DAILY READING and REFLECTIONS For Saturday, December 20, 2014 3rd week of Advent - Psalter Week 3 (Violet) Readings: Is 7:10-14; Ps 24:1-6; Lk 1:26-38 Response: Let the Lord enter, he is the king of glory. Rosary: Joyful Mysteries Verse: You are to conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High SAINT OF THE DAY: Saint Dominic of Silos Patron against rabies; against rabid dogs; against insects; captives; pregnant women; prisoners; shepherds Benedictine abbot and defender of the faith. Born in Canas, Navarre, Spain, circa 1000, he entered the Benedictines at San Millan de Ia Cogolla. King Garcia III of Navarre challenged him when he became abbot of the monastery, and Dominic refused to surrender part of the Benedictine lands to the crown. For this he was exiled, going to King Ferdinand I of Castile and Leon, who made him abbot of St. Sebastian Abbey at Silos, now called St. Dominics. Dominic reformed the abbey, built the cloisters in Romanesque style, and started a scriptorium that became famous throughout the region. One of the most beloved saints in Spain, Dominic also rescued Christian slaves from the Moors. Dominics shrine is noted for its place in the birth of Dominic de Guzman, the founder of the Order of Preachers. Dominic de Guzmans mother begged for a child there. Dominic was also noted for miracles of healing. FROM THE NEW AMERICAN BIBLE: READING 1, Isaiah 7:10-14 10 Yahweh spoke to Ahaz again and said: 11 Ask Yahweh your God for a sign, either in the depths of Sheol or in the heights above. 12 But Ahaz said, I will not ask. I will not put Yahweh to the test. 13 He then said: Listen now, House of David: are you not satisfied with trying human patience that you should try my Gods patience too? 14 The Lord will give you a sign in any case: It is this: the young woman is with child and will give birth to a son whom she will call Immanuel. RESPONSORIAL PSALM, Psalms 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6 1 [Psalm Of David] To Yahweh belong the earth and all it contains, the world and all who live there; 2 it is he who laid its foundations on the seas, on the flowing waters fixed it firm. 3 Who shall go up to the mountain of Yahweh? Who shall take a stand in his holy place? 4 The clean of hands and pure of heart, whose heart is not set on vanities, who does not swear an oath in order to deceive. 5 Such a one will receive blessing from Yahweh, saving justice from the God of his salvation. 6 Such is the people that seeks him, that seeks your presence, God of Jacob.Pause GOSPEL, Luke 1:26-38 26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgins name was Mary. 28 He went in and said to her, Rejoice, you who enjoy Gods favour! The Lord is with you. 29 She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, 30 but the angel said to her, Mary, do not be afraid; you have won Gods favour. 31 Look! You are to conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; 33 he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end. 34 Mary said to the angel, But how can this come about, since I have no knowledge of man? 35 The angel answered, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God. 36 And I tell you this too: your cousin Elizabeth also, in her old age, has conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, 37 for nothing is impossible to God. 38 Mary said, You see before you the Lords servant, let it happen to me as you have said. And the angel left her. REFLECTIONS: Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (To the Greater Glory of God) OPENING PRAYER: God of the poor and the humble, we thank you today for choosing Mary as the Virgin Mother of Jesus, your Son. Her faith and willing service opened the way to your new world. Dispose us to seek your will and to cooperate with your plans, that we too, like Mary, may give to the world its Saviour, Jesus Christ, your Son and our Lord. Amen. ON READING 1: Isaiah 7:10-14; 8-10d (The Sign of Immanu-el - Continued) Isaiah 7, 10-17. Even though the king did not listen, the Lord offers him a sign that he has no reason to fear the threats made by the kings of Israel and Syria: a maiden will conceive and bear a son, who will be called Immanuel; within a few years, before the boy reaches the age of reason, the two kingdoms that Ahaz fears will be laid low, and Judah will enjoy even greater prosperity than it had prior to the Assyrian threat. The prophets words, which at the time and taken literally would have been easy enough for the protagonists to understand, can have further significance: and as Revelation develops this becomes clearer. Verse 14 has three elements in it which, taken separately and together, can be read as a sign of peace and salvation -- the mother, the child, and his name, Immanuel. The mother is a maiden, that is, a young woman who has had no children previously. This could refer to the young wife of Ahaz or to some other young woman. In any event, by setting her pregnancy in the context of a sign given to the king, the point is that something quite important is involved. It is not surprising, therefore, that, to stress this, later interpreters, particularly those who translated the text into Greek in the second century BC, translated the Hebrew word for young woman into the Greek word for virgin. Later, the evangelists St Matthew (Mt 1:23) and St Luke (Lk 1:26-31) indicated that the