A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday & Weekday Liturgy
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (Series 19, n. 4)
Advent Week 4 - Christmas: December 20-26, 2020
(The pastoral tool BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD: A LECTIO DIVINA APPROACH TO THE SUNDAY & WEEKDAY LITURGY includes a prayerful study of the Sunday liturgy from various perspectives. For the Lectio Divina on the liturgy of the past week: December 13-19, 2020 please go to ARCHIVES Series 19 and click on “Advent Week 3”.
Below is a LECTIO DIVINA APPROACH TO THE SUNDAY - WEEKDAY LITURGY:
December 20-26, 2020.)
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December 20, 2020: FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT
“JESUS SAVIOR: Mary Conceived Him in Her Womb”
BIBLE READINGS
2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16 // Rom 16:25-27 // Lk 1:26-38
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Lk 1:26-38): “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son.”
The beauty of creation is a poem. People are moved to prayer and contemplation by the deep feelings that it evokes. The Advent readings and prayers of the Church are filled with poetic images of creation which is indeed a vehicle of divine revelation. Today’s Entrance antiphon, “Let the clouds rain down the Just One, and the earth bring forth a Savior,” is a poetic Advent invocation with a divine message. In terms of creation motif, it presents the twofold movement of the mystery of Incarnation depicted in today’s Gospel reading (Lk 1:26-38). The initiative of salvation comes from God, and Mary’s unconditional response is an absolute participation in the saving plan.
The first part of the invocation, “Let the clouds rain down the Just One,” refers to the initiative of the Father through the Holy Spirit, his creative power. The Holy Spirit overshadows Mary and makes the incarnation of the Divine Son possible. As the creative origin of life, the Holy Spirit fills the humble maiden of Nazareth with divine energy and knits together the flesh and blood of the Savior in her nurturing and virginal womb. Indeed, through his life-giving power, the Holy Spirit would bring about the greatest miracle in the history of humankind: the mystery of the Incarnation. With Jesus the Savior of the world, something radically new begins: the NEW CREATION.
The second part of the invocation, “(let) the earth bring forth a Savior,” focuses on Mary‘s participation in the miracle of life. In a poetic way, Mary of Nazareth is “the earth that opens up.” The gospel story of the announcement of the birth of the Messiah is set in the context of Mary’s own vocation as Mother and Disciple. Her vocation is marked with deep receptivity to the creative action of the Holy Spirit. Her total consecration to the divine plan, expressed in her reply to the angel, “May it be done to me according to your word,” would enable the Rose of Judah to bud forth from the stem of Jesse and from David’s royal clan. Indeed, the Rose of Judah is Jesus Christ; the Rose plant is Mary of Nazareth, betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The birth of Jesus through a woman would fulfill the Lord’s promise spoken to David through the prophet Nathan. The kingdom of David will be established forever in the sight of the Lord (see First Reading: 2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16). Moreover, in the words of St. Paul, the promised Messiah made flesh in the womb of the virgin of Nazareth is the mystery kept for endless ages but now fully revealed (see the Second Reading: Rm 16:25-27)
At the threshold of Christmas, let us look at the Incarnation from the ecological point of view. Indeed, a very significant pro-life issue is environmental concern. We have only one planet Earth to offer us life support, and there is no other. Let us contemplate the mystery of the Incarnation as intimately linked to God’s beloved creation. Indeed, the Incarnate Word born of Mary is the firstborn of creation and the Lord of creation. Let us therefore honor him through our reverence and promotion of the integrity of God’s creation.
The following family Christmas experience gives insight into what it means to be integrated with God’s beloved creation (cf. Stella Hickman, “Starry Night” in Guideposts 1994, p. 52).
I told the children and grandchildren to wear warm clothes when they came to our house for Christmas Eve. We were going on a hayride.
My husband, Charlie, hitched a small trailer to “Grey John”, our big ol’ tractor. We filled the trailer with hay, covered it with an old blanket, and we were on our way. Granddaughter Andre brought her fiancé from Michigan, who couldn’t believe we were going on a hayride in the dead of winter. Daughter Charlene and son Ralph led the Christmas carols as we rode through pastures and woods.
It was a perfect night, lit with many stars, and we could see our breath in the cold air. We laughed and talked, huddling together for warmth. Our last stop was the barn, where I had arranged hay bales in a semicircle. We sat down in the quiet darkness, and I turned on a cassette recording of the Christmas story. Our hound dog rested his head in my lap. The cows came up from the pasture and stared inside, listening to what it was like that first Christmas in a sweet-smelling barn.
B. First Reading (2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16): “The kingdom of David shall endure forever before the Lord.”
The Old Testament reading (2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16) takes on great meaning as we listen to the words of Venerable Bede. He underlines the enduring character of the Kingdom of Mary’s Son: “The Lord God gave to our Redeemer the throne of his father David, when he decreed that he should take flesh from the lineage of David. As David had once ruled the people with temporal authority, so Christ would now lead them to the eternal kingdom by his spiritual grace.” In the person of the Word made flesh, conceived by Mary of Nazareth and born of David’s lineage, is the radical fulfillment of the Davidic promise of an everlasting lineage and enduring Kingdom. As we approach the last days of preparation for the birth of Jesus, we are filled with marvel and awe at the immensity and magnanimity of God’s saving love and grandiose plan of redemption.
The following reflection of Sr. Mary Eunice, PDDM, gives added insight into the mystery of the incarnation.
God’s promise is not only for the people of ancient days. Today, this is also ours
to claim. And so, the invitation to be attentive and be engaged with God is our invitation also. Like Mary, we are also called to participate in the fulfillment of God’s promise and we are to imitate what Mary had obediently done.
Christmas is now around the corner and the breeze tells us that the day is really coming near. Are we still thinking of other promises or could it be that we are the promise? At present, our world is confronted with many crises, broken hearts, broken relationships and destroyed lives, as well as, hopes for a fulfillment of God’s promise through us. As God gave his Son to us, we too are sent to continue the mission Jesus had begun.
