Monday of the Third Week of Advent
Lectionary: 194
Lectionary: 194
Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD,
when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David;
As king he shall reign and govern wisely,
he shall do what is just and right in the land.
In his days Judah shall be saved,
Israel shall dwell in security.
This is the name they give him:
"The LORD our justice."
Therefore, the days will come, says the LORD,
when they shall no longer say, "As the LORD lives,
who brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt";
but rather, "As the LORD lives,
who brought the descendants of the house of Israel
up from the land of the north"–
and from all the lands to which I banished them;
they shall again live on their own land.
when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David;
As king he shall reign and govern wisely,
he shall do what is just and right in the land.
In his days Judah shall be saved,
Israel shall dwell in security.
This is the name they give him:
"The LORD our justice."
Therefore, the days will come, says the LORD,
when they shall no longer say, "As the LORD lives,
who brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt";
but rather, "As the LORD lives,
who brought the descendants of the house of Israel
up from the land of the north"–
and from all the lands to which I banished them;
they shall again live on their own land.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 72:1-2, 12-13, 18-19
R. (see 7) Justice
shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king's son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
who alone does wondrous deeds.
And blessed forever be his glorious name;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king's son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
who alone does wondrous deeds.
And blessed forever be his glorious name;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
O Leader of the House of Israel,
giver of the Law to Moses on Sinai:
come to rescue us with your mighty power!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
O Leader of the House of Israel,
giver of the Law to Moses on Sinai:
come to rescue us with your mighty power!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 1:18-25
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
"Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins."
All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means "God is with us."
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home.
He had no relations with her until she bore a son,
and he named him Jesus.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
"Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins."
All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means "God is with us."
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home.
He had no relations with her until she bore a son,
and he named him Jesus.
Meditation: "He will save his people from their
sins"
Do you hold on to the promises of God at all times,
especially when you are faced with uncertainty or adversity? The prophets
Jeremiah and Isaiah spoke words of hope in a hopeless situation for Israel. The
Davidic dynasty was corrupt and unfit for a Messianic King. Apostates like King
Ahaz (2 Kings 16) and weaklings like Zedekiah (Jeremiah 38) occupied the throne
of David. How could God be faithful to his promise to raise up a righteous King
who would rule forever over the house of David? The prophets trusted that God
could somehow “raise up a righteous shoot” from the stump of Jesse (Isaiah
2:11). Like the prophets we are called “in hope to believe against hope”
(Romans 4:18) that God can and will fulfill all his promises.
Mary was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit
Mary had to face an enormous challenge to her faith and trust in God and to the faith of her family and Joseph, the man she chose to marry. She was asked to assume a burden of tremendous responsibility. It had never been heard of before that a child could be born without a natural father. Mary was asked to accept this miraculous exception to the laws of nature. That required faith and trust in God and in his promises. Second, Mary was not yet married. Pregnancy outside of wedlock was not tolerated in those days. Mary was only espoused to Joseph, and such an engagement had to last for a whole year. She was asked to assume a great risk. She could have been rejected by Joseph, by her family, by all her own people. Mary knew that Joseph and her family would not understand without revelation from God. She nonetheless believed and trusted in God's promises.
Mary had to face an enormous challenge to her faith and trust in God and to the faith of her family and Joseph, the man she chose to marry. She was asked to assume a burden of tremendous responsibility. It had never been heard of before that a child could be born without a natural father. Mary was asked to accept this miraculous exception to the laws of nature. That required faith and trust in God and in his promises. Second, Mary was not yet married. Pregnancy outside of wedlock was not tolerated in those days. Mary was only espoused to Joseph, and such an engagement had to last for a whole year. She was asked to assume a great risk. She could have been rejected by Joseph, by her family, by all her own people. Mary knew that Joseph and her family would not understand without revelation from God. She nonetheless believed and trusted in God's promises.
Joseph believed the angel's message "that which
is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit"
Joseph, a just and God-fearing man, did not wish to embarrass or punish his espoused wife, Mary when he discovered that she was pregnant. To all appearances she had broken their solemn pledge to be faithful and chaste to one another. Joseph, no doubt took this troubling matter to God in prayer. He was not hasty to judge or to react with hurt and anger. God rewarded him not only with guidance and consolation, but with the divine assurance that he had indeed called Joseph to be the husband of Mary and to assume a mission that would require the utmost faith, confidence, and trust in Almighty God. Joseph believed in the divine message to take Mary as his wife and to accept the child in her womb as the promised Messiah.
