Saturday of the Third Week of Advent &
Saint John of Kanty, Priest
Biographical Information about St. John of Kanty
Readings for Saturday of the 3rd Week of Advent
Commentary:
Reading 1 Mal 3:1-4, 23-24
“My messenger . . . before me: in Malachi 3:23 this messenger is called Elijah. In Matthew 11:10 these words are quoted by Christ as referring to John the Baptizer, who prepared the way for the coming of the Savior;” This part of the NAB footnote shows us the link between the prediction from Malachi we hear and our Gospel below.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 25:4-5ab, 8-9, 10 and 14
R. Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand.
The theme of guidance is continued in the psalm. This selection gives a clear sense of the Lord’s path announced by John the Baptist below and Malachi above.
Gospel Lk 1:57-66
We follow Mary’s Magnificat of yesterday with the story of John the Baptist’s birth, circumcision and naming. The silence imposed on Zachariah by God is broken as he confers that name upon his son. The question is asked by those who are at hand; “"What, then, will this child be?" For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.’” Then answer comes with the Canticle of Zachariah which this year we will not get.
Reflection:
With just two more days left before we celebrate that great feast of the Nativity of the Lord we hear the scripture story of the birth of John the Baptist. He is the great forerunner to the Lord, the one who paves the way, who prepares the people for the Lord’s coming. It’s almost as if the scripture is saying, there’s not turning back now.
The voice of Zachariah is restored and he praises God by the act of fulfilling what the Lord requested, that is that he name his son John. If you went to see the movie, The Nativity, which by the way, I highly recommend, you will notice that like our Advent season, the Canticle of Zachariah is omitted. Since it is the companion proclamation to the Canticle of Mary we heard yesterday I am giving it below – as Zachariah proclaims his infant son’s faith and mission:
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel He has come to his people to set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior born of the house of his servant David.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham; to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
Free to worship him without fear, holy and righteous in His sight all the days of our lives.
You my child shall be called the Prophet of the Most High For you will go before the Lord to prepare his way To bring your people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of sins.
In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death and to guide Our feet unto the way of peace.
The message is for us as well.
Pax
Saint John of Kanty, Priest
Biographical Information about St. John of Kanty
Readings for Saturday of the 3rd Week of Advent
Commentary:
Reading 1 Mal 3:1-4, 23-24
“My messenger . . . before me: in Malachi 3:23 this messenger is called Elijah. In Matthew 11:10 these words are quoted by Christ as referring to John the Baptizer, who prepared the way for the coming of the Savior;” This part of the NAB footnote shows us the link between the prediction from Malachi we hear and our Gospel below.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 25:4-5ab, 8-9, 10 and 14
R. Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand.
The theme of guidance is continued in the psalm. This selection gives a clear sense of the Lord’s path announced by John the Baptist below and Malachi above.
Gospel Lk 1:57-66
We follow Mary’s Magnificat of yesterday with the story of John the Baptist’s birth, circumcision and naming. The silence imposed on Zachariah by God is broken as he confers that name upon his son. The question is asked by those who are at hand; “"What, then, will this child be?" For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.’” Then answer comes with the Canticle of Zachariah which this year we will not get.
Reflection:
With just two more days left before we celebrate that great feast of the Nativity of the Lord we hear the scripture story of the birth of John the Baptist. He is the great forerunner to the Lord, the one who paves the way, who prepares the people for the Lord’s coming. It’s almost as if the scripture is saying, there’s not turning back now.
The voice of Zachariah is restored and he praises God by the act of fulfilling what the Lord requested, that is that he name his son John. If you went to see the movie, The Nativity, which by the way, I highly recommend, you will notice that like our Advent season, the Canticle of Zachariah is omitted. Since it is the companion proclamation to the Canticle of Mary we heard yesterday I am giving it below – as Zachariah proclaims his infant son’s faith and mission:
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel He has come to his people to set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior born of the house of his servant David.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham; to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
Free to worship him without fear, holy and righteous in His sight all the days of our lives.
You my child shall be called the Prophet of the Most High For you will go before the Lord to prepare his way To bring your people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of sins.
In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death and to guide Our feet unto the way of peace.
The message is for us as well.
Pax
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