Tuesday of the Third Week of Advent
Lectionary: 194
Lectionary: 194
Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD,
when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David;
As king he shall reign and govern wisely,
he shall do what is just and right in the land.
In his days Judah shall be saved,
Israel shall dwell in security.
This is the name they give him:
"The LORD our justice."
Therefore, the days will come, says the LORD,
when they shall no longer say, "As the LORD lives,
who brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt";
but rather, "As the LORD lives,
who brought the descendants of the house of Israel
up from the land of the north"--
and from all the lands to which I banished them;
they shall again live on their own land.
when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David;
As king he shall reign and govern wisely,
he shall do what is just and right in the land.
In his days Judah shall be saved,
Israel shall dwell in security.
This is the name they give him:
"The LORD our justice."
Therefore, the days will come, says the LORD,
when they shall no longer say, "As the LORD lives,
who brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt";
but rather, "As the LORD lives,
who brought the descendants of the house of Israel
up from the land of the north"--
and from all the lands to which I banished them;
they shall again live on their own land.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 72:1-2, 12-13, 18-19
R. (see 7) Justice
shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king's son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
who alone does wondrous deeds.
And blessed forever be his glorious name;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king's son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
who alone does wondrous deeds.
And blessed forever be his glorious name;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
Gospel Mt 1:18-25
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
"Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins."
All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means "God is with us."
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home.
He had no relations with her until she bore a son,
and he named him Jesus.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
"Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins."
All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means "God is with us."
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home.
He had no relations with her until she bore a son,
and he named him Jesus.
www.usccb.org
Meditation: "He will save his people from
their sins"
Do you hold on to the promises of God at
all times, especially when you are faced with uncertainty or adversity? The
prophets Jeremiah and Isaiah spoke words of hope in a hopeless situation for
Israel. The Davidic dynasty was corrupt and unfit for a Messianic King.
Apostates like King Ahaz (2 Kings 16) and weaklings like Zedekiah (Jeremiah 38)
occupied the throne of David. How could God be faithful to his promise to raise
up a righteous King who would rule forever over the house of David? The
prophets trusted that God could somehow “raise up a righteous shoot” from the
stump of Jesse (Isaiah 2:11). Like the prophets we are called “in hope to
believe against hope” (Romans 4:18) that God can and will fulfill all his
promises.
Mary had to face an enormous challenge to
her faith and trust in God and to the faith of her family and Joseph, the man
she chose to marry. She was asked to assume a burden of tremendous
responsibility. It had never been heard of before that a child could be born
without a natural father. Mary was asked to accept this miraculous exception to
the laws of nature. That required faith and trust in God and in his promises.
Second, Mary was not yet married. Pregnancy outside of wedlock was not
tolerated in those days. Mary was only espoused to Joseph, and such an
engagement had to last for a whole year. She was asked to assume a great risk.
She could have been rejected by Joseph, by her family, by all her own people.
Mary knew that Joseph and her family would not understand without revelation
from God. She nonetheless believed and trusted in God's promises.
Joseph, a just and God-fearing man, did
not wish to embarrass or punish his espoused wife, Mary when he discovered that
she was pregnant. To all appearances she had broken their solemn pledge to be
faithful and chaste to one another. Joseph, no doubt took this troubling matter
to God in prayer. He was not hasty to judge or to react with hurt and anger.
God rewarded him not only with guidance and consolation, but with the divine
assurance that he had indeed called Joseph to be the husband of Mary and to
assume a mission that would require the utmost faith, confidence, and trust in
Almighty God. Joseph believed in the divine message to take Mary as his wife
and to accept the child in her womb as the promised Messiah. Like Mary, Joseph
is a model of faith for us. He is a faithful witness and servant of God's
unfolding plan of redemption. Are you ready to believe in the promises of God,
even when faced with perplexing circumstances and what seems like
insurmountable problems? God has not left us alone, but has brought us his only
begotten Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Let us celebrate Christmas, the
feast of the Incarnation, with joyful hearts and let us renew our faith and
hope in God and in his redeeming work.