virginity of Mary was the sign that her son was the Messiah, the true God with us, who brings salvation. The child, the son, is the most significant part of the sign. If the prophecy refers to the son of Ahaz, the future King Hezekiah, it would be indicating that his birth will be a sign of divine protection, because it will mean that the dynasty will continue. If it refers to another child, not yet known, the prophets words would mean that the childs birth could manifest hope that God was going to be with us, and his reaching the age of discretion (v. 16) would indicate the advent of peace; the childs birth would, then, be the sign that God is with us. In the New Testament, the deeper meaning of these words find fulfillment: Mary is Virgin and Mother, and her Son is not a symbol of Gods protection but God himself who dwells among us. The word Immanuel is a prophetic indication of the revelation that the childs birth implies, just as the names of Isaiahs sons also contain revelation -- Shearjashub, which means a remnant shall return (7:3), and Maher-shalal-hash-baz, meaning the spoil speeds, the prey hastens (8:1-3). In the New Testament, the name conveys the joyful news that Jesus is truly God with us. Christian tradition has treated this lsaian oracle with great reverence: Learn from the prophet himself how all this could come to pass. Does it, perhaps, follow the laws of nature? Absolutely not, replies the prophet: Behold, a virgin.... What a miracle! A virgin will become a mother and remain a virgin! It is fitting that he who enters into human life to save all mankind should be born of a woman of perfect integrity who has given herself wholly to Him (St Gregory of Nyssa, In Diem Natalem Christi, 1136). Therefore, expounding the Churchs interpretation, the Second Vatican Council has this to say: The Holy Scriptures of both the Old and the New Testament, as well as ancient Tradition, show the role of the Mother of the Savior in the economy of salvation in an ever clearer light and draw attention to it. The books of the Old Testament describe the history of salvation, by which the coming of Christ into the world was slowly prepared. These earliest documents, as they are read in the Church and are understood in the light of a further and full revelation, bring the figure of the woman, Mother of the Redeemer, into a gradually clearer light. When it is looked at in this way, she is already prophetically foreshadowed in the promise of victory over the serpent which was given to our first parents after their fall into sin (cf. Gen 3:15). Likewise she is the Virgin who shall conceive and bear a son, whose name will be called Immanuel (Is 7:14; Mic 5:2-3; Mt 1:22-23). She stands out among the poor and humble of the Lord, who confidently hope for and receive salvation from Him. With her the exalted Daughter of Sion, and after a long expectation of the promise, the times are fulfilled and the new economy established, when the Son of God took a human nature from her, that He might in the mysteries of His flesh free man from sin (Lumen Gentium, 55). The fact that the oracle was spoken in a specific historical context does not mean that it does not have a more transcendental, that is, messianic meaning; in the light of salvation history, past events should be read as part of Gods plan of salvation and of its climax, the advent of Jesus Christ. Only by adopting this viewpoint can we see that what happened in the Old Testament, taken as a whole and many of the stages in it, are a prophecy of New Testament events, a preparation for the Gospel. Therefore, a Christian reading of the text, which in a way enjoys hindsight and gives a messianic interpretation to the Immanuel Oracle, is perfectly compatible with its literal meaning. The words of the prophet, which find fulfillment in Christ, have been given many lovely spiritual interpretations: This Immanuel, born of the Virgin, eats curds and honey, and asks each of us to provide him with the curds that he eats. Our good deeds, our sweet and noble words, are the honey eaten by the Immanuel born of the Virgin For truly he consumes our good words and intentions and actions, and feeds us, in turn, with a spiritual food that is greater and divine. As soon as we realize that to welcome the Savior is a blessing, and open wide the doors of our hearts, we will prepare for him the honey and all his feast, and he will bring us to the great feast of the Father in the kingdom of heaven, that is in Christ Jesus (Origen, Homilae In Isaiam, 2, 2). ON THE GOSPEL: Luke 1:26-38 (The Annunciation and Incarnation of the Son of God) The visit of the Angel to Mary reminds us of the visit of God to different women of the Old Testament: Sarah, mother of Isaac (Gen 18, 9-15), Anne, mother of Samuel (1 Sam 1, 9-18), the mother of Samson (Jg 13, 2-5). To all of them was announced the birth of a son with an important mission in the realization of God’s plan. The account begins with the expression “in the sixth month”. It is the sixth month of the pregnancy of Elizabeth. The concrete need of Elizabeth, a woman advanced in age who is expecting her first son with the risk of delivery, this is the background of all this episode. Elizabeth is mentioned at the beginning (Lk 1, 26) and at the end of the visit of the angel (Lk 1, 36.39). The angel says: “Rejoice, you who enjoy God’s favor, the Lord is with you”!. Similar words were said also to Moses (Ex 3, 12), to Jeremiah (Jer 1, 8), to Gideon (Jg 6, 12) and to other persons with an important mission in God’s plan. Mary is surprised at the greeting and tries to understand the significance of those words. She is realistic. She wants to understand. She does not accept just any inspiration. The angel answers: “Do not be afraid!” Just as it happened in the visit of the angel to Zechariah, here also the first greeting of God is always: “Do not be afraid!”