Monday of the Third Week in Advent
Lectionary: 193
Lectionary: 193
Jacob called his sons and said to them:
“Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob,
listen to Israel, your father.
“You, Judah, shall your brothers praise
–your hand on the neck of your enemies;
the sons of your father shall bow down to you.
Judah, like a lion’s whelp,
you have grown up on prey, my son.
He crouches like a lion recumbent,
the king of beasts–who would dare rouse him?
The scepter shall never depart from Judah,
or the mace from between his legs,
While tribute is brought to him,
and he receives the people’s homage.”
“Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob,
listen to Israel, your father.
“You, Judah, shall your brothers praise
–your hand on the neck of your enemies;
the sons of your father shall bow down to you.
Judah, like a lion’s whelp,
you have grown up on prey, my son.
He crouches like a lion recumbent,
the king of beasts–who would dare rouse him?
The scepter shall never depart from Judah,
or the mace from between his legs,
While tribute is brought to him,
and he receives the people’s homage.”
Responsorial
PsalmPS 72:1-2, 3-4AB, 7-8, 17
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.
The mountains shall yield peace for the people,
and the hills justice.
He shall defend the afflicted among the people,
save the children of the poor.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
May his name be blessed forever;
as long as the sun his name shall remain.
In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed;
all the nations shall proclaim his happiness.
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.
The mountains shall yield peace for the people,
and the hills justice.
He shall defend the afflicted among the people,
save the children of the poor.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
May his name be blessed forever;
as long as the sun his name shall remain.
In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed;
all the nations shall proclaim his happiness.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
O Wisdom of our God Most High,
guiding creation with power and love:
come to teach us the path of knowledge!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
O Wisdom of our God Most High,
guiding creation with power and love:
come to teach us the path of knowledge!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 1:1-17
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ,
the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Abraham became the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.
Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah,
whose mother was Tamar.
Perez became the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
Ram the father of Amminadab.
Amminadab became the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
Salmon the father of Boaz,
whose mother was Rahab.
Boaz became the father of Obed,
whose mother was Ruth.
Obed became the father of Jesse,
Jesse the father of David the king.
David became the father of Solomon,
whose mother had been the wife of Uriah.
Solomon became the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
Abijah the father of Asaph.
Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,
Joram the father of Uzziah.
Uzziah became the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah.
Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amos,
Amos the father of Josiah.
Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers
at the time of the Babylonian exile.
After the Babylonian exile,
Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
Zerubbabel the father of Abiud.
Abiud became the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
Azor the father of Zadok.
Zadok became the father of Achim,
Achim the father of Eliud,
Eliud the father of Eleazar.
Eleazar became the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.
Thus the total number of generations
from Abraham to David
is fourteen generations;
from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen generations;
from the Babylonian exile to the Christ,
fourteen generations.
the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Abraham became the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.
Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah,
whose mother was Tamar.
Perez became the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
Ram the father of Amminadab.
Amminadab became the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
Salmon the father of Boaz,
whose mother was Rahab.
Boaz became the father of Obed,
whose mother was Ruth.
Obed became the father of Jesse,
Jesse the father of David the king.
David became the father of Solomon,
whose mother had been the wife of Uriah.
Solomon became the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
Abijah the father of Asaph.
Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,
Joram the father of Uzziah.
Uzziah became the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah.
Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amos,
Amos the father of Josiah.
Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers
at the time of the Babylonian exile.
After the Babylonian exile,
Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
Zerubbabel the father of Abiud.
Abiud became the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
Azor the father of Zadok.
Zadok became the father of Achim,
Achim the father of Eliud,
Eliud the father of Eleazar.
Eleazar became the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.
Thus the total number of generations
from Abraham to David
is fourteen generations;
from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen generations;
from the Babylonian exile to the Christ,
fourteen generations.
