Keep the Mass in Christ-Mass

In this secular world, Christians decry the fact that non-Christians have taken Christ out of Christmas.  But that was bound to happen after non-Catholic Christians took the Mass out of Christmas.  Christ-mas is Christes Masse.  Or the Mass of Christ.

Wiki says:Christmas (Old English: Crīstesmæsse, meaning "Christ's Mass") is an annual commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ[6][7] and a widely observed cultural holiday, celebrated generally on December 25[3][4][5] by billions of people around the world.[2][8] A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, it closes the Advent season and initiates the twelve days of Christmastide, which ends after the twelfth night.[9] Christmas is a civil holiday in many of the world's nations,[10][11][12] is celebrated by an increasing number of non-Christians,[1][13][14] and is an integral part of the Christmas and holiday season.

Historically, every Christian holiday has been celebrated in the context of the Mass.  That is why we have the ancient celebrations of Michaelmas (the feast of Saint Michael the Archangel), Lammas (the festival of the wheat harvest), Candlemas ( Purification of the Blessed Virgin, Feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple.), and Hallowmas (All Saints Tridium).



First, non-Catholics took the Mass out of Christmas.  Sure, they celebrate Christ, but they don't worship Him the way that God wants Him to be worshipped.  In the Mass.

Hebrews 10:25-31
King James Version (KJV)
25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,  27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.  28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: 

29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? 

30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.  31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

That, is a description of the Mass and the anger which God feels when people neglect the Mass.

First they took the Mass out of Christmas.  And now they have taken Christ out of Christmas.  It was bound to happen.

Today, the Catholic Church continues to celebrate Christmas in the fullest sense of the word.  The Catholic Church celebrates Christ in the Mass.

The difference between prayer, worship and Liturgy

There is very little difference between the words "prayer" and "worship". But they do not mean exactly the same thing.

The basic difference in this day and age, is that worship is only directed to God but prayer can be directed to either God or the Saints.

So, what is prayer?

Let us begin by studying about the word, "prayer", what it means today and what it used to mean long ago.

To pray is to communicate with God or the Saints, our faith, our love, and our wants. So, we can say that prayer is communication.

Prayer today is basically considered an act of faith in God. An act of worship. A Catholic and Protestant can agree upon this. But, for some strange reason, Protestants tend to give a word one meaning and deny the fact that most words have multiple meanings. Therefore they deny the fact that prayer has another very important definition, and it is still seen in books which are written in the ancient language. One of those is the King James Bible:

Luke 14:18
And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.

Notice that in this verse, the word "pray" is used in the sense of petition, beseeching or begging. And this is the other sense which the Church recognizes in the word, "prayer".

Therefore, today, there are at least three religious senses to the word "pray".

1. We can pray to God in the sense of praise, worship or adoration.
2. We can pray to God in the sense of petition or request.
3. This one requires a bit of further explanation. As we have seen, a prayer or request can be addressed to anyone, God or man. In the Old Testament, prayer was addressed to God and man. But prayer was not addressed to the dead, faithful or not.

However, there is a New Dispensation in the New Testament. Jesus has shown us that those who die in the state of grace are counted amongst the living:

John 11:26
And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die….

To prove this, Jesus spoke to Moses and Elijah on the top of the mountain:

Matthew 17
King James Version (KJV)
1 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, 2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. 3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.
4 Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

And Scripture tells us that all the Baptized are now on top of that mountain with the Saints:

Hebrews 12:21-24
King James Version (KJV)
21 And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:) 22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

And so, in the New Testament era, we can make prayers of praise and petition to the Saints who went before us to the heavenly Kingdom.

We do not worship them, but we do acknowledge the love of God towards them as we do towards all our fellow men.

So what is worship?

In our explanation of the word "prayer", we used the word "worship" a couple of times already. Like prayer, worship has a meaning which is universally accepted and another which is no longer used frequently, an archaic sense.

To worship is to acknowledge and praise God's authority and power over us. In today's world, worship is only directed to God.

However, worship was not always exclusively directed to God. We can see this in the ancient text of the King James Bible where Joshua worships the angel:

Joshua 5:14
And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my Lord unto his servant?

However, Joshua was merely showing reverence for an authoritative figure. In older times, in America and Britain, Kings and Judges were referred to as "your worship". Because of the recognition of their authority and power.

The online dictionary says:

archaic honor given to someone in recognition of their merit.
[as title] (His/Your Worship) chiefly British used in addressing or referring to an important or high-ranking person, especially a magistrate or mayor:
we were soon joined by His Worship the Mayor

Today, we no longer use the word, worship, to describe the honor we give anyone but God. Instead we use the words reverence, honor and veneration.

I'm sure you've noticed that prayer and worship have much in common. They are almost synonymous when it comes to prayer directed to God. Prayer directed to God is the worship of God. Because any prayer directed to God acknowledges and praises His power and authority over our lives.

Indirectly, prayer directed to the Saints is the worship of God because in doing so, we also acknowledge the great thing which God has done through that Saint. Much like when we praise a painting. When we praise a painting we indirectly praise the painter who made the painting. When we praise a Saint and acknowledge the holiness of the Saint, we indirectly acknowledge the God who made the Saint.

Liturgy

Liturgy is the work of man. It is frequently called the Mass. It is the public gathering of the people of God to acknowledge God's authority and power over our lives. Therefore, worship is the main purpose of the Liturgy. However, the Liturgy includes every form of prayer we can offer to God. Praise, glory, honor, thanksgiving, petition, sacrifice, etc. It also includes rites and rituals which were commanded by God that we should do in remembrance of His Son.

Many people think that private prayer and worship are all that is necessary and that Liturgy is optional. But that is far wrong. It is clearly explained in Scripture that God takes great offense with those who do not honor Him in the Liturgy on the appointed day:

Hebrews 10:25-31
King James Version (KJV)
25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Heavenly Liturgy

What is the heavenly Liturgy? Scripture reveals that the saints and angels in heaven are always praying to God. Therefore, we are taught that all our prayers on earth are linked to the prayers of the angels in heaven.

This is especially true in the Mass. Where we believe that we, humans on earth, join the whole cohort of heaven in proclaiming God's glory. This is why the Church recommends that we pray continually in order that we may always be united to the Mass and to the heavenly Liturgy of the saints and angels.

