A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday & Weekday Liturgy
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (Series 14, n. 3)
Third Sunday of Advent and Advent Weekday 3: Dec. 13-19, 2015
N.B. Please go to our website: www.pddm.us and click the icon "Eucharistic Adoration" for the pastoral tool: MISERICORDIAE VULTUS ... "The Face of Mercy": A Eucharistic Adoration Guide to mark the opening of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy. This may be used on December 8, 2015 or any appropriate day during the Jubilee Year.
(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 of Year C from various perspectives. For the Lectio Divina on the liturgy of the past week: December 6-12, 2015, please go to ARCHIVES Series 13 and click on “Advent Week 1”.
Below is a LECTIO DIVINA APPROACH TO THE SUNDAY - WEEKDAY LITURGY: December 13-19, 2015.)
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December 13, 2015: THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT
“JESUS SAVIOR: John the Baptist Is His Prophet”
BIBLICAL READINGS
Zep 3:14-18a // Phil 4:4-7 // Lk 3:10-18
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Lk 3:10-18): “What should we do?”
Some years ago, the horrible avalanche of garbage that killed many scavengers in the city dump in Payatas, Manila Metropolis in the Philippines, and the stinking trash that littered and polluted our once beautiful land provoked sensitive persons to ask: “What should we do?” One day I saw Sr. Mary Carmela, who had attended an ecological seminar organized for our Antipolo Diocese, washing messy plastic bags and putting them on the clothesline to dry. She explained that the plastic bags would be brought to the Augustinian Recollect Fathers where they would be picked up by a recycling factory. She showed me also a long list of recyclable materials and the address of the factories that recycle them in the Metro Manila area. That was a day of conversion for me! From then on I knew that I would be able to do something for God’s beloved creation – so violently abused by man’s greed and senselessness. I joined the work of “zero waste”, the promotion of a life of simplicity and the campaign against wastefulness. In caring for the earth, I become more connected with the Church of the poor and feel the joyful advent of God’s justice and peace in my heart.
The question “What should we do?” is very much related to the Advent mantra “Adveniat regnum tuum” (“Thy kingdom come!”). The joy of Advent is not passivity. In order to bring about the advent of God’s kingdom on earth, the people of messianic expectation must ask the question “What should we do?” as the crowds, tax collectors and soldiers asked John the Baptist. The Baptist’s response emphasized a practical spirituality rather than a high mysticism. His reply to the expectant crowds was: “Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise” (Lk 3:11). John the Baptist did not prescribe ritual sacrifice or oblige ascetical practices but challenged them to a more radical response: a selfless concern for the disadvantaged poor. Moreover, he demanded just and responsible behavior from the tax collectors and soldiers. Indeed, as salvation is for all classes of people, so the practice of justice and charity is a moral imperative in every walk of life.
Our Advent celebration involves a joyful hope that manifests itself in acts of peace and justice, and care for the earth. In response to John the Baptist’s exhortation “Prepare the way of the Lord”, we strive to make alive and real the kingdom of God’s justice and peace in the “here and now”. Our charity for our less fortunate brothers and sisters and our active concern for God’s beloved creation are a necessary preparation for the coming of the Messiah, the servant of justice and the Lord of creation. John the Baptist, the precursor of the Messiah, preached the good news of the Savior’s imminent coming to the people who were on tiptoe in expectation. And Jesus the Messiah, anointed by the Spirit to bring good news to the poor, came in time and space and continues to come to earth to bring forth justice and salvation.
B. Old Testament Reading (Zep 3:14-18a): “The Lord will rejoice over you with gladness.”
I have never imagined that the small peaceful town where I was born, near the slopes of Mayon volcano in the Philippines, would ever be in the international news. In 2006 my hometown, Guinobatan, was one of the worst hit areas by the tropical storm Durian and the devastation it suffered was almost “apocalyptic”. At its height, with 165 mph winds and a five-hour deluge, the storm dislodged tons of debris that cascaded down the slopes of the Mayon volcano. Walls of mud and boulders destroyed nearly every standing structure in their path. Official figures showed 526 dead, 1,000 injured and 740 missing, but the extent of the calamity exceeds the official tally or human imagination. My brother who lives on another island wrote to me his personal impression.
Although I have been to Guinobatan several times recently, tonight as I was watching the live TV Broadcast in front of the Guinobatan Municipal Hall, I was trying to look for something that is familiar to me in the footage. There is nothing that I can relate to in the past, nor anything that will give me the feeling of deja vu. Not even the Municipal Hall with its bold signboard. What I saw was total desolation and pictures of human grief. I kept wondering where the Guinobatan where I grew up went. And I kept wondering if any of those bloated bodies lined up on the concrete floor, for lack of space, is not one of our kin … I just can’t help but foolishly wonder aloud why the town was being singled out by nature or fate.
