Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 12-06-04, Optional, St. Nicholas

December 6, 2004
Monday of the Second Week of Advent

Reading I
Is 35:1-10

The desert and the parched land will exult;
the steppe will rejoice and bloom.
They will bloom with abundant flowers,
and rejoice with joyful song.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to them,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
They will see the glory of the LORD,
the splendor of our God.
Strengthen the hands that are feeble,
make firm the knees that are weak,
Say to those whose hearts are frightened:
Be strong, fear not!
Here is your God,
he comes with vindication;
With divine recompense
he comes to save you.
Then will the eyes of the blind be opened,
the ears of the deaf be cleared;
Then will the lame leap like a stag,
then the tongue of the mute will sing.

Streams will burst forth in the desert,
and rivers in the steppe.
The burning sands will become pools,
and the thirsty ground, springs of water;
The abode where jackals lurk
will be a marsh for the reed and papyrus.
A highway will be there,
called the holy way;
No one unclean may pass over it,
nor fools go astray on it.
No lion will be there,
nor beast of prey go up to be met upon it.
It is for those with a journey to make,
and on it the redeemed will walk.
Those whom the LORD has ransomed will return
and enter Zion singing,
crowned with everlasting joy;
They will meet with joy and gladness,
sorrow and mourning will flee.

Responsorial Psalm
85:9ab and 10, 11-12, 13-14

R (Isaiah 35:4f) Our God will come to save us!
I will hear what God proclaims;
the LORD – for he proclaims peace to his people.
Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,
glory dwelling in our land.
R Our God will come to save us!
Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
and justice shall look down from heaven.
R Our God will come to save us!
The LORD himself will give his benefits;
our land shall yield its increase.
Justice shall walk before him,
and salvation, along the way of his steps.
R Our God will come to save us!

Gospel
Lk 5:17-26

One day as Jesus was teaching,
Pharisees and teachers of the law,
who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem,
were sitting there,
and the power of the Lord was with him for healing.
And some men brought on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed;
they were trying to bring him in and set him in his presence.
But not finding a way to bring him in because of the crowd,
they went up on the roof
and lowered him on the stretcher through the tiles
into the middle in front of Jesus.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said,
"As for you, your sins are forgiven."

Then the scribes and Pharisees began to ask themselves,
"Who is this who speaks blasphemies?
Who but God alone can forgive sins?"
Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them in reply,
"What are you thinking in your hearts?
Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,'
or to say, ‘Rise and walk'?
But that you may know
that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"–
he said to the one who was paralyzed,
"I say to you, rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home."

He stood up immediately before them,
picked up what he had been lying on,
and went home, glorifying God.
Then astonishment seized them all and they glorified God,
and, struck with awe, they said,
"We have seen incredible things today."

Lk 5:17-26

Douay-Rheims

Vulgate

And it came to pass on a certain day, as he sat teaching, that there were also Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, that were come out of every town of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was to heal them.

et factum est in una dierum et ipse sedebat docens et erant Pharisaei sedentes et legis doctores qui venerant ex omni castello Galilaeae et Iudaeae et Hierusalem et virtus erat Domini ad sanandum eos

And behold, men brought in a bed a man who had the palsy: and they sought means to bring him in and to lay him before him.

et ecce viri portantes in lecto hominem qui erat paralyticus et quaerebant eum inferre et ponere ante eum

And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in, because of the multitude, they went up upon the roof and let him down through the tiles with his bed into the midst before Jesus.

et non invenientes qua parte illum inferrent prae turba ascenderunt supra tectum per tegulas submiserunt illum cum lecto in medium ante Iesum

Whose faith when he saw, he said: Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.

quorum fidem ut vidit dixit homo remittuntur tibi peccata tua

And the scribes and Pharisees began to think, saying: Who is this who speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?

et coeperunt cogitare scribae et Pharisaei dicentes quis est hic qui loquitur blasphemias quis potest dimittere peccata nisi solus Deus

And when Jesus knew their thoughts, answering he said to them: What is it you think in your hearts?

ut cognovit autem Iesus cogitationes eorum respondens dixit ad illos quid cogitatis in cordibus vestris

Which is easier to say: Thy sins are forgiven thee; or to say: Arise and walk?

quid est facilius dicere dimittuntur tibi peccata an dicere surge et ambula

But that you may know that the Son of man hath the power on earth to forgive sins (he saith to the sick of the palsy), I say to thee to: Arise, take up thy bed and go into thy house.

ut autem sciatis quia Filius hominis potestatem habet in terra dimittere peccata ait paralytico tibi dico surge tolle lectum tuum et vade in domum tuam

And immediately rising up before them, he took up the bed on which he lay: and he went away to his own house, glorifying God.

et confestim surgens coram illis tulit in quo iacebat et abiit in domum suam magnificans Deum

And all were astonished: and they glorified God. And they were filled with fear, saying: We have seen wonderful things to-day.

et stupor adprehendit omnes et magnificabant Deum et repleti sunt timore dicentes quia vidimus mirabilia hodie

Monday, December 06, 2004

Meditation
Luke 5:17-26

Sometimes, we get to the point where we realize that we are stuck. We have a habit or a fault that we just can’t seem to conquer no matter what we do. It can become so frustrating that we are tempted to despair of ever getting over it.

