostom, that John made this enquiry not from doubt or ignorance, but because he wished his disciples to be satisfied on this point by Christ. Therefore, Christ gave His reply to instruct these disciples, by pointing to the evidence of His miracles (verse 22)" (St. Thomas Aquinas, "Summa Theologiae", II-II, q. 2, a. 7 ad 2).
22. In His reply to these disciples of John the Baptist, Jesus points to the miracles He has worked, which show that he has investigated the Kingdom of God; He is, therefore, the promised Messiah. Along with miracles, one of the signs of the coming of the Kingdom is the preaching of salvation to the poor. On the meaning of "the poor", see the notes on Matthew 5:3; Luke 6:20 and 6:24.
Following the Lord's example, the Church has always taken special care of those in need. In our own time the Popes have stressed time and again the duties of Christians in regard to poverty caused by man's injustice to man: "Selfishness and domination are permanent temptations for men. Likewise an ever finer discernment is needed, in order to strike at the roots of newly arising situations of injustice and to establish progressively a justice which will be less and less imperfect [...]. The Church directs her attention to these new 'poor' -- the handicapped, the maladjusted, the old, various groups on the fringe of society -- in order to recognize them, help them, defend their place and dignity in a society hardened by competition and the attraction of success" (Paul VI, "Octogesima Adveniens", 15).
23. These words refer to the same thing Simeon prophesied about when he referred to Christ as a sign that is spoken against, a sign of contradiction (cf. Luke 2:34). People who reject our Lord, who are scandalized by Him, will not reach Heaven.
*********************************************************************************************
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.
CCC Cross Reference:
Is 45:5-7 304; Is 45:8 2795; Is 45:22-24 201
Ps 85:11 214; Ps 85:12 2795
Lk 7:18-23 547; Lk 7:19 453; Lk 7:22 544
Back to Servant of the Word ‘10
Back to SOW II '11
Back to SOW II '12
Back to SOW II '16
Back to SOW II '17
Back to SOW II '21
Reading 1:
Is 45:6b-8, 18, 21b-25
I am the LORD, there is no other;
I form the light, and create the darkness,
I make well-being and create woe;
I, the LORD, do all these things.
Let justice descend, O heavens, like dew from above,
like gentle rain let the skies drop it down.
Let the earth open and salvation bud forth;
let justice also spring up!
I, the LORD, have created this.
For thus says the LORD,
The creator of the heavens,
who is God,
The designer and maker of the earth
who established it,
Not creating it to be a waste,
but designing it be lived in:
I am the LORD, and there is no other.
Who announced this from the beginning
and foretold it from of old?
Was it not I, the LORD,
besides whom there is no other God?
There is no just and saving God but me.
Turn to me and be safe,
all you ends of the earth,
for I am God; there is no other!
By myself I swear,
uttering my just decree
and my unalterable word:
To me every knee shall bend;
by me every tongue shall swear,
Saying, “Only in the LORD
are just deeds and power.
Before him in shame shall come
all who vent their anger against him.
In the LORD shall be the vindication and the glory
of all the descendants of Israel.”
Responsorial Psalm:
85:9ab and 10, 11-12, 13-14
R. (Isaiah 45:8) Let the clouds rain down the Just One, and the earth bring forth a Savior.
I will hear what God proclaims;
the LORD –for he proclaims peace to his people.
Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,
glory dwelling in our land.
R. Let the clouds rain down the Just One, and the earth bring forth a Savior.
Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
and justice shall look down from heaven.
R. Let the clouds rain down the Just One, and the earth bring forth a Savior.
The LORD himself will give his benefits;
our land shall yield its increase.
Justice shall walk before him,
and salvation, along the way of his steps.
R. Let the clouds rain down the Just One, and the earth bring forth a Savior.
Gospel:
Lk 7:18b-23
At that time,
John summoned two of his disciples and sent them to the Lord to ask,
“Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?”
When the men came to the Lord, they said,
“John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask,
‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?’”
At that time Jesus cured many of their diseases, sufferings, and evil spirits;
he also granted sight to many who were blind.
And Jesus said to them in reply,
“Go and tell John what you have seen and heard:
the blind regain their sight,
the lame walk,
lepers are cleansed,
the deaf hear, the dead are raised,
the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.
And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.”
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
First reading Isaiah 45:6-8,18,21-25
Apart from me, all is nothing.
I am the Lord, unrivalled,
I form the light and create the dark.
I make good fortune and create calamity,
it is I, the Lord, who do all this.
Send victory like a dew, you heavens,
and let the clouds rain it down.
Let the earth open
for salvation to spring up.
Let deliverance, too, bud forth
which I, the Lord, shall create.
Yes, thus says the Lord,
creator of the heavens,
who is God,
who formed the earth and made it,
who set it firm,
created it no chaos,
but a place to be lived in:
‘I am the Lord, unrivalled:
there is no other god besides me.
A God of integrity and a saviour:
there is none apart from me.
Turn to me and be saved,
all the ends of the earth,
for I am God unrivalled.
‘By my own self I swear it;
what comes from my mouth is truth,
a word irrevocable:
before me every knee shall bend,
by me every tongue shall swear,
saying, “From the Lord alone
come victory and strength.”
To him shall come, ashamed,
all who raged against him.
