Wednesday of the Second Week of Advent
Lectionary: 183
Lectionary: 183
To whom can you
liken me as an equal?
says the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes on high
and see who has created these things:
He leads out their army and numbers them,
calling them all by name.
By his great might and the strength of his power
not one of them is missing!
Why, O Jacob, do you say,
and declare, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD,
and my right is disregarded by my God”?
Do you not know
or have you not heard?
The LORD is the eternal God,
creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint nor grow weary,
and his knowledge is beyond scrutiny.
He gives strength to the fainting;
for the weak he makes vigor abound.
Though young men faint and grow weary,
and youths stagger and fall,
They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength,
they will soar as with eagles’ wings;
They will run and not grow weary,
walk and not grow faint.
says the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes on high
and see who has created these things:
He leads out their army and numbers them,
calling them all by name.
By his great might and the strength of his power
not one of them is missing!
Why, O Jacob, do you say,
and declare, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD,
and my right is disregarded by my God”?
Do you not know
or have you not heard?
The LORD is the eternal God,
creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint nor grow weary,
and his knowledge is beyond scrutiny.
He gives strength to the fainting;
for the weak he makes vigor abound.
Though young men faint and grow weary,
and youths stagger and fall,
They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength,
they will soar as with eagles’ wings;
They will run and not grow weary,
walk and not grow faint.
Responsorial PsalmPS 103:1-2, 3-4, 8 AND 10
R. (1) O bless the Lord, my soul!
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul!
He pardons all your iniquities,
he heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
he crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul!
Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul!
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul!
He pardons all your iniquities,
he heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
he crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul!
Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul!
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Behold, the Lord comes to save his people;
blessed are those prepared to meet him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Behold, the Lord comes to save his people;
blessed are those prepared to meet him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 11:28-30
Jesus said to the
crowds:
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”
Meditation:
"Come to me and I will give you rest"
What kind of yoke does the Lord Jesus have in mind for each one
of us? And how can it be good for us? The Jewish people used the image of a
yoke to express their submission to God. They spoke of the yoke of the law, the
yoke of the commandments, the yoke of the kingdom, the yoke of God. Jesus
says his yoke is "easy". The Greek word for "easy" can also
mean "well-fitting". Yokes were tailor-made to fit the oxen well for
labor. We are commanded to put on the "sweet yoke of Jesus" and to
live the "heavenly way of life and happiness". Oxen were yoked two by
two. Jesus invites each one of us to be yoked with him, to unite our life with
him, our will with his will, our heart with his heart.
Jesus carries our burdens with us
Jesus also says his "burden is light". There's a story of a man who once met a boy carrying a smaller crippled lad on his back. "That's a heavy load you are carrying there," exclaimed the man. "He ain't heavy; he's my brother!" responded the boy. No burden is too heavy when it's given in love and carried in love. When we yoke our lives with Jesus, he also carries our burdens with us and gives us his strength to follow in his way of love. Do you know the joy of resting in Jesus' presence and walking daily with him along the path he has for you?
Jesus also says his "burden is light". There's a story of a man who once met a boy carrying a smaller crippled lad on his back. "That's a heavy load you are carrying there," exclaimed the man. "He ain't heavy; he's my brother!" responded the boy. No burden is too heavy when it's given in love and carried in love. When we yoke our lives with Jesus, he also carries our burdens with us and gives us his strength to follow in his way of love. Do you know the joy of resting in Jesus' presence and walking daily with him along the path he has for you?
In the Advent season we celebrate the coming of the Messiah King
who ushers in the reign of God. The prophets foretold that the Messiah would
establish God's kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy. Those who put their
trust in God and in the coming of his kingdom receive the blessings of that
kingdom - peace with God and strength for living his way of love, truth, and
holiness (Isaiah 40). Jesus fulfills all the Messianic hopes and promises of
God's kingdom. That is why he taught his disciples to pray, "thy kingdom
come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10).
In his kingdom sins are not only forgiven but removed, and eternal life is
poured out for all its citizens. This is not a political kingdom, but a
spiritual one.
