DECEMBER 11, 2018 : TUESDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK OF ADVENT

Tuesday of the Second Week of Advent
Lectionary: 182

Reading 1IS 40:1-11

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

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

A voice says, "Cry out!"
I answer, "What shall I cry out?"
"All flesh is grass,
and all their glory like the flower of the field.
The grass withers, the flower wilts,
when the breath of the LORD blows upon it.
So then, the people is the grass.
Though the grass withers and the flower wilts,
the word of our God stands forever."

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

Responsorial PsalmPS 96:1-2, 3 AND 10AC, 11-12, 13

R. (see Isaiah 40:10ab) The Lord our God comes with power.
Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Sing to the LORD; bless his name;
announce his salvation, day after day.
R. The Lord our God comes with power.
Tell his glory among the nations;
among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.
Say among the nations: The LORD is king;
he governs the peoples with equity.
R. The Lord our God comes with power.
Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
let the sea and what fills it resound;
let the plains be joyful and all that is in them!
Then let all the trees of the forest rejoice.
R. The Lord our God comes with power.
They shall exult before the LORD, for he comes;
for he comes to rule the earth.
He shall rule the world with justice
and the peoples with his constancy.
R. The Lord our God comes with power.

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The day of the Lord is near:
Behold, he comes to save us.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelMT 18:12-14

Jesus said to his disciples:
"What is your opinion? 
If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray,
will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills
and go in search of the stray? 
And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it
than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. 
In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father
that one of these little ones be lost."

www.usccb.org

Meditation: God carries us in his bosom

Do you know what it's like to lose your bearings and to be hopelessly adrift in a sea of uncertainty? To be alone, lost, and disoriented without a sense of direction is one of the worst fears we can encounter. What we would give to have a guide who would show us the way to safety and security, the way to home and family. Scripture comforts us with the assurance that God will not rest until we find our way home to him. The Scriptures use the image of a shepherd who cares for his sheep to describe what God is like. God promised that he would personally shepherd his people and lead them to safety (Isaiah 40:11). That is why God sent his only begotten son as the Messiah King who would not only restore peace and righteousness to the land, but who would also shepherd and care for his people with love and compassion. Jesus describes himself as the good shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep (John 10:11).

The Good Shepherd feeds, protects, and provides the best care possible for his flock
What can we learn from the lesson of Jesus' parable about a lost sheep? This parable gives us a glimpse of the heart of a true shepherd, and the joy of a community reunited with its lost members. Shepherds not only had to watch over their sheep by day and by night; they also had to protect them from wolves and lions who preyed upon them, and from dangerous terrain and storms. Shepherds often had large flocks, sometimes numbering in the hundreds or thousands. It was common to inspect and count the sheep at the end of the day. You can imagine the surprise and grief of the shepherd who discovers that one of his sheep is missing! Does he wait until the next day to go looking for it? Or does he ask a neighboring shepherd if he might have seen the stray sheep? No, he goes immediately in search of this lost sheep. Delay for even one night could mean disaster leading to death. Sheep by nature are very social creatures. An isolated sheep can quickly become bewildered, disoriented, and even neurotic. Easy prey for wolves and lions!

Jesus, the Good Shepherd, watches over every step we take - do we follow him?
The shepherd's grief and anxiety is turned to joy when he finds the lost sheep and restores it to the fold. The shepherd  searches until what he has lost is found. His persistence pays off. What was new in Jesus' teaching was the insistence that sinners must be sought out time and time again. How easy to forget and be distracted with other matters while the lost become prey for devouring wolves of the soul. The Apostle Peter reminds us that the "devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking some one to devour" (1 Peter 5:8).

God does not rejoice in the loss of anyone, but desires that we be brought back and restored to friendship with him. That is why the whole community of heaven rejoices when one sinner is found and restored to fellowship with God. God is on a rescue mission today to save us from the destructive forces of sin and evil. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, watches over every step we take. Do you listen to his voice and heed his wise counsel? Do you follow the path he has set for you - a path that leads to life rather than death?

"Lord Jesus, nothing escapes your watchful gaze and care. May I always walk in the light of your truth and never stray from your loving presence."

