Wednesday of the Second Week of Advent

Reading 1 Is 40:25-31

To whom can you liken me as an equal?
says the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes on high
and see who has created these things:
He leads out their army and numbers them,
calling them all by name.
By his great might and the strength of his power
not one of them is missing!
Why, O Jacob, do you say,
and declare, O Israel,
"My way is hidden from the LORD,
and my right is disregarded by my God"?

Do you not know
or have you not heard?
The LORD is the eternal God,
creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint nor grow weary,
and his knowledge is beyond scrutiny.
He gives strength to the fainting;
for the weak he makes vigor abound.
Though young men faint and grow weary,
and youths stagger and fall,
They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength,
they will soar as with eagles' wings;
They will run and not grow weary,
walk and not grow faint.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 103:1-2, 3-4, 8 and 10

R.(1) O bless the Lord, my soul!
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul!
He pardons all your iniquities,
he heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
he crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul!
Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul!

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Behold, the Lord comes to save his people;
blessed are those prepared to meet him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mt 11:28-30

Jesus said to the crowds:
"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."

For the readings of the Optional Memorial of Saint Damasus I, please go here.

From: Isaiah 40:25-31

God, Creator and Ruler of All (Continuation)

[25] Whom then will you compare me,
that I should be like him? says the Holy One.
[26] Lift up your eyes on high and see:
who created these?
He who brings out their host by number,
calling them all by name;
by the greatness of his might,
and because he is strong in power
not one is missing.

[27] Why do you say, O Jacob,
and speak, O Israel,
“My way is hid from the Lord,
and my right is disregarded by my God”?
[28] Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth;
He does not faint or grow weary,
his understanding is unsearchable.
[29] He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
[30] Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted,
[31] but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

40:12-41:29. The message of hope at the start of the second part of Isaiah is not
the product of naive credulity nor is it a dream that can never come true. These
verses outline the logical basis of that hope: first, the immense power of God, to
be seen in creation (40:12-31); and second, the sovereignty of God, who rules
over the destiny of human beings and desires to save his people, and who raises
up Cyrus to do that very thing (41:1-29).

40:12-31. These verses deal with the first of the arguments to justify hope. A
series of ironical questions, vividly worded, conveys the omnipresence and tran-
scendence of God (similar to what happens in Job 38:2-21): the Lord made all
things and there is nothing, no one, to compare with him (vv. 12-26). In v. 26, the
“host” is a reference to the heavenly bodies. In Babylonian religion and cosmo-
logy, these were considered to be gods. The sacred writer demythologizes them,
making them mere creatures of God.

But the Lord does not confine himself to heaven, away from the cares of men,
heedless of what is happening to his people. He, who is author of everything that
exists, of life, of the rulers of the earth, is infinitely good, and in his providence he
supports and strengthens those who trust in him (vv. 27-31). The image of the ea-
gle (v. 31) is reminiscent of Psalm 103:5: “Your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
St Augustine, commenting on these words, points out that in ancient times it was
thought that when an eagle grew old it was unable to eat food because its beak
got too big and, “finding itself in such difficulty, it is said that the eagle, driven by
natural instinct and the need to recover its youth, strikes the upper part of it beak
against a rock, because the beak has grown too large and prevents it from eating.
The beak is worn down by the rock and the eagle eats easily again, and its whole
body is restored. Having been old, the eagle is made young and strong again: the
sheen returns to its feathers, and power to its wings. It soars to the heights once
more, and experiences in that way a type of resurrection” (”Enarrationes In Psal-
mos”, 102, 9). And so, Christian preaching has used this simile in a spiritual
sense as a call to renew one’s efforts, trusting in God; If we hope in him, we can
cope with difficulties without getting tired, for, as St Bernard points out, “ubi
autem amor est, labor non est, sed sapor”: “where there is love, there is no suf-
fering, but rather savoring” (”In Cantica Canticorum”, 85, 8).

