Wednesday of the Third Week of Advent

“The Reconciliation of Jacob and Laban”
by Ciro Ferri, 1650’s

 
Readings for December 17 [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Genesis 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 homage.”
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Commentary on Gn 49:2, 8-10
 
To set the context of this reading, Jacob (also known as “Israel,” son of Isaac, son of Abraham) is on his deathbed. He calls his sons to him and begins to speak to them prophetically, telling them what they will accomplish. After going through Reuben, Simeon, and Levi he comes to Judah. Judah, we hear, will be praised by his older brothers and his line shall produce kings over the land. This reading from Genesis is traditionally viewed as the beginning of the genealogy that leads first to King David and ultimately to the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ. The final verse (v.10) in Hebrew text is interpreted, "until he comes to whom it belongs."
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 72:1-2, 3-4ab, 7-8, 17
 
R. (see 7) Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
 
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
 
The mountains shall yield peace for the people,
and the hills justice.
He shall defend the afflicted among the people,
save the children of the poor.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
 
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
 
May his name be blessed forever;
as long as the sun his name shall remain.
In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed;
all the nations shall proclaim his happiness.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
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Commentary on Ps 72:1-2, 3-4ab, 7-8, 17
 
Psalm 72 is one of the Royal Psalms. It was sung for the king who prayed to God for wisdom that he would be seen as dealing justly with the people and compassionately with the poor. David concludes this selection asking for God’s blessing for himself and all the people he governs. We see this psalm, placed between the beginning of the genealogy from Genesis and the genealogy of Christ from St. Matthew’s Gospel as a song extolling the generous and compassionate rule of the Messiah, the King to come.
 
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Gospel: Matthew 1:1-17
 
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ,
the son of David, the son of Abraham.
 
Abraham became the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.
Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah,
whose mother was Tamar.
Perez became the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
Ram the father of Amminadab.
Amminadab became the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
Salmon the father of Boaz,
whose mother was Rahab.
Boaz became the father of Obed,
whose mother was Ruth.
Obed became the father of Jesse,
Jesse the father of David the king.
 
David became the father of Solomon,
whose mother had been the wife of Uriah.
Solomon became the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
Abijah the father of Asaph.
Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,
Joram the father of Uzziah.
Uzziah became the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah.
Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amos,
Amos the father of Josiah.
Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers
at the time of the Babylonian exile.
 
After the Babylonian exile,
Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
Zerubbabel the father of Abiud.
Abiud became the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
Azor the father of Zadok.
Zadok became the father of Achim,
Achim the father of Eliud,
Eliud the father of Eleazar.
Eleazar became the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.
 
Thus the total number of generations
from Abraham to David
is fourteen generations;
from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen generations;
from the Babylonian exile to the Christ,
fourteen generations.
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Commentary on Mt 1:1-17
 
St. Matthew, speaking to a predominantly Jewish audience who call themselves “Sons of Abraham,” produces the genealogy of Jesus starting with Abraham. The critical purpose is to show that Jesus was of the line of King David. This was an important demonstration that Jesus was the Messiah as predicted in the prophetic Scriptures of the Old Testament (the “prophets” as they were known and referenced by the Jewish audience).
 
“Matthew calls his whole book the bibloz genesewx of Jesus Christ, the book of the ‘genesis’ of his ancestors, of his birth, of his coming among us in its manner, which reveals the promise he holds for us. How fitting that the first sentence of the canonical New Testament, the story of man’s re-creation through the grace of Christ, should contain the word ‘genesis’, which harkens back to the first creation of the world out of nothingness.” [4]
 
In the final verse of this reading, we see the significance of Hebrew numerology as the numbers of generations are counted. Recalling that the most perfect number in this symbolic system is seven, we see the product of two sevens in the generations from Abraham and David, two more between King David and the Babylonian exile, and two more from the exile to the Messiah. Three (the formula for the most, e.g., holy, holy, holy equivalent to holy, holier, holiest) times the product of two sevens is six sevens, one short of the perfection to be achieved when Christ will come again.
 
CCC: Mt 1:16 437
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Reflection:
 
Why, we may wonder, was it so important to list the genealogy of Jesus (beyond giving those who proclaim the Gospel a serious pronunciation challenge)?  St. Matthew goes to great pains to demonstrate that Jesus was a true son of Abraham and son of David.  The title ”Son of David” was a title applied prophetically to the Messiah and literally to Jesus.  But why do we need to know that Amos was the father of Josiah or that “Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah”?
 
