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Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 12-16-17
USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 12-16-17 | Revised New American Bible

Posted on 12/15/2017 8:43:40 PM PST by Salvation

December 16, 2017

Saturday of the Second Week of Advent

Reading 1 Sir 48:1-4, 9-11

In those days,
like a fire there appeared the prophet Elijah
whose words were as a flaming furnace.
Their staff of bread he shattered,
in his zeal he reduced them to straits;
By the Lord's word he shut up the heavens
and three times brought down fire.
How awesome are you, Elijah, in your wondrous deeds!
Whose glory is equal to yours?
You were taken aloft in a whirlwind of fire,
in a chariot with fiery horses.
You were destined, it is written, in time to come
to put an end to wrath before the day of the LORD,
To turn back the hearts of fathers toward their sons,
and to re-establish the tribes of Jacob.
Blessed is he who shall have seen you
and who falls asleep in your friendship.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 80:2ac and 3b, 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.
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.

Alleluia Lk 3:4, 6

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths:
All flesh shall see the salvation of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mt 17:9a, 10-13

As they were coming down from the mountain,
the disciples asked Jesus,
"Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"
He said in reply, "Elijah will indeed come and restore all things;
but I tell you that Elijah has already come,
and they did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased.
So also will the Son of Man suffer at their hands."
Then the disciples understood
that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.


TOPICS: Catholic; General Discusssion; Prayer; Worship
KEYWORDS: advent; catholic; mt17; prayer
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To: Salvation
Matthew
  English: Douay-Rheims Latin: Vulgata Clementina Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
  Matthew 17
9 And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying: Tell the vision to no man, till the Son of man be risen from the dead. Et descendentibus illis de monte, præcepit eis Jesus, dicens : Nemini dixeritis visionem, donec Filius hominis a mortuis resurgat. και καταβαινοντων αυτων εκ του ορους ενετειλατο αυτοις ο ιησους λεγων μηδενι ειπητε το οραμα εως ου ο υιος του ανθρωπου εκ νεκρων αναστη
10 And his disciples asked him, saying: Why then do the scribes say that Elias must come first? Et interrogaverunt eum discipuli, dicentes : Quid ergo scribæ dicunt, quod Eliam oporteat primum venire ? και επηρωτησαν αυτον οι μαθηται αυτου λεγοντες τι ουν οι γραμματεις λεγουσιν οτι ηλιαν δει ελθειν πρωτον
11 But he answering, said to them: Elias indeed shall come, and restore all things. At ille respondens, ait eis : Elias quidem venturus est, et restituet omnia. ο δε ιησους αποκριθεις ειπεν αυτοις ηλιας μεν ερχεται πρωτον και αποκαταστησει παντα
12 But I say to you, that Elias is already come, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they had a mind. So also the Son of man shall suffer from them. Dico autem vobis, quia Elias jam venit, et non cognoverunt eum, sed fecerunt in eo quæcumque voluerunt. Sic et Filius hominis passurus est ab eis. λεγω δε υμιν οτι ηλιας ηδη ηλθεν και ουκ επεγνωσαν αυτον αλλα εποιησαν εν αυτω οσα ηθελησαν ουτως και ο υιος του ανθρωπου μελλει πασχειν υπ αυτων
13 Then the disciples understood, that he had spoken to them of John the Baptist. Tunc intellexerunt discipuli, quia de Joanne Baptista dixisset eis. τοτε συνηκαν οι μαθηται οτι περι ιωαννου του βαπτιστου ειπεν αυτοις

21 posted on 12/16/2017 6:18:40 AM PST by annalex (fear them not)
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To: annalex
9. And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.

JEROME: It follows; And as they came down from the mount, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell no man this vision, until the Son of Man shall rise from the dead. He will not be preached among the people, lest the marvel of the thing should seem incredible, and lest the cross following after so great glory should cause offense.

REMIG; Or, because if His majesty should be published among the people, they should hinder the dispensation of His passion, by resistance to the chief Priests; and thus the redemption of the human race should suffer impediment.

HILARY; He enjoins silence respecting what they had seen, for this reason, that when they should be filled with the Holy Spirit, they should then become witnesses of these spiritual deeds.

