Memorial of Saint Ambrose, bishop and doctor of
the Church
Lectionary: 179
Lectionary: 179
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| Mt 9,27-31 |
Thus says the Lord GOD:
But a very little while,
and Lebanon shall be changed into an orchard,
and the orchard be regarded as a forest!
On that day the deaf shall hear
the words of a book;
And out of gloom and darkness,
the eyes of the blind shall see.
The lowly will ever find joy in the LORD,
and the poor rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
For the tyrant will be no more
and the arrogant will have gone;
All who are alert to do evil will be cut off,
those whose mere word condemns a man,
Who ensnare his defender at the gate,
and leave the just man with an empty claim.
Therefore thus says the LORD,
the God of the house of Jacob,
who redeemed Abraham:
Now Jacob shall have nothing to be ashamed of,
nor shall his face grow pale.
When his children see
the work of my hands in his midst,
They shall keep my name holy;
they shall reverence the Holy One of Jacob,
and be in awe of the God of Israel.
Those who err in spirit shall acquire understanding,
and those who find fault shall receive instruction.
But a very little while,
and Lebanon shall be changed into an orchard,
and the orchard be regarded as a forest!
On that day the deaf shall hear
the words of a book;
And out of gloom and darkness,
the eyes of the blind shall see.
The lowly will ever find joy in the LORD,
and the poor rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
For the tyrant will be no more
and the arrogant will have gone;
All who are alert to do evil will be cut off,
those whose mere word condemns a man,
Who ensnare his defender at the gate,
and leave the just man with an empty claim.
Therefore thus says the LORD,
the God of the house of Jacob,
who redeemed Abraham:
Now Jacob shall have nothing to be ashamed of,
nor shall his face grow pale.
When his children see
the work of my hands in his midst,
They shall keep my name holy;
they shall reverence the Holy One of Jacob,
and be in awe of the God of Israel.
Those who err in spirit shall acquire understanding,
and those who find fault shall receive instruction.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 27:1, 4, 13-14
R. (1a) The
Lord is my light and my salvation.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life's refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
One thing I ask of the LORD;
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life's refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
One thing I ask of the LORD;
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Gospel Mt 9:27-31
As Jesus passed by, two blind men followed him, crying out,
"Son of David, have pity on us!"
When he entered the house,
the blind men approached him and Jesus said to them,
"Do you believe that I can do this?"
"Yes, Lord," they said to him.
Then he touched their eyes and said,
"Let it be done for you according to your faith."
And their eyes were opened.
Jesus warned them sternly,
"See that no one knows about this."
But they went out and spread word of him through all that land.
"Son of David, have pity on us!"
When he entered the house,
the blind men approached him and Jesus said to them,
"Do you believe that I can do this?"
"Yes, Lord," they said to him.
Then he touched their eyes and said,
"Let it be done for you according to your faith."
And their eyes were opened.
Jesus warned them sternly,
"See that no one knows about this."
But they went out and spread word of him through all that land.
www.usccb.org
Meditation: "According
to your faith be it done to you"
In Jesus we see the fulness of God's mercy and the power of his kingdom – power to save from death and destruction, to forgive sins and lift the burden of guilt, and to heal infirmities and release the oppressed. Jesus never refused to bring God's mercy to those who earnestly sought it. How can we seek and obtain God's mercy? God gives mercy to the lowly in heart – to those who recognize their need for God and for his forgiveness and healing power.
God wants to change and transform our lives to set us free to live as his sons and daughters and citizens of his kingdom. Faith is key to this transformation. How can we grow in faith? Faith is a gift freely given by God to help us know God personally, to understand his truth, and to live in the power of his love. For faith to be effective it must be linked with trust and obedience – an active submission to God and a willingness to do whatever he commands. The Lord Jesus wants us to live in the confident expectation that he will fulfill his promises to us and bring us into the fulness of his kingdom – a kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17). Do you know the peace and joy of God's kingdom?
"Lord Jesus, help me to draw near to you with faith and trust in your saving power and mercy. Free me from doubt and unbelief that I may approach you confidently and pray boldly with expectant faith. Let your kingdom come and may your will be done in me."
