Catholic Caucus: Sunday Mass Readings, 12-23-12, Fourth Sunday of Advent

USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 12-23-12 | Revised New American Bible

[Salvation]

December 23, 2012

Fourth Sunday of Advent

 

Reading 1 Mi 5:1-4a

Thus says the LORD:
You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah
too small to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel;
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient times.
Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time
when she who is to give birth has borne,
and the rest of his kindred shall return
to the children of Israel.
He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock
by the strength of the LORD,
in the majestic name of the LORD, his God;
and they shall remain, for now his greatness
shall reach to the ends of the earth;
he shall be peace.

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.
O shepherd of Israel, hearken,
from your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth.
Rouse your power,
and come to save us.
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.
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.

Reading 2 Heb 10:5-10

Brothers and sisters:
When Christ came into the world, he said:
"Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
in holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight.
Then I said, 'As is written of me in the scroll,
behold, I come to do your will, O God.'"

First he says, "Sacrifices and offerings,
holocausts and sin offerings,
you neither desired nor delighted in."
These are offered according to the law.
Then he says, "Behold, I come to do your will."
He takes away the first to establish the second.
By this "will," we have been consecrated
through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Gospel Lk 1:39-45

Mary set out
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
"Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled."

[Salvation]

Archdiocese of Washington

A Summary of our Salvation – A Meditation on the Readings from the 4th Sunday of Advent

By: Msgr. Charles Pope

Here on the 4th Sunday of Advent, we are but a day away, practically speaking, from the unfolding of the great mystery of the Word made flesh. It is possible for us to look right past this 4th Sunday of Advent, but we do well to pause and ponder what is taught to us today about the salvation that is to unfold. One significant way we can do this is by pondering the first reading today from the prophet Micah. In four short verses we behold a kind of summary of our salvation, a snapshot of what ails us and how God heals us. Let’s look and see what the Lord, and the Church have to teach us.

I. Our Humility–The text begins: And you, Bethlehem-Ephrathah, too small to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel.

Of all the towns and villages in the land of Judah, one of the lowliest was Bethlehem. Though not far from the great city of Jerusalem, a matter of a few miles, the town was little more than a rundown frontier village, with little to recommend itself. It was a place by which one passed quickly, on their way to nearby Jerusalem.

Even today, after all that happened there, Bethlehem remains a troubled, and rundown little city, impoverished and crowded. It’s steep, hilly streets feature little that is pleasant on the eyes. There is a great sorrow that hangs over the city. It is hemmed in by walls, covered with razor wire, and guard towers. These are signs of a great standoff between Israel and the Palestinians. Largely isolated economically, the city shows forth great poverty and unemployment.

The ancient Church of the Nativity at the top of the hill looks every bit of its 1500 years in age. It is dingy covered in smoky soot, and largely in poor repair, due to a standoff among the Orthodox factions which oversee the building in different corners of the church. The tensions are palpable as one enters the church, and nervous tour guides engage in delicate negotiations, to ensure a quick visit to the cave of the Nativity beneath the altar.

Yes, Bethlehem remains lowly, troubled, and very humble. And yet it is here that our Savior chooses to be born, among the humble, among the troubled. He does not choose nearby Jerusalem, or the distant city of Rome, or any great and Imperial city. Not in a palace he is born, but in a cave. And even in this humble and lowly city, one has to get mighty low to find the place where Christ was born. One descends down steep and narrow steps into a cave. And even in this cave, one must stoop lower still, even kneel on the floor, to touch the place where Christ was born.

A lowly place, in a lowly village. Here is where Christ is born. See how the Lord is esteems humility. God hates pride, he just can’t stand it. Pride is our greatest enemy, it is at the root of every sin we commit. And thus it is the Lord teaches us that humility is one of our greatest gifts.

The story also reminds us of something that took place in Bethlehem 1000 years before. The prophet Samuel was sent to anoint a new King to replace Saul. Having been sent to lowly Bethlehem, Samuel surveys the sons of Jesse. Samuel is impressed by the strong young men he sees before him, but none of these seven were the king he was sent to anoint. There was other one son, so young and insignificant, that Jesse had not even thought to include him. It was little David, out in the field tending the sheep. Yes, the lowliest one, he’s the one whom God chose. Humility won the day. (cf 1 Sam 16)

And so it is, that Bethlehem shows forth the humility, the lowliness that alone opens the door to God. Bethlehem, a name which means “house of bread,” not house of caviar, not house a fine wine, rather, the house of ordinary bread. Humility ushers in our God.

II. Our Hardship–The text goes on to speak of our condition, prior to the coming of Jesus: Therefore, the Lord will give them up, until the time when she will is to give birth has borne.

For indeed, our condition without Christ is grave. We are given up, given over to sin and to our own fruitless and self-destructive tendencies. And thus we learn of the gravity of our condition, that we cannot save ourselves. The prophet Isaiah had cried out,  Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you! …All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf and like the wind our sins sweep us away. No one calls on your name or strives to lay hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us and made us waste away because of our sins. (Is 64:1,6-7)

Yes, our condition apart from Christ is hard and quite hopeless. In the age of the Law and the prophets,  we learned the hard way that, strive though we might, we cannot save ourselves. Our wounds too deep, our pride too tall, our hearts too dull, in our minds too dark. We are lost without God. How often have deluded men sought to create utopia only to discover ruins. We have only to consider the utopian notions of the last bloody century.

