The Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas
Lectionary: 203
Lectionary: 203
I am writing to
you, children,
because your sins have been forgiven for his name’s sake.
I am writing to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men,
because you have conquered the Evil One.
I write to you, children,
because you know the Father.
I write to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
because you are strong and the word of God remains in you,
and you have conquered the Evil One.
Do not love the world or the things of the world.
If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world,
sensual lust, enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life,
is not from the Father but is from the world.
Yet the world and its enticement are passing away.
But whoever does the will of God remains forever.
because your sins have been forgiven for his name’s sake.
I am writing to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men,
because you have conquered the Evil One.
I write to you, children,
because you know the Father.
I write to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
because you are strong and the word of God remains in you,
and you have conquered the Evil One.
Do not love the world or the things of the world.
If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world,
sensual lust, enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life,
is not from the Father but is from the world.
Yet the world and its enticement are passing away.
But whoever does the will of God remains forever.
Responsorial PsalmPS 96:7-8A, 8B-9, 10
R. (11a) Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
Give to the LORD, you families of nations,
give to the LORD glory and praise;
give to the LORD the glory due his name!
R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
Bring gifts, and enter his courts;
worship the LORD in holy attire.
Tremble before him, all the earth.
R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
Say among the nations: The LORD is king.
He has made the world firm, not to be moved;
he governs the peoples with equity.
R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
Give to the LORD, you families of nations,
give to the LORD glory and praise;
give to the LORD the glory due his name!
R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
Bring gifts, and enter his courts;
worship the LORD in holy attire.
Tremble before him, all the earth.
R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
Say among the nations: The LORD is king.
He has made the world firm, not to be moved;
he governs the peoples with equity.
R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
A holy day has dawned upon us.
Come, you nations, and adore the Lord.
Today a great light has come upon the earth.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
A holy day has dawned upon us.
Come, you nations, and adore the Lord.
Today a great light has come upon the earth.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 2:36-40
There was a
prophetess, Anna,
the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.
She was advanced in years,
having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage,
and then as a widow until she was eighty-four.
She never left the temple,
but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer.
And coming forward at that very time,
she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child
to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.
When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions
of the law of the Lord,
they returned to Galilee,
to their own town of Nazareth.
The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom;
and the favor of God was upon him.
the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.
She was advanced in years,
having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage,
and then as a widow until she was eighty-four.
She never left the temple,
but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer.
And coming forward at that very time,
she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child
to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.
When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions
of the law of the Lord,
they returned to Galilee,
to their own town of Nazareth.
The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom;
and the favor of God was upon him.
Meditation: "All who were looking for the redemption of
Jerusalem"
What do you hope for? The hope which God places in our heart is
the desire for the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness. Hope
grows with prayer and perseverance. Anna was pre-eminently a woman of great
hope and expectation that God would fulfill all his promises. Filled with the
Holy Spirit, she was found daily in the house of the Lord, attending to the
Lord in prayer and speaking prophetically to others about the Lord's promise to
send a redeemer. She is a model of godliness to all believers as we advance in
age.
Advancing age and the disappointments of life can easily make us
cynical and hopeless if we do not have our hope placed rightly. Anna's hope in
God and his promises grew with age! She never ceased to worship God in faith
and to pray with hope. Her hope and faith in God's promises fueled her
indomitable zeal and fervor in prayer and service of God's people.
How do we grow in hope? By placing our trust in the promises of
Jesus Christ and relying not on our own strength, but on the grace and help of
the Holy Spirit. Does your hope and fervor for God grow with age?
"Lord Jesus, may I never cease to hope in you and to trust
in your promises. Inflame my zeal for your kingdom and increase my love for
prayer, that I may never cease to give you praise and worship".
Daily
Quote from the early church fathers: Jesus, though rich, became poor for us, by Ambrose of Milan, 339-397 A.D.
"Anna, who, by reason of her years of
widowhood and her virtues, is set before us as wholly worthy of belief,
announces that the Redeemer of all people has come... Not without purpose,
however, does he make mention of the eighty-four years of her widowhood,
because both the seven twelves and the two forties seemed to imply a number
that is sacred." (excerpt
from EXPOSITION OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 2.62)
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 30, LUKE 2:36-40
Sixth day in the Octave of the Church
(I John 2:12-17; Psalm 96)
Sixth day in the Octave of the Church
(I John 2:12-17; Psalm 96)
KEY VERSE: "She gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Israel" (v 38).