*********************************************************************************************
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: Matthew 11:28-30

Jesus Thanks His Father

[28] Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. [29]
Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls. [30] For My yoke is easy, and My burden is
light.”

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

28-30. Our Lord calls everyone to come to Him. We all find things difficult in one
way or another. The history of souls bears out the truth of these words of Jesus.
Only the Gospel can fully satisfy the thirst for truth and justice which sincere peo-
ple feel. Only our Lord, our Master—and those to whom He passes on His power
— can soothe the sinner by telling him, “Your sins are forgiven” (Matthew 9:2). In
this connection Pope Paul VI teaches: “Jesus says now and always, ‘Come to
Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’ His attitude to-
wards us is one of invitation, knowledge and compassion; indeed, it is one of of-
fering, promise, friendship, goodness, remedy of our ailments; He is our comfor-
ter; indeed, our nourishment, our bread, giving us energy and life” (”Homily on
Corpus Christi”, 13 June 1974).

“Come to Me”: the Master is addressing the crowds who are following Him, “ha-
rassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). The Phari-
sees weighed them down with an endless series of petty regulations (cf. Acts
15:10), yet they brought no peace to their souls. Jesus tells these people, and
us, about the kind of burden He imposes: “Any other burden oppresses and cru-
shes you, but Christ’s actually takes weight off you. Any other burden weighs
down, but Christ’s gives you wings. If you take a bird’s wings away, you might
seem to be taking weight off it, but the more weight you take off, the more you
tie it down to the earth. There it is on the ground, and you wanted to relieve it
of a weight; give it back the weight of its wings and you will see how it flies” (St.
Augustine, “Sermon” 126).

“All you who go about tormented, afflicted and burdened with the burden of your
cares and desires, go forth from them, come to Me and I will refresh you and you
shall find for your souls the rest which your desires take from you” (St. John of
the Cross, “Ascent of Mount Carmel”, Book 1, Chapter 7, 4).

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible by Darton, Longman & Todd

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Violet.

First reading	Isaiah 40:25-31 ©

The Lord strengthens the powerless

‘To whom could you liken me

and who could be my equal?’ says the Holy One.

Lift your eyes and look.

Who made these stars

if not he who drills them like an army,

calling each one by name?

So mighty is his power, so great his strength,

that not one fails to answer.

How can you say, Jacob,

how can you insist, Israel,

‘My destiny is hidden from the Lord,

my rights are ignored by my God’?

Did you not know?

Had you not heard?

The Lord is an everlasting God,

he created the boundaries of the earth.

He does not grow tired or weary,

his understanding is beyond fathoming.

He gives strength to the wearied,

he strengthens the powerless.

Young men may grow tired and weary,

youths may stumble,

but those who hope in the Lord renew their strength,

they put out wings like eagles.

They run and do not grow weary,

walk and never tire.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 102(103):1-4,8,10 ©

My soul, give thanks to the Lord.

My soul, give thanks to the Lord

all my being, bless his holy name.

My soul, give thanks to the Lord

and never forget all his blessings.

My soul, give thanks to the Lord.

It is he who forgives all your guilt,

who heals every one of your ills,

who redeems your life from the grave,

who crowns you with love and compassion.

My soul, give thanks to the Lord.

The Lord is compassion and love,

slow to anger and rich in mercy.

He does not treat us according to our sins

nor repay us according to our faults.

My soul, give thanks to the Lord.

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, alleluia!

Behold, our Lord will come with power

and will enlighten the eyes of his servants.

Alleluia!

Or:

Alleluia, alleluia!

Look, the Lord will come to save his people.

Blessed those who are ready to meet him.

Alleluia!

Gospel
Matthew 11:28-30 ©

My yoke is easy and my burden light

Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.’

28. Come to me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest to your souls.
30. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

CHRYS; By what He had said, He brought His disciples to have a desire towards Him, showing them His unspeakable excellence; and now He invites them to Him, saying, Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden.