A story taken from the book, 150 More Stories, by Jack McArdle had a beautiful picture of such challenge to us. A holy hermit who was making his daily prayer saw passing by: a cripple, a mother begging for food for her pathetically malnourished child, and the victim of what must have been a very severe beating. Seeing them, the holy man turned to God and said, “Great God! How is it that such a loving Creator can see so much suffering and yet do nothing about it?” And deep within his heart, God replied, “I have done something about it. I made you.”
Jesus can never be physically born again, but we can make his presence become visible to others. We can be God’s agent in the fulfillment of his promise.
C. Second Reading (Rom 16:25-27): “The mystery kept secret for long ages has now been manifested.”
The saving mystery that we contemplate this Advent-Christmas season is summarized and extolled by Saint Paul in the last section of his letter to the Romans (Rom 16:25-27). Used as the Second Reading in this Sunday’s liturgy, this passage helps us to relish the mystery of Christmas and be thankful to our loving, compassionate God for the gift of our Savior Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul invites us to give glory and praise to God, the author of the Good News of salvation, the “mystery” once hidden but now fully revealed in Jesus Christ. The Good News needs to be lived out by his disciples and preached to all nations. God himself gives us the grace to be faithful to the Gospel. By his grace he strengthens us in the mission of evangelization to all peoples that they may obey God in faith.
“TO GOD BE GLORY FOREVER!” is Paul’s exultant cry. In the context of the Advent-Christmas celebration, Paul’s exhortation to give glory and praise to God for the Good News – incarnated and fulfilled in Jesus Christ - is very appropriate. Indeed, we are filled with joy and thanksgiving for Christ the Savior, the reason for the yuletide season and the essential meaning of Christmas.
The following article, “Jesus is the Reason for the Season” is being circulated through the Internet. Today’s Christians wish to put Christ back in Christmas. Our effort to proclaim the true spirit of Christmas within a secular, commercial, confused and fragmented society is a way of giving glory and praise to God.
JESUS IS BETTER THAN SANTA.
Santa lives at the North Pole. Jesus is everywhere.
Santa rides in a sleigh. Jesus rides on the wind and walks on the water.
Santa comes but once a year. Jesus is an ever-present help.
Santa fills your stockings with goodies. Jesus supplies all your needs.
Santa comes down your chimney uninvited. Jesus stands at your door
and knocks … and then enters your heart.
You have to stand in line to see Santa. Jesus is close at the mention of his name. Santa lets you sit on his lap. Jesus lets you rest in his arms.
Santa doesn’t know your name; all he can say is “Hi, little boy/girl. What’s your name?”
Jesus knew our name before we did. Not only does he know our name. He knows our address, too. He knows our history and future, and he even knows how many hairs are on our heads.
Santa has a belly like a bowl of jelly. Jesus has a heart full of love.
All Santa can offer is HO-HO-HO! Jesus offers health, help and hope.
Santa says, “You better not cry!” Jesus says, “Cast all your cares on me
for I care for you.”
Santa’s little helpers make toys. Jesus makes new life,
mends wounded hearts, repairs broken homes and builds mansions.
Santa may make you chuckle, but …. Jesus gives you joy that is your strength. While Santa puts gifts under your tree.
Jesus became our gift and died on the tree. It’s obvious there is really no comparison.
We need to remember WHO Christmas is all about.
We need to put CHRIST BACK IN CHRISTMAS.
Jesus is still the reason for the season.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. What are your feelings and concerns within this second part of the Advent season, which is an immediate preparation for the celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus? Do you allow yourself to be overwhelmed by the many activities of the Advent-Christmas season? How do you keep your balance, inner peace and harmony in the hustle and bustle of the yuletide season?
2. Do you imitate Mary in her preparation for the wonderful saving event of the Messiah’s birth? Will you devote some of your precious moments for prayer and contemplation in order to celebrate Christmas more meaningfully and thankfully?
3. Do you heed Saint Paul’s exhortation, “TO GOD BE GLORY FOREVER”? Does the Christmas event move you to a spirit of praise and thankfulness? What do you do to put Christ back into “Christmas”?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Loving Father,
we thank you for the grace-filled season of Advent.
We wish to celebrate worthily the birth of Jesus Savior,
the fulfillment of messianic expectations.
With Mary, full of grace,
help us to contemplate the astounding Christmas event
with love and awe, with praise and thankfulness.
Let the clouds rain down the Just One,
and the earth bring forth a Savior.
You live and reign, forever and ever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the week. Please memorize it.
“Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.” (Lk 1:31)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
In your effort to promote the integration of creation, and by your acts of charity to the poor and the people around you, let the Christmas season this year be meaningful and transforming. That we may give glory and praise to God the Father for his “Christmas” gift in the person of our Savior Jesus Christ, make an effort to spend some moments of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.
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December 21, 2020: MONDAY – ADVENT WEEKDAY (4); SAINT PETER CANISIUS, Priest, Doctor of the Church
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Is in Our Midst”
BIBLE READINGS
Sg 2:8-14 or Zep 3:14-18a // Lk 1:39-45
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Lk 1:39-45): “And how does this happen to me that the mother of the Lord should come to me?”
(By Fr. Samuel Canilang, CMF, Director: Institute for Consecrated Life in Asia)
Mary is “the most blessed among women”. She is blessed because she “believed that the Lord’s word would come true”. These words of Elizabeth correspond to those of Jesus himself: “My mother, my brothers and my sisters are those who receive the word of God and fulfill it.” Shema Israel… Listening (= hearing and obeying) is a central theme in the whole Judaeo-Christian Tradition. Listening to the Word is intrinsically linked to blessedness or holiness. Only God is Holy – the three times holy. Being blessed is sharing in the holiness of God.
The other biblical term used to refer to the sharing in God’s holiness is consecration. All of us – members of the Church – are consecrated by virtue of our baptism. We all share in the holiness of God. We are blessed. We live our consecration according to our form of life in the Church: as lay, as religious, as ordained. To live our consecration fundamentally involves discernment, meditation and responding to the word of God which comes to us through the Scripture, the Tradition, our contemporary experiences, the signs of the times, the needs of our neighbors. Advent is a special invitation for us to live and bear witness to our consecration to God in Christ.
