Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Advent
Lectionary: 200
Lectionary: 200
When King David was
settled in his palace,
and the LORD had given him rest from his enemies on every side,
he said to Nathan the prophet,
“Here I am living in a house of cedar,
while the ark of God dwells in a tent!”
Nathan answered the king,
“Go, do whatever you have in mind,
for the LORD is with you.”
But that night the LORD spoke to Nathan and said:
“Go, tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD:
Should you build me a house to dwell in?
“‘It was I who took you from the pasture
and from the care of the flock
to be commander of my people Israel.
I have been with you wherever you went,
and I have destroyed all your enemies before you.
And I will make you famous like the great ones of the earth.
I will fix a place for my people Israel;
I will plant them so that they may dwell in their place
without further disturbance.
Neither shall the wicked continue to afflict them as they did of old,
since the time I first appointed judges over my people Israel.
I will give you rest from all your enemies.
The LORD also reveals to you
that he will establish a house for you.
And when your time comes and you rest with your ancestors,
I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins,
and I will make his Kingdom firm.
I will be a father to him,
and he shall be a son to me.
Your house and your Kingdom shall endure forever before me;
your throne shall stand firm forever.’”
and the LORD had given him rest from his enemies on every side,
he said to Nathan the prophet,
“Here I am living in a house of cedar,
while the ark of God dwells in a tent!”
Nathan answered the king,
“Go, do whatever you have in mind,
for the LORD is with you.”
But that night the LORD spoke to Nathan and said:
“Go, tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD:
Should you build me a house to dwell in?
“‘It was I who took you from the pasture
and from the care of the flock
to be commander of my people Israel.
I have been with you wherever you went,
and I have destroyed all your enemies before you.
And I will make you famous like the great ones of the earth.
I will fix a place for my people Israel;
I will plant them so that they may dwell in their place
without further disturbance.
Neither shall the wicked continue to afflict them as they did of old,
since the time I first appointed judges over my people Israel.
I will give you rest from all your enemies.
The LORD also reveals to you
that he will establish a house for you.
And when your time comes and you rest with your ancestors,
I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins,
and I will make his Kingdom firm.
I will be a father to him,
and he shall be a son to me.
Your house and your Kingdom shall endure forever before me;
your throne shall stand firm forever.’”
Responsorial Psalm PS 89:2-3, 4-5, 27 AND 29
R. (2) For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
The favors of the LORD I will sing forever;
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness.
For you have said, “My kindness is established forever”;
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
“I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant:
Forever will I confirm your posterity
and establish your throne for all generations.”
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
“He shall say of me, ‘You are my father,
my God, the rock, my savior.’
Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him,
and my covenant with him stands firm.”
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
The favors of the LORD I will sing forever;
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness.
For you have said, “My kindness is established forever”;
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
“I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant:
Forever will I confirm your posterity
and establish your throne for all generations.”
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
“He shall say of me, ‘You are my father,
my God, the rock, my savior.’
Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him,
and my covenant with him stands firm.”
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
O Radiant Dawn,
splendor of eternal light, sun of justice:
come and shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
O Radiant Dawn,
splendor of eternal light, sun of justice:
come and shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel LK 1:67-79
Zechariah his
father, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied, saying:
“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
for he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty Savior,
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his prophets he promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hand of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
for he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty Savior,
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his prophets he promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hand of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
Meditation: Nothing is Impossible with God
Does the proclamation
of the Gospel fill you with joy and hope? When the Lord comes to redeem us he
fills us with his Holy Spirit, the source of our joy and hope in the promises
of God.
John the Baptist was
born shortly before Mary delivered her son, Jesus. When John was circumcised on
the eighth day according to the Jewish rite, his father Zechariah was
"filled with the Holy Spirit" and with great joy. Inspired by the
Holy Spirit he spoke out a prophetic word and hymn of blessing for the work of
redemption which God was about to accomplish in Christ. He foresaw the
fulfillment of God's promise to David and his descendants that David's dynasty
would endure forever through the coming of the Messianic King (2 Samuel 7:16).
This King would establish peace and security for his people. We often
think of peace as the absence of trouble. The peace which the Messiah brings
cancels the debt of sin and restores our broken relationship with God.