10. And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the Scribes that Elias must first come?
11. And Jesus answered and said to them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.
12. But I say to you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done to him whatsoever they would. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.
13. Then the disciples understood that he spoke to them of John the Baptist.

JEROME; It was a tradition of the Pharisees following the Prophet Malachi, that Elias should come before the coming of the Savior, and bring back the heart of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers, and restore all things to their ancient state. The disciples then consider that this transformation which they had seen in the mount was His coming in glory, and therefore it is said, And his disciples asked, him, saying, How then say the Scribes that Elias must first come? As though they had said, If you have already come in glory, how is it that your forerunner appears not yet? And this they say chiefly because they see that Elias is departed again.

CHRYS; The disciples knew not of the coming of Elias out of the Scriptures; but the Scribes made it known to them; and this report was current among the ignorant multitude, as was that concerning Christ. Yet the Scribes did not explain the coming of Christ and of Elias, as they ought to have done. For the Scriptures speak of two comings of Christ; that which has taken place, and that which is yet to be. But the Scribes, blinding the people, spoke to them only of His second coming, and said, If this be the Christ, then should Elias have come before Him. Christ thus resolves the difficulty, He answered and said, Elias truly shall come, and restore all things; but I say to you, that Elias has already come. Think not that here is a contradiction in His speech, if He first say that Elias shall come, and then that he is come. For when He says that Elias shall come and restore all things, He speaks of Elias himself in his own proper person, who indeed shall restore all things, in that he shall correct the unbelief of the Jews, who shall then be to be found; and that is the turning the hearts of the fathers to the children, that is, the hearts of the Jews to the Apostles.

AUG; Or; He shall restore all things, that is those whom the persecution of Antichrist shall have overthrown; as He Himself should restore by His death those whom He ought.

CHRYS; But if there shall so much good arise out of the presence of Elias, why did He not send him at that time? We shall say, Because they then held Christ to be Elias, and yet believed not on Him. But they shall hereafter believe Elias, because when he shall come after so great expectation announcing Jesus, they will more readily receive what shall be taught by Him. But when He says that Elias is come already, He calls John the Baptist Elias from the resemblance of their ministry; for as Elias shall be the forerunner of His second coming, so was John the forerunner of His first. And He calls John Elias, to show that His first coming was agreeable to the Old Testament, and to prophecy.

JEROME; He then who at the Savior's second coming should come in the truth of His body, come now in John in power and spirit. It follows, And they knew him not, but did to him whatsoever they would, that is, despised and beheaded him.

HILARY; As he announced the Lord's coming, so he was also to foreshow His passion by the example of his own suffering and wrong; whence it follows, So also shall the Son of Man suffer of them.

CHRYS; He takes the opportunity from the passion of John to refer to His own passion, thus giving them much comfort.

JEROME; It is inquire how, seeing that Herod and Herodias were they that killed John, it can be said that Jesus also was crucified by them, when we read that He was put to death by the Scribes and Pharisees? It must be answered briefly, that the party of the Pharisees consented to the death of John, and that in the Lord's crucifixion Herod united his approval, when having mocked and set Him at nothing, he sent Him back to Pilate, that he should crucify Him.

RABAN; From the mention of His own passion which the Lord had often foretold to them, and from that of His forerunner, which they beheld already accomplished, the disciples perceived that John was set forth to them under the name of Elias; whence it follows; Then understood the disciples that he spoke to them of John the Baptist.

ORIGEN; That He says of John, Elias is already come, is not to be understood of the soul of Elias, that we fall not into the doctrine of metempsychosis, which is foreign to the truth of Church doctrine, but, as the Angel had foretold, he came in the spirit and power of Elias.

Catena Aurea Matthew 17
22 posted on 12/16/2017 6:19:08 AM PST by annalex (fear them not)
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To: annalex


John the Baptist in the desert with an angel

Elisavetgrad Gospel
16c.

