Monday of the Fourth Week of Advent
Lectionary: 199
Lectionary: 199
Thus says the Lord GOD:
Lo, I am sending my messenger
to prepare the way before me;
And suddenly there will come to the temple
the LORD whom you seek,1
And the messenger of the covenant whom you desire.
Yes, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.
But who will endure the day of his coming?
And who can stand when he appears?
For he is like the refiner's fire,
or like the fuller's lye.
He will sit refining and purifying silver,
and he will purify the sons of Levi,
Refining them like gold or like silver
that they may offer due sacrifice to the LORD.
Then the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem
will please the LORD,
as in the days of old, as in years gone by.
Lo, I will send you
Elijah, the prophet,
Before the day of the LORD comes,
the great and terrible day,
To turn the hearts of the fathers to their children,
and the hearts of the children to their fathers,
Lest I come and strike
the land with doom.
Lo, I am sending my messenger
to prepare the way before me;
And suddenly there will come to the temple
the LORD whom you seek,1
And the messenger of the covenant whom you desire.
Yes, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.
But who will endure the day of his coming?
And who can stand when he appears?
For he is like the refiner's fire,
or like the fuller's lye.
He will sit refining and purifying silver,
and he will purify the sons of Levi,
Refining them like gold or like silver
that they may offer due sacrifice to the LORD.
Then the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem
will please the LORD,
as in the days of old, as in years gone by.
Lo, I will send you
Elijah, the prophet,
Before the day of the LORD comes,
the great and terrible day,
To turn the hearts of the fathers to their children,
and the hearts of the children to their fathers,
Lest I come and strike
the land with doom.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 25:4-5AB, 8-9, 10 AND
14
R.(see Luke 21:28) Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is
near at hand.
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.
R. Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand.
Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
he teaches the humble his way.
R. Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand.
All the paths of the LORD are kindness and constancy
toward those who keep his covenant and his decrees.
The friendship of the LORD is with those who fear him,
and his covenant, for their instruction.
R. Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand.
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.
R. Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand.
Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
he teaches the humble his way.
R. Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand.
All the paths of the LORD are kindness and constancy
toward those who keep his covenant and his decrees.
The friendship of the LORD is with those who fear him,
and his covenant, for their instruction.
R. Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand.
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.
O King of all nations and keystone of the Church;
come and save man, whom you formed from the dust!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 1:57-66
When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child
she gave birth to a son.
Her neighbors and relatives heard
that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her,
and they rejoiced with her.
When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child,
they were going to call him Zechariah after his father,
but his mother said in reply,
"No. He will be called John."
But they answered her,
"There is no one among your relatives who has this name."
So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called.
He asked for a tablet and wrote, "John is his name,"
and all were amazed.
Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed,
and he spoke blessing God.
Then fear came upon all their neighbors,
and all these matters were discussed
throughout the hill country of Judea.
All who heard these things took them to heart, saying,
"What, then, will this child be?
For surely the hand of the Lord was with him."
she gave birth to a son.
Her neighbors and relatives heard
that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her,
and they rejoiced with her.
When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child,
they were going to call him Zechariah after his father,
but his mother said in reply,
"No. He will be called John."
But they answered her,
"There is no one among your relatives who has this name."
So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called.
He asked for a tablet and wrote, "John is his name,"
and all were amazed.
Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed,
and he spoke blessing God.
Then fear came upon all their neighbors,
and all these matters were discussed
throughout the hill country of Judea.
All who heard these things took them to heart, saying,
"What, then, will this child be?
For surely the hand of the Lord was with him."
For the readings of the Optional Memorial of Saint John of Kanty, please
go here.
Meditation: "What then
will this child be?"
Are
you surprised to see the relatives of Zechariah and Elizabeth disagreeing over
what to name their newborn child? Don't we do the same thing? This child,
however has been named from above! And Elizabeth is firm in her faith and
determined to see that God be glorified through this child. The name John means
"the Lord is gracious." In the birth of John the Baptist and in the
birth of Jesus the Messiah we see the grace and favor of God breaking forth
into a world broken by sin, corruption, and death - a world lost without hope.
The
Old Testament prophets foretold the return of the prophet Elijah (Malachi 3:1,
and 4:5) who would announce the coming of the Messiah - the Savior and Ruler of
the earth. John the Baptist fulfills the role of Elijah (Matthew 11:13-14). His
miraculous birth shows the mercy and favor of God in preparing his people for
the coming of its Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
When
God acts to save us he graciously fills us with his Holy Spirit and makes our
faith come "alive" to his promises. When we respond to his word with
trust the Lord fills us with the joy of the Holy Spirit and renews our hope and
gratitude for the mercy and gift of new life and salvation he gives us through
Jesus Christ. Do you make your life an offering of thanksgiving to God, along
with your family and all that you have and hope to accomplish? God wants to
fill us with the joy of his saving presence all the days of our lives, from
birth through death. Renew the offering of your life to God and give him thanks
for his mercy and favor towards you.