Meditation: "The genealogy of Jesus
Christ, the son of David"
Do you know who your ancestors were, where they came
from, and what they passed on from their generation to the next? Genealogies
are very important. They give us our roots and help us to understand our
heritage. Matthew's genealogy of Jesus traces his lineage from Abraham, the
father of God's chosen people, through the line of David, King of Israel. Jesus
the Messiah is the direct descent of Abraham and David, and the rightful heir
to David's throne. God in his mercy fulfilled his promises to Abraham and to
David that he would send a Savior and a King to rule over the house of Israel
and to deliver them from their enemies.
The Lord Jesus is the fulfillment of all God's
promises
When Jacob blessed his sons he foretold that Judah would receive the promise of royalty which we see fulfilled in David (Genesis 49:10). We can also see in this blessing a foreshadowing of God's fulfillment in raising up his anointed King, Jesus the Messiah. Jesus is the fulfillment of all God's promises. He is the hope not only for the people of the Old Covenant but for all nations as well. He is the Savior of the world who redeems us from slavery to sin and Satan and makes us citizens of the kingdom of God. In him we receive adoption into a royal priesthood and holy nation as sons and daughters of the living God (see 1 Peter 1:9). Do you recognize your spiritual genealogy and do you accept God as your Father and Jesus as the sovereign King and Lord of your life?
When Jacob blessed his sons he foretold that Judah would receive the promise of royalty which we see fulfilled in David (Genesis 49:10). We can also see in this blessing a foreshadowing of God's fulfillment in raising up his anointed King, Jesus the Messiah. Jesus is the fulfillment of all God's promises. He is the hope not only for the people of the Old Covenant but for all nations as well. He is the Savior of the world who redeems us from slavery to sin and Satan and makes us citizens of the kingdom of God. In him we receive adoption into a royal priesthood and holy nation as sons and daughters of the living God (see 1 Peter 1:9). Do you recognize your spiritual genealogy and do you accept God as your Father and Jesus as the sovereign King and Lord of your life?
"Lord Jesus Christ, you are the Messiah and
Savior of the world, the hope of Israel and the hope of the nations. Be the
ruler of my heart and the king of my home. May there be nothing in my life that
is not under your wise rule and care."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Judah who received the promise of royalty
foreshadows the Christ the King, by Rufinus (340-410 AD)
"This can be referred to the historical Judah as
well as to those kings who were his descendants (Genesis 49:8-10). They broke
the back of their enemies by administering the kingdom of that people. But this
can also be fittingly referred to Christ, who is praised with good reason by
his brothers, that is, by the apostles whom he himself called brothers in the
Gospel. And his enemies, on whose back is his hand, appear to be those whom the
Father promised to place under his feet by saying, 'Sit at my right hand until
I place your enemies under your feet' (Psalm 110:1). They are enemies as long
as they are unbelieving and unfaithful, and for that reason they are struck on
the back. But after their conversion they become brothers and praise the One
who, by summoning them to the adoption of the Father, has made them his coheirs
and brothers. It is said correctly that the back of the enemies is struck by
Christ. All those who worshiped the idols turned their back to God, as the
Lord, through the prophet, accused them by saying, 'They turned their backs to
me, and not their faces' (Jeremiah 2:27). Therefore he strikes their back so
that after being converted they may turn their back to the idols and raise
their forehead to God and may accomplish what is written here: 'Your father's
sons shall bow down before you.' In fact, they adore him when they have become
sons of the Father and have received the spirit of adoption in which they cry
out, 'Abba, Father' (Romans 8:15-16)." No one calls Jesus Christ Lord
except those who are in the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3). (excerpt from THE BLESSINGS OF THE PATRIARCHS
1.5)
[Rufinus of Aquileia (340-410) was a friend of the
Bible scholar Jerome, and, like Jerome, he departed from Italy to live in the
East. For many years he lived in monasteries in Egypt and in Palestine,
acquiring the learning of the Eastern churches. Towards the end of his life he
returned to Italy and occupied himself in translating works of the earlier
Greek Fathers into Latin.]
MONDAY,
DECEMBER 17, MATTHEW 1:1-17
Advent Weekday
Advent Weekday
(Genesis 49:2, 8-10; Psalm 72)
KEY VERSE: "Of her was born Jesus who is called the Messiah" (v. 16).