23 posted on 12/16/2017 6:19:58 AM PST by annalex (fear them not)
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To: All
Blessed Honoratus Kozminski

Fr. Don Miller, OFM

Virgin and Child with Female Saints | Gérard David | Image designed by Mark Sullivan | Franciscan MediaImage: Virgin and Child with Female Saints | Gérard David | Image designed by Mark Sullivan | Franciscan Media

Blessed Honoratus Kozminski

Saint of the Day for December 16

(October 16, 1829 – December 16, 1916)

 

Blessed Honoratus Kozminski’s Story

Wenceslaus Kozminski was born in Biala Podlaska in 1829. By the age of 11 he had lost his faith. By the age of 16 his father had died. He studied architecture at the School of Fine Arts in Warsaw. Suspected of participating in a rebellious conspiracy against the Czarists in Poland, he was imprisoned from April 1846 until March of 1847. His life then took a turn for the better, and in 1848 he received the Capuchin habit and a new name, Honoratus. He was ordained in 1855 and dedicated his energies to the ministry where he was involved, among other things, with the Secular Franciscan Order.

A 1864 revolt against Czar Alexander III failed, which led to the suppression of all religious orders in Poland. The Capuchins were expelled from Warsaw and moved to Zakroczym. There Honoratus founded 26 religious congregations. These men and women took vows but did not wear a religious habit and did not live in community. In many regards, they lived as members of today’s secular institutes do. Seventeen of these groups still exist as religious congregations.

Father Honoratus’ writings include many volumes of sermons, letters, and works on ascetical theology, works on Marian devotion, historical and pastoral writings, as well as many writings for the religious congregations which he founded.

When various bishops sought to reorganize the communities under their authority in 1906, Honoratus defended them and their independence. In 1908, he was relieved of his leadership role. Nevertheless he encouraged the members of these communities to be obedient to the Church.

Father Honoratus died on December 16, 1916, and was beatified in 1988.


Reflection

Father Honoratus realized that the religious communities that he founded were not truly his. When ordered by Church officials to relinquish control, he instructed the communities to be obedient to the Church. He could have become bitter or combative, but instead he accepted his fate with religious submission, and realized that the gifts of the Religious were to be gifts to the larger community. He learned to let go.


24 posted on 12/16/2017 5:08:38 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
Information: St. Haggai the Prophet

Feast Day: December 16

25 posted on 12/16/2017 5:29:23 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All

St. Adelaide

Feast Day: December 16
Born: 931 :: Died: 999

St. Adelaide was born at Burgundy in France. She was the daughter of King Rudolf II of Upper Burgundy. When she was two years old she was promised in an arranged marriage as part of a peace agreement between Rudolf and Huge of Provence.

At the age of sixteen, this Burgundian princess was married to King Lothair of Italy. Then three years later, her husband died. His successor Berengarius poisoned him so he could be king.

To strengthen his position he tried to get Adelaide to be his wife but she absolutely refused. In anger, he treated her with great cruelty. He even locked her up in a castle on a lake.

Adelaide was saved when King Otto the Great of Germany defeated Berengarius. Although she was twenty years younger than he, Otto married the lovely Adelaide on Christmas Day.

When he took his new queen back home, the German people loved her at once. She was as gentle and gracious as she was pretty. God sent five children to the royal couple. They lived happily for twenty-two years.

When Otto died, Adelaide's oldest son became the ruler. This son, Otto the Second, was good, but acted too quickly without thinking. He turned against his own mother and she left the palace.

In her great sorrow, she went to the abbot, St. Majolus for help. He advised Otto of his mistake and Otto felt sorry for what he had done.

Adelaide met her son in Italy and the king begged her forgiveness. She in turn prayed for her son, sending offerings to the great shrine of St. Martin of Tours.

In her old age, St. Adelaide was asked to rule the country while her grandson Otto III was still a child.

Although she never became a nun, she started many monasteries and convents and worked to convert the Slavic people. All her life, this saintly empress had obeyed the advice of holy people.

She was always willing to forgive those who had hurt her. St. Addle of Cluny called her a "marvel of beauty and grace."

When Otto III was old enough, Adelaide retired to the convent of Selta near Cologne where she spent the rest of her days in prayer. She died on December 16, 999.


26 posted on 12/16/2017 5:49:26 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
CATHOLIC ALMANAC

Saturday, December 16

Liturgical Color: Violet

On this day in 1910, Pope Pius X
introduced the scapular medal. It could be
substituted for a cloth scapular with all its
benefits provided that the wearer was
enrolled and the medal blessed according
to established norms.

27 posted on 12/16/2017 7:27:28 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation
Catholic Culture

Advent: December 16th

Saturday of the Second Week of Advent

MASS READINGS

December 16, 2017 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

May the splendor of your glory dawn in our hearts, we pray, almighty God, that all shadows of the night may be scattered and we may be shown to be children of light by the advent of your Only Begotten Son. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

show

Recipes (1)

show

Activities (5)

show

Prayers (8)


28 posted on 12/16/2017 8:01:35 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation
The Word Among Us

Meditation: Matthew 17:9-13

2nd Week of Advent

Elijah will indeed come. (Matthew 17:11)

Only nine days until Christmas! Many of us are preparing to spend time with extended family during the season. These gatherings, as joy filled as they can be, can also cause some tension. Maybe your brother’s marriage is on the rocks and you’re not sure how he and his wife will interact with each other. Or maybe your niece has moved in with her boyfriend and stopped going to church.

Take heart! Just as God sent “Elijah” to prepare the way for Christ, you can be sure he will do the same in your family.

Think about the preparations you make when you’re getting ready for a loved one’s visit. You make a special effort to clean, cook, and create a welcoming space. How much more will the Lord do what’s necessary to prepare your loved ones to receive Jesus? Consider what he has already done:

God sent an Elijah in the time of Jesus. Before Jesus began his public ministry, John the Baptist prepared the way. He preached repentance and reform. He baptized the people who came to him, and many of them turned back to God. Not all of them received his message, but remember that many of Jesus’ first disciples started out as disciples of John the Baptist.

God sent an Elijah in your life. You have probably known people whose example had an impact on you. You wanted to have faith like they had. You wanted to know the Scriptures as well as they did. You wanted the same peace and joy they had. So you spent time with them and listened to what they had to say. They were your Elijah! Their influence opened your eyes and softened your heart to receive the Lord more deeply.

God will send an Elijah in the lives of your loved ones. Count on it: God wants the path to be prepared so that he can work in the lives of your family and friends. You can pray with confidence for God to send someone to the person you are most concerned about. It might be your child or grandchild, neighbor or coworker. God wants his life to grow in each one of them.

That’s good news! So be encouraged. Elijah will come!

“Heavenly Father, you want each person to receive your Son! I trust you to send someone to prepare the way!”

Sirach 48:1-4, 9-11
Psalm 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19

29 posted on 12/16/2017 8:03:55 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
Marriage = One Man and One Woman Until Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for December 16, 2017:

Walk or drive around your neighborhood and look at the Christmas lights. How has your spouse been a light when you were going through a dark time?

30 posted on 12/16/2017 8:06:12 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All

December 16, 2017 – Bethlehem and the Cross

Saturday of the Second Week of Advent
Father Walter Schu, LC

Matthew 17:9a, 10-13

As they were coming down from the mountain, the disciples asked Jesus, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” He said in reply, “Elijah will indeed come and restore all things; but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased. So also will the Son of Man suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.

Introductory Prayer: Lord, your disciples sincerely tried to comprehend your identity and believe in you. I come before you today with my doubts and problems, hoping to find in this prayer an answer to my deepest aspirations. I want to believe with unwavering faith, and I want to love you with a devout heart. I offer you this time of prayer as my token of gratitude for all I have received from you.

Petition: Mary, help me to embrace God’s will in my life, just as Christ embraced the Father’s plan for our salvation.

1. John the Baptist as Elijah: Once again the Gospel refers to John the Baptist as the one whose role is to prepare us for the One who is to come. Through the prophet Malachi, the Jews’ expectation of the return of Elijah, who will prepare the way for the promised Messiah, has grown. But they have come to view him as a figure of great power, someone who will sweep men away. So, they fail to recognize Elijah’s presence in the person of John the Baptist, whose only power is that of the Spirit of God, calling all people to conversion of heart in order to receive the Christ. How many times in my life do I fail to recognize the presence of Christ in my life because I’m seeking something other than Christ’s promises to his followers? Christ doesn’t offer an easy path of comfort and consolations.