Certainly those who pursue genealogy in their own lines appreciate the desire to know who and where they came from.  But is there a more important reason to formally chronicle this information?  Jesus had no children and Joseph and Mary produced no other children either, so the blood line from that branch of the root of Jesse ended triumphantly on a cross at Calvary (using the Latin derivation for that hill, meaning the skull – Golgotha from the Hebrew).  Did it not?
 
In asking that question we may have found the reason for this list of generations (beyond the obvious simple proof that Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of the Messiah by being of the house of David).  Jesus himself insured that the blood line did not end.  He adopted!  He adopted like no other person in the history of humankind.  He made his apostles his heirs, giving the keys to his Kingdom to St. Peter, leaving him in charge of the earthly household until he returns.
 
Peter, in his turn, passed those keys on to a successor and the adoption of Christ was extended to another generation.  Two hundred and sixty-seven times (Pope Leo being the 267^th) this passing of the keys has taken place and the adoption of another generation is completed under that authority.  The generations of Christ continue in us and it is our prayer that we may be worthy to accept the mantle of being known as children of the Most High.
 
Pax
 
O Antiphon for this date [5]
 
O Wisdom of our God Most High,
guiding creation with power and love:
come to teach us the path of knowledge!
 
O Sapientia, quae ex ore Altissimi prodisti,
attingens a fine usque ad finem fortiter,
suaviter disponensque omnia:
veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiae.
 

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[1] The picture is “The Reconciliation of Jacob and Laban” by Ciro Ferri, 1650’s.
[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] Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word Volume I (Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 1996), 57.
[5] 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)

Tuesday of the Third Week of Advent

“The Great day of the Lord”
(Destruction of Jerusalem by Titus)
by Wilhelm von Kaulbach, 1860’s

 
Readings for Tuesday of the Third Week of Advent [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Zephaniah 3:1-2, 9-13
 
Thus says the LORD:
Woe to the city, rebellious and polluted,
to the tyrannical city!
She hears no voice,
accepts no correction;
In the LORD she has not trusted,
to her God she has not drawn near.
 
For then I will change and purify
the lips of the peoples,
That they all may call upon the name of the LORD,
to serve him with one accord;
From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia
and as far as the recesses of the North,
they shall bring me offerings.
 
On that day
You need not be ashamed
of all your deeds,
your rebellious actions against me;
For then will I remove from your midst
the proud braggarts,
And you shall no longer exalt yourself
on my holy mountain.
But I will leave as a remnant in your midst
a people humble and lowly,
Who shall take refuge in the name of the LORD:
the remnant of Israel.
They shall do no wrong
and speak no lies;
Nor shall there be found in their mouths
a deceitful tongue;
They shall pasture and couch their flocks
with none to disturb them.
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Commentary on Zep 3:1-2, 9-13
 
This reading from the Book of the prophet Zephaniah contains parts of two oracles. In the first section (v. 1-2), the leaders of Jerusalem are chastised as far from God (“She hears no voice” – To hear the voice of God was to be holy: the antithesis is to hear no voice.). Although not explicit in the verses given, in v. 8 the oracle foresees that God will judge the unholy and they shall be thrown down.
 
The next section (v.9-13) speaks of the coming messianic era, a time after the tyranny has passed, when the faithful remnant will be rewarded with salvation. The “poor in spirit” are saved and they shall live in peace (“They shall pasture and couch their flocks with none to disturb them”). This poetic vision is used elsewhere as an image of peace (see Isaiah 14:30, Ezekiel 34:25, and Micah 4:4). The definition developed by the prophet of the “poor in spirit” will be used by Jesus later describing the messianic expectation.
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 34:2-3, 6-7, 17-18, 19 and 23
 
R. (7a) The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
 
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
 
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
 
The LORD confronts the evildoers,
to destroy remembrance of them from the earth.
When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,
and from all their distress he rescues them.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
 
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.
The LORD redeems the lives of his servants;
no one incurs guilt who takes refuge in him.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
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Commentary on Ps 34:2-3, 6-7, 17-18, 19 and 23
 
Psalm 34 is a song of thanksgiving. The psalmist, fresh from the experience of being rescued (Psalm 34:5, 7), can teach the "poor," those who are defenseless, to trust in God alone. This psalm, in the words of one being unjustly persecuted, echoes hope for deliverance and freedom with the often-used response: “The LORD redeems the lives of his servants; no one incurs guilt who takes refuge in him."
 