"Lord
Jesus, you are gracious and forgiving towards us. Renew in me the gift of faith
that I may believe your promises and obey your word."
Daily
Quote from the early church fathers: The parallels between John and Jesus,
by Ephrem the Syrian (306-373 AD)
"The
elderly Elizabeth gave birth to the last of the prophets, and Mary, a young
girl, to the Lord of the angels. The daughter of Aaron gave birth to the voice
in the desert (Isaiah 63:9), but the daughter of David to the strong God of the
earth. The barren one gave birth to him who remits sins, but the Virgin gave birth
to him who takes them away (John 1:29). Elizabeth gave birth to him who
reconciled people through repentance, but Mary gave birth to him who purified
the lands of uncleanness. The elder one lit a lamp in the house of Jacob, his
father, for this lamp itself was John (John 5:35), while the younger one lit
the Sun of Justice (Malachi 4:2) for all the nations. The angel announced to
Zechariah, so that the slain one would proclaim the crucified one and that the
hated one would proclaim the envied one. He who was to baptize with water would
proclaim him who would baptize with fire and with the Holy Spirit (Matthew
3:11). The light, which was not obscure, would proclaim the Sun of Justice. The
one filled with the Spirit would proclaim concerning him who gives the Spirit.
The priest calling with the trumpet would proclaim concerning the one who is to
come at the sound of the trumpet at the end. The voice would proclaim
concerning the Word, and the one who saw the dove would proclaim concerning him
upon whom the dove rested, like the lightning before the thunder." (excerpt
from COMMENTARY ON TATIAN’S DIATESSARON 1.31)
MONDAY, DECEMBER 23, LUKE 1:57-66
Advent Weekday
(Malachi 3:1-4, 23-24; Psalm 25)
Advent Weekday
(Malachi 3:1-4, 23-24; Psalm 25)
KEY VERSE: "He will be called John" (v. 60).
TO KNOW: After Elizabeth, Mary’s kinswoman, gave birth to a son, her friends and relatives rejoiced with her. When the child was eight days old, they gathered with the family for the rite of circumcision, a sign of God's covenant with Israel (Gn 17:1-4).The son was usually named during the ritual, which was performed on the eighth day. Everyone assumed that the boy would bear the name of his father Zechariah, but Elizabeth declared that he was to be called "John" according to the angel's command (Lk 1:13). Zechariah had been mute since the angel's announcement, but when he confirmed that the child would be named John, his tongue was immediately loosened. Zechariah’s canticle (the Benedictus), like that of Mary, is a hymn of praise, described as a “prophecy” under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The people were awestruck by God's power. This special child had been chosen to be the voice of God announcing the coming of the Messiah.
TO LOVE: Have my words brought comfort and hope to others this Advent?
TO SERVE: O Jesus, Emmanuel, be with me throughout my life.
O EMMANUEL
Today's O Antiphon is "O Emanuel" (God-with-us). With this last antiphon our expectation finds joy in the certainty of fulfillment. We call Jesus by one of the most personal and intimate of his titles, Emmanuel. We recall that in his birth from the Virgin Mary God takes on our very flesh and human nature – “God who is with us.”
O come, o come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here,
Until the Son of God appear.
Refrain: Rejoice, rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
Optional Memorial of Saint John of Kanty, Priest
At age 41, John of Kanty was assigned as parish priest at Olkusz, Bohemia. He was terrified of the responsibility, but did his best. That wasn’t enough for his parishioners, but eventually he won their hearts. After several years in his parish, he returned to the University of Cracow where he taught Scripture for the rest of his life. John was a serious, humble man, generous to a fault, sleeping little, and eating frugally. He made four pilgrimages to Rome, carrying his luggage on his back. When warned to look after his health, he pointed out that the early desert fathers lived long lives in difficult conditions. At the time of his death, John was so well-loved that his veneration began immediately. For years his doctoral gown was worn by graduates receiving advanced degrees at the University of Cracow. He was declared patron of Poland and Lithuania in 1737 by Pope Clement XII, thirty years before his final canonization.
Monday 23 December 2019
St John of Kenty
Malachi 3:1-4, 23-24. Psalm 24(25):4-5, 8-9, 10, 14. Luke 1:57-66.
Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand – Psalm 24(25):4-5, 8-9, 10, 14.
‘I send my messenger before me to prepare the way.’
Malachi 3:1-4, 23-24. Psalm 24(25):4-5, 8-9, 10, 14. Luke 1:57-66.
Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand – Psalm 24(25):4-5, 8-9, 10, 14.
‘I send my messenger before me to prepare the way.’
Malachi prophesies the coming of John the Baptist. As the people
of his day wondered about his future, we, with hindsight, know he was the sign
that the Lord was near. But it is necessary that we listen and take to heart
the message of John. He called for a change of heart. To make a public commitment
to what was to come; to be willing to listen to the one coming after him, the
one who Malachi calls the refiner’s fire and the fuller’s alkali, the purifier.
Our own baptism gives us this opportunity as we receive the Holy
Spirit, who comes to stay with us. We hope that this Spirit will be nurtured by
parents, teachers and other wise and committed Christians. We, then, are called
to be Christ-bearers to others by word and example.
Saint John of Kanty
Saint of the Day for December 23
(June 24, 1390 – December 24, 1473)
 |
| Tomb of Saint John Cantius | Krakow, Poland | flickr |
Saint John of Kanty’s Story
John was a country lad who made good in the big city and the big
university of Kraków, Poland. After brilliant studies he was ordained a priest
and became a professor of theology. The inevitable opposition which saints
encounter led to his being ousted by rivals and sent to be a parish priest at
Olkusz. An extremely humble man, he did his best, but his best was not to the
liking of his parishioners. Besides, he was afraid of the responsibilities of
his position. But in the end he won his people’s hearts. After some time he
returned to Kraków and taught Scripture for the remainder of his life.
John was a serious man, and humble, but known to all the poor of
Kraków for his kindness. His goods and his money were always at their disposal,
and time and again they took advantage of him. He kept only the money and
clothes absolutely needed to support himself. He slept little, ate sparingly,
and took no meat. He made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, hoping to be martyred by
the Turks. Later John made four subsequent pilgrimages to Rome, carrying his luggage
on his back. When he was warned to look after his health, he was quick to point
out that, for all their austerity, the fathers of the desert lived remarkably
long lives.
Reflection
John of Kanty is a typical saint: He was kind, humble, and
generous, he suffered opposition and led an austere, penitential life. Most
Christians in an affluent society can understand all the ingredients except the
last: Anything more than mild self-discipline seems reserved for athletes and
ballet dancers. Christmas at least is a good time to reject self-indulgence.
Lectio Divina: Luke 1:57-66
Lectio Divina
Monday, December 23, 2019
3th Week of Advent
1) Opening prayer
Lord, loving and mighty God,
You fulfilled Your promise to save us
when Jesus, Your Son, became one of us.
We are no longer in the dark,
for You let Your light shine on us.
You fulfilled Your promise to save us
when Jesus, Your Son, became one of us.
We are no longer in the dark,
for You let Your light shine on us.
Bring us Your salvation now,
set us really free from our sins,
let us become fully human with Jesus
and go with Him in Your way of peace and love.
Let Him be our strength,
our constant companion on the road,
that through Him and growing in His humanity,
we may be Your beloved sons and daughters.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
set us really free from our sins,
let us become fully human with Jesus
and go with Him in Your way of peace and love.
Let Him be our strength,
our constant companion on the road,
that through Him and growing in His humanity,
we may be Your beloved sons and daughters.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
2) Gospel reading - Luke 1:57-66
The time came for Elizabeth to have her child, and she gave
birth to a son; and when her neighbors and relations heard that the Lord had
lavished on her his faithful love, they shared her joy.
Now it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. They were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother spoke up. “No,” she said, “he is to be called John.” They said to her, “But no one in your family has that name,” and made signs to his father to find out what he wanted him called. The father asked for a writing-tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they were all astonished. At that instant his power of speech returned and he spoke and praised God.
All their neighbors were filled with awe, and the whole affair was talked about throughout the hill country of Judea. All those who heard of it treasured it in their hearts. “What will this child turn out to be?” they wondered. And indeed the hand of the Lord was with him.
Now it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. They were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother spoke up. “No,” she said, “he is to be called John.” They said to her, “But no one in your family has that name,” and made signs to his father to find out what he wanted him called. The father asked for a writing-tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they were all astonished. At that instant his power of speech returned and he spoke and praised God.
All their neighbors were filled with awe, and the whole affair was talked about throughout the hill country of Judea. All those who heard of it treasured it in their hearts. “What will this child turn out to be?” they wondered. And indeed the hand of the Lord was with him.
