Memorial of Saint Lucy, Virgin and Martyr
Lectionary: 184
Lectionary: 184
I am the LORD, your God,
who grasp your right hand;
It is I who say to you, "Fear not,
I will help you."
Fear not, O worm Jacob,
O maggot Israel;
I will help you, says the LORD;
your redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
I will make of you a threshing sledge,
sharp, new, and double-edged,
To thresh the mountains and crush them,
to make the hills like chaff.
When you winnow them, the wind shall carry them off
and the storm shall scatter them.
But you shall rejoice in the LORD,
and glory in the Holy One of Israel.
The afflicted and the needy seek water in vain,
their tongues are parched with thirst.
I, the LORD, will answer them;
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
I will open up rivers on the bare heights,
and fountains in the broad valleys;
I will turn the desert into a marshland,
and the dry ground into springs of water.
I will plant in the desert the cedar,
acacia, myrtle, and olive;
I will set in the wasteland the cypress,
together with the plane tree and the pine,
That all may see and know,
observe and understand,
That the hand of the LORD has done this,
the Holy One of Israel has created it.
who grasp your right hand;
It is I who say to you, "Fear not,
I will help you."
Fear not, O worm Jacob,
O maggot Israel;
I will help you, says the LORD;
your redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
I will make of you a threshing sledge,
sharp, new, and double-edged,
To thresh the mountains and crush them,
to make the hills like chaff.
When you winnow them, the wind shall carry them off
and the storm shall scatter them.
But you shall rejoice in the LORD,
and glory in the Holy One of Israel.
The afflicted and the needy seek water in vain,
their tongues are parched with thirst.
I, the LORD, will answer them;
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
I will open up rivers on the bare heights,
and fountains in the broad valleys;
I will turn the desert into a marshland,
and the dry ground into springs of water.
I will plant in the desert the cedar,
acacia, myrtle, and olive;
I will set in the wasteland the cypress,
together with the plane tree and the pine,
That all may see and know,
observe and understand,
That the hand of the LORD has done this,
the Holy One of Israel has created it.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 145:1 AND 9, 10-11,
12-13AB
R. (8) The
Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.
I will extol you, O my God and King,
and I will bless your name forever and ever.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.
Let them make known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.
I will extol you, O my God and King,
and I will bless your name forever and ever.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.
Let them make known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.
AlleluiaSEE IS 45:8
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
Let the clouds rain down the Just One,
and the earth bring forth a Savior.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Let the clouds rain down the Just One,
and the earth bring forth a Savior.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 11:11-15
Jesus said to the crowds:
"Amen, I say to you,
among those born of women
there has been none greater than John the Baptist;
yet the least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
From the days of John the Baptist until now,
the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence,
and the violent are taking it by force.
All the prophets and the law prophesied up to the time of John.
And if you are willing to accept it,
he is Elijah, the one who is to come.
Whoever has ears ought to hear."
"Amen, I say to you,
among those born of women
there has been none greater than John the Baptist;
yet the least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
From the days of John the Baptist until now,
the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence,
and the violent are taking it by force.
All the prophets and the law prophesied up to the time of John.
And if you are willing to accept it,
he is Elijah, the one who is to come.
Whoever has ears ought to hear."
Meditation: "He is Elijah who is
to come"
Who is the greatest in the kingdom of God? Jesus
praised John the Baptist as the greatest person born. Who can top that as a
compliment? But in the same breath Jesus says that the least in the kingdom of
God is even greater than John! That sounds like a contradiction, right? Unless
you understand that what Jesus was about to accomplish for our sake would
supersede all that the prophets had done and foreseen.
"Your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel"
The prophet Isaiah proclaimed to the forsaken and dispersed people of Israel some 700 years before the birth of Christ that "your Redeemer - the Holy One of Israel" would come to restore his people and to make all things new (Isaiah 41:14ff). When the Messiah and Redeemer of Israel did appear John the Baptist announced his arrival. He fulfilled the essential task of all the prophets - to be fingers pointing to Jesus Christ, God's Anointed Son and Messiah. John proclaimed Jesus' mission at the Jordan River when he exclaimed, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world" (John 1:29). John saw from a distance what Jesus would accomplish through his death on the cross - our redemption from bondage to sin and death and our adoption as sons and daughters of God and citizens of the kingdom of heaven.