. Immediately the angel recalls the promises of the past which will be fulfilled thanks to the son who will be born and who has to receive the name of Jesus. He will be called the Son of the Most High and in him will be realized the Kingdom of God. This is the explanation of the angel in such a way that Mary is not afraid. Mary is aware of, knows the mission which she is about to receive, but she continues to be realistic. She does not allow herself to be drawn by the greatness of the offer, and observes her condition. She analyses the offer according to certain criteria which she has available. Humanly speaking, it was not possible: “But how can this come about, I have no knowledge of man?” The angel explains that the Holy Spirit, present in God’s Word since the Creation (Genesis 1, 2), is capable to realize things which seem impossible. This is why, the Holy One who will be born from Mary will be called Son of God. The miracle repeats itself up until today. When the Word of God is accepted by the poor, something new happens, thanks to the force of the Holy Spirit! Something new and surprising such as a son is born of a virgin or a son is born to a woman of advanced age, like Elizabeth, of whom all said that she was barren, that she could not have children! And the angel adds: “See, your cousin Elizabeth also, in her old age, has conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God”. The response of the angel clarifies everything for Mary, and she surrenders: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord, may it be done to me according to your word”. Mary uses for herself the title of Servant, Handmaid of the Lord. This title of Isaiah, which represents the mission of the people not as a privilege, but rather as a service to the other people (Is 42, 1-9; 49, 3-6). Later Jesus will define his mission as a service: “I have not come to be served, but to serve!” (Mt 20, 28). He learnt this from his Mother! Luke 1, 26-38. Here we contemplate our Lady who was enriched from the first instant of her conception with the splendor of an entirely unique holiness; the virgin of Nazareth is hailed by the heralding angel, by divine command, as full of grace(cf. Luke 1:28), and to the heavenly messenger she replies, Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to thy word (Luke 1:38). Thus the daughter of Adam, Mary, consenting to the word of God, became the Mother of Jesus. Committing herself wholeheartedly to Gods saving will and impeded by no sin, she devoted herself totally, as a handmaid of the Lord, to the person and work of her Son, under and with Him, serving the mystery of Redemption, by the grace of Almighty God. Rightly, therefore, the Fathers (of the Church) see Mary not merely as passively engaged by God, but as freely cooperating in the work of mans salvation through faith and obedience (Vatican II, Lumen Gentium, 56). The annunciation to Mary and incarnation of the Word constitute the deepest mystery of the relationship between God and men and the most important event in the history of mankind: God becomes man, and will remain so forever, such is the extent of His goodness and mercy and love for all of us. And yet on the day when the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity assumed frail human nature in the pure womb of the Blessed Virgin, it all happened quietly, without fanfare of any kind. St. Luke tells the story in a very simple way. We should treasure these words of the Gospel and use them often, for example, practising the Christian custom of saying the Angelus every day and reflecting on the five Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary. Luke 1, 27. God chose to be born of a virgin; centuries earlier He disclosed this through the prophet Isaiah (cf. Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:22-23). God, before all ages made choice of, and set in her proper place, a mother for His only-begotten Son from whom He, after being made flesh, should be born in the blessed fullness of time: and He continued His persevering regard for her in preference to all other creatures, to such a degree that for her alone He had singular regard (Pius IX, Ineffabilis Deus, 2). This privilege granted to our Lady of being a virgin and a mother at the same time is a unique gift of God. This was the work of the Holy Spirit who at the conception and the birth of the Son so favored the Virgin Mother as to impart fruitfulness to her while preserving inviolate her perpetual virginity (St. Pius V Catechism, I, 4, 8). Paul VI reminds us of this truth of faith: We believe that the Blessed Mary, who ever enjoys the dignity of virginity, was the Mother of the incarnate Word, of our God and Savior Jesus Christ (Creed of the People of God, 14). Although many suggestions have been made as to what the name Mary means, most of the best scholars seem to agree that Mary means