B. First Reading (Sg 2:8-14): “Hark!My lover comes, springing across the mountains.” // Zep 3:14-18a: “The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst.”
Song of Song 2:8-14: This Old Testament reading depicts the deep longing of a young girl for the coming (the “advent”) of her beloved, who now bounces upon the hills like a gazelle or a young stag. Confined at home behind a wall, windows and lattices, she eagerly listens to her lover’s invitation for a springtime tryst. The profusion of flowers, the cooing of turtledoves, the blossoming of fig trees and the beauty of their romance evoke the joyful meeting of Mary and Elizabeth and the two illustrious babies within their wombs. The Song of Song’s portrayal of the tender love between the young lovers likewise points to the intimate union of the Savior with humankind through the mystery of the Lord’s incarnation.
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Zephaniah 3:14-18a: Zephaniah, who prophesied under King Josiah of Judah, is both the prophet of the “day of wrath” and the harbinger of the promise of salvation. His foreboding of doom (cf. Zep 1:15: “a day of wrath, that day, a day of distress and agony, a day of ruin and devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of cloud and darkness …”) merely underlines the consoling message that God is in our midst – to bring salvation out of a painful situation. The enigmatic prophet makes an ardent appeal to trust in the mighty Lord who is “in our midst”. He courageously invites a presently distressed people to rejoice in a situation in which joy seems utterly impossible. Zephaniah’s climactic message of hope reinforces the clarion call of the Church in this Advent season to rejoice always in the Lord. The indomitable joy of a believer and the faith community is founded on the conviction that our future is secured by God and promoted by human endeavor and response. Against the backdrop of Zephaniah’s ode to joy and the exceedingly familiar situations of pain and calamity in today’s world, we perceive better our mission to be instruments of joy and hope for others.
The following excerpt from a letter written in December 2013 by our friend, Sr. Jean Marie, CSFN, an American missionary in the Philippines, invites us to cling to God whose love is made incarnate and is “in our midst”.
Yes, since October 15 this country has had two major calamities. A 7.2 earthquake struck Bohol and Cebu about 8:15 a.m. that day and over 3,000 aftershocks are still going on. Our 5 Sisters there had to hold on to iron grills on the windows; otherwise, they would have been thrown over the second floor porch, where they were able to exit. Our school was damaged but the loss of 23 churches is even more devastating. (…)
Typhoon Yolanda, as called in the Philippines, struck a blow Nov. 8-9 leaving even more devastation. Thousands of lives were lost because of the water surge. It will take a long time plus lots of faith and courage for these families to rebuild their homes and lives.
Christmas is right around the corner. So, this newborn Baby Jesus is always a sign of and proof for hope that new life, especially our spiritual life will not die. Perhaps the Filipino people are being purified and strengthened in their faith and trust in the God who loves and cares. Lots of love is being poured out from all around the world. Businesses and institutions here are cancelling Christmas parties and donating the money. Is this not what Christmas is all about? Christmas is about love – the love of God for us and our love for one another.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Do we realize how greatly blessed are we by God and that he has consecrated us to his saving will? How do we witness God’s blessing and how do we live out our consecration?
2. Do we welcome with joyful expectation the advent of Jesus, the font of joy, in our personal life and in the life of the Church? Do we resolve to commit ourselves to be a people of joy and to be promoters of joy in today’s anguished and distressed world?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Lord Jesus,
you are the “Emmanuel”,
our King and giver of the Law.
In you we behold the holiness of God
and participate intimately in his life.
Help us to rejoice in the blessing you bring
and to live fully our consecration to your saving mission.
Maranatha! Come, O Christ the Lord!
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(Cf. Alternative Opening Prayer of the Mass: Third Sunday of Advent)
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
ever faithful to your promises
and ever close to your Church:
the earth rejoices in hope of the Savior’s coming
and looks forward with longing
to his return at the end of time.
Prepare our hearts and remove the sadness
that hinders us from feeling the joy and hope
which his presence will bestow.
He is Lord forever and ever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.
“Blessed is the fruit of your womb.” (Lk 1:42b) //“The Lord, your God, is in your midst.” (Zep 3:17)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Let our blessing and consecration be made manifest in our acts of justice and charity for the people around us, especially those who have lost their jobs and/or homes and are feeling extremely vulnerable. // Offer your moral, spiritual and material help to the victims of natural and man-made calamities.
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December 22, 2020: TUESDAY – ADVENT WEEKDAY (4)
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Is the Cause for Thanksgiving”
BIBLE READINGS
1 Sm 1:24-28 // Lk 1:46-56
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Lk 1:46-56): “The Mighty One has done great things for me.”
(Gospel Reflection by Fr. Samuel Canilang, CMF, Director: Institute for Consecrated Life in Asia)
The Magnificat reveals three significant traits of Mary: her historical memory, social consciousness, and covenantal perspective. In the depth of her heart, Mary remembers the origin and identity of her people: a people chosen, loved, formed, cared for, guided by God. Mary knows the consistent infidelity of her people vis-à-vis the uninterrupted fidelity of God. Far from being a plain housewife, indifferent to the situation outside her own household, Mary is profoundly aware of the plight, the struggles, and the dreams of her people. Now Mary understands everything from the perspective of the Covenant. Thus she bursts into song upon Gabriel’s annunciation of the birth of the Messiah. The Incarnation is the decisive and definitive fulfillment of God’s part of the Covenant: the salvation of all characterized by liberation, healing, justice, peace, and joy.
Advent is a time of repentance for our infidelity, renewal of our faith in the Covenant, renewal of our commitment to Christ and his mission of integral salvation, and thanksgiving for God’s constant fidelity.
B. First Reading (1 Sm 1:24-28): “Hannah gives thanks for the birth of Samuel.”
Today’s Old Testament reading (I Sm 1:24-28) is especially meaningful for me. When my dad was sick with cancer, and was given at most three months to live, I bargained with God. I promised I would enter the convent if he healed him. My dad got well. When I was nineteen, God made me realize it was time to fulfill my vow. One night I received a telegram from my dad, who was helping his sister’s business in Mindanao, Philippines. The text was short, but it radically changed my life: “With my blessing, daughter.” Soon I was at the PDDM convent, accompanied by my mom, requesting admission. My mom said, “God gave her to us. We give her back to him.” Sr. Mary Gianfranca, an Italian sister who warmly welcomed us, told my mom: “Mrs. Tapang, she will be closer to you more than before!”