With that in mind, through the centuries the Church has given us many tools in order to encourage us to pray continually.

Adoration
The Liturgy of the hours
The Rosary
The Divine Mercy chaplet

and many, many other devotions are taught by and supported by the Church. We should take advantage of these and to the yearnings in our heart in order to always remain united to God, wherever we may be.

I hope this helps. Let me know if there is anything which needs clarifying. See also New Dispensation and Prayer for the dead.

Why it's called the Mass, (aka Its not from Ite misa est).

Masa/dough

A couple of weeks ago, on Catholic365, I asked the question, "Why is it called "the Mass"?  In that article, I challenged the consensus that the name of the Catholic Liturgy comes from the dismissal.  And I suggested the Mass derives from the Latin root "masa" which is an ancient and universal word signifying bread.

Massah/test

I followed that up with another article, The Mass, St. John chapter 6 and the test of faith.  In this article, I suggested that it is more likely that the name of the Mass derives from the Hebrew word massah or test. Another ancient word which can be traced to Moses' time, when the Israelites tested God in the desert.  That ties back to the idea that the Doctrine of the Eucharist is so hard for many to believe, that it is a test (massah) of faith as witnessed in John 6 when many walked away from Christ based upon that Teaching.

Masa goes back to Moses

What I didn't know at the time, is that the Latin root, "masa" derives from the Greek word "mazza" which signifies "wheat cakes" and that Greek word derives from the Hebrew "matstsah" which means, unleavened bread.  And that ties the word "masa" directly to the Passover.  Again, all the way back to Moses' time.

Not a Teaching from the Early Church

But, someone said that I am opposing the Church.  They claimed this was a Teaching from the early Church.

That is not the case, the oldest document I could find that ties the Mass to the dismissal, is from the Catholic Encyclopedia, Liturgy of the Mass.  This article makes the claim that "mass" derives from the Latin "misa" in the dismissal of the Latin Mass.  But I think I've detected several errors in the logic used to arrive at that conclusion.

Let's go through it together.  I'll skip to the pertinent parts.  But you can examine my findings in the link above.

Under the Category, "Name and Definition"

The first paragraph is an introduction to the theory that the word "misa" was not in extensive use in the first and second centuries.  He says:

....the Holy Eucharist was celebrated as Christ had instituted it at the Last Supper, according to His command, in memory of Him. But it was not till long afterwards that the late Latin name Missa, used at first in a vaguer sense, became the technical and almost exclusive name for this service.

I can't disagree with that.  The only thing to say, perhaps, is that there is really no way to know, since we don't have very much from that early date.

The 2nd paragraph begins in the same vein.  Relating how, in the first period (the first 300 years), even in Rome, the Greek language was the language of Christianity.

Nothing there with which to disagree.  One thing to note, however, is that during that period, none of the names for the Mass signify a dismissal or departure.  Many of them do make a reference to the Eucharist, such as, eucharistia and koinonia.

The 3rd paragraph begins the transition, in the West, from the Greek to the Latin language and the appearance of the word, misa.  Let's look at what he says:

All these were destined to be supplanted in the West by the classical name Missa. The first certain use of it is by St. Ambrose (d. 397). He writes to his sister Marcellina describing the troubles of the Arians in the years 385 and 386, when the soldiers were sent to break up the service in his church: "The next day (it was a Sunday) after the lessons and the tract, having dismissed the catechumens, I explained the creed [symbolum tradebam] to some of the competents [people about to be baptized] in the baptistry of the basilica. There I was told suddenly that they had sent soldiers to the Portiana basilica. . . . But I remained at my place and began to say Mass [missam facere coepi]. While I offer [dum ofero], I hear that a certain Castulus has been seized by the people" (Ep., I, xx, 4-5). It will be noticed that missa here means the Eucharistic Service proper, the Liturgy of the Faithful only, and does not include that of the Catechumens. Ambrose uses the word as one in common use and well known.

There are some very interesting things said there.

1st.  He (St. Ambrose) dismissed the Catechumens.

How did he dismiss them?  Did he use the word, "misa" in the sense of dismissal when he did so?

2nd.  There I was told suddenly that they had sent soldiers

How did they send them?  Did they use the word, "misa" in the sense of sending when they did so?

Apparently not, I'm sure he would have said so since the entire point of this article is how "mass" is derived from a form of "dismissal".

But there's more.

3rd.  But I remained at my place and began to say Mass [missam facere coepi]. 

St. Ambrose uses the word "missa" for the Mass in such a matter of fact manner that the author is forced to admit,

It will be noticed that missa here means the Eucharistic Service proper, the Liturgy of the Faithful only, and does not include that of the Catechumens. Ambrose uses the word as one in common use and well known.

In fact, St. Ambrose is using the term in the same way that it is used today.  The author makes noise about it being a reference to the Liturgy of the Faithful.  But, so what?  It remains a reference to the Eucharist as he also admits.

Still on the 3rd paragraph, the author continues:

There is another, still earlier, but very doubtfully authentic instance of the word in a letter of Pope Pius I (from c. 142 to c. 157): "Euprepia has handed over possession of her house to the poor, where . . . we make Masses with our poor" (cum pauperibus nostris . . . missas agimus" — Pii I, Ep. I, in Galland, "Bibl. vet. patrum", Venice, 1765, I, 672). The authenticity of the letter, however, is very doubtful. If Missa really occurred in the second century in the sense it now has, it would be surprising that it never occurs in the third. We may consider St. Ambrose as the earliest certain authority for it.

Personally, if that is the only reason he doubts the authenticity of this letter, then he has no grounds at all except his own presupposition that it could not be true.

Intermission (pun not intended)

To me, that puts the last nail on the coffin for the idea that the "mass" comes from the dismissal.   However, something to note in the remainder of the article.  Although, the author wants us to see a progressive use of the word "misa" as dismissal and then somehow to jump to the conclusion that "misa" therefore comes from dismissal, we need only remember that the word "misa" as the Eucharist already exists.  There is no need to conclude that "misa" comes from "dismissal".  In fact, it is very likely in my mind, that the word "misa" becomes a conjugal form of "mittere" due to the its continued association with the dismissal.

What?  Isn't that what the author says?

No.  I'm saying that dismiss comes from misa.  Not that misa comes from dismiss.  I'm saying that the root word for dismissal comes into existence due to its continued assocation with the dismissal at the end of the Mass of the Catechumens.

