A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday and Weekday Liturgy
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (Series 11, n. 2)
ADVENT WEEK 2: December 9-15, 2012 ***
(N.B. The pastoral tool BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD: A LECTIO DIVINA APPROACH TO THE SUNDAY LITURGY includes a prayerful study of the Sunday liturgy of Year C from three perspectives. For reflections on the Sunday liturgy based on the Gospel reading, please scroll up to the “ARCHIVES” above and open Series 2. For reflections based on the Old Testament reading, open Series 5. For reflections based on the Second Reading, open Series 8. Please go to Series 10 and Series 11 for the back issues of the Weekday Lectio.
Below is a LECTIO DIVINA APPROACH TO THE SUNDAY - WEEKDAY LITURGY: December 9-15, 2012. The weekday reflections are based on the First Reading. For the weekday reflections based on the Gospel Reading, please open Series 10.)
***
December 9, 2012: SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT
“JESUS SAVIOR: Through Him All Flesh Shall See the Salvation of God”
BIBLE READINGS
Bar 5:1-9 // Phil 1:4-6, 8-11 // Lk 3:1-6
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
It was past midnight. Everything was peaceful and quiet in the departure area of Bombay (now Mumbai) airport. After praying the rosary, I whiled the time away by observing the people around me. The Swissair flight crew that had just arrived caught my attention. I was fascinated by the limpid quality of a flight attendant who looked Japanese. After boarding the plane bound for Manila, that flight attendant came and greeted me in Japanese. She thought I was Japanese. I told her that I am not and that I do not speak Japanese. She laughed and shifted to English. She shared that she had just been baptized a Christian. There was joy etched in her face as she avowed her Christian faith. As I rejoiced with her, I thanked the Lord for the gradual realization of the Advent promise: “All flesh shall see the salvation of God”.
The Gospel reading of this Sunday resounds with God’s promise of salvation transmitted to us by the prophet Isaiah when he wrote the Book of Consolation of Israel. The evangelist Luke, in narrating the inaugural ministry of John the Baptist, cited the Isaiah text more amply than Mark and Matthew. The final words of today’s Gospel passage: “All flesh shall see the salvation of God” are meant to highlight the promise of universal salvation that is so important to him and his Gentile readers. The celebration of Advent entails the missionary task and commitment for the coming of God’s kingdom. The liturgical season of Advent, while it reveals the true, profound and mysterious dimension of the Lord’s coming, delineates likewise the missionary commitment of the Church and of every Christian to work for the advent or coming of God’s kingdom. “ADVENIAT REGNUM TUUM” (“Thy kingdom come!”) should be the missionary mantra of every Christian in this Advent season. The Advent celebration is meant to enkindle our apostolic obligation to bring the Good News to those already baptized but who had developed a culture that is not compatible with the Gospel, as well as, to those who have not known Christ explicitly.
In the Church’s Advent mission to bring about the coming of God’s kingdom so that “all flesh shall see the salvation of God”, we have an important paradigm or model: John the Baptist. The Jesuit missionary, Andre Retif, remarks: “He continues to be the model of every Christian and every missionary, who each dawn and each sunset should find awaiting the return of the Son of Man anxiously, but without agitation, joining in that expectation of the last things, which we know throbbed in the heart of early Christians … Together with Mary, whose expectation preceded his own and was superior to it, he is the summit of waiting for the Messiah, and he resembles those peaks on which the sun is already shedding its faint red rays when everywhere else night still reigns.”
Indeed, together with the Advent figure, John the Baptist, whose ministry is described by Luke as “the voice crying out in the desert: Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight his paths”, let us welcome the Word of God that comes to us like refreshing dew from above. We must allow the Word of God to convert us, mold us and strengthen us; and then, let us dedicate ourselves to the task of missionary witnessing.
To make the missionary goal, “ADVENIAT REGNUM TUUM”, a reality and in order to fulfill the prophetic vision: “All flesh shall see the salvation of God”, the Church needs to be nourished by the Eucharist and must always be renewed from within. The papal document Redemptor Hominis asserts: “The Church of the new Advent, the Church that is continually preparing for the new coming of the Lord, must be the Church of the Eucharist and Penance. Only when viewed in this spiritual aspect of her life and activity is she seen to be the Church of the divine mission, the Church in statu missionis, as the Second Vatican Council has shown her to be.”