Yes, the age of the Law and the Prophets in the Old Testament, shouts to us that we cannot save ourselves. We must rely on God we must turn to him. We don’t just need an Angel, we need a savior. And until she who was to give birth has borne the son, the only way to describe the human family is just the way this text form Micah does, we had been given up, that is, given over to our own sins so as to discover humility and our need for a Savior.

Isaiah wrote, All we like sheep have gone astray, every one to his own way (Is 53:6) St. Paul would later write of the time before Christ,  we were dead in our sins (Eph 2:1), given over to our transgressions and iniquity.

So here is our hardship, wandering, lost and in need of a Savior.

III. Our Head – the text goes on to speak of our Savior, our shepherd, our ruler and head. Speaking of him:  Whose origin is from of old, from ancient times. He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock by the strength of the Lord,  in the majestic name of the Lord, his God.

And thus we see that our Savior will be both God and man. He is God, for his origin is from of old, from ancient times (cf also Hebrews 7:3). He also saves us by the strength of the Lord. And yet, he is also one of us, for the text speaks of him as acting in the name of the Lord, his God.

He must be God, to have the power to save us, and yet he must also be one of us, in order to speak and act on our behalf. As God, he cannot obey God, for there is only one divine will. But as man, having a human will, he is able to obey the Father. Thus it makes sense that our Savior must be God, and man.

It is said that he will shepherd his flock. Shepherds feed, lead and protect their flocks. And all this, the Lord does for us. It is a trait of sheep to be wayward animals, sheep tend to stray. They need the watchful care of a shepherd. And thus, even after saving us from our sins, the Lord must continue to feed us, lead us, and protect us. Lest having been snatched from the wolf, we run into a bear, or having been saved from the edge of a cliff, we wander into a thicket.

Thus, Christ our shepherd and head must go before us, showing us and opening the way. He must walk behind us, to guard us and observe our every action. And he was walk beside us to keep our paths straight. We need a Savior, not just on Good Friday, we need him every hour, every day.

IV. Our Healing – The text goes on to say and the rest of his kindred shall return to the children of Israel and they shall remain, for now his greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth; he shall be peace.

And thus we see that the essential task of Jesus in healing us, is not simply a personal healing for me alone, or you alone. But it is also healing that removes the division’s within and among us. One of the chief sources of our suffering in this world are our divisions. Nation is divided against nation, races and ethnic groups in competition, conflict and crushing hatred.

At the time of Jesus, Jews and Gentiles, (largely Romans and Greeks) were in major conflict. The Jews of Jesus time were taught to love their neighbor and fellow Jews, but hate their enemy. Jesus taught that we must love and forgive our enemies, and he began the process of establishing a universal, a Catholic Church. He gave the apostles standing orders to preach the gospel to every nation, and to unite everyone under the common title of disciple, of Christian. The dignity of baptism and of being a child of God was to be offered to all and, as this text of Micah prophesies, the Lord’s salvation and greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth.

The text goes on to say, He shall be our peace. Not that this shall be a slogan-like peace as in “can we all just get along” but that “He” shall be our peace. That is to say the Lord Jesus Christ, and the truth he proclaims are to be the source of our unity. In sending the apostles forth to proclaim the gospel to every nation Jesus says that they should teach them to observe everything he has commanded, and draw them into the life of the church through baptism (cf Matt 28:19). He is our peace, Jesus and his teachings are what are meant to unite us. Every other form of peace is not a true peace or lasting peace.

Thus Jesus initiated a process that was not meant to politically conquer the world, but rather, he initiated a process whereby his truth and his grace would be proclaimed, and that men and women accepting these gifts, would be able to come to greater and more lasting peace.

This peace must begin in the heart and mind of every individual believer, who by the grace of Jesus Christ, experiences and inner healing of the many conflicts and destructive drives caused by sin. Then, by drawing others to that same healing through evangelization to a  life-changing transformative relationship with Jesus Christ, that peace is meant to spread throughout the world, putting an end to divisions, bringing together the children of God, and showing forth God’s greatness and truth, his salvation and peace, to the ends of the earth.

He is our peace, Jesus is our healing.

Here, just prior to the in-breaking of the Christmas reality, we are thus given a summary of iur salvation. It is a summary that extols our need for humility, describes our hardship, announces our Head a Shepherd, and sets for the basis for our healing. In a Word, the Word made flesh: Jesus.

This song says,

We need to hear from you
We need a word from you
If we don’t hear from you
What will we do
Wanting you more each day
Show us your perfect way
There is no other way
That we can live.

Destruction is now is now in view
Seems the world has forgotten all about you
Children are crying and people are dying
They’re lost without you, so lost without you
But you said if we seek
Lord if we seek your face
And turn from our wicked, our wicked ways
You promised to heal our land
Father you can

[Salvation]

Sunday Gospel Reflections

4th Sunday of Advent
Reading I: Mic 5:1-4 II: Heb 10:5-10

---

Gospel
Luke 1:39-45

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 Zechari'ah 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 fulfilment of what was spoken to her from the Lord."