Victorious and glorious through the Lord shall be
all the descendants of Israel.’
Psalm: Psalm 84:9-14
Send victory like a dew, you heavens, and let the clouds rain it down.
I will hear what the Lord God has to say,
a voice that speaks of peace,
peace for his people.
His help is near for those who fear him
and his glory will dwell in our land.
Send victory like a dew, you heavens, and let the clouds rain it down.
Mercy and faithfulness have met;
justice and peace have embraced.
Faithfulness shall spring from the earth
and justice look down from heaven.
Send victory like a dew, you heavens, and let the clouds rain it down.
The Lord will make us prosper
and our earth shall yield its fruit.
Justice shall march before him
and peace shall follow his steps.
Send victory like a dew, you heavens, and let the clouds rain it down.
Gospel Luke 7:19-23
John, summoning two of his disciples, sent them to the Lord to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or must we wait for someone else?’ When the men reached Jesus they said, ‘John the Baptist has sent us to you, to ask, “Are you the one who is to come or have we to wait for someone else?”’ It was just then that he cured many people of diseases and afflictions and of evil spirits, and gave the gift of sight to many who were blind. Then he gave the messengers their answer, ‘Go back and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind see again, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, the Good News is proclaimed to the poor and happy is the man who does not lose faith in me.’
Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible
Wednesday of the 3rd Week of Advent
From: Isaiah 45:6b-8, 18, 21b-25
Cyrus' Mission (Continuation)
-------------------------------------------
[6c] [Thus says the LORD:]
I am the Lord, and there is no other.
[7] I form light and create darkness,
I make weal and create woe,
I am the Lord, who do all these things.
[8] "Shower, O heavens, from above,
and let the skies rain down righteousness;
let the earth open, that salvation may sprout forth,
and let it cause righteousness to spring up also;
I the Lord have created it.
The Lord Rules Over All (Continuation)
-------------------------------------------------------
[18] For thus says the Lord,
who created the heavens
(he is God!),
who formed the earth and made it
(he established it;
he did not create it a chaos,
he formed it to be inhabited!):
"I am the Lord, and there is no other.
[21b] "Who told this long ago?
Who declared it of old?
Was it not I, the Lord?
And there is no other god besides me,
a righteous God and a Savior;
there is none besides me.
[22] "Turn to me and be saved,
all the ends of the earth!
For I am God, and there is no other.
[23] "By myself I have sworn,
from my mouth has gone forth in righteousness
a word that shall not return:
'To me every knee shall bow,
every tongue shall swear.'
[24] "Only in the Lord, it shall be said of me,
are righteousness and strength;
to him shall come and be ashamed,
all who were incensed against him.
[25] In the Lord all the offspring of Israel
shall triumph and glory.
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
45:6-7. When these verses were written they may have been designed to counter dualism (very prevalent among the Persians and their neighbors), which held that two counterposed principles existed -- good and evil; hence the emphasis on the fact that the Lord is the only God, the creator of all things of light and of darkness. That would explain why God is described as the maker of "weal" and "woe", whereas because God is infinite goodness he cannot properly be called the author of evil. However, because Christian readers could find the statement (in v. 2) disconcerting, exegetes have commented on it. Origen, quite early on, gave this explanation: "Evil, in the absolute sense of the word, was not created by God [...]. If we speak of evil in a loose sense, meaning physical and natural evils, then we can say that God created it in order to convert men by their suffering. What is strange about this teaching? We refer to the punishments meted out by parents and teachers, and even the prescriptions and operations carried out by doctors and surgeons, as evils and sufferings, without blaming or condemning them. And that is how we should read the verse: 'I form light and create darkness, I make weal and woe' (Is 45:7)" ("Contra Celsum", 6, 55-56). And St Gregory the Great comments: "I make weal and woe: the peace of God is offered to us precisely in the moment when created things, which are good in themselves, though not always desired or sought with rectitude of heart, become the source of suffering and disgrace. Our union with God is broken by sin; it is fitting, therefore, that we return to him along the path of suffering. When any created thing, which is good in itself, causes us to suffer, it is an instrument for our conversion, so that we will return humbly to the source of peace" ("Moralia In Job", 3, 9, 15).
45:8. The terms translated as "righteousness" and "salvation" correspond to three Hebrew abstract nouns. The first and third ("righteousness") mean the same thing. The New Vulgate translates them as "iustitia" and "salvatio". But the Vulgate of St Jerome interpreted the first two as adjectives -- "righteous" and "saving", reading them as having more direct reference to the Messiah, the "Just (One)", the "Savior" and giving rise to a text that is used in the Advent liturgy: "Rorate coeli desuper, et nubes pluant iustum; aperiatur terra et germinet Salvatorem, et iustitia oriantur simul" ("Let the clouds rain down the Just One, and the earth bring forth a Savior..."). A sermon attributed to St Augustine sees these words as finding fulfillment in the birth of Christ: "Today this prophecy is fulfilled: 'Shower, 0 heavens, from above, and let the skies rain down righteousness; let the earth open, that salvation may sprout forth.' The Creator became a creature, so that the one who was lost would be found. This is what we read in the psalms: 'Before I was brought low, I sinned. Man sinned and became a criminal; God was made man so that the criminal could be set free. Man fell, but God descended [from heaven]; man fell into misery, but God came down in his mercy; man fell through his pride, God came with his grace" ("Sermones", 128). And St Proclus of Constantinople, reading these words as a figure of the virginal birth of Jesus, says: "The skies rain down righteousness: the sin of Eve has been undone and destroyed by the purity of the Virgin and by the One who was born of her, God and man. On this day, man is set free from the prison of sin and the burden of darkness that weighed him down is lifted from him" ("De Navitate Domini", 1).