"Lord
Jesus, you came to save us from sin and the power of death. May I always
rejoice in your salvation and trust in your plan for my life".
www.dailyscripture.net
 Just Joseph |
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Tuesday of the Third Week of Advent
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Father Edward McIlmail, LC
Matthew 1:18-25
This is how the birth
of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but
before they lived together, she was found with child through the holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her
to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when,
behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
"Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your
home. For it is through the holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in
her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save
his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the
Lord had said through the prophet: "Behold, the virgin shall be with
child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means
"God is with us." When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the
Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home. He had no relations
with her until she bore a son, and he named him Jesus.
Introductory Prayer: Lord, I come before
you humbly. As one who has frequently fallen into sin, I am aware of my
weakness. Your great love, though, assures me that your grace can keep me on
the path to holiness.
Petition: Lord, let me better imitate St. Joseph in
the way I deal with the people around me.
1. No Gloating: Joseph was taken aback to learn that Mary
was expecting a baby. Here was a woman he always knew to be beyond reproach.
Legally he could have denounced her publicly. Yet he didn’t. He was ready to
let the whole matter drop quietly, as if to give Mary the benefit of the
doubt. What a great virtue this is: to think the best of others! It reflects
a heart of peace and calm. How many friendships have ended ― indeed, how many
wars have started ― because people assumed the worst of someone else. Have I
ever judged the motives of someone else, only to learn later that things were
not as they first appeared? To whom should I be giving the benefit of the
doubt?
2. Angelic Explanation: Notice that the angel
appears to Joseph only after he decides to do the charitable thing and send
Mary away quietly. So it often goes in the spiritual life: God reveals more
of his plan to us only if we respond to a crisis with charity. It is as if
Jesus says, “Treat others well and you will begin to understand me better.”
In a crisis, is charity my first response?
3. Jesus’ Portal: This Gospel passage could be called a second
Annunciation. At the first Annunciation, Mary said "yes" to the
angel. Now, Joseph’s "yes" was needed in order to ensure that Jesus
would have the appearance of an earthly father (and a reputable lineage). Jesus
often wants to come back into the world, so to speak, to touch lives: through
a work of charity, a word of kindness ― or even a new baby. He counts on our
help though. What help could Jesus be asking of me so as to carry out his
plans? Could I be thwarting his plans because of laziness, stubbornness, or
selfishness? Is he asking me to cooperate with someone? With a loved one? A
classmate? A co-worker?
Conversation with Christ: You wonderfully
invite me to help you in your mission to save souls, Lord. You respect my
freedom, and you want me to respond out of love. Let me appreciate that truth
fully, and let me be generous with you.
Resolution: I will agree to one request (big or small)
today to help someone.
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www.regnumchristi.com
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18
Advent Weekday
MATTHEW 1:18-25
(Jeremiah 23:5-8; Psalm 72)
KEY VERSE: "She is to have a son and you are to name him Jesus because he will save his people from their sins" (v 21).
READING: Luke's nativity narration was told from Mary's perspective, whereas Matthew's point of view was Joseph, to whom she was was betrothed. Betrothal was a solemn commitment that lasted a full year, and could only be terminated by divorce. Joseph was a righteous man who faithfully observed the Mosaic Law, but when he discovered that Mary was with child, he was unwilling to publicly charge her with adulteryas the penalty was death (Dt 22:20-24). In a dream, Joseph was told not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife because the child had been conceived through the Holy Spirit. With the Spirit's guidance there was nothing to fear. Joseph was instructed to name the child "Jesus" (Hebrew, Yeshua) meaning "Yahweh saves." In Jesus, God would save the people from their sins. Through Joseph's family line, Jesus would bear the royal title "Son of David." Jesus was also "Emmanuel" ("God is with us," Matt 1:23; Is 7:14), the incarnate "Son of God" who would dwell among the people for eternity.
REFLECTING: Do I seek the Spirit's guidance when I have difficult decisions to make?
PRAYING: St. Joseph, help me to follow your example of humble obedience.
Advent Weekday
MATTHEW 1:18-25
(Jeremiah 23:5-8; Psalm 72)
KEY VERSE: "She is to have a son and you are to name him Jesus because he will save his people from their sins" (v 21).