Daily Quote from the early church fathers: A small seed produces a great tree, by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD)

"Do you see in how many ways he leads us to care for our worthless brothers? Don’t therefore say, 'The fellow's a smith, a cobbler, a farmer; he's stupid,' so that you despise him. In case you suffer the same, see in how many ways the Lord urges you to be moderate and enjoins you to care for these little ones. He placed a little child in the midst and said, 'Become like children,, and, 'Whoever receives one such child, receives me.' But 'whoever causes one of these to sin' will suffer the worst fate. And he was not even satisfied with the example of the millstone, but he also added his curse and told us to cut off such people, even though they are like a hand or eye to us. And again, through the angels to whom these small brothers are handed over, he urges that we value them, as he has valued them through his own will and passion. When Jesus says, 'The Son of man came to save the lost (Luke 19:10),' he points to the cross, just as Paul also says, writing about his brother for whom Christ died (Romans 14:15). It does not please the Father that anyone is lost. The shepherd leaves the ones that have been saved and seeks the one lost. And when he finds the one that has gone astray, he rejoices greatly at its discovery and at its safety." (excerpt from the  THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 59.4)

www.dailyscripture.net

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, MATTHEW 18:12-14
Advent Weekday
(Isaiah 40:1-11; Psalm 96)

KEY VERSE: "It is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost" (v. 14).
TO KNOW: In the 18th chapter of Matthew‘s gospel, he dealt with relationships among the members of the Christian community. The Christian leader was responsible for watching over members of the Church, especially those who were weak in faith. The elders were obliged to seek out those who strayed from the community, and bring them back into the fold. Jesus used the analogy of a shepherd who left the sheep that were safe and secure and went in search of the one that wandered away. When the stray sheep was found, the shepherd celebrated its safe return. In the same way, God rejoices when those who were lost are found. No matter how insignificant an individual may feel, each one is precious and valuable to God.
TO LOVE: What can I do to guide the "little ones" under my care?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, thank you for watching over me and keeping me from spiritual harm.

Optional Memorial of Saint Damasus I, pope

Pope Damasus' pontificate suffered from the rise of Arianism (a heresy that denied the Divinity of Jesus Christ), and from several schisms. However, it was during Damasus' reign that Christianity was declared the religion of the Roman State by the Emperor Constantine in A.D. 313. Pope Damasus commissioned his secretary, Saint Jerome, to produce a Latin text of the Bible, which is known as the Vulgata Editio (the current text), because he used the “the common" (vulgar) language in his writing. Damasus presided over the Council of Rome in 382, at which the 6th century document Decretum Gelasianum, the modern Catholic canon of scripture was first set down. Damasus restored catacombs, shrines, and the tombs of martyrs. He expressed the wish that he would be buried in the catacombs with the early martyrs, but he feared that the presence of one of his lowly status would profane such an august place. Instead, when he died in 384, he was buried with his mother and sister.

NOTE: What is Arianism?
Arianism was a Christian heresy first proposed early in the 4th century by the Alexandrian presbyter Arius. It affirmed that Christ is not truly divine but a created being. The fundamental premise of Arius was the uniqueness of God, who is alone self-existent and immutable; therefore, the Son, who is not self-existent, cannot be God. The Council of Nicaea (the First Ecumenical Council) in 325 issued a creed to safeguard orthodox Christian belief. This creed states that the Son is homoousion to Patri (consubstantial with the Father), thus declaring him to be all that the Father is: he is completely divine, as well as fully human.

www.togetherwithgodsword.com

Tuesday 11 December 2018

Isaiah 40:1-11. Psalm 95(96):1-3, 10-13. Matthew 18:12-14.
The Lord our God comes in strength – Psalm 95(96):1-3, 10-13.

‘Will he not leave the ninety-nine to find the one stray?’

Lord, this shepherd image fascinated your early followers. It became their preferred representation of you on the walls of the catacombs. It expresses the intimacy of your personal relationship with each one of us. It speaks of your abiding presence in our lives, of the gentle care with which you watch over us.

Lord, I want to be held in your care. Come and deepen my faith. Dwell in my heart and build up my hope. Animate me with your love. And in my turn teach me to shepherd in love those you have entrusted to me.

www.pray.com.au

Saint Damasus I

Saint of the Day for December 11

(304 – December 11, 384)

 

Lithography of Pope Saint Damasus I | Pedro Augusto Guglielmi

Saint Damasus I’s Story

To his secretary Saint Jerome, Damasus was “an incomparable person, learned in the Scriptures, a virgin doctor of the virgin Church, who loved chastity and heard its praises with pleasure.” Damasus seldom heard such unrestrained praise. Internal political struggles, doctrinal heresies, uneasy relations with his fellow bishops and those of the Eastern Church marred the peace of his pontificate.

The son of a Roman priest, possibly of Spanish extraction, Damasus started as a deacon in his father’s church, and served as a priest in what later became the basilica of San Lorenzo in Rome. He served Pope Liberius (352-366) and followed him into exile.

