Saturday after Epiphany
Lectionary: 217
Lectionary: 217
Beloved:
We have this confidence in him
that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
And if we know that he hears us in regard to whatever we ask,
we know that what we have asked him for is ours.
If anyone sees his brother sinning, if the sin is not deadly,
he should pray to God and he will give him life.
This is only for those whose sin is not deadly.
There is such a thing as deadly sin,
about which I do not say that you should pray.
All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that is not deadly.
We know that anyone begotten by God does not sin;
but the one begotten by God he protects,
and the Evil One cannot touch him.
We know that we belong to God,
and the whole world is under the power of the Evil One.
We also know that the Son of God has come
and has given us discernment to know the one who is true.
And we are in the one who is true,
in his Son Jesus Christ.
He is the true God and eternal life.
Children, be on your guard against idols.
We have this confidence in him
that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
And if we know that he hears us in regard to whatever we ask,
we know that what we have asked him for is ours.
If anyone sees his brother sinning, if the sin is not deadly,
he should pray to God and he will give him life.
This is only for those whose sin is not deadly.
There is such a thing as deadly sin,
about which I do not say that you should pray.
All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that is not deadly.
We know that anyone begotten by God does not sin;
but the one begotten by God he protects,
and the Evil One cannot touch him.
We know that we belong to God,
and the whole world is under the power of the Evil One.
We also know that the Son of God has come
and has given us discernment to know the one who is true.
And we are in the one who is true,
in his Son Jesus Christ.
He is the true God and eternal life.
Children, be on your guard against idols.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 149:1-2, 3-4, 5-6a And 9b
R. (see 4a) The Lord takes delight in his
people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to the LORD a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the LORD loves his people,
and he adorns the lowly with victory.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy upon their couches;
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to the LORD a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the LORD loves his people,
and he adorns the lowly with victory.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy upon their couches;
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gospel Jn 3:22-30
Jesus and his disciples went into the region of Judea,
where he spent some time with them baptizing.
John was also baptizing in Aenon near Salim,
because there was an abundance of water there,
and people came to be baptized,
for John had not yet been imprisoned.
Now a dispute arose between the disciples of John and a Jew
about ceremonial washings.
So they came to John and said to him,
“Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan,
to whom you testified,
here he is baptizing and everyone is coming to him.”
John answered and said,
“No one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven.
You yourselves can testify that I said that I am not the Christ,
but that I was sent before him.
The one who has the bride is the bridegroom;
the best man, who stands and listens for him,
rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice.
So this joy of mine has been made complete.
He must increase; I must decrease.”
where he spent some time with them baptizing.
John was also baptizing in Aenon near Salim,
because there was an abundance of water there,
and people came to be baptized,
for John had not yet been imprisoned.
Now a dispute arose between the disciples of John and a Jew
about ceremonial washings.
So they came to John and said to him,
“Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan,
to whom you testified,
here he is baptizing and everyone is coming to him.”
John answered and said,
“No one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven.
You yourselves can testify that I said that I am not the Christ,
but that I was sent before him.
The one who has the bride is the bridegroom;
the best man, who stands and listens for him,
rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice.
So this joy of mine has been made complete.
He must increase; I must decrease.”
www.usccb.org
Meditation: "This joy of mine is now full"
Do you know the joy of the Lord?