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
In our Advent preparation, do we heed the call of the voice of one crying in the desert: “Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight his paths”? Do we remove what impedes grace? Do we prepare the way of grace? Are we a Church “in mission”? Are we a “voice that cries out” so as to proclaim Christ to the world? How do we contribute to the realization of the Advent invocation: “ADVENIAT REGNUM TUUM”? Do we yearn for the fulfillment of the prophetic vision: “All flesh shall see the salvation of God”? In this Advent season, do we strive to imitate John the Baptist as a model of messianic expectation and of a person in mission?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
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.
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Close your eyes and slowly enumerate the five continents of the earth: Asia, Africa, America, Europe and Oceania. As you mention each continent, picture in your mind the peoples of that continent and pray: “ADVENIAT REGNUM TUUM” … “Thy kingdom come!” By sharing your spiritual and material resources, promote the mission of the Church “ad intra” and “ad extra”.
***
December 10, 2012: MONDAY – ADVENT WEEKDAY (2)
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Works Marvels for Us”
BIBLE READINGS
Is 35:1-10 // Lk 5:17-26
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
I have just been re-assigned from San Jose to Fresno. One beautiful memory that I cherish is the volunteer work at the San Jose Rose Garden, judged in 2010 as the “Nation’s Best”. My friends, Sou and Nancy, and I would go there on Thursdays to deadhead the roses and pull out the weeds. Every time I enter the 5.5 acre garden, ablaze with color and beauty from 4000 roses, I feel an incredible sense of peace and well-being. The words of prophet Isaiah come into my mind: “They will bloom with abundant flowers, and rejoice with joyful song.” The rescue of the once disheveled garden by the Friends of San Jose Rose Garden, co-founded in 2007 by Terry Reilly, and its transformation into the “Nation’s Best Rose Garden”, are a modern day feat that gives us a glimpse into God’s marvelous works in the messianic age. Moreover, with the rose considered as the most “perfect” of all flowers, we are able to behold “the glory of the Lord” and contemplate more deeply Jesus as the “Rose of Sharon” and the “Rose of Judah”.
Today’s Old Testament reading is one of the most consoling passages in the Scriptures. Its message of hope and liberation is achieved by the evocative images of blooming flowers, water springing forth in the desert, the healing of the blind, the deaf, the mute and the lame, etc. God will bring about a new “exodus” in favor of his enslaved people. The divine saving intervention will cause the barren desert to bloom and broken people to exult for joy. Moreover, God will open a “holy way” in which the redeemed and ransomed will walk.
The “glory of the Lord” and the “splendor of our God” depicted in Isaiah’s prophecy underline the “incredible things” that the power of God effects through Jesus: healing the disabled, forgiveness of sins and fullness of life. The advent of the Messiah and the total liberation he brings call for rejoicing. The marvelous works of Jesus Christ invite us to journey in the “holy way” of the ransomed and the redeemed. Indeed, for the Church, the new people of God, Advent is a season of hope and rejoicing.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
How do the Advent images of abundant flowers, water gushing in the desert, healing of the infirm, etc. move us? How do the “incredible things” that Jesus accomplishes affect us?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
God our Father,
we thank you for the water gushing in the desert,
for the abundant flowers and their beauty,
for the healing of the blind, the deaf, the mute and the lame
and for your wonderful works in Jesus Savior.
Let your divine visitation transform us
and help us to journey on the “holy way”
of the ransomed and the redeemed.
We give you glory and praise
for your marvelous deeds,
now and forever.
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.
“They will bloom with abundant flowers and rejoice with joyful song.” (Is 35:1)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
By your compassionate acts for the poor, the hungry, the enslaved, etc., let them experience the message of comfort and hope that the prophet Isaiah and Jesus Christ bring to a broken world.
***
December 11, 2012: TUESDAY – ADVENT WEEKDAY (2); SAINT DAMASUS I, pope
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Guides us in His Way”
BIBLE READINGS
Is 40:1-11 // Mt 18:12-14
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
Today’s Old Testament reading is a beautiful prophetic message of hope and consolation. It is taken from a section of the book of Isaiah (chapters 40-55), called the Second Isaiah or Deutero-Isaiah. Also known as the Book of Consolation, it was written by an unknown author approximately 150 years after the first 39 chapters, which carry the message of the historical prophet Isaiah himself. The Book of Consolation was composed when the Exile in Babylon was about to end and the people of Israel would be allowed, by King Darius of Persia, to return to their beloved Jerusalem. To capture the joy and excitement of the moment, the Second Isaiah writer tried to rekindle the vision and to relive the ecstatic experience of the first Exodus.