As I was receiving reports of the devastation, and more impressively from the personal accounts of my relatives who were in the deluge, I was also struggling to make sense of the bible readings assigned for Gaudete Sunday, especially the First Reading (Zep 3:14-18a). For those people whose wounds are so raw, whose grief is too bitter and whose loss is exceedingly real, Zephaniah’s Ode to Joy seems callous, incongruous and senseless. I even complained, “How on earth could I make a Lectio Divina on this passage?” The grace of God, however, did not abandon me. Slowly, slowly a sense of understanding came to me as I prayed and meditated on that catastrophic event in the light of the transforming Word of God. Indeed, delving more deeply into the book of the prophet Zephaniah and the Gospel message, I came to realize with renewed conviction that God is present in this paschal situation, transforming death and sadness into salvation and redemption – and that sadness does not have the ultimate word, but joy in the Lord.
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 Zephaniah 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 on 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.
C. Second Reading (Phil 4:4-7): “The Lord is near.”
Through the Second Reading of this Sunday’s Mass – called fittingly “Gaudete Sunday” - we have received a beautiful gift from Saint Paul: his witness of joy and his inspiring call to rejoice in the Lord always (cf. Phil 4:4-7). Writing from a prison in Ephesus to the Philippians, the first church that Paul established on European soil in the Roman province of Macedonia, he was sharing with them and with us, through time and space, the confident joy that springs forth from deep faith in Jesus Christ. Paul reminds the Philippians and us that the Lord Jesus is the motive and guarantee of our joy, which is to be shared with everyone in the form of kindness and serenity.
As we look forward to the final coming of Jesus Christ at the parousia, or end time, we are not anxious, but rather warmed with joyful hope. In our Advent expectation we do not despair, but are filled with the grace of peace. Indeed, Saint Paul’s remarkable message for us this Gaudete Sunday is a source of comfort, inspiration and greater insight. Paul’s fundamental response to the Lord’s Good News is that of optimism and joy. He challenges us to make it ours as well.
The people of Advent expectation are a people of joy. They are a bunch of joyful optimists, rooted in union with Jesus Christ and anchored securely through deep faith in him. The following charming story gives us an idea of the undaunted conviction that animates a joyful optimist (cf. “The Optimist” in A 2nd Helping of Chicken Soup for the Soul, ed. Jack Canfield & Mark Victor Hansen, Deerfield Beach: Health Communications, Inc., 1993, p. 180). His trust in the good that is in store is total and unyielding.
There is a story of identical twins. One was a hope-filled optimist: “Everything is coming up roses!” he would say. The other was a sad and hopeless pessimist. He thought that Murphy, as in Murphy’s Law, was an optimist. The worried parents of the boys brought them to the local psychologist.
He suggested to the parents a plan to balance the twins’ personalities. “On their next birthday, put them in separate rooms to open their gifts. Give the pessimist the best toys you can afford, and give the optimist a box of manure.” The parents followed these instructions and carefully observed the results.
When they peeked in on the pessimist, they heard him audibly complaining, “I don’t like the color of this computer … I’ll bet this calculator will break … I don’t like this game … I know someone who’s got a bigger toy car than this …”
Tiptoeing across the corridor, the parents peeked in and saw their little optimist gleefully throwing the manure up in the air. He was giggling, “You can’t fool me! Where there’s this much manure, there’s gotta be a pony!”
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
In the Church’s preparation for the Lord’s definitive coming, do we seek to translate our Advent invocation “ADVENIAT REGNUM TUUM” into an expression of effective concern by asking: “WHAT SHOULD WE DO?” Does our joyful hope in the coming of the Messiah, the servant of justice and the Lord of creation, prove itself in acts of justice and works of charity, and care for the earth? Do we imitate the messianic witness of John the Baptist who “preached the good news to the people”? Do we respond to his challenge of practical spirituality that we may “prepare the way of the Lord”?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Lord Jesus,
as we prepare for your definitive coming at the end time
and as we welcome your daily advent in our lives,
teach us “what we should do”
so that we may truly be a people of the new covenant
and messengers of hope to the poor and the oppressed.
Help us to care for the earth.
The earth forms the basic raw material for humankind
and the substance for the incarnation of God’s Son.
In our care for the earth
and in deeds of compassion and mercy,
may we be a “sacrament” of the final advent of your Kingdom
where you live and reign forever and ever.
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 crowds asked John the Baptist, ‘What should we do?’” (Lk 3:10)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
As an Advent offering, offer your prayers and/or contribute money, time or other resources to the environmental projects of the local community and any other.