CCC: Ps 34:3 716
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Gospel: Matthew 21:28-32
 
Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people:
“What is your opinion?
A man had two sons.
He came to the first and said,
‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’
The son said in reply, ‘I will not,’
but afterwards he changed his mind and went.
The man came to the other son and gave the same order.
He said in reply, ‘Yes, sir,’ but did not go.
Which of the two did his father’s will?”
They answered, “The first.”
Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you,
tax collectors and prostitutes
are entering the Kingdom of God before you.
When John came to you in the way of righteousness,
you did not believe him;
but tax collectors and prostitutes did.
Yet even when you saw that,
you did not later change your minds and believe him.”
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Commentary on Mt 21:28-32
 
This passage is the first of three parables concerning the judgment of the people of Israel. The parable could be taken simply as the difference between saying and doing (see also Matthew 7:21; 12:50). Jesus clarifies his meaning by posing a question to religious leaders using the hypothetical situation of the “two sons.”
 
The point of his example is intended to be analogous to the difference between those who disbelieved the message of repentance taught by St. John the Baptist and those who believed it, the sinners (tax collectors and prostitutes) who have repented. Presented as a question to the Jewish leaders, the chief priests are forced to admit that in the story of the two sons the son who did the father’s will was the one justified (those who accepted the message of St. John the Baptist). Ultimately the example tells the Jewish leaders that those they look down upon (the sinners who had rejected the Law), because of their acts of repentance and devotion, are achieving the inheritance of God before the leaders themselves.
 
CCC: Mt 21:28-32 546; Mt 21:32 535
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Reflection:
 
The events described in St. Matthew’s Gospel give us some insight into how well the Lord understands human nature.  In the situation described in the Gospel, the Lord was taking the Jewish leaders to task, because they gave only lip service to their belief in what God had told the people through the prophets. While they used pious acts to outwardly show others that they were faithful, by their rejection of John the Baptist, the Voice calling them to repent, and then their rejection of Jesus, they had failed to follow their own vows to God.
 
Father Simeon says this about the Lord’s intent: “The core question of this parable appears to be ‘doing the will of the father’, both the father in the parable itself and our Father in heaven. Because of this, the parable could be considered a commentary on the third petition of the Lord’s Prayer (6:10). The father here, who is also the owner of the vineyard (an image that in Matthew often symbolizes the Kingdom of God, 20:1-16), extends the same request or command to both his sons. Their antithetical responses do not make either of them more or less his son; but the nature of each total response (not the words used but the eventual outcome) does distinguish the good son from the bad son.” [4]
 
The sinners and tax collectors who accepted Jesus, even though they recognized they had sinned against God, would be the ones to inherit God’s Kingdom.  The moral, accepted even by the chief priests, was that those who do God’s will, even if they are imperfect in voicing their acceptance of it, will be the ones who receive God’s favor.
 
Seeing this description, we understand why the Gospel is called the Good News.  Have we not all found ourselves rejecting what God asks of us, because it is hard?  Haven’t we all, at least in prayer, asked God to give us an easier way?  Worse, haven’t we gone along with a crowd doing what we know would be displeasing to God, professed our faith in Church, but in practice done just the opposite?
 
At these times the Lord (and St. John the Baptist) calls us to repent, turn away from sin and be true to the Gospel.  It is an offer, an invitation, that is always being extended and one we are tasked with extending as well.  When the Lord tells the chief priests the story related in the Gospel, it is not to condemn them. It is to point out their errors and invite them once more to put aside their disbelief and believe.
 
Today we pray that we will have the strength to be different from either of the sons in his story.  We pray that our yes will mean yes and our no, no. We pray that our yes will always be to humbly walk with the Lord and do his will, as we have promised.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is “The Great day of the Lord” (Destruction of Jerusalem by Titus) by Wilhelm von Kaulbach, 1860’s.
[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] Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word Volume III (Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 2012), 449.

