From: Zephaniah 3:14-18a
Psalms of Joy in Zion
[14] Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion, shout, O Israel! Rejoice and
exult with all your heart, 0 daughter of Jerusalem! [15[ The LORD has
taken away the judgments against you, he has cast out your enemies.
The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you shall fear evil no
more. [16] 0n that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: “Do not fear, 0
Zion; let not your hands grow weak. [17] The LORD, your God, is in
your midst, warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with
gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with
loud singing [18] as on a day of festival.
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Commentary:
3:14-18a. Now the promise becomes a song of jubilation. The Lord,
the Savior, sees to it that all is joy (v. 14), and there is no room for
fear (v. 16). The Christian, in reading these verses, cannot but be
reminded of the scene of the Annunciation: Mary, too, the humble
Virgin (Lk 1:48), is invited to rejoice (Lk 1:28) and not to fear (Lk
1:20), because the Lord is with her (Lk 1:28). And indeed, with the
Incarnation of the Word, the Lord did come to dwell among his people,
and the salvation that was promised came to pass.
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
From: Romans 12:9-16 (Alternate Reading)
Charity Towards All
[9] Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good;
[10] love one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in
showing honor. [11] Never flag in zeal, be aglow with the Spirit, serve
the Lord. [12] Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be
constant in prayer. [13] Contribute to the needs of the saints,
practise hospitality. [14] Bless those who persecute you; bless and
do not curse them. [15] Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with
those who weep. [16] Live in harmony with one another; do not be
haughty, but associate with the lowly; never be conceited.
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Commentary:
9-21. “After speaking about those gifts which are not common to all,
the Apostle now teaches that charity is common to all” (St Thomas,
“Commentary on Rom, ad loc”.). True charity takes different forms
depending on the needs and capacity of each person; it always involves
seeking good and avoiding evil (v. 9); it has to be exercised with
those who are already Christians (vv. 10-16) and those who are not (vv.
17-21); indeed, the charity shown to the latter is instrumental in
bringing them closer to the faith. However, it is not always possible
to do to others all the good we would wish: we have limited resources,
more pressing duties; there are problems of physical distance, etc.
Only God, who is infinitely perfect and almighty, can do good to
everyone all the time; this does not mean that he always gives everyone
the same gifts: to some he gives more, to others less, according to the
designs of his Wisdom.
Even bearing in mind our own limitations, our love for others should
affect everything we do, everything we think and say. Obviously, one
of the first consequences of charity is never to judge anyone, or speak
badly about anyone, or scandalize them by what we say or do. Moreover,
we should perform positive acts of this virtue; it would be impossible to
give a complete list of the ways of being charitable but they certainly
include, Fray Luis de Granada says, “among other things, these six—
loving, counselling, assisting, suffering, forgiving and edifying. These
are so closely connected to charity that the more one does them the
more charity one has, and the less, less [...]. For, according to this
order a person can check to see what he has and what he does not
have as far as the perfection of that virtue is concerned. For we can
say that he who loves is on the first step; he who loves and counsels,
on the second; he who assists, on the third; he who suffers on the
fourth; he who forgives and suffers, on the fifth; and he who builds on
all this with his words and his good life, as is the task of perfect and
apostolic men, on the highest step of all” (”Guide to Sinners”, I, II,
chap. 16).
12. The love of God makes us joyful, strong and persevering. Therefore
“one accepts tribulation with joy and hope, because one knows that what
is promised in exchange is something much better” (Pseudo-Ambrose,
“Comm. in Epist. ad Rom, ad loc”.)
This setting gives us every opportunity to derive supernatural benefit
from suffering, which is quite a normal part of the Christian life: “A
whole program for a good course in the ‘subject’ of suffering is given
to us by the Apostle: “spe gaudentes”—rejoicing in hope, “in tribulatione
patientes”—patient in troubles, “orationi instantes”— persevering in
prayer” ([St] J. Escriva, “The Way”, 209).
Joy in the midst of difficulties is in fact one of the clearest signs that
love of God is influencing everything we do, for, as St Augustine
comments, “where one loves, either one does not feel the difficulty or
else one loves the very difficulty [...]. The tasks of those who love
are never laborious” (”De Bono Viduitatis”, 21, 26).