---

Interesting Details

• This passage is the story of visitation, which is preceded by two annunciations: the annunciation to Zechariah of the birth of John the Baptist by the aged Elizabeth and the annunciation of the birth of Jesus to Mary a virgin mother.
• (v.39) The trip from Galilee where Mary lived to a village in Judea where her relative Elizabeth lived would take four days of traveling. If a fourteen-year-old Jewish virgin girl like Mary made that trip alone in the male dominated society, she would be subject to charges of shameful intentions and misconduct.
• Luke possibly did not intent to present Mary as a model of charity because in v.56 Mary departed from Elizabeth at the moment of her greatest need, the childbirth.
• Luke's intent is literary and theological, he brings together two mothers-to-be to show how both recognize and praise the God who is active in their lives.
• (v.41) The "leaping" of John in Elizabeth's womb alludes to the leaping of Esau and Jacob in Rebekah's womb (Gen 25:22), which foretold their later destinies.
• (v.43) Even before his birth, Jesus is first identified as "Lord," which is properly used as a resurrection title.

---

One Main Point

Mary is the first Christian in the New Testament because she believed in the promises that God made to her, she has total trust in God. Like Mary, blessed are those who believe in God's promises.

---

Reflections

• Recall a moment of joy and happiness when God is part of your life. Compare this moment to the joy and pride of a mother-to-be when she experiences baby kicks in her womb. Can you feel the exultation of Mary and Elizabeth?
• Slowly recite the "Hail Mary" word by word, and imagine that you were Elizabeth and you are greeting young Mary. What do you see in her face, in her gesture? What will you say?
• Many people in this world are lonely; they need someone to talk to. Do you ever visit those in hospital, in nursing home or in prison? If you do visit a friend or a relative, what is your intention?

[Salvation]

Sunday, December 23, 2012
Fourth Sunday of Advent

First Reading: Psalm: Second Reading: Gospel:

Micah 5:1-4 Psalm 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19 Hebrews 10:5-10 Luke 1:39-45 Necessity urges us to pray for ourselves. Fraternal Charity obliges us to pray for others. God finds the prayer motivated by charity to be more meritorious than the prayer motivated by necessity. -- St. John Chrysostom

[Salvation]

Just A Minute (Listen) Some of EWTN's most popular hosts and guests in a collection of one minute inspirational messages. A different message each time you click.

[Salvation]

The Angelus 

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary: 
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit. 

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. 

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word. 

Hail Mary . . . 

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us. 

Hail Mary . . . 

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. 

Let us pray: 

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen. 

[Salvation]

Saint John of Kanty, Priest

Saint John of Kanty, Priest
Optional Memorial
December 23rd

unknown artist

 

(1390-1473) Also known as St. John Cantius, he was born at Kanty in Cracow, Poland. For most of his life he taught Scripture at the University of Cracow. He is noted for his piety, and especially for the humble and unassuming spirit of charity which pervaded his professional life.

 

Source: Daily Roman Missal, Edited by Rev. James Socías, Midwest Theological Forum, Chicago, Illinois ©2003

 

Collect:
Grant, we pray, almighty God,
that by the example of the Priest Saint John of Kanty
we may advance in the knowledge of holy things
and, by showing compassion to all,
may gain forgiveness in your sight.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. +Amen

First Reading: James 2:14-17
What does it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith but has not works? Can his faith save him? If a brother or sister is ill-clad and in lack of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what does it profit? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.

Gospel Reading: Luke 6:27-38
"But I say to you that hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from him who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to every one who begs from you; and of him who takes away your goods do not ask them again. And as you wish that men would do to you, do so to them.

"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He is kind to the ungrateful and the selfish. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

"Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back."

[Salvation]

A Saint's Day is superseded by the Sunday Liturgy.

St. John of Kanty [St. John of Cantius], Patron of Teachers, Students, Priests, Pilgrims
Saint John of Kenty

[Salvation]

Information: St. John of Kanty

Feast Day:	December 23
Born:	23 June 1390, Kęty, Oświęcim, Poland
Died:	24 December 1473, Kraków Academy
Canonized:	1767 by Pope Clement XIII

[Salvation]

Interactive Saints for Kids

St. John of Kanty

 
Feast Day: December 23
Born:1390 :: Died:1473

John was born at Kanty in Poland and was the son of good country folk. Seeing how intelligent their son was, they sent him to the University of Krakow. He was a brilliant student who became a priest, a teacher, and a preacher.

He was also well-known for his great love of the poor. Once he was eating in the university dining hall. At the beginning of the meal, he happened to see a beggar passing by the window. Immediately, he jumped up and gave the man his dinner.

Some people became very jealous of St. John's success as a teacher and preacher. His enemies finally told lies about him and managed to have him sent to a parish as a pastor. Here, he put his whole heart into the new life.