3) Reflection
• In chapters 1 and 2 of his Gospel, Luke describes the
announcement of the birth of two little ones, John and Jesus, who will occupy a
very important place in the realization of God’s plan. What God begins in the
Old Testament starts to be realized through them. This is why, in these two
chapters, Luke presents many facts and people of the Old Testament and succeeds
in imitating the style of the Old Testament. This is in order to show that with
the birth of these two little boys history makes a 180 degree turn. The time of
the fulfilment of the promises of God begins through John and Jesus, with the
collaboration of their parents, Elizabeth and Zechariah, and Mary and Joseph.
• There is a certain parallelism between the announcement and the birth of both children:
a) The announcement of the birth of John (Lk 1: 5-25) and of Jesus (Lk 1: 26-38)
b) The two mothers who are pregnant meet and experience the presence of God (Lk 1:27-56)
c) The birth of John (Lk 1: 57-58) and of Jesus (Lk 2: 1-20)
d) The circumcision in the community of John (Lk 1: 59-66) and of Jesus (Lk 2: 21-28)
e) The Canticle of Zechariah (Lk 1: 67-79) and the Canticle of Simeon with the prophecy of Anna (Lk 2: 29-32)
f) The hidden life of John (Lk 1: 80) and of Jesus (Lk 2: 39-52)
• There is a certain parallelism between the announcement and the birth of both children:
a) The announcement of the birth of John (Lk 1: 5-25) and of Jesus (Lk 1: 26-38)
b) The two mothers who are pregnant meet and experience the presence of God (Lk 1:27-56)
c) The birth of John (Lk 1: 57-58) and of Jesus (Lk 2: 1-20)
d) The circumcision in the community of John (Lk 1: 59-66) and of Jesus (Lk 2: 21-28)
e) The Canticle of Zechariah (Lk 1: 67-79) and the Canticle of Simeon with the prophecy of Anna (Lk 2: 29-32)
f) The hidden life of John (Lk 1: 80) and of Jesus (Lk 2: 39-52)
• Luke 1: 57-58: Birth of John the Baptist. “The time came for
Elizabeth to have her child and she gave birth to a son. When her neighbors and
relatives heard that the Lord had lavished on her his faithful love, they
shared her joy”. Like so many women of the Old Testament, Elizabeth was barren.
Just as God had pity on Sarah (Gn 16: 1; 17: 17; 18: 12), on Rachel (Gen 29:
31) and on Anna (1Sam 1: 2,6,11) transforming the sterility into fecundity, he
also had pity on Elizabeth and she conceived a son. Elizabeth hid herself for
five months. When, after the five months, people could see in Elizabeth’s body
God’s goodness toward her, all rejoiced with her. This community, in which all
got involved in the life of others, both in joy as in sorrow, is the
environment in which John and Jesus were born, grew and received their
formation. Such an environment marks the personality of a person for their
whole life. It is precisely this community environment that we lack most today.
• Luke 1: 59: To give the name on the eighth day. “On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child and they wanted to call him Zechariah like his father”. The involvement of the community in the life of the family of Zechariah, Elizabeth and John is such that the relatives and neighbors even want to interfere in the choice of the name for the child. They want to give the child the name of his father, Zechariah. Zechariah means “God has remembered.” Perhaps they wanted to express their gratitude to God for having remembered Elizabeth and Zechariah and for having given them a son in their old age.
• Luke 1,: 60-63: His name is John! Elizabeth intervenes and she does not permit the relatives to decide on the name. Recalling the announcement of the name made by the angel to Zechariah (Lk 1: 13), Elizabeth says, "No! He will be called John”. In a very small place such as Ain Karem, in Judah, the social control is very strong. When a person departs from the normal custom of the place, she is criticized. Elizabeth does not follow the custom of the place and chooses a name outside the normal models. This is why the relatives and neighbors complain, saying, “No one in your family has that name!” The relatives do not easily give in and make signs to the father to know from him what name he wants for his son. Zechariah asks for a writing tablet and writes, “His name is John”. All remained astonished because they must have perceived something of the mystery of God which surrounded the birth of the little child.
And this perception which people have of the mystery of God, present in the common facts of life, Luke wants to communicate to us his readers. In his way of describing the events, Luke is not like a photographer who only registers what the eyes can see. He is like a person who uses X-Rays which register what the human eye cannot see. Luke reads the facts with the X-Ray of faith which reveals what the human eye cannot perceive.