Freed from the burden of sin and guilt
The yoke of Christ's kingdom, his kingly rule and way of life, liberates us from the burden of guilt and disobedience. Only the Lord Jesus can lift the burden of sin and the weight of hopelessness from us. Jesus used the analogy of a yoke to explain how we can exchange the burden of sin and despair for a yoke of glory, freedom, and joy with him. The yoke which the Lord Jesus invites us to embrace is his way of power and freedom to live in love, peace, and joy as God's sons and daughters. Do you trust in God's love and truth and submit to his will for your life?
The yoke of Christ's kingdom, his kingly rule and way of life, liberates us from the burden of guilt and disobedience. Only the Lord Jesus can lift the burden of sin and the weight of hopelessness from us. Jesus used the analogy of a yoke to explain how we can exchange the burden of sin and despair for a yoke of glory, freedom, and joy with him. The yoke which the Lord Jesus invites us to embrace is his way of power and freedom to live in love, peace, and joy as God's sons and daughters. Do you trust in God's love and truth and submit to his will for your life?
"Lord Jesus, inflame my heart with love for you and for
your ways and help me to exchange the yoke of rebellion for the sweet yoke of
submission to your holy and loving word. Set me free from the folly of my own
sinful ignorance and rebellious pride that I may wholly desire what is good and
in accord with your will."
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9,
MATTHEW 11:28-30
Advent Weekday
(Isaiah 40:25-31; Psalm 103)
Advent Weekday
(Isaiah 40:25-31; Psalm 103)
KEY VERSE: "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest" (v 28).
TO KNOW: The prophet Jeremiah told the people that they would find "rest for their souls" if they would follow the straight path to God (Jer 6:16). However, the religious leaders laid a crushing weight on the people by complicating God's law with numerous legal obligations. They made no effort to lighten the load of those burdened by these regulations, and they often neglected the true purpose of the law -- justice and mercy. Jesus invited all who were weary of trying to fulfill the law to come to him. Obedience to his word would be light in comparison to the religious leader's legalistic requirements. Jesus was the embodiment of God's law of compassion and love, and he made the way to God accessible. By taking on the light yoke of obedience to his word, Jesus' followers would find rest from all that oppressed them (Is 25:4-5).
TO LOVE: How can I help carry someone's burden today?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to rest in you when I face my daily struggles.
Optional Memorial of
Juan Diego, hermit
Juan Diego was born an impoverished free-man in a strongly class-conscious society. He was a religious man and he became an adult convert to Christianity around age 50. Juan was a visionary to whom the Virgin Mary appeared at Guadalupe on December 9, 1531, leaving on his rough cactus fiber cloak (tilma), the image known as Our Lady of Guadalupe. After the apparition, Juan lived out his life as a hermit, telling all who came to him of the wonderful vision of Our Lady. On 20 December 2001 a second miracle was attributed to Juan Diego's intervention and was approved by Pope John Paul II who canonized him on July 31, 2002 at the basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico.
"Listen, put it in your heart my dearest son, that the things that frighten you, the things that afflict you, are nothing. Do not let your countenance, your heart be disturbed. Do not fear sickness nor any hurtful thing. Am I not here, I , who am your Mother? Are you not under my shade and protection? Am I not the source of your joy? Are you not in the hollow of my mantle, here in the crossing of my arms? Do you need anything more?" Our Lady to Juan Diego, 9 December 1531.
Wednesday 9 December 2015
Isaiah
40:25-31. O bless the Lord, my soul—Ps 102(103):1-4, 8, 10. Matthew 11:28-30.
Come to
me all you who are weary and I will give you rest.
Today’s
gospel is calling us to surrender our burdens into God’s capable hands. At this
time of year we can feel the weight of an entire year’s worth of work, stress
and worry. We are exhausted and struggling. Even the strongest among us
stumble. Our ever-loving God is offering to shoulder our burdens, renew our
strength and empower us to face our daily challenges. Dear Lord, help me to
entrust my burdens to you so that I may soar on wings like eagles; run and not
grow weary; walk and not feel faint. Even though I may not have realised it,
thank you for carrying me through those times I needed you the most. Help me to
realise your strength and love for me, to seek you to find rest for my soul.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
|
Climb a Mountain
|
During Advent we are invited to go deeper into the place where we
come to know that only God can give us joy beyond all understanding. To climb
to those heights, we have to pay attention to where we are going—as well as to
where we do not want to go.
