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.  

January 25, 2015 - Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 68

Reading 1 JON 3:1-5, 10

Ok, we've skipped all the parts of Jonah for which the book is famous.  The running from God and being cast into the sea by pagan sailors and being swallowed by a big fish and living in his stomach for three days.  Read about that here.

The word of the LORD came to Jonah, saying:

God spoke to Jonah again.

“Set out for the great city of Nineveh,
and announce to it the message that I will tell you.”

And sent him to the city of Nineveh.

Now, for Jonah,  being sent to announce a message to Nineveh is horrible news.   That's why he ran away before.  To Jonah, it would be like sending a modern day Jew to Syria to speak to ISIS.  

So Jonah made ready and went to Nineveh,
according to the LORD’S bidding.

But now, Jonah has realized that there is no running away from God.  

Now Nineveh was an enormously large city;
it took three days to go through it.
Jonah began his journey through the city,
and had gone but a single day’s walk announcing,
“Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed, “
when the people of Nineveh believed God;
they proclaimed a fast
and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth.

The amazing thing, is that these horrid people, with whom Jonah was loathe to associate, they heard Jonah and believed him and repented!

When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way,
he repented of the evil that he had threatened to do to them;
he did not carry it out.

And God saw that they were sorry for their sins and forgave them.

But this was definitely not what Jonah wanted.  Read about that, here. 

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

R. (4a) Teach me your ways, O Lord.

We must realize that it is not we, who first come to God.  But God who first calls us.  And it is only by His grace, guiding the way, that we can be saved.

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.

That is the purpose of the Church.  To teach us and guide us in the ways of God that we may be holy and righteous in His eyes.

R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.

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

God loves and sheds His mercy on those who keep His Commandments.  Because it is those who do His Commandments who love Him.

R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.

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

Trust in God.  He is righteous and worthy of our faith.  Believe God, trust in His promises and He will pour His grace upon you.

R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.

Reading 2 1 COR 7:29-31

I tell you, brothers and sisters, the time is running out.
From now on, let those having wives act as not having them,
those weeping as not weeping,
those rejoicing as not rejoicing,
those buying as not owning,
those using the world as not using it fully.
For the world in its present form is passing away.

We live in this world.  But we are not a part of this world.

Alleluia MK 1:15

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent and believe in the Gospel.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MK 1:14-20

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.”

St. John the Baptist, the precursor who prepared the way of the Lord was arrested.  He would now diminish and the Lord would grow strong.

As he passed by the Sea of Galilee,
he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea;
they were fishermen.

And Jesus, walking on the shore, met two of St. John's former disciples.  Simon and Andrew.

Jesus said to them,
“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

And Jesus called them to be His followers.

Then they abandoned their nets and followed him.

Knowing that St. John had identified Jesus as the Messiah, they abandoned their possessions and followed Him.

He walked along a little farther
and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.

Further along the shore, Jesus met the Sons of Thunder, St. James and John.

They too were in a boat mending their nets.
Then he called them.
So they left their father Zebedee in the boat
along with the hired men and followed him.

He called them also.  And they abandoned even their father and followed Jesus.

January 18, 2015 - Second Sunday of Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 65

Reading 1 1 SM 3:3B-10, 19

This story recounts the first time that Samuel heard the voice of God as a child.  Samuel grew up to be a man powerful in the Lord.  He is the son of Anna, a childless woman who prayed to God for a child and by the intercession of Eli, the High Priest of God, was given Samuel.  In return, as soon as the boy could walk and talk, Anna gave him back to God.  Read about it.

Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the LORD
where the ark of God was.

The child was sleeping in the Temple where the Ark of the Covenant was housed.

The LORD called to Samuel, who answered, “Here I am.”

God called Samuel's name.  And the boy immediately responded thinking that it was Eli who called to him.

Samuel ran to Eli and said, “Here I am. You called me.”
“I did not call you, “ Eli said. “Go back to sleep.”

But Eli had not called him and told him to go back to sleep.

So he went back to sleep.
Again the LORD called Samuel, who rose and went to Eli.
“Here I am, “ he said. “You called me.”

So the boy obeyed.  But, again, God called him.  And again, he ran to Eli.

But Eli answered, “I did not call you, my son. Go back to sleep.”

And again, Eli sent him back to bed.

At that time Samuel was not familiar with the LORD,
because the LORD had not revealed anything to him as yet.
The LORD called Samuel again, for the third time.
Getting up and going to Eli, he said, “Here I am. You called me.”