Monday of the Third Week of Advent

“Balaam's Ass”
by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, 1626

 
Readings for Monday of the Third Week of Advent [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Numbers 24:2-7, 15-17a
 
When Balaam raised his eyes and saw Israel encamped, tribe by tribe,
the spirit of God came upon him,
and he gave voice to his oracle:
 
The utterance of Balaam, son of Beor,
the utterance of a man whose eye is true,
The utterance of one who hears what God says,
and knows what the Most High knows,
Of one who sees what the Almighty sees,
enraptured, and with eyes unveiled:
How goodly are your tents, O Jacob;
your encampments, O Israel!
They are like gardens beside a stream,
like the cedars planted by the LORD.
His wells shall yield free-flowing waters,
he shall have the sea within reach;
His king shall rise higher,
and his royalty shall be exalted.
 
Then Balaam gave voice to his oracle:
 
The utterance of Balaam, son of Beor,
the utterance of the man whose eye is true,
The utterance of one who hears what God says,
and knows what the Most High knows,
Of one who sees what the Almighty sees,
enraptured, and with eyes unveiled.
I see him, though not now;
I behold him, though not near:
A star shall advance from Jacob,
and a staff shall rise from Israel.
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Commentary on Nm 24:2-7, 15-17a
 
This section of the Book of Numbers deals with the Israelite encounters in Moab. Within this context are set four oracles of Balaam, a seer called by the Moabite King Balak to curse Israel (Numbers 22:5). God’s intervention and ultimate conversion of Balaam causes the curses to become blessings.
 
This passage contains parts of the third and fourth oracles. The third oracle (v. 2-7 above) sees the ultimate victory of Israel. This victory can be also seen as the final victory of the faithful in the New Jerusalem. The fourth oracle (v. 15-17a above) foresees the victory of Israel over its neighbors. The imagery, “A star shall advance from Jacob, and a staff shall rise from Israel,” is also seen as predicting the rise of the star that heralds the coming Messiah.
 
CCC: Nm 24:17-19 528; Nm 24:17 528
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 25:4-5ab, 6 and 7bc, 8-9
 
R. (4) Teach me your ways, O Lord.
 
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.
R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.
 
Remember that your compassion, O LORD,
and your kindness are from of old.
In your kindness remember me,
because of your goodness, O LORD.
R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.
 
Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
he teaches the humble his way.
R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.
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Commentary on Ps 25:4-5ab, 6 and 7bc, 8-9
 
Psalm 25 is an individual lament. The sinful psalmist prays that “your ways” be made known. This request directs us to repentance and ultimately guides us to justice. In the first strophe of this hymn, we hear support for our belief that God answered the prayers of our ancient ancestors. Their trust was justified. The song continues as an individual prayer asking for guidance and salvation.
 
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Gospel: Matthew 21:23-27
 
When Jesus had come into the temple area,
the chief priests and the elders of the people approached him
as he was teaching and said,
“By what authority are you doing these things?
And who gave you this authority?”
Jesus said to them in reply,
“I shall ask you one question, and if you answer it for me,
then I shall tell you by what authority I do these things.
Where was John’s baptism from?
Was it of heavenly or of human origin?”
They discussed this among themselves and said,
“If we say ‘Of heavenly origin,’ he will say to us,
‘Then why did you not believe him?’
But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we fear the crowd,
for they all regard John as a prophet.”
So they said to Jesus in reply, “We do not know.”
He himself said to them,
“Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
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Commentary on Mt 21:23-27
 
Jesus has made his triumphant entry into Jerusalem and has purged the temple of moneychangers. He now encounters the chief priests in the first of five controversies. Referring to his purging the temple, they ask: “By what authority are you doing these things?”
 
We must understand that these leaders are fearful.  A basic view of their faith is that there is a gulf that exists between the human and the divine.  Jesus, in the previous two days identified himself as king, judge, healer, and teacher. [4] In doing so, his identity as the Messiah is being revealed, bridging the gap between God and man.
 
The exchange of question and counter-question that follows exposes the Jewish leadership as being incompetent to fulfill one of their basic duties, discerning true and false teachers. When asked about John the Baptist, they reply, “We do not know.” By their inability to decide about John, the most prominent figure in their day, they display their incompetence and free Jesus from submitting to their judgment. (“Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things.”)
 