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 When We Show Humility and Faith, You Act, O Lord |
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Memorial of Saint Ambrose, bishop and doctor
of the Church
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Matthew 9:27-31
As Jesus passed by,
two blind men followed him, crying out, “Son of David, have pity on us!” When
he entered the house, the blind men approached him and Jesus said to them,
“Do you believe that I can do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they said to him. Then he touched their eyes and said, “Let it be done for you according to your faith.” And their eyes were opened. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” But they went out and spread word of him through all that land.
Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, I want to
begin this prayer with the same attitude that these two blind men
demonstrated. I approach you with humility and full knowledge of my sins. I
do not try to hide them—you already know them through and through. Instead, I
repent of them and offer you a contrite heart that longs for your healing
touch of mercy.
Petition: Lord Jesus, help me to see as you see.
1. Son of David, Have Pity on Us! Lord Jesus, these
blind men sought you with attitudes of humility and contrition. They
approached you fully aware of their limitations and weaknesses. In fact, it
was because of these limitations that they drew near to you. Perhaps if they
had been healthy they might never have moved toward you. They didn’t feel any
self-pity or approach you complaining about their situation. They didn’t ask,
“Why did you allow me to be born blind? It’s not fair that I cannot see. Why
did this have to happen to me?” They asked none of these questions in the
face of suffering—the type of questions I am so prone to ask. Lord, please
help me to be profoundly aware of my weaknesses and to draw near to you in
the midst of trials. Those men who had once been blind were able to soar high
with their wings of faith. What gifts of grace does Our Lord wish to grant me
through my current ills and woes?
2. Do You Believe That I Can Do This? Lord Jesus, all
things were created through you. I truly believe that you can heal; I truly
believe that you can cure; I truly believe that you have total power over all
created realities. Please increase my faith in you and in your power over all
the events and activities of my life. I believe that you permit all that
happens to me for a reason. If it is something that is difficult, you permit
it so that you can bring good from it. Please strengthen me so that I can
collaborate with you in bringing good out of evil.
3. They Went Out and Spread Word of Him throughout the
Land: When we approach you with humility and faith, you act in our
lives in truly remarkable ways. Your actions in our lives cause us to love
you more and to experience within ourselves a profound gratitude. Despite
your stern warning, the blind men couldn’t keep silent about your curing
them. How else can we show our gratitude than by telling those around us
about the great things you have done for us? Your actions in our lives
inspire us to spread your word. How can we put that light under a bushel
basket? How can a city set on a hill be hidden? How can we not tell those
around us of all the great things you have done for us?
Conversation with Christ: Lord, your ways are
not our ways. You see good where we may only see evil. I need a vision of
faith so I can interpret actions and events with an attitude of confidence
and gratitude. You are in charge. I trust in you and want to convince many
others to confide in you as well.
Resolution: I will offer a word or gesture of
encouragement to somebody in need.
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www.regnumchristi.com
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7
ADVENT WEEKDAY
MATTHEW 9:27-31
(ISAIAH 29:17-24; PSALM 27)
KEY VERSE: "LET IT BE DONE FOR YOU ACCORDING TO YOUR FAITH" (V 29).
READING: THE PROPHET ISAIAH REVILED JERUSALEM FOR THEIR BLINDNESS TO GOD'S REVELATION (IS 29:9-11). IN THE GOSPELS, THE FAITH OF THOSE WHO WERE PHYSICALLY BLIND IS CONTRASTED WITH THOSE WHO WERE SPIRITUALLY BLIND TO GOD'S REVELATION IN JESUS. IN THIS INCIDENT, TWO BLIND MEN CRIED OUT TO JESUS FOR A HEALING, CALLING HIM BY THE MESSIANIC TITLE "SON OF DAVID." JESUS ASKED, "DO YOU BELIEVE THAT I CAN DO THIS?" (V 28). THEY RESPONDED WITH WORDS OF FAITH IN HIS HEALING POWER. JESUS CURED THEIR BLINDNESS, BUT WARNED THEM NOT TO TELL OTHERS SINCETHEY MIGHT MISUNDERSTAND HIS MISSION AS MERE "WONDER-WORKING." IN THEIR ENTHUSIASM, THE MEN COULD NOT RESTRAIN THEMSELVES FROMSPEAKING TO OTHERS OF THIS ASTOUNDING MIRACLE.