But again, God called him.  And again, not being accustomed to the voice of God, he ran to Eli.  But this time, Eli, being a man who was accustomed to the Lord's ways, figured it out and said:

Then Eli understood that the LORD was calling the youth.
So he said to Samuel, “Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply,
Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.”
When Samuel went to sleep in his place,
the LORD came and revealed his presence,
calling out as before, “Samuel, Samuel!”
Samuel answered, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

And this is how Samuel first became acquainted with God's voice.  

Samuel grew up, and the LORD was with him,
not permitting any word of his to be without effect.

Samuel would grow up to become a man formidable in the grace of our Lord.  Unfortunately, though, Eli fell from grace.  Eli had two sons and they were priests of God.  But they used their position to take advantage of God's people and did many abominable things in the name of God.  And since Eli turned a blind eye to his sons' activities, the three died on the same day.  Read about it.

Responsorial Psalm PS 40:2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10

R. (8a and 9a) Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.

This is what we do when we come to the fountain of grace in Baptism.

I have waited, waited for the LORD,
and he stooped toward me and heard my cry.
And he put a new song into my mouth,
a hymn to our God.

Waiting and hoping are the same thing.  We must always place all our hope in God and wait with confidence the salvation which is promised to all who love Him and do His Will.

R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.

Sacrifice or offering you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Holocausts or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, “Behold I come.”

Jesus Christ died for us in order to give us an example to follow in His steps.  When we partake of the Holy Eucharist, we unite ourselves to Christ's sacrifice.

R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.

“In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,
to do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!”

The Commandments of God are His written will.  Nothing is more important than keeping the Commandments of God.

R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.

I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.

R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.

We must not miss the Mass.  It is in the Mass that we publicly make  our proclamation of faith in God.  To miss the Mass is to insult the Body of Christ and blaspheme the Blood which He poured out for us.

Reading 2 1 COR 6:13C-15A, 17-20

Brothers and sisters:
The body is not for immorality, but for the Lord,
and the Lord is for the body;
God raised the Lord and will also raise us by his power.

We were created, from all eternity, to do the will of God and walk in the works which He prepared for us that we must do.

Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?
But whoever is joined to the Lord becomes one Spirit with him.

When we are baptized, we are joined to the Body of Christ and become one with Him.

Avoid immorality.
Every other sin a person commits is outside the body,
but the immoral person sins against his own body.

I believe this is a reference to sexual immorality.  When people use their own bodies for monetary gain or for pleasure, they deface the image of God which is stamped into our bodies.

Do you not know that your body
is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you,
whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
For you have been purchased at a price.
Therefore glorify God in your body.

We are bought with the precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ who died, upon the Cross, that we might be saved to eternal life.

Alleluia JN 1:41, 17B

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

We have found the Messiah:
Jesus Christ, who brings us truth and grace.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

This is what Sts. Andrew and John proclaimed to St. Peter when they brought him to see Jesus.  Let us imitate the two Apostles and bring as many as we can to Christ.

Gospel JN 1:35-42

John was standing with two of his disciples,
and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said,
“Behold, the Lamb of God.”

St. John the Baptist was standing with two of his students who would become two of Christ's Apostles.  St. John Zebedee, brother of James and St. Andrew barJonah, brother of St. Peter.

St. John pointed to Jesus and revealed that this is the Messiah. 

The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus.

Hearing this, the two young men left John and sought Jesus.

Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them,
“What are you looking for?”

Jesus asked them what they were seeking.

They said to him, “Rabbi” — which translated means Teacher —,
“where are you staying?”

They responded by asking Him where He was staying.  I interpret this as meaning that they wanted to accompany Him where ever He went.

He said to them, “Come, and you will see.”

Apparently, He did also because He asked them to follow Him.

So they went and saw where Jesus was staying,
and they stayed with him that day.
It was about four in the afternoon.

They stayed with Him til about four in the afternoon.

Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter,
was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus.

One of the two was St. Andrew and when he left, he called his brother.  This is the one whom Jesus would call, Cephas, the Rock.  Read about it.

January 11, 2015 - The Baptism of the Lord

Lectionary: 21

The Baptism of the Lord is the day that Jesus Christ came before St. John the Baptist and was baptized of water.  St. John, on his part, did not want to baptize Jesus, but wanted to be baptized by Him.  But our Lord insisted, saying, "allow it now, to fulfill all justice".  Meaning, that although He had committed no sins for which to repent, as a human being walking in the flesh, He must submit to every precept of man in order to fulfill His Father's just requirements.