When some friends of John the Baptist complain that all the people are now
going to Jesus, John in his characteristic humility exclaimed that he was not
the Messiah but only the messenger sent to prepare his way. John describes the
Messiah as the Bridegroom and himself as the friend of the Bridegroom. The
image of the groom delighting in his bride and the joy of the wedding feast is
used in the Bible as a sign or symbol of God's covenant love and joy in being united
with his people, whom he calls his bride. As
the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you (Isaiah 62:5). Through the gift of the
Holy Spirit John recognized that Jesus was the annointed Messiah, sent from the
Father in heaven to reunite his people to himself. John acted as the groom's
best man in arranging the marriage and in making preparations for the marriage
feast. John and his disciples now rejoice that the Bridegroom has come to make
his bride, the people of God, ready for the marriage feast. The New Testament
tells us that Christ's blood which was shed upon the cross as the atoning
sacrifice for our sins, seals us in a new
covenant between God and his
people. The Book of Revelation depicts the final fulfillment and consummation
of this new covenant relationship at the marriage feast of the "Lamb and
his Bride" in the New Jerusalem (see Revelations 21-22). Do you look
with joyful anticipation to the consummation of God's plan for his people at
the end of the ages?"Lord Jesus, may I never forget the love you have poured out for me when you shed your blood upon the Cross of Calvary for my sins and for my salvation. May your love always grow in me and your hope fill me with joy as I wait for your return in glory when all of your people will be fully united with you at your heavenly banquet feast in the New Jerusalem."
www.dailyscripture.net
 Where Less is More |
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Saturday After Epiphany
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John
3:22-30
Jesus and his
disciples went into the region of Judea, where he spent some time with them
baptizing. John was also baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was an
abundance of water there, and people came to be baptized, for John had not
yet been imprisoned. Now a dispute arose between the disciples of John and a
Jew about ceremonial washings. So they came to John and said to him,
"Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you
testified, here he is baptizing and everyone is coming to him." John
answered and said, "No one can receive anything except what has been
given him from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said (that) I am not
the Messiah, but that I was sent before him. The one who has the bride is the
bridegroom; the best man, who stands and listens for him, rejoices greatly at
the bridegroom´s voice. So this joy of mine has been made complete. He must
increase; I must decrease."
Introductory Prayer: Lord, in spite of so many efforts, my
self-love and vanity cloud my intentions, reducing the merit of my labors for
you. Therefore I come before you empty-handed. Nevertheless, I’m confident in
your forgiveness, knowing that you are pleased to refresh and renew me as
often as I turn back to you with hope. I love you ardently, good Jesus, and
long to love you ever more.
Petition: Lord, help me to practice true humility.
1. “He Must Increase; I Must Decrease”: This is the petition
that must burn in the heart of every authentic apostle and leader in the
faith. Often we seek ourselves in our vocation, in our apostolate, in our
service to the Church. Some offer themselves only when the work to be done
brings them honor or enhances their self-importance. We claim to serve
Christ, but if we have our status compromised by criticism or see someone
less capable moved ahead of us in rank, our heart crumbles in discouragement
and our commitment wanes. In moments when humility is asked of us, may we
pass the test that John passes in today’s Gospel. Every day we must look into
our hearts to see if they are mirrors reflecting back only self-centered
motivations, or if they are windows to the heart of Christ in the world,
centered only on humble service. Mirrors weaken the mission; windows empower
it.
2. “Rejoices Greatly at the Bridegroom´s Voice”: Breaking the grip of
self-love is eminently positive work. We can let go of a lesser love only for
a greater one. Everyday John’s heart had set its aspiration and love on the
Messiah to come. All his ministerial action and spiritual ideals were
centered on Christ. His solitude in the desert permitted this love to grow
without distraction, communicated as it was in prayer and contemplation. As
John states, all he has received he received from heaven—from the
supernatural life given by contemplation and grace. Love for Christ was no
overnight endeavor, but was the work of years of prayer, self-conquest and
fidelity to the life of conversion he was to preach.
Conversation with Christ: Lord, I hear now what
John heard: your beautiful voice summoning union with your beloved, the
Church. No greater honor and love can I have than to ensure this union
happens continuously, perfectly and selflessly. May I learn to accept
humiliation and forget myself a thousand times over, so that the needs of
your Mystical Body may be brokered over my humble service and self-effacing
manner. I pray that my ignoble need to be praised and appreciated apart from
your glory never becomes the reason to find you separated from your spouse.
Resolution: I will pray a litany of humility with great
fervor today before I go to bed.
