December 14, 2012

Memorial of Saint John of the Cross, priest and doctor of the Church

Read more about St. John of the Cross.

Lectionary: 185

Reading 1 from the Old Testament book of Isaiah
Is 48:17-19

God continues revealing His truths in a vision to Isaiah.

Thus says the LORD, your redeemer,
the Holy One of Israel:
I, the LORD, your God,
teach you what is for your good,
and lead you on the way you should go.

God reiterates that He is our Teacher who teaches what is good for us and what we should do in order to be saved.

If you would hearken to my commandments,your prosperity would be like a river,and your vindication like the waves of the sea;Your descendants would be like the sand,and those born of your stock like its grains,Their name never cut offor blotted out from my presence.

And again He commands that we must keep His commandments and if we do, we will be richly rewarded.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 And 6

R. (see John 8:12) Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.

Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.

R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.

He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.

R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.

Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.

R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.

The Gospel is very simple.  Do good and you will be saved.  God will save those who love Him and imitate Him.

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew
Mt 11:16-19

Jesus said to the crowds:
"To what shall I compare this generation?
It is like children who sit in marketplaces and call to one another,
'We played the flute for you, but you did not dance,
we sang a dirge but you did not mourn.'
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said,
'He is possessed by a demon.'
The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said,
'Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard,
a friend of tax collectors and sinners.'
But wisdom is vindicated by her works."

Jesus lamented the moral condition of the Jewish leaders in His era.  The essence of His statement is, "We can't win for losing with you folks."

First God sent St. John the Baptist to prepare the way of the Lord.  He was a stern man who didn't mince his words.  But, although the crowds loved him, the Pharisees hated him.

Then God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ to accomplish and fulfill the prophecies of the Old Testament.  But the Jewish leaders had Him executed, on the Cross.

Sincerely,

De Maria