Reading 1 IS 42:1-4, 6-7

Thus says the LORD:

The Lord has revealed to Isaiah

Here is my servant whom I uphold,

The coming of the Saviour

my chosen one with whom I am pleased,

The One whom He loves:

Matthew 3:17 And a voice came from the heavens, saying, “This is my beloved Son,[a] with whom I am well pleased.”

upon whom I have put my spirit;

Who by the Holy Spirit was born of the Virgin Mary

he shall bring forth justice

He will establish the Sacraments within which the Justice of all mighty God will be poured into the hearts of the faithful.  

to the nations,

 In His time, salvation will be opened to the Gentile nations.

not crying out, not shouting,
not making his voice heard in the street.
a bruised reed he shall not break,
and a smoldering wick he shall not quench,

He will come upon the scene as a Suffering Servant.  

until he establishes justice on the earth;
the coastlands will wait for his teaching.

And when He is raised up, He will draw all men to Himself.  The justice of all mighty God will be poured out of Him like blood and it is by His blood that men will be justified in the eyes of God the Father. 

I, the LORD, have called you for the victory of justice,
I have grasped you by the hand;
I formed you, and set you
as a covenant of the people,
a light for the nations,
to open the eyes of the blind,
to bring out prisoners from confinement,
and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.

God has done this because He loves mankind:

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave[a] his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. 

Or IS 55:1-11

This is one of those days where the Local Priest may choose from a selection of readings.

Thus says the LORD:

The Lord revealed to Isaiah, the coming of the Saviour

All you who are thirsty,
come to the water!

He will provide living water (John 7:38)

You who have no money,
come, receive grain and eat;
come, without paying and without cost,
drink wine and milk!
Why spend your money for what is not bread,
your wages for what fails to satisfy?
Heed me, and you shall eat well,
you shall delight in rich fare.

He will feed the multitudes (John 6:27)

Come to me heedfully,
listen, that you may have life.
I will renew with you the everlasting covenant,
the benefits assured to David.

He will fulfill the promises of the Old Testament (Heb 9:15) and establish a new one in His Blood (2 Cor 5:15).

As I made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander of nations,
so shall you summon a nation you knew not,
and nations that knew you not shall run to you,
because of the LORD, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, who has glorified you.

And the Gentiles will be drawn to Him (Acts 13:46).

Seek the LORD while he may be found,
call him while he is near.
Let the scoundrel forsake his way,
and the wicked man his thoughts;
let him turn to the LORD for mercy;
to our God, who is generous in forgiving.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD.
As high as the heavens are above the earth
so high are my ways above your ways
and my thoughts above your thoughts.

Therefore, God calls His people to repentance that they may live.

For just as from the heavens
the rain and snow come down
and do not return there
till they have watered the earth,
making it fertile and fruitful,
giving seed to the one who sows
and bread to the one who eats,
so shall my word be
that goes forth from my mouth;
my word shall not return to me void,
but shall do my will,
achieving the end for which I sent it.

Therefore, the Word of God, Jesus Christ, came forth from the Father and was made man, in order that He might die and bring salvation to the nations.

Responsorial Psalm PS 29:1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10.

R. (11b) The Lord will bless his people with peace.

Peace is a gift of the Holy Spirit and it is granted to all who turn to God in faith.

Give to the LORD, you sons of God,
give to the LORD glory and praise,
Give to the LORD the glory due his name;
adore the LORD in holy attire.

It is our first duty to worship God.

R. The Lord will bless his people with peace.

The voice of the LORD is over the waters,
the LORD, over vast waters.
The voice of the LORD is mighty;
the voice of the LORD is majestic.

God is sovereign over all the earth.

R. The Lord will bless his people with peace.

The God of glory thunders,
and in his temple all say, “Glory!”
The LORD is enthroned above the flood;
the LORD is enthroned as king forever.

God is the King of kings and Lord of lords.  God is the King of heaven and earth.

R. The Lord will bless his people with peace.

Or IS 12:2-3, 4BCD, 5-6.

R. (3) You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

Jesus Christ is the fountain from which we will draw living water (John 4:10).

God indeed is my savior;
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water
at the fountain of salvation.

Jesus Christ is God the Son who was sent by the Father to bring salvation.

R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;
among the nations make known his deeds,
proclaim how exalted is his name.

Eucharist means to give thanks.  And, we give thanks to God by not forsaking His Mass, wherein He gives us to drink of His saving grace by the power of the Holy Spirit in the Eucharist (Heb 10:25-31).

R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;
let this be known throughout all the earth.
Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,
for great in your midst
is the Holy One of Israel!

Bring about then, the reign of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist, where He is enthroned amongst His people.  