45:14-25. Repeatedly the point is made that the Lord is the only God, there is no other (cf. vv. 14-15, 18, 21, 22). Only God can save. And so, all the nations are invited to acknowledge his sovereignty and worship him on Zion (vv. 22-24). Although at the start of the passage the language has resonances of war (implications of plunder and taking strong men prisoner: vv. 14-17), this is only a graphic way of speaking, In fact, the passage has to do with liberation from idolatry and with allowing oneself be captivated by the truth of that God who is hidden but who is the only God and true Savior
The words "Truly, though art a God who hidest thyself' (v. 15) is a prophetic re flection on the nature of God, a being who is unfathomable, a mystery to the mind of man, who ordinarily acts through persons and events in history, without letting himself be seen. This idea, which has profound and universal philosophical and theological implications, is very much in line with the historical circumstances --the election of Cyrus as the person God uses to advance his plans. This whole chapter is imbued with a universalist outlook, very different from the attitudes of the people before.
The Fathers saw in Cyrus a figure of Christ. God acted in a hidden way through Cyrus to bring about the the Godhead hidden in Jesus. The Septuagint translates "Truly, thou art a God who hidest thyself' as "Thou art God and we did not know it" which some Fathers read as a reference to the divinity of Christ: "The Son of God has always been present, though he hid who he was. When he was revealed in his glory after the resurrection, the people confessed: 'You are God, and we did not know it'. And when the one who is seen according to the Law as a mere Angel and the captain of the Lord's host is recognized finally as the Son of God, the people give thanks, saying: 'You are God, and we did not know it'. What is meant by this is that He is the one who appeared to the patriarchs, the one who was made man and was not recognized by men" (Ambrosiaster, "Ad Romanos", 2, 22).
Verse 23b is reminiscent of Philippians 2:10-11, which attributes to Jesus Christ qualities that the Old Testament applied only to God.
*********************************************************************************************
From: Luke 7:18b-23
The Mission of John the Baptist
----------------------------------------------
[18b] The disciples of John (the Baptist) told him of all these things. [19] And John, calling to him two of his disciples, sent them to the Lord, saying, "Are You He who is to come, or shall we look for another?" [20] And when the men had come to Him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, 'Are You He who is to come, or shall we look for another?'" [21] In that hour He cured many of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many that were blind He bestowed sight. [22] And He answered them, "Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. [23] And blessed is he who takes no offense at Me."
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
18-23. "It was not out of ignorance that John enquired about Christ's coming in the flesh, for he had already clearly professed his belief, saying, 'I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God' (John 1:34). That is why he does not ask, 'Are You He who has come?' but rather, 'Are You He who is to come?' thus asking about the future, not about the past. Nor should we think that the Baptist did not know about Christ's future passion, for it was John who said, 'Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world' (John 1:29), thus foretelling His future immolation, which other prophets had already foretold, particularly Isaiah (chapter 53) [...]. It can also be replied, with St. John Chrysostom, that John made this enquiry not from doubt or ignorance, but because he wished his disciples to be satisfied on this point by Christ. Therefore, Christ gave His reply to instruct these disciples, by pointing to the evidence of His miracles (verse 22)" (St. Thomas Aquinas, "Summa Theologiae", II-II, q. 2, a. 7 ad 2).
22. In His reply to these disciples of John the Baptist, Jesus points to the miracles He has worked, which show that he has investigated the Kingdom of God; He is, therefore, the promised Messiah. Along with miracles, one of the signs of the coming of the Kingdom is the preaching of salvation to the poor. On the meaning of "the poor", see the notes on Matthew 5:3; Luke 6:20 and 6:24.
Following the Lord's example, the Church has always taken special care of those in need. In our own time the Popes have stressed time and again the duties of Christians in regard to poverty caused by man's injustice to man: "Selfishness and domination are permanent temptations for men. Likewise an ever finer discernment is needed, in order to strike at the roots of newly arising situations of injustice and to establish progressively a justice which will be less and less imperfect [...]. The Church directs her attention to these new 'poor' -- the handicapped, the maladjusted, the old, various groups on the fringe of society -- in order to recognize them, help them, defend their place and dignity in a society hardened by competition and the attraction of success" (Paul VI, "Octogesima Adveniens", 15).
23. These words refer to the same thing Simeon prophesied about when he referred to Christ as a sign that is spoken against, a sign of contradiction (cf. Luke 2:34). People who reject our Lord, who are scandalized by Him, will not reach Heaven.
