Thursday 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 PsalmPS 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.
GospelLK 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."
A Daily Quote from the early church fathers: My
words will not pass away, by an anonymous early author from the Greek
church
"'O forerunner of Christ!... O Baptist inspired by God! We
glorify Christ who bowed his head before you in the Jordan and sanctified the
nature of mortal humankind... O wise John the forerunner, you have looked down
from the bank of the river upon the glory of the Father's Word, even the Son as
he stood in the waters; and you have seen the Spirit descend as a dove,
cleansing and enlightening the ends of the earth. To you the mystery of the
Trinity was revealed; and to you we sing, honoring your divine festival.
"O Baptist and forerunner, strengthened by the divine grace
of Christ you have shown us the lamb that takes away all the sins of the world
(John 1:29,35-36), and with joy you have this day brought two disciples to him
(John 1:35-42). Entreat him that peace and great mercy may be given to our souls." (excerpt
from SYNAXIS OF JOHN THE BAPTIST)
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24,
LUKE 1:67-79
Advent Weekday
(2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16; Psalm 89)
Advent Weekday
(2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16; Psalm 89)
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).
TO KNOW: 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 leading to death.
TO LOVE: Have my words and deeds proclaimed peace this Advent?
TO SERVE: Lord God, thank you for showing us your mercy by sending your Son to lead us to the light.
Thursday 24 December 2015
Christmas
Eve. 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8-12, 14, 16. For ever I will sing the goodness of the
Lord—Ps 88(89):2-5, 27, 29. Luke 1:67-79.
Home for
the holidays.
Christmas
is a time for homecomings for many. Family members gather to share in the
Christmas food and cheer. Yet there are many others for whom no such homecoming
exists.
The loss
or absence of a geographical home is a great gap in the lives of a human
person. Indeed, such an absence tears at the hearts of many.
The
readings for this Christmas Eve may provide a word of comfort: that the God who
created them also did not have a geographical abode. This person who lacked
stability, solidarity and identity, actually became the source of all three to
the people of Israel, and then to the Church. The readings remind us that the
person of God is the source of all gifts. Moreover, the psalms are a powerful
reminder that, as wonderful as God’s gifts to us are, it is in belonging to the
person of God and his soon to be incarnate Son, that we find our stability, our
solidarity and our identity.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
|
Self-Emptying Love
|
Oh Jesus, present in the Blessed Sacrament, The heavens ring out
with shouts of joy as the angels announce your coming. I join my song to that
of the angels and proclaim the miracle of your birth. Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased! Alleluia!
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:
Thursday, December 24, 2015
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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