Do you think the paralyzed man in today’s passage may have felt like this? After all, he certainly couldn’t improve his situation. He had to be carried around to wherever he wanted to go. Yet when his friends brought him to Jesus, Jesus wasn’t overwhelmed by his condition. In fact, he seems to have taken it all in stride. With one sentence, he forgave the man his sins, and then, with another simple command, he healed him completely.

“Rise and walk” (Luke 5:23). That’s all it took, and the man was healed. This same command echoes to us today as we face our own inner paralyses. Maybe we have old grudges that darken our perspective and drag us away from Jesus. Maybe we find it hard to resist gossiping or telling little white lies to improve our image. Or perhaps we have a prejudice that affects how we treat people, and though we know this is not right, we can’t seem to change.

Given the right circumstances, just about anything can paralyze us—little annoying habits as well as serious addictions. We can end up feeling just as helpless as the man in today’s gospel passage. But Jesus took command over his paralysis as if it were just a little cold, and he wants to do the same for us each and every day. No matter what is holding us down, Jesus is bigger. He is powerful even when we feel helpless. He is even strong when we can’t find any more energy or resources to fight.

This Advent, let’s not resign ourselves to being bound by chains that keep us from living the life God has called us to. Jesus wants to pour out his healing power upon all of us, just as an earthly father delights in giving his children the best Christmas presents possible. So don’t be afraid to run to him for healing and freedom.

“Jesus, I know that you always answer when I call on your name. I know that you came to earth so that we could rise up and walk in freedom. Please come and heal me today, Lord Jesus.”

One Bread, One Body

<< Monday, December 6, 2004 >>

St. Nicholas

Isaiah 35:1-10

Psalm 85

Luke 5:17-26

View Readings

“I’LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS”

“Those whom the Lord has ransomed will return and enter Zion singing.” —Isaiah 35:10

The Lord promised that the desert would bloom with abundant flowers (Is 35:1-2). The Lord was not referring to just any desert but to the desert separating the Israelites exiled in Babylon from their homeland. In other words, the Lord promised to remove obstacles separating us from our eternal, heavenly home with Him.

A huge crowd separated a paralyzed man from Jesus, Who alone could heal him (Lk 5:19). Four of the man’s friends overcame this obstacle by carrying the paralytic up onto the roof and then, after dismantling another obstacle, part of the roof, lowering him to Jesus (Lk 5:19). The man came home to the Lord when he accepted the forgiveness of Jesus (Lk 5:20; see Lk 15:18).

Every human being has a desire to go home, especially for Christmas. Many people have never had much of a home. They have been hurt, abused, used, broken, and manipulated. Between them and their true home, they have a vast desert of sin and pain, crowded with unforgiveness, bitterness, fear, resentment, and depression. We also need to get home to Jesus, but our sins separate us from Him. However, if we turn to Jesus, He will forgive and heal us. By going to Confession, we can change the desert and get home to the Christ of Christmas. He will make the desert bloom and bring us home for Christmas.

Prayer: Father, I am “searching for a better, a heavenly home” (Heb 11:16). Lead me home this Advent.

Promise: “My friend, your sins are forgiven you.” —Lk 5:20

Praise: St. Nicholas, patron of brides, continues to pray for all brides, especially those in troubled marriages.

FEAST OF THE DAY

St. Nicholas was the bishop of Myra and lived during the fourth
century. Many of the historical facts of his life have been lost, but
many stories about his charity and holiness still survive. Nicholas
was a native of the city Patara in Lycia, he devoted his life to God
from an early age and entered the monastery at Myra as soon as he
was allowed. Nicholas' charity and holiness were recognized by all,
and after many years in the monastery, he was elected abbot. The
holiness of Nicholas also became known outside his monastery and
when the see of Myra became empty, he was asked to be bishop,
and he filled this role with the charity and holiness that he had
become known for. Nicholas died in Myra around the year 342 and
his relics were buried in the cathedral there.

One of the popular stories about the charity of St. Nicholas that has
survived to our own time concerns three young women of a poor
family. Because of the family's poverty, no dowries could be provided
for the marriages of the three young women. To keep the family from
having to resort to sinful means to raise money, Nicholas donated a
sum of money to each of the women as a dowry. St. Nicholas is the
patron of Russia, Greece, Sicily, and Loraine, of children and of
sailors. His feast is commemorated both in the East and in the West.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

The greatest honor God can do a soul is not to give it much, but to
ask much of it. -St. Therese of Lisieux

TODAY IN HISTORY

963 Pope Leo VIII is elected
1352 Pope Clement VI (born Pierre Roger) dies
1865 13th Amendment is ratified, abolishing slavery
1950 Pope Pius XII publishes encyclical "Mirabile illud"

INTENTION FOR THE DAY

Please pray for all students as the academic semester comes to a
close, that they remember to save time for prayer in the midst of their
studies.

INTENTION FOR THE DAY

Please pray through the intercession of St. Vincent de Paul, for all
who are poor.

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