In other words, Its time for the Mass takes on the meaning, its time to depart (i.e. misa).  Anyway, let's get back to the article:

4th paragraph, he says,

From the fourth century the term becomes more and more common. For a time it occurs nearly always in the sense of dismissal. St. Augustine (d. 430) says: "After the sermon the dismissal of the catechumens takes place" (post sermonem fit missa catechumenorum — Serm., xlix, 8, in P.L., XXXVIII, 324). 

I'm not a Latin expert, but I read that as saying, "After the sermon, ends (fin) the mass of the Catechumens".  And, of course, the Catechumens are dismissed.

But, even if I'm wrong, we know that the word "missa" for Mass, already exists.  Therefore, this would be an example of the word now becoming associated with the dismissal.  Not an example of the dismissal being the source of the name for the Mass.

4th paragraph continued

The Synod of Lérida in Spain (524) declares that people guilty of incest may be admitted to church "usque ad missam catechumenorum", that is, till the catechumens are dismissed (Can., iv, Hefele-Leclercq, "Hist. des Conciles", II, 1064).

I put that phrase in the Google Translate tool and here is what I got, "as far as the mass of catechumens".  Try it yourself.

He says that phrase is used very frequently.  And I say, the phrase doesn't mean what he thinks it means.

Anyway, in the 4th paragraph, he continues with examples of that phrase as though they prove his point, when in fact, they prove simply that the Mass was always called the Mass.  Then he says that "misa" suddenly gets the connotation as the entire Liturgy.  Which, I think is disproved by his very first comments on the subject in paragraph 3.

But in the 5th paragraph, he says,

The origin and first meaning of the word, once much discussed, is not really doubtful. We may dismiss at once such fanciful explanations as that missa is the Hebrew missah ("oblation" — so Reuchlin and Luther), or the Greek myesis ("initiation"), or the German Mess ("assembly", "market").  

I was quite surprised when I read this.  I didn't realize that he knew anything about these arguments.  But, it seems really arrogant of him to say that these can merely be dismissed because he says so.  In my opinion it is much more plausible for these to be the source of the name for the Mass, than the convoluted and faulty reason he has proposed.

He goes on and says:

Nor is it the participle feminine of mittere, with a noun understood ("oblatio missa ad Deum", "congregatio missa", i.e., dimissa — so Diez, "Etymol. Wörterbuch der roman. Sprachen", 212, and others).

This is what most people seem to believe today.  I guess they didn't bother to read the whole article.

Then he says:

It is a substantive of a late form for missio. There are many parallels in medieval Latin, collecta, ingressa, confessa, accessa, ascensa — all for forms in -io. It does not mean an offering (mittere, in the sense of handing over to God), but the dismissal of the people, as in the versicle: "Ite missa est" (Go, the dismissal is made). It may seem strange that this unessential detail should have given its name to the whole service.

I guess he didn't bother to read the etymology for the word, "missio".  It turns out, that the word "missio" comes from the Catholic Church.  It is attributed to the Jesuits.

mission (n.) 

1590s, "a sending abroad," originally of Jesuits, from Latin missionem (nominative missio) "act of sending, a despatching; a release, a setting at liberty; discharge from service, dismissal," noun of action from past participle stem of mittere "to send," oldest form probably *smittere, of unknown origin. 

Essentially, what the Catholic Encycopledia has proven, is that the word "dismiss" comes from the name for the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the Mass.

Let me know what you think.

The difference between prayer, worship and Liturgy

There is very little difference between the words "prayer" and "worship". But they do not mean exactly the same thing.

The basic difference in this day and age, is that worship is only directed to God but prayer can be directed to either God or the Saints.

So, what is prayer?...(Read more)

March 8, 2015 - Third Sunday Of Lent - Year A Scrutinies

Scrutinies have to do with the rites of initiation for those adults who will be baptized this Easter.

Lectionary: 28

Reading 1 EX 17:3-7

In those days, in their thirst for water,
the people grumbled against Moses,
saying, “Why did you ever make us leave Egypt?
Was it just to have us die here of thirst
with our children and our livestock?”
So Moses cried out to the LORD,
“What shall I do with this people?
a little more and they will stone me!”
The LORD answered Moses,
“Go over there in front of the people,
along with some of the elders of Israel,
holding in your hand, as you go,
the staff with which you struck the river.
I will be standing there in front of you on the rock in Horeb.
Strike the rock, and the water will flow from it
for the people to drink.”
This Moses did, in the presence of the elders of Israel.
The place was called Massah and Meribah,
because the Israelites quarreled there
and tested the LORD, saying,
“Is the LORD in our midst or not?”

The beautiful thing about this story, is that St. Paul revealed, in the New Testament, that the Rock which gave the Israelites water in the desert, is Jesus Christ:

1 Cor 10:3All ate the same spiritual food, 4and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they drank from a spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was the Christ.   

Responsorial Psalm PS 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9

R. (8) If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD;
let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us joyfully sing psalms to him.

R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Come, let us bow down in worship;
let us kneel before the LORD who made us.
For he is our God,
and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.

R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Oh, that today you would hear his voice:
“Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
as in the day of Massah in the desert,
Where your fathers tempted me;
they tested me though they had seen my works.”

R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

By saying that the Rock was Christ, St. Paul illustrated for us that Jesus Christ is God.  God is the Rock of our salvation.  When Jesus Christ named Simon, Peter, He illustrated the Peter, the Rock of the Church, is God's representative on earth.

Reading 2 ROM 5:1-2, 5-8

Brothers and sisters:
Since we have been justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have gained access by faith
to this grace in which we stand,
and we boast in hope of the glory of God.

And hope does not disappoint,
because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
For Christ, while we were still helpless,
died at the appointed time for the ungodly.
Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person,
though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die.
But God proves his love for us
in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.

We are justified by faith, when we come to the fount of grace and profess our faith in God through Jesus Christ.  Then, seeing our faith, He declares us righteous.  And when we submit to Baptism, God washes our sins away and makes us new creatures.  

Verse Before The Gospel CF. JN 4:42, 15

Lord, you are truly the Savior of the world;
give me living water, that I may never thirst again.

It is Christ who gives us living water through the Holy Spirit in the Sacraments.