At first, however, things did not go well at all. The people did not like St. John much, because John was terribly afraid of the responsibility, although he tried to do his best.

But he did not give up, and he finally won the hearts of his parishioners. He was a serious man, and humble but all the poor knew him well because of his kindness. By the time he was called back to the university, the people of his parish loved him dearly. They went part of the way with him.

In fact, they were so sad to see him go that he had to tell them: "This sadness does not please God. If I have done any good for you in all these years, sing a song of joy."

Back in Krakow, St. John taught Bible classes and again became a very popular teacher. He was invited to the homes of rich nobles. Still, however, he gave everything he had to the poor and dressed very poorly himself.

Once he wore an old black habit, called a cassock, to a banquet. The servants refused to let him in. St. John went home and changed into a new one. During the dinner, someone spilled a dish of food on the new cassock. "Never mind," said the saint with good humor, "my cassock deserves some food, anyway, because without it, I wouldn't have been here at all."

St. John lived to be eighty-three. Again and again during all those years he cleaned out everything he owned to help the poor. He slept little and that too on the floor. He did not eat any meat and ate only just enough to live.

When people burst into tears on hearing that he was dying, he said, "Don't worry about this prison which is decaying. Think of the soul that is going to leave it." He died in 1473.

[annalex]

Luke
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Luke 1
39.	And Mary rising up in those days, went into the hill country with haste into a city of Juda.	Exsurgens autem Maria in diebus illis, abiit in montana cum festinatione, in civitatem Juda :	αναστασα δε μαριαμ εν ταις ημεραις ταυταις επορευθη εις την ορεινην μετα σπουδης εις πολιν ιουδα
40.	And she entered into the house of Zachary, and saluted Elizabeth.	et intravit in domum Zachariæ, et salutavit Elisabeth.	και εισηλθεν εις τον οικον ζαχαριου και ησπασατο την ελισαβετ
41.	And it came to pass, that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the infant leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:	Et factum est, ut audivit salutationem Mariæ Elisabeth, exsultavit infans in utero ejus : et repleta est Spiritu Sancto Elisabeth :	και εγενετο ως ηκουσεν η ελισαβετ τον ασπασμον της μαριας εσκιρτησεν το βρεφος εν τη κοιλια αυτης και επλησθη πνευματος αγιου η ελισαβετ
42.	And she cried out with a loud voice, and said: Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.	et exclamavit voce magna, et dixit : Benedicta tu inter mulieres, et benedictus fructus ventris tui.	και ανεφωνησεν φωνη μεγαλη και ειπεν ευλογημενη συ εν γυναιξιν και ευλογημενος ο καρπος της κοιλιας σου
43.	And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?	Et unde hoc mihi, ut veniat mater Domini mei ad me ?	και ποθεν μοι τουτο ινα ελθη η μητηρ του κυριου μου προς με
44.	For behold as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy.	Ecce enim ut facta est vox salutationis tuæ in auribus meis, exsultavit in gaudio infans in utero meo.	ιδου γαρ ως εγενετο η φωνη του ασπασμου σου εις τα ωτα μου εσκιρτησεν το βρεφος εν αγαλλιασει εν τη κοιλια μου
45.	And blessed art thou that hast believed, because those things shall be accomplished that were spoken to thee by the Lord.	Et beata, quæ credidisti, quoniam perficientur ea, quæ dicta sunt tibi a Domino.	και μακαρια η πιστευσασα οτι εσται τελειωσις τοις λελαλημενοις αυτη παρα κυριου

[annalex]

Luke
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Luke 1
39.	And Mary rising up in those days, went into the hill country with haste into a city of Juda.	Exsurgens autem Maria in diebus illis, abiit in montana cum festinatione, in civitatem Juda :	αναστασα δε μαριαμ εν ταις ημεραις ταυταις επορευθη εις την ορεινην μετα σπουδης εις πολιν ιουδα
40.	And she entered into the house of Zachary, and saluted Elizabeth.	et intravit in domum Zachariæ, et salutavit Elisabeth.	και εισηλθεν εις τον οικον ζαχαριου και ησπασατο την ελισαβετ
41.	And it came to pass, that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the infant leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:	Et factum est, ut audivit salutationem Mariæ Elisabeth, exsultavit infans in utero ejus : et repleta est Spiritu Sancto Elisabeth :	και εγενετο ως ηκουσεν η ελισαβετ τον ασπασμον της μαριας εσκιρτησεν το βρεφος εν τη κοιλια αυτης και επλησθη πνευματος αγιου η ελισαβετ
42.	And she cried out with a loud voice, and said: Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.	et exclamavit voce magna, et dixit : Benedicta tu inter mulieres, et benedictus fructus ventris tui.	και ανεφωνησεν φωνη μεγαλη και ειπεν ευλογημενη συ εν γυναιξιν και ευλογημενος ο καρπος της κοιλιας σου
43.	And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?	Et unde hoc mihi, ut veniat mater Domini mei ad me ?	και ποθεν μοι τουτο ινα ελθη η μητηρ του κυριου μου προς με
44.	For behold as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy.	Ecce enim ut facta est vox salutationis tuæ in auribus meis, exsultavit in gaudio infans in utero meo.	ιδου γαρ ως εγενετο η φωνη του ασπασμου σου εις τα ωτα μου εσκιρτησεν το βρεφος εν αγαλλιασει εν τη κοιλια μου
45.	And blessed art thou that hast believed, because those things shall be accomplished that were spoken to thee by the Lord.	Et beata, quæ credidisti, quoniam perficientur ea, quæ dicta sunt tibi a Domino.	και μακαρια η πιστευσασα οτι εσται τελειωσις τοις λελαλημενοις αυτη παρα κυριου

[annalex]

39. And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;
40. And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.
41. And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
42. And she spoke out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
43. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44. For, lo, as soon as the voice of your salutation sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
45. And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.