The author of the Book of Consolation has introduced us to one of the richest expressions of the Bible: “the way of the Lord” (Is 40:3). The “way” is a manner of life for the people of Israel. The prophetic ministry of John the Baptist is to announce “the way of the Lord”. Jesus declares himself to be “the Way”, and Christian disciples are therefore those who follow “the Way”. “To prepare the way of the Lord” entails total conversion and utmost receptivity to the redeeming presence of the compassionate God. It involves an intimate and loving relationship with him that would lead us to act with justice, goodness and love. Indeed, anyone who is willing to respond totally and devotedly to the prophetic cry, “Prepare the way of the Lord”, will experience a display of divine glory and feel the advent of the consoling God, who is both a powerful ruler and a gentle shepherd, gathering the lambs and holding them closely to himself.
The following article, “Five Important Lessons in Life”, circulated through the Internet, gives an idea on how to follow “the way of the Lord” and promote the advent of the kingdom of God.
First Important Lesson: “Cleaning Lady”
During my second month of college, our
professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed
through the questions until I read the last one: "What is the first name of
the woman who cleans the school?" Surely this was some kind of joke. I had
seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her
50's, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last
question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last
question would count toward our quiz grade. "Absolutely", said the
professor. "In your careers, you will meet many people. All are
significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is
smile and say "hello." I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her
name was Dorothy.
Second Important Lesson: “Pickup in the Rain”
One night, at 11:30 p.m., an older African-American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rainstorm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960's. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab. She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A special note was attached. It read: "Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's' bedside just before he passed away... God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Nat King Cole
Third Important Lesson: “Always Remember Those Who Serve”
In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him. "How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked. "Fifty cents," replied the waitress. The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it. "Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he inquired. By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient. "Thirty-five cents," she brusquely replied. The little boy again counted his coins. "I'll have the plain ice cream," he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish were two nickels and five pennies. You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.
Fourth Important Lesson: “The Obstacle in Our Path”
In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the King's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand! Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.
Fifth Important Lesson: “Giving When It Counts”
Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare & serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes I'll do it if it will save her." As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheek. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away". Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood to save her.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
How does the prophecy of Isaiah impact us? How do we respond to words of hope spoken on our behalf? Do we allow Jesus, the Good Shepherd, to lead us on the way that leads to life?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Loving Father,
may nothing hinder us from receiving Christ with joy
for he is our true and living Way.
Open our hearts
that we may prepare a welcoming path for him in our hearts.
May we allow ourselves to be led by him
on the ways of eternal life
for he is the Good Shepherd who feeds his flock
and tenderly gathers the lambs and carries them in his bosom.
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.
“He leads them with care.” (Is 40:11)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray that in this Advent season we may truly open ourselves to the compassionate Good Shepherd who comes to save us. Endeavor to prepare “the way of the Lord” by carrying out concrete works of charity for the needy in your community. Fasting in this season of Advent in view of helping the poor is highly recommended.
***
December 12, 2012: WEDNESDAY – OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE
“JESUS SAVIOR: His Mother Is the Woman Clothed with the Sun”
BIBLE READINGS
Zec 2:14-17 or Rv:19a; 12:1-6a // Lk 1:39-47
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
Today’s First Reading from the Book of Revelation depicts a “great sign in the sky” – a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon beneath her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth. The image of a woman in childbirth is used to describe creative acts that involve time and sacrifice in order to be brought to full maturity. The heavenly vision of the woman in labor in the Book of Revelation evokes the painful and challenging process of the birth of Christ in the hearts of the faithful, as well as Mary’s vital role in the birthing of the Church.
The authors of the Days of the Lord, vol. 7, remark: “Moreover, because of her role in relationship to her Son, the faithful, and the community, Mary is the image of the Church that is still giving faithful birth to believers, and which is already in glory in heaven with God … The joy of the Virgin of Bethlehem is inseparable from the pain of the mother who watched her Son die on the cross at Calvary. She followed a path that led to the paschal climax quite similar to that of her Son.”
Today in the countries of the Americas, we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe which recalls the apparitions of Mary at the hill of Tepeyac from December 9-12, 1531 to Juan Diego, a native convert. The image of an expectant mother, “clothed with the sun, with the moon beneath her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars” was miraculously impressed in the cloak of Juan Diego. The following account is from a report by Don Antonio Valeriano, a Native American author of the 16th Century.