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December 14, 2015: MONDAY – SAINT JOHN OF THE CROSS, Priest, Doctor of the Church
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Is the Star from Jacob”
BIBLE READINGS
Nm 24:2-7, 15-17a // Mt 21:23-27
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Mt 21:23-27): “John’s baptism: where did it come from?”
In the Gospel reading (Mt 21:23-27), after Jesus’ triumphant advent and messianic entry into Jerusalem, where he cleanses the temple, heals the sick and teaches with authority, the chief priests and elders challenge him and ask for credentials. Jesus counters with a question about the authority of John the Baptist. If they admit John the Baptist’s divine commissioning, they convict themselves of unbelief; if they deny it, they risk arousing the anger of the mob. Thus Jesus emerges from the confrontation with dignity and integrity.
The opposition leaders in Jerusalem refuse to recognize the divine origin of both John the Baptist and Jesus. But, as the people of Advent expectation, we know better. We are called to avow Jesus’ messianic authority. In concrete, we should courageously live and witness our faith in today’s increasingly hostile, secularized society. When, for the first time, the White House referred to Christmas trees as “Holiday Trees”, the CBS presenter Ben Stein was prompted to write an article which is circulated through the Internet. His insights can encourage us in our religious witnessing.
I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees “Christmas trees”. I don’t feel threatened. I don’t feel discriminated against. That’s what they are – “Christmas trees”. It doesn’t bother me a bit when people say, “Merry Christmas” to me. I don’t think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of the year. It doesn’t bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu. If people want a crèche, it’s just fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.
I don’t like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don’t think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from, that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can’t find it in the Constitution and I don’t like it being shoved down my throat. (…)
Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world’s going to hell! Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send “jokes” through E-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about God is suppressed in the school and workplace. Are you laughing yet? (…)
B. First Reading (Nm 24:2-7, 15-17a): “A star shall advance from Jacob.”
Today’s Old Testament reading (Nm 24:2-7, 15-17a) contains the very interesting story of the prophet Balaam being coaxed three times by Balak, the king of Moab, to curse the Israelites so that they will be able to defeat them and drive them out from the land. Instead of cursing the people of God, Balaam three times utters blessing upon them. The prophet Balaam explains to the irate and frustrated king: “I will say only what the Lord tells me to say.” The enraged Balak dismisses the prophet without any reward. But Balaam is unmoved in his purpose. Remuneration means nothing to him for his sole motivation as a prophet is to say what the Lord puts in his mouth. Before going back to his home in the eastern mountains of Syria, Balaam speaks an unsolicited word that announces Israel’s ultimate victory over the peoples of the region. Above all, he utters the most magnificent oracle of all: “A star shall advance from Jacob, and a staff shall rise from Israel.” In the context of our Advent preparation, Balaam’s prophecy about the “star” and the “staff” finds its final fulfillment, not in King David, but in Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the King of the universe.
The tradition of putting up a star as an Advent-Christmas décor underlines the presence of Jesus, “the star from Jacob”, the light that dares the darkness. Here is an example of how a family carries out this tradition (cf. Pam Kidd in Guideposts 2010, p. 12).
The star was nothing special, just a piece of plastic with a few strings of lights twined around its edges. We had used duct tape to fasten it to a long wooden pole and then tied the pole to the highest limb of the dogwood tree at the entrance fo our house. Some might call my star shabby, but I thought it was glorious. Its blue and white lights were a welcome sight when I returned home on those cold, pre-Christmas nights. And what a delight it was to look out the kitchen window and see the star shining in the darkness. All through the season, when guests were expected, my directions were simple: “Just come to the house with the star.”
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
Are we like the prophet Balaam who is totally committed to speak what God wants him to speak? Or are we like the leaders in Jerusalem who are not able to discern the divine character of the words and deeds of Jesus and refuse to commit themselves to him? What do we do to get to know Jesus, follow him closely, love him ardently and serve him faithfully?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Lord Jesus,
help us to recognize your divine authority
and submit to your saving power.
In today’s increasingly secularized and atheistic world,
give us the courage to speak your saving word
and witness that you are truly our Savior.
Maranatha! Come, O Christ the Lord!
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.
“By what authority are you doing these things?” (Mt 21:23b) // “A star shall advance from Jacob, and a staff shall rise from Israel.” (Nm 24:17a)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray that the saving authority of Christ may be welcomed and embraced by today’s troubled world. In this Advent season, listen attentively to the Word of God and invite people around you to savor the “bread of the Word”.
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December 15, 2015: TUESDAY – ADVENT WEEKDAY (3)
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Invites Us to Say YES”
BIBLE READINGS
Zep 3:1-2, 9-13 // Mt 21:28-32
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Mt 21:28-32): “John came and sinners believed in him.”