AMBROSE; The Angel, when he announced the hidden mysteries to the Virgin, that he might build up her faith by an example, related to her the conception of a barren woman. When Mary heard it, it was not that she disbelieved the oracle, or was uncertain about the messenger, or doubtful of the example, but rejoicing in the fulfillment of her wish, and conscientious in the observance of her duty, she gladly went forth into the hill country. For what could Mary now, filled with God, but ascend into the higher parts with haste!

ORIGEN; For Jesus who was in her womb hastened to sanctify John, still in the womb of his mother. Whence it follows, with haste.

AMBROSE; The grace of the Holy Spirit knows not of slow workings. Learn, you virgins, not to loiter in the streets, nor mix in public talk.

THEOPHYL. She went into the mountains, because Zacharias dwelt there. As it follows, To a city of Juda, and entered into the house of Zacharias. Learn, O holy women, the attention which you ought to show for your kinswomen with child. For Mary, who before dwelt alone in the secret of her chamber, neither virgin modesty caused to shrink from the public gaze, nor the rugged mountains from pursuing her purpose, nor the tediousness of the journey from performing her duty. Learn also, O virgins, the lowliness of Mary.

She came a kinswoman to her next of kin, the younger to the elder, nor did she merely come to her, but was the first to give her salutations; as it follows, And she saluted, Elisabeth. For the more chaste a virgin is, the more humble she should be, and ready to give way to her elders. Let her then be the mistress of humility, in whom is the profession of chastity. Mary is also a cause of piety, in that the higher went to the lower, that the lower might be assisted, Mary to Elisabeth, Christ to John.

CHRYS. Or else the Virgin kept to herself all those things which have been said, not revealing them to any one, for she did not believe that any credit would be given to her wonderful story; nay, she rather thought she would suffer reproach if she told it, as if wishing to screen her own guilt.

GREEK EX. But to Elisabeth alone she has recourse, as she was wont to do from their relationship, and other close bonds of union.

AMBROSE; But soon the blessed fruits of Mary's coming and our Lord's presence are made evident. For it follows, And it came to pass, that when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb. Mark the distinction and propriety of each word. Elisabeth first heard the word, but John first experienced the grace. She heard by the order of nature, he leaped by reason of the mystery. She perceived the coming of Mary, he the coming of the Lord.

GREEK EX. For the Prophet sees and hears more acutely than his mother, and salutes the chief of Prophets; but as he could not do this in words, he leaps in the womb, which was the greatest token of his joy. Who ever heard of leaping at a time previous to birth? Grace introduced things to which nature was a stranger. Shut up in the womb, the soldier acknowledged his Lord and King soon to be born, the womb's covering being no obstacle to the mystical sight.

ORIGEN; He was not filled with the Spirit, until she stood near him who bore Christ in her womb. Then indeed he was both filled with the Spirit, and leaping imparted the grace to his mother; as it follows, And Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. But we cannot doubt that she who w as then filled with the Holy Spirit, was filled because of her son.

AMBROSE; She who had hid herself because she conceived a son, began to glory that she carried in her womb a prophet, and she who had before blushed, now gives her blessing; as it follows, And she spoke out with a loud voice, Blessed are you among women. With a loud voice she exclaimed when she perceived the Lord's coming, for she believed it to be a holy birth. But she says, Blessed are you among women. For none was ever partaker of such grace or could be, since of the one Divine seed, there is one only parent.

THEOPHYL; Mary is blessed by Elisabeth with the same words as before by Gabriel, to show that she was to be reverenced both by men and angels.

THEOPHYL. But because there have been other holy women who yet have borne sons stained with sin, she adds, And blessed is the fruit of your womb. Or another interpretation is, having said, Blessed are you among women, she then, as if some one inquired the cause, answers, And blessed is the fruit of your womb: as it is said, Blessed be he that comes in the name of the Lord. The Lord God, and he has shown us light; for the Holy Scriptures often use and, instead of because.

TIT. BOS. Now she rightly calls the Lord the fruit of the virgin's womb, because He proceeded not from man, but from Mary alone. For they who are sown by their fathers are the fruits of their fathers.

GREEK EX. This fruit alone then is blessed, because it is; produced without man, and without sin.

