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“Who Is This Jesus?” (Matthew 21:1-11)Today is the First Sunday in Advent. As it’s the beginning of Advent, and the word “Advent” means “Coming,” our readings today--particularly the Holy Gospel--focus our attention on the one who will be coming to us at Christmas, namely, the one who comes to us now in every church service, and who will come again on the last day at the end of time. So who is this one who comes to us in these ways? That’s what our text today gets at. And because today is the First Sunday in Advent, it is also...

Advent begins on Sunday, December 1st.Most of us have an intuitive understanding of Advent, based on experience, but what do the Church’s official documents actually say about Advent?Here are some of the basic questions and (official!) answers about Advent.Some of the answers are surprising!Here we go . . . 1. What Is the Purpose of Advent? Advent is a season on the Church’s liturgical calendar–specifically, it is as season on the calendar of the Latin Church, which is the largest Church in communion with the pope.Other Catholic Churches–as well as many non-Catholic churches–have their own celebration of Advent.According to the General...

December 24, 2012 Monday of the Fourth Week of Advent   Reading 1 2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16 When King David was settled in his palace,and the LORD had given him rest from his enemies on every side,he said to Nathan the prophet,"Here I am living in a house of cedar,while the ark of God dwells in a tent!"Nathan answered the king,"Go, do whatever you have in mind,for the LORD is with you."But that night the LORD spoke to Nathan and said:"Go, tell my servant David, 'Thus says the LORD:Should you build me a house to dwell in? "'It...

December 23, 2012 Fourth Sunday of Advent   Reading 1 Mi 5:1-4a Thus says the LORD:You, Bethlehem-Ephrathahtoo small to be among the clans of Judah,from you shall come forth for meone 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 timewhen she who is to give birth has borne,and the rest of his kindred shall returnto the children of Israel.He shall stand firm and shepherd his flockby the strength of the LORD,in the majestic name of the LORD, his God;and they shall remain, for now his greatnessshall...

“A Blessed Visitation” (Luke 1:39-45)It was a meeting of the moms. Two expectant mothers, one old, one young. One was six months along; the other, newly pregnant. And the fact that they were expecting was totally unexpected! Both of them were pregnant when really neither one of them should have been, under normal circumstances. But these circumstances were anything but normal. What was happening was much better than normal. This meeting of the moms was the visitation of Mary to Elizabeth. Elizabeth was the older woman; Mary, the younger. Elizabeth was in her sixth month; Mary’s pregnancy had just started....

December 22, 2012 Saturday of the Third Week of Advent   Reading 1 1 Sm 1:24-28 In those days,Hannah brought Samuel with her,along with a three-year-old bull,an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine,and presented him at the temple of the LORD in Shiloh.After the boy's father had sacrificed the young bull,Hannah, his mother, approached Eli and said:"Pardon, my lord!As you live, my lord,I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the LORD.I prayed for this child, and the LORD granted my request.Now I, in turn, give him to the LORD;as long as he lives, he...

December 21, 2012 Friday of the Third Week of Advent   Reading 1 Sg 2:8-14 Hark! my lover--here he comesspringing across the mountains,leaping across the hills.My lover is like a gazelleor a young stag.Here he stands behind our wall,gazing through the windows,peering through the lattices.My lover speaks; he says to me,"Arise, my beloved, my dove, my beautiful one,and come!"For see, the winter is past,the rains are over and gone.The flowers appear on the earth,the time of pruning the vines has come,and the song of the dove is heard in our land.The fig tree puts forth its figs,and the vines, in...

The Year of Faith and the Catechism of the Catholic Church1. The "eaten" bookIn preaching to the Papal Household, I try to allow myself to be guided in the choice of themes by the graces or special occasions that the Church is experiencing at a given moment in her history. Recently we had the opening of the Year of Faith, the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council and the Synod for Evangelization and the Transmission of the Christian Faith. Therefore, I thought that this Advent I would offer a reflection on each of these three events.I shall begin with...

“Zechariah’s Song: The Benedictus” (Luke 1:57-80)We continue our Advent journey, heading toward Christmas. So far in Advent, we have seen John the Baptist preparing the way for the Lord, both in his preaching of repentance and then in his unjust suffering. Now today we see John preparing the way for Jesus even in his birth. And John’s father, Zechariah, has a song to sing about this, a song of praise to God for the birth of his son. This poetic piece is called the “Benedictus,” “Benedictus” being the Latin word for “Blessed,” which is how the canticle begins: “Blessed be...

December 20, 2012 Thursday of the Third Week of Advent   Reading 1 Is 7:10-14 The LORD spoke to Ahaz:Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God;let it be deep as the nether world, or high as the sky!But Ahaz answered,"I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!"Then Isaiah said:Listen, O house of David!Is it not enough for you to weary men,must you also weary my God?Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,and shall name him Emmanuel. Responsorial Psalm Ps 24:1-2, 3-4ab, 5-6 R. (see 7c and 10b) Let...