*********************************************************************************************
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
DECEMBER 14 SAINT JOHN OF THE CROSS
DECEMBER 14
693 SAINT JOHN OF THE CROSS, PRIEST AND
DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH MEMORIAL
CCC Cross Reference:
1 Cor 2:7-16 221; 1 Cor 2:7-9 1998; 1 Cor 2:8 446, 498, 598; 1 Cor 2:9 1027; 1 Cor 2:10-15 2038; 1 Cor 2:10-11 152
Lk 14:26 1618; Lk 14:33 2544
From the Common of Pastors, p. 1805, or the Common of Doctors of the Church,
p.1838,
OR
FIRST READING
1 Corinthians 2:1-10a
When I came to you, brothers and sisters,
proclaiming the mystery of God,
I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom.
For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you
except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling,
and my message and my proclamation
were not with persuasive words of wisdom,
but with a demonstration of spirit and power,
so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom
but on the power of God.
Yet we do speak a wisdom to those who are mature,
but not a wisdom of this age,
nor of the rulers of this age who are passing away.
Rather, we speak God's wisdom, mysterious, hidden,
which God predetermined before the ages for our glory,
and which none of the rulers of this age knew
for, if they had known it,
they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
But as it is written:
What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard,
and what has not entered the human heart,
what God has prepared for those who love him,
this God has revealed to us through the Spirit.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Psalm 37:3-4, 5-6, 30-31
R. (30a) The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom.
Trust in the LORD and do good,
that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security.
Take delight in the LORD,
and he will grant you your heart's request.
R. The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom.
Commit to the LORD your way;
trust in him, and he will act.
He will make justice dawn for you like the light;
bright as the noonday shall be your vindication.
R. The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom.
The mouth of the just tells of wisdom
and his tongue utters what is right.
The law of his God is in his heart,
and his steps do not falter.
R. The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom.
GOSPEL
Luke 14:25-33
Great crowds were traveling with Jesus,
and he turned and addressed them,
"If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother,
wife and children, brothers and sisters,
and even his own life,
he cannot be my disciple.
Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me
cannot be my disciple.
W^hich of you wishing to construct a tower
does not first sit down and calculate the cost
to see if there is enough for its completion?
Otherwise, after laying the foundation
and finding himself unable to finish the work
the onlookers should laugh at him and say,
This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.'
Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down
and decide whether with ten thousand troops
he can successfully oppose another king
advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops?
But if not, while he is still far away,
he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms.
In the same way,
every one of you who does not renounce all his possessions
cannot be my disciple."
Back to Memorial Bench
693 SAINT JOHN OF THE CROSS, PRIEST AND
DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH MEMORIAL
CCC Cross Reference:
1 Cor 2:7-16 221; 1 Cor 2:7-9 1998; 1 Cor 2:8 446, 498, 598; 1 Cor 2:9 1027; 1 Cor 2:10-15 2038; 1 Cor 2:10-11 152
Lk 14:26 1618; Lk 14:33 2544
From the Common of Pastors, p. 1805, or the Common of Doctors of the Church,
p.1838,
OR
FIRST READING
1 Corinthians 2:1-10a
When I came to you, brothers and sisters,
proclaiming the mystery of God,
I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom.
For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you
except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling,
and my message and my proclamation
were not with persuasive words of wisdom,
but with a demonstration of spirit and power,
so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom
but on the power of God.
Yet we do speak a wisdom to those who are mature,
but not a wisdom of this age,
nor of the rulers of this age who are passing away.
Rather, we speak God's wisdom, mysterious, hidden,
which God predetermined before the ages for our glory,
and which none of the rulers of this age knew
for, if they had known it,
they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
But as it is written:
What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard,
and what has not entered the human heart,
what God has prepared for those who love him,
this God has revealed to us through the Spirit.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Psalm 37:3-4, 5-6, 30-31
R. (30a) The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom.
Trust in the LORD and do good,
that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security.
Take delight in the LORD,
and he will grant you your heart's request.
R. The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom.
Commit to the LORD your way;
trust in him, and he will act.
He will make justice dawn for you like the light;
bright as the noonday shall be your vindication.
R. The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom.
The mouth of the just tells of wisdom
and his tongue utters what is right.
The law of his God is in his heart,
and his steps do not falter.
R. The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom.
GOSPEL
Luke 14:25-33
Great crowds were traveling with Jesus,
and he turned and addressed them,
"If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother,
wife and children, brothers and sisters,
and even his own life,
he cannot be my disciple.
Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me
cannot be my disciple.
W^hich of you wishing to construct a tower
does not first sit down and calculate the cost
to see if there is enough for its completion?
Otherwise, after laying the foundation
and finding himself unable to finish the work
the onlookers should laugh at him and say,
This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.'
Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down
and decide whether with ten thousand troops
he can successfully oppose another king
advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops?
But if not, while he is still far away,
he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms.
In the same way,
every one of you who does not renounce all his possessions
cannot be my disciple."
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
First reading: 1 Corinthians 2:1-10
Brothers, when I came to you, it was not with any show of oratory or philosophy, but simply to tell you what God had guaranteed. During my stay with you, the only knowledge I claimed to have was about Jesus, and only about him as the crucified Christ. Far from relying on any power of my own, I came among you in great ‘fear and trembling’ and in my speeches and the sermons that I gave, there were none of the arguments that belong to philosophy; only a demonstration of the power of the Spirit. And I did this so that your faith should not depend on human philosophy but on the power of God.
