Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 12-02-04

December 2, 2004
Thursday of the First Week of Advent

Reading I
Is 26:1-6

On that day they will sing this song in the land of Judah:

"A strong city have we;
he sets up walls and ramparts to protect us.
Open up the gates
to let in a nation that is just,
one that keeps faith.
A nation of firm purpose you keep in peace;
in peace, for its trust in you."

Trust in the LORD forever!
For the LORD is an eternal Rock.
He humbles those in high places,
and the lofty city he brings down;
He tumbles it to the ground,
levels it with the dust.
It is trampled underfoot by the needy,
by the footsteps of the poor.

Responsorial Psalm
118:1 and 8-9, 19-21, 25-27a

R (26a) Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in princes.
R Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R Alleluia.
Open to me the gates of justice;
I will enter them and give thanks to the LORD.
This gate is the LORD's;
the just shall enter it.
I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me
and have been my savior.
R Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R Alleluia.
O LORD, grant salvation!
O LORD, grant prosperity!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD;
we bless you from the house of the LORD.
The LORD is God, and he has given us light.
R Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R Alleluia.

Gospel
Mt 7:21, 24-27

Jesus said to his disciples:
"Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,'
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.

"Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
And everyone who listens to these words of mine
but does not act on them
will be like a fool who built his house on sand.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
And it collapsed and was completely ruined."

From: Matthew 7:21, 24-27

Doing the Will of God

(Jesus said to His disciples,) [21] "Not every one who says to Me,
`Lord, Lord,' shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the
will of My Father who is in Heaven.

Building on Rock

[24] "Every one then who hears these words of Mine and does them will
be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock; [25] and the
rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that
house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.
[26]And every one who hears these words of Mine and does not do them
will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand; [27] and
the rain fell, and the floods came, and winds blew and beat against
that house, and it fell; and great was the fall of it."

Commentary:

21-23. To be genuine, prayer must be accompanied by a persevering
effort to do God's will. Similarly, in order to do His will it is not
enough to speak about the things of God: there must be consistency
between what one preaches--what one says--and what one does: "The
Kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power" (1 Corinthians
4:20); "Be doers of the word, not hearers only, deceiving yourselves"
(James 1:22).

Christians, "holding loyally to the Gospel, enriched by its resources,
and joining forces with all who love and practise justice, have
shouldered a weighty task on earth and they must render an account of
it to Him who will judge all men on the last day. Not every one who
says `Lord, Lord' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but those who do
the will of the Father, and who manfully put their hands to the work"
(Vatican II, "Gaudium Et Spes", 93).

To enter the Kingdom of Heaven, to be holy, it is not enough, then, to
speak eloquently about holiness. One has to practise what one
preaches, to produce fruit which accords with one's words. Fray Luis
de Leon puts it very graphically: "Notice that to be a good Christian
it is not enough just to pray and fast and hear Mass; God must find you
faithful, like another Job or Abraham, in times of tribulation" ("Guide
for Sinners", Book 1, Part 2, Chapter 21).

Even if a person exercises an ecclesiastical ministry that does not
assure his holiness; he needs to practice the virtues he preaches.
Besides, we know from experience that any Christian (clerical,
religious or lay) who does not strive to act in accordance with the
demands of the faith he professes, begins to weaken in his faith and
eventually parts company also with the teaching of the Church. Anyone
who does not live in accordance with what he says, ends up saying
things which are contrary to faith.

The authority with which Jesus speaks in these verses reveals Him as
sovereign Judge of the living and the dead. No Old Testament prophet
ever spoke with this authority.

22. "That day": a technical formula in biblical language meaning the
day of the Judgment of the Lord or the Last Judgment.

23. This passage refers to the Judgment where Jesus will be the Judge.
The sacred text uses a verb which means the public proclamation of a
truth. Since in this case Jesus Christ is the Judge who makes the
declaration, it takes the form of a judicial sentence.

24-27. These verses constitute the positive side of the previous
passage. A person who tries to put Christ's teaching into practice,
even if he experiences personal difficulties or lives during times of
upheaval in the life of the Church or is surrounded by error, will stay
firm in the faith, like the wise man who builds his house on rock.