lady. However, no single meaning fully conveys the richness of the name. Luke 1, 28. Hail, full of grace: literally the Greek text reads Rejoice!, obviously referring to the unique joy over the news which the angel is about to communicate. Full of grace: by this unusual form of greeting the archangel reveals Marys special dignity and honor. The Fathers and Doctors of the Church taught that this singular, solemn and unheard-of-greeting showed that all the divine graces reposed in the Mother of God and that she was adorned with all the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which meant that she was never subject to the curse, that is, was preserved from all sin. These words of the archangel in this text constitute one of the sources which reveal the dogma of Marys Immaculate Conception (cf. Pius IX, Ineffabilis Deus; Paul VI, Creed of the People of God). The Lord is with you!: these words are not simply a greeting (the Lord be with you) but an affirmation (the Lord is with you), and they are closely connected with the Incarnation. St. Augustine comments by putting these words on the archangels lips: He is more with you than He is with me: He is in your heart, He takes shape within you, He fills your soul, He is in your womb (Sermo De Nativitate Domini, 4). Some important Greek manuscripts and early translations add at the end of the verse: Blessed are you among women!, meaning that God will exalt Mary over all women. She is more excellent than Sarah, Hannah, Deborah, Rachel, Judith, etc., for only she has the supreme honor of being chosen to be the Mother of God. Luke 1, 29-30. Our Lady is troubled by the presence of the archangel and by the confusion truly humble people experience when they receive praise. Luke 1, 30. The Annunciation is the moment when our Lady is given to know the vocation which God planned for her from eternity. When the archangel sets her mind at ease by saying, Do not be afraid, Mary, he is helping her to overcome that initial fear which a person normally experiences when God gives him or her a special calling. The fact that Mary felt this fear does not imply the least trace of imperfection in her: hers is a perfectly natural reaction in the face of the supernatural. Imperfection would arise if one did not overcome this fear or rejected the advice of those in a position to help -- as St. Gabriel helped Mary. Luke 1, 31-33. The archangel Gabriel tells the Blessed Virgin Mary that she is to be the Mother of God by reminding her of the words of Isaiah which announced that the Messiah would be born of a virgin, a prophecy which will find its fulfillment in Mary (cf. Matthew 1:22-23; Isaiah 7:14). He reveals that the Child will be great: His greatness comes from His being God, a greatness He does not lose when He takes on the lowliness of human nature. He also reveals that Jesus will be the king of the Davidic dynasty sent by God in keeping with His promise of salvation; that His Kingdom will last forever, for His humanity will remain forever joined to His divinity; that He will be called Son of the Most High, that is that He really will be the Son of the Most High and will be publicly recognized as such, that is, the Child will be the Son of God. The archangels announcement evokes the ancient prophecies which foretold these prerogatives. Mary, who was well-versed in Sacred Scripture, clearly realized that she was to be the Mother of God. Luke 1, 34-38. Commenting on this passage, Bl. John Paul II said: Virgo fidelis, the faithful Virgin. What does this faithfulness of Mary mean? What are the dimensions of this faithfulness? The first dimension is called search. Mary was faithful first of all when she began, lovingly, to seek the deep sense of Gods plan in her and for the world. Quomodo fiet? How shall this be?, she asked the Angel of the Annunciation. The second dimension of faithfulness is called reception, acceptance. The quomodo fiet? is changed, on Marys lips, to a fiat: Let it be done, I am ready, I accept. This is the crucial moment of faithfulness, the moment in which man perceives that he will never completely understand the how: that there are in Gods plan more areas of mystery than of clarity; that is, however he may try, he will never succeed in understanding it completely. The third dimension of faithfulness is consistency to live in accordance with what one believes; to adapt ones own life to the object of ones adherence. To accept misunderstanding, persecutions, rather than a break between what one practices and what one believes: this is consistency. But all faithfulness must pass the most exacting test, that of duration. Therefore, the fourth dimension of faithfulness is constancy. It is easy to be consistent for a day or two. It is difficult and important to be consistent for ones whole life. It is easy to be consistent in the hour of enthusiasm, it is difficult to be so in the hour of tribulation. And only a consistency that lasts throughout the whole life can be called faithfulness. Marys fiat in the Annunciation finds its fullness in the silent fiat that she repeats at the foot of the Cross (Homily in Mexico City Cathedral, 26 January 1979). Luke 1, 34. Mary believed in the archangels words absolutely; she did not doubt as Zechariah had done (cf. 1:18). Her question, How can this be?, expresses her readiness to obey the will of God even though at first sight it