But still we have a wisdom to offer those who have reached maturity: not a philosophy of our age, it is true, still less of the masters of our age, which are coming to their end. The hidden wisdom of God which we teach in our mysteries is the wisdom that God predestined to be for our glory before the ages began. It is a wisdom that none of the masters of this age have ever known, or they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory; we teach what scripture calls: the things that no eye has seen and no ear has heard, things beyond the mind of man, all that God has prepared for those who love him.
These are the very things that God has revealed to us through the Spirit.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 36(37):3-6,30-31
The just man’s mouth utters wisdom.
If you trust in the Lord and do good,
then you will live in the land and be secure.
If you find your delight in the Lord,
he will grant your heart’s desire.
The just man’s mouth utters wisdom.
Commit your life to the Lord,
trust in him and he will act,
so that your justice breaks forth like the light,
your cause like the noon-day sun.
The just man’s mouth utters wisdom.
The just man’s mouth utters wisdom
and his lips speak what is right;
the law of his God is in his heart,
his steps shall be saved from stumbling.
The just man’s mouth utters wisdom.
Gospel: Luke 14:25-33
Great crowds accompanied Jesus on his way and he turned and spoke to them. ‘If any man comes to me without hating his father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes and his own life too, he cannot be my disciple. Anyone who does not carry his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.
‘And indeed, which of you here, intending to build a tower, would not first sit down and work out the cost to see if he had enough to complete it? Otherwise, if he laid the foundation and then found himself unable to finish the work, the onlookers would all start making fun of him and saying, “Here is a man who started to build and was unable to finish.” Or again, what king marching to war against another king would not first sit down and consider whether with ten thousand men he could stand up to the other who advanced against him with twenty thousand? If not, then while the other king was still a long way off, he would send envoys to sue for peace. So in the same way, none of you can be my disciple unless he gives up all his possessions.’
Back to Memorial Bench
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Third Sunday of Advent
9C Third Sunday of Advent
Catechism Links
CCC 30, 163, 301, 736, 1829, 1832, 2015, 2362: Joy
CCC 523-524, 535: John prepares the way for the Messiah
CCC 430-435: Jesus the Savior
CCC Cross Reference:
Zep 3:14 722, 2676; Zep 3:17a 2676; Zep 3:17b 2676
Is 12:3 2561
Phil 4:3-4 2632, 2636
Lk 3:10-14 535; Lk 3:11 2447; Lk 3:16 696
Back to Deacon’s Bench ‘07
Back to Servant of the Word ‘10
Back to SOW II '13
Back to SOW II '16
Back to SOW II '19
Back to SOW II '22
Catechism Links
CCC 30, 163, 301, 736, 1829, 1832, 2015, 2362: Joy
CCC 523-524, 535: John prepares the way for the Messiah
CCC 430-435: Jesus the Savior
CCC Cross Reference:
Zep 3:14 722, 2676; Zep 3:17a 2676; Zep 3:17b 2676
Is 12:3 2561
Phil 4:3-4 2632, 2636
Lk 3:10-14 535; Lk 3:11 2447; Lk 3:16 696
Back to Deacon’s Bench ‘07
Back to Servant of the Word ‘10
Back to SOW II '13
Back to SOW II '16
Back to SOW II '19
Back to SOW II '22
Back to SOW II '25
Reading 1:
Zep 3:14-18a
Shout 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 II:
Phil 4:4-7
Brothers 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 3:10-18
The 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.
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
First reading Zephaniah 3:14-18
Shout for joy, daughter of Zion,
Israel, shout aloud!
Rejoice, exult with all your heart,
daughter of Jerusalem!
The Lord has repealed your sentence;
he has driven your enemies away.
The Lord, the king of Israel, is in your midst;
you have no more evil to fear.
When that day comes, word will come to Jerusalem:
Zion, have no fear,
do not let your hands fall limp.
The Lord your God is in your midst,
a victorious warrior.
He will exult with joy over you,
he will renew you by his love;
he will dance with shouts of joy for you
as on a day of festival.
Responsorial Psalm:
Isaiah 12
Second reading Philippians 4:4-7
I want you to be happy, always happy in the Lord; I repeat, what I want is your happiness. Let your tolerance be evident to everyone: the Lord is very near.
There is no need to worry; but if there is anything you need, pray for it, asking God for it with prayer and thanksgiving, and that peace of God, which is so much greater than we can understand, will guard your hearts and your thoughts, in Christ Jesus.
Gospel Luke 3:10-18
When all the people asked John, ‘What must we do?’ he answered, ‘If anyone has two tunics he must share with the man who has none, and the one with something to eat must do the same.’ There were tax collectors too who came for baptism, and these said to him, ‘Master, what must we do?’ He said to them, ‘Exact no more than your rate.’ Some soldiers asked him in their turn, ‘What about us? What must we do?’ He said to them, ‘No intimidation! No extortion! Be content with your pay!’
A feeling of expectancy had grown among the people, who were beginning to think that John might be the Christ, so John declared before them all, ‘I baptize you with water, but someone is coming, someone who is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to undo the strap 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 in a fire that will never go out.’ As well as this, there were many other things he said to exhort the people and to announce the Good News to them.
Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible
3rd Sunday of Advent -- Gaudete Sunday
From: Zephaniah 3:14-18a
Psalms of Joy in Zion
--------------------------------
[14] Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion, shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, 0 daughter of Jerusalem! [15] The LORD has taken away the judgments against you, he has cast out your enemies. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you shall fear evil no more. [16] 0n that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: "Do not fear, 0 Zion; let not your hands grow weak. [17] The LORD, your God, is in your midst, 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 [18] as on a day of festival."
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
3:14-18a. Now the promise becomes a song of jubilation. The Lord, the Savior, sees to it that all is joy (v. 14), and there is no room for fear (v. 16). The Christian, in reading these verses, cannot but be reminded of the scene of the Annunciation: Mary, too, the humble Virgin (Lk 1:48), is invited to rejoice (Lk 1:28) and not to fear (Lk 1:20), because the Lord is with her (Lk 1:28). And indeed, with the Incarnation of the Word, the Lord did come to dwell among his people,and the salvation that was promised came to pass.
******************************************************************************************
From: Philippians 4:4-7
Exhortation to Perseverance and Joy (Continuation)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
[4] Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. [5] Let all men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand. [6] Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. [7] And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
4. What St Paul says here is particularly impressive if one bears in mind that he is writing this letter from prison. In order to have joy it does not matter if we are living in difficult conditions. "For a Christian, joy is a treasure. Only by offending God do we lose it, because sin is the fruit of selfishness, and selfishness is the root of sadness. Even then, a bit of joy survives under the debris of our soul—the knowledge that neither God nor his (Christ's) Mother forgets us. If we repent, if an act of sorrow springs from our heart, if we purify ourselves in the holy sacrament of penance, God comes out to meet and forgive us. Then there can be no sadness whatsoever" (St. J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 178).
The kind of profound joy that fills the soul with peace does not derive from the satisfaction of physical or material needs but from faithfulness to God and his commandments by embracing the Cross. "This is the difference between us and those who do not know God," St Cyprian says: "they complain in adversity; but difficulties do not draw us away from virtue or from the true faith. On the contrary, our virtue and faith are reinforced in affliction" ("De Mortalitate", 13).
In the Old Testament, God, speaking through Nehemiah, said, "Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength" (Neh 8:10). Joy, in fact, is a powerful ally in the struggle to achieve victory (cf. 1 Mac 3:2ff), to conquer evil with good, for it is something closely connected with grace. "The true worth of what a Christian does is determined by the active presence of God's grace in him and his deeds. In a Christian's heart, therefore, peace is inseparable from joy [...]. when the joy that is in a Christian heart is poured out on others, it gives them hope and optimism; it spurs them to be generous in their daily toil and infects the entire society. My children, only if you have in you this divine grace which is joy and peace, will you be able to do anything useful for others" (John Paul II, "Address", 10 April 1979).
5-7. "The Lord is at hand": the Apostle reminds the faithful of the nearness of our Lord; he wants to encourage them to rejoice and to be understanding towards one another. These words must surely have brought to their minds the exclamation "Marana tha" (Come, Lord), which was often in the lips at liturgical celebrations (cf. note on 1 Cor 16:21-24). In the sort of hostile environment that many of them lived in, they needed to put their hope in their Savior, Jesus Christ, who will come from heaven to judge the living and the dead (cf. Phil 3:20; 1 Thess 4:16ff; 2 Thess 1:5). St Paul does not mean to specify when the "Parousia" or second coming of Christ will take place (cf. "Introduction to St Paul's Epistles to the Thessalonians" in "The Navarre Bible: Thessalonians; EB", 414-461; note on Mt 24:36). Like the first Christians, we should make sure it does not catch us unprepared.
Besides, the Lord is always near us, always caring for us in his providence (cf. Ps 119:151). There is no reason for us to feel ill at ease. He is our Father, he is near to all who call on him (cf. Ps 145:18); he listens to our prayers, ever ready to instruct us and to give us whatever we need to overcome difficulties that arise. All that he asks is that we trustingly tell him our situation, speaking to him with the simplicity of a child.
Constant dialogue with God in prayer is, as St Paul suggests, a good way to prevent anything robbing us of peace of soul, for prayer "regulates our affections", St Bernard teaches, "directs our actions, corrects our faults, guides our conduct, beautifies and orders our life; it brings with it knowledge of things divine and things human also. It determines what we ought to do and reflects on what we have done, in such a way that our heart never becomes wanton or in need of discipline" ("Book of Consideration", I, 7).
*********************************************************************************************
From: Luke 3:10-18
The Preaching of John the Baptist (Continuation)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
[10] And the multitudes asked him (St. John the Baptist), "What then shall we do?" [11] 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." [12] Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?" [13] And he said to them, "Collect no more than is appointed you." [14] 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."
[15] As the people were in expectation, and all men questioned in their hearts concerning John, whether perhaps he were the Christ, [16] John answered them all, "I baptize you with water; but He who is mightier than I is coming, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. [17] His winnowing fork is in His hand, to clear the threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into His granary, but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire."
[18] So, with many other exhortations, he preached good news to the people.