Gospel JN 4:5-42

Jesus came to a town of Samaria called Sychar,
near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.
Jacob’s well was there.
Jesus, tired from his journey, sat down there at the well.
It was about noon.

A woman of Samaria came to draw water.
Jesus said to her,
“Give me a drink.”
His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.
The Samaritan woman said to him,
“How can you, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?”
—For Jews use nothing in common with Samaritans.—
Jesus answered and said to her,
“If you knew the gift of God
and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink, ‘
you would have asked him
and he would have given you living water.”
The woman said to him,
“Sir, you do not even have a bucket and the cistern is deep;
where then can you get this living water?
Are you greater than our father Jacob,
who gave us this cistern and drank from it himself
with his children and his flocks?”
Jesus answered and said to her,
“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again;
but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst;
the water I shall give will become in him
a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
The woman said to him,
“Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty
or have to keep coming here to draw water.”

Jesus said to her,
“Go call your husband and come back.”
The woman answered and said to him,
“I do not have a husband.”
Jesus answered her,
“You are right in saying, ‘I do not have a husband.’
For you have had five husbands,
and the one you have now is not your husband.
What you have said is true.”
The woman said to him,
“Sir, I can see that you are a prophet.
Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain;
but you people say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem.”
Jesus said to her,
“Believe me, woman, the hour is coming
when you will worship the Father
neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.
You people worship what you do not understand;
we worship what we understand,
because salvation is from the Jews.
But the hour is coming, and is now here,
when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth;
and indeed the Father seeks such people to worship him.
God is Spirit, and those who worship him
must worship in Spirit and truth.”
The woman said to him,
“I know that the Messiah is coming, the one called the Christ;
when he comes, he will tell us everything.”
Jesus said to her,
“I am he, the one speaking with you.”

At that moment his disciples returned,
and were amazed that he was talking with a woman,
but still no one said, “What are you looking for?”
or “Why are you talking with her?”
The woman left her water jar
and went into the town and said to the people,
“Come see a man who told me everything I have done.
Could he possibly be the Christ?”
They went out of the town and came to him.
Meanwhile, the disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat.”
But he said to them,
“I have food to eat of which you do not know.”
So the disciples said to one another,
“Could someone have brought him something to eat?”
Jesus said to them,
“My food is to do the will of the one who sent me
and to finish his work.
Do you not say, ‘In four months the harvest will be here’?
I tell you, look up and see the fields ripe for the harvest.
The reaper is already receiving payment
and gathering crops for eternal life,
so that the sower and reaper can rejoice together.
For here the saying is verified that ‘One sows and another reaps.’
I sent you to reap what you have not worked for;
others have done the work,
and you are sharing the fruits of their work.”

Many of the Samaritans of that town began to believe in him
because of the word of the woman who testified,
“He told me everything I have done.”
When the Samaritans came to him,
they invited him to stay with them;
and he stayed there two days.
Many more began to believe in him because of his word,
and they said to the woman,
“We no longer believe because of your word;
for we have heard for ourselves,
and we know that this is truly the savior of the world.”

It is strange how fickle we are.  The Samaritans believe in Christ because of the woman's testimony.  But, the very next year, when Jesus was going to Jerusalem to suffer His passion, they would not let Him in the town.  

Luke 9:51-53 New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)

V. The Journey to Jerusalem: Luke’s Travel Narrative[a]

Departure for Jerusalem; Samaritan Inhospitality. 51 [b]When the days for his being taken up[c] were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem, 52 [d]and he sent messengers ahead of him. On the way they entered a Samaritan village to prepare for his reception there, 53 but they would not welcome him because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem.

Or JN 4:5-15, 19B-26, 39A, 40-42

Jesus came to a town of Samaria called Sychar,
near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.
Jacob’s well was there.
Jesus, tired from his journey, sat down there at the well.
It was about noon.

A woman of Samaria came to draw water.
Jesus said to her,
“Give me a drink.”
His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.
The Samaritan woman said to him,
“How can you, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?”
—For Jews use nothing in common with Samaritans.—
Jesus answered and said to her,
“If you knew the gift of God
and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink, ‘
you would have asked him
and he would have given you living water.”
The woman said to him,
“Sir, you do not even have a bucket and the cistern is deep;
where then can you get this living water?
Are you greater than our father Jacob,
who gave us this cistern and drank from it himself
with his children and his flocks?”
Jesus answered and said to her,
“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again;
but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst;
the water I shall give will become in him
a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
The woman said to him,
“Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty
or have to keep coming here to draw water.

“I can see that you are a prophet.
Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain;
but you people say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem.”
Jesus said to her,
“Believe me, woman, the hour is coming
when you will worship the Father
neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.
You people worship what you do not understand;
we worship what we understand,
because salvation is from the Jews.
But the hour is coming, and is now here,
when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth;
and indeed the Father seeks such people to worship him.
God is Spirit, and those who worship him
must worship in Spirit and truth.”
The woman said to him,
“I know that the Messiah is coming, the one called the Christ;
when he comes, he will tell us everything.”
Jesus said to her,
“I am he, the one who is speaking with you.”

Many of the Samaritans of that town began to believe in him.
When the Samaritans came to him,
they invited him to stay with them;
and he stayed there two days.
Many more began to believe in him because of his word,
and they said to the woman,
“We no longer believe because of your word;
for we have heard for ourselves,
and we know that this is truly the savior of the world.”

Daily Readings - February 22, 2015

First Sunday of Lent

Lectionary: 23

Reading 1 GN 9:8-15

God said to Noah and to his sons with him:
“See, I am now establishing my covenant with you
and your descendants after you
and with every living creature that was with you:
all the birds, and the various tame and wild animals
that were with you and came out of the ark.

If you remember, God has just brought about a global destruction by means of a flood, because of the sinfulness of mankind.  The thing I find intriguing is that God is not just making the covenant with Noah, but also with all the creatures that were with him on the ark.

I will establish my covenant with you,
that never again shall all bodily creatures be destroyed
by the waters of a flood;
there shall not be another flood to devastate the earth.”

God promised Noah that He would never destroy all of mankind nor all creatures, by means of a flood, again.

