Trang

Thứ Tư, 21 tháng 12, 2016

DECEMBER 22, 2016 : THURSDAY OF THE FOURTH WEEK IN ADVENT

Thursday of the Fourth Week in Advent
Lectionary: 198

Reading 11 SM 1:24-28
In those days,
Hannah brought Samuel with her,
along with a three-year-old bull,
an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine,
and presented him at the temple of the LORD in Shiloh. 
After the boy’s father had sacrificed the young bull,
Hannah, his mother, approached Eli and said:
“Pardon, my lord!
As you live, my lord,
I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the LORD. 
I prayed for this child, and the LORD granted my request. 
Now I, in turn, give him to the LORD;
as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the LORD.”
She left Samuel there.
Responsorial Psalm1 SM 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8ABCD
R. (see 1a) My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
“My heart exults in the LORD,
my horn is exalted in my God.
I have swallowed up my enemies;
I rejoice in my victory.”
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
“The bows of the mighty are broken,
while the tottering gird on strength.
The well-fed hire themselves out for bread,
while the hungry batten on spoil.
The barren wife bears seven sons,
while the mother of many languishes.”
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
“The LORD puts to death and gives life;
he casts down to the nether world;
he raises up again.
The LORD makes poor and makes rich,
he humbles, he also exalts.”
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
“He raises the needy from the dust;
from the dung heap he lifts up the poor,
To seat them with nobles
and make a glorious throne their heritage.”
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
O King of all nations and keystone of the Church:
come and save man, whom you formed from the dust!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelLK 1:46-56
Mary said:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
for he has looked upon his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
and has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.”

Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months
and then returned to her home.


Meditation: Joyful Expectation of the Messiah
Do you know the mercy and favor of the Lord? Those who hunger for the Lord will not be disappointed. The Lord himself will fill them with the fruits of his peace, joy, and righteousness. We see God's boundless love manifested in the promise of a Redeemer. As the events leading to the birth of our Savior unfold we see all the prophecies, promises and prayers of the Old Testament being fulfilled because "God so loved the world that he gave us his only Son" (John 3:16). 
The Gospel of Luke reveals the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in Mary's life. When Elizabeth and Mary greeted one another they were filled with the Holy Spirit and with a joyful anticipation of the fulfillment of God's promise to give a Savior. John the Baptist, even before the birth of the Messiah, pointed to his coming and leapt for joy in the womb of his mother as the Holy Spirit revealed to him the presence of the King to be born. The Holy Spirit is God's gift to us to enable us to know and experience the indwelling presence of God and the power of his kingdom. The Holy Spirit is the way in which God reigns within each of us.
Mary accepted her mission with uncompromising faith and obedience. She acted with unwavering trust and faith because she believed that God would fulfill the word he had spoken. Her great hymn of praise echoes the song of Hannah (see 1 Samuel 2:1-10) and proclaims the favor of the Lord: God exalts the lowly and he fills the hungry with good things. Hannah like Mary had been without child and God in a marvelous way gave her a son, named Samuel, whom she dedicated at an early age to the service of the Lord (1 Samuel 1:24ff.)  Mary, too, would lose her son to a servant ministry that would take him to the cross. Christmas is a time for renewing our faith and hope in God and in his promises and for deepening our love for God and for neighbor. Do you seek the Lord Jesus and the power of his Holy Spirit so that you may be renewed in faith, hope, and love?
"Lord Jesus, help me to earnestly seek you with humility and confidence. Increase my faith in your promises, strengthen within me the hope of heaven and eternal life, and set my heart on fire with burning love for you and for your kingdom. May I always praise and magnify your great mercy and glory."
Daily Quote from the early church fathersMary preaches the new kingdom, by Ephrem the Syrian (306-373 AD)
"[Mary] revealed to Elizabeth what the angel spoke to her in secret, and that he called her blessed because she believed in the realization of the prophecy and the teaching that she heard (Luke 146-55). Then Mary gently brought forth the fruit of what she heard from the angel and Elizabeth: 'My soul bless the Lord.' Elizabeth had said, 'Blessed is she who has believed,' and Mary replied, 'From henceforth all generations will call me blessed.' It was then that Mary began to preach the new kingdom. 'She returned home after three months,' so that the Lord whom she was carrying would not begin service before his servant. She returned to her husband to clarify the matter, for if she had become pregnant through human fruit, it would have been appropriate for her to flee from her husband." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON TATIAN’S DIATESSARON 1.28)

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22, LUKE 1:46-56
Advent Weekday

(1 Samuel 1:24-28; Psalm: 1 Samuel 2)

KEY VERSE: "Behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed" (v 48).
TO KNOW: Mary's hymn of praise (The Magnificat) was reminiscent of the canticle of Hannah (1 Sm 2:8), in which she sang about the power of God and the powerlessness of humankind. Through her son Jesus, Mary was called to be a partner with God in our redemption. She humbly acknowledged that her lofty status was not due to her own merits, but through the graciousness of God, her Savior. Mary proclaimed God's mercy toward the lowly and God's judgment upon the arrogant. God would cast down the powerful rulers of this world and raise up the poor and defenseless. God would satisfy those who hungered for righteousness, and send away those who were self-satisfied. God fulfilled all the promises made to Abraham, servant Israel, and guaranteed faithfulness throughout the ages. The pledge that all generations would call Mary blessed was fulfilled in her title the "Blessed Mother." Her blessedness is a sign of the capacity for all people to bear the image and likeness of God.
TO LOVE: Have I shared the joy of the Lord with others this Advent?
TO SERVE: Blessed Mother, help me to rejoice in God's blessings to me.

O KING OF ALL THE NATIONS, December 22

Today's O Antiphon is "O Rex Gentium" (O King of all the nations). This sixth antiphon addresses the savior as the king of the gentiles (Jer.10:7) and the Desired One of all the nations. Jesus, the Messiah, is the cornerstone on whom our spiritual foundations are laid, the cornerstone that unites and binds Jew and gentile into one, making peace between them.
O come, Desire of nations, bind,
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of peace.



Thursday 22 December 2016

Thu 22nd. 1 Samuel 1:24-28. My heart rejoices in the Lord, my Saviour—1 Samuel 2:1, 4-8. Luke 1:46-56.
Our gifts, God's glory.
The actions of the two women in the readings today are perfect examples of the humble gratitude that constitute the Christian way of life. Hannah's prayers for a child were finally answered, and she joyfully dedicates her son to the Lord in thanksgiving. Meanwhile in the Gospel, Mary responds to Elizabeth's greeting with her Magnificat, a beautiful ode of faith, humility and wonder at God's gifts. Both Hannah and Mary think not of themselves, but of the unique way in which they are able to give glory to God through the gift of their sons. It reminds me to never take anything for granted; everything I have comes from God and must eventually return to Him. Lord, I pray that the gifts that I receive today be used for your Glory.

LECTIO DIVINA: LUKE 1,46-56
Lectio Divina: 
 Thursday, December 22, 2016
4th Week of Advent

1) Opening prayer
God of the little ones,
with Mary we rejoice and give you thanks
that you let Jesus Christ become one of us
and let him bring us the dignity
of your sons and daughters.
May we live up to that dignity
and to the joy that says
that we are deeply loved by you.
Like you, may we also learn to care
for all that is little and brittle
and bring your justice to the poor
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

2) Gospel Reading – Luke 1, 46-56
And Mary said: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour;
because he has looked upon the humiliation of his servant. Yes, from now onwards all generations will call me blessed,
for the Almighty has done great things for me. Holy is his name,
and his faithful love extends age after age to those who fear him.
He has used the power of his arm, he has routed the arrogant of heart.
He has pulled down princes from their thrones and raised high the lowly.
He has filled the starving with good things, sent the rich away empty.
He has come to the help of Israel his servant, mindful of his faithful love
- according to the promise he made to our ancestors - of his mercy to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.
Mary stayed with her some three months and then went home.

3) Reflection
• The canticle of Mary was one of the canticles of the community of the first Christians. It reveals the level of awareness or consciousness and the firmness of the faith which animated her interiorly. Sung in the community, this canticle of Mary teaches us to pray and to sing.
• Luke 1, 46-50: Mary begins by proclaiming the change which is taking place in her life under the loving look of God, full of mercy. Because of this, she sings joyfully: “I rejoice in God, my Saviour”.
• Luke 1, 51-53: Afterwards she sings the fidelity of God toward his people and proclaims the change which the arm of the Lord was realizing in behalf of the poor and the hungry. The expression “arm of God” reminds us of the liberation of the Exodus. This is the force of salvation and of liberation of Yahweh which bring about the changes: he has routed the arrogant of heart (Lk 1, 51), he has pulled down princes from their thrones and raised high the lowly (Lk 1, 52), he has filled the starving with good things, sent the rich away empty (Lk 1, 53).
• Luke 1, 54-55: At the end Mary recalls that all this is the expression of God’s mercy toward his people and expression of his fidelity to the promises made to Abraham. The Good News seen not as a reward because of the observance of the Law, but rather as an expression of the goodness and of the fidelity of God to his promises. This is what Paul taught the Galatians and the Romans.

4) Personal questions
• The canticles are the thermometer of the life of the community. They reveal the degree of consciousness and of commitment. Examine the canticles of your community.
• Analyze the social conscience which comes from Mary’s canticle. In the 20th century after Christ, this canticle was censured by the military of Latin America because it was considered subversive.

5) Concluding Prayer
The Lord raises the poor from the dust,
he lifts the needy from the dunghill
to give them a place with princes,
to assign them a seat of honour. (1Sam 2,8)



Không có nhận xét nào:

Đăng nhận xét