Against the backdrop of my personal experience, I find the account of Hannah’s consecration of Samuel very touching. The distraught Hannah, despised for her barrenness, bargains with God: if she is given a son, she will consecrate him to the Lord. God hears her request. She conceives and gives birth to a son, whom she names Samuel. After weaning her son, she brings him to the sanctuary in Shiloh and introduces him to the priest Eli as the divine answer to her prayer. Hannah told Eli of her resolve: the boy will belong to the Lord as long as he lives. God blesses Hannah with three more sons and two daughters to take the place of the one dedicated to him.
Hannah’s presentation of her child, Samuel, in the temple reminds us of Mary who would one day present her son, Jesus, in the temple. Moreover, Hannah’s song of praise for God’s marvels finds a counterpart in Mary’s “Magnificat”. Both canticles express joy at the birth of a special child and both praise the power and holiness of God and his saving will. The boy, Samuel, who is the cause of thanksgiving for Hannah, will grow up to be a great prophet who will speak the word of God to Israel. Hannah’s son is a figure of Jesus, the son of Mary, the cause of our salvation and thanksgiving. Surpassing Hannah’s son, Mary’s son is the word of God incarnate and the savior of all mankind.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
What does the consecration of the boy Samuel to the Lord mean to us? How do the song of Hannah and the song of Mary inspire me? Do we sing Mary’s Magnificat in the daily events of our life, deeply conscious of God’s presence and activity on our behalf, the responsibilities of our covenant relationship with him, and our social duties to promote the common good?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Lord Jesus,
you are “King of all nations” and keystone of the Church.
We sing with Mary her Magnificat
and let the Spirit of God animate our daily lives.
We commit ourselves to the covenant
and the service of the most needy and vulnerable among us.
Maranatha! Come, O Christ the Lord!
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior.” (Lk 1:46-47a) // “As long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the Lord.” (I Sm 1:28)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray that our Marian devotion may deepen our covenant fidelity and social responsibility. Do something for indigent children and share with them the joy of Christmas. By your spiritual, moral, and material support, promote priestly and religious vocations in the Church and in the world today.
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December 23, 2020: WEDNESDAY – ADVENT WEEKDAY (4); SAINT JOHN OF KANTY, Priest
“JESUS SAVIOR: John the Baptist Is His Messenger of Hope”
BIBLE READINGS
Mal 3:1-4, 23-24 // Lk 1:57-66
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
Today’s Gospel (Lk 1:57-66) depicts the birth of John the Baptist, the precursor of the Messiah. The prophecy of Malachi (3:1-4, 23-24) sheds light on the Gospel portrait of John the Baptist. Malachi speaks of God’s promise to send his “messenger” to prepare the way before him and to send “the prophet Elijah” to bring fathers and children together again. As we contemplate God’s marvelous works, in this Advent-Christmas season, we perceive with gratitude that John the Baptist, born of Jesus’ kinsmen Elizabeth and Zechariah, is the “messenger” sent to prepare the way of the Lord. John is likewise the promised “Elijah” totally committed to God as his prophet of judgment and repentance. John the Baptist is a very powerful Advent figure. He preaches the Good News to the people and urges them to change their hearts. Through an ascetic lifestyle and fiery words of truth, he makes a critique of an evil status quo and calls people to conversion. Above all, he uplifts the hearts of the disheartened and the disappointed by proclaiming the advent of the longed for Messiah in their midst.
Like John the Baptist, we too are called to proclaim the saving advent of Jesus in our life. We too are called to be prophets of hope. In today’s fragmented world, Authors Anne Hendershott and Christopher White show how to carry this out (cf. Emily Stimpson in “Book Tells Good News Story of the Church” in Our Sunday Visitor, December 1, 2013, p. 19).
The end is near. In the wake of the clergy sex abuse scandals and Rome’s unchanging positions on the ordination of women, priestly celibacy, and traditional marriage, that was the fate many cultural commentators predicted for the Catholic Church. But in their new book, “Renewal: How a New Generation of Priests and Bishops is Revitalizing the Catholic Church” (Encounter Books, $25.99), Anne Hendershott and Christopher White unpack the sociological evidence that proves just the opposite. Recently, Our Sunday Visitor spoke about that evidence with Hendershott, professor of sociology and director of the Veritas Center for Ethics in Public Life at Franciscan University of Steubenville. Here’s what we learned.
Our Sunday Visitor: If the only knowledge someone had of the Catholic Church was what they saw reported on the evening news, what kind of Church would they see?
Anne Hendershott: Essentially, they would see a Church in decline. If all you’re doing is reading secular newspapers or news programs, you’ll get the idea of people deserting the Church, that priests are disgruntled, graying and unhappy and we’re not attracting new Catholics. (…)
Our Sunday Visitor: How does that picture contrast with the real picture?
Hendershott: Well, when I started to write the book, the plan was to write about the Catholic culture wars. That was the original title, “Beyond the Catholic Culture Wars”. At that point, I was buying into the secular media’s idea that the Church was in decline. I didn’t know how good the news about the Church actually was. Everything changed though, when I started writing. I knew intuitively that some dioceses were doing well and producing vocations. So, I thought I’d have a chapter that focused on that good news. The plan was to put it at the end of the book and close on a positive note.
But then my research assistant who was helping with the data, Christopher White, came to me and said, “This news is so good. I don’t know if you want to end the book with this.” I was blown away by what he showed me. It wasn’t just a few dioceses that were doing well. There was more good news than I could fit into just one chapter. So, I totally redid the plan for the book and made Christopher a coauthor.
Our Sunday Visitor: What is some of the good news you found?
Hendershott: Going in, I knew there would be some dioceses that had strong ordination numbers. But there were far more dioceses than I anticipated that fit into that category. Also, the picture of priests as unhappy, depressed alcoholics is just so false. There was a study done not too long ago that tells us 95 percent of priests find a great joy in their priesthood and most wouldn’t even think of leaving.