In today’s Gospel reading (Mt 21:28-32), Jesus underlines the contrasting response of two sons to their father’s command. The response of the first son, who promised to obey but did nothing, indicates the Jewish leaders’ refusal of the kingdom value proclaimed both by John the Baptist and Jesus. The response of the second son, who repented and obeyed, indicates the conversion experience of sinners and their embrace of the kingdom of God.
Advent is a time for conversion and new beginning. Jesus comes into our life to make us a new creation. But we need to welcome him and say “Yes” to his loving endeavor to renew God’s life within us. What joy our conversion entails; great is the comfort it brings! The following charming article can help us experience the awesome nature of conversion-transformation (cf. Mike McGarvin, POVERELLO NEWS, October 2011, p. 1).
One family that comes to Poverello has a little girl who is really out of control. A while ago, she entered the Pov dining room with her mom and siblings, spotted me, and, screaming like a banshee, came running up to me and side-kicked me in a very sensitive spot. Needless to say, I wouldn’t let that girl get within five feet of me after that. One day, I realized that the family hadn’t been in to eat in a long time. After that excruciating kick, I wasn’t too sad about their absence.
Not too long ago, they reappeared. While I wasn’t looking, the girl slipped up behind me. When I turned, I was initially shocked to see her (and, I might add, a little scared). Then she did what I never would have expected: she wrapped her arms around me and gave me a big hug. It was hard to believe that it was the same child.
B. First Reading (Zep 3:1-2, 9-13): “Messianic salvation is promised to all of the poor.”
Today’s Old Testament reading (Zep 3:1-2, 9-13) depicts Jerusalem’s sin and redemption. The Lord condemns Jerusalem as a corrupt, rebellious city that oppresses its own people. Jerusalem does not listen to the Lord nor put trust in him. Indeed, its leaders exploit the people shamelessly and in the face of this bad example, the people have also deteriorated. God’s punishment will come upon the people. The harsh punishment is not meant for total destruction, but for the conversion of the people. The prophet’s messianic vision is the gathering of nations who will no longer pray to other gods, but to the Lord God alone. Zephaniah also speaks of the “remnant” of Israel, a people humble and lowly, who turn to God for help. The chastised “remnant” will be totally renewed. They will do no wrong to anyone, tell no lies nor try to deceive. For them the Lord alone suffices. They shall know peace and prosperity.
Zephaniah’s vision of the restoration of God’s people and his triumph over the nations fills our Advent season with hope. The following personal testimony illustrates that God’s care for the “remnant” continues to live on even in the present day (cf. Marci Alborghetti in Daily Guideposts 2014, p. 228).
“For I will leave in the midst of you a people humble and lowly …” (Zep 3:12)
When I started the St James Literary Society at the homeless shelter, I had plans for structure, rules, you name it. Reality soon set in. Our book club became as messy as the lives of those of us in it.
Everything was on the table!
Once I abandoned my hope for an organized, structured forum, I opened myself up more to these people than to anyone in my life. They honored me by honoring the favor.
I insisted that we end every meeting with a prayer. Not everyone identified as Christians, although most were familiar with the higher power of twelve-step programs. It took a little doing to get them to hold hands. I tried to make the prayers personal, including each person’s particular needs. There were men and women standing in the circle, heads bowed, eyes closed, hands clasped. They’d stood up, put out their cigarettes, stopped jittering. They were addicts, dealers, poor in spirit and body, ill, hungry, worried, ex-convicts, angry, hurt, victims of injustice. And because I’d asked them, we were praying.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
What is my response to the loving saving initiative of God through his Son Jesus Christ: a “Yes, but No”, a “No, but Yes”, or a “Yes, absolutely Yes” response? Do I believe that God’s plan for us is benevolent – that he would restore us to himself?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Lord Jesus,
we have failed you and our heavenly Father many times.
Give us the grace to respond positively
to the Father’s saving will.
Transform our “No, but Yes” response
into a “Yes, absolutely Yes” response.
Count us among the “remnant”
who put their trust in you.
Help us hasten the definitive advent of your glorious kingdom
by our service of justice, peace and truth.
Maranatha! Come, O Christ the Lord!
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 changed his mind and went.” (Mt 21: 29) // “I will leave as a remnant in your midst a people humble and lowly.” (Zep 3:12)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Participate in the Rite of Reconciliation during the Advent season. Offer your counsel and guiding hand to those who have lost their moral compass and are struggling to preserve their personal integrity. In order to deepen in us the spirit of lowliness that characterizes the “remnant” of God’s people, make an effort to spend some quiet moment in silent adoration before the Blessed Sacrament.
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December 16, 2015: WEDNESDAY – ADVENT WEEKDAY (3)
“JESUS SAVIOR: His Works Give Witness to Him”
BIBLE READINGS
Is 45:6b-8, 18, 21b-25 // Lk 7:18b-23
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Lk 7:18b-23): “Go back and tell John what you have seen and heard.”
