Memorial of Saint Ambrose, Bishop and
Doctor of the Church
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.
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.
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."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Grace bear us, by an anonymous early
author from the Greek church
"'My yoke is easy and my burden light.' ... The
prophet says this about the burden of sinners: 'Because my iniquities lie on
top of my head, so they have also placed a heavy burden on me' (Psalm 38:4)'
...'Place my yoke upon you, and learn from me that I am gentle and humble of
heart.' Oh, what a very pleasing weight that strengthens even more those who
carry it! For the weight of earthly masters gradually destroys the strength of
their servants, but the weight of Christ rather helps the one who bears it,
because we do not bear grace; grace bears us. It is not for us to help grace,
but rather grace has been given to aid us.' (excerpt
from INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY, the Greek fathers).
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7, MATTHEW
11:28-30
(Isaiah 40:25-31; Psalm 103)
(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 someone carry their burdens?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to rest in you in this busy Advent season.
Memorial of Saint Ambrose, bishop
and doctor of the Church
After the bishop of Milan died, a dispute over his replacement led to violence. Ambrose, Governor of Milan, intervened to calm both sides. He impressed everyone so much that, although still an unbaptized catechumen, he was chosen to fill the office of bishop. Ambrose resisted, claiming that he was not worthy, but to prevent further unrest, he assented. On 7 December 374 he was baptized, ordained a priest, and consecrated as bishop. He immediately gave away his wealth to the Church to help the poor as an example to his flock. Ambrose was a preacher, teacher, bible student of renown, and writer of liturgical hymns. His preaching helped convert Saint Augustine of Hippo whom Ambrose baptized and brought into the Church. Ambrose's preaching also convinced Emperor Theodosius to do public penance for his sins. Ambrose called and chaired several theological councils during his time as bishop, many devoted to fighting heresy. He was proclaimed a great Doctor of the Latin Church by Pope Boniface VIII in 1298. The title "Honey Tongued Doctor" was bestowed on him because of his speaking and preaching ability.
Wednesday 7 December 2016
Wed 7th. St Ambrose.
Isaiah 40:25-31. O bless the Lord, my soul—Ps 102(103):1-4, 8, 10. Matthew 11:28-30.
'Take my yoke upon you.'
The first reading today is a depiction of
God's mighty power, a force beyond anything the human mind can comprehend. And
yet Isaiah tells Israel that this power is available to them, if only they
would place their hope in him. This theme is carried into the Gospel. Jesus
asks us to take his yoke upon our shoulders, a sign of surrender and a
readiness to belong to Christ, to learn with humility the ways of God and to
depend on him for all our needs.
Which areas of my life still require that surrender, to conform my ways with his? The yoke we bare may be heavy at times, but our will to carry it is strengthened the more we trust in Him.
Which areas of my life still require that surrender, to conform my ways with his? The yoke we bare may be heavy at times, but our will to carry it is strengthened the more we trust in Him.
ST. AMBROSE
Today the Catholic
Church celebrates the memory of St. Ambrose, the brilliant Bishop of Milan who
influenced St. Augustine's conversion and was named a Doctor of the Church.
Like Augustine
himself, the older Ambrose (born around 340) was a highly educated man who
sought to harmonize Greek and Roman intellectual culture with the Catholic
faith. Trained as a lawyer, he eventually became the governor of Milan. He
manifested his intellectual gifts in defense of Christian doctrine even before
his baptism.
While Ambrose was
serving as the governor of Milan, a bishop named Auxentius was leading the
diocese. Although he was an excellent public speaker with a forceful
personality, Auxentius also followed the heresy of Arius, which denied the
divinity of Christ.
Although the Council
of Nicaea had reasserted the traditional teaching on Jesus' deity, many
educated members of the Church – including, at one time, a majority of the
world's bishops – looked to Arianism as a more sophisticated and cosmopolitan
version of Christianity. Bishop Auxentius became notorious for forcing clergy
throughout the region to accept Arian creeds.
At the time of
Auxentius' death, Ambrose had not yet even been baptized. But his deep
understanding and love of the traditional faith were already clear to the
faithful of Milan. They considered him the most logical choice to succeed
Auxentius, even though he was still just a catechumen.
With the help of
Emperor Valentinan, who ruled the Western Roman Empire at the time, a mob of
Milanese Catholics virtually forced Ambrose to become their bishop against his
own will. Eight days after his baptism, Ambrose received episcopal consecration
on Dec. 7, 374. The date would eventually become his liturgical feast.
Bishop Ambrose did not
disappoint those who had clamored for his appointment and consecration. He
began his ministry by giving everything he owned to the poor and to the Church.
He looked to the writings of Greek theologians like St. Basil for help in
explaining the Church's traditional teachings to the people during times of
doctrinal confusion.
Like the fathers of
the Eastern Church, Ambrose drew from the intellectual reserves of
pre-Christian philosophy and literature to make the faith more comprehensible
to his hearers. This harmony of faith with other sources of knowledge served to
attract, among others, the young professor Aurelius Augustinus – a man Ambrose
taught and baptized, whom history knows as St. Augustine of Hippo.
Ambrose himself lived
simply, wrote prolifically, and celebrated Mass each day. He found time to
counsel an amazing range of public officials, pagan inquirers, confused
Catholics and penitent sinners. The people of Milan never regretted their
insistence that the reluctant civil servant should lead the local church.
His popularity, in
fact, served to keep at bay those who would have preferred to force him from
the diocese, including the Western Empress Justina and a group of her advisers,
who sought to rid the West of adherence to the Nicene Creed. Ambrose heroically
refused her attempts to impose heretical bishops in Italy, along with her
efforts to seize churches in the name of Arianism.
Ambrose also displayed
remarkable courage when he publicly denied communion to the Emperor Theodosius,
who had ordered the massacre of 7,000 citizens in Thessalonica. The chastened
emperor took Ambrose's rebuke to heart, publicly repenting of the massacre and
doing penance for the murders.
“Nor was there
afterwards a day on which he did not grieve for his mistake,” Ambrose himself
noted when he spoke at the emperor's funeral. The rebuke spurred a profound
change in Emperor Theodosius. He reconciled himself with the Church and the
bishop, who attended to the emperor on his deathbed.
St. Ambrose died in
397. His 23 years of diligent service had turned a deeply troubled diocese into
an exemplary outpost for the faith. His writings remained an important point of
reference for the Church, well into the medieval era and beyond.
At the Catholic
Church's Fifth Ecumenical Council – which took place at Constantinople in 553,
and remains a source of authoritative teaching for both Catholics and Eastern
Orthodox Christians – the assembled bishops named Ambrose, along with
this protege St. Augustine, as being among the foremost “holy fathers” of the
Church, whose teaching all bishops should “in every way follow.”
LECTIO DIVINA: MATTHEW
11,28-30
Lectio Divina:
Wednesday, December 7, 2016
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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