13. “For he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot
love God whom he has not seen” (1 Jn 4:20). Similarly, it can be said
that Christians, that is “servants of the Lord”, unless they serve their
brethren whom they see before them, cannot serve God either. Serving
God, in other words, ultimately means alleviating “the needs of the
saints “ and offering hospitality to strangers, after the example of
the patriarchs Abraham and Lot (Gen 18:2-5; 19:2-3; cf. Heb 13:2).
*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
From: Luke 1:39-56
The Visitation
[39] In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill
country, to a city of Judah, [40] and she entered the house of
Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. [41] And when Elizabeth heard the
greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled
with the Holy Spirit [42] and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed
are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! [43] And
why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
[44] For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the
babe in my womb leaped for joy. [45] And blessed is she who believed
that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the
Lord.”
The Magnificat
[46] And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, [47] and my spirit
rejoices in God my Savior, [48] for He has regarded the low estate of
His handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me
blessed; [49] for He who is mighty has done great things for me, and
holy is His name. [50] And His mercy is on those who fear Him from
generation to generation. [51] He has shown strength with His arm, He
has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts, [52] He has
put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low
degree; [53] He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich
He has sent empty away. [54] He has helped His servant Israel, in
remembrance of His mercy, [55] as He spoke to our fathers, to
Abraham and to his posterity for ever.”
[56] And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to
her home.
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Commentary:
39-56. We contemplate this episode of our Lady’s visit to her cousin
St. Elizabeth in the Second Joyful Mystery of the Rosary: “Joyfully
keep Joseph and Mary company...and you will hear the traditions of the
House of David.... We walk in haste towards the mountains, to a town
of the tribe of Judah (Luke 1:39).
“We arrive. It is the house where John the Baptist is to be born.
Elizabeth gratefully hails the Mother of her Redeemer: Blessed are you
among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be
honored with a visit from the mother of my Lord? (Luke 1:42-43).
“The unborn Baptist quivers...(Luke 1:41). Mary’s humility pours forth
in the “Magnificat”.... And you and I, who are proud—who were proud —
promise to be humble” ([St] J. Escriva, “Holy Rosary”).
39. On learning from the angel that her cousin St. Elizabeth is soon to
give birth and is in need of support, our Lady in her charity hastens to
her aid. She has no regard for the difficulties this involves. Although we
do not know where exactly Elizabeth was living (it is now thought to be
Ain Karim), it certainly meant a journey into the hill country which at
that time would have taken four days.
From Mary’s visit to Elizabeth Christians should learn to be caring
people. “If we have this filial contact with Mary, we won’t be able to
think just about ourselves and our problems. Selfish personal problems
will find no place in our mind” ([St] J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing
By,” 145).
42. St. Bede comments that Elizabeth blesses Mary using the same
words as the archangel “to show that she should be honored by angels
and by men and why she should indeed be revered above all other women”
(”In Lucae Evangelium Expositio, in loc.”).
When we say the “Hail Mary” we repeat these divine greetings,
“rejoicing with Mary at her dignity as Mother of God and praising the
Lord, thanking Him for having given us Jesus Christ through Mary” (”St.
Pius X Catechism”, 333).
43. Elizabeth is moved by the Holy Spirit to call Mary “the mother of my
Lord”, thereby showing that Mary is the Mother of God.
44. Although he was conceived in sin—original sin—like other men, St.
John the Baptist was born sinless because he was sanctified in his
mother’s womb by the presence of Jesus Christ (then in Mary’s womb) and
of the Blessed Virgin. On receiving this grace of God St. John rejoices by
leaping with joy in his mother’s womb—thereby fulfilling the archangel’s
prophecy (cf. Luke 1:15).
St. John Chrysostom comments on this scene of the Gospel: “See how
new and how wonderful this mystery is. He has not yet left the womb but
he speaks by leaping; he is not yet allowed to cry out but he makes
himself heard by his actions [...]; he has not yet seen the light but he
points out the Sun; he has not yet been born and he is keen to act as
Precursor. The Lord is present, so he cannot contain himself or wait for
nature to run its course: he wants to break out of the prison of his mother’s
womb and he makes sure he witnesses to the fact that the Savior is about
to come” (”Sermo Apud Metaphr., Mense Julio”).