AUG; Whence do we all thus labor, but that we are mortal men, bearing vessels of clay which cause us much difficulty. But if the vessels of flesh are straitened, the regions of love will be enlarged. To what end then does He say, Come to me, all you who labor, but that you should not labor?

HILARY; He calls to Him those that were laboring under the hardships of the Law, and those who are burdened with the sins of this world.

JEROME; That the burden of sin is heavy, the Prophet Zachariah bears witness, saying, that wickedness sits upon a talent of lead. And the Psalmist fills it up, your iniquities are grown heavy upon me.

GREG; For a cruel yoke and hard weight of servitude it is to be subject to the things of time, to be ambitious of the things of earth, to cling to falling things, to seek to stand in things that stand not, to desire things that pass away, but to be unwilling to pass away with them. For while all things fly away against our wish, those things which had first harassed the mind in desire of gaining them, now oppress it with fear of losing them.

CHRYS; He said not, Come you, this man and that man, but all whosoever are in trouble, in sorrow, or in sin, not that I may exact punishment of you, but that I may remit your sins. Come you, not that I have need of your glory, but that I seek your salvation. And I will refresh you. Not, I will save you, only; but that is much greater, I will then refresh you, that is, I will set you in all quietness.

RABAN; I will not only take from you your burden, but will satisfy you with inward refreshment.

REMIG; Come, He says not with the feet, but with the life, not in the body, but in faith. For that is a spiritual approach by which any man approaches God; and therefore it follows, Take my yoke upon you.

RABAN; The yoke of Christ is Christ's Gospel which joins and yokes together Jews and Gentiles in the unity of the faith. This we are commanded to take upon us that is, to have in honor; lest perchance setting it beneath us, that is wrongly despising it, we should trample upon it with the miry feet of unholiness; wherefore He adds, learn of me.

AUG; Not to create a world, or to do miracles in that world; but that I am meek and lowly in heart. Would you be great? Begin with the least. Would you build up a mighty fabric of greatness? First think of the foundation of humility; for the mightier building any seek to raise, the deeper let him dig for his foundation. Whither is the summit of our building to rise? To the sight of God.

RABAN; We must learn then from our Savior to be meek in temper, and lowly in mind; let us hurt none, let us despise none, and the virtues which we have strewn in deed let us retain in our heart.

CHRYS; And therefore in beginning the Divine Law He begins with humility, and sets before us a great reward, saying, And you shall find rest for your souls. This is the highest reward, you shall not only be made useful to others, but shall make yourself to have peace; and He gives you the promise of it before it comes, but when it is come, you shall rejoice in perpetual rest. And that they might not be afraid because He had spoken of a burden, therefore He adds, For my yoke is pleasant, and my burden light.

HILARY; He holds forth the inducements of a pleasant yoke, and a light burden, that to them that believe He may afford the knowledge of that good which He alone knows in the Father.

GREG; What burden is it to put upon the neck of our mind that He bids us shun all desire that disturbs, and turn from the toilsome paths of this world?

HILARY; And what is more pleasant than that yoke, what lighter than that burden? To be made better, to abstain from wickedness, to choose the good, and refuse the evil, to love all men, to hate none, to gain eternal things, not to be taken with things present, to be unwilling to do that to another which yourself would be pained to suffer.

RABAN; But how is Christ's yoke pleasant, seeing it was said man above, Narrow is the way which leads to life? That which yoke is entered upon by a narrow entrance is in process of time made broad by the unspeakable sweetness of love.