The air was charged with messianic expectation. John the Baptist sent two of his disciples to ask Jesus whether he was “the one who is to come” or should they expect someone else. John’s emissaries witnessed for themselves Jesus giving sight to the blind and healing people from ills. Jesus sent them back to John with a command to report what they had seen and heard: the blind could see, the lame could walk, the lepers were made clean, the deaf could hear, and the Good News was preached to the poor. The wondrous works of Jesus testified that he was indeed the longed-for Messiah – the promised Savior who would bring life and salvation.
Advent is a season to contemplate and participate in the messianic works of Jesus. It is a season of thankfulness for Christ’s healing power and the Gospel joy. This season of grace calls us to carry on Christ’s compassionate ministry and saving works to our families, society and the entire creation.
The following article gives us an idea of what we can do to make the Advent of the Church a time of service to a larger society (cf. Gary Richards, “Cleanup Draws Crowds” in San Jose Mercury News, November 20, 2011, Section B, p.1, 6).
Saturday morning broke brisk, the sky a clear Bay Area blue. Another beautiful day loomed ahead – except along our trashy freeways: fast-food wrappers, coffee cups, beer cans, clothes, cigarette cartons, tattered sleeping bags, torn tents and some mysterious, smelly dark stuff. But not for long! More than 200 volunteers swarmed over six South Bay freeways to pick up litter – and another 200 are headed out Sunday.
A San Jose group called Beautiful Day pitched the idea to Caltrans recently for a massive weekend cleanup that the Bay Area has never seen before, promising 400 volunteers. The group delivered. … People signed up in droves … people such as Linda Hoskins, 52, and her husband, Clay Nelson, 63, of San Jose. Along with several other volunteers, they worked the area around El Camino Real and Highway 85 for 2½ hours. “Our freeways are filthy and I complained all the time, she said. “Complaining is not helping. Then we read about this in your column and discovered a way to do something.”
B. First Reading (Is 45:6c-8, 18, 21c-25): “Let the clouds rain down.”
The reading (Is 45:6c, 18, 21c-25) is punctuated by the repeated affirmations: “I am the Lord and there is no other … I am God: there is no other.” It underlines God’s unique sovereignty and his ineffable ways. In response to the people’s urgent plea for salvation, God makes us of the Gentile King Cyrus to save Israel. This may disconcert the sages, but God forcefully reminds us that he is the creator of the heavens and the designer and maker of the earth, the master of all things, the source of light and darkness, of peace and woe. He can turn into good the evil that befalls and chastises his chosen people. The Lord God wills to save his people and the people all over the world. He urges them to turn to him and be saved. He will rescue all the descendants of Israel and they will give him glory and praise.
Today’s Old Testament reading contains the haunting prayer of a people in distress: “Let justice descend, O heavens, like dew from above, like gentle rain let the skies drop it down. Let the earth open and salvation bud forth: let justice also spring up.” Israel, the people in Exile, prays for “justice” and “salvation” from their enemies. In preparing the Vulgate Bible, Saint Jerome translated the “justice” and “salvation” of the Hebrew text as proper names: the “Just One” and the “Savior”. This lives on in the Church liturgy as the beautiful invocation: “Let the clouds rain down the Just One and the earth bring forth a Savior” (cf. the Responsorial Psalm of today’s Mass).
The Advent invocation, “Heavens drop dew from above” evokes beautiful images of dew drops. When I was a young aspirant at our convent in Antipolo, I delighted to see dew drops sparkling on the greenish-golden fruits of the papaya, on the green blades of the carabao grass in the front lawn, and on the fresh blossoms of roses in the garden. Above all, this prayer evokes the advent of Jesus Christ, the “Just One” and the “Savior”, who bedews us from above.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
Do we participate in Christ’s ongoing messianic works in the world? Do we heartily proclaim the Gospel and confirm it with our service to the poor and vulnerable?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Lord Jesus,
you continue to be our Savior.
We are your arms and hands
- the channels of your peace and redeeming works.
Make us docile instruments of your grace
so that the blind may see,
the lame may walk,
the lepers may be cleansed,
the deaf may hear,
and the Good News may be preached to the poor.
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.
“Go and tell what you have seen and heard.” (Lk 7:22) // “Let justice descend, O heavens, like dew from above … Let the earth open and salvation bud forth.” (Is 45:8)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray for all those who hasten the final advent of our Lord Jesus Christ by their messianic works on behalf of today’s poor and vulnerable. Be personally involved in the Gospel proclamation and in the service of those who are in greatest need in our society.