REFLECTING: IN WHAT WAYS AM I BLIND TO JESUS' PRESENCE IN MY LIFE?
PRAYING: LORD JESUS, GIVE ME THE FAITH TO CALL TO YOU WHEN I AM IN NEED.
ADVENT WEEKDAY
MATTHEW 9:27-31
(ISAIAH 29:17-24; PSALM 27)
KEY VERSE: "LET IT BE DONE FOR YOU ACCORDING TO YOUR FAITH" (V 29).
READING: THE PROPHET ISAIAH REVILED JERUSALEM FOR THEIR BLINDNESS TO GOD'S REVELATION (IS 29:9-11). IN THE GOSPELS, THE FAITH OF THOSE WHO WERE PHYSICALLY BLIND IS CONTRASTED WITH THOSE WHO WERE SPIRITUALLY BLIND TO GOD'S REVELATION IN JESUS. IN THIS INCIDENT, TWO BLIND MEN CRIED OUT TO JESUS FOR A HEALING, CALLING HIM BY THE MESSIANIC TITLE "SON OF DAVID." JESUS ASKED, "DO YOU BELIEVE THAT I CAN DO THIS?" (V 28). THEY RESPONDED WITH WORDS OF FAITH IN HIS HEALING POWER. JESUS CURED THEIR BLINDNESS, BUT WARNED THEM NOT TO TELL OTHERS SINCETHEY MIGHT MISUNDERSTAND HIS MISSION AS MERE "WONDER-WORKING." IN THEIR ENTHUSIASM, THE MEN COULD NOT RESTRAIN THEMSELVES FROMSPEAKING TO OTHERS OF THIS ASTOUNDING MIRACLE.
REFLECTING: IN WHAT WAYS AM I BLIND TO JESUS' PRESENCE IN MY LIFE?
PRAYING: LORD JESUS, GIVE ME THE FAITH TO CALL TO YOU WHEN I AM IN NEED.
MEMORIAL
OF AMBROSE, BISHOP AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH
AFTER THE BISHOP OF MILAN DIED, A DISPUTE OVER HIS REPLACEMENT WHICH LED TO VIOLENCE. AMBROSE, GOVERNOR OF MILAN, INTERVENED TO CALM BOTH SIDES. HE IMPRESSED EVERYONE SO MUCH THAT, THOUGH STILL AN UNBAPTIZED CATECHUMAN, HE WAS CHOSEN TO FILL THE OFFICE OF BISHOP. AMBROSE RESISTED, CLAIMING THAT HE WAS NOT WORTHY, BUT TO PREVENT FURTHER VIOLENCE, HE ASSENTED. ON 7 DECEMBER 374 HE WAS BAPTIZED, ORDAINED A PRIEST, AND CONSECRATED AS BISHOP. HE IMMEDIATELY GAVE AWAY HIS WEALTH TO THE CHURCH TO HELP THE POOR AS AN EXAMPLE TO HIS FLOCK. AMBROSE WAS A PREACHER, TEACHER, BIBLE STUDENT OF RENOWN, AND WRITER OF LITURGICAL HYMNS. HIS PREACHING HELPED CONVERT ST. AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO WHOM AMBROSE BAPTIZED AND BROUGHT INTO THE CHURCH. AMBROSE'S PREACHING ALSO CONVINCED EMPEROR THEODOSIUS TO DO PUBLIC PENANCE FOR HIS SINS. AMBROSE CALLED AND CHAIRED SEVERAL THEOLOGICAL COUNCILS DURING HIS TIME AS BISHOP, MANY DEVOTED TO FIGHTING HERESY. HE WAS PROCLAIMED A GREAT DOCTOR OF THE LATIN CHURCH BY POPE BONIFACE VIII IN 1298. THE TITLE "HONEY TONGUED DOCTOR" WAS BESTOWED ON HIM BECAUSE OF HIS SPEAKING AND PREACHING ABILITY.