R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

Reading 2 ACTS 10:34-38

Read the story of the Baptism of St. Cornelius, the Just Centurion, in Acts 10.  What a humble and faith filled servant of God.  Protestants frequently use these verses to try to deny the efficacy of Baptism.  But they read the denial into the verse.  What God emphasizes here, is the freedom of the Holy Spirit to blow where it will.  As the Catholic Church teaches, "God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism, but he himself is not bound by his sacraments (CCC#1257)."

Peter proceeded to speak to those gathered
in the house of Cornelius, saying:
“In truth, I see that God shows no partiality.

St. Peter noted that God isn't prejudiced.

Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly
is acceptable to him.

All who do His will are righteous in His eyes.

You know the word that he sent to the Israelites
as he proclaimed peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all,
what has happened all over Judea,
beginning in Galilee after the baptism
that John preached,
how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth
with the Holy Spirit and power.
He went about doing good
and healing all those oppressed by the devil,
for God was with him.”

Then he proceeded to tell St. Cornelius and his whole cohort of Roman soldiers about the salvation brought about to the nations by Jesus Christ.

Or 1 JN 5:1-9

Beloved:
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God,

The Baptized are born again, children of God because they believe in the Faith of Jesus Christ (Acts 22:16).

and everyone who loves the Father
loves also the one begotten by him.

Everyone who loves the Father, loves His Son, Jesus Christ and loves also his brethren who are born of the Holy Spirit.

In this way we know that we love the children of God
when we love God and obey his commandments.

All who love God, love their brethren and keep the Commandments.

For the love of God is this,
that we keep his commandments.

Because when we keep the Commandments, we proclaim our love for God.

And his commandments are not burdensome,
for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world.

And His Commandments are not difficult.

And the victory that conquers the world is our faith.

By faith in God, we can do anything.

Who indeed is the victor over the world
but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

By our faith in God, we have victory over sin.

This is the one who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ,
not by water alone, but by water and blood.

Jesus Christ is the 2nd Person of the Holy Spirit who took on flesh and become man.

The Spirit is the one who testifies,
and the Spirit is truth.

No one calls Jesus Christ Lord but by the power of the Holy Spirit.

So there are three that testify,
the Spirit, the water, and the blood,
and the three are of one accord.

This is a metaphor of the Holy Trinity.

If we accept human testimony,
the testimony of God is surely greater.
Now the testimony of God is this,
that he has testified on behalf of his Son.

St. John, St. James and St. Peter all heard the voice upon the mountain, which said,

2 Peter 1:17  For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

 

Alleluia CF. MK 9:7

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The heavens were opened and the voice of the Father thundered:
This is my beloved Son, listen to him.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Or: CF. JN 1:29

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

John saw Jesus approaching him, and said:
Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MK 1:7-11

This is what John the Baptist proclaimed:
“One mightier than I is coming after me.
I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals.
I have baptized you with water;
he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

In the days when St. John the Baptist, the Precursor, was baptizing all of Israel.

It happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee
and was baptized in the Jordan by John.

Jesus, the Son of God, came to be baptized by St. John.

On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn open
and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him.

And when Jesus had been baptized, St. John saw the heavens open and the Holy Spirit of God come down and rest upon Our Lord.

And a voice came from the heavens,
“You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

And all present heard the voice of God proclaiming His love for His Son.

January 4, 2015 - The Epiphany of the Lord

Lectionary: 20

We continue in the book of Isaiah.  He prophesies of the forgiveness and mercy of God.

Reading 1 IS 60:1-6

Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come,
the glory of the Lord shines upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth,
and thick clouds cover the peoples;
but upon you the LORD shines,
and over you appears his glory.
Nations shall walk by your light,
and kings by your shining radiance.
Raise your eyes and look about;
they all gather and come to you:
your sons come from afar,
and your daughters in the arms of their nurses.

God has forgiven Jerusalem their iniquities and shown mercy upon them.  He has freed them from the oppression of the Gentiles.  Therefore, Isaiah is prophesying the good news to the Jews.  It is both, the good news of their liberation from the Babylonians.  And the good news of the coming of the Messiah.

Then you shall be radiant at what you see,
your heart shall throb and overflow,
for the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you,
the wealth of nations shall be brought to you.

This is prophetic in more than one way.  Our heart shall throb because God will write His commandments in our heart and give us a heart of flesh to replace our heart of stone.  And overflow because God shall pour the grace of the Holy Spirit into our hearts when we are born again in Baptism.  Now, the Latin word for "sea" is "mar" and Mary's womb shall be emptied out when she brings for the Messiah.

