DECEMBER 22, 2018 : SATURDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK OF ADVENT

Saturday of the Third Week of 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 SAMUEL 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.

www.usccb.org

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). 

Those who are humble and hungry for God receive his Spirit
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 leaped 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.

The Holy Spirit fills us with the joy and hope of heaven
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 fathers: Mary 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)

www.dailyscripture.net

SATURDAY, 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 (the mother of the prophet Samuel, 1 Sm 2:1-10), 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; it was 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 his 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

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), 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

www.togetherwithgodsword.com

Saturday 22 December 2018

1 Samuel 1:24-28. 1 Samuel 2:1, 4-8. Luke 1:46-56.
My heart rejoices in the Lord, my Saviour – 1 Samuel 2:1, 4-8.

‘My spirit rejoices in God my saviour.’

Hannah’s song is a song by a mother who laments her childlessness. The song moves from sadness to joy when her lament turns to praise in the Lord. The Lord has brought about in her a reversal of fortune. She will conceive and bear a son, Samuel.

Mary’s thanksgiving song strongly echoes Hannah’s song. Both celebrate a birth not only miraculous but also of great significance in God’s story of salvation.

Mary and Hannah before her both rejoice in the ways in which God’s saving actions focus on justice and the redressing of wrongs and inequality. In this season of Advent, let us pray with the Magnificat – a prayer that commits ourselves to act for justice.

www.pray.com.au

Blessed Jacopone da Todi

Saint of the Day for December 22

(c. 1230 – December 25, 1306)

 

Blessed Jacopone da Todi | Paolo Uccello | photo by The Yorck Project

Blessed Jacopone da Todi’s Story

Jacomo or James, was born a noble member of the Benedetti family in the northern Italian city of Todi. He became a successful lawyer and married a pious, generous lady named Vanna.

His young wife took it upon herself to do penance for the worldly excesses of her husband. One day Vanna, at the insistence of Jacomo, attended a public tournament. She was sitting in the stands with the other noble ladies when the stands collapsed. Vanna was killed. Her shaken husband was even more disturbed when he realized that the penitential girdle she wore was for his sinfulness. On the spot, he vowed to radically change his life.

Jacomo divided his possessions among the poor and entered the Secular Franciscan Order. Often dressed in penitential rags, he was mocked as a fool and called Jacopone, or “Crazy Jim,” by his former associates. The name became dear to him.

After 10 years of such humiliation, Jacopone asked to be received into the Order of Friars Minor. Because of his reputation, his request was initially refused. He composed a beautiful poem on the vanities of the world, an act that eventually led to his admission into the Order in 1278. He continued to lead a life of strict penance, declining to be ordained a priest. Meanwhile, he was writing popular hymns in the vernacular.

Jacopone suddenly found himself a leader in a disturbing religious movement among the Franciscans. The Spirituals, as they were called, wanted a return to the strict poverty of Francis. They had on their side two cardinals of the Church and Pope Celestine V. These two cardinals though, opposed Celestine’s successor, Boniface VIII. At the age of 68, Jacopone was excommunicated and imprisoned. Although he acknowledged his mistake, Jacopone was not absolved and released until Benedict XI became pope five years later. He had accepted his imprisonment as penance. He spent the final three years of his life more spiritual than ever, weeping “because Love is not loved.” During this time he wrote the famous Latin hymn, Stabat Mater.

On Christmas Eve in 1306 Jacopone felt that his end was near. He was in a convent of the Poor Clares with his friend, Blessed John of La Verna. Like Francis, Jacopone welcomed “Sister Death” with one of his favorite songs. It is said that he finished the song and died as the priest intoned the “Gloria” from the midnight Mass at Christmas. From the time of his death, Brother Jacopone has been venerated as a saint.

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Reflection

His contemporaries called Jacopone, “Crazy Jim.” We might well echo their taunt, for what else can you say about a man who broke into song in the midst of all his troubles? We still sing Jacopone’s saddest song, the Stabat Mater, but we Christians claim another song as our own, even when the daily headlines resound with discordant notes. Jacopone’s whole life rang out our song: “Alleluia!” May he inspire us to keep singing.

www.franciscanmedia.org

LECTIO DIVINA: LUKE 1:46-56

Lectio Divina: 

 Saturday, December 22, 2018

3th 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 Savior;
because He has looked with favor on his lowly servant. Yes, from now on 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 up 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 of mercy He made to our ancestors -  to Abraham and to His descendants forever.
Mary stayed with her about three months and then returned 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 gaze of God, full of mercy. Because of this, she sings joyfully: “I rejoice in God, my Savior”.
• Luke 1: 51-53: Afterwards she sings of the fidelity of God toward His people and proclaims the change which the arm of the Lord was realizing on 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 up 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 the expression of His fidelity to the promises made to Abraham. The Good News is not seen as a reward because of the observance of the Law, but rather as an expression of the goodness and fidelity of God to His promises. This is what Paul taught the Galatians and the Romans.

“The song of Mary is the oldest Advent hymn. It is at once the most passionate, the wildest, one might even say the most revolutionary Advent hymn ever sung. This is not the gentle, tender, dreamy Mary whom we sometimes see in paintings.…This song has none of the sweet, nostalgic, or even playful tones of some of our Christmas carols. It is instead a hard, strong, inexorable song about the power of God and the powerlessness of humankind.”

- The German theologian Dietrich Bonheoffer, before being executed by the Nazis, in a sermon during Advent 1933.

4) Personal questions

• The canticles are the thermometer of the life of the community. They reveal the degree of consciousness and commitment. Examine the canticles of your community.
• Analyze the social conscience which comes from Mary’s Canticle. In the 20th century after Christ, it is said that this Canticle was censored 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 honor. (1Sam 2:8)

www.ocarm.org