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SATURDAY, JANUARY 12Christmas WeekdayJOHN 3:22-30
(1 John 5:14-21; Psalm 149)
KEY VERSE: "He must increase; I must decrease" (v 30).
READING: With the close of the ministry of John the Baptist, the age of promise was at an end, and the time of fulfillment was at hand. After Jesus was baptized by John, he spent time with his disciples who baptized those who chose to follow Jesus (John explained that Jesus did not baptize; only his disciples baptized, Jn 4:2). John the Baptist's disciples objected to the baptisms performed by Jesus' disciples. They complained that everyone was following Jesus instead of John. But the Baptist explained that no one could receive anything except what has been given from heaven (v 27). He reminded his jealous followers that he was simply the best man at the wedding, and it was Jesus who was the bridegroom. John's role was complete, and as his ministry decreased, he must step aside for Jesus whose role would now increase.
REFLECTING: Does my ministry draw more attention to myself than to Jesus?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to serve with humility like John.
www.daily-word-of-life.com
The Lord takes delight in his people
‘He must grow greater; I must grow smaller.’
Reading these words, I realised that, over the 32 years I have known my old mentor, John, this is what has happened in him. The faith vision and deep prayer that was there as a younger man have deepened. None of the assignments he has been given would have been his personal choice, yet he fulfilled each one with excellence, instilling in co-workers and benefactors a sense of contributing to the work of God in the world.
As he has become frailer, he simply allows the love of God to flow out and touch all around him. He offers his constant pain especially for those working among the poor and marginalised. Jesus, let me allow this to happen in me also. Give me your mind and heart for our world.
www.churchresources.info
January 12
St. Marguerite Bourgeoys
(1620-1700)
“God closes a door and then opens a
window,” people sometimes say when dealing with their own disappointment or
someone else’s. That was certainly true in Marguerite’s case. Children from
European as well as Native American backgrounds in seventeenth-century Canada
benefited from her great zeal and unshakable trust in God’s providence.
Born the sixth
of 12 children in Troyes, France, Marguerite at the age of 20 believed that she
was called to religious life. Her applications to the Carmelites and Poor
Clares were unsuccessful. A priest friend suggested that perhaps God had other
plans for her.
In 1654, the
governor of the French settlement in Canada visited his sister, an Augustinian
canoness in Troyes. Marguerite belonged to a sodality connected to that
convent. The governor invited her to come to Canada and start a school in
Ville-Marie (eventually the city of Montreal). When she arrived, the colony
numbered 200 people with a hospital and a Jesuit mission chapel.
Soon after
starting a school, she realized her need for coworkers. Returning to Troyes,
she recruited a friend, Catherine Crolo, and two other young women. In 1667 they
added classes at their school for Indian children. A second trip to France
three years later resulted in six more young women and a letter from King Louis
XIV, authorizing the school. The Congregation of Notre Dame was established in
1676 but its members did not make formal religious profession until 1698 when
their Rule and constitutions were approved.
Marguerite
established a school for Indian girls in Montreal. At the age of 69, she walked
from Montreal to Quebec in response to the bishop’s request to establish a
community of her sisters in that city. By the time she died, she was referred
to as the “Mother of the Colony.” Marguerite was canonized in 1982.
Comment:
It’s easy to become discouraged when plans that we think that God must endorse are frustrated. Marguerite was called not to be a cloistered nun but to be a foundress and an educator. God had not ignored her after all.
It’s easy to become discouraged when plans that we think that God must endorse are frustrated. Marguerite was called not to be a cloistered nun but to be a foundress and an educator. God had not ignored her after all.
Quote:
In his homily at her canonization, Pope John Paul II said, “...in particular, she [Marguerite] contributed to building up that new country [Canada], realizing the determining role of women, and she diligently strove toward their formation in a deeply Christian spirit.” He noted that she watched over her students with affection and confidence “in order to prepare them to become wives and worthy mothers, Christians, cultured, hardworking, radiant mothers.”