AUG; So then the they who with an unfearing neck have submitted to the yoke of the Lord endure such hardships and dangers, that they seem beneath to be called not from labor to rest, but from rest to labor. But the Holy Spirit was there who, as the outward man decayed, renewed the inward man day by day, and giving a foretaste of spiritual rest in the rich pleasures of God in the hope of blessedness to come, smoothed all that seemed rough, lightened all that was heavy. Men suffer amputations and burning, that at the price of sharper pain they may be delivered from torments less but more lasting, as boils or swellings. What storms and dangers will not merchants undergo that they may acquire perishing riches? Even those who love not riches endure the same hardships; but those that love them endure the same, but to them they are not hardships. For love makes right easy, and almost nothing all things however dreadful and monstrous. How much more easily then does love do that for true happiness, which avarice does for misery as far as it can?

JEROME; And how is the Gospel lighter than the Law, seeing in the Law murder and adultery, but under the Gospel anger and concupiscence also, are punished? Because by the Law many things are commanded which the Apostle fully teaches us cannot be fulfilled; by the Law works are required, by the Gospel the will is sought for, which even if it goes not into act, yet does not lose its reward. The Gospel commands what we can do, as that we lust not; this is in our own power; the Law punishes not the will but the act, as adultery Suppose a virgin to have been violated in time of persecution, as here was not the will she is held as a virgin under the Gospel; under the Law she is cast out as defiled.

Catena Aurea Matthew 11

December 11 - Memorial of Saint Damasus I, pope

Saint Damasus I’s Story

To his secretary Saint Jerome, Damasus was “an incomparable person, learned in the Scriptures, a virgin doctor of the virgin Church, who loved chastity and heard its praises with pleasure.” Damasus seldom heard such unrestrained praise. Internal political struggles, doctrinal heresies, uneasy relations with his fellow bishops and those of the Eastern Church marred the peace of his pontificate.

The son of a Roman priest, possibly of Spanish extraction, Damasus started as a deacon in his father’s church, and served as a priest in what later became the basilica of San Lorenzo in Rome. He served Pope Liberius (352-366) and followed him into exile.

When Liberius died, Damasus was elected bishop of Rome; but a minority elected and consecrated another deacon, Ursinus, as pope. The controversy between Damasus and the antipope resulted in violent battles in two basilicas, scandalizing the bishops of Italy. At the synod that Damasus called on the occasion of his birthday, he asked them to approve his actions. The bishops’ reply was curt: “We assembled for a birthday, not to condemn a man unheard.” Supporters of the antipope even managed to get Damasus accused of a grave crime—probably sexual—as late as A.D. 378. He had to clear himself before both a civil court and a Church synod.

As pope, his lifestyle was simple in contrast to other ecclesiastics of Rome, and he was fierce in his denunciation of Arianism and other heresies. A misunderstanding of the Trinitarian terminology used by Rome threatened amicable relations with the Eastern Church, and Damasus was only moderately successful in dealing with that challenge.

During his pontificate, Christianity was declared the official religion of the Roman state, and Latin became the principal liturgical language as part of the pope’s reforms. His encouragement of Saint Jerome’s biblical studies led to the Vulgate, the Latin translation of Scripture which 12 centuries later the Council of Trent declared to be “authentic in public readings, disputations, preaching.”

Reflection

The history of the papacy and the Church is inextricably mixed with the personal biography of Damasus. In a troubled and pivotal period of Church history, he stands forth as a zealous defender of the faith who knew when to be progressive and when to entrench.

Damasus makes us aware of two qualities of good leadership: alertness to the promptings of the Spirit, and service. His struggles are a reminder that Jesus never promised his Rock protection from hurricane winds nor his followers immunity from difficulties. His only guarantee is final victory.

franciscanmedia.org

Patronage: Archaeologists, against fever

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Matthew 11:28-30

Saint Damasus I, Pope (Optional Memorial)

You will find rest. (Matthew 11:29)

Scripture tells us that rest was part of God’s plan from the beginning: “God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work he had done in creation” (Genesis 2:3). The day of rest, or Sabbath, was meant as a time to honor our unique relationship with God. Of all the animals on the earth, men and women are the only ones who take this day off. To a cow or a cat, one day is just like the next. But we humans are made for work and rest. We are made to enjoy friendship with God just as much as we are made to tend to the earth.