45. Joining the chorus of all future generations, Elizabeth, moved by the
Holy Spirit, declares the Lord’s Mother to be blessed and praises her faith.
No one ever had faith to compare with Mary’s; she is the model of the
attitude a creature should have towards its Creator—complete submission,
total attachment. Through her faith, Mary is the instrument chosen by
God to bring about the Redemption; as Mediatrix of all graces, she is
associated with the redemptive work of her Son: “This union of the Mother
with the Son in the work of salvation is made manifest from the time of
Christ’s virginal conception up to His death; first when Mary, arising in
haste to go to visit Elizabeth, is greeted by her as blessed because of
her belief in the promise of salvation and the Precursor leaps with joy in
the womb of his mother [...]. The Blessed Virgin advanced in her
pilgrimage of faith and faithfully persevered in her union with her Son
unto the cross, where she stood (cf. John 19:25), in keeping with the
Divine Plan, enduring with her only-begotten Son the intensity of His
suffering, associating herself with His sacrifice in her mother’s heart,
and lovingly consenting to the immolation of this Victim which was born
of her” (Vatican II, “Lumen Gentium”, 57f).
The new Latin text gives a literal rendering of the original Greek when
it says “quae credidit” (RSV “she who has believed”) as opposed to the
Vulgate “quae credidisti” (”you who have believed”) which gave more of
the sense than a literal rendering.
46-55. Mary’s “Magnificat” canticle is a poem of singular beauty. It
evokes certain passages of the Old Testament with which she would
have been very familiar (especially 1 Samuel 2:1-10).
Three stanzas may be distinguished in the canticle: in the first
(verses 46-50) Mary glorifies God for making her the Mother of the
Savior, which is why future generations will call her blessed; she
shows that the Incarnation is a mysterious _expression of God’s power
and holiness and mercy. In the second (verses 51-53) she teaches us
that the Lord has always had a preference for the humble, resisting the
proud and boastful. In the third (verses 54-55) she proclaims that
God, in keeping with His promise, has always taken care of His chosen
people—and now does them the greatest honor of all by becoming a Jew
(cf. Romans 1:3).
“Our prayer can accompany and imitate this prayer of Mary. Like her,
we feel the desire to sing, to acclaim the wonders of God, so that all
mankind and all creation may share our joy” ([St] J. Escriva, “Christ Is
Passing By”, 144).
46-47. “The first fruits of the Holy Spirit are peace and joy. And the
Blessed Virgin had received within herself all the grace of the Holy
Spirit” (St. Basil, “In Psalmos Homilae”, on Psalm 32). Mary’s soul
overflows in the words of the “Magnificat”. God’s favors cause every
humble soul to feel joy and gratitude. In the case of the Blessed Virgin,
God has bestowed more on her than on any other creature. “Virgin
Mother of God, He whom the heavens cannot contain, on becoming
man, enclosed Himself within your womb” (”Roman Missal”, Antiphon
of the Common of the Mass for Feasts of Our Lady). The humble Virgin
of Nazareth is going to be the Mother of God; the Creator’s omnipotence
has never before manifested itself in as complete a way as this.
48-49. Mary’s _expression of humility causes St. Bede to exclaim: “It
was fitting, then, that just as death entered the world through the pride
of our first parents, the entry of Life should be manifested by the humility
of Mary” (”In Lucae Evangelium Expositio, in loc.”).
“How great the value of humility!—”Quia respexit humilitatem.... It is not
of her faith, nor of her charity, nor of her immaculate purity that our
Mother speaks in the house of Zachary. Her joyful hymn sings: `Since
He has looked on my humility, all generations will call me blessed’”
([St] J. Escriva, “The Way”, 598).
God rewards our Lady’s humility by mankind’s recognition of her
greatness: “All generations will call me blessed.” This prophecy is
fulfilled every time someone says the Hail Mary, and indeed she is
praised on earth continually, without interruption. “From the earliest
times the Blessed Virgin is honored under the title of Mother of God,
under whose protection the faithful take refuge together in prayer in
all their perils and needs. Accordingly, following the Council of
Ephesus, there was a remarkable growth in the cult of the people of
God towards Mary, in veneration and love, in invocation and imitation,
according to her own prophetic words: `all generations will call me
blessed, for He who is mighty has done great things for me’” (Vatican
II, “Lumen Gentium”, 66).