In his homily at her canonization, Pope John Paul II said, “...in particular, she [Marguerite] contributed to building up that new country [Canada], realizing the determining role of women, and she diligently strove toward their formation in a deeply Christian spirit.” He noted that she watched over her students with affection and confidence “in order to prepare them to become wives and worthy mothers, Christians, cultured, hardworking, radiant mothers.”
LECTIO: JOHN 3,22-30
Lectio:
Saturday,
January 12, 2013
1) Opening prayer
God our Father,
through your Son you made us a new creation.
He shared our nature and became one of us;
with his help, may we become more like him,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
through your Son you made us a new creation.
He shared our nature and became one of us;
with his help, may we become more like him,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading -
John 3,22-30
After this, Jesus went with his disciples into
the Judaean countryside and stayed with them there and baptised. John also was
baptising at Aenon near Salim, where there was plenty of water, and people were
going there and were being baptised. For John had not yet been put in prison.
Now a discussion arose between some of John's disciples and a Jew about purification, so they went to John and said, 'Rabbi, the man who was with you on the far side of the Jordan, the man to whom you bore witness, is baptising now, and everyone is going to him.' John replied: 'No one can have anything except what is given him from heaven. 'You yourselves can bear me out. I said, "I am not the Christ; I am the one who has been sent to go in front of him." 'It is the bridegroom who has the bride; and yet the bridegroom's friend, who stands there and listens to him, is filled with joy at the bridegroom's voice. This is the joy I feel, and it is complete. He must grow greater, I must grow less.
Now a discussion arose between some of John's disciples and a Jew about purification, so they went to John and said, 'Rabbi, the man who was with you on the far side of the Jordan, the man to whom you bore witness, is baptising now, and everyone is going to him.' John replied: 'No one can have anything except what is given him from heaven. 'You yourselves can bear me out. I said, "I am not the Christ; I am the one who has been sent to go in front of him." 'It is the bridegroom who has the bride; and yet the bridegroom's friend, who stands there and listens to him, is filled with joy at the bridegroom's voice. This is the joy I feel, and it is complete. He must grow greater, I must grow less.
3) Reflection
• Both John the Baptist and Jesus indicated a
new way to the crowds. But Jesus after having adhered to the movement of John
the Baptist, and after having been baptized by him, advanced a step ahead and
created his own movement. He baptized the persons in the Jordan River, when
John the Baptist was also doing it. Both of them attracted the poor and
abandoned people of Palestine, by announcing the Good News of the Kingdom of
God.
• Jesus, the new preacher, had a certain advantage over John the Baptist. He baptized more people and attracted more disciples. Thus, a tension arose between the disciples of John and those of Jesus, concerning the “purification”, that is, concerning the value of Baptism. The disciples of John the Baptist experienced a certain envy and went to John to speak to him and informed him about the movement of Jesus.
• The response of John to his disciples is a beautiful response, which reveals his great spirit. John helps his disciples to see things more objectively. And he uses three arguments: a) Nobody receives anything which is not given by God. If Jesus does such beautiful things, it is because he receives them from God (Jn 3, 27). Instead of having envy, the disciples should feel joy. b) John reaffirms once again that he, John, is not the Messiah but only the precursor (Jn 3, 28). c) And at the end he uses a comparison, taken from the wedding feast. At that time, in Palestine, on the day of the wedding, in the house of the bride, the so called “friends of the bridegroom” waited for the arrival of the bridegroom to present him to the bride. In this case, Jesus is the bridegroom, the crowd is the bride. John the friend of the bridegroom. John the Baptist says that, in the voice of Jesus, he recognizes the voice of the bridegroom and can present him to the bride, to the crowds. At this moment, the bridegroom, the people, leave the friend of the bridegroom and follow Jesus, because they recognize in him the voice of their bridegroom!. And for this reason the joy of John is great, “complete joy”. John wants nothing for himself! His mission is to present the bridegroom to the bride! The last sentence summarizes everything: “He must grow greater, I must grow less!” This phrase is also the program for any person who follows Jesus.