Also, if we are to stay strong in times of difficulty, we need, when
things are calm and peaceful, to accept little contradictions with a
good grace, to be very refined in our relationship with God and with
others, and to perform the duties of our state in life in a spirit of
loyalty and abnegation. By acting in this way we are laying down a
good foundation, maintaining the edifice of our spiritual life and
repairing any cracks which make their appearance.

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

Thursday, December 2, 2004
Advent Weekday

First Reading:
Psalm:
Gospel:

Isaiah 26:1-6
Psalm 118:1, 8-9, 19-21, 25-27
Matthew 7:21, 24-27

We read in the gospel that when the Lord was teaching his disciples and urged them to share in his passion by the ministry of eating his body, some said: This is a hard saying; and from that time they no longer followed him. When he asked the disciples whether they also wish to go away, they replied: Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. I assure you my brothers that even to this day it is clear to some that the words which Jesus speaks are spirit and life, and for this reason they follow him. To others these words seem hard, and so they look elsewhere for some pathetic consolation. Yet wisdom cries out in the streets, in a broad and spacious way that leads to death, to call back those who take this path.

-- St Bernard

Homily of the Day

Homily of the Day

Title:	This Isn't A Dress Rehearsal
Author:	Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.
Date:	Thursday, December 2, 2004

Isaiah 26:1-6; Matthew 7:21, 24-27

What do you put your trust in? That question can have as many answers, both honest and phony, as there are people. You can imagine the cowpoke in the western movie answering, "I put my trust in this little ol' six-gun here." Or perhaps you might think of the athlete flexing his muscles in response, or the race car driver patting his car in reply, or the banker eyeing his checkbook serenely. The good thing about those responses is that they're probably all honest. The bad thing about them is that they're entirely inadequate.

Far too often we treat life as if it were just a dress rehearsal and not the real thing, as if there were an infinite number of days still ahead of us, and we needn't get serious. Well, of course, that isn't true. Our days are numbered, this is the real and only chance at a life that we're going to get, and we'd better decide who and what we can really count on in the long term.

Isaiah gives us the right answer in today's reading. "Trust in the Lord forever!" he says. "For the Lord is an eternal rock." Well said: As solid and enduring as an eternal rock, and as gentle as a kindly father. What more could we ask?

Trust Him. He'll never let you down!

The Word Among Us

Thursday, December 02, 2004

Meditation
Matthew 7:21, 24-27

How many times, when you hear of an approaching storm, do you get worried or anxious? How much more anxious would you be if you lived in a coastal town, where the threat of a storm is all the greater? Many people in this situation have built their homes according to strict safety standards so that they can withstand an onslaught of hurricane force winds. Then, when news breaks of a coming storm, all they have to do is make minor adjustments to their homes.

When Jesus spoke about building on the rock, he was talking about us. He wants us to build our lives on his word—the most solid foundation we can have. And for this to happen, we must work with Jesus, the master architect. As we allow Jesus to “build” us according to his standards, we will have less to fear when the storms of the world come up against us.

It’s not always easy to let Jesus do the building. We may want him to use the standards we have already set. But he wants to start at the very foundation, uprooting whatever is not strong and whatever is contrary to his plans for us. Jesus knows that if our foundation is weak we are vulnerable to the devil, the world, and our own fallen nature.

It’s comforting to know that Jesus is always with us, even when something happens to tear down our old foundations. We are not doomed to weather the storms of life on our own. Jesus wants us to trust in him to such a degree that we always choose to obey his commands, however difficult they may seem. When the winds come, he wants us to run to the Father and let him strengthen us. He wants to fight the battles we cannot fight on our own. What a blessing to know that we have such a loving Savior! All we have to do is trust and obey, and he will build us into a strong and beautiful dwelling for his Spirit.

“Lord Jesus, come and build my heart according to your standards. Make me strong enough to stand fast when the storms come. Your love is enough for me. I trust in you to renew me and help me rise above any situation I may face. I love you, Jesus.”

One Bread, One Body

<< Thursday, December 2, 2004 >>

Isaiah 26:1-6

Psalm 118

Matthew 7:21, 24-27

View Readings

WISE GUY

“None of those who cry out, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of God but only the one who does the will of My Father in heaven.” —Matthew 7:21

The sandy soil of a Palestinian creek bed is rich, and it provides a brilliant array of beautiful flowers and grasses — yet, it is a deceptive location in which to build. Suddenly, the rainy season comes, the site is undermined, destroyed, and vanishes.