Our Sunday Visitor: What makes for happy priests and good priestly vocation numbers?
Hendershott: What we found was that the bishops are what makes the difference. Bishops who are involved with their seminarians, encouraging vocations, and living their priesthood – that matters. So does what bishops are saying and doing on specific cultural issues. Bishops who protested Notre Dame awarding an honorary degree to President Obama, those who were high profile in talking about the problem of pro-choice politicians, and those who signed the Manhattan Declaration, which defends the definition of marriage as one man and one woman – in all those cases, what you see is more vocations. The more orthodox the bishop, the more vocations he inspires. Archbishop (Elden) Curtiss said as much in the early 1990s. He wrote an article back then that said when dioceses are unambiguous about the priesthood, and there’s a minimum of dissent about the nature of it, you have more vocations. Our research found that to be true. (…)
Our Sunday Visitor: What other signs of renewal give the lie to the secular portrayal of the Catholic Church?
Hendershott: The growing involvement of faithful laity, the increase in the number of permanent deacons, and so many wonderful new organizations focused on the New Evangelization, such as FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) and Word on Fire Ministries. Then, there are the books being written by faithful Catholics and Catholic universities who are taking their Catholic identity seriously, as well as faithful women’s religious orders that are attracting vocations while dissident orders are dying out. There is so much good news.
Our Sunday Visitor: What else can the laity do to help encourage the renewal taking place within the Church?
Hendershott: Celebrate the good news. Pray for priests and honor them. Encourage your children and grandchildren to consider priestly and religious vocations. The more people realize the priesthood and consecrated life are wonderful callings, the more they will inspire their sons and daughters to consider it.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
Like John the Baptist are we ready to prepare the way of the Lord and prepare the hearts of the people of today for the advent of Jesus in their life? Are we messengers of the Lord and heralds of the Good News?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Lord Jesus,
your cousin, John, is the new Elijah sent by God
to be your precursor.
He is the messenger who prepares the way for you
and the prophet who points out your Advent in our midst..
Bless us and grant us the grace to imitate the precursor John.
Help us to bring close to you the people of Advent expectation.
You are our saving Lord, now and forever.
Amen.
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Lord Jesus,
you are the “Radiant Dawn”,
splendor of eternal light,
sun of justice.
Bathed in your glorious light,
we walk in the path of life.
Guided by the “hand of the Lord”,
we spread Christmas joy to all.
Help us to prepare worthily for the celebration of your birth.
Maranatha! Come, O Christ the Lord!
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the week. Please memorize it.
“The hand of the Lord was with him.” (Lk 1:66) // “Lo, I am sending my messenger to prepare my way before me.” (Mal 3:1)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
By acts of self-giving and personal witnessing, let the people who are heart-broken and grieving experience the Advent of the saving Lord in their lives.
*** *** ***
December 24, 2020: THURSDAY – ADVENT WEEKDAY (4)
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Is Born of the House of David”
BIBLE READINGS
2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-13, 14a-16 // Lk 1:67-79
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
Today’s Old Testament reading (2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16) presents King David at his best. In peace with all the nations about, he has the leisure to turn to internal matters, including the public worship of God. Appalled that he is living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God dwells in a tent, King David plans to build a house for the Lord to dwell in. Nathan’s dream reveals God’s greater plan for David. God looks kindly on David’s thoughtfulness, but at the same time, puts his good intention in proper perspective. It is not David who will build a house for the Lord Almighty. It is God who will build a “house” – a dynasty for his servant David. In the context of our Advent-Christmas preparation, we perceive that God’s promise - I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins, and I will make his Kingdom firm – is fulfilled not by King Solomon, but by Jesus Christ.
Today’s Gospel reading (Lk 1:67-79) contains the beautiful canticle of Zechariah, the “Benedictus”. His hymn is a “prophecy” under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and delineates the meaning of the birth of his son, John. Zechariah sees, in the event of John’s birth, God’s fulfillment of the covenant promises to David. The priest Zechariah blesses God for “he has raised up for us a mighty Savior, born of the house of his servant David”. The “mighty Savior” of David’s lineage is Jesus. In him is God’s definitive salvation for all the people. Zechariah’s John will be called “the prophet of the Most High”. As the precursor of Jesus Christ, John the Baptist “will go before the Lord to prepare his way”
The following personal account illustrates a way of allowing Zechariah’s prophetic words to take effect in our daily life: “In the tender compassion of our God, the dawn from on high shall break upon us” (cf. Ellen Siler, “Tidings of Comfort” in Country, December-January 2014, p. 53).
As Christmas 1983 drew near, I was a 19-year old new bride living hundreds of miles from my family and growing increasingly homesick. Buying our first meager decorations and trimming the tree Doug found us didn’t cheer me up the way I’d hoped.
Then one day, the mail brought a Christmas card – our very first. It was from an older couple, Mr. and Mrs. Cannon, dear friends who attended my church back home. The handwritten note inside read simply, “God bless you both on your first Christmas together. We love you. Eddie and Clarice Cannon.” Tears filled my eyes.
Now it’s 30 years later, and Mr. and Mrs. Cannon are in heaven. Yet every time I write my Christmas cards, I still feel the love that traveled so many miles when I was feeling homesick.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
Do we thank the Lord for the gift of the royal dynasty of David that brought forth Jesus Christ? Like Zechariah, do we hail the “dawn from on high” that breaks upon us – Jesus our Savior? What do we do to make the celebration of Christmas, the birth of our Savior, more meaningful and life-transforming?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Lord Jesus,
you are the mighty Savior,
born of the house of David.
We hail you as “Dayspring”.
We welcome you as the Sun of justice
and rejoice in the splendor of divine light.
Help us to live our life in holiness and service,
animated by the strength of the Holy Spirit.
Guide our feet into the way of peace.
Together with Zechariah,
whose son John is your precursor,
we bless the Lord, the God of Israel,
for in you we are set free.
You live and reign,
forever and ever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.