When Liberius died, Damasus was elected bishop of Rome; but a minority elected and consecrated another deacon, Ursinus, as pope. The controversy between Damasus and the antipope resulted in violent battles in two basilicas, scandalizing the bishops of Italy. At the synod that Damasus called on the occasion of his birthday, he asked them to approve his actions. The bishops’ reply was curt: “We assembled for a birthday, not to condemn a man unheard.” Supporters of the antipope even managed to get Damasus accused of a grave crime—probably sexual—as late as A.D. 378. He had to clear himself before both a civil court and a Church synod.

As pope, his lifestyle was simple in contrast to other ecclesiastics of Rome, and he was fierce in his denunciation of Arianism and other heresies. A misunderstanding of the Trinitarian terminology used by Rome threatened amicable relations with the Eastern Church, and Damasus was only moderately successful in dealing with that challenge.

During his pontificate, Christianity was declared the official religion of the Roman state, and Latin became the principal liturgical language as part of the pope’s reforms. His encouragement of Saint Jerome’s biblical studies led to the Vulgate, the Latin translation of Scripture which 12 centuries later the Council of Trent declared to be “authentic in public readings, disputations, preaching.”

---

Reflection

The history of the papacy and the Church is inextricably mixed with the personal biography of Damasus. In a troubled and pivotal period of Church history, he stands forth as a zealous defender of the faith who knew when to be progressive and when to entrench.

Damasus makes us aware of two qualities of good leadership: alertness to the promptings of the Spirit, and service. His struggles are a reminder that Jesus never promised his Rock protection from hurricane winds nor his followers immunity from difficulties. His only guarantee is final victory.

www.franciscanmedia.org

LECTIO DIVINA: MATTHEW 18:12-14

Lectio Divina: 

 Tuesday, December 11, 2018

2nd Week of Advent

1) OPENING PRAYER

Lord our God,
You are near to us
in Jesus Christ Your Son.
When we go astray,
You look for us until You find us.
Bring us back to You,
show us the way to You
and to one another
through Him who is our way,
Jesus Christ, Your Son and our Lord,
who lives with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

2) GOSPEL READING - MATTHEW 18: 12-14

Jesus said to his disciples: "What is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost."

3) REFLECTION

• A parable is not a teaching to be received in a passive way or just to be kept in the memory. Rather, it is an invitation to participate in the discovery of truth. Jesus begins by asking, “What do you think?” A parable is a question with a response which is not defined. The response depends on the reaction and participation of the listeners. Let us then seek the answer to this parable of the lost sheep.
• Jesus tells a very brief story and in a very simple way: a shepherd had 100 sheep, he lost one, and leaves the 99 on the mountain and goes to look for the lost sheep. And Jesus asks, “What do you think?” that is, “Would you do the same?” Which would have been the response of the shepherds and of the other persons who were listening to Jesus tell this story? Would they do the same thing? Which is my answer to Jesus’ question? Let us think well before answering.
• If you had 100 sheep and you lost one, what would you do? We should not forget that mountains are places which are very difficult to climb, with deep precipices, where dangerous animals live and where robbers hide. And you cannot forget that you have lost only one sheep, and therefore, you still have 99! You have lost very little. Would you abandon the other 99 on those mountains? Perhaps, would not only a person with little common sense do what the shepherd of the parable of Jesus did? Think about it!
• The shepherds who heard Jesus’ story perhaps thought and commented, “Only a shepherd without judgment would act that way!” Surely, they would have asked Jesus, “Jesus, excuse us, but who is that shepherd whom You are speaking about? To do what he did  is foolish!”
• Jesus answers, “This Shepherd is God, our Father, and the lost sheep is you!” In other words, the one who does this action is God moved by great love for the little ones, for the poor, the excluded! Only a very great love is able to do something so foolish. The love with which God loves us exceeds prudence and good human sense. The love of God commits foolish things. Thank God! If it were not like this, we would be lost!

4) PERSONAL QUESTIONS

• Place yourself in the place of the little lost sheep and enliven your faith and your hope. You are that sheep!
• Take the place of the shepherd and consider whether your love for the little ones is true.

• How can we be instruments in God’s effort to return the lost sheep? In this season of harvest celebrations, thanksgiving, Advent and Christmas, with family all around, do we leave to try to help and welcome those that are lost, poor, and without, as this shepherd would?

5) CONCLUDING PRAYER

Sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all you lands.
Sing to the Lord; bless His name;
announce His salvation, day after day. (Ps 96)

www.ocarm.org