The prophet Isaiah proclaimed to the forsaken and dispersed people of Israel some 700 years before the birth of Christ that "your Redeemer - the Holy One of Israel" would come to restore his people and to make all things new (Isaiah 41:14ff). When the Messiah and Redeemer of Israel did appear John the Baptist announced his arrival. He fulfilled the essential task of all the prophets - to be fingers pointing to Jesus Christ, God's Anointed Son and Messiah. John proclaimed Jesus' mission at the Jordan River when he exclaimed, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world" (John 1:29). John saw from a distance what Jesus would accomplish through his death on the cross - our redemption from bondage to sin and death and our adoption as sons and daughters of God and citizens of the kingdom of heaven.
The spirit of Elijah is sent in advance through John's
words
John the Baptist bridges the Old and New Testaments. He is the last of the Old Testament prophets who point the way to the Messiah. He is the first of the New Testament witnesses and martyrs. He is the herald who prepares the way for Jesus the Messiah. Jesus confirms that John has fulfilled the promise that Elijah would return to herald the coming of the Messiah (Malachi 4:5). Jesus declares that John is nothing less that the great herald whose privilege it was to announce the coming of the Redeemer - the Holy One of Israel.
John the Baptist bridges the Old and New Testaments. He is the last of the Old Testament prophets who point the way to the Messiah. He is the first of the New Testament witnesses and martyrs. He is the herald who prepares the way for Jesus the Messiah. Jesus confirms that John has fulfilled the promise that Elijah would return to herald the coming of the Messiah (Malachi 4:5). Jesus declares that John is nothing less that the great herald whose privilege it was to announce the coming of the Redeemer - the Holy One of Israel.
Jesus equates the coming of the kingdom of heaven with
violence (Matthew 11:12). John himself suffered violence for announcing that
the kingdom of God was near. He was thrown into prison and then beheaded. Since
John's martyrdom to the present times the kingdom of heaven has suffered
violence and persecution at the hands of violent men. The blood of the martyrs
throughout the ages bear witness to this fact. The martyrs witness to the truth
- the truth and love of Jesus Christ who shed his blood to redeem us from
slavery to sin and Satan and the fear of death. The Lord Jesus gives us the
power of his Holy Spirit to overcome fear with faith, despair with hope, and
every form of hatred, violence, jealousy, and prejudice with love and charity
towards all - even those who seek to destroy and kill.
We proclaim the joy of the Gospel of Christ even in
the midst of suffering and violence
God may call some of us to be martyrs for our faith in Jesus Christ. But for most of us our call is to be dry martyrs who bear testimony to the joy of the Gospel in the midst of daily challenges, contradictions, temptations and adversities which come our way as we follow the Lord Jesus. What attracts others to the Gospel of Jesus Christ? When they see Christians loving their enemies, being joyful in suffering, patient in adversity, pardoning injuries, and showing comfort and compassion to the hopeless and the helpless. Jesus tells us that we do not need to fear our adversaries. He will fill us with the power of his Holy Spirit and give us sufficient grace, strength, and wisdom to face any trial and to answer any challenge to our faith. Are you eager to witness to the joy and freedom of the Gospel?
God may call some of us to be martyrs for our faith in Jesus Christ. But for most of us our call is to be dry martyrs who bear testimony to the joy of the Gospel in the midst of daily challenges, contradictions, temptations and adversities which come our way as we follow the Lord Jesus. What attracts others to the Gospel of Jesus Christ? When they see Christians loving their enemies, being joyful in suffering, patient in adversity, pardoning injuries, and showing comfort and compassion to the hopeless and the helpless. Jesus tells us that we do not need to fear our adversaries. He will fill us with the power of his Holy Spirit and give us sufficient grace, strength, and wisdom to face any trial and to answer any challenge to our faith. Are you eager to witness to the joy and freedom of the Gospel?
"Lord Jesus, by your cross you have redeemed the
world. Fill me with joy and confidence and make me a bold witness of your
saving truth that others may know the joy and freedom of the Gospel of your
kingdom of peace and righteousness."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: The Kingdom of Heaven, by Hilary of
Poitiers (315-367 AD)
"What violence (Matthew 11:12)? People did not
believe in John the Baptist. The works of Christ were held to be of no
importance. His torment on the cross was a stumbling block. 'Until now'
prophecy has been dormant. But now the law is fulfilled. Every prediction is
finished. The spirit of Elijah is sent in advance through John's words. Christ
is proclaimed to some and acknowledged by others. He is born for some and loved
by others. The violent irony is that his own people rejected him, while
strangers accepted him. His own people speak ill of him, while his enemies
embrace him. The act of adoption offers an inheritance, while the family
rejects it. Sons refuse to accept their father's last will, while the slaves of
the household receive it. This is what is meant by the phrase 'the kingdom of
heaven suffers violence' (Matthew 11:12). Earlier expectations are being torn
apart. The glory that was pledged to Israel by the patriarchs, which was
announced by the prophets and which was offered by Christ, is now being seized
and carried off by the Gentiles, through their faith." (excerpt from the commentary ON MATTHEW 11.7)
THURSDAY,
DECEMBER 13, MATTHEW 11:11-15
(Isaiah 41:13-20; Psalm 145)
(Isaiah 41:13-20; Psalm 145)
KEY VERSE: "Among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist" (v. 11).