• At the end of the first century, in Palestine as well as in Asia Minor, where there were some communities of Jews, there were also people who had been in contact with John the Baptist or who had been baptized by him (Acts 19, 3). Seen from outside, the movement of John the Baptist and that of Jesus were very similar to one another. Both of them announced the coming of the Kingdom (cfr. Mt 3, 1-2; 4, 17). There must have been some confusion between the followers of John and those of Jesus. And because of this, the witness of John about Jesus was very important. The four Gospel are concerned about giving the words of John the Baptist saying that he is not the Messiah. For the Christian communities, the Christian response, the response of John, “He must grow greater and I must grow less” was valid not only for the Disciples of John at the time of Jesus, but also for the disciples of the Batiste or Cambric community of the end of the first century.
• Jesus, the new preacher, had a certain advantage over John the Baptist. He baptized more people and attracted more disciples. Thus, a tension arose between the disciples of John and those of Jesus, concerning the “purification”, that is, concerning the value of Baptism. The disciples of John the Baptist experienced a certain envy and went to John to speak to him and informed him about the movement of Jesus.
• The response of John to his disciples is a beautiful response, which reveals his great spirit. John helps his disciples to see things more objectively. And he uses three arguments: a) Nobody receives anything which is not given by God. If Jesus does such beautiful things, it is because he receives them from God (Jn 3, 27). Instead of having envy, the disciples should feel joy. b) John reaffirms once again that he, John, is not the Messiah but only the precursor (Jn 3, 28). c) And at the end he uses a comparison, taken from the wedding feast. At that time, in Palestine, on the day of the wedding, in the house of the bride, the so called “friends of the bridegroom” waited for the arrival of the bridegroom to present him to the bride. In this case, Jesus is the bridegroom, the crowd is the bride. John the friend of the bridegroom. John the Baptist says that, in the voice of Jesus, he recognizes the voice of the bridegroom and can present him to the bride, to the crowds. At this moment, the bridegroom, the people, leave the friend of the bridegroom and follow Jesus, because they recognize in him the voice of their bridegroom!. And for this reason the joy of John is great, “complete joy”. John wants nothing for himself! His mission is to present the bridegroom to the bride! The last sentence summarizes everything: “He must grow greater, I must grow less!” This phrase is also the program for any person who follows Jesus.
• At the end of the first century, in Palestine as well as in Asia Minor, where there were some communities of Jews, there were also people who had been in contact with John the Baptist or who had been baptized by him (Acts 19, 3). Seen from outside, the movement of John the Baptist and that of Jesus were very similar to one another. Both of them announced the coming of the Kingdom (cfr. Mt 3, 1-2; 4, 17). There must have been some confusion between the followers of John and those of Jesus. And because of this, the witness of John about Jesus was very important. The four Gospel are concerned about giving the words of John the Baptist saying that he is not the Messiah. For the Christian communities, the Christian response, the response of John, “He must grow greater and I must grow less” was valid not only for the Disciples of John at the time of Jesus, but also for the disciples of the Batiste or Cambric community of the end of the first century.
4) Personal
questions
• “He must grow greater, I must grow less”.
This is John’s program. Is this also my program?
• What is important is that the bride finds the bridegroom. We are only spokespersons, nothing more. And, am I this?
• What is important is that the bride finds the bridegroom. We are only spokespersons, nothing more. And, am I this?
5) Concluding prayer
They shall dance in praise of his name,
play to him on tambourines and harp!
For Yahweh loves his people,
he will crown the humble with salvation. (Ps 149,3-4)
www.ocarm.orgplay to him on tambourines and harp!
For Yahweh loves his people,
he will crown the humble with salvation. (Ps 149,3-4)
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