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
12-13. With honesty and courage St. John the Baptist lays bare each person's fault. The chief sin of tax collectors lay in their using their privileged position as collaborators of the Roman authorities to acquire personal wealth at the expense of the Jewish people: Rome specified how much Israel as a whole should yield by way of taxes; the tax collectors abused their position by extorting more than was necessary. Take the case of Zacchaeus, for example, who, after his conversion, admits that he acquired wealth unjustly and, under the influence of grace, promises our Lord to make generous restitution (cf. Luke 19:1-10).
The Baptist's preaching contains a norm of natural justice which the Church also preaches. Public position should be regarded, above all, as an opportunity to serve society, not to obtain personal gain at the expense of the common good and of that justice which people holding such positions are supposed to administer. Certainly, anyone who has fallen into the temptation of unjustly appropriating what belongs to another must not only confess his sin in the Sacrament of Penance if he is to obtain pardon; he must also resolve to give back what is not his.
14. The Baptist requires of everyone--Pharisees, tax collectors, soldiers--a deep spiritual renewal in the very exercise of their job; they have to act justly and honorably. God asks all of us to sanctify ourselves in our work and in the circumstances in which we find ourselves: "Any honest and worthwhile work can be converted into a divine occupation. In God's service there are no second-class jobs; all of them are important" (St. J. Escriva, "Conversations", 55).
15-17. Using excessive imagery, John announces Christian Baptism, proclaiming that he is not the Messiah; He, who is on His way, will come with the authority of supreme Judge that belongs to God, and with the dignity of the Messiah, who has no human equal.
*********************************************************************************************
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.
Reading 1:
Zep 3:14-18a
Shout 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 II:
Phil 4:4-7
Brothers 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 3:10-18
The 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.
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
First reading Zephaniah 3:14-18
Shout for joy, daughter of Zion,
Israel, shout aloud!
Rejoice, exult with all your heart,
daughter of Jerusalem!
The Lord has repealed your sentence;
he has driven your enemies away.
The Lord, the king of Israel, is in your midst;
you have no more evil to fear.
When that day comes, word will come to Jerusalem:
Zion, have no fear,
do not let your hands fall limp.
The Lord your God is in your midst,
a victorious warrior.
He will exult with joy over you,
he will renew you by his love;
he will dance with shouts of joy for you
as on a day of festival.
Responsorial Psalm:
Isaiah 12
Sing and shout for joy for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
Truly, God is my salvation,
I trust, I shall not fear.
For the Lord is my strength, my song,
he became my saviour.
With joy you will draw water
from the wells of salvation.
Sing and shout for joy for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
Give thanks to the Lord, give praise to his name!
Make his mighty deeds known to the peoples!
Declare the greatness of his name.
Sing and shout for joy for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
Sing a psalm to the Lord
for he has done glorious deeds;
make them known to all the earth!
People of Zion, sing and shout for joy,
for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
Sing and shout for joy for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
Second reading Philippians 4:4-7
I want you to be happy, always happy in the Lord; I repeat, what I want is your happiness. Let your tolerance be evident to everyone: the Lord is very near.
There is no need to worry; but if there is anything you need, pray for it, asking God for it with prayer and thanksgiving, and that peace of God, which is so much greater than we can understand, will guard your hearts and your thoughts, in Christ Jesus.
Gospel Luke 3:10-18
When all the people asked John, ‘What must we do?’ he answered, ‘If anyone has two tunics he must share with the man who has none, and the one with something to eat must do the same.’ There were tax collectors too who came for baptism, and these said to him, ‘Master, what must we do?’ He said to them, ‘Exact no more than your rate.’ Some soldiers asked him in their turn, ‘What about us? What must we do?’ He said to them, ‘No intimidation! No extortion! Be content with your pay!’
A feeling of expectancy had grown among the people, who were beginning to think that John might be the Christ, so John declared before them all, ‘I baptize you with water, but someone is coming, someone who is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to undo the strap 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 in a fire that will never go out.’ As well as this, there were many other things he said to exhort the people and to announce the Good News to them.
Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible
3rd Sunday of Advent -- Gaudete Sunday
From: Zephaniah 3:14-18a
Psalms of Joy in Zion
--------------------------------
[14] Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion, shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, 0 daughter of Jerusalem! [15] The LORD has taken away the judgments against you, he has cast out your enemies. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you shall fear evil no more. [16] 0n that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: "Do not fear, 0 Zion; let not your hands grow weak. [17] The LORD, your God, is in your midst, 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 [18] as on a day of festival."
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
3:14-18a. Now the promise becomes a song of jubilation. The Lord, the Savior, sees to it that all is joy (v. 14), and there is no room for fear (v. 16). The Christian, in reading these verses, cannot but be reminded of the scene of the Annunciation: Mary, too, the humble Virgin (Lk 1:48), is invited to rejoice (Lk 1:28) and not to fear (Lk 1:20), because the Lord is with her (Lk 1:28). And indeed, with the Incarnation of the Word, the Lord did come to dwell among his people,and the salvation that was promised came to pass.
******************************************************************************************
From: Philippians 4:4-7
Exhortation to Perseverance and Joy (Continuation)
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[4] Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. [5] Let all men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand. [6] Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. [7] And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
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Commentary:
4. What St Paul says here is particularly impressive if one bears in mind that he is writing this letter from prison. In order to have joy it does not matter if we are living in difficult conditions. "For a Christian, joy is a treasure. Only by offending God do we lose it, because sin is the fruit of selfishness, and selfishness is the root of sadness. Even then, a bit of joy survives under the debris of our soul—the knowledge that neither God nor his (Christ's) Mother forgets us. If we repent, if an act of sorrow springs from our heart, if we purify ourselves in the holy sacrament of penance, God comes out to meet and forgive us. Then there can be no sadness whatsoever" (St. J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 178).