TO KNOW: Jesus praised his cousin John the Baptist, the herald of God's reign. John, who had been imprisoned by Herod Antipas, had come in the tradition of Elijah the great prophet who suffered because of his righteous commitment to God's covenant. Jesus' acknowledged John's privileged place in God's saving plan, but noted that John belonged to the old order, which was passing away. While John stood at the threshold of God's kingdom, the humblest member of the new era would be greater than John. Like Jesus, John would lose his life for proclaiming the truth. Throughout the ages, the reign of God was assaulted by those who rejected the prophetic voice. Even greater violence would be done by those who opposed Jesus and tried to prevent his followers from entering the reign of God.
TO LOVE: Am I willing to proclaim the gospel no matter what the cost?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, I pray for all who suffer for the sake of the gospel.
Memorial of Saint Lucy, virgin
and martyr
Lucy (whose name means "bearer of light") was a wealthy, young Christian who vowed her life to Christ. Her mother had arranged a marriage for her, and for three years Lucy refused. To change her mother's mind, Lucy prayed at the tomb of Saint Agatha, and her mother's hemorrhages were cured. Her mother agreed with Lucy's desire to live for God. When Lucy rejected the pagan bridegroom, Paschasius, he denounced Lucy as a Christian. The governor planned to force her into prostitution, but when guards went to fetch her, they could not move her. The governor ordered her killed instead. After torture that included having her eyes torn out, she was stabbed to death. Legend says her eyesight was restored before her death. This and the meaning of her name led to her connection with maladies of the eyes. In Sweden, it is a tradition to have the oldest girl in the family wear a white dress and a crown with a wreath bearing white lighted candles. At dawn she awakens members of the family with steaming coffee and sweet rolls or bread.
Thursday 13
December 2018
St Lucy.
Isaiah 41:13-20. Psalm 144(145):1, 9-13. Matthew 11:11-15.
The Lord is kind and merciful; slow to anger, and rich in compassion – Psalm 144(145):1, 9-13.
Isaiah 41:13-20. Psalm 144(145):1, 9-13. Matthew 11:11-15.
The Lord is kind and merciful; slow to anger, and rich in compassion – Psalm 144(145):1, 9-13.
‘The least in the kingdom of heaven is
greater than he.’
A reversal of conventional values turns up again. Jesus has been
speaking with admiration and affection of John the Baptist. Yet the least in
the kingdom will be greater. In the end, we are all just human beings.
The wealthy or powerful can cover their nakedness and hide behind masks
or roles, while the poor stand exposed in their struggles and failures. They
stand before God and other people just as they are.
Jesus, let me allow the poor to reveal to me my manipulations, the ways
I use people, my petty deceits, my rationalisations and excuses. When I stand
before you in truth, your transforming love can most fully break through
Saint Lucy
Saint of the Day for December 13
(283 – 304)
 |
| St. Lucy | photo by Lawrence OP | flickr |
Saint Lucy’s Story
Every little girl named Lucy must bite her tongue in
disappointment when she first tries to find out what there is to know about her
patron saint. The older books will have a lengthy paragraph detailing a small
number of traditions. Newer books will have a lengthy paragraph showing that
there is little basis in history for these traditions. The single fact survives
that a disappointed suitor accused Lucy of being a Christian, and she was
executed in Syracuse, Sicily, in the year 304. But it is also true that her
name is mentioned in the First Eucharistic Prayer, geographical places are
named after her, a popular song has her name as its title, and down through the
centuries many thousands of little girls have been proud of the name Lucy.
One can easily imagine what a young Christian woman had to
contend with in pagan Sicily in the year 300. If you have trouble imagining,
just glance at today’s pleasure-at-all-costs world and the barriers it presents
against leading a good Christian life.