READING: Luke's nativity narration was told from Mary's perspective, whereas Matthew's point of view was Joseph, to whom she was was betrothed. Betrothal was a solemn commitment that lasted a full year, and could only be terminated by divorce. Joseph was a righteous man who faithfully observed the Mosaic Law, but when he discovered that Mary was with child, he was unwilling to publicly charge her with adulteryas the penalty was death (Dt 22:20-24). In a dream, Joseph was told not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife because the child had been conceived through the Holy Spirit. With the Spirit's guidance there was nothing to fear. Joseph was instructed to name the child "Jesus" (Hebrew, Yeshua) meaning "Yahweh saves." In Jesus, God would save the people from their sins. Through Joseph's family line, Jesus would bear the royal title "Son of David." Jesus was also "Emmanuel" ("God is with us," Matt 1:23; Is 7:14), the incarnate "Son of God" who would dwell among the people for eternity.
REFLECTING: Do I seek the Spirit's guidance when I have difficult decisions to make?
PRAYING: St. Joseph, help me to follow your example of humble obedience.
O SACRED LORD
O Adonai: "O Sacred Lord of ancient Israel, who showed yourself to the burning bush, who gave him the holy law on Sinai mountain: come, stretch out your might hand to set us free." See Isaiah 4-5;33:22
O Adonai: "O Sacred Lord of ancient Israel, who showed yourself to the burning bush, who gave him the holy law on Sinai mountain: come, stretch out your might hand to set us free." See Isaiah 4-5;33:22
www.daily-word-of-life.com
Justice shall flourish in his time, and
fullness of peace for ever
He will be
called ‘God-our-saving-justice’.Jesus, there have always been those who have tried to make our world a place where honesty and integrity are practised. Yet so often we give way to dishonesty and fail in integrity. Israel treasured Jeremiah’s words of hope. You, O Son of Israel, are the one in whom we place our hope. Your names, ‘Lord-our-Integrity’, ‘Emmanuel’, recall the God who takes us out of injustice and fear, by his own love and fidelity.
Lord, no longer do we count on our own efforts, but look confidently to you, the pledge of God among us. Give us the grace us to grow more honestly and to live in integrity. Gently yet strongly show us the truth for our lives.
www.churchresources.info
St. Rufus
Feastday:
December 18
Rufus
and Zosimus were citizens of Antioch (or perhaps Philippi) who were brought to
Rome with St. Ignatius of Antioch during the reign of Emperor Trajan. They were
condemned to death for their Christianity and thrown to wild beasts in the
arena two days before the martyrdom of Ignatius. Feast Day December 18.
www.catholic.org
LECTIO: MATTHEW
1,18-24
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Lectio:
Tuesday,
December 18, 2012
3rd Week of Advent
1) Opening prayer
Lord, faithful God,
in Jesus you have given us someone
taken from our human flesh and blood,
a man, yet your Son,
through whom you want to restore
integrity and fidelity among us.
Help us to give with him,
to you and also to one another,
the proper and adequate response
of faithful, serving love,
which you expect from your people.
Be our God for ever
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
in Jesus you have given us someone
taken from our human flesh and blood,
a man, yet your Son,
through whom you want to restore
integrity and fidelity among us.
Help us to give with him,
to you and also to one another,
the proper and adequate response
of faithful, serving love,
which you expect from your people.
Be our God for ever
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
2) Gospel Reading – Matthew 1, 18-24
This is how Jesus
Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before
they came to live together she was found to be with child through the Holy
Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being an upright man and wanting to spare her
disgrace, decided to divorce her informally. He had made up his mind to do this
when suddenly the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
'Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because
she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a
son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his
people from their sins.'
Now all this took place to fulfil what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: Look! the virgin is with child and will give birth to a son whom they will call Immanuel, a name which means 'God-is-with-us'.
When Joseph woke up he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do: he took his wife to his home.
Now all this took place to fulfil what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: Look! the virgin is with child and will give birth to a son whom they will call Immanuel, a name which means 'God-is-with-us'.
When Joseph woke up he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do: he took his wife to his home.