THEOPHYL; This is the fruit which is promised to David, Of the fruit of your body will I set upon your throne. From this place we derive the refutation of Eutyches, in that Christ is stated to be the fruit of the womb. For all fruit is of the same nature with the tree that bears it. It remains then that the virgin was also of the same nature with the second Adam, who takes away the sins of the world. But let those also who invent curious fictions concerning the flesh of Christ, blush when they hear of the real child-bearing of the mother of God. For the fruit itself proceeds from the very substance of the tree. Where too are those who say that Christ passed through the virgin as water through an aqueduct? Let these consider the words of Elisabeth who was filled with the Spirit, that Christ was the fruit of the womb. It follows, And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

AMBROSE; She says it not ignorantly, for she knew it was by the grace and operation of the Holy Spirit that the mother of the prophet should be saluted by the mother of his Lord, to the advancement and growth of her own pledge; but being aware that this was of no human deserving, but a gift of Divine grace, she therefore says, Whence is this to me, that is, By what right of mine, by what that I have done, for what good deeds?

ORIGEN; Now in saying this, she coincides with her son. For John also felt that he was unworthy of our Lord's coming to him. But she gives the name of "the mother of our Lord" to one still a virgin, thus forestalling the event by the words of prophecy. Divine foreknowledge brought Mary to Elisabeth, that the testimony of John might reach the Lord. For from that time Christ ordained John to be a prophet. Hence it follows, For, lo, as soon as the voice of your salutation sounded, &c.

AUG. But in order to say this, as the Evangelist has premised, she was filled with the Holy Spirit, by whose revelation undoubtedly she knew what that leaping of the child meant; namely, that the mother of Him had come to her, whose forerunner and herald that child was to be. Such then might be the meaning of so great an event; to be known indeed by grown up persons, but not understood by a little child; for she said not, "The babe leaped in faith in my womb," but leaped for joy. Now we see not only children leaping for joy, but even the cattle; not surely from any faith or religious feeling, or any rational knowledge. But this joy was strange and unwonted, for it was in the womb; and at the coming of her who was to bring forth the Savior of the world. This joy, therefore, and as it were reciprocal salutation to the mother of the Lord, was caused (as miracles are) by Divine influences in the child, not in any human way by him. For even supposing the exercise of reason and the will had been so far advanced in that child, as that he should be able in the bowels of his mother to know, believe, and assent; yet surely that must be placed among the miracles of Divine power, not referred to human examples.

THEOPHYL. The mother of our Lord had come to see Elisabeth, as also the miraculous conception, from which the Angel had told her should result the belief of a far greater conception, to happen to herself; and to this belief the words of Elisabeth refer, And blessed are you who have believed, for there shall be a performance of those things which were told you from the Lord.

AMBROSE; You see that Mary doubted not but believed, and therefore the fruit of faith followed.

THEOPHYL; Nor is it to be wondered at, that our Lord, about to redeem the world, commenced His mighty works with His mother, that she, through whom the salvation of all men was prepared, should herself be the first to reap the fruit of salvation from her pledge.

AMBROSE; But happy are you also who have heard and believed, for whatever soul has believed, both conceives and brings forth the word of God, and knows His works.

THEOPHYL; But every soul which has conceived the word of God in the heart, straightway climbs the lofty summits of the virtues by the stairs of love, so as to be able to enter into the city of Juda, (into the citadel of prayer and praise, and abide as it were for three months in it,) to the perfection of faith, hope, and charity.

GREG. She was touched with the spirit of prophecy at once, both as to the past, present, and future. She knew that Mary had believed the promises of the Angel; she perceived when she gave her the name of mother, that Mary was carrying in her womb the Redeemer of mankind; and when she foretold that all things would be accomplished, she saw also what was as to follow in the future.

Catena Aurea Luke 1

[annalex]

Madonna of the Magnificat (Madonna del Magnificat)

Sandro Botticelli

1480-81
Tempera on panel, diameter 118 cm
Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence

[annalex]

The Visitation

Ubaldo Gandolfi

c. 1767
Oil on canvas, 137 x 101 cm
Private collection

[annalex]

The Baby Jesus and Saint John the Baptist

William Bouguereau (1825 – 1905)

[Salvation]

 

Catholic

Almanac:

Sunday, December 23
Liturgical Color: Violet
Today is the optional memorial of St. John Kanty, priest. St. John had a great love for the poor. He led a simple life, giving away all his possessions. St. John was named the patron saint of Poland and Lithuania in 1737.

[Salvation]

Catholic Culture

Daily Readings for: December 23, 2012
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord, your grace into our hearts, that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ your Son was made known by the message of an Angel, may by his Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of his Resurrection. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

RECIPES

• German Cinnamon Stars

ACTIVITIES

• Christmas Tree
• Religion in the Home for Elementary School: December
• Religion in the Home for Preschool: December

PRAYERS

• Hungarian wheat
• Advent Prayers
• Jesse Tree Prayer Service
• Advent Table Blessing 1

LIBRARY

• Christ Was Born for Our Salvation | Pope John Paul II

Advent: December 23rd

Fourth Sunday of Advent

Old Calendar: Fourth Sunday of Advent

Today the Church celebrates the Fourth Sunday of Advent. We light the last candle on our Advent wreath and our preparation for Christmas is almost finished. We also reach the culmination of the O Antiphons. In previous antiphons our cry was directed to the Messiah as He manifested Himself to the Chosen People, to the Gentiles, and in nature; now He is addressed in person and asked to remain with us as Emmanuel.