Throughout Israel’s history, people understood the Sabbath primarily as a gracious gift. Over time, however, more and more rules concerning proper conduct on the Sabbath were added, to the point at which some came to see this special day as a burden—or as an occasion to judge everyone else. Did my neighbor say no to the right activities? Questions like that one became more important than whether our neighbor, or we ourselves, for that matter, had said yes to God.

Then came Jesus and his promise: “I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). He didn’t say, “I will give you rest on the Sabbath.” Just “I will give you rest”—the rest that comes through faith in him, a rest that we can experience each and every day.

When worry and anxiety get the better of you, he can give you rest through his presence.

When you become painfully aware of your shortcomings, he can give you rest through his mercy.

When you feel overburdened, he can give you rest as he walks with you and lightens your load.

The next time you find yourself worrying about life, take a moment to turn and say yes to Jesus and his promise of rest. You won’t always feel different. Worry may even creep back in. But as you persist in faith, you will gradually sense his presence and his peace. Jesus has promised you rest, and he is always faithful to his promises.

“Lord, you alone can renew my spirit. Help me to say yes to the rest you came to give.”

Isaiah 40:25-31
Psalm 103:1-4, 8, 10

Homily of the Day

December 11, 2019

Wednesday of the Second Week of Advent

We find meaning in these words that add to the paradox of finding rest in labor and burden. Take the yoke that is easy and the burden light from a meek and humble master. A person has not become his true self unless he “dies” to himself. He will not be able to discover the wonder of what we call the “paradoxes in life” if he holds onto his own ways.

When a person marries, does a man automatically become a father? Does the woman automatically become a mother? We may inherit the title of father or mother but we do not become that in the true sense of the word. The process of learning comes when we intentionally take on the role and involve ourselves with the intricacies and demands of that role. The “father” only becomes a Father when he gives up his liberty and personal fun activities to be with his kids and to teach them. A “mother” only becomes a Mother when she gives up her leisure activities with her friends so that she can cook for the family, take care of the kids when they are sick and prepare them for school. These are many of the small ways of “dying to self” and taking the yoke and learning in the process.

These daily lessons prepare us to slowly become what God wants us to
be. It is only by obedience and practice that we will learn and
eventually evolve into our true beings.

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Matthew
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Matthew 11
28.	Come to me, all you that labour, and are burdened, and I will refresh you.	Venite ad me omnes qui laboratis, et onerati estis, et ego reficiam vos.	δευτε προς με παντες οι κοπιωντες και πεφορτισμενοι καγω αναπαυσω υμας
29.	Take up my yoke upon you, and learn of me, because I am meek, and humble of heart: and you shall find rest to your souls.	Tollite jugum meum super vos, et discite a me, quia mitis sum, et humilis corde : et invenietis requiem animabus vestris.	αρατε τον ζυγον μου εφ υμας και μαθετε απ εμου οτι πραος ειμι και ταπεινος τη καρδια και ευρησετε αναπαυσιν ταις ψυχαις υμων
30.	For my yoke is sweet and my burden light.	Jugum enim meum suave est, et onus meum leve.	ο γαρ ζυγος μου χρηστος και το φορτιον μου ελαφρον εστιν

December 11 2019

Wednesday of the Second Week of Advent

Reading 1 Is 40:25-31

Responsorial Psalm Ps 103:1-2, 3-4, 8 and 10

Alleluia

Gospel Mt 11:28-30

For the readings of the Optional Memorial of Saint Damasus I, please go here.

Readings at Mass

The Lord strengthens the powerless

My yoke is easy and my burden light

December 11 - Memorial of Saint Damasus I, pope

Saint Damasus I’s Story

Reflection

Meditation: Matthew 11:28-30

Wednesday of the Second Week of Advent