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December 17, 2015: THURSDAY – ADVENT WEEKDAY (3)
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Is from the Tribe of Judah”
BIBLE READINGS
Gn 49:2, 8-10 // Mt 1:1-17
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Mt 1:1-17): “The genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David”
In today’s Gospel reading (Mt 1:1-17), the evangelist Matthew presents the family tree of Jesus, which includes rich and pauper, noble and ignoble, mighty and vulnerable, sinners and saints. Jesus is fully human, sharing the burdens and joys of our humanity.
Fr. Patrick Hannon remarks: “We live in a world of nations, tribes and people. The lines that divide us, the walls that protect us, the searing memories of war and want and wounds too often define us and keep us all at a fearful distance from one another. Into this walled world God came. He was a son of Abraham, son of David, son of Mary. And though he was of the Jewish tribe, Jesus came to erase the tribal lines that divide us and to remind us of the one tribe, the one race to which we all belong: the human race. It is our humanity that unites us and helps us to see who we are beyond the boundaries of nation, tribe, religion, and culture. It is Jesus who reminds us that the one thing we have in common with God is our humanity.”
When I was assigned in Mumbai, India in the 1980s, one Sister invited me to go with her to see a Muslim landlord, who graciously welcomed us. It was a hot day. When we were seated, we were each served a glass of refreshing water – an exquisite sign of hospitality. How beautiful it is to live peacefully and harmoniously with one another – whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic, religious and ideological differences!
B. First Reading (Gn 49:2, 8-10): “The scepter shall not depart from Judah.”
This happened in 1964. I was riding a bus which got stuck in traffic close to Malacanang, the Philippine presidential palace. Suddenly a group of motor guards appeared and cleared the way for a limousine. I held my breath when I saw the VIP being chauffeured - a very beautiful lady dressed in a pink Filipino gown. Later I realized that the “very beautiful” lady was Gemma Cruz, the newly crowned “Miss International”. That afternoon she was going to Malacanang to be feted by the First Lady, Mrs. Eva Macapagal. Gemma is beauty and brains. She has a heart for the poor. She donated the $10,000 prize money she received when she became Miss International to the “Asilo” for the street kids of Manila. She later became the Curator of the Philippine National Museum. Moreover, Gemma is the great-grand niece of Dr. Jose Rizal, the Philippine national hero. Rizal must have been very proud of his progeny “beauty queen”.
Today’s Advent readings likewise depict an awesome royal progeny, Jesus Christ, the son of David and the offspring of Judah. The Old Testament reading (Gn 49:2, 8-10) contains the farewell address of the dying Jacob who was blessing his sons. In his blessing of Judah, the patriarch foreshadows the privileged destiny the tribe of Judah would enjoy when King David comes to power. The royal power and immense authority of David, however, point to a deeper reality: the infinite authority and the fullness of kingship of his descendant Jesus Christ, the savior of the world and the king of the universe. In Jesus Christ, Jacob’s prophetic blessing is fulfilled: “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, or the mace from between his legs, while tribute is brought to him, and he receives the people’s homage.” Let us welcome the advent of Christ’s kingdom of truth and life, of sanctity and grace, of love, justice and peace.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Do we value our interconnectedness and our belonging to the family of human race? What do we do to promote human solidarity in the name of Jesus?
2. Do we allow Christ, the king of justice and peace, to come into our hearts and to rule over us?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Lord Jesus, you are the Son of God.
You assumed our human nature
and became like us in everything except sin.
Help us to value our belonging to the human family.
Teach us to be truly grateful for the astounding mystery
of “Emmanuel – God with us”.
Maranatha! Come, O Christ the Lord!
***
Loving Father,
we thank you for the “scepter of Judah”
that finds fulfillment in your Son Jesus Christ.
He is the king of all ages.
Let him reign over us
that we may experience the fullness of truth and life,
of sanctity and grace,
of love, justice and peace.
He lives and reigns, 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 book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham ….” (Mt 1:1) // “The scepter shall not depart from Judah.” (Gen 49:10)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray for peace in the world and a deeper solidarity among the children of God. By your deeds of justice, endeavor to promote the common good, contribute to the unity of peoples and nations and the definitive advent of God upon the earth. // Treat the people around you with great respect and integrity befitting a “kingly people”.
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December 18, 2015: FRIDAY – ADVENT WEEKDAY (3)
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Is the Righteous Shoot of David”
BIBLE READINGS
Jer 23:5-8 // Mt 1:18-25
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Mt 1:18-25): “Jesus was born of Mary, the betrothed of Joseph, son of David.”