To some people, a self-indulgent life of pleasure, riches, and comfort seems like a desirable way to live (see Lk 8:14). However, this is not the will of the Father (Mt 7:21), “for nothing that the world affords comes from the Father. Carnal allurements, enticements for the eye, the life of empty show — all these are from the world. And the world with its seductions is passing away but the man who does God’s will endures forever” (1 Jn 2:16-17). Therefore, “do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you may judge what is God’s will, what is good, pleasing and perfect” (Rm 12:2).

Your life must be on the solid foundation of Christ our Rock (1 Cor 3:11), His Church (Mt 16:18; Eph 2:20), and charity (Eph 3:17; 1 Tm 6:17-19). Otherwise, clear away whatever you have built, that is, reform your lives, and build a new life in the Spirit (see Acts 4:11ff).

Be a “wise guy.” Build on Rock.

Prayer: Father, may I die to myself and love the poor with my generous sharing of this world’s goods.

Promise: “A strong city have we; He sets up walls and ramparts to protect us.” —Is 26:1

Praise: Charles had lost his marriage and nearly his life by having it his way. He turned to the Lord and started living by God’s way.

Mt 7:21-27
#	Douay-Rheims	Vulgate
21	Not every one that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doth the will of my Father who is in heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.	non omnis qui dicit mihi Domine Domine intrabit in regnum caelorum sed qui facit voluntatem Patris mei qui in caelis est ipse intrabit in regnum caelorum
22	Many will say to me in that day: Lord, Lord, have not we prophesied in thy name, and cast out devils in thy name, and done many miracles in thy name?	multi dicent mihi in illa die Domine Domine nonne in nomine tuo prophetavimus et in tuo nomine daemonia eiecimus et in tuo nomine virtutes multas fecimus
23	And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity.	et tunc confitebor illis quia numquam novi vos discedite a me qui operamini iniquitatem
24	Every one therefore that heareth these my words, and doth them, shall be likened to a wise man that built his house upon a rock,	omnis ergo qui audit verba mea haec et facit ea adsimilabitur viro sapienti qui aedificavit domum suam supra petram
25	And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and they beat upon that house, and it fell not, for it was founded on a rock.	et descendit pluvia et venerunt flumina et flaverunt venti et inruerunt in domum illam et non cecidit fundata enim erat super petram
26	And every one that heareth these my words and doth them not, shall be like a foolish man that built his house upon the sand,	et omnis qui audit verba mea haec et non facit ea similis erit viro stulto qui aedificavit domum suam supra harenam
27	And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and they beat upon that house, and it fell, and great was the fall thereof.	et descendit pluvia et venerunt flumina et flaverunt venti et inruerunt in domum illam et cecidit et fuit ruina eius magna

FEAST OF THE DAY

St. Bibiana was born in fourth century Rome of Christian parents.
When it was found out that Bibiana's parents were Christians, they
were arrested, tortured and killed. All the possessions of the family
were confiscated and Bibiana and her sister were forced into
poverty. The two girls bore this cross with courage and continued to
follow the religion given to them by their parents.

When the authorities found out that Bibiana and her sister were
stronger rather than weaker in their faith they were arrested.
Bibiana's sister was soon died, and Bibiana was sent to be tortured.
The tortures were unsuccessful in weakening Bibiana's faith and she
was sent to the pillar to be scourged to death. She died around the
year 363 and later a basilica was built dedicated to her and housing
her relics. The feast of St. Bibiana was confined to this basilica in the
year 1969.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

All the wealth in the world cannot be compared with the happiness of
living together happily united. -Bl. Margaret d'Youville

TODAY IN HISTORY

1980 4 nuns are killed in El Salvador

TODAY'S TIDBIT

The liturgical color for Advent is violet. This color is symbolic of
penance and reminds us of the need for preparing for the Second
Coming of Christ. A second theme of Advent, highlighted especially
in the final weeks of the season, is that of remembering the first
coming of Christ into the world.

INTENTION FOR THE DAY

Please pray for the conversion of hardened sinners

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