God added:
“This is the sign that I am giving for all ages to come,
of the covenant between me and you
and every living creature with you:
I set my bow in the clouds to serve as a sign
of the covenant between me and the earth.
When I bring clouds over the earth,
and the bow appears in the clouds,
I will recall the covenant I have made
between me and you and all living beings,
so that the waters shall never again become a flood
to destroy all mortal beings.”

The Rainbow.  What a wonderful teaching tool.  I remember from a child that my parents and all adults would tell me what it meant.  And my parents did not know Scripture.  But who doesn't know the story of the Flood?

Responsorial Psalm PS 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9.

R. (cf. 10) Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.

It is upon those who keep His commandments that God sheds His mercy (Exodus 20:6).

Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.

Those who keep God's commandments are they who love God (John 14:15).

R. Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.

Remember that your compassion, O LORD,
and your love are from of old.
In your kindness remember me,
because of your goodness, O LORD.

And God will come to them and live with them (John 14:21).

R. Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.

Good and upright is the LORD,
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
and he teaches the humble his way.

God loves us and guides us to repentance.  Those who repent, He exalts to eternal life (Matthew 23:12).

R. Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.

Reading 2 1 PT 3:18-22

Beloved:
Christ suffered for sins once,
the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous,
that he might lead you to God.

Jesus sacrificed Himself on the Cross, not just to pay the penalty for our sins, but also to give us an example to follow.

Put to death in the flesh,
he was brought to life in the Spirit.

He died in the flesh in order that He might be the Firstborn to eternal life.

In it he also went to preach to the spirits in prison,
who had once been disobedient

Jesus descended into hell.  Hell, in the Creed, is a reference to Limbo, where the Patriarchs were awaiting that Jesus would lead them into heaven.

while God patiently waited in the days of Noah
during the building of the ark,
in which a few persons, eight in all,
were saved through water.

The Flood washed away sinful humanity from the earth.

This prefigured baptism, which saves you now.
It is not a removal of dirt from the body

In that sense, it foreshadows the Sacrament of Baptism, the sign which Jesus instituted to show that the Holy Spirit, TRULY, washes our sins away from our soul.

but an appeal to God for a clear conscience,
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
who has gone into heaven
and is at the right hand of God,
with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.

Thus, when we are reborn in Baptism, this is a foretaste of our resurrection at the end of days.

Verse Before The Gospel MT 4:4B

One does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.

No alleluia before the Gospel during Lent.  But a reminder that the Eucharist is the food of eternal life.

Gospel MK 1:12-15

The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert,
and he remained in the desert for forty days,
tempted by Satan.
He was among wild beasts,
and the angels ministered to him.

Lent is here.  And we shall join Jesus in the desert for 40 days.  Voluntarily fasting and suffering for the Kingdom of God that we might be glorified with Christ (Rom 8:17).

After John had been arrested,
Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God:
“This is the time of fulfillment.
The kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

Therefore, let us repent and turn to God, that we too, may be saved.

February 8, 2015 - Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 74

Reading 1 JB 7:1-4, 6-7

Job spoke, saying:

Is not man’s life on earth a drudgery?

Are not his days those of hirelings?

He is a slave who longs for the shade,

a hireling who waits for his wages.

So I have been assigned months of misery,

and troubled nights have been allotted to me.

If in bed I say, “When shall I arise?”

then the night drags on;

I am filled with restlessness until the dawn.

My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle;

they come to an end without hope.

Remember that my life is like the wind;

I shall not see happiness again.

I love the book of Job.  If you've never read it, Job is the most of faithful of men.  And yet, God permits Satan to test his faith. After many, many trials that leave him wondering why God brought him into existence only to make him miserable.  This book was invaluable to me when I sought to understand why God permits good men to suffer.  Also, note the similarities between the suffering of Job and that of Jesus.

Responsorial Psalm PS 147:1-2, 3-4, 5-6

R. (cf. 3a) Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Praise the LORD, for he is good;

sing praise to our God, for he is gracious;

it is fitting to praise him.

The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem;

the dispersed of Israel he gathers.

Praise God forever!  Although we don't understand the trials that we are undergoing, keep faith in God and trust that all that we suffer is for the purification of our faith.

1 Peter 1:7 so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 

R. Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.
or:
R. Alleluia.

He heals the brokenhearted

and binds up their wounds.

He tells the number of the stars;

he calls each by name.

God will dry up all our tears, when we are united with Him, in Heaven.

Revelation 21:4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, [for] the old order has passed away.” 

R. Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Great is our Lord and mighty in power;

to his wisdom there is no limit.

The LORD sustains the lowly;

the wicked he casts to the ground.

R. Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.
or:
R. Alleluia.

And in the end, the wicked will get their reward.  But the just will receive everlasting life:

Matthew 25:46 And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

 

Reading 2 1 COR 9:16-19, 22-23

Brothers and sisters:

If I preach the gospel, this is no reason for me to boast,

for an obligation has been imposed on me,

and woe to me if I do not preach it!

If I do so willingly, I have a recompense,

but if unwillingly, then I have been entrusted with a stewardship.

What then is my recompense?

That, when I preach,

I offer the gospel free of charge

so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.

Although I am free in regard to all,

I have made myself a slave to all

so as to win over as many as possible.

To the weak I became weak, to win over the weak.

I have become all things to all, to save at least some.

All this I do for the sake of the gospel,

so that I too may have a share in it.

This is the man to whom Protestants attribute the false doctrine of faith alone.  Obviously, St. Paul knew he needed to do more that proclaim himself saved in order to be so.  He had a duty to perform.  He was charged with preaching the Gospel and with living it out.

Alleluia MT 8:17

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Christ took away our infirmities

and bore our diseases.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Our infirmities and diseases of the soul.  Christ was like in all things, but sin.  And with His blood, He has washed us of our sins.

Gospel MK 1:29-39

On leaving the synagogue

Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John.

Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever.

They immediately told him about her.

He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up.

Then the fever left her and she waited on them.

To me, Jesus' healing the ill is a prefiguring of the Sacraments, wherein, we are healed of our sins.  Note how Jesus heals St. Peter's (Simon's) mother-in-law because of the faith of the Apostles.  This is the faith by which Christ heals our children's souls in baptism.  

When it was evening, after sunset,

they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons.

The whole town was gathered at the door.

He cured many who were sick with various diseases,

and he drove out many demons,

not permitting them to speak because they knew him.

And it is very important that we bring a priest to our beloved who are in danger of death.  That they may receive the Last Rites.

Rising very early before dawn, he left 

and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed.

Simon and those who were with him pursued him

and on finding him said, “Everyone is looking for you.”

He told them, “Let us go on to the nearby villages

that I may preach there also.

For this purpose have I come.”

So he went into their synagogues,

preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee.

And today, it is the Church, which seeks us out in every town and village of the world.  In order to Teach us the Wisdom of God and drive out our demons.

2 Corinthians 5:20 So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 

February 1, 2015 - Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 71

Reading 1 DT 18:15-20

Moses spoke to all the people, saying:
“A prophet like me will the LORD, your God, raise up for you
from among your own kin;

A prophet like me - that's a reference to Jesus Christ.  The similarities between Moses and Jesus are astonishing.

Both are Hebrew and were hidden from an evil despot who sought to kill them.  Many children were martyred in their name.  Both used water in their miracles.  Both established a Passover.  Both established new religions.  Both established laws.  Both produced miracles.  Etc.

to him you shall listen.

Although, many did not.  Many did.  And they became the foundation of the Catholic Church.

This is exactly what you requested of the LORD, your God, at Horeb
on the day of the assembly, when you said,
‘Let us not again hear the voice of the LORD, our God,
nor see this great fire any more, lest we die.’
And the LORD said to me, ‘This was well said.
I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their kin,
and will put my words into his mouth;
he shall tell them all that I command him.

God always answers our prayers, one way or another.

Whoever will not listen to my words which he speaks in my name,
I myself will make him answer for it.

This is important.  It is repeated in the New Testament.

Hebrews 5:9 and when he was made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, 

But if a prophet presumes to speak in my name
an oracle that I have not commanded him to speak,
or speaks in the name of other gods, he shall die.’”

This is a mystery.  Because Jesus did die upon the Cross.  But He took up His life again as the first fruits of our redemption.  So, the death spoken of here, is a spiritual death.  

Responsorial Psalm PS 95:1-2, 6-7, 7-9

R. (8) If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD;
let us acclaim the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us joyfully sing psalms to him.

R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Come, let us bow down in worship;
let us kneel before the LORD who made us.
For he is our God,
and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.

R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Oh, that today you would hear his voice:
“Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
as in the day of Massah in the desert,
Where your fathers tempted me;
they tested me though they had seen my works.”

R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

When the Israelites walked in the desert, many of them fell away.  This is a sign to us.  The Isralites were the chosen people of God.  His Elect.  But they grumbled and were punished:

1 Corinthians 10: 5 Yet God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the desert.  6 These things happened as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil things, as they did.

 We aren't assured of salvation because we are God's elect.  Yes, we are God's elect.  So make your election sure:

2 Peter 1:5For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, virtue with knowledge, 10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more eager to make your call and election firm, for, in doing so, you will never stumble.

Reading 2 1 COR 7:32-35

Brothers and sisters:
I should like you to be free of anxieties.
An unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord,
how he may please the Lord.
But a married man is anxious about the things of the world,
how he may please his wife, and he is divided.
An unmarried woman or a virgin is anxious about the things of the Lord,
so that she may be holy in both body and spirit.
A married woman, on the other hand,
is anxious about the things of the world,
how she may please her husband.
I am telling you this for your own benefit,
not to impose a restraint upon you,
but for the sake of propriety
and adherence to the Lord without distraction.

Do you see the rationale for the Celibacy of the Priesthood?  A man who has no wife can concentrate upon the Lord.  Every married man knows the truth of this teaching.  And this confirms the wisdom of the Church for insisting that Priests of God most high should be celibate.

Alleluia MT 4:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The people who sit in darkness have seen a great light;
on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death,
light has arisen.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

This is a reference to the Jews, who, when Jesus was born were oppressed by the Romans.  And to the Gentiles, who were drawn to the light of Jesus Christ's teachings and came into the Church.

Gospel MK 1:21-28

Then they came to Capernaum,
and on the sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and taught.
The people were astonished at his teaching,
for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.
In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit;
he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?
Have you come to destroy us?
I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
Jesus rebuked him and said,
“Quiet! Come out of him!”
The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him.
All were amazed and asked one another,
“What is this?
A new teaching with authority.
He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.”
His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.

The people of Capernaum had never seen the like.  Jesus Christ commanded even the demons.  

December 21, 2014 - Fourth Sunday of Advent

Lectionary: 11

Israel's first King, Saul, has fallen from grace and God has replaced him.  King David has finally, by God's grace, overcome King Saul and all his enemies are dead.  At this point, King David has a pang of conscience.  He is living in grand palace.  But God is living in a small wooden box, the Ark of the Covenant, which is covered by a cloth tent.

So, King David wants to prepare a place for God.

Reading 1 2 SM 7:1-5, 8B-12, 14A, 16

When King David was settled in his palace,
and the LORD had given him rest from his enemies on every side,
he said to Nathan the prophet,
“Here I am living in a house of cedar,
while the ark of God dwells in a tent!”

In the OT Jewish system, there was a group of men whom God had selected through whom He would communicate to the Jews.   Kings would consult these men before they did anything in order to discover God's will.  Nathan was one of them and he was King David's confidante.  Therefore, David told him what he was planning to do.

Nathan answered the king,
“Go, do whatever you have in mind,
for the LORD is with you.”

And Nathan advised the King to go ahead because God loved King David and supported him in all his plans.

But that night the LORD spoke to Nathan and said:
“Go, tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD:
Should you build me a house to dwell in?’
“It was I who took you from the pasture
and from the care of the flock
to be commander of my people Israel.
I have been with you wherever you went,
and I have destroyed all your enemies before you.
And I will make you famous like the great ones of the earth.
I will fix a place for my people Israel;
I will plant them so that they may dwell in their place
without further disturbance.
Neither shall the wicked continue to afflict them as they did of old,
since the time I first appointed judges over my people Israel.
I will give you rest from all your enemies.
The LORD also reveals to you
that he will establish a house for you.

But God told Nathan to go back to King David and tell him that God would build a house for David, but that David should not build a house for God.

And when your time comes and you rest with your ancestors,
I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins,
and I will make his kingdom firm.
I will be a father to him,
and he shall be a son to me.
Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me;
your throne shall stand firm forever.”