TO KNOW: Luke paralleled the account of Simeon (Lk 2:25-35) with that of Anna, a pious, elderly widow who spent her days in the temple praying and fasting for the redemption of Israel. Widows such as Anna dedicated their lives to God through prayer and service, and were greatly respected in Israel. Anna was called a "prophetess," one who interpreted God's action in the world. When Joseph and Mary brought their child to the Temple, Anna announced to everyone that the deliverance of Israel would be accomplished through Jesus. After fulfilling the required rites of purification, Joseph and Mary returned to Nazareth where the child Jesus grew physically, intellectually and spiritually.
TO LOVE: How can I be of service to the widowed and elderly in my parish?
TO SERVE: Holy Spirit, help me to grow in wisdom and favor before God.
Wednesday 30 December 2015
1 John
2:12-17. Let heaven and earth exult in joy!—Ps 95(96):7-10. Luke 2:36-40.
Worldly
and spiritual things are at issue in the readings of the day.
We are
cautioned in the first reading not to love the things of this world, for they
are temporary. We are then given the example of the Prophetess Anna who spends
her days on spiritual things.
Most of
us would say we don’t have the possibility of giving more than a few moments a
day to ethereal or spiritual things. Sometimes we don’t even get to a ‘Hail
Mary’ or a ‘Glory Be’.
A young
woman with two children under four told me her prayer these days is a very
slow, intentional ‘Our Father’, and a prayer to God as she washes the dishes at
night, asking God to give her the grace to wash just ‘one more dish.’
The Psalm
offers some comfort that our God loves us despite all of that. We are the sheep
of his flock.
On a day
like today, I take refuge in the idea that I can look to the Lord for help in
my worldly and spiritual walk. The Lord will always look for us, if we would
just open our hearts.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
|
Answer the Call
|
I feel the Lord is calling me. I feel urged, even when I don’t
want to think about it.
–Blessed Maria Gabriella Sagheddu
–Blessed Maria Gabriella Sagheddu
December
30
St. Egwin
(d. 717)
St. Egwin
(d. 717)
You say you’re not familiar with today’s saint? Chances are you
aren’t—unless you’re especially informed about Benedictine bishops who established
monasteries in medieval England.
Born of royal blood in the 7th century, Egwin entered a
monastery and was enthusiastically received by royalty, clergy and the people
as the bishop of Worcester, England. As a bishop he was known as a protector of
orphans and the widowed and a fair judge. Who could argue with that?
His popularity didn’t hold up among members of the clergy,
however. They saw him as overly strict, while he felt he was simply trying to
correct abuses and impose appropriate disciplines. Bitter resentments arose,
and Egwin made his way to Rome to present his case to Pope Constantine. The
case against Egwin was examined and annulled.
Upon his return to England, he founded Evesham Abbey, which
became one of the great Benedictine houses of medieval England. It was
dedicated to Mary, who had reportedly made it known to Egwin just where a
church should be built in her honor.
He died at the abbey on December 30, in the year 717. Following
his burial many miracles were attributed to him: The blind could see, the deaf
could hear, the sick were healed.
LECTIO DIVINA:
LUKE 2,36-40
Lectio:
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
Christmas Time
1) Opening prayer
Almighty Father,
you let humble, faithful people
recognize your Son
and welcome him as the Saviour
who brought freedom and life to his people.
May we too recognize and welcome Jesus
in all that is little and humble
and with him grow up in wisdom and grace
to the maturity of your sons and daughters,
so that we attain the full stature of Jesus.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Almighty Father,
you let humble, faithful people
recognize your Son
and welcome him as the Saviour
who brought freedom and life to his people.
May we too recognize and welcome Jesus
in all that is little and humble
and with him grow up in wisdom and grace
to the maturity of your sons and daughters,
so that we attain the full stature of Jesus.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
2) Gospel reading - Luke 2,36-40
There was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was well on in years. Her days of girlhood over, she had been married for seven years before becoming a widow. She was now eighty-four years old and never left the Temple, serving God night and day with fasting and prayer. She came up just at that moment and began to praise God; and she spoke of the child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem.
When they had done everything the Law of the Lord required, they went back to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. And as the child grew to maturity, he was filled with wisdom; and God's favour was with him.