TO KNOW: Matthew wrote his gospel around 85 CE to a predominately Jewish-Christian community in Syria. In the opening words of his gospel, Matthew used three titles for Jesus: “the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham," to show that Jesus was the realization of the Old Testament Messianic hopes. Matthew traced Jesus' lineage from the glorious days of the monarchy under King David and his son Solomon to the agonizing days of the fall of Jerusalem and the Babylonia captivity. Jesus is the anointed one, the Messiah (Christ). He is the messianic king, the "Son of David," fulfilling the promise that his kingdom would be everlasting (2 Sm 7:16). He is the faithful "Son of Abraham" fulfilling the promise that all nations would be blessed through him (Gn 12:3). In addition, the virginal birth showed that Jesus was the "Son of God." There were some surprises in Jesus' family tree. Except for Mary, the other women mentioned were all non-Jews (Tamar, Rehab, Ruth and Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah). Jesus' genealogy revealed that he came for the salvation of all people regardless of race or nationality.
TO LOVE: Lord Jesus, thank you for allowing me to belong to your family.
TO SERVE: What can I do to help those in my family who are not in a relationship with Jesus Christ?
Today's O Antiphon is "O Sapientia" (O
Wisdom). We are drawn into the Old Testament's wisdom literature. Wisdom is a
divine attribute. The divine Wisdom is personified. Wisdom is the beloved
daughter who was before Creation, Wisdom is the breath of God's power, shining
forth God's transforming glory. (See Wisdom 8:1.)
O come, O Wisdom from on high,
who orders all things mightily,
to us the path of knowledge show,
and teach us in her ways to go
O come, O Wisdom from on high,
who orders all things mightily,
to us the path of knowledge show,
and teach us in her ways to go
Monday 17
December 2018
Genesis 49:2, 8-10. Psalm 71(72):1-4, 7-8, 17. Matthew 1:1-17.
Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever – Psalm 71(72):1-4, 7-8, 17.
Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever – Psalm 71(72):1-4, 7-8, 17.
‘Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham.’
The very first verse of Matthew proclaims his faith for all who
will hear, namely that Jesus is the Christ. The same Jesus who we will come to
know as Son of God is here announced as the son of David, and thus a child of
Jewish royal lineage – a king in the making. In addition, Jesus is the son of
Abraham, the embodied fulfilment of the covenant that God would always
accompany His people.
The genealogy stresses the importance of family in passing on
the precious gift of life, and each generation’s important part in the larger
story. This genealogy sets the stage for the proclamation of Jesus’ Good News
for all generations.
Saint Hildegard of Bingen
Saint of the Day for December 17
(September 16, 1098 – September 17, 1179)
 |
| Hildegard von Bingen | Line engraving by W. Marshall | Wellcome Images |
Saint Hildegard of Bingen’s Story
Abbess, artist, author, composer, mystic, pharmacist, poet,
preacher, theologian—where to begin in describing this remarkable woman?
Born into a noble family, she was instructed for ten years by
the holy woman Blessed Jutta. When Hildegard was 18, she became a Benedictine
nun at the Monastery of Saint Disibodenberg. Ordered by her confessor to
write down the visions that she had received since the age of three, Hildegard
took ten years to write her Scivias(Know the Ways). Pope
Eugene III read it, and in 1147, encouraged her to continue writing. Her Book
of the Merits of Life and Book of Divine Works followed.
She wrote over 300 letters to people who sought her advice; she also composed
short works on medicine and physiology, and sought advice from contemporaries
such as Saint Bernard of Clairvaux.
Hildegard’s visions caused her to see humans as “living sparks”
of God’s love, coming from God as daylight comes from the sun. Sin destroyed
the original harmony of creation; Christ’s redeeming death and resurrection
opened up new possibilities. Virtuous living reduces the estrangement from God
and others that sin causes.
Like all mystics, Hildegard saw the harmony of God’s creation
and the place of women and men in that. This unity was not apparent to many of
her contemporaries.