The house which God would build for King David would be permanent.  I don't think King David was aware that the house to which God was referring is the Catholic Church.  The House of God which was established by Jesus Christ, the Son of David.

Responsorial Psalm PS 89:2-3, 4-5, 27-29

R/ (2a) For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
The promises of the LORD I will sing forever;
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness.
For you have said, “My kindness is established forever”;
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness. 

R/ For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
“I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant:
Forever will I confirm your posterity
and establish your throne for all generations.” 

R/ For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
“He shall say of me, ‘You are my father,
my God, the Rock, my savior.’
Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him,
and my covenant with him stands firm.”
R/ For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

God kept His promise to Abraham and to David.  He brought up a Son from their loins who would bring His people to the promised land.  That Son of Abraham and Son of David, is Jesus Christ.

Reading 2 ROM 16:25-27

Brothers and sisters:
To him who can strengthen you,
according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ,
according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret for long ages
but now manifested through the prophetic writings and,
according to the command of the eternal God,
made known to all nations to bring about the obedience of faith,
to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ
be glory forever and ever. Amen.

To God be the glory, forever and ever! Amen!

"What is the mystery kept secret for long ages?" you might ask.  I think its a reference to Jesus Christ the incarnate God.  The reason I say this is because the Early Church Fathers said that Jesus Christ was hidden in the Old Testament and revealed in the New.

Jesus Himself said, "You search the scriptures, because you think you have eternal life through them; even they testify on my behalf. (John 5:39)."

Alleluia LK 1:38

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 1:26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
“Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.

ANGEL GABRIEL
1. an angel is a messenger of God. That is what the word, angel, means.
2. this angel, Gabriel, is one of the four angels that stands before the throne of God.

WAS SENT FROM GOD
1. God sent this angel to Mary.
2. Since this angel is a messenger of God's, God sent Him to deliver a message.
3. Therefore, the angel was not speaking on his own, but was communicating God's message to Mary.
4. If we skip down to verse 28, we see that this was a message of praise (i.e. blessed art thou).
5. Therefore God praised Mary through His Angel.

That is very significant.  Protestants wonder why we "make such a big deal about Mary".  Well, we make a big deal about Mary because God first made a big deal about Mary.  It is God who, through the Angel, is praising Mary.  There is no higher praise than the praise of God!  Its a big deal!

December 14, 2014 - Third Sunday of Advent

Lectionary: 8

Reading 1 IS 61:1-2A, 10-11

A reading from the book of the Prophet Isaiah.  This reading is in the context of the Babylonian exile.  The Jews were captured and taken away from their homes.  Now God has relented and is sending the Prophet Isaiah to proclaim liberty and salvation. Therefore, Isaiah says:

The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
because the LORD has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor,
to heal the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives
and release to the prisoners,
to announce a year of favor from the LORD
and a day of vindication by our God.

This verse is a double entendre.  The Prophet Isaiah is being described as a type of Jesus Christ.  Foreshadowing the time when Jesus Christ, the anointed of God, will come to set the captives free.

"Proclaiming liberty to the captives and releasing the prisoners" especially draws me to Hebrews 11.  There it is described that the Elect of the Old Testament.  Those who had persevered in faith, had not received the promise of salvation.  But awaited the coming of Christ before they would "receive the promise."

I rejoice heartily in the LORD,
in my God is the joy of my soul;

Now, he is speaking for the Church and this verse reminds me of the Magnificat, "My soul rejoices in God my Saviour".

for he has clothed me with a robe of salvation
and wrapped me in a mantle of justice,
like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem,
like a bride bedecked with her jewels.

Although the Church is usually represented as the Bride of Christ, in this case, the Church is represented both as bridegroom and as bride.  We are all, man or woman, united to God.  Again, this takes me back to another verse, Romans 7:4.

As the earth brings forth its plants,
and a garden makes its growth spring up,
so will the Lord GOD make justice and praise
spring up before all the nations.

Maranatha!  Come Lord Jesus, come!  We are anxiously awaiting your second coming!

Responsorial Psalm LK 1:46-48, 49-50, 53-54

R/ (Is 61:10b) My soul rejoices in my God.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked upon his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:

R/ My soul rejoices in my God.
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation. 

R/ My soul rejoices in my God.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
R/ My soul rejoices in my God.

That is the beautiful Magnificat of our Lady.  I used to know it by heart.  I recommend it to all. 
I consider the Canticle of Zechariah, the perfect companion prayer.

Reading 2 1 THES 5:16-24

Brothers and sisters:
Rejoice always.

What do we rejoice about?  Why should we be happy?

We rejoice because God loves us so much that He sent His only begotten Son to save us from our sins.

Pray without ceasing.

This is hard to do.  I found that the easiest way for me to do this, is to continually thank God.  Just repeat the words, "Thank you, God", all day.  Then you can move on to prayer ejaculations, and the Rosary, and then to the Presence of God.  Or you could pray the Liturgy of the hours.

In all circumstances give thanks, 

for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.

 Eucharist, is the Greek word for "thanksgiving".  St. Paul may be using a euphemism to recommend the frequent reception of the Eucharist.

Or, maybe he just wants to recognize, that all things, whether we experience them as pleasurable or suffering, all things are for the good of those who love God.

Do not quench the Spirit.

Don't be a party pooper.  Do not take a man's confidence or peace which he has found in God.

Do not despise prophetic utterances.

If a man says he has received a special privilege from God, don't reject it out of hand.  Give the benefit of the doubt.  How many people have persecuted the Saints for their prophetic utterances.  Don't be one of them.  Let the Church study the question.  It is up to the Church to decide if it is legitimate.

Test everything; retain what is good.

Don't believe everything that people tell you.  Test them.  You shall know them by their fruits.  A good tree gives good fruit.  A thistle gives you thorns.

Refrain from every kind of evil.

Keep the Commandments.  Do unto others as you would have them to do for you.

May the God of peace make you perfectly holy
and may you entirely, spirit, soul, and body,
be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And God will give you the grace to receive the promise of eternal life in our Lord Jesus.

The one who calls you is faithful,
and he will also accomplish it.

Because it is God who works through us to accomplish His good pleasure.

Alleluia IS 61:1 (CITED IN LK 4:18)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

All of us, who have been baptized and receive the Sacraments, have been anointed to bring the good tidings of our Lord Jesus Christ to the world.  Let us begin.  Let your light shine before the world that they may see it and give God the glory.