The Holy Spirit gave
Zechariah a vision for his own son as a prophet and forerunner who would
prepare the way for the Messiah. Every devout Jew longed for the day when the
Messiah would come. Now Zechariah knows beyond a doubt that that day is very
near. Like Zechariah, the Holy Spirit wants to give us vision, joy, and
confidence in the knowledge of God's merciful love, protection, and care which
he offers us through his Son Jesus Christ. Like the Baptist, we too are called
to prepare the way that leads to Christ. Life is a journey and we are either
moving towards the Lord or away from the Lord. The Lord comes to visit us each
day with his life-giving Word and Spirit. Those who hunger for the Lord
will not be disappointed. He will draw them to himself and show them his
love and mercy.
In sending the Messiah
God has made a gracious visit to his people to redeem them. This was the
mission for which Jesus Christ was sent into the world - to redeem those sold
for sin and sold under sin. In the feast of the Incarnation we celebrate the
gracious gift of God in sending his only begotten Son to redeem us. Let us pray
that the Holy Spirit may inspire us and fill us with joy and boldness to
proclaim the message of the Lord's visitation and redemption.
"Lord Jesus, you
have been gracious and merciful towards your people. Fill me with your Holy
Spirit that I may bear witness to the joy of the Gospel to those around
me."
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Heaven Holds the Key |
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December 24,
2014. Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Advent
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Luke 1: 67-79
Zechariah his
father, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied, saying: “Blessed be the
Lord, the God of Israel; for he has come to his people and set them free. He
has raised up for us a mighty Savior, born of the house of his servant David.
Through his prophets he promised of old that he would save us from our
enemies, from the hands of all who hate us. He promised to show mercy to our
fathers and to remember his holy covenant. This was the oath he swore to our
father Abraham: to set us free from the hand of our enemies, free to worship
him without fear, holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go
before the Lord to prepare his way, to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins. In the tender compassion of our God the
dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in
darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of
peace.”
Introductory
Prayer: I believe in your loving
presence with me, Lord, and I tremble as I consider the immense love you have
for me. I do not deserve your grace, and yet I cannot live without it. You
have called me to rise above my sin and misery and to live in your love as
one of your children. I truly want to show you my love.
Petition: Lord, help me to seek you and find you through silence.
1. Silence for
Reflection: Zechariah had
been in silence (a silence imposed by God) for over nine months. Perhaps at
the beginning, he had felt frustrated at not being able to communicate
normally with others. As time goes on, that frustration turns into
resignation and reluctant acceptance. Through perseverance and prayer,
suddenly he begins to love the trial God had imposed on him, embracing it
wholeheartedly and willingly. When we see someone who is suffering, be it in
a hospital, a nursing home or even on the street or at work, we need to bring
them this message of hope. Suffering has a meaning, a redemptive value, if we
unite our sufferings to those of Christ.
2. Silence for
Union with Our Lord: We see
that Zechariah’s 9-month “retreat” has provided him the opportunity for a
closer contact with God. Through prayer he has been brought to a deeper and
experiential knowledge of God, which has converted him into an apostle
in his desire to share this experience with others. As his wife’s period of
waiting results in her giving birth to a prophet, so Zechariah’s “incubation”
period also turns him into a prophet: He foretells that salvation for his
people is near at hand. We will have words of wisdom and encouragement for
others when we have discovered how to be alone with God in the secret depths
of our hearts. Silence is a vehicle for achieving this intimacy.
3. Silence for
Praise: At some moment during
his tribulation, Zechariah would recall the angel’s words, “you will be
speechless and unable to talk until the day these things take place” (Luke
1:20). Hope would invade his heart. The day is coming when he would be able
to speak again! He has nine months to prepare his speech. The first words he
utters as his tongue is loosened are not a curse against God for having made
him suffer, but a hymn of praise for his mercy on a sinful humanity. He has
experienced this mercy in his own flesh. We are meant to communicate truth
through speech, and the greatest truth is what God has done for each of us
and wishes to do for every single person. When our speech is a result of what
we have first meditated on profoundly, our words will bear fruit. Does my
speech normally edify others? Do my words ordinarily come from the good I
have experienced in God’s company? Am I aware of how much we can build up
others through good conversations?
Conversation with
Christ: Lord, your birth comes
tonight. I want to have a proper place prepared for you. Please help me to
make it warm and comfortable for you. Make up for what is lacking in my poor
efforts to please you. O King of Glory, may my every thought, word and deed
of this day be a fitting homage for your coming.