"WHAT
HAPPENS WITH PURE GOLD HAPPENS WITH THE CHURCH; THAT IS, THAT WHEN
FIRE-EXPOSED, GOLD IS NOT HARMED; ON THE CONTRARY, ITS SPLENDOR IS ENHANCED" (ST.
AMBROSE).
www.daily-word-of-life.com
The
Lord is my light and my salvation
‘Take pity
on us, Son of David.’
The first reading from Isaiah speaks of hope and transformation, a world where the deaf will hear, the blind will see, those who err in spirit will come to understanding. The psalm also speaks of a promise of joy, beauty and God’s goodness for those of us in the land of the living. The gospel shows us the fulfilment of these promises as Jesus heals the two blind men, telling them that the healing is done according to their own faith.
In what ways do I choose to shut my eyes, block my ears and close my mind? Do I have a faith that leads to healing, clarity and courage for others and for myself? Do I work towards fullness of life in the here and now?
www.churchresources.info
December 7
St. Ambrose
(340?-397)
St. Ambrose
(340?-397)
One of Ambrose’s biographers observed
that at the Last Judgment people would still be divided between those who
admired Ambrose and those who heartily disliked him. He emerges as the man of
action who cut a furrow through the lives of his contemporaries. Even royal
personages were numbered among those who were to suffer crushing divine
punishments for standing in Ambrose’s way.
When the Empress
Justina attempted to wrest two basilicas from Ambrose’s Catholics and give them
to the Arians, he dared the eunuchs of the court to execute him. His own people
rallied behind him in the face of imperial troops. In the midst of riots, he
both spurred and calmed his people with bewitching new hymns set to exciting
Eastern melodies.
In his disputes
with the Emperor Auxentius, he coined the principle: “The emperor is in the
Church, not above the Church.” He publicly admonished Emperor Theodosius for
the massacre of 7,000 innocent people. The emperor did public penance for his
crime. This was Ambrose, the fighter, sent to Milan as Roman governor and
chosen while yet a catechumen to be the people’s bishop.
There is yet
another side of Ambrose—one which influenced Augustine, whom Ambrose converted.
Ambrose was a passionate little man with a high forehead, a long melancholy
face and great eyes. We can picture him as a frail figure clasping the codex of
sacred Scripture. This was the Ambrose of aristocratic heritage and learning.
Augustine found
the oratory of Ambrose less soothing and entertaining but far more learned than
that of other contemporaries. Ambrose’s sermons were often modeled on Cicero,
and his ideas betrayed the influence of contemporary thinkers and philosophers.
He had no scruples in borrowing at length from pagan authors. He gloried in the
pulpit in his ability to parade his spoils—“gold of the Egyptians”—taken over
from the pagan philosophers.
His sermons, his
writings and his personal life reveal him as an otherworldly man involved in
the great issues of his day. Humanity, for Ambrose, was, above all, spirit. In
order to think rightly of God and the human soul, the closest thing to God, no
material reality at all was to be dwelt upon. He was an enthusiastic champion
of consecrated virginity.
The influence of
Ambrose on Augustine will always be open for discussion. TheConfessions reveal some manly, brusque encounters between Ambrose and
Augustine, but there can be no doubt of Augustine’s profound esteem for the
learned bishop.
Neither is there
any doubt that Monica loved Ambrose as an angel of God who uprooted her son
from his former ways and led him to his convictions about Christ. It was
Ambrose, after all, who placed his hands on the shoulders of the naked
Augustine as he descended into the baptismal fountain to put on Christ.
Comment:
Ambrose exemplifies for us the truly catholic character of Christianity. He is a man steeped in the learning, law and culture of the ancients and of his contemporaries. Yet, in the midst of active involvement in this world, this thought runs through Ambrose’s life and preaching: The hidden meaning of the Scriptures calls our spirit to rise to another world.
Ambrose exemplifies for us the truly catholic character of Christianity. He is a man steeped in the learning, law and culture of the ancients and of his contemporaries. Yet, in the midst of active involvement in this world, this thought runs through Ambrose’s life and preaching: The hidden meaning of the Scriptures calls our spirit to rise to another world.