There was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was well on in years. Her days of girlhood over, she had been married for seven years before becoming a widow. She was now eighty-four years old and never left the Temple, serving God night and day with fasting and prayer. She came up just at that moment and began to praise God; and she spoke of the child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem.
When they had done everything the Law of the Lord required, they went back to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. And as the child grew to maturity, he was filled with wisdom; and God's favour was with him.
3) Reflection
• In the first two chapters of Luke’s Gospel, everything turns around the birth of two persons: John and Jesus. The two chapters make us feel the perfume of the Gospel of Luke. In it the environment is one of tenderness and of praise. From the beginning until the end, the mercy of God is sung and praised: The canticles of Mary (Lk 1, 46-55), of Zechariah (Lk 1, 68-79), of the Angels (Lk 2, 14), of Simeon (Lk 2, 29-32). Finally, God comes to fulfil his promises and he fulfils them in behalf of the poor, of the anawim, of those who know how to persevere and hope in his coming: Elizabeth, Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, Simeon, Anna, the shepherds.
• Chapters 1 and 2 of Luke’s Gospel are very well known, but not deepened enough. Luke writes imitating the writings of the Old Testament. It is as if the first two chapters of his Gospel were the last chapter of the Old Testament which opens the door for the coming of the New. These two chapters are the foundation or hinge between the New and the Old Testament. Luke wants to show that the prophecies are being realized. John and Jesus fulfil the Old and begin the New.
• Luke 2, 36-37: The life of the Prophetess Anna. “There was a prophetess, Anna, daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was well on in years. She had been married for seven years before becoming a widow. She was now eighty-four years old and never left the Temple, serving God night and day with fasting and praying”. Like Judith (Jdt 8, 1-6), Anna was also a widow. Like Deborah (Jg 4, 4), she also was a prophetess. That is, a person who communicates something of God and who has a special opening toward the things of faith to the point of being able to communicate them to others. Anna got married when she was young, and lived seven years married, then she became a widow and continued to dedicate herself to God up to the age of eighty-four years. Today, in almost all our communities, in the whole world, we find groups of women of a certain age, many of them are widows, whose life is reassumed in prayer and in being present in the celebrations and in service to the neighbour.
• Luke 2, 38: Anna and the Child Jesus. “She came up just at that moment and began to praise God, and she spoke of the child to all who looked toward to the deliverance of Jerusalem”. She went to the Temple at the moment when Simeon embraces the child and speaks with Mary concerning the future of her son (Lk 2, 25-35). Luke suggests that Anna takes part in this gesture. The look of Anna is one of faith. She sees a child in the arms of his mother and discovers in him the Saviour of the world.
• Luke 2, 39-40: The life of Jesus in Nazareth. “When they had done everything the Law of the Lord required, they went back to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. And as the child grew to maturity, he was filled with wisdom and God’s favour was with him”. In these few words, Luke communicates something of the Mystery of the Incarnation. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (Jn 1, 14). The Son of God becomes equal to us in all things and assumes the condition of Servant (Ph 2, 7). He was obedient even unto death and death on the cross (Ph 2, 8). He lived thirty-three years among us, and of these, he lived thirty in Nazareth. If we want to know how the life of the Son of God was during the years that he lived in Nazareth, we have to try to know the life of any Nazarene of that time, change his name, give him the name of Jesus and we will know the life of the Son of God in the thirty-three years of his life, in everything like us except sin (Heb 4, 15). During these years of his life, “The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom and the grace of God was upon him”. In another passage, Luke affirms the same thing using other words. He says that the child “grew in wisdom, age and grace before God and men” (Lk 2, 52). To grow in wisdom means to assimilate the knowledge, the accumulated human experience throughout the centuries: the times, the feasts, the medicine, the plants, prayer, customs and uses, etc. This is learnt living and living together in the natural community of the people. To grow in age means, to be born small, to grow and to become an adult. This is the process of every human being, with his joys and his sadness, his discoveries and his frustrations, his anger and his love. This is learnt by living and by living together in the family, with the parents, the brothers and the sisters, the relatives. To grow in grace means: to discover the presence of God in the life, his action in everything that happens, vocation, his call. The Letter to the Hebrews says that: “Even if he was the Son, he learnt obedience through his sufferings” (Heb 5, 8).