Resolution: Today, I will strive to edify others though my words.
By Father Barry
O’Toole, LC
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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, ADVENT WEEKDAY, LUKE
1:67-79
(2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16; Psalm 89)
(2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16; Psalm 89)
.jpg)
KEY VERSE: "And you, child, will be called prophet of the Most High, because you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways" (v 76).
READING: When Zechariah's tongue was loosened, he broke into a hymn of praise in thanksgiving to God for blessing him and his wife Elizabeth with a child in their old age. Like the canticle of Mary, this "Benedictus" was a compilation of Scripture and Jewish prayers. Zechariah proclaimed that his son was destined to be a prophet of the Most High who would prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah, God's anointed one. God had visited the people with loving-kindness and mercy. God's promise of salvation was fulfilled in the person and ministry of Jesus Christ, the "daybreak from on high" (v 78). The light of Christ would shatter the darkness that overshadowed the people (Is 60:1), and guide them on the pathway to peace (Shalom in Hebrew). Peace does not mean merely freedom from war and strife; it means all that works for common good. Jesus Christ would enable people to walk in the ways that lead to life, and no longer trod the path that leads to death.
REFLECTING: Have my words and deeds proclaimed peace this Advent?
PRAYING: Lord God, thank you for showing us your mercy by sending your Son to lead us to the light of salvation.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
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Cherished Memories
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As the midnight hour approaches and we greet Christmas day, let us
be committed to create new memories that we keep and cherish and bless the Lord
for. Our memories take us into a future where we will be gathered around an
eternal banquet table and celebrate there forever the visitation of God,
Emmanuel, the God who calls us into the holiness and the fullness of life
December
24
Christmas at Greccio
Christmas at Greccio
What better way to prepare for the arrival of the Christ Child
than to take a brief journey to Greccio, the spot in central Italy where St.
Francis of Assisi created the first Christmas crib in the year 1223.
Francis,
recalling a visit he had made years before to Bethlehem, resolved to create the
manger he had seen there. The ideal spot was a cave in nearby Greccio. He would
find a baby (we’re not sure if it was a live infant or the carved image of a
baby), hay upon which to lay him, an ox and an ass to stand beside the manger.
Word went out to the people of the town. At the appointed time they arrived
carrying torches and candles.
One of
the friars began celebrating Mass. Francis himself gave the sermon. His
biographer, Thomas of Celano, recalls that Francis “stood before the
manger…overcome with love and filled with a wonderful happiness…/” For Francis,
the simple celebration was meant to recall the hardships Jesus suffered even as
an infant, a savior who chose to become poor for our sake, a truly human Jesus.
Tonight,
as we pray around the Christmas cribs in our homes, we welcome into our hearts
that same Savior.
Comment:
God’s choice to give human beings free will was, from the beginning, a decision to be helpless in human hands. With the birth of Jesus, God made the divine helplessness very clear to us, for a human infant is totally dependent on the loving response of other people. Our natural response to a baby is to open our arms, as Francis did, to the infant of Bethlehem and to the God who made us all.
God’s choice to give human beings free will was, from the beginning, a decision to be helpless in human hands. With the birth of Jesus, God made the divine helplessness very clear to us, for a human infant is totally dependent on the loving response of other people. Our natural response to a baby is to open our arms, as Francis did, to the infant of Bethlehem and to the God who made us all.
LECTIO DIVINA:
LUKE 1,67-79
Lectio:
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
4th Week of Advent
1) Opening prayer
Lord, loving and mighty God,
you fulfilled your promise to save us
when Jesus, your Son, became one of us.
We are no longer in the dark,
for you let your light shine on us.
Bring us your salvation now,
set us really free from our sins,
let us become fully human with Jesus
and go with him in your way of peace and love.
Let him be our strength,
our constant companion on the road,
that through him and growing in his humanity,
we may be your beloved sons and daughters.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
2) Gospel Reading – Luke 1, 67-79
Zechariah, father of John, was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke this prophecy:
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has visited his people, he has set them free,
and he has established for us a saving power in the House of his servant David,
just as he proclaimed, by the mouth of his holy prophets from ancient times,
that he would save us from our enemies and from the hands of all those who hate us,
and show faithful love to our ancestors, and so keep in mind his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham,
that he would grant us, free from fear, to be delivered from the hands of our enemies,
to serve him in holiness and uprightness in his presence, all our days.