• Luke 1: 64-66: All their neighbors were filled with awe and the whole affair was talked about throughout the hill country of Judah. All those who heard of it treasured it in their hearts. “What will this child turn out to be?” they wondered. And indeed the hand of the Lord was with him. The way in which Luke describes the facts recalls the circumstances of the birth of the people in the Old Testament who had an important role in the realization of God’s plan and whose childhood seemed to be marked by the privileged destiny which they would have: Moses (Ex 2: 1-10), Samson (Judg 13:1-4 and 13:24-25), and Samuel (1Sam 1:13-28 and 2:11).
• In the writings of Luke we find many references to the Old Testament. In fact, the first two chapters of his Gospel are not stories in the sense of stories today. They are, rather, a mirror to help the readers discover that John and Jesus came to fulfill the prophecies of the Old Testament. Luke wants to show that God, through the two children, came to respond to the most profound aspirations of the human heart. On the one side, Luke shows that the New Testament realizes what the Old Testament prefigured. On the other, he shows that the New one exceeds the Old one and does not correspond in everything to what the people of the Old Testament imagined and expected. In the attitudes of Elizabeth and Zechariah, of Mary and Joseph, Luke presents a model of how to convert oneself to believing in the New one which is being formed.
• Luke 1: 59: To give the name on the eighth day. “On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child and they wanted to call him Zechariah like his father”. The involvement of the community in the life of the family of Zechariah, Elizabeth and John is such that the relatives and neighbors even want to interfere in the choice of the name for the child. They want to give the child the name of his father, Zechariah. Zechariah means “God has remembered.” Perhaps they wanted to express their gratitude to God for having remembered Elizabeth and Zechariah and for having given them a son in their old age.
• Luke 1,: 60-63: His name is John! Elizabeth intervenes and she does not permit the relatives to decide on the name. Recalling the announcement of the name made by the angel to Zechariah (Lk 1: 13), Elizabeth says, "No! He will be called John”. In a very small place such as Ain Karem, in Judah, the social control is very strong. When a person departs from the normal custom of the place, she is criticized. Elizabeth does not follow the custom of the place and chooses a name outside the normal models. This is why the relatives and neighbors complain, saying, “No one in your family has that name!” The relatives do not easily give in and make signs to the father to know from him what name he wants for his son. Zechariah asks for a writing tablet and writes, “His name is John”. All remained astonished because they must have perceived something of the mystery of God which surrounded the birth of the little child.
And this perception which people have of the mystery of God, present in the common facts of life, Luke wants to communicate to us his readers. In his way of describing the events, Luke is not like a photographer who only registers what the eyes can see. He is like a person who uses X-Rays which register what the human eye cannot see. Luke reads the facts with the X-Ray of faith which reveals what the human eye cannot perceive.
• Luke 1: 64-66: All their neighbors were filled with awe and the whole affair was talked about throughout the hill country of Judah. All those who heard of it treasured it in their hearts. “What will this child turn out to be?” they wondered. And indeed the hand of the Lord was with him. The way in which Luke describes the facts recalls the circumstances of the birth of the people in the Old Testament who had an important role in the realization of God’s plan and whose childhood seemed to be marked by the privileged destiny which they would have: Moses (Ex 2: 1-10), Samson (Judg 13:1-4 and 13:24-25), and Samuel (1Sam 1:13-28 and 2:11).
• In the writings of Luke we find many references to the Old Testament. In fact, the first two chapters of his Gospel are not stories in the sense of stories today. They are, rather, a mirror to help the readers discover that John and Jesus came to fulfill the prophecies of the Old Testament. Luke wants to show that God, through the two children, came to respond to the most profound aspirations of the human heart. On the one side, Luke shows that the New Testament realizes what the Old Testament prefigured. On the other, he shows that the New one exceeds the Old one and does not correspond in everything to what the people of the Old Testament imagined and expected. In the attitudes of Elizabeth and Zechariah, of Mary and Joseph, Luke presents a model of how to convert oneself to believing in the New one which is being formed.
4) Personal questions
• What has struck you most in the way in which Luke describes
the facts of life?
• How do I read the facts of my life? Like a photo or like an X-Ray?
• How do I read the facts of my life? Like a photo or like an X-Ray?
5) Concluding prayer
Kindness unfailing and constancy mark all Yahweh's paths,
for those who keep His covenant and His decrees.
Only those who fear Yahweh have His secret
and His covenant, for their understanding. (Ps 25:10,14)
for those who keep His covenant and His decrees.
Only those who fear Yahweh have His secret
and His covenant, for their understanding. (Ps 25:10,14)
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét