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Thứ Tư, 5 tháng 12, 2018

DECEMBER 06, 2018 : THURSDAY OF THE FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT


Thursday of the First Week of Advent
Lectionary: 178

Reading 1IS 26:1-6
On that day they will sing this song in the land of Judah:

"A strong city have we;
he sets up walls and ramparts to protect us.
Open up the gates
to let in a nation that is just,
one that keeps faith.
A nation of firm purpose you keep in peace;
in peace, for its trust in you."

Trust in the LORD forever!
For the LORD is an eternal Rock.
He humbles those in high places,
and the lofty city he brings down;
He tumbles it to the ground,
levels it with the dust.
It is trampled underfoot by the needy,
by the footsteps of the poor.
R. (26a) Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, 
for his mercy endures forever.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in princes. 
R. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Open to me the gates of justice;
I will enter them and give thanks to the LORD.
This gate is the LORD's;
the just shall enter it.
I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me
and have been my savior.
R. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
O LORD, grant salvation!
O LORD, grant prosperity!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD;
we bless you from the house of the LORD.
The LORD is God, and he has given us light.
R. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
AlleluiaIS 55:6
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call him while he is near.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus said to his disciples:
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,'
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.

"Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. 
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house. 
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. 
And everyone who listens to these words of mine
but does not act on them
will be like a fool who built his house on sand. 
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house. 
And it collapsed and was completely ruined."



Meditation: "Who shall enter the kingdom of heaven?"
What's the best security against disaster and destruction? In the ancient world a strong city, an impregnable fortress, and a secure house were built on solid rock because they could withstand the forces of nature and foe alike. Isaiah speaks of God as an "everlasting rock" (Isaiah 26:4). He is the rock of refuge and deliverance (Psalm 18:2) and the rock in whom there is no wrong (Psalm 92:15). Scripture warns that destruction will surely come to those who place their security in something other than God and his kingdom. Jesus' parables invite us to stake our lives on the coming of his kingdom or face the consequences of being unprepared when the day of testing and destruction will surely come.
The only foundation that can keep us safe
When Jesus told the story of the builders he likely had the following proverb in mind: "When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm for ever" (Proverbs 10:25). What's the significance of the story for us? The kind of foundation we build our lives upon will determine whether we can survive the storms that are sure to come. Builders usually lay their foundations when the weather and soil conditions are at their best. It takes foresight to know how a foundation will stand up against adverse conditions. Building a house on a flood plain, such as a dry river-bed, is a sure bet for disaster! Jesus prefaced his story with a warning: We may fool humans with our speech, but God cannot be deceived. He sees the heart as it truly is - with its motives, intentions, desires, and choices (Psalm 139:2).
There is only one way in which a person's sincerity can be proved, and that is by one's practice. Fine words can never replace good deeds. Our character is revealed in the choices we make, especially when we must choose between what is true and false, good and evil. Do you cheat on an exam or on your income taxes, especially when it will cost you? Do you lie, or cover-up, when disclosing the truth will cause you pain or embarrassment? A true person is honest and reliable before God, neighbor, and oneself. Such a person's word can be taken as trustworthy.
Christ is the only rock that can save us
What can keep us from falsehood and spiritual disaster? If we make the Lord Jesus and his word the rock and foundation of our lives, then nothing can shake us nor keep us from God's presence and protection. Is the Lord Jesus and his word the one sure foundation of your life?
"Lord Jesus, you are the only foundation that can hold us up when trials and disaster threaten us. Give me the wisdom, foresight, and strength of character I need to do what is right and good and to reject whatever is false and contrary to your will. May I be a doer of your word and not a hearer only."
Daily Quote from the early church fathersTurn your vision to the Savior, by Verecundus (died 552 AD)
"When Hezekiah, the king of Judah and son of Ahaz, was gravely ill and had learned of his coming death by the prophecy of Isaiah, he turned his face to the wall and wept bitterly (2 Kings 20:1-3). Immediately the Lord in his mercy not only averted the destruction of imminent death but also added fifteen years to the man's life. Then, at last, Hezekiah sang this song (Isaiah 38:10-20). Hezekiah, a holy man who reigned at that time over all of Israel, displayed the Lord's form: clearly he had every movement of body, soul and mind in subjection to himself, and he accepted the consequences of his infirmity and weakness. He knew without doubt through the prophetic message that the end of his life was approaching. For the longer we seem to live, the more indubitably is our future death foreknown to us. And if we turn our face to the wall when struck by the fear of death, that is, if we direct the vision of our hearts to the Savior, who is here represented by the wall because he is elsewhere called 'a wall,' we will be saved, inasmuch as he saves the faithful who dwell within him from a great many attacks. 'In the city of our strength,' says Isaiah, 'is the Savior established as a wall and a fortress' (Isaiah 26:1). Behold, the Savior is said to be a wall." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON THE CANTICLE OF EZEKIEL 5.1-2)   [Verecundus was an African Christian writer and bishop in the 6th century AD.] 


THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, MATTHEW 7:21, 24-27
Advent Weekday

(Isaiah 26:1-6; Psalm 118)

KEY VERSE: "Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock" (v. 24).
TO KNOW: Jesus concluded his Sermon on the Mount by saying that it was not enough to perform works of healing and miracles yet live contrary to his teachings. The true disciple was one who imitated Jesus' dedication to God's will. Jesus illustrated his teaching with the Palestinian practice of building houses on a rock foundation. The house built on the sand of a ravine was in danger of being swept away by the floods that followed the winter rains. Those who ignored Jesus' words were building upon a superficial footing. Their faith would collapse when trials beset them. Christians who obeyed Christ's teachings were building on a stable foundation that would withstand the storms of life.
TO LOVE: What are the weak places in my spiritual house that I should strengthen this Advent?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me obey your word in your Church.

Optional Memorial of Saint Nicholas, bishop

Nicholas was Bishop of Myra, Lycia (modern Turkey). He was generous to the poor, and a special protector of the innocent and wronged. Through the centuries many stories and legends have been told of his life and deeds. These accounts help us understand his extraordinary character and why he is so beloved and revered. One story tells of three young women who wished to marry, but their father was poor and they had no dowry. Hearing of their plight, Nicholas went to their house by night and threw three bags of gold through the open window, possibly saving the girls from a life of destitution. The bags of gold are said to have landed in their stockings or shoes left by the fire to dry. This led to the custom of children hanging stockings or putting out shoes, eagerly awaiting gifts from Saint Nicholas. These stories led to his patronage of children in general, and his becoming known as Santa Claus. December 6th is still the main day for gift giving in much of Europe. 

NOTE: How did St. Nicholas become Santa Claus?
In the UK and parts of northern Europe, after the reformation in the 16th Century, St. Nicholas became 'Father Christmas.' In France, he was then known as 'Père Nöel.' In parts of Austria and Germany, the present giver became the 'Christkind' a golden-haired baby, with wings, who symbolizes the new born baby Jesus. In the early USA his name was 'Kris Kringle' (from the Christkind). Later, Dutch settlers in the USA took the old stories of St. Nicholas and Kris Kringle and St. Nicholas became 'Sinterklaas' or as we now say 'Santa Claus'!


Thursday 6 December 2018

Isaiah 26:1-6. Psalm 117(118):1, 8-9, 19-21, 25-27. Matthew 7:21, 24-27.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord – Psalm 117(118):1, 8-9, 19-21, 25-27.
‘The Lord is a rock for ever.’
These readings set up a clear and pressing choice. On one hand is trust in ourselves, other people, wealth and status or material strength. On the other hand, there is trust in God.
The sacred writers make it very clear that we must choose one or the other. The former is shown to lead to ruin. The latter though offers true safety. Walls and towers can be toppled; the safety we find in riches leaves us in poverty. While the material things that we trust in will pass, God’s love endures forever. In what, or in whom, do we trust? Are there any parts of our lives where we need to learn to place our trust in Jesus?


Saint Nicholas
Saint of the Day for December 6
(March 15, 270 – December 6, 343)
 
Patron of Sailors | photo by Lawrence OP | flickr
Saint Nicholas’ Story
The absence of the “hard facts” of history is not necessarily an obstacle to the popularity of saints, as the devotion to Saint Nicholas shows. Both the Eastern and Western Churches honor him, and it is claimed that after the Blessed Virgin, he is the saint most pictured by Christian artists. And yet historically, we can pinpoint only the fact that Nicholas was the fourth-century bishop of Myra, a city in Lycia, a province of Asia Minor.
As with many of the saints, however, we are able to capture the relationship which Nicholas had with God through the admiration which Christians have had for him—an admiration expressed in the colorful stories which have been told and retold through the centuries.
Perhaps the best-known story about Nicholas concerns his charity toward a poor man who was unable to provide dowries for his three daughters of marriageable age. Rather than see them forced into prostitution, Nicholas secretly tossed a bag of gold through the poor man’s window on three separate occasions, thus enabling the daughters to be married. Over the centuries, this particular legend evolved into the custom of gift-giving on the saint’s feast. In the English-speaking countries, Saint Nicholas became, by a twist of the tongue, Santa Claus—further expanding the example of generosity portrayed by this holy bishop.

Reflection
The critical eye of modern history makes us take a deeper look at the legends surrounding Saint Nicholas. But perhaps we can utilize the lesson taught by his legendary charity, look deeper at our approach to material goods in the Christmas season, and seek ways to extend our sharing to those in real need.

Saint Nicholas is the Patron Saint of:
Bakers
Brides
Grooms
Children
Greece
Pawnbrokers
Travelers


LECTIO DIVINA: MATTHEW 7:21,24-27
Lectio Divina: 
 Thursday, December 6, 2018
1st Week of Advent

1) Opening prayer
Lord our God,
to those who trust in You
and live the gospel of Your Son,
You are a dependable rock.
In the storms and tensions of our times,
may our faith never waver,
but give us the courage
to live as we believe,
consistently, radically,
that with Your Son we may do Your will
and live in Your love now and for ever.
2) Gospel Reading - Matthew 7: 21, 24-27
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but only the person who does the will of My Father in heaven.
Therefore, everyone who listens to these words of Mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and hurled themselves against that house, and it did not fall: it was founded on rock.
But everyone who listens to these words of Mine and does not act on them will be like an unwise man who built his house on sand. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and struck that house, and it fell.”
3) Reflection
Today’s Gospel narrates the end of the discourse on the mountain. The discourse on the mountain is a new reading of the Law of God. It begins with the Beatitudes (Mt 5: 1-12) and ends with the house built on the rock.
• It is a question of acquiring true wisdom. The source of wisdom is the Word of God expressed in the Law of God. True Wisdom consists of listening to, and practicing, the Word of God (Lk 11: 28). It is not sufficient to say “Lord, Lord!” The important thing is not to say beautiful words about God, but rather to do the will of the Father, and therefore, to be a revelation of His love and His presence in the world.
• The one who listens to, and practices, the Word constructs a house on rock. The strength of the house does not come from the house itself, but rather from the foundation, from the rock. What does the rock signify? It is the experience of God’s love revealed in Jesus (Rm 8: 31-39). There are some people who practice the Word in order to merit God’s love. But love is not bought, nor do we merit it (sg 8: 7). The love of God is received gratuitously. Let us put into practice the Word, not in order to merit love, but to say thank you for the love we have received. This is the good foundation, the rock which gives security to the house. True security comes from the certainty of God’s love. It is the rock which sustains us in moments of difficulty and in storms.
• The Evangelist ends the discourse on the Mountain (Mt 7: 27-28) by saying that the crowds admired the teaching of Jesus because “He taught with authority, and not like the Scribes”. The teaching of Jesus gave the people a critical awareness concerning religious authority of the time. Admired and grateful, the people appreciated the beautiful and diverse teaching of Jesus.
4) Personal questions
• Am I among those who say “Lord, Lord”, or among those who put the Word into practice?
• Do I observe the Law in order to merit love and salvation or in order to thank God for His love and His salvation?
5) Concluding Prayer
O Lord, grant salvation!
O Lord, grant prosperity!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord (Ps 118)



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