And you, little child, you shall be called Prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare a way for him,
to give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,
because of the faithful love of our God in which the rising Sun has come from on high to visit us,
to give light to those who live in darkness and the shadow dark as death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
3) Reflection
• The Canticle of Zechariah is one of the many canticles of the community of the first Christians which we find dispersed in the writings of the New Testament: in the Gospels (Lk 1, 46-55; Lk 2, 14; 2, 29-32), in the Letters of Saint Paul (1 Co 13,1-13; Eph 1, 3-14; 2, 14-18; Phil 2, 6-11; Col 1, 15-20) and in the Book of Revelation (1, 7; 4, 8; 11, 17-18; 12,10-12; 15, 3-4; 18, 1 up to 19, 8). These Canticles give us an idea of how faith and the weekly liturgy were lived during those first times. They make us guess that the liturgy was, at the same, a celebration of the mystery, profession of faith, animation of hope and catechesis.
• Here in the Canticle of Zechariah, the members of those first Christian communities, almost all of them Jewish, sang the joy of having been visited by the goodness of God which, in Jesus, the promises are fulfilled. The Canticle has a beautiful structure, well elaborated. It seems like a slow climbing which leads the faithful toward the height of the mountain, from where they observe the road that they have travelled since the time of Abraham (Lk 1, 68-73), they experience the beginning of the fulfilment of the promises (Lk 1, 74-75) and from there they look ahead, they foresee the road that the child John will have to travel up to the time of the birth of Jesus: the sun of Justice who comes to prepare, for all, the way of Peace (Lk 76-79).
• Zechariah begins praising God because he has visited and redeemed his people (Lk 1, 68) he has established for us a saving power in the House of his servant David (Lk 1, 69), just as he promised by the mouth of his holy prophets from ancient times (Lk 1, 70). And he describes in what this powerful salvation consists: that he would save us from our enemies and from the hands of those who hate us (Lk 1, 71). This salvation is the result, not of our own effort, but rather of the merciful goodness of God who remembered his holy Covenant and the oath he swore to Abraham, our father (Lk 1, 72). God is faithful. This is the foundation of our security.
• Continuing Zechariah describes in what the oath of God sworn to Abraham consists: it is the hope that “freed from the hands of the enemies we can serve him, without fear, in holiness and uprightness, in his presence, all our days”. This is the great desire of all the people of all times: to live in peace, without fear, serving God and neighbour, in holiness and uprightness, all our days of our life. This is the height of the mountain, the point of arrival, which rose up in the horizon with the birth of John (Lk 1, 73-75).
• Now the attention of the Canticle is addressed toward John, the new born child. He will be a prophet of the Most High, because he will go before the Lord to prepare him the way, to give to his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins (Lk 1, 76-77). Here we have a clear reference to the messianic prophecy which said: “There will be no further need for everyone to teach neighbour or brother, saying, ‘Learn to know Yahweh. No, they will all know me, from the least to the greatest, Yahweh declares, since I will forgive their guilt and never more call their sin to mind” (Jer 31, 34). In the Bible “to know” is synonymous of “to experience”. Forgiveness and reconciliation make us experience the presence of God.
• All this will be the fruit of the merciful action of the heart of God and will be realized fully with the coming of Jesus: The rising Sun has come from on high to give light to those who live in darkness and the dark shadow of death and to guide our feet into the way of Peace (Lk 1, 78-79).
b
• Sometimes it is good to read the Canticle as if it were the first time, in such a way as to be able to discover in it all the novelty of the Good News of God.
• Have you experienced, sometimes, the goodness of God? Have you experienced sometimes, the pardon of God?
5) Concluding Prayer
I shall sing the faithful love of Yahweh for ever,
from age to age my lips shall declare your constancy,
for you have said: love is built to last for ever,
you have fixed your constancy firm in the heavens. (Ps 89,1-2)
Lord, loving and mighty God,
you fulfilled your promise to save us
when Jesus, your Son, became one of us.
We are no longer in the dark,
for you let your light shine on us.
Bring us your salvation now,
set us really free from our sins,
let us become fully human with Jesus
and go with him in your way of peace and love.
Let him be our strength,
our constant companion on the road,
that through him and growing in his humanity,
we may be your beloved sons and daughters.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
2) Gospel Reading – Luke 1, 67-79
Zechariah, father of John, was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke this prophecy:
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has visited his people, he has set them free,
and he has established for us a saving power in the House of his servant David,
just as he proclaimed, by the mouth of his holy prophets from ancient times,
that he would save us from our enemies and from the hands of all those who hate us,
and show faithful love to our ancestors, and so keep in mind his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham,
that he would grant us, free from fear, to be delivered from the hands of our enemies,
to serve him in holiness and uprightness in his presence, all our days.
And you, little child, you shall be called Prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare a way for him,
to give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,
because of the faithful love of our God in which the rising Sun has come from on high to visit us,
to give light to those who live in darkness and the shadow dark as death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
3) Reflection
• The Canticle of Zechariah is one of the many canticles of the community of the first Christians which we find dispersed in the writings of the New Testament: in the Gospels (Lk 1, 46-55; Lk 2, 14; 2, 29-32), in the Letters of Saint Paul (1 Co 13,1-13; Eph 1, 3-14; 2, 14-18; Phil 2, 6-11; Col 1, 15-20) and in the Book of Revelation (1, 7; 4, 8; 11, 17-18; 12,10-12; 15, 3-4; 18, 1 up to 19, 8). These Canticles give us an idea of how faith and the weekly liturgy were lived during those first times. They make us guess that the liturgy was, at the same, a celebration of the mystery, profession of faith, animation of hope and catechesis.
• Here in the Canticle of Zechariah, the members of those first Christian communities, almost all of them Jewish, sang the joy of having been visited by the goodness of God which, in Jesus, the promises are fulfilled. The Canticle has a beautiful structure, well elaborated. It seems like a slow climbing which leads the faithful toward the height of the mountain, from where they observe the road that they have travelled since the time of Abraham (Lk 1, 68-73), they experience the beginning of the fulfilment of the promises (Lk 1, 74-75) and from there they look ahead, they foresee the road that the child John will have to travel up to the time of the birth of Jesus: the sun of Justice who comes to prepare, for all, the way of Peace (Lk 76-79).
• Zechariah begins praising God because he has visited and redeemed his people (Lk 1, 68) he has established for us a saving power in the House of his servant David (Lk 1, 69), just as he promised by the mouth of his holy prophets from ancient times (Lk 1, 70). And he describes in what this powerful salvation consists: that he would save us from our enemies and from the hands of those who hate us (Lk 1, 71). This salvation is the result, not of our own effort, but rather of the merciful goodness of God who remembered his holy Covenant and the oath he swore to Abraham, our father (Lk 1, 72). God is faithful. This is the foundation of our security.
• Continuing Zechariah describes in what the oath of God sworn to Abraham consists: it is the hope that “freed from the hands of the enemies we can serve him, without fear, in holiness and uprightness, in his presence, all our days”. This is the great desire of all the people of all times: to live in peace, without fear, serving God and neighbour, in holiness and uprightness, all our days of our life. This is the height of the mountain, the point of arrival, which rose up in the horizon with the birth of John (Lk 1, 73-75).
• Now the attention of the Canticle is addressed toward John, the new born child. He will be a prophet of the Most High, because he will go before the Lord to prepare him the way, to give to his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins (Lk 1, 76-77). Here we have a clear reference to the messianic prophecy which said: “There will be no further need for everyone to teach neighbour or brother, saying, ‘Learn to know Yahweh. No, they will all know me, from the least to the greatest, Yahweh declares, since I will forgive their guilt and never more call their sin to mind” (Jer 31, 34). In the Bible “to know” is synonymous of “to experience”. Forgiveness and reconciliation make us experience the presence of God.
• All this will be the fruit of the merciful action of the heart of God and will be realized fully with the coming of Jesus: The rising Sun has come from on high to give light to those who live in darkness and the dark shadow of death and to guide our feet into the way of Peace (Lk 1, 78-79).
b
• Sometimes it is good to read the Canticle as if it were the first time, in such a way as to be able to discover in it all the novelty of the Good News of God.
• Have you experienced, sometimes, the goodness of God? Have you experienced sometimes, the pardon of God?
5) Concluding Prayer
I shall sing the faithful love of Yahweh for ever,
from age to age my lips shall declare your constancy,
for you have said: love is built to last for ever,
you have fixed your constancy firm in the heavens. (Ps 89,1-2)
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