Joseph, a just and God-fearing man, did not wish to embarrass or punish his espoused wife, Mary when he discovered that she was pregnant. To all appearances she had broken their solemn pledge to be faithful and chaste to one another. Joseph, no doubt took this troubling matter to God in prayer. He was not hasty to judge or to react with hurt and anger. God rewarded him not only with guidance and consolation, but with the divine assurance that he had indeed called Joseph to be the husband of Mary and to assume a mission that would require the utmost faith, confidence, and trust in Almighty God. Joseph believed in the divine message to take Mary as his wife and to accept the child in her womb as the promised Messiah.
A model of faith for us
Like Mary, Joseph is a model of faith for us. He is a faithful witness and servant of God's unfolding plan of redemption. Are you ready to believe in the promises of God, even when faced with perplexing circumstances and what seems like insurmountable problems? God has not left us alone, but has brought us his only begotten Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Let us celebrate Christmas, the feast of the Incarnation, with joyful hearts and let us renew our faith and hope in God and in his redeeming work.
Like Mary, Joseph is a model of faith for us. He is a faithful witness and servant of God's unfolding plan of redemption. Are you ready to believe in the promises of God, even when faced with perplexing circumstances and what seems like insurmountable problems? God has not left us alone, but has brought us his only begotten Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Let us celebrate Christmas, the feast of the Incarnation, with joyful hearts and let us renew our faith and hope in God and in his redeeming work.
"Lord Jesus, you came to save us from
sin and the power of death. May I always rejoice in your salvation and trust in
your divine plan for my life."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: The righteous branch of David is Christ,
by Leo the Great, 400-461 A.D.
"There was only one remedy in the secret of the
divine plan that could help the fallen living in the general ruin of the entire
human race (Jeremiah 23:5-8). This remedy was that one of the sons of Adam
should be born free and innocent of original transgression, to prevail for the
rest by his example and by his merits. This was not permitted by natural
generation. There could be no clean offspring from our faulty stock by this
seed. The Scripture says, 'Who can make a clean thing conceived of an unclean
seed? Isn't it you alone?' (Job 14:4) David's Lord was made David's Son, and
from the fruit of the promised branch sprang. He is one without fault, the
twofold nature coming together into one person. By this one and the same
conception and birth sprung our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom was present both
true Godhead for the performance of mighty works and true manhood for the
endurance of sufferings." (excerpt
from Sermon 28.3)
MONDAY,
DECEMBER 18, MATTHEW 1:18-25
Advent Weekday
(Jeremiah 23:5-8; Psalm 72)
Advent Weekday
(Jeremiah 23:5-8; Psalm 72)
KEY VERSE: "She is to have a son and you are to name him Jesus because he will save his people from their sins" (v 21).
TO KNOW: Luke's nativity narration was told from Mary's perspective, whereas Matthew's point of view was Joseph, to whom she was betrothed. Betrothal was a solemn commitment, which lasted a full year, and could only be terminated by divorce. Joseph was a righteous man who faithfully observed the Mosaic law, but when he discovered that Mary was with child, he was unwilling to publicly charge her with adultery as the penalty was death (Dt 22:20-24). In a dream, Joseph was told not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife because the child had been conceived through the Holy Spirit. With the Spirit's guidance there was nothing to fear. Joseph was instructed to name the child "Jesus" (Hebrew, Yeshua) meaning "Yahweh saves." In Jesus, God would save the people from their sins. Through Joseph's family line, Jesus bears the royal title "Son of David." Jesus is also "Emmanuel" ("God is with us," Matt 1:23; Is 7:14), the incarnate "Son of God" who would dwell among the people for eternity.
TO LOVE: Do I seek the Spirit's guidance when I have difficult decisions to make?
TO SERVE: St. Joseph, help me to follow your example of humble obedience.
O SACRED LORD, December 18
Today's O Antiphon is "O Adonai" (O Sacred LORD). Adonai was the Hebrew word that the Jews used instead of the four-lettered word for God's name (YHWH), which they held to be too sacred to pronounce aloud. Christ is the Lord of Creation. He is also Lord of the Covenant, which God made with the people on Mount Sinai. O Leader of the House of Israel, giver of the Law to Moses on Sinai: come to rescue us with your mighty power!
O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai's height
In ancient times didst give the law
In cloud and majesty, and awe.
Monday 18
December 2017
Advent Season of Creation.
Jeremiah 23:5-8. Psalm 71(72):1-2, 12-13, 18-19. Matthew
1:18-24.
Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for
ever—Psalm 71(72):1-2, 12-13, 18-19.
Next week is Christmas Day.
Today we begin with the narrative of the conception of Jesus in
Matthew’s Gospel. While for the rest of the week we follow Luke’s Gospel that
the author sourced from Matthew. Here it was important for Matthew’s Jewish
Christian audience to connect Jesus, Son of God, Son of Abraham and son of David.
It was fitting that Joseph (who was asked by the angel in his dream) named the
child Jesus after Joshua who was to save his people from their sins should echo
in his origins the historic deliverance of Israel from Egypt. Can I trace my
own roots? If I trace my own ancestry and use my imagination to realise that I
too share the same ancestors as Jesus; we are directly related. Research using
DNA shows that everyone living today is likely to have had a common ancestor
living 200 000 years ago. Jesus entered the seven-million-year-old flow of
evolved humanity to be part of my story. This child born 2000 years ago in
Bethlehem arrived at the crossroads of civilisations, Asian, Chinese, European
and African in the Middle East.
Knowing my own deep connectedness then, does this make a
difference to the way I relate to humanity? The Earth Charter which Pope
Francis quotes in Laudato Si (Care for our Common Home) invites us to
become aware of our interconnectedness exclaiming “Let ours be a time
remembered for the awakening of a new reverence for life, the firm resolve to
achieve sustainability, the quickening of the struggle for justice and peace,
and the joyful celebration of life.”
LECTIO DIVINA: MATTHEW 1,18-24
Lectio Divina:
Monday, December 18, 2017
3rd Week
of Advent
1) Opening prayer
Lord,
faithful God,
in Jesus You have given us someone
taken from our human flesh and blood,
a man, yet Your Son,
through whom You want to restore
integrity and fidelity among us.
Help us to give with Him,
to You, and also to one another,"
the proper and adequate response
of faithful, serving love,
which You expect from Your people.
Be our God for ever
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
in Jesus You have given us someone
taken from our human flesh and blood,
a man, yet Your Son,
through whom You want to restore
integrity and fidelity among us.
Help us to give with Him,
to You, and also to one another,"
the proper and adequate response
of faithful, serving love,
which You expect from Your people.
Be our God for ever
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
2) Gospel Reading – Matthew 1:18-24
This
is how Jesus Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph;
but before they came to live together she was found to be with child through
the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being an upright man and wanting to spare
her disgrace, decided to divorce her informally. He had made up his mind to do
this when suddenly the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because
she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a
son, and you must name Him Jesus, because He is the one who is to save His
people from their sins.”
Now
all this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken through the prophet:
“Look! the virgin is with child and will give birth to a son whom they will
call Immanuel, a name which means 'God-is-with-us'.”
When
Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do: he took
his wife into his home.
3) Reflection
•
In Luke’s Gospel, the story of the infancy of Jesus (chapters 1 and 2 of
Luke) centers around Mary. However, in the Gospel of Matthew, the infancy
of Jesus (chapters 1 and 2 of Matthew) centers around Joseph, the promised
spouse of Mary. Joseph was a descendant of David. Through him, Jesus belongs to
the line of David. Thus, in Jesus, the promises made by God to David and his
descendants are fulfilled.
•
As seen in yesterday’s Gospel relating to the genealogy of Jesus, there was
something unusual in the marital unions of the five women mentioned. Today’s
Gospel shows Mary to be something of a companion to these women. Her
union with Joseph is also abnormal, and contrary to the laws of the time,
because she was pregnant before living with Joseph. Neither the people, nor the
future husband, knew the origin of this pregnancy. If Joseph had the same idea
of justice as held by the scribes and Pharisees, he would have denounced
Mary. The penalty she would have suffered would have been death by
stoning.
•
Joseph, however, shows a different manner of justice. He practiced what
Jesus would later teach, namely, that “if your uprightness does not surpass
that of the Scribes and Pharisees you will never get into the kingdom of
Heaven” (Mt 5:20). For this reason, Joseph, not understanding the facts
and not wanting to repudiate Mary, decided to leave her in secret.
•
In the bible, the discovery of God’s call takes place in different ways. Joseph
succeeded in seeing the significance of what was taking place in Mary by means
of a dream. In his sleep, an angel uses the bible to clarify the origin of
Mary’s pregnancy. It came from the action of the Spirit of God.
•
When everything was clear for Mary, she says “Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word!” When everything was clear for
Joseph, he takes Mary as his spouse and they went to live together. Thanks to
the justice of Joseph, Mary was not put to death and Jesus continued to live in
her womb.
4) Personal questions
•
In the eyes of the scribes, the justice of Joseph would be disobedience. Is
there a message for us in this?
•
How do you discover the call of the Word of God in your life?
5) Concluding Prayer
For
God rescues the needy who call to Him,
and the poor who have no one to help.
He has pity on the weak and the needy,
and saves the needy from death. (Ps 72:12-13)
and the poor who have no one to help.
He has pity on the weak and the needy,
and saves the needy from death. (Ps 72:12-13)
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