50. “And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to
generation”: “At the very moment of the Incarnation, these words open
up a new perspective of salvation history. After the Resurrection of
Christ, this perspective is new on both the historical and the
eschatological level. From that time onwards there is a succession
of new generations of individuals in the immense human family, in
ever-increasing dimensions; there is also a succession of new
generations of the people of God, marked with the sign of the Cross
and of the Resurrection and `sealed’ with the sign of the paschal mystery
of Christ, the absolute revelation of the mercy that Mary proclaimed on
the threshold of her kinswoman’s house: “His mercy is [...] from
generation to generation’ [...].
“Mary, then, is the one who has the “deepest knowledge of the mystery
of God’s mercy”. She knows its price, she knows how great it is. In
this sense, we call her the “Mother of Mercy”: Our Lady of Mercy, or
Mother of Divine Mercy; in each one of these titles there is a deep
theological meaning, for they express the special preparation of her
soul, of her whole personality, so that she was able to perceive,
through the complex events, first of Israel, then of every individual
and of the whole of humanity, that mercy of which `from generation to
generation’ people become sharers according to the eternal design of
the Most Holy Trinity” (John Paul II, “Dives In Misericordia”, 9).
51. “The proud”: those who want to be regarded as superior to others,
whom they look down on. This also refers to those who, in their
arrogance, seek to organize society without reference to, or in
opposition to, God’s law. Even if they seem to do so successfully,
the words of our Lady’s canticle will ultimately come true, for God will
scatter them as He did those who tried to build the Tower of Babel,
thinking that they could reach as high as Heaven (cf. Genesis 11:4).
“When pride takes hold of a soul, it is no surprise to find it bringing
along with it a whole string of other vices—greed, self-indulgence, envy,
injustice. The proud man is always vainly striving to dethrone God,
who is merciful to all His creatures, so as to make room for himself
and his ever cruel ways.
“We should beg God not to let us fall into this temptation. Pride is
the worst sin of all, and the most ridiculous.... Pride is unpleasant,
even from a human point of view. The person who rates himself better
than everyone and everything is constantly studying himself and looking
down on other people, who in turn react by ridiculing his foolish
vanity” ([St] J. Escriva, “Friends of God”, 100).
53. This form of divine providence has been experienced countless times
over the course of history. For example, God nourished the people of
Israel with manna during their forty years in the wilderness (Exodus
16:4-35); similarly His angel brought food to Elijah (1 Kings 19:5-8),
and to Daniel in the lions’ den (Daniel 14:31-40); and the widow of
Sarepta was given a supply of oil which miraculously never ran out (1
Kings 17:8ff). So, too, the Blessed Virgin’s yearning for holiness was
fulfilled by the incarnation of the Word.
God nourished the chosen people with His Law and the preaching of
His prophets, but the rest of mankind was left hungry for His word, a
hunger now satisfied by the Incarnation. This gift of God will be
accepted by the humble; the self-sufficient, having no desire for the
good things of God, will not partake of them (cf. St. Basil, “In Psalmos
Homilae”, on Psalm 33).
54. God led the people of Israel as He would a child whom He loved
tenderly: “the Lord your God bore you, as a man bears his son, in all
the way that you went” (Deuteronomy 1:31). He did so many times, using
Moses, Joshua, Samuel, David, etc., and now He gives them a definitive
leader by sending the Messiah—moved by His great mercy which takes
pity on the wretchedness of Israel and of all mankind.
55. God promised the patriarchs of old that He would have mercy on
mankind. This promise He made to Adam (Genesis 3:15), Abraham
(Genesis 22:18), David (2 Samuel 7:12), etc. From all eternity God had
planned and decreed that the Word should become incarnate for the
salvation of all mankind. As Christ Himself put it, “God so loved the
world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should
not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
Salvation, you are kind to everybody. Wow I am not a Romney fan , but when I say anything nice about him in the forum the born againers come at me heavy that I am a cult etc. No wonder the left gets ahead they stick together to destroy religion and respect for it in America. Christians should do what Christ said just love one another.