“The dawn from on high shall break upon us.” (Lk 1:78b) // “Your house and your Kingdom shall endure forever.” (2 Sm 7:16)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray that your family, relatives, and friends may have a grace-filled Christmas. By your acts of charity, let the Christmas joy flow to all, especially those who are distressed and burdened with many trials.
*** *** ***
December 25, 2020: FRIDAY – THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD (CHRISTMAS)
CHRISTMAS – MASS AT NIGHT
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Is the Savior Born for Us”
BIBLE READINGS
Mass at Night: Is 9:1-6 // Ti 2:11-14 // Lk 2:1-14
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
In the Christmas mystery, the Son of God became totally involved in our human lot. Jesus Savior thoroughly embraced our humanity, immersing himself in the human situation – experiencing the best of us and the worst of us. This is what God intended. He refused to be a mere spectator in human affairs. He wanted to participate, to be a part of it. This is the tremendous mystery of the Incarnation; this is the beautiful mystery of Christmas; this is the profound mystery of the Eucharist. They are all a definitive participation of Jesus Christ in our human affairs in a self-giving manner. Thus, in these moments, Jesus gives us a model of self-giving. He shows us the way to love.
The studies of my professor in Scripture, Fr. Herman Hendrickx, CICM, on the Infancy Narratives of Luke, can help us deepen our understanding of the Lord’s self-gift and total involvement in our human situation.
1) In chapter 2 of the Infancy Narrative, the evangelist Luke states that “there was no place for them in the inn”. There was no place for them in the inn because the inn is the place for strangers … for traveling strangers who stay only for the night. But Christ is not a stranger. He comes to his own. “The word became flesh and dwelt among us.” The inn is not a place for him to stay because he is not a stranger or distant from us. He belongs to us. His total involvement in our human destiny makes him really one with us. He could never be born in the inn, that is, outside of us. He has to be born in each one of us. He has to make his home in each of us.
2) Luke also mentions that Mary laid him in a “manger”. The manger is the place where animals are nourished. The manger is the place of sustenance … of nourishment. Jesus was laid in the manger because he is the symbol and reality of God’s support and sustenance of his people. The Son of God has to be born in Bethlehem, the “city of Bread” for he is the Bread of life – the Bread to be given, broken, and shared. Jesus in the manger points to the reality of being a “self-gift” in the Eucharistic Bread, the nourishment of his people.
3) Furthermore, Luke mentions that Jesus was wrapped in “swaddling clothes”, symbol of royalty. Rather than a sign of poverty and destitution, the swaddling clothes of Jesus indicate that he is a king. And in the biblical term, a king is the one who shepherds and cares for God’s people. And the infant wrapped in swaddling clothes becomes truly “king-shepherd” upon the tree of life – the Cross! It is there where he becomes truly KING-SHEPHERD in the fullest sense of the word – laying down his life for the sheep. On the Cross, Jesus King-Shepherd gathers all sheep into one flock to guide and lead them to the eternal home.
The Child Jesus laying in the manger, symbol of God’s sustenance and nourishment … the Lord Jesus who, on the night when he was given up, offered us the Eucharistic Bread and the Cup … the Lord Jesus, King-Shepherd, laying down his life for us on the Cross, the altar of sacrifice … HE IS STILL PRESENT IN OUR MIDST! He is the “Emmanuel”, the God-with-us Savior. Our celebration of Christmas and our participation in the Eucharist should transform us, like Jesus, into “self-gift”. Our celebration of the birth of Christ and our sharing in the Eucharistic feasting ought to make us – Christian disciples – capable of sharing the best of what we are … capable of sharing both our poverty and our riches, following the example of Jesus, the model of self-giving.
My former student in the seminary, G. Campese, writes: “Our expectations for something new, for a better humanity and human society, our joy and hope which come from the spirit of Christmas, will remain just a confused ideal and will return into a disillusion if we do not take seriously and clearly to ourselves the message of Christmas: in Jesus Christ the salvation from God becomes a reality; the kingdom is not yet fulfilled, but it is already here, and it needs our cooperation in service and self-giving.”
This remark reminds me of my favorite Christmas story that was narrated by Fr. Paul Bernier in his book, Bread Broken and Shared. How I wish that this Christmas story would be repeated and replicated over and over, certainly not just in story-telling, but in the daily miracles of life!
The film might have been entitled “Christmas Dinner in the Dump”. Being homemade, however, it was untitled. But it was about real people, and it was all about Christmas in the town dump. We were being told of the apostolic efforts of some Jesuits working in El Paso, Texas. It seems that across the border from El Paso lies Juarez. Juarez is much better known to Americans for its cheap goods, its gambling and the other amenities provided by Mexican border towns. Less well known is the town dump, which dozens of people call home. There they build their shanties, raise their families and compete with the rats for the food that is provided daily by the garbage pails of the nearby city.
One of the Jesuits working with a group of cursillistas had gotten the brilliant idea of expressing something of the joy and peace of Christ’s birthday by sharing Christmas dinner with the unfortunate people, the refuse of the society, living – existing would be a better word – across the border. It was considered to be a good idea, so two dozen or so people with their families prepared food and gifts and set off for the dump on Christmas afternoon. They were not prepared for what they saw. Instead of the dozens which they expected to find, there were hundreds. They were completely outnumbered by the wretched poor whose only hope of survival was vying with others to glean the leftovers and discarded items of the city.
The film captured that so graphically: a small group laden with food advancing amid the garbage and the rubble being met by an army of the hungry for whom the available food would hardly be enough for appetizers. But they continued on and bravely told the people of their love and concern, and offered apologies that they had not brought sufficient food so that they might all enjoy a good Christmas dinner together. However, they could at least share as much as would go around. So with songs, hymns, and good will the dinner was begun. They took the food, blessed it, and distributed it to the people. Did they eat! The film showed smiling faces and full plates. The film also showed, inexplicably, that horde of humanity completely satisfied – and plenty of food left over. Once again the disciples gathered what was left over after all had had their fill. Once again, the Lord wondrously fed the multitudes.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
Do we allow ourselves to be enthralled by the mystery of the Son “born for us” – God’s awesome self-gift to us?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
(cf. Alternative Opening Prayer, Mass at Midnight)
Lord our God,
with the birth of your Son,
your glory breaks on the world.