Reading this final antiphon gives the feeling that a climax has indeed come. The very term Emmanuel, God with us, reveals the kindly, human heart of Jesus — He wants to be one of us, a Child of man, with all our human weakness and suffering; He wants to experience how hard it is to be man. He wants to remain with us to the end of time, He wants to dwell within us, He wants to make us share His nature.

O Antiphons ~ Emmanuel

Click here for commentary on the readings in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite.

---

Sunday Readings
The first reading is taken from the Prophecy of Micah 5:1-4. In today's reading we hear words of hope that focus on one who is to be born in Bethlehem and who will bring in the day of peace when all nations will look to Jerusalem.

The second reading is taken from Hebrews 10:5-10. The perfect offering of Christ restores us to oneness with God. Jesus came to do the will of God perfectly. He overcame the power of evil that separates us from God and became our bridge back to God when we fall into evil. David prefigures Christ's sacrifice. The Psalm is now seen from the perspective of Christ.

The Gospel of this Sunday, Luke 1:38-45 recounts the visit of Mary to St. Elizabeth. An ancient title of Mary is Ark of the Covenant. The Church Fathers saw the parallels between the Old Testament wooden chest containing the divine presence and the Virgin about to give birth to Jesus. This theme is developed in a tape series by Tim Staples. Tim brings out the similarities between today's Gospel and the ascent of the Ark to Jerusalem (2 Sam 6:1-15).

1. As the ark is brought to Jerusalem, King David is overcome with awe saying, "How can the ark of the Lord come to me?" (v. 9)

2. The ark remains three months in the hill country near Jerusalem, bringing great blessings to the house of Obed-edom. (v.11)

3. King David leaps for joy -- dancing before the ark. (v. 13) (Tim Staples, All Generations Shall Call Me Blessed)

In today's Gospel, Elizabeth says to Mary, "Who am I that the Mother of my Lord should come to me?" She tells how the babe (John the Baptist) leaped in her womb as she became filled with the Holy Spirit. Finally Mary remains three months with her kinswoman before returning to her home. This Sunday, so close to Christmas, the Church invites us to focus our attention on Mary, round-wombed because of the God-child. As we say in the Litany of the Blessed Virgin: "Ark of the Covenant, pray for us."

Excerpted from Fr. Phil Bloom

---

O Emmanuel
Thou art He "who didst appear to Moses in the burning bush." "I have seen the affliction of My people in Egypt, and I have heard their cry because of the rigor of them that are over the works. And knowing their sorrow, I am come down to deliver them out of the hands of the Egyptians and to bring them out of that land into a good and spacious land, into a land that floweth with milk and honey" (Exod. 3:7 f.). Thus spoke the Lord to Moses from the bush which burned but was not consumed, which is a figure of God's condescension to assume the weakness of human nature. The human nature of Christ is united to the burning divine nature, and yet it is not consumed.

As Moses approached the burning bush, so we approach the divine Savior in the form of a child in the crib, or in the form of the consecrated host, and falling down we adore Him. "Put off the shoes from thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. . . . I am who am" (Exod. 3:5, 14).

O Adonai, almighty God! Mighty in the weakness of a child, and in the helplessness of the Crucified! Thou, almighty God, mighty in the wonders that Thou hast worked! Mighty in guiding, sustaining, and developing Thy Church! "The gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matt. 16:18).

"Come with an outstretched arm to redeem us." This is the cry of the Church for the second coming of Christ on the last day. The return of the Savior brings us plentiful redemption. "Come, ye blessed of My Father, possess you the kingdom prepared for you" (Matt. 25-34).

Excerpted from The Light of the World by Benedict Baur, O.S.B.

---

   

7th O Antiphon:
Our King and law-giver,
The awaited of the peoples,
And their Savior,

COME
To save us,
O Lord our God.

Today is Day Eight of the Christmas Novena.

[Salvation]

O EMMANUEL
December 23

Symbols: Manger

Come to save us, O Lord our God.

O Emmanuel, God with us, our King and Lawgiver, the expected of the nations and their Savior: Come to save us, O Lord our God.

O Emmanuel, Rex et legifer noster, expectatio gentium, et Salvator earum: veni ad salvandum nos, Domine, Deus noster.

The manger reminds us of the simplicity and poverty surrounding the birth of Jesus and is representative of His life of humility.

Recommended Readings: Isaias 9:2-7

[Salvation]

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Luke 1:39-45

4th Sunday of Advent

“Blessed are you who believed!” (Luke 1:45)

When something exciting hap­pens, you can’t contain yourself; you simply have to share the news with someone else. This is what hap­pened with Mary and Elizabeth. They had both experienced some­thing miraculous, and they couldn’t wait to talk with each other about it.

When Mary appeared, Elizabeth was “filled with the Holy Spirit” and cried out words of blessing (Luke 1:41-42). Mary, in reply, offered a prayer of worship to the Lord for all he was doing in her (1:46-55).