• In the first two chapters of Luke’s Gospel, everything turns around the birth of two persons: John and Jesus. The two chapters make us feel the perfume of the Gospel of Luke. In it the environment is one of tenderness and of praise. From the beginning until the end, the mercy of God is sung and praised: The canticles of Mary (Lk 1, 46-55), of Zechariah (Lk 1, 68-79), of the Angels (Lk 2, 14), of Simeon (Lk 2, 29-32). Finally, God comes to fulfil his promises and he fulfils them in behalf of the poor, of the anawim, of those who know how to persevere and hope in his coming: Elizabeth, Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, Simeon, Anna, the shepherds.
• Chapters 1 and 2 of Luke’s Gospel are very well known, but not deepened enough. Luke writes imitating the writings of the Old Testament. It is as if the first two chapters of his Gospel were the last chapter of the Old Testament which opens the door for the coming of the New. These two chapters are the foundation or hinge between the New and the Old Testament. Luke wants to show that the prophecies are being realized. John and Jesus fulfil the Old and begin the New.
• Luke 2, 36-37: The life of the Prophetess Anna. “There was a prophetess, Anna, daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was well on in years. She had been married for seven years before becoming a widow. She was now eighty-four years old and never left the Temple, serving God night and day with fasting and praying”. Like Judith (Jdt 8, 1-6), Anna was also a widow. Like Deborah (Jg 4, 4), she also was a prophetess. That is, a person who communicates something of God and who has a special opening toward the things of faith to the point of being able to communicate them to others. Anna got married when she was young, and lived seven years married, then she became a widow and continued to dedicate herself to God up to the age of eighty-four years. Today, in almost all our communities, in the whole world, we find groups of women of a certain age, many of them are widows, whose life is reassumed in prayer and in being present in the celebrations and in service to the neighbour.
• Luke 2, 38: Anna and the Child Jesus. “She came up just at that moment and began to praise God, and she spoke of the child to all who looked toward to the deliverance of Jerusalem”. She went to the Temple at the moment when Simeon embraces the child and speaks with Mary concerning the future of her son (Lk 2, 25-35). Luke suggests that Anna takes part in this gesture. The look of Anna is one of faith. She sees a child in the arms of his mother and discovers in him the Saviour of the world.
• Luke 2, 39-40: The life of Jesus in Nazareth. “When they had done everything the Law of the Lord required, they went back to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. And as the child grew to maturity, he was filled with wisdom and God’s favour was with him”. In these few words, Luke communicates something of the Mystery of the Incarnation. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (Jn 1, 14). The Son of God becomes equal to us in all things and assumes the condition of Servant (Ph 2, 7). He was obedient even unto death and death on the cross (Ph 2, 8). He lived thirty-three years among us, and of these, he lived thirty in Nazareth. If we want to know how the life of the Son of God was during the years that he lived in Nazareth, we have to try to know the life of any Nazarene of that time, change his name, give him the name of Jesus and we will know the life of the Son of God in the thirty-three years of his life, in everything like us except sin (Heb 4, 15). During these years of his life, “The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom and the grace of God was upon him”. In another passage, Luke affirms the same thing using other words. He says that the child “grew in wisdom, age and grace before God and men” (Lk 2, 52). To grow in wisdom means to assimilate the knowledge, the accumulated human experience throughout the centuries: the times, the feasts, the medicine, the plants, prayer, customs and uses, etc. This is learnt living and living together in the natural community of the people. To grow in age means, to be born small, to grow and to become an adult. This is the process of every human being, with his joys and his sadness, his discoveries and his frustrations, his anger and his love. This is learnt by living and by living together in the family, with the parents, the brothers and the sisters, the relatives. To grow in grace means: to discover the presence of God in the life, his action in everything that happens, vocation, his call. The Letter to the Hebrews says that: “Even if he was the Son, he learnt obedience through his sufferings” (Heb 5, 8).
4) Personal questions
• Do you know any persons like Anna, who have a look of faith on the things of life?
• To grow in wisdom, age and grace, how does this take place in my life?
• Do you know any persons like Anna, who have a look of faith on the things of life?
• To grow in wisdom, age and grace, how does this take place in my life?
5) Concluding prayer
Sing to Yahweh, bless his name!
Proclaim his salvation day after day,
declare his glory among the nations,
his marvels to every people! (Sal 96,2-3)
Sing to Yahweh, bless his name!
Proclaim his salvation day after day,
declare his glory among the nations,
his marvels to every people! (Sal 96,2-3)
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