Her friends must have wondered aloud about this hero of Lucy’s,
an obscure itinerant preacher in a far-off captive nation that had been
destroyed more than 200 years before. Once a carpenter, he had been crucified
by the Romans after his own people turned him over to their authority. Lucy
believed with her whole soul that this man had risen from the dead. Heaven had
put a stamp on all he said and did. To give witness to her faith she had made a
vow of virginity.
What a hubbub this caused among her pagan friends! The kindlier
ones just thought her a little strange. To be pure before marriage was an
ancient Roman ideal, rarely found, but not to be condemned. To exclude marriage
altogether, however, was too much. She must have something sinister to hide,
the tongues wagged.
Lucy knew of the heroism of earlier virgin martyrs. She remained
faithful to their example and to the example of the carpenter, whom she knew to
be the Son of God. She is the patroness of eyesight.
Reflection
If you are a little girl named Lucy, you need not bite your
tongue in disappointment. Your patron is a genuine authentic heroine, first
class, an abiding inspiration for you and for all Christians. The moral courage
of the young Sicilian martyr shines forth as a guiding light, just as bright
for today’s youth as it was in A.D. 304.
Saint Lucy is the Patron Saint of:
The Blind
Eye Disorders
Eye Disorders
LECTIO DIVINA: MATTHEW
11:11-15
Lectio Divina:
Thursday, December 13, 2018
2nd Week of Advent
1) Opening prayer
Lord
our God,
You do not abandon those who rely on You.
Take us by the hand when we are afraid,
help us when we call out to You,
for we experience that we are powerless
to establish Your kingdom of justice and love.
Send Your Son again among us today
to be our Lord and Savior
now and for ever.
You do not abandon those who rely on You.
Take us by the hand when we are afraid,
help us when we call out to You,
for we experience that we are powerless
to establish Your kingdom of justice and love.
Send Your Son again among us today
to be our Lord and Savior
now and for ever.
2) Gospel Reading - Matthew 11:11-15
“In
truth I tell you, of all the children born to women, there has never been
anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of Heaven is
greater than he. Since John the Baptist came, up to the present time, the
kingdom of Heaven has been subjected to violence and the violent are taking it
by storm.
Because it was towards John that all the prophecies of the prophets and of the Law were leading; and he, if you will believe Me, is the Elijah who was to return. Anyone who has ears should listen!”
Because it was towards John that all the prophecies of the prophets and of the Law were leading; and he, if you will believe Me, is the Elijah who was to return. Anyone who has ears should listen!”
3) Reflection
In
today’s Gospel, Jesus gives an opinion on John the Baptist. Compared to the
persons of the Old Testament, there is no one greater than John. John is the
greatest of all: greater than Jeremiah, greater than Abraham, greater than
Isaiah! But, compared to the New Testament, John is inferior to all. The
smallest in the Kingdom is greater than John! How can we understand this
apparently contradictory qualification that Jesus makes about John?
• A short time before, John had sent messengers to ask Jesus: “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to expect someone else?” (Mt 11:3). John seemed to have some doubt concerning Jesus. Jesus, in fact, did not correspond to the idea that he, John, had of the Messiah: a severe judge who had to come to carry out the judgment of condemnation and anger (Mt 3:7). He was to cut the trees from their roots (Mt 3:10), clear the threshing floor and throw the dry sticks into the fire (Mt 3:12). But Jesus, instead of being a severe judge, is the friend of all, “meek and humble of heart” (Mt 11:29), who receives the sinners and eats with them (Mt 2:16).
• Jesus responds to John by quoting the prophet Isaiah: “Go back and tell John what you hear and see; the blind see again, the lame walk, those suffering from diseases are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life and the good news is proclaimed to the poor, and blessed is anyone who does not find me a cause of stumbling!” (Mt 11:5-6, cf. Is 33:5-6, 29:18). A hard response... Jesus asks John to analyze the scripture better in order to change the erroneous vision he had of the Messiah.
• John was great! The greatest of all! And the smallest in the kingdom of Heaven is greater than John. John is the greatest because he was the last echo of the Old Testament. It was John who, because of his fidelity, was finally able to indicate the Messiah to the people: “Behold, here is the Lamb of God!” (Jn 1:36), and the long history that began with Abraham gains its meaning. But John was not capable by himself of understanding the importance of the kingdom of God in Jesus. He had a doubt: “Are You the one who is to come, or are we to expect someone else?” The ancient history alone does not communicate sufficient light to understand all of the Good News of God which Jesus brings to us. The new was hidden in the old. Saint Augustine said: “Novum in Vetere latet, Vetus in Novo patet”, which means: “The New is hidden in the Old, but the Old reveals its full meaning in the New”. The one who is with Jesus and lives with Him receives from Him a light which helps to discover a more profound meaning in the Old. And what is this meaning?