Hildegard was no stranger to controversy. The monks near her
original foundation protested vigorously when she moved her monastery to
Bingen, overlooking the Rhine River. She confronted Emperor Frederick Barbarossa
for supporting at least three antipopes. Hildegard challenged the Cathars, who
rejected the Catholic Church claiming to follow a more pure Christianity.
Between 1152 and 1162, Hildegard often preached in the
Rhineland. Her monastery was placed under interdict because she had permitted
the burial of a young man who had been excommunicated. She insisted that he had
been reconciled with the Church and had received its sacraments before dying.
Hildegard protested bitterly when the local bishop forbade the celebration of
or reception of the Eucharist at the Bingen monastery, a sanction that was
lifted only a few months before her death.
In 2012, Hildegard was canonized and named a Doctor of the
Church by Pope Benedict XVI. Her Liturgical Feast Day is September 17.
Reflection
Pope Benedict spoke about Hildegard of Bingen during two of his
general audiences in September 2010. He praised the humility with which she
received God’s gifts, and the obedience she gave Church authorities. He praised
too the “rich theological content” of her mystical visions that sum up the
history of salvation from creation to the end of time.
During his papacy, Pope Benedict XVI said, “Let us always invoke
the Holy Spirit, so that he may inspire in the Church holy and courageous women
like Saint Hildegard of Bingen who, developing the gifts they have
received from God, make their own special and valuable contribution to the
spiritual development of our communities and of the Church in our time.”
LECTIO DIVINA: MATTHEW 1:1-17
Lectio Divina:
Monday, December 17, 2018
3rd Week of Advent
1) OPENING PRAYER
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Your Son, came among us as one of us,
a human being among other people,
simple, accessible,
yet Your human face
and the measure of what a human person is.
Lord, make us discover ourselves in His mirror:
that we are born to be free,
to be unselfish, available, committed.
Free us from our selfishness,
our cowardice and attitudes of conformism,
that we may become
what You want us to be, like Your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Your Son, came among us as one of us,
a human being among other people,
simple, accessible,
yet Your human face
and the measure of what a human person is.
Lord, make us discover ourselves in His mirror:
that we are born to be free,
to be unselfish, available, committed.
Free us from our selfishness,
our cowardice and attitudes of conformism,
that we may become
what You want us to be, like Your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
2) GOSPEL READING – MATTHEW
1:1-17
The book of the genealogy of Jesus
Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham became the father of
Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.
Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar. Perez
became the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of
Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of
Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab. Boaz became the
father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse, Jesse
the father of David the king. David became the father of Solomon, whose mother
had been the wife of Uriah. Solomon became the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the
father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asaph. Asaph became the father of
Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram the father of Uzziah.
Uzziah became the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father
of Hezekiah. Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of
Amos, Amos the father of Josiah. Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his
brothers at the time of the Babylonian exile. After the Babylonian exile,
Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
Zerubbabel the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the
father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Achim,
Achim the father of Eliud, Eliud the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the
father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Joseph, the
husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ. Thus the total
number of generations from Abraham to David is fourteen generations; from David
to the Babylonian exile, fourteen generations; from the Babylonian exile to the
Christ, fourteen generations.
3) REFLECTION
The genealogy defines the identity
of Jesus. He is the “Son of David and the son of Abraham” (Mt 1:1; cf 1:17).
Son of David, is the response to the expectation of the Jews (2 Sam 7:12-16).
Son of Abraham, is a source of blessings for all nations (Gn 12: 13). Both Jews
and Pagans see their hope realized in Jesus.
• In the patriarchal society of the Jews, the genealogies indicated only names of men. It is surprising that Matthew indicates also the names of five women among the ancestors of Jesus: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba (the wife of Uriah) and Mary. Why does Matthew choose precisely these four women as companions of Mary? No queen, no matriarch, none of the fighting women of the Exodus: Why? This is the question which the Gospel of Matthew leaves for us to answer.