Quote:
“Women and men are not mistaken when they regard themselves as superior to mere bodily creatures and as more than mere particles of nature or nameless units in modern society. For by their power to know themselves in the depths of their being they rise above the entire universe of mere objects.... Endowed with wisdom, women and men are led through visible realities to those which are invisible” (Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, 14–15, Austin Flannery translation).
“Women and men are not mistaken when they regard themselves as superior to mere bodily creatures and as more than mere particles of nature or nameless units in modern society. For by their power to know themselves in the depths of their being they rise above the entire universe of mere objects.... Endowed with wisdom, women and men are led through visible realities to those which are invisible” (Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, 14–15, Austin Flannery translation).
Patron Saint of:
Bee keepers
Learning
Bee keepers
Learning
www.americancatholic.org
St. Maria Giuseppe
Rossello
Feastday:
December 7
Foundress of
the Daughters of Our Lady of Mercy. She was born at Albisola Marina, Liguria,
Italy, in 1811, and was baptized Benedetta. At sixteen she became a Franciscan
tertiary, and in 1837, she and three companions, Pauline Barla, Angela, and
Domenica Pessio, found a community in Savona. The congregation was devoted to
charitable works, hospitals, and educating poor young women. In 1840, Maria
Giuseppe, also called Josepha, was made superior. By the time she died on
December 7, 1888, she had made sixty-eight foundations. She was canonized in
1949.
www.catholic.org
LECTIO: MATTHEW
9,27-31
Lectio:
Friday,
December 7, 2012
1st Week of Advent
1) Opening prayer
Lord God,
the feast of St. Francis Xavier,
patron saint of missionaries, prompts us to pray
for all those who commit themselves
to sow the seeds of your good news
all over the world:
Give us many of these dedicated men and women
and make them not only people
who zealously proclaim your word
not only by what they say
but especially by the way they live it.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Matthew 9, 27-31
As Jesus went on his way two blind men followed him shouting, 'Take pity on us, son of David.' And when Jesus reached the house the blind men came up to him and he said to them, 'Do you believe I can do this?' They said, 'Lord, we do.' Then he touched their eyes saying, 'According to your faith, let it be done to you.' And their sight returned. Then Jesus sternly warned them, 'Take care that no one learns about this.' But when they had gone away, they talked about him all over the countryside.
3) Reflection
Once again, today’s Gospel places before us the encounter of Jesus with human misery. Jesus does not withdraw, he does not hide. He accepts the persons and in accepting them, full of tenderness, he reveals God’s love.
• Two blind men follow Jesus and cry out to him: “Son of David, have pity on us!”. Jesus did not like very much the title of Son of David. He criticizes the teaching of the Scribes who said that the Messiah should be the Son of David: “David himself calls him Lord: How then can he be his son?” (Ml 12, 37).
• Reaching home, Jesus asks the blind men: “Do you believe that I can do this?” And they answer: “Yes, Lord!” It is one thing to have the true doctrine in the head, and a very different thing to have the correct faith in the heart. The doctrine of the two blind men was not too right, because they called Jesus Son of David. But Jesus does not care to be called like this, what is important to him is to have a correct faith.
• He touches the eyes and says: “May it be done to you according to your faith!” Immediately the eyes were opened. In spite of the fact that they did not possess a correct doctrine, the two blind men had a correct faith. Today many persons are more concerned about a correct doctrine than of a correct faith.
• It is good not to forget a small detail of hospitality. Jesus reaches the house and the two blind men also enter into the house, as if this was the most natural thing in the world. They feel at ease in Jesus’ house And today? A Religious Sister said: “Today the situation of the world is such that I feel mistrustful even toward the poor!” The situation has changed very much from then until now!
• Jesus asks not to diffuse the miracle. But the prohibition was not respected very much. Both of them went out and spread the Good News. To proclaim the Gospel, that is, the Good News, means to share with others the good which God does in our life.
4) Personal questions
• Do I have in my life some Good News from God to share with others?
• On which point do I insist more: on a correct doctrine or on a correct faith?
5) Concluding Prayer
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear?
The Lord is my life's refuge; of whom should I be afraid? (Ps 27)
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