3) Reflection
• In Luke’s
Gospel the story of the infancy of Jesus (chapters 1 and 2 of Luke) is centred
around the person of Mary. Here in the Gospel of Matthew the infancy of Jesus
(chapters 1 and 2 of Matthew)is centred around the person of Joseph, the
promised spouse of Mary. Joseph was of the descent of David. Through him Jesus
belongs to the race of David. Thus in Jesus, are fulfilled the promises made by
God to David and to his descendants.
• As we have seen in yesterday’s Gospel, in the four women, companions of Mary, in the genealogy of Jesus, there was something abnormal which did not correspond to the norms of the Law: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba. Today’s Gospel shows us that Mary was also somewhat abnormal, contrary to the Laws of that time. In the eyes of the people of Nazareth she appeared being pregnant before living with Joseph. Neither the people nor the future husband knew the origin of this pregnancy. If Joseph had been just according to the justice of the Scribes and the Pharisees, he should have denounced Mary, and the penalty which she would have suffered would have been death, stoning her.
• Joseph was just, yes, but his justice was different. Already beforehand he practiced what Jesus would teach later on: “If your uprightness does not surpass that of the Scribes and Pharisees you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven” (Mt 5, 20). This is why, Joseph not understanding the facts and not wanting to repudiate Mary, decided to leave her in secret.
• In the Bible, the discovery of the call of God in the facts of life, takes place in different ways. For example, through the meditation of the facts (Lk 2, 10.51), through the meditation of the Bible (Acts 15, 15-19; 17, 2-3), through the angels (the word angel means messenger), who helped to discover the significance of the facts (Mt 28, 5-7). Joseph succeeded in perceiving the significance of what was taking place in Mary by means of a dream. In his sleep an angel uses the Bible to clarify the origin of Mary’s pregnancy. It came from the action of the Spirit of God.
• When everything was clear for Mary, she says: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word!” When everything was clear for Joseph, he takes Mary as his spouse and they went to live together. Thanks to the justice of Joseph, Mary was not put to death, was not stoned and Jesus continued to live in her womb.
• As we have seen in yesterday’s Gospel, in the four women, companions of Mary, in the genealogy of Jesus, there was something abnormal which did not correspond to the norms of the Law: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba. Today’s Gospel shows us that Mary was also somewhat abnormal, contrary to the Laws of that time. In the eyes of the people of Nazareth she appeared being pregnant before living with Joseph. Neither the people nor the future husband knew the origin of this pregnancy. If Joseph had been just according to the justice of the Scribes and the Pharisees, he should have denounced Mary, and the penalty which she would have suffered would have been death, stoning her.
• Joseph was just, yes, but his justice was different. Already beforehand he practiced what Jesus would teach later on: “If your uprightness does not surpass that of the Scribes and Pharisees you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven” (Mt 5, 20). This is why, Joseph not understanding the facts and not wanting to repudiate Mary, decided to leave her in secret.
• In the Bible, the discovery of the call of God in the facts of life, takes place in different ways. For example, through the meditation of the facts (Lk 2, 10.51), through the meditation of the Bible (Acts 15, 15-19; 17, 2-3), through the angels (the word angel means messenger), who helped to discover the significance of the facts (Mt 28, 5-7). Joseph succeeded in perceiving the significance of what was taking place in Mary by means of a dream. In his sleep an angel uses the Bible to clarify the origin of Mary’s pregnancy. It came from the action of the Spirit of God.
• When everything was clear for Mary, she says: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word!” When everything was clear for Joseph, he takes Mary as his spouse and they went to live together. Thanks to the justice of Joseph, Mary was not put to death, was not stoned and Jesus continued to live in her womb.
4) Personal questions
• In the eyes of
the Scribes, the Justice of Joseph would be a disobedience. Is there a message
for us in this?
• How do you discover the call of the Word of God in the facts of your life?
• How do you discover the call of the Word of God in the facts of your life?
5) Concluding Prayer
For God rescues
the needy who calls to him,
and the poor who has no one to help.
He has pity on the weak and the needy,
and saves the needy from death. (Ps 72,12-13)
and the poor who has no one to help.
He has pity on the weak and the needy,
and saves the needy from death. (Ps 72,12-13)
www.ocarm.org
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