Gospel JN 1:6-8, 19-28

A man named John was sent from God.
He came for testimony, to testify to the light,
so that all might believe through him.

You are John.

He was not the light,
but came to testify to the light.

You have been sent to testify to all who come in contact with you.  How do you do this?  Well, when you talk about your children, say, "Thanks be to God! for my children."  And when your football team wins, say, "By the grace of God!  We won!"  And don't just say, "JESUS CHRIST!"  When you're angry.  Instead, say, "Help me, Jesus!  I need your help!"

And this is the testimony of John.
When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests
and Levites to him
to ask him, “Who are you?”
He admitted and did not deny it,
but admitted, “I am not the Christ.”

St. John was so holy, that the people of Jerusalem mistook him for Christ.  Do the same.

So they asked him,
“What are you then? Are you Elijah?”
And he said, “I am not.”
“Are you the Prophet?”
He answered, “No.”
So they said to him,
“Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us?
What do you have to say for yourself?”
He said:
“I am the voice of one crying out in the desert,
‘make straight the way of the Lord,’”
as Isaiah the prophet said.”

St. John took no credit upon himself, but only pointed to Christ.  Do the same.

Some Pharisees were also sent.
They asked him,
“Why then do you baptize
if you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?”
John answered them,
“I baptize with water;
but there is one among you whom you do not recognize,
the one who is coming after me,
whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.”
This happened in Bethany across the Jordan,
where John was baptizing.

St. John the Baptist, the Precursor, prepared the way of the Lord and is an apt symbol in this time of Advent.  Let us all do the same.  Prepare the way of the Lord in our hearts and in our lives.

First Sunday of Advent - November 30, 2014

USCCB »  Bible »  Daily Readings

November 30, 2014
Lectionary: 2 year B
Reading 1 IS 63:16B-17, 19B; 64:2-7

A reading from the book of the Prophet Isaiah.  This reading is in the context of the Babylonian exile.  The Jews were captured and taken away from their homes.  Only a remnant remained in Jerusalem.  The rest were living in captivity in far away lands.  God permitted this because of their disobedience.  It was a result of the curses which God proclaimed in the very beginning, in the book of Deuteronomy in the "Punishment for idolatry".

You, LORD, are our father, 

God is our Father, because He is the creator of all things.

our redeemer you are named forever.

Our redeemer is a reference to the Messiah, who will pay for the sins of mankind and unite us to God.

Why do you let us wander, O LORD, from your ways,
and harden our hearts so that we fear you not?

The answer to this question is, because they are rebellious and do not obey.  It is the consequence of their rebellion.

Return for the sake of your servants,
the tribes of your heritage.
Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down,
with the mountains quaking before you,
while you wrought awesome deeds we could not hope for,
such as they had not heard of from of old.
No ear has ever heard, no eye ever seen, any God but you
doing such deeds for those who wait for him.

This is a reference to the Exodus, when God saved Israel from Egypt. 

Would that you might meet us doing right,
that we were mindful of you in our ways!

Isaiah is interceding for the people of Israel.  He is crying out for forgiveness and mercy.  This is very important because Isaiah is a righteous man and it is to the righteous that God pays heed.

Behold, you are angry, and we are sinful;
all of us have become like unclean people,
all our good deeds are like polluted rags;
we have all withered like leaves,
and our guilt carries us away like the wind.
There is none who calls upon your name,
who rouses himself to cling to you;
for you have hidden your face from us
and have delivered us up to our guilt.
Yet, O LORD, you are our father;
we are the clay and you the potter:
we are all the work of your hands.

Isaiah is trusting in the mercy of God.  He knows that the people of Israel are "anawim", they are "poor in spirit" and can offer God nothing but their repentance and sorrow for their sins.


Responsorial Psalm PS 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19

R/ (4) Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.

We have seen the face of God in Jesus Christ, our Saviour.

O shepherd of Israel, hearken,
from your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth.

A reference to the Ark of the Covenant.  Two angels, or cherubim, were carved upon it on either side of the Mercy Seat.

Rouse your power,
and come to save us.

The Psalmist,  King David, calls for God to come and save the nation.

R/ Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
Once again, O LORD of hosts,
look down from heaven, and see;
take care of this vine,
and protect what your right hand has planted
the son of man whom you yourself made strong.

Like Isaiah, the Psalmist admits that without God's grace, we can do nothing good.

R/ Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
May your help be with the man of your right hand,
with the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
Then we will no more withdraw from you;
give us new life, and we will call upon your name.
R/ Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.

And this final stanza recognizes the coming of the Son of Man, which is euphemism for the Messiah, Jesus Christ, our Saviour.

Reading 2 1 COR 1:3-9

The 2nd reading is from the first letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians.

Brothers and sisters:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.

He begins with a blessing which hearkens back to the Gospels. 

I give thanks to my God always on your account
for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus,
that in him you were enriched in every way,
with all discourse and all knowledge,

This is a reference to his prior visit and to the initiation of many of them into the Christian faith.

as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you,
so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift
as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This is a reference to their having received the Sacrament of Confirmation and thus having received the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

He will keep you firm to the end,
irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God is faithful,
and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.

This is not a proclamation of absolute salvation.  Although that is how it sounds.  It is a proclamation of the hope we have in Jesus Christ.  There are many other texts where St. Paul speaks of the assurance of hope in our salvation.

Alleluia PS 85:8
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Show us Lord, your love;
and grant us your salvation.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Alleluia means "God be praised".  And in this prayer, we are calling for that which God has already shown us in His Son.  His love and His salvation.

Gospel MK 13:33-37
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Be watchful! Be alert!

Christ warns His disciples to work out their salvation in fear and trembling.

You do not know when the time will come.

You don't know when you will die.

It is like a man traveling abroad.
He leaves home and places his servants in charge,
each with his own work,
and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch.

Nor do you know when the Son of man will come back.

Watch, therefore;
you do not know when the Lord of the house is coming,
whether in the evening, or at midnight,
or at cockcrow, or in the morning.

Therefore, be prepared.

May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping.
What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’”

All of us must be aware of this.  Not just our priests or rulers in the Church.  We must all be conscious of our actions and do the will of God.  Because we don't know when He will call us home.