December
9
St. Juan Diego
(1474-1548)
St. Juan Diego
(1474-1548)
Thousands of people gathered in the Basilica of Our Lady of
Guadalupe July 31, 2002, for the canonization of Juan Diego, to whom the
Blessed Mother appeared in the 16th century. Pope John Paul II celebrated the
ceremony at which the poor Indian peasant became the Church’s first saint
indigenous to the Americas.
The Holy Father called the new saint “a simple, humble Indian”
who accepted Christianity without giving up his identity as an Indian. “In
praising the Indian Juan Diego, I want to express to all of you the closeness
of the church and the pope, embracing you with love and encouraging you to
overcome with hope the difficult times you are going through,” John Paul said.
Among the thousands present for the event were members of Mexico’s 64
indigenous groups.
First called Cuauhtlatohuac (“The eagle who speaks”), Juan
Diego’s name is forever linked with Our Lady of Guadalupe because it was to him
that she first appeared at Tepeyac hill on December 9, 1531. The most famous
part of his story is told in connection with the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
on December 12. After the roses gathered in his tilma were transformed into the
miraculous image of Our Lady, however, little more is said about Juan Diego.
In time he lived near the shrine constructed at Tepeyac, revered
as a holy, unselfish and compassionate catechist who taught by word and
especially by example.
During his 1990 pastoral visit to Mexico, Pope John Paul II
confirmed the long-standing liturgical cult in honor of Juan Diego, beatifying
him. Twelve years later he was proclaimed a saint.
Comment:
God counted on Juan Diego to play a humble yet huge role in bringing the Good News to the peoples of Mexico. Overcoming his own fear and the doubts of Bishop Juan de Zumarraga, Juan Diego cooperated with God’s grace in showing his people that the Good News of Jesus is for everyone. Pope John Paul II used the occasion of this beatification to urge Mexican lay men and women to assume their responsibilities for passing on the Good News and witnessing to it.
God counted on Juan Diego to play a humble yet huge role in bringing the Good News to the peoples of Mexico. Overcoming his own fear and the doubts of Bishop Juan de Zumarraga, Juan Diego cooperated with God’s grace in showing his people that the Good News of Jesus is for everyone. Pope John Paul II used the occasion of this beatification to urge Mexican lay men and women to assume their responsibilities for passing on the Good News and witnessing to it.
Quote:
“In accepting the Christian message without forgoing his indigenous identity, Juan Diego discovered the profound truth of the new humanity, in which all are called to be children of God. Thus he facilitated the fruit meeting of two worlds and became the catalyst for the new Mexican identity, closely united to Our Lady of Guadalupe, whose mestizo face expresses her spiritual motherhood which embraces all Mexicans. That is why the witness of his life must continue to be the inspiration for the building up of the Mexican nation, encouraging brotherhood among all its children and ever helping to reconcile Mexico with its origins, values and traditions” (St. John Paul II, canonization homily).
“In accepting the Christian message without forgoing his indigenous identity, Juan Diego discovered the profound truth of the new humanity, in which all are called to be children of God. Thus he facilitated the fruit meeting of two worlds and became the catalyst for the new Mexican identity, closely united to Our Lady of Guadalupe, whose mestizo face expresses her spiritual motherhood which embraces all Mexicans. That is why the witness of his life must continue to be the inspiration for the building up of the Mexican nation, encouraging brotherhood among all its children and ever helping to reconcile Mexico with its origins, values and traditions” (St. John Paul II, canonization homily).
LECTIO DIVINA:
MATTHEW 11,28-30
Lectio:
Wednesday,
December 9, 2015
2nd Week of Advent
1)
Opening prayer
God of power and mercy,
open our hearts in welcome.
Remove the things that hinder us from receiving Christ with joy,
so that we may share his wisdom
and become one with him
when he comes in glory,
for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
2) Gospel Reading - Matthew 11, 28-30
'Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest.
Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.'
3) Reflection
• Certain texts of the Gospel reveal to us all their significance when we place them on the background of the Old Testament. This is how this very brief and very beautiful text of the Gospel of today is. In this text there are echoes of two themes greatly loved and recalled by the Old Testament, one from Isaiah and the other one from the so called Wisdom Books.