Through the night hours of the darkened earth
we, your people, watch for the coming of your promised Son.
As we wait,
give us a foretaste of the joy that you will grant us
when the fullness of his glory has filled the earth,
who lives and reigns with you forever and ever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.
“She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Lk 2:7)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
By your charity and goodness to people who are experiencing a bleak Christmas, translate the mystery of Christmas into a lived reality and into acts of self-giving.
*** Text of Christmas – Night Mass, ends here. ***
CHRISTMAS – DAWN MASS
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Is the Father’s Gift of Love”
BIBLE READINGS
Mass at Dawn: Is 62:11-12 // Ti 3:4-7 // Lk 2:15-20
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
The Christmas season is a privileged opportunity to contemplate the awesome sign of God’s love for us: his own beloved Son Jesus Christ. The Son of God made flesh, born as a child, is the most powerful sign of the Father’s will to bring us salvation: UNTO US A CHILD IS BORN! UNTO US A SON IS GIVEN!
My former student Fr. Mike Garcia remarked: “When we give anything, we give part of ourselves. When we give ourselves, we give everything we have – past, present, and future.” Indeed, in becoming man just like any of us, Jesus became personally involved in our suffering, in our human lot and destiny. Satan cannot impeach God’s integrity. No one can doubt the quality of the Lord’s self-gift … of his unconditional love for us.
Because God has loved us, we too must become lovers – lovers of one another. Only if we love the visible neighbor can we love the invisible God. This gift of love is exemplified in the self-giving act of a five-year old boy on behalf of his little sister. After the blood transfusion, he asked the doctor with a trembling voice, “Say, doctor, when do I start to die?” He thought that by giving his life-blood to his kid sister, he would die.
The child Jesus lying in a manger, symbol of God’s nourishment for his people … the Lord Jesus who, on the night when he was given up, offered us the Eucharistic bread and the chalice of life … the Lord Jesus, gentle shepherd and king, who laid down his life for us on the cross – the altar of sacrifice … HE IS STILL PRESENT IN OUR MIDST! He is Emmanuel, God-with-us. In our Christmas celebration, he invites us to be a “gift of love” for others.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
Do we endeavor to delve into the Christmas mystery of God’s self-giving? Do we endeavor to be a “gift of love” for others?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Lord Jesus,
you are Love-incarnate,
the sacrament of the Father’s self-giving.
We celebrate your birth and your dwelling among us.
You are God’s “gift of love” to us,
the Emmanuel, God-with-us.
Help us to be a “gift of love” for others.
With the choirs of angels, we acclaim:
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will!
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.
“So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger.” (Lk 2:16)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray that in this Christmas season we may understand more deeply the depths of God’s self-giving to us. By your acts of goodness and compassion to the people around you, enable them to savor the joy of Christmas and the warmth of the “gift of love” for others.
*** Text of Christmas – Dawn Mass, ends here. ***
CHRISTMAS – DAY MASS,
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Is the Word Made Flesh”
BIBLE READINGS
Mass during the Day: Is 52:7-10 // Heb 1:1-6 // Jn 1:1-18
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
The readings proclaimed at today’s Mass during the day give deeper insight into the Christmas mystery. In the Prologue (Jn 1:1-18) Saint John asserts: “And the Word became flesh.” The deepest concept of “word” is not a mere verbalization or articulation of thought. In the Jewish biblical tradition, God’s word or “dabar” is God himself communicating and giving himself in self-revelation. “Dabar” to the Israelites is something extremely personal. The communication of the “word” is actually the communication of the speaker himself. In the case of the “Word of God” what is communicated is the divine reality itself – the very person of God himself. It is God revealing himself as Creator, Liberator and Savior. The German theologian, Karl Rahner, remarks: “When we say it is Christmas we mean that in Christ God has spoken his definitive, final and beautiful word … a word that cannot be revoked. And the word means I love you.”
In the fullness of time, God spoke his most beautiful word in Jesus Christ. In today’s Second Reading we read (Heb 1:1-6): “In many and various ways, God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.” The meaning of God’s person as “LOVE” is definitely revealed when God spoke to us through his Son Jesus Christ. In the Word-made-flesh is God’s decisive Word, the Good News, the saving Word. Jesus, the Divine Word, recapitulates all previous words of salvation, bringing them to perfect fulfillment. Jesus, the Son of God, brings the good news of salvation to all and in him “all the ends of the earth will behold the saving power of God (cf. Is 52:10). Indeed, through the mystery of the incarnation, Jesus enables us to come to the heart of God. Born “in the flesh” of Mary, the Son of God is destined to die on the cross, be gloriously resurrected and to communicate to us the fullness of his life, light and love.
In the Christmas mystery of “the Word made flesh” is the concreteness of salvation. We too are called to be the embodiment of the incarnate Word. The following personal account gives insight into this (cf. Patty Kirk in Daily Guideposts 2014, p. 393).
Recently, a student in my Writing from Faith course voiced a revelation. “Until now”, she said, “I’ve always thought ‘Be concrete’ meant ‘Use more adjectives’. Now I see I need to make people see what I saw, hear what I heard, smell what I smelled. Using your senses helps people believe and care about what you’re saying.”
She was responding to a fellow student’s psalm about not being able to afford to go home for Christmas – to Costa Rica, where her family are missionaries. In the poem, the student-psalmist is alone in her room, staring at the computer while, just beyond the thin walls, her dorm-mates gather excitedly about their holiday plans. She recounts family traditions she’ll miss: getting ornaments out of dusty boxes, drinking hot cocoa with her siblings while Dad reads Christmas stories, sharing a festive dinner of arroz con pollo. Then like a good psalmist, she affirms her faith.
We all teared up. Afterward her classmates raised money for her flight and launched a ministry to do the same for every missionary kid on campus.
It was a big moment for me. Not only had a student’s writing spurred others to action, but they’d all finally acknowledged the persuasive power of sensory data, which I’d been trying to convince them of from day one.