• In the life of the four women, companions of Mary, there is something abnormal. The four of them are foreigners, they conceived their sons outside the normal canons and do not respond to the requirements of the Laws of purity of the time of Jesus. Tamar, a Canaanite widow, disguised herself as a prostitute to oblige the Patriarch Judah to be faithful to the law, to do his duty and give her a son (Gen 28:1-30). Rahab, a Canaanite from Jericho, was a prostitute who helped the Israelites enter into the Promised Land (Josh 2:1-21). Ruth, a poor Moabite widow, chose to remain with Naomi and to adhere to the People of God (Ruth 1:16-18). She took the initiative to imitate Tamar and to go and spend the night beside the pile of barley, together with Boaz, obliging him to observe the Law and to give her a son. From the relation between the two, Obed was born, the ancestor of King David (Ruth 3:1-15; 4:13-17). Bathsheba, a Hittite, the wife of Uriah, was seduced, violated and she conceived and became pregnant from King David, who in addition to this ordered that the husband of the woman be killed (2 Sam 11:1-27). The way of acting of these four women did not correspond to the traditional norms. In the meantime these were the initiatives, which were not really conventional, which gave continuity to the lineage of Jesus and led all the people to the salvation of God. All this makes us think and challenges us when we attribute too much value to the rigidity of norms.
• The calculation of 3 X 14 generations (Mt 1:17) has symbolic significance. Three is the number of the divinity. Fourteen is the double of seven. Seven is the perfect number. By means of this symbolism Matthew expresses the conviction of the first Christians according to which Jesus appears in the time established by God. With his coming history reaches its plenitude, its fullness.
• In the patriarchal society of the Jews, the genealogies indicated only names of men. It is surprising that Matthew indicates also the names of five women among the ancestors of Jesus: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba (the wife of Uriah) and Mary. Why does Matthew choose precisely these four women as companions of Mary? No queen, no matriarch, none of the fighting women of the Exodus: Why? This is the question which the Gospel of Matthew leaves for us to answer.
• In the life of the four women, companions of Mary, there is something abnormal. The four of them are foreigners, they conceived their sons outside the normal canons and do not respond to the requirements of the Laws of purity of the time of Jesus. Tamar, a Canaanite widow, disguised herself as a prostitute to oblige the Patriarch Judah to be faithful to the law, to do his duty and give her a son (Gen 28:1-30). Rahab, a Canaanite from Jericho, was a prostitute who helped the Israelites enter into the Promised Land (Josh 2:1-21). Ruth, a poor Moabite widow, chose to remain with Naomi and to adhere to the People of God (Ruth 1:16-18). She took the initiative to imitate Tamar and to go and spend the night beside the pile of barley, together with Boaz, obliging him to observe the Law and to give her a son. From the relation between the two, Obed was born, the ancestor of King David (Ruth 3:1-15; 4:13-17). Bathsheba, a Hittite, the wife of Uriah, was seduced, violated and she conceived and became pregnant from King David, who in addition to this ordered that the husband of the woman be killed (2 Sam 11:1-27). The way of acting of these four women did not correspond to the traditional norms. In the meantime these were the initiatives, which were not really conventional, which gave continuity to the lineage of Jesus and led all the people to the salvation of God. All this makes us think and challenges us when we attribute too much value to the rigidity of norms.
• The calculation of 3 X 14 generations (Mt 1:17) has symbolic significance. Three is the number of the divinity. Fourteen is the double of seven. Seven is the perfect number. By means of this symbolism Matthew expresses the conviction of the first Christians according to which Jesus appears in the time established by God. With his coming history reaches its plenitude, its fullness.
4) PERSONAL QUESTIONS
What is the message to be
discovered in the genealogy of Jesus? Have you found a response to what Matthew
leaves for us ?
• The companions of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, are very different from how we imagined them. What is the conclusion you can draw regarding your devotion to the Blessed Virgin?
• The companions of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, are very different from how we imagined them. What is the conclusion you can draw regarding your devotion to the Blessed Virgin?
5) CONCLUDING PRAYER
May His name be blessed forever,
and endure in the sight of the sun.
In Him shall be blessed every race in the world,
and all nations call Him blessed. (Ps 72:17)
and endure in the sight of the sun.
In Him shall be blessed every race in the world,
and all nations call Him blessed. (Ps 72:17)
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