Although the fullness of God’s saving justice is crystallized in Jesus, also called “Emmanuel” (“God is with us”), in today’s Gospel (Mt 1:18-25) we see that Joseph of Nazareth likewise exhibits the character of justice that befits his being a member of the chosen people. Joseph, the betrothed of Mary, is a just man who demonstrates his compassionate justice by his decision to save Mary and not to expose her to the Jewish punitive law. If Joseph were to act merely with human “righteousness”, the innocent Mary would be unjustly punished and put to death. His divinely inspired justice is revealed when he obediently follows God’s command and takes Mary into his home as his wife. Saint Joseph is therefore a model of total collaboration in the divine saving plan to offer to the world its Savior, Jesus.
The saving righteousness of Jesus, Mary and Joseph and their cooperation in God’s saving plan continue to live on in the people of today. Steven Gemmen’s story, “Where Love Grows” in Guideposts magazine (October 2004, cf. p. 44-48) is a touching account of how he welcomed into his life the child conceived by his wife, Heather, a victim of sexual assault. Steve narrates how his anger at the rapist found its outlet in the baby. In the sixth month of his wife’s rape-pregnancy, however, Steve was given the grace to understand that the little creature in his wife’s womb had nothing to do with the crime of the father, an unidentified African-American young man who broke into their home. Steve accepted the baby as his own, although there were bad times. According to Steve, “And there would be strained moments because of the baby’s appearance – starting with the delivery. How do you explain to the staff in the maternity ward that a white couple will have a biracial baby? But what a beautiful, beautiful baby! Healthy, squalling, wriggling, perfect – our long-awaited little girl … Our lives haven’t been the same since that terrible night. They never will be. I’d thought nothing could make me love this child. That’s true. Nothing can make us love anyone or anything. Love is not a choice. It is the sovereign gift of God. And it was his gift that the child who stirred within Heather would make the unbearable not just bearable, but miraculous.”
B. First Reading (Jer 23:5-8): “I will raise up a righteous shoot to David.”
Today’s Old Testament reading (Jer 23:5-8) contains Jeremiah’s prophecy, which breathes hope into an oppressive atmosphere of despair before the fall of Judah at the hands of the Babylonians. False shepherds and corrupt rulers have been responsible for the exile of the nation. But God promises a righteous Shepherd-King who will gather the scattered people of Judah and the children of Israel from where they have been banished. The future king, a descendant of King David, will be God’s instrument to fulfill his saving plan. He shall govern wisely and do what is right and just. His name shall be “The Lord our justice” or “The Lord our salvation” because he is the embodiment of the true meaning of “justice”, which is the saving presence of God. Through “the king who is to come” shall be realized the blessings of the covenant, that is, the peace and justice that God has promised his people. Jeremiah’s prophecy of “a righteous shoot to David” is fulfilled with the coming of Jesus, whose foster father is Joseph, “son of David”.
The life of St. Leopold the Good gives insight into the “righteous shoot of David” whose compassionate character is fully crystallized in Jesus Savior and is likewise manifested by his foster father Joseph of Nazareth (cf. Saints for the Family, Special Supplement to Our Sunday Visitor, p. 42-44).
Saint Leopold the Good, A Saint for Stepparents (died 1136): Saint Leopold loved children. He married a widowed noblewoman named Agnes who brought into the palace two young children from her former husband, and Leo raised them as his own. In the years that followed, Agnes and Leopold had 18 children, 11 of whom survived to adulthood. By all accounts, Leopold was a gentle, loving father who made no distinction between his stepchildren and the children he had fathered with Agnes.
The couple ruled over Austria, a land that, in the early 12th century, was still largely wild and uninhabited. As an expression of his religious devotion, Leopold founded several important monasteries that still survive, including Klosterneuberg, on the Danube right outside Vienna, his personal favorite place where he asked to be buried, and Heilegenkreuz in Lower Austria, which possesses a relic of the true cross. There was a practical aspect to founding these monasteries, too. The sites Leopold chose were in wilderness areas, but once the monks arrived he knew they would make the land productive abd attract people to settle in the region. (…)
When Leopold died, all his children and the people of Austria mourned him as an honest and holy prince. In addition to being venerated as the patron of stepchildren, stepparents and large families, Saint Leopold the Godd is also one of the patrons of Austria.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
Do we allow ourselves to be imbued with the true character of justice – the one lived out by Saint Joseph and his foster son, Jesus Christ? Do we realize that true justice is linked to the presence of God and his plan of salvation?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Loving Father,
we believe that with the advent of your Son Jesus Christ,
“the righteous shoot of David”,
justice shall flourish in our time and fullness of peace forever.
Help us to welcome Jesus in our life
so that we may rejoice in his messianic blessing.
You are truly kind and just
and you are our almighty God,
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.
“I will raise up a righteous shoot to David.” (Jer 23:5) // “He will save his people from their sins.” (Mt 1:21)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
By your prayer, words and deeds endeavor to bring justice to those who have been abused, violated and wronged. Pray in a special way for the victims of sexual violence and human trafficking. Pray for stepparents and stepchildren.