December 19, 2012   Wednesday of the Third Week of Advent   Reading 1 Jgs 13:2-7, 24-25a There was a certain man from Zorah, of the clan of the Danites,whose name was Manoah.His wife was barren and had borne no children.An angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her,"Though you are barren and have had no children,yet you will conceive and bear a son.Now, then, be careful to take no wine or strong drinkand to eat nothing unclean.As for the son you will conceive and bear,no razor shall touch his head,for this boy is to be...

December 18, 2012   Tuesday of the Third Week of Advent     Reading 1 Jer 23:5-8 Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD,when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David;As king he shall reign and govern wisely,he shall do what is just and right in the land.In his days Judah shall be saved,Israel shall dwell in security.This is the name they give him:"The LORD our justice." Therefore, the days will come, says the LORD,when they shall no longer say, "As the LORD lives,who brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt";but rather, "As...

December 17, 2012   Monday of the Third Week of Advent   Reading 1 Gn 49:2, 8-10 Jacob called his sons and said to them:"Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob,listen to Israel, your father. "You, Judah, shall your brothers praise--your hand on the neck of your enemies;the sons of your father shall bow down to you.Judah, like a lion's whelp,you have grown up on prey, my son.He crouches like a lion recumbent,the king of beasts--who would dare rouse him?The scepter shall never depart from Judah,or the mace from between his legs,While tribute is brought to him,and he receives the people's...

December 16, 2012   Third Sunday of Advent   Reading 1 Zep 3:14-18a Shout for joy, O daughter Zion!Sing joyfully, O Israel!Be glad and exult with all your heart,O daughter Jerusalem!The LORD has removed the judgment against youhe has turned away your enemies;the King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst,you have no further misfortune to fear.On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem:Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged!The LORD, your God, is in your midst,a mighty savior;he will rejoice over you with gladness,and renew you in his love,he will sing joyfully because of you,as one sings...

“Advent through a Rose-colored Candle” (Luke 7:18-28)Today is the Sunday of the rose-colored candle. On the other Sundays in Advent, we light violet, or purple, candles on the Advent wreath. Today, though, we light the one that is the color of rose. What is the significance of that? Well, the color violet, or purple, is a color associated with repentance, reminding us that Advent is a season of penitential preparation. Just as John the Baptist came preaching repentance to prepare the way of the Lord, so Advent calls us to mourn our sinfulness and to repent of our sins and...

December 15, 2012   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 Elijahwhose 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 heavensand 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 cometo put an end to wrath before the...

December 14, 2012   Memorial of Saint John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church   Reading 1 Is 48:17-19 Thus says the LORD, your redeemer,the Holy One of Israel:I, the LORD, your God,teach you what is for your good,and lead you on the way you should go.If you would hearken to my commandments,your prosperity would be like a river,and your vindication like the waves of the sea;Your descendants would be like the sand,and those born of your stock like its grains,Their name never cut offor blotted out from my presence. Responsorial Psalm Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6...

“Mary’s Song Prepares Us for Mary’s Son” (Luke 1:46-55)One of the things we’re doing this month in our Advent and Christmas services is looking at a number of texts from Luke’s “Infancy Narrative,” that is, the first two chapters of Luke’s gospel, which concern events related to the birth of Jesus Christ. And one of the distinctive features of Luke chapters 1 and 2 is the inclusion of four poetic, song-like pieces--in other words, the four canticles of Luke. And those four canticles are as follows: Mary’s Song, the Magnificat; Zechariah’s Song, the Benedictus; the Angels’ Song, the Gloria in...

December 13, 2012   Memorial of Saint Lucy, Virgin and Martyr   Reading 1 Is 41:13-20 I am the LORD, your God,who grasp your right hand;It is I who say to you, "Fear not,I will help you."Fear not, O worm Jacob,O maggot Israel;I will help you, says the LORD;your redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.I will make of you a threshing sledge,sharp, new, and double-edged,To thresh the mountains and crush them,to make the hills like chaff.When you winnow them, the wind shall carry them offand the storm shall scatter them.But you shall rejoice in the LORD,and glory in the...

December 12, 2012 Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe   Reading 1 Zec 2:14-17 Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion!See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the LORD.Many nations shall join themselves to the LORD on that day,and they shall be his people,and he will dwell among you,and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you.The LORD will possess Judah as his portion in the holy land,and he will again choose Jerusalem.Silence, all mankind, in the presence of the LORD!For he stirs forth from his holy dwelling. or Ps 1:1Rv 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab God's...