• Isaiah speaks of the Messiah, the Servant and represents him as a disciple who is always looking for a word of comfort so as to be able to encourage those who are discouraged: “The Lord Yahweh has given me a disciple’s tongue, for me to know how to give a word of comfort to the weary. Morning by morning, he makes my ear alert to listen like a disciple”. (Is 50, 4). And the Messiah Servant launches an invitation: “Oh, come to the water all you who are thirsty; though you have no money come! Buy and eat; come buy wine and milk without money, free” (Is 55, 1). These texts were present in the memory of the people. They were like the songs of our childhood. When people listens to them, souvenirs come to mind, there is nostalgia. The same with the word of Jesus: “Come to me!” revived the memory and brought close the nostalgic echo of those beautiful texts of Isaiah.
• The Books of Wisdom represent the divine wisdom as a woman, a mother who transmits to her sons her wisdom and tells them: “Buy her without money, put your necks under her yoke, let your souls receive instruction. She is near, within your reach. See for yourselves; how slight my efforts have been to win so much peace” (Si 51, 25-27). Jesus repeats this same phrase: “You will find rest!”.
• Precisely because his way of speaking to people, Jesus awakes their memory and thus the heart rejoiced and said: “The Messiah, so greatly awaited for has come!” Jesus transformed the nostalgia into hope. He made people advance a step forward. Instead of fixing themselves on the image of a glorious Messiah, king and dominator, taught by the Scribes, the people changed opinion and accepted Jesus, Messiah Servant. A humble and meek Messiah, welcoming and full of tenderness, who made them feel at ease, they the poor together with Jesus.
4) Personal questions
• Is the Law of God a light yoke which encourages me, or is it a weight which gets me tired?
• Have I felt sometimes the lightness and the joy of the yoke of the Law of God which Jesus has revealed to us?
5) Concluding Prayer
Bless Yahweh, my soul,
from the depths of my being, his holy name;
bless Yahweh, my soul,
never forget all his acts of kindness. (Ps 103)
God of power and mercy,
open our hearts in welcome.
Remove the things that hinder us from receiving Christ with joy,
so that we may share his wisdom
and become one with him
when he comes in glory,
for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
2) Gospel Reading - Matthew 11, 28-30
'Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest.
Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.'
3) Reflection
• Certain texts of the Gospel reveal to us all their significance when we place them on the background of the Old Testament. This is how this very brief and very beautiful text of the Gospel of today is. In this text there are echoes of two themes greatly loved and recalled by the Old Testament, one from Isaiah and the other one from the so called Wisdom Books.
• Isaiah speaks of the Messiah, the Servant and represents him as a disciple who is always looking for a word of comfort so as to be able to encourage those who are discouraged: “The Lord Yahweh has given me a disciple’s tongue, for me to know how to give a word of comfort to the weary. Morning by morning, he makes my ear alert to listen like a disciple”. (Is 50, 4). And the Messiah Servant launches an invitation: “Oh, come to the water all you who are thirsty; though you have no money come! Buy and eat; come buy wine and milk without money, free” (Is 55, 1). These texts were present in the memory of the people. They were like the songs of our childhood. When people listens to them, souvenirs come to mind, there is nostalgia. The same with the word of Jesus: “Come to me!” revived the memory and brought close the nostalgic echo of those beautiful texts of Isaiah.
• The Books of Wisdom represent the divine wisdom as a woman, a mother who transmits to her sons her wisdom and tells them: “Buy her without money, put your necks under her yoke, let your souls receive instruction. She is near, within your reach. See for yourselves; how slight my efforts have been to win so much peace” (Si 51, 25-27). Jesus repeats this same phrase: “You will find rest!”.
• Precisely because his way of speaking to people, Jesus awakes their memory and thus the heart rejoiced and said: “The Messiah, so greatly awaited for has come!” Jesus transformed the nostalgia into hope. He made people advance a step forward. Instead of fixing themselves on the image of a glorious Messiah, king and dominator, taught by the Scribes, the people changed opinion and accepted Jesus, Messiah Servant. A humble and meek Messiah, welcoming and full of tenderness, who made them feel at ease, they the poor together with Jesus.
4) Personal questions
• Is the Law of God a light yoke which encourages me, or is it a weight which gets me tired?
• Have I felt sometimes the lightness and the joy of the yoke of the Law of God which Jesus has revealed to us?
5) Concluding Prayer
Bless Yahweh, my soul,
from the depths of my being, his holy name;
bless Yahweh, my soul,
never forget all his acts of kindness. (Ps 103)
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