At daybreak one Saturday morning in 1531, on the very first days of the month of December, an Indian named Juan Diego was going from the village where he lived to Tlatelolco in order to take part in divine worship and listen to God’s commandments. When he came near the hill Tepeyac, dawn had already come, and Juan Diego heard someone calling him from the very top of the hill: “Juanito, Juan Dieguito”.
He went up the hill and caught sight of a lady of unearthly grandeur whose clothing was as radiant as the sun. She said to him in words both gentle and courteous: “Juanito, the humblest of my children, know and understand that I am the ever virgin Mary, Mother of the true God through whom all things live. It is my ardent desire that a church be erected here so that in it I can show and bestow my love, compassion, help, and protection to all who inhabit this land and to those others who love me, that they might call upon and confide in me. Go to the Bishop of Mexico to make known to him what I greatly desire. Go and put all your efforts into this.”
When Juan Diego arrived in the presence of the Bishop Fray Juan de Zumarraga, a Franciscan, the latter did not seem to believe Juan Diego and answered: “Come another time, and I will listen at leisure.”
Juan Diego returned to the hilltop where the Heavenly Lady was waiting, and he said to her: “My Lady, my maiden, I presented your message to the Bishop, but it seemed that he did not think it was true. For this reason I beg you to entrust your message to someone more illustrious who might convey it in order that they might believe it, for I am only an insignificant man.”
She answered: “Humblest of my sons, I ask that tomorrow you again go to see the Bishop and tell him that I, the ever virgin holy Mary, Mother of God, am the one who personally sent you.”
But on the following day, Sunday, the Bishop again did not believe Juan Diego and told him that some sign was necessary so that he could believe that it was the Heavenly Lady herself who sent him. And then he dismissed Juan Diego.
On Monday Juan Diego did not return. His uncle, Juan Bernardino, became very ill, and at night asked Juan to go to Tlatelolco at daybreak to call a priest to hear his confession.
Juan Diego set out on Tuesday, but he went around the hill and passed on the other side, toward the east, so as to arrive quickly in Mexico City to avoid being detained by the Heavenly Lady. But she came out to meet him on that side of the hill and said to him: “Listen and understand, my humblest son. There is nothing to frighten and distress you. Do not let your heart be troubled, and let nothing upset you. Is it not I, your Mother, who is here? Are you not under my protection? Are you not, fortunately, in my care? Do not let you uncle’s illness distress you. It is certain that he has already been cured. Go up to the hilltop, my son, where you will find flowers of various kinds. Cut them, and bring them into my presence.”
When Juan Diego reached the peak, he was astonished that so many Castillian roses had burst forth at a time when the frost was severe. He carried the roses in the folds of his tilma (mantle) to the Heavenly Lady. She said to him: “My son, this is the proof and the sign which you will bring to the Bishop so that he will see my will in it. You are my ambassador, very worthy of trust.”
Juan Diego set out on his way, now content and sure of succeeding. On arriving in the Bishop’s presence, he told him: “My lord, I did what you asked. The Heavenly Lady complied with your request and fulfilled it. She sent me to the hilltop to cut some Castillian roses and told me to bring them to you in person. And this I am doing, so that you can see in them the sign you seek in order to carry out her will. Here they are; receive them.”
He immediately opened up his white mantle, and as all the different Castillian roses scattered to the ground, there was drawn on the cloak and suddenly appeared the precious image of the ever Virgin Mary, Mother of God., in the same manner as it is today and is kept in her shrine of Tepeyac.
The whole city was stirred and came to see and admire her venerable image and to offer prayers to her; and following the command which the same Heavenly Lady gave to Juan Bernardino when she restored him to health, they called her by the name she herself had used: “the ever virgin holy Mary of Guadalupe”.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
How does the sign of “a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon beneath her feet and wearing a crown of twelve stars” affect on you? What message can you glean from the image of a woman in labor to give birth to a child? What Marian image do you find most significant?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
God of power and mercy,
you blessed the Americas at Tepeyac
with the presence of the Virgin Mary of Guadalupe.
May her prayers help all men and women
to accept each other as brothers and sisters.
Through your justice present in our hearts,
may your peace reign in the world.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, 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.