The kind of profound joy that fills the soul with peace does not derive from the satisfaction of physical or material needs but from faithfulness to God and his commandments by embracing the Cross. "This is the difference between us and those who do not know God," St Cyprian says: "they complain in adversity; but difficulties do not draw us away from virtue or from the true faith. On the contrary, our virtue and faith are reinforced in affliction" ("De Mortalitate", 13).
In the Old Testament, God, speaking through Nehemiah, said, "Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength" (Neh 8:10). Joy, in fact, is a powerful ally in the struggle to achieve victory (cf. 1 Mac 3:2ff), to conquer evil with good, for it is something closely connected with grace. "The true worth of what a Christian does is determined by the active presence of God's grace in him and his deeds. In a Christian's heart, therefore, peace is inseparable from joy [...]. when the joy that is in a Christian heart is poured out on others, it gives them hope and optimism; it spurs them to be generous in their daily toil and infects the entire society. My children, only if you have in you this divine grace which is joy and peace, will you be able to do anything useful for others" (John Paul II, "Address", 10 April 1979).
5-7. "The Lord is at hand": the Apostle reminds the faithful of the nearness of our Lord; he wants to encourage them to rejoice and to be understanding towards one another. These words must surely have brought to their minds the exclamation "Marana tha" (Come, Lord), which was often in the lips at liturgical celebrations (cf. note on 1 Cor 16:21-24). In the sort of hostile environment that many of them lived in, they needed to put their hope in their Savior, Jesus Christ, who will come from heaven to judge the living and the dead (cf. Phil 3:20; 1 Thess 4:16ff; 2 Thess 1:5). St Paul does not mean to specify when the "Parousia" or second coming of Christ will take place (cf. "Introduction to St Paul's Epistles to the Thessalonians" in "The Navarre Bible: Thessalonians; EB", 414-461; note on Mt 24:36). Like the first Christians, we should make sure it does not catch us unprepared.
Besides, the Lord is always near us, always caring for us in his providence (cf. Ps 119:151). There is no reason for us to feel ill at ease. He is our Father, he is near to all who call on him (cf. Ps 145:18); he listens to our prayers, ever ready to instruct us and to give us whatever we need to overcome difficulties that arise. All that he asks is that we trustingly tell him our situation, speaking to him with the simplicity of a child.
Constant dialogue with God in prayer is, as St Paul suggests, a good way to prevent anything robbing us of peace of soul, for prayer "regulates our affections", St Bernard teaches, "directs our actions, corrects our faults, guides our conduct, beautifies and orders our life; it brings with it knowledge of things divine and things human also. It determines what we ought to do and reflects on what we have done, in such a way that our heart never becomes wanton or in need of discipline" ("Book of Consideration", I, 7).
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From: Luke 3:10-18
The Preaching of John the Baptist (Continuation)
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[10] And the multitudes asked him (St. John the Baptist), "What then shall we do?" [11] 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." [12] Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?" [13] And he said to them, "Collect no more than is appointed you." [14] 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."
[15] As the people were in expectation, and all men questioned in their hearts concerning John, whether perhaps he were the Christ, [16] John answered them all, "I baptize you with water; but He who is mightier than I is coming, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. [17] His winnowing fork is in His hand, to clear the threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into His granary, but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire."
[18] So, with many other exhortations, he preached good news to the people.
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Commentary:
12-13. With honesty and courage St. John the Baptist lays bare each person's fault. The chief sin of tax collectors lay in their using their privileged position as collaborators of the Roman authorities to acquire personal wealth at the expense of the Jewish people: Rome specified how much Israel as a whole should yield by way of taxes; the tax collectors abused their position by extorting more than was necessary. Take the case of Zacchaeus, for example, who, after his conversion, admits that he acquired wealth unjustly and, under the influence of grace, promises our Lord to make generous restitution (cf. Luke 19:1-10).
The Baptist's preaching contains a norm of natural justice which the Church also preaches. Public position should be regarded, above all, as an opportunity to serve society, not to obtain personal gain at the expense of the common good and of that justice which people holding such positions are supposed to administer. Certainly, anyone who has fallen into the temptation of unjustly appropriating what belongs to another must not only confess his sin in the Sacrament of Penance if he is to obtain pardon; he must also resolve to give back what is not his.
14. The Baptist requires of everyone--Pharisees, tax collectors, soldiers--a deep spiritual renewal in the very exercise of their job; they have to act justly and honorably. God asks all of us to sanctify ourselves in our work and in the circumstances in which we find ourselves: "Any honest and worthwhile work can be converted into a divine occupation. In God's service there are no second-class jobs; all of them are important" (St. J. Escriva, "Conversations", 55).
15-17. Using excessive imagery, John announces Christian Baptism, proclaiming that he is not the Messiah; He, who is on His way, will come with the authority of supreme Judge that belongs to God, and with the dignity of the Messiah, who has no human equal.
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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.
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