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December 19, 2015: SATURDAY – ADVENT WEEKDAY (3)
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Is the Consecrated One”
BIBLE READINGS
Jgs 13:2-7, 24-25a // Lk 1:5-25
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Lk 1:5-25): “The birth of John the Baptist is announced by Gabriel.”
(By Fr. Samuel Canilang, CMF, Director: Institute for Consecrated Life in Asia)
The elderly Elizabeth became pregnant. The all-powerful and empowering God makes the barren fertile. God’s loving and liberating Son makes the blind see, the mute speak, the deaf hear, the lame walk, the captive free, the hungry satisfied, the lowly exalted…. Elizabeth’s giving birth to John is part of the story of God’s salvation that culminates in the Incarnation. In Jesus, God is in our midst, making everything new and fruitful, bringing about justice, leading us all into the fullness of life and love.
The annunciation of John’s birth points to the annunciation of Jesus’ birth. While Zechariah doubted, Mary readily believed. Today, many of us do not seem to feel really part of the salvation story: the poor, the marginalized, the oppressed, the suffering, the sick … Like Mary, let us trust and put all our hopes in the Word. Let us be truly part of God’s story in believing, hoping, loving, and serving. Christ has never left us. The Holy Spirit is always among and in us. Advent awakens us into this reality. All we need to do, to be truly part of God’s story, is live in and according to this reality, that God – who makes the barren fertile – is Emmanuel.
B. First Reading (Jgs 13:2-7, 24-25a): “The birth of Samson is announced by an angel.”
Our friends, Lynn and Restie, a young married couple residing in San Jose (CA-USA) were eagerly looking forward to raise their own family. Unfortunately, Lynn had a miscarriage. A medical problem made it difficult, or impossible, for her to have a baby. Lynn and Restie prayed to God and put their trust in him. Against all odds, Lynn conceived and gave birth to a beautiful girl. I was taking my turn for the Eucharistic Adoration when I heard some discreet footsteps. I turned around and saw Lynn and Restie, beaming joyfully and carrying their baby named Eliana. Lynn was just discharged from the maternity hospital. Before going home, the proud parents decided to pass by the Sisters’ convent and present their daughter to the Lord. Lynn and Restie put the baby, sleeping peacefully in a cradle basket, at the foot of the altar. We offered praise and thanksgiving to the Lord for the “miraculous” gift and humbly begged Jesus to bless and consecrate the child.
Today’s readings speak of the announcement of the birth of Samson and John the Baptist and their consecration to God from their mothers’ womb. Both the mother of Samson and the mother of the Baptist are barren. The birth of the child for each mother is an act of grace and presages a unique mission for each child. In the Old Testament reading (Jgs 13:2-7, 24-25a), we hear that the boy, Samson, is destined for the deliverance of Israel from the power of the Philistines. The boy, John the Baptist, will bring many people of Israel back to God and, mighty like the prophet Elijah, he will prepare the way of the Lord. In view of their special saving mission, Samson and John the Baptist must live an ascetic life – never drinking wine or strong drink. Filled with the Holy Spirit, their consecration to God points to the totally “consecrated One”, Jesus Savior, whose works and words manifest him as the “Holy One of God”.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Do we truly participate in salvation history, in which God the “Emmanuel” transforms, making the barren fertile and everything new and fruitful?
2. Are we receptive to the miraculous intervention of God in our daily life, and do we trust in his power to make the barren fruitful? What does being “consecrated” to God mean to us? How do we live out this “consecration”?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Lord Jesus,
you are the “Root of Jesse’s stem”,
sign of God’s love for all his people.
In you the barren becomes fertile.
Everything is made new and fruitful.
Let us work with you in the blooming of the desert.
Help us to proclaim the Good News to the poor
and hasten the advent of your kingdom.
Maranatha! Come, O Christ the Lord!
***
O loving God,
we thank you for your miraculous intervention
in the lives of barren women
and your awesome power to make the barren fruitful.
We thank you for consecrating Samson and John the Baptist
in their mothers’ womb
and for their special role in salvation history.
Help us to value our own consecration
and let the Holy Spirit of Jesus,
the totally “consecrated One” fill our hearts.
Make us docile instruments of your saving will.
We bless and praise you, 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.
“Elizabeth was barren … Elizabeth conceived.” (Lk 1:7, 24) //“This boy is to be consecrated to God from the womb.” (Jgs 13:5)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
By your works of justice on behalf of the marginalized, be a part in the blooming of the desert and of making the barren fertile. // Make this Advent season a privileged occasion to practice mortification and sacrifices that will help you perceive the practical implications of being “consecrated” to God.
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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