Christmas is such a sensory celebration. Pine smells. Fruitcake and sugar cookies. Snow. The concreteness of Christmas crystallizes its gospel: that our invisible Creator sent us palpable evidence, in the form of a newborn, so that we might believe and have eternal life.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
What is our personal response to the “Word became flesh”? How does the reality of “God speaking to us” through his Son shapes our lives? Do we make an effort to let “the ends of the earth behold the salvation of our God”?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
(Cf. Alternative Opening Prayer, Christmas Day Mass)
God of love, Father of all,
the darkness that covered the earth
has given way to the bright dawn of your Word made flesh.
Make us a people of this light.
Make us faithful to your Word,
that we may bring your life to the waiting world.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.
“And the Word became flesh.” (Jn 1:14)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Savor the sights, sounds, tastes, textures and forms of the Christmas celebration. Above all, by your works of charity, let the needy in today’s society experience the mercy and compassion of the Word-made-flesh.
*** Text of Christmas – Day Mass, ends here. ***
*** *** ***
December 26, 2020: SATURDAY – SAINT STEPHEN, THE FIRST MARTYR
“JESUS SAVIOR: The Martyrs Give Witness to Him”
BIBLE READINGS
Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59 // Mt 10:17-22
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
At the birth of Jesus, the angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds keeping the night watch over their flocks and the glory of the Lord shone around them. At the martyrdom of Stephen, the first Christian martyr and one of the first deacons appointed by the apostles, he saw the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. On the second day of the Christmas Octave, when we rejoice at the birth of the Christ Child, we also celebrate the “dies natalis” – the birthday into eternal life of Stephen, who gave a faithful witness to Jesus as the Messiah. His declaration that Jesus is the “Messiah” provoked the murderous onslaught upon him. Stephen’s martyrdom is his road to glory.
According to Saint Fulgentius (+533), the martyrdom of Saint Stephen is intimately connected with the Christmas mystery. He remarks: “Yesterday, my dear brethren, we celebrated the birth in time of our timeless king, today we celebrate the victorious sufferings of a soldier … Yesterday the angels sang joyfully: Glory to God in the highest. Today, Blessed Stephen is clothed by Christ with the garment of immortality. Yesterday the narrow crib contained the Infant Christ. Today the boundless heavens receive the triumphant Stephen.”
Today’s secularized world that is increasingly hostile to religious realities calls for the “Saint Stephen type” of courageous witnessing. The following remarks of Andy Rooney, circulated on the Internet, give us an idea on how we can be more proactive disciples in today’s world.
Andy Rooney and Prayer:
Andy Rooney says: I don't believe in Santa Claus, but I'm not going to sue somebody for singing a Ho-Ho-Ho song in December. I don't agree with Darwin, but I didn't go out and hire a lawyer when my high school teacher taught his theory of evolution.
Life, liberty or your pursuit of happiness will not be endangered in any way because someone says a 30-second prayer before a football game. So what's the big deal? It's not like somebody is up there reading the entire Book of Acts. They're just talking to a God they believe in and asking him to grant safety to the players on the field and the fans going home from the game. But it's a Christian prayer, some will argue. Yes, and this is the United States of America and Canada, countries founded on Christian principles.
According to our very own phone book, Christian churches outnumber all others better than 200-to-1. So what would you expect – Somebody chanting Hare Krishna? If I went to a football game in Jerusalem, I would expect to hear a Jewish prayer. If I went to a soccer game in Baghdad, I would expect to hear a Muslim prayer. If I went to a ping pong match in China, I would expect to hear someone pray to Buddha. And I wouldn't be offended. It wouldn't bother me one bit. When in Rome …
“But what about the atheists?” is another argument. What about them? Nobody is asking them to be baptized. We're not going to pass the collection plate. Just humor us for 30 seconds. If that's asking too much, bring a Walkman or a pair of earplugs. Go to the bathroom. Visit the concession stand. Call your lawyer! Or, just exercise their right to leave this country! Unfortunately, one or two will call their lawyer. One or two will tell thousands what they can and cannot do.
I don't think a short prayer at a football game is going to shake the world's foundations. Christians are just sick and tired of turning the other cheek while our courts strip us of all our rights. Our parents and grandparents taught us to pray before eating, to pray before we go to sleep. Our Bible tells us to pray without ceasing. Now a handful of people and their lawyers are telling us to cease praying.
God, help us. And if that last sentence offends you, well, just sue me. The silent majority has been silent too long. It's time we tell that one or two who scream loud enough to be heard that the vast majority doesn't care what they want! It is time that the majority rules! It's time we tell them, "You don't have to pray; you don't have to say the Pledge of Allegiance; you don't have to believe in God or attend services that honor Him. That is your right, and we will honor your right. But by golly, you are no longer going to take our rights away. We are fighting back, and we WILL WIN!"
God bless us one and all … especially those who denounce Him. God bless America and Canada, despite all our faults, we are still the greatest nations of all. God bless our servicemen who are fighting to protect our right to pray and worship God. Let's make 2012 and 2013 the years the silent majority is heard and we put God back as the foundation of our families and institutions. And our military forces come home from all the wars.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
Are we ready to show the mettle that Saint Stephen manifested in his Christian witnessing? Are we ready to embrace the gift and the challenge of the Christmas-paschal mystery?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
(Cf. Opening Prayer for December 26, Feast of Saint Stephen)
Lord,
today we celebrate the entrance of St. Stephen
into eternal glory.
He died praying for those who killed him.
Help us to imitate his goodness
and to love our enemies.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.
“Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” (Acts 7:56)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Put “Christ” back into Christmas: choose Christmas cards with a religious motif; do not be shy to say “Merry Christmas”, “Happy Holy Day – Christ is born”, etc. Above all, bring the love of Christ to the poor and suffering.
***
Prepared by Sr. Mary Margaret Tapang PDDM
PIAE DISCIPULAE DIVINI MAGISTRI
SISTER DISCIPLES OF THE DIVINE MASTER
60 Sunset Ave., Staten Island, NY 10314
Tel. (718) 494-8597 // (718) 761-2323
Website: WWW.PDDM.US