The wealth of the nations is the Pearl of great price and His name is Jesus Christ, who shall be made manifest, the mystery which has been kept secret from of Old. 

Caravans of camels shall fill you,
dromedaries from Midian and Ephah;
all from Sheba shall come
bearing gold and frankincense,
and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.

This, of course, prophecies the coming of the Three Kings or Magi from the Orient.  But it is a veiled prophecy of the inclusion of the Gentiles, who will, in the New Testament times, convert in great numbers when the Gospel is proclaimed to them.  

Acts 13:46 (NABRE)

46 Both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first, but since you reject it and condemn yourselves as unworthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.

Responsorial Psalm PS 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13.

R. (cf. 11) Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

This prefigures the coming of the Gentiles into covenant with God in the New Testament era.  

O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.

This speaks of King Solomon, who was given wisdom to judge the people of God.  His wisdom was such that no other man before or since could compare.  But, Jesus Christ, the Son of David, was prefigured by King Solomon.  Jesus Christ is Wisdom Itself, because He is the Word of God made flesh.

R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.

Solomon's rule was great.  But it was nothing compared to the worldwide rule of the Catholic Church through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts;
the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute.
All kings shall pay him homage,
all nations shall serve him.

Today, there is hardly a nation upon this earth that does not have a representative of the Catholic Church within its borders, worshipping Jesus Christ.

R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.

This is so hard for me to understand.  Because I still see so many poor and helpless who are crying out for God and yet are still suffering on this earth.  But I am comforted by the fact that Scripture says that those who suffer are sons of God and only through suffering will we receive the inheritance of the glory of God with Jesus Christ, who suffered and died upon the Cross to give us an example to follow.

R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

Reading 2 EPH 3:2-3A, 5-6

Brothers and sisters:
You have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace
that was given to me for your benefit,
namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation.
It was not made known to people in other generations
as it has now been revealed
to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit:
that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body,
and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

What is this mystery of which St. Paul so often speaks?  It is the mystery of the revelation of Christ.  The mystery that Christ is hidden in the Old Testament and revealed in the New.  The mystery that all humankind is called to live the Commandments and do the will of God.  The mystery that we are, all humankind, united in Christ.  

Alleluia MT 2:2

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Have you ever wondered, "what is this star?", that the Three Magi saw?  It is one of those mysteries.   It is the "Rising Star."  It is the "Light of the Nations."  

Isaiah 42:6 I, the Lord, have called you for justice, I have grasped you by the hand; I formed you, and set you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations,

2 Peter 1:19 Moreover, we possess the prophetic message that is altogether reliable. You will do well to be attentive to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.

 This Rising Star is Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit informed Three Magi that He was soon to be born and in the form of a star, led them to His birthplace.

Gospel MT 2:1-12

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
in the days of King Herod,
behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,
“Where is the newborn king of the Jews?
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage.”

The Three Kings or Magi, were Gentiles.  Yet, the Holy Spirit had informed them of the coming of the Messiah, the King of the Jews, and they were the first Gentiles to give Him worship.

When King Herod heard this,
he was greatly troubled,
and all Jerusalem with him.

King Herod was troubled because that newborn King was His competition.  Jerusalem was troubled because the Jews were awaiting the coming of the Messiah which was prophecied in the Old Testament.  

Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people,
He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea,
for thus it has been written through the prophet:
And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
since from you shall come a ruler,
who is to shepherd my people Israel.”

King Herod knew the customs of the Jews and had heard of the Messiah.  So, he got the Jewish leaders together and found out where they expected the King of the Jews to be born.  And they informed him that it was prophecied it would be Bethlehem.  The city of Bread.

Then Herod called the magi secretly

and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance.
He sent them to Bethlehem and said,
“Go and search diligently for the child.
When you have found him, bring me word,
that I too may go and do him homage.”

So, Herod found the Three Magi and tried to use them to find the newborn King.

After their audience with the king they set out.
And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them,
until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.

And the Star which they had been following, rose again and led them to the place where the Messiah was.

They were overjoyed at seeing the star,
and on entering the house
they saw the child with Mary his mother.

They were very happy.  And they entered the place and saw the newborn King with His mother, Mary.

They prostrated themselves and did him homage.
Then they opened their treasures
and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,
they departed for their country by another way.

They worshipped Him and gave Him gifts.  But they did not return to Herod, as they had promised, because they had been warned, in a dream, that he meant to do harm to the child.  So, they departed in secret by another way.

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.