• Jesus offers a key: “The Law and all the prophets have prophesized up to John, and if you would accept it, he is the Elijah who has to come. He who has ears, let him hear!” Jesus does not explain, but says: “He who has ears, let him hear”. Elijah had to come to prepare for the coming of the Messiah and to reconstruct the community, “To reconcile parents to their children and children to their parents” (Mal 3:24). John announced the Messiah and sought to reconstruct the community (Lk 1:17). But the most profound mystery escaped him, that of the life of the community. Only Jesus communicated it, announcing that God is Father and therefore, we are all brothers and sisters. This announcement makes us capable of overcoming differences and creating community.
• These are the violent who succeed in conquering the kingdom. The kingdom is not a doctrine, but a new way of living like brothers and sisters, beginning with the announcement that Jesus makes: God is Father of all.
• A short time before, John had sent messengers to ask Jesus: “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to expect someone else?” (Mt 11:3). John seemed to have some doubt concerning Jesus. Jesus, in fact, did not correspond to the idea that he, John, had of the Messiah: a severe judge who had to come to carry out the judgment of condemnation and anger (Mt 3:7). He was to cut the trees from their roots (Mt 3:10), clear the threshing floor and throw the dry sticks into the fire (Mt 3:12). But Jesus, instead of being a severe judge, is the friend of all, “meek and humble of heart” (Mt 11:29), who receives the sinners and eats with them (Mt 2:16).
• Jesus responds to John by quoting the prophet Isaiah: “Go back and tell John what you hear and see; the blind see again, the lame walk, those suffering from diseases are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life and the good news is proclaimed to the poor, and blessed is anyone who does not find me a cause of stumbling!” (Mt 11:5-6, cf. Is 33:5-6, 29:18). A hard response... Jesus asks John to analyze the scripture better in order to change the erroneous vision he had of the Messiah.
• John was great! The greatest of all! And the smallest in the kingdom of Heaven is greater than John. John is the greatest because he was the last echo of the Old Testament. It was John who, because of his fidelity, was finally able to indicate the Messiah to the people: “Behold, here is the Lamb of God!” (Jn 1:36), and the long history that began with Abraham gains its meaning. But John was not capable by himself of understanding the importance of the kingdom of God in Jesus. He had a doubt: “Are You the one who is to come, or are we to expect someone else?” The ancient history alone does not communicate sufficient light to understand all of the Good News of God which Jesus brings to us. The new was hidden in the old. Saint Augustine said: “Novum in Vetere latet, Vetus in Novo patet”, which means: “The New is hidden in the Old, but the Old reveals its full meaning in the New”. The one who is with Jesus and lives with Him receives from Him a light which helps to discover a more profound meaning in the Old. And what is this meaning?
• Jesus offers a key: “The Law and all the prophets have prophesized up to John, and if you would accept it, he is the Elijah who has to come. He who has ears, let him hear!” Jesus does not explain, but says: “He who has ears, let him hear”. Elijah had to come to prepare for the coming of the Messiah and to reconstruct the community, “To reconcile parents to their children and children to their parents” (Mal 3:24). John announced the Messiah and sought to reconstruct the community (Lk 1:17). But the most profound mystery escaped him, that of the life of the community. Only Jesus communicated it, announcing that God is Father and therefore, we are all brothers and sisters. This announcement makes us capable of overcoming differences and creating community.
• These are the violent who succeed in conquering the kingdom. The kingdom is not a doctrine, but a new way of living like brothers and sisters, beginning with the announcement that Jesus makes: God is Father of all.
4) Personal questions
•
The kingdom belongs to those who, like Jesus, have the courage to create
community. Do you also have this courage?
• Jesus helped John to better understand the facts by means of the bible. Does the bible help me to better understand the events of my life?
• Jesus helped John to better understand the facts by means of the bible. Does the bible help me to better understand the events of my life?
5) Concluding Prayer
I
will extol You, O my God and King,
and I will bless Your name forever and ever.
The Lord is good to all
and compassionate toward all His works. (Ps 145)
and I will bless Your name forever and ever.
The Lord is good to all
and compassionate toward all His works. (Ps 145)
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