2. Bethlehem and the Cross: Why did Christ become a helpless baby at Bethlehem? Why did he take on a fragile human body? Precisely so he could suffer for us in order to redeem us. What does that mean for our lives as Christians? It means nothing less than the fact that suffering is a gift from God. It is the Father’s gentle caress, molding us into the image of his Son. The cross is the source of our fruitfulness, not only in our personal spiritual growth, but also in the mission to win graces for others, for all of the souls God has mysteriously entrusted to our care.

3. Obedience unto Death: Christ’s desire to embrace suffering rose from his loving obedience to his Father’s plan, without condition or limit. This loving obedience is what gives suffering its redemptive value. From the moment of his birth at Bethlehem, Christ shows us what it means to obey with love. Bethlehem is a school of obedience. In Bethlehem, Christ teaches us that only a loving obedience frees, only loving obedience redeems and sanctifies, only loving obedience enriches. Loving obedience alone saves, loving obedience alone frees us from sin and loving obedience alone pleases God. Let us embrace the cross of obedience in the challenging circumstances of our daily lives, in the trials brought by the passing of years, in the sorrow that afflicts us when God calls our loved ones back to him. Loving obedience is the path to holiness, the way to the Father’s house.

Conversation with Christ: Thank you, Lord, for giving us a school of loving obedience at Bethlehem, throughout your life and in your death on the cross. Help me to embrace suffering like you did and to be confident in its power to make me holy and win graces for souls.

Resolution: I will seek to recognize God’s presence in my day by patiently welcoming the suffering and trials he permits, so he can bring about a greater good.

31 posted on 12/16/2017 8:14:05 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation
One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

Language: English | Español

All Issues > Volume 34, Issue 1

<< Saturday, December 16, 2017 >>
 
Sirach 48:1-4, 9-11
View Readings
Psalm 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19 Matthew 17:9-13
Similar Reflections
 
Please read: Donations appeal letter for 2017
 

THE PRELUDE TO GLORY

 
"How awesome are you, Elijah! Whose glory is equal to yours?" —Sirach 48:4
 

The ministry of Elijah preceded the coming of Jesus at His Incarnation, is preceding Christ's coming this Christmastime, and will precede His final coming at the end of the world. Elijah's ministry is to re-establish God's people (Sir 48:10) and to restore all things (Mt 17:11). Consequently, at this time before Christ's Christmas coming, the following three prophecies of Isaiah are being fulfilled by new Elijahs:

  1. "Build up, build up, prepare the way, remove the stumbling blocks from My people's path" (Is 57:14).
  2. "The ancient ruins shall be rebuilt for your sake, and the foundations from ages past you shall raise up; 'Repairer of the breach,' they shall call you, 'Restorer of ruined homesteads' " (Is 58:12).
  3. "They shall rebuild the ancient ruins, the former wastes they shall raise up and restore the ruined cities, desolate now for generations" (Is 61:4).

This is a time of hope and joy. New Elijahs are coming to do the miraculous. Then Jesus will come to do the divine. We are being overwhelmed with God's blessings (see Dt 28:2) and amazed by His grace. The Lord is doing more than we can ever ask for or imagine (Eph 3:20). "Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has it so much as dawned on man what God has prepared for those who love Him" (1 Cor 2:9). "Despite the increase of sin, grace has far surpassed it" (Rm 5:20). "Rejoice in the Lord" (Phil 4:4). Elijah is coming.

 
Prayer: Father, may I "rejoice with inexpressible joy touched with glory" (1 Pt 1:8).
Promise: "Till like a fire there appeared the prophet whose words were as a flaming furnace." —Sir 48:1
Praise: Praying together restored Stephan's hurting family.

32 posted on 12/16/2017 8:17:06 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All

Save the Children!

Support the couples who are expecting a child!

33 posted on 12/16/2017 8:17:53 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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