Thursday of the Third Week of Advent

“The Holy Family with St. Elizabeth
and the Infant St. John the Baptist”
by Bartolomeo Passerotti, 1572.

Readings for December 19th [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Judges 13:2-7, 24-25ad
 
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 drink
and 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 consecrated to God from the womb.
It is he who will begin the deliverance of Israel
from the power of the Philistines.”
 
The woman went and told her husband,
“A man of God came to me;
he had the appearance of an angel of God, terrible indeed.
I did not ask him where he came from, nor did he tell me his name.
But he said to me,
‘You will be with child and will bear a son.
So take neither wine nor strong drink, and eat nothing unclean.
For the boy shall be consecrated to God from the womb,
until the day of his death.’”
 
The woman bore a son and named him Samson.
The boy grew up and the Lord blessed him;
the Spirit of the Lord stirred him.
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Commentary on Jgs 13:2-7, 24-25a
 
This story from Judges appears to parallel the Christ story in a number of ways. First the Israelites are under the rule of a foreign power at this time in history; the Philistines have conquered them. Next, there is divine intervention in the conception of a person who could be called a savior of the people, although the one conceived is not the Messiah. Samson, in a more conventional way, was dedicated from the womb to be God’s servant and under the ancient rite was placed under the Nazirite vow.  This vow obliged him to abstain from drinking wine or having his hair cut: cf. Numbers 6:2-8.
 
CCC: Jgs 13 332
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 71:3-4a, 5-6ab, 16-17
 
R. (see 8) My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!
 
Be my rock of refuge,
a stronghold to give me safety,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked.
R. My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!
 
For you are my hope, O Lord;
my trust, O God, from my youth.
On you I depend from birth;
from my mother’s womb you are my strength.
R. My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!
 
I will treat of the mighty works of the Lord;
O God, I will tell of your singular justice.
O God, you have taught me from my youth,
and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.
R. My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!
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Commentary on Ps 71:3-4a, 5-6ab, 16-17
 
Psalm 71 is the lament of an old person whose afflictions are considered to be divine judgment. The focus of this passage is on the dedication of this person to God from birth and it follows the theme established in Judges 13:2-7, 24-25a. Here we are told of the faithfulness of one so dedicated.
 
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Gospel: Luke 1:5-25
 
In the days of Herod, King of Judea,
there was a priest named Zechariah
of the priestly division of Abijah;
his wife was from the daughters of Aaron,
and her name was Elizabeth.
Both were righteous in the eyes of God,
observing all the commandments
and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly.
But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren
and both were advanced in years.
 
Once when he was serving as priest
in his division’s turn before God,
according to the practice of the priestly service,
he was chosen by lot
to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to burn incense.
Then, when the whole assembly of the people was praying outside
at the hour of the incense offering,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him,
standing at the right of the altar of incense.
Zechariah was troubled by what he saw, and fear came upon him.
 
But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah,
because your prayer has been heard.
Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son,
and you shall name him John.
And you will have joy and gladness,
and many will rejoice at his birth,
for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.
He will drink neither wine nor strong drink.
He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb,
and he will turn many of the children of Israel
to the Lord their God.
He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah
to turn the hearts of fathers toward children
and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous,
to prepare a people fit for the Lord.”
 
Then Zechariah said to the angel,
“How shall I know this?
For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.”
And the angel said to him in reply,
“I am Gabriel, who stand before God.
I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news.
But now you will be speechless and unable to talk
until the day these things take place,
because you did not believe my words,
which will be fulfilled at their proper time.”
 
Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah
and were amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary.
But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them,
and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary.
He was gesturing to them but remained mute.
 
Then, when his days of ministry were completed, he went home.
 
After this time his wife Elizabeth conceived,
and she went into seclusion for five months, saying,
“So has the Lord done for me at a time when he has seen fit
to take away my disgrace before others.” 
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Commentary on Lk 1:5-25
 
This passage from St. Luke is the story of Zechariah receiving the news that he is to have a son with his wife Elizabeth. It can be contrasted with the story of the unnamed woman who bore Samson in Judges 13:2-7, 24-25a.
 
Like the mother of Samson, Elizabeth was also barren. Both conceptions were announced by angels, although in the case of Zechariah, the angel was one of the three named archangels, Gabriel. Both children were dedicated to God from the womb, but St. John the Baptist, whose tale this is, was given a specific task and labeled from the womb as a great prophet: “He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah.”
 
In the final verses, Elizabeth goes into seclusion with praise to God for having given her the gift of her child. This statement reflects the societal view of that period. Women who could not have children were being punished by God and therefore had committed some hidden sin: “he has seen fit to take away my disgrace before others.”
 
CCC: Lk 1:11 332; Lk 1:15-19 724; Lk 1:15 717; Lk 1:17 523, 696, 716, 718, 2684; Lk 1:23 1070
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Reflection:
 
Sometimes the fingerprints of God are hard to distinguish and at other times they shine with unmistakable brilliance.  In Scripture today, we are shown two major points in history where God reached down and, using the flesh, gave the world evidence of his love.  In today’s examples more is revealed; we are given his modus operandi.
 
It seems that when God wants to really get involved in saving his people, he acts strategically.  He does not take a hand in real-time.  Rather he reaches down to the most improbable people and uses their issue as tools to create amazing and wondrous events.  We see it coming in the Old Testament and it culminates in the most spectacular event in all eternity with the birth of Jesus, God’s Only Begotten Son.
 
Today we see clearly the similarities between these touch points, and just as clearly the differences come into stark relief.  In the case first of Samson and then John the Baptist, the parents of these two salvific persons were told that they would give birth to children who would be dedicated to God from “the womb.”  In the case of Jesus however, Mary was a young virgin who had never known man and it was through the Holy Spirit she conceived, not through divine pronouncement of a human act.
 
In the cases of both Samson and John the Baptist (although John’s mission was much more clearly established by God), both men accomplished great things because they were supported by God.  In Jesus’ case, his self-predicted path, while going in scope and in depth beyond anything seen before, seems almost anti-climactic, an expected outcome in spite of its heroic proportions.  Perhaps it is because of his quiet passion and humility that we feel his great power.  There was nothing about him that would have otherwise called our attention to him (see Isaiah 53:1-2).
 
As we fly through this last week before we celebrate the Lord’s Nativity, we are given another insight into the God who saves us.  We can take that additional piece of understanding and bolster the faith that is the foundation of our strength and brace ourselves for the wondrous event that is fast approaching.
 
Pax
 
O Antiphon for the date [4]
 
O Flower of Jesse's stem, you have been raised up
as a sign for all peoples; kings stand silent in your
presence; the nations bow down in worship before
you. Come, let nothing keep you from coming to our
aid.
O Radix Jesse, qui stas in signum populorum,
super quem continebunt reges os suum,
quem gentes deprecabuntur:
veni ad liberandum nos, jam noli tardare.
 

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[1] The picture used today is “The Holy Family with St. Elizabeth and the Infant St. John the Baptist” by Bartolomeo Passerotti, 1572.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[4] The Roman Church has been singing the "O" Antiphons since at least the eighth century. They are the antiphons that accompany the Magnificat canticle of Evening Prayer from December 17-23. They are a magnificent theology that uses ancient biblical imagery drawn from the messianic hopes of the Old Testament to proclaim the coming Christ as the fulfillment not only of Old Testament hopes, but present ones as well. Their repeated use of the imperative "Come!" embodies the longing of all for the Divine Messiah. (USCCB)