“A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.” (Rv 12:1)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
By our acts of charity and sacrifice for the poor and vulnerable, let us participate with Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe, in the ongoing mystery of the “birthing of the Church”.
***
December 13, 2012: THURSDAY – SAINT LUCY, virgin, martyr
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Is the Lord God’s Redeeming Hand”
BIBLE READINGS
Is 41:13-20 // Mt 11:11-15
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
Today’s Isaiah text presents the Lord God as grasping his people Israel with his “right hand”. Israel is the Lord God’s chosen Servant no matter how despised the people were. In their Exile in Babylon, they were considered as despicable as a worm or maggot, but the Lord God assures them: “Fear not, I will help you.” The Lord God is their Redeemer who binds himself to them with a bond of tenderness and obligation. The Lord God’s plan of salvation for the afflicted and the needy is expressed in images of exquisite beauty: the barren desert gushing with water, the growth of cedar, acacia, olive and pine trees in the wasteland. God’s intervention on behalf of the exiles is a “new creation” that all may see and know … that all may observe and understand. Against this backdrop, we see the figure of John the Baptist as an instrument of salvation, and Jesus Christ as the personification of God’s redeeming hand for us all.
The following story, “Daddy’s Hand”, circulated on the Internet, gives insight into the saving character of “the hand of the Lord”.
When I was six years old we lived in Oklahoma City in a neighborhood where we always kept the doors locked and bolted at night. To get out the backdoor, Daddy had a special key that opened the dead bolt from the inside.
One night I was awakened suddenly by the sound of thunder, lightning and a torrential downpour. I rushed down the hall toward my parents’ room, but was stopped by billowing smoke and flames coming from the living room. Our house had been struck by lightning. I had to get out, but how? I couldn’t reach the front door because of the flames, and the backdoor was locked.
On the verge of panic, I was relieved when in the darkness I felt Daddy’s warm hand leading me down the hall and out of the backdoor to our backyard. As I stood in the pouring rain, his hand let me go of mine and he was gone. Frightened, I turned back to the house. There was Mom calling my name, “Macy! Macy!” “Out here”, I said. She ran out to me, and together we went around to the front, where we found Daddy with Kent, the baby, and my three-year-old sister, Amy.
“You’re safe, Macy”, he said, sighing with relief. Daddy told me that he had tried to get to me, but couldn’t cross the flames. He had not guided me down the hall. He had not unlocked the dead bolt on the backdoor.
That was twelve years ago, and all these years I’ve never forgotten the warmth of the Hand that led me then, and leads me now, through the dark.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
Do I trust in the help of our redeeming God and welcome his exhortation: “Fear not’ I will help you”? Do I allow myself to be led by “the hand of the Lord”?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Loving Father,
you bind yourself to us with a bond of tenderness.
You assure us: “Fear not, I will help you.”
We entrust ourselves to you.
Lead us by your right hand
and let your saving hand bring forth
the miracle of a barren desert gushing with water
and filled with flourishing trees.
We thank and praise you for Jesus,
the personification of your redeeming hand.
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.
“I am the Lord, your God, who grasp your right hand.” (Is 41:13)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Study the Catechism of the Catholic Church and enable the people around you to appreciate the meaning of our Catholic faith. Be instruments of “the hand of the Lord” in leading people to the light of truth.
***
December 14, 2012: FRIDAY – SAINT JOHN OF THE CROSS, priest, doctor of the Church
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Teaches Us the Way to Go”
BIBLE READINGS
Is 48:17-19 // Mt 11:16-19
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
The prophet Isaiah depicts the Lord God as Israel’s teacher who teaches what is good for them and leads them on the way they should go. He exhorts them to listen to his words and follow his commands that they may have life and prosperity. Jesus Master, the Way, Truth and Life, makes the same appeal to his contemporaries. However, they disappointingly refused to listen to him and the Good News of God’s kingdom. They were indecisive and reluctant to receive the message of either Jesus or John the Baptist. Like the contemporaries of the prophet Isaiah and of Jesus and John the Baptist, we too are called to listen to the life-giving word of God and follow the path that leads to life. We should not vacillate. And especially this Advent season, we should allow the word of God to invigorate us. Indeed, those who follow the Lord will have the light of life.
The following testimony of Archbishop Van Thuan is an example of a positive stance to the message of God and to those who teach the path of life (cf. Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan, Testimony of Hope, Boston: Pauline Books and Media, 2000, p. 59).
When I was a student in the minor seminary in Annin, a Vietnamese priest and professor helped me to understand the importance of having the Gospel with me always. He was an intellectual, of Mandarin descent, and a convert from Buddhism. He always carried the Good News with him, hanging it from his neck as you would Viaticum. When I left the seminary for another assignment, he gave me this book, his most precious treasure, as a heritage.
The example of this holy priest, Joseph Maria Thich, always remained alive in my heart and helped me immensely in prison during my time in solitary confinement. I kept going during those difficult years because the Word of God was “a lamp for my feet” and a “light for my way” (cf. Ps 119:105).
St. Jerome and St. Therese of the Child Jesus always carried the Gospel close to their hearts. But it is my own culture that emphasizes the unique value of the Scriptures. In Asia the words of Confucius and Mencius, his disciple, are greatly venerated. Since the people cannot keep the words everywhere, they keep them in their minds as a sign of their veneration.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
In this Advent season, do I make an effort to listen and put into practice the commands of the Lord and walk in his way?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Loving Father,
you teach us what is for our good
and lead us on the way we should go
by sending us your Son Jesus Christ.
He is the Divine Master,
the way, the truth and the life.
Grant us docility of heart that we may follow the Christian way
that leads to prosperity and the fullness of life.
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.
“I, the Lord, your God, teach you what is for your good and lead you on the way you should go.” (Is 48:17)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Consider giving as Christmas gift, to your family members and friends, a copy of the New Testament or the Bible.
***
December 15, 2012: SATURDAY – ADVENT WEKDAY (2)
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Identifies John the Baptist as the Elijah”
BIBLE READINGS
Sir 48:1-4, 9-11 // Mt 17:9a, 10-13
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
Jesus identifies John the Baptist as the “Elijah” who must come first before the advent of the Messiah. Today’s Old Testament reading from the Book of Sirach helps us understand and appreciate better the figure of John the Baptist as the “Elijah” who prepares the way of the Lord. Elijah was an Old Testament fiery prophet, whose words blazed like a torch, calling abusive authorities in Israel to accountability. He spoke in the name of the Lord and manifested its power by keeping the rain from coming and bringing forth famine in the land. At the end of his ministry, Elijah was taken up to heaven in a fiery whirlwind, a chariot drawn by fiery horses. But at the designated time, he is destined to return to carry out a mission of conversion and reconciliation. To his disciples who posed the question, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” Jesus affirms that Elijah has come indeed in the person of John the Baptist.
The prophetic witnessing of Elijah and John the Baptist continues to live on in our world today as the following account shows (cf. Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan, Testimony of Hope, Boston: Pauline Books and Media, 2000, p. 114-115).
“I saw my father go up to Heaven.” A small book by this title won the UNESCO prize. In it the author, a Russian who lives in Paris, describes the life of his father with moving words. His father was an Orthodox priest, a pious and passionate pastor who made countless sacrifices in the midst of persecution. One day during the war he was arrested because he was wearing a pair of shoes that one of his sons, a soldier, had given him. He was condemned to death because the law forbade civilians to wear military shoes. This was of course merely a pretext to conceal the real motive for his condemnation: his religious activity.
The whole village was convened around the pastor in an open field. The captain declared the sentence, and the priest’s response was to kneel down and pray. All the people knelt with him and prayed aloud. “Fire”, commanded the captain. But the soldiers stood motionless. “Fire”, he cried again. No one fired. Finally, defeated, the captain could do nothing other than to allow the priest to return on horseback to his home with his people.
Some months later, while on a pastoral journey, this Orthodox priest “vanished”. No one ever heard any more about him, but everyone understood his fate. His people said that he had gone to heaven on his horse.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
Do we imitate the spirit of Elijah and John the Baptist in being totally at the service of God’s prophetic word and in preparing the people for the day of the Lord? Do we ask the Lord for the grace of prophetic witnessing?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Father,
we thank you for the fiery zeal of Elijah and John the Baptist
in calling forth people to conversion.
Help us to imitate their courage in speaking your word.
Make us respond fully to our prophetic vocation
and be blessed with the Elijah experience
of being brought to heaven in a “chariot of fire”.
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.
“Like a fire there appeared the prophet Elijah whose words were as a flaming furnace.” (Sir 48:1)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
By your words and actions, endeavor to make a courageous prophetic witnessing in today’s increasingly hostile and secularized world in the spirit of Elijah and John the Baptist.
***
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