implied a contradiction: on the one hand, she was convinced that God wished her to remain a virgin; on the other, here was God also announcing that she would become a mother. The archangel announces Gods mysterious design, and what had seemed impossible, according to the laws of nature, is explained by a unique intervention on the part of God. Marys resolution to remain a virgin was certainly something very unusual, not in line with the practice of righteous people under the Old Covenant, for, as St. Augustine explains, particularly attentive to the propagation and growth of the people of God, through whom the Prince and Savior of the world might be prophesied and be born, the saints were obliged to make use of the good of matrimony (De Bono Matrimonii, 9, 9). However, in the Old Testament, there were some who, in keeping with Gods plan, did remain celibate -- for example, Jeremiah, Elijah, Eliseus and John the Baptist. The Blessed Virgin, who received a very special inspiration of the Holy Spirit to practise virginity, is a first-fruit of the New Testament, which will establish the excellence of virginity over marriage while not taking from the holiness of the married state, which it raises to the level of a sacrament (cf. Gaudium Et Spes, 48). Luke 1, 35. The shadow is a symbol of the presence of God. When Israel was journeying through the wilderness, the glory of God filled the Tabernacle and a cloud covered the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 40:34-36). And when God gave Moses the tablets of the Law, a cloud covered Mount Sinai (Exodus 24:15-16); and also, at the Transfiguration of Jesus the voice of God the Father was heard coming out of a cloud (Luke 9:35). At the moment of the Incarnation the power of God envelops our Lady -- an expression of Gods omnipotence. The Spirit of God -- which, according to the account in Genesis (1:2), moved over the face of the waters, bringing things to life -- now comes down on Mary. And the fruit of her womb will be the work of the Holy Spirit. The Virgin Mary, who herself was conceived without any stain of sin (cf. Bl. Pius IX, Ineffabilis Deus) becomes, after the Incarnation, a new tabernacle of God. This is the mystery we recall every day when saying the Angelus. Luke 1, 38. Once she learns of Gods plan, our Lady yields to Gods will with prompt obedience, unreservedly. She realizes the disproportion between what she is going to become -- the Mother of God -- and what she is -- a woman. However, this is what God wants to happen and for Him nothing is impossible; therefore no one should stand in His way. So Mary, combining humility and obedience, responds perfectly to Gods call: Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done according to your word. At the enchantment of this virginal phrase, the Word became flesh (St. J. Escriva, Holy Rosary, first joyful mystery). From the pure body of Mary, God shaped a new body, He created a soul out of nothing, and the Son of God united Himself with this body and soul: prior to this He was only God; now He is still God but also man. Mary is now the Mother of God. This truth is a dogma of faith, first defined by the Council of Ephesus (431). At this point she also begins to be the spiritual Mother of all mankind. What Christ says when He is dying -- Behold, your son..., behold, your mother (John 19:26-27) -- simply promulgates what came about silently at Nazareth. With her generous fiat (Mary) became, through the working of the Spirit, the Mother of God, but also the Mother of the living, and, by receiving into her womb the one Mediator, she became the true Ark of the Covenant and true Temple of God (Paul VI, Marialis Cultus, 6). The Annunciation shows us the Blessed Virgin as perfect model of purity (the RSV I have no husband is a euphemism); of humility (Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord); of candor and simplicity (How can this be?); of obedience and lively faith (Let it be done to me according to your word). Following her example of obedience to God, we can learn to serve delicately without being slavish. In Mary, we dont find the slightest trace of the attitude of the foolish vir- gins, who obey, but thoughtlessly. Our Lady listens attentively to what God wants, ponders what she doesnt fully understand and asks about what she doesnt know. Then she gives herself completely to doing the divine will: Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word. Isnt that marvellous? The Blessed Virgin, our teacher in all we do, shows us here that obedience to God is not servile, does not bypass our conscience. We should be inwardly moved to discover the freedom of the children of God (cf. Romans 8: 21) (St. J. Escriva, Christ Is Passing By, 173). FINAL PRAYERS: To Yahweh belong the earth and all it contains, the world and all who live there; it is he who laid its foundations on the seas, on the flowing waters fixed it firm. (Ps 24,1-2) It is by God’s mercy that we are saved. May we never tire of spreading this joyful message to the world. -- Pope Francis Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ. -- St. Jerome The Father uttered one Word; that Word is His Son, and He utters Him forever in everlasting silence; and in silence the soul has to hear it. -- St. John of the Cross
Posted on: Sat, 20 Dec 2014 03:00:38 +0000
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