Try to imagine the conversa­tion these two women must have had. You can picture them, in their excitement, jumping from the highly spiritual (“Why would God choose me?” “I wonder what this new king­dom is going to be like?”) to very practical (“I’m going to need new clothes!” “Do you know the name of a good midwife?”) and back to the spiritual again. It’s only natural: nothing is more exciting than grace in action!

As natural as it might have been for Mary and Elizabeth, sometimes we have to make the decision to move the conversation to the Lord. But when we do, we’ll find the Spirit opening our eyes and filling us with more of his grace. We’ll find our­selves more excited and energized about our prayer, our works of ser­vice, and our love for the Lord.

The church is about evangelizing and growing in holiness. It’s about everyday people responding to the Spirit and working together in love to achieve these ends. Surely Mary and Elizabeth’s time together strength­ened both of them for the work that lay ahead. The same can happen for us as we share with each other about the things that God is showing us. It doesn’t have to be deep or profound. We just have to try, and the Holy Spirit will fill us.

“Lord, open our hearts to your work, and open our lips to share your wonders.”

Micah 5:1-4; Psalm 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19; Hebrews 10:5-10

 

Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion

1. The time for the Messianic prophecies to be fulfilled in unassuming Bethlehem has come. A city that the first reading calls “too small” among the great clans of Judah! How sharply our ideas of greatness and God’s ideas of greatness contrast. What “small” steps can you take to make sure that the Lord is at the center of your plans and activities for Christmas?

2. In the Responsorial Psalm, we pray that the Lord would let us “see” his face. In all the activities, and hustle of these last few days before Christmas, what practical steps can you take to spend time with the Lord and “see” his face?

3. The author of the Letter to the Hebrews puts these words in the mouth of Christ addressed to his Father: “Behold, I come to do your will.” Sometimes it is difficult to discern the will of the Lord. In spite of this, how can we make these words of Jesus become more of a reality in our own lives?

4. The Gospel tells us that Mary is “blessed” because she believed and trusted in God and his words to her. This belief is based on the unshakeable conviction that God is to be trusted, not because we understand, but simply become he is worthy to be trusted. What a great model Mary is. What are the obstacles in your life that can keep you from having a deeper faith and trust in Jesus and from believing in his great love for you and plan for your life? Do you believe that God’s grace is sufficient for you to overcome these obstacles? Why or why not?

5. The meditation ends with these words, “Surely Mary and Elizabeth’s time together strength¬ened both of them for the work that lay ahead. The same can happen for us as we share with each other about the things that God is showing us. It doesn’t have to be deep or profound. We just have to try, and the Holy Spirit will fill us.” What additional steps can you take during the Advent and Christmas season to share your faith with family members and others?

6. Take some time now to pray for a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit and a new boldness in sharing your faith with others. Use the prayer at the end of the meditation as the starting point.

[Salvation]

A Christian Pilgrim

WILL WE IMITATE ELIZABETH AND JOYFULLY WELCOME JESUS?

(A biblical refection on the FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT [Year C] – 23 December 2012) 

Gospel Reading: Luke 1:39-45 

First Reading: Mic 5:1-4; Psalms: Ps 80:2-3,15-16,18-19; Second Reading: Heb 10:5-10 

The Scripture Text

In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” (Lk 1:39-45 RSV)

We are all familiar with the scene that Luke paints: “When Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb” (Lk 1:41). Generations of artists have attempted to capture this visitation, seeking to convey the overwhelming, joyful hope evoked when Elizabeth voiced humanity’s ageless cry to the Virgin: Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” (Lk 1:42).

At this very important meeting, law gives way to promise, ancient prophecy meets divine fulfillment, and the old bows to the new. Barren Elizabeth, incapable of producing life, was loved and blessed by God. And, loving Him in return, she lived in anticipation, ever open to the Life-Giver. Hence, she was “filled with the Holy Spirit” (Lk 1:41) and recognized Mary as the vessel of God’s salvation. Not with bitterness or envy, but with rejoicing, she acceded the higher place to Mary, “the mother of my Lord” (Lk 1:43). Content to be eclipsed, like the shadow of the old covenant by the good things of the new, she blessed Mary and all people of faith: “Blessed is she who believed ……what was spoken to her from the Lord” (Lk 1:45).

The quiet, youthful Mary went to the aging, faithful Elizabeth to share the new thing God had done. Her arrival affirmed the prayerful vigilance of YHWH’s faithful servants. In coming to celebrate her cousin’s good fortune, she brought grace and abounding joy. Mary humbly accepted the honor given to her by Elizabeth and turned it immediately to the Lord whom her soul magnified.

Every Advent, we are invited to witness this dramatic moment. We come with the wounds and sins of a long year. Will we refrain from embracing the new, afraid of disappointment and frustration? Or will we imitate Elizabeth and joyfully welcome the Savior Jesus who has come among us?

Short Prayer: Lord Jesus, we lay down all of our fear and sorrow and sin. We welcome the new life you have to offer us. “Restore us, O God; let Thy face shine,  that we may be saved!” (Psalm 80:3). Amen.