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Reflection:
 
Scripture gives us some interesting points to ponder.  In the Book of Numbers, we meet a rather obscure figure in Balaam.  He is, according to ancient texts, a mystic and seer.  When the Israelites conquered the neighboring Amorites, the King of Moab, Balak, summons Balaam, and asks that he put a curse on the Israelites, so the fate of the Amorites does not befall Moab.  Ultimately God turns the intent of Balaam to his own purposes, and his curses become a blessing; so much so that in his final oracle, God shows him a glimpse of a distant future. A star rises in the east, one that three kings will see in Persia and follow to a small town called Bethlehem. 
 
From Balaam’s story we see not only a distant image of that star, but something even greater.  We see how nothing is impossible for God.  We see how even the plans of God’s enemies can be turned to blessings.  In seeing this, we are given one more reason to have hope and peace in the face of seemingly overwhelming situations.  God, indeed, is our shield and our rock.  We rejoice in the knowledge that he is always with us.
 
In the Gospel from St. Matthew, we find Jesus, predicted by that ancient star, already well into his ministry on earth.  He has taken up his role and authority and progressed from itinerant preacher to God’s authority on earth.  In the very heart of religious authority in Jerusalem, he challenges those responsible for presenting God’s face to the people.  He challenges them and finds them incompetent.  They are unable to see what all of the people in the region have easily grasped, that St. John the Baptist was a great holy man, a prophet, sent by God with an important message. Worse still, the Lord himself has, in the previous two days, revealed himself as more than a human king, as the Messiah, as judge, as the divine legislator, and as healer/creator.  In fear, they cannot expose their lack of faith.  Worse, their fear is not that they have failed in their most sacred task, but that they will lose power if they confess to what they must know to be true. They must certainly see that the gap Jesus’ question implies (is St. John from God or man?) is being bridged by the Lord himself, true God and true man.
 
With an emotion as close to contempt as the Lord of Love can show, Jesus rejects their authority and resigns himself to the knowledge that those in power are in darkness and cannot bear to look at the light.  He understands the consequences of their failed faith as do we.  We see his authority, his majesty, and his power.  We rejoice in the knowledge that he promised to come again so that everyone might be saved by the loving hand of God.
 
On this day of rejoicing, we pray that Christ might have authority over our hearts and minds as we go about our daily tasks.  We pray that his light and peace might shine out from us, so that all we meet might see in us the light of the distant star he brings and be drawn to its warmth.
 
Pax
 

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[1] The picture is “Balaam's Ass” by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, 1626.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, except for 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] Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word Volume III (Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 2012), 432-33.

Third Sunday of Advent

Catechism Links [1]
 
CCC 30, 163, 301, 736, 1829, 1832, 2015, 2362: joy
CCC 227, 2613, 2665, 2772: patience
CCC 439, 547-550, 1751: Jesus performs messianic signs

“The Prophet Isaiah”
by Lorenzo Monaco, 1405-10

 
Readings for the Third Sunday of Advent [2]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
 
Readings and Commentary: [4]
 
Reading 1 Isaiah 35:1-6a, 10
 
The desert and the parched land will exult;
the steppe will rejoice and bloom.
They will bloom with abundant flowers,
and rejoice with joyful song.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to them,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the Lord,
the splendor of our God.
Strengthen the hands that are feeble,
make firm the knees that are weak,
say to those whose hearts are frightened:
Be strong, fear not!
Here is your God,
he comes with vindication;
with divine recompense
he comes to save you.
Then will the eyes of the blind be opened,
the ears of the deaf be cleared;
then will the lame leap like a stag,
then the tongue of the mute will sing.
 
Those whom the Lord has ransomed will return
and enter Zion singing,
crowned with everlasting joy;
they will meet with joy and gladness,
sorrow and mourning will flee.
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Commentary on Is 35:1-6a, 10
 
The prophet Isaiah envisions the beauty of the land as the people of Israel return from the Babylonian exile for his contemporaries. The dignity and strength of those exiled will be restored: "Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared; then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the mute will sing."  For later generations this is seen as a vision of the coming of the Messiah, who comes with healing hands to lift up the poor and those seen as punished by God.
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10
 
R. (cf. Is 35:4) Lord, come and save us.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
The Lord God keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets captives free.
R. Lord, come and save us.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
The Lord gives sight to the blind;
the Lord raises up those who were bowed down.
The Lord loves the just;
the Lord protects strangers.
R. Lord, come and save us.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
The fatherless and the widow he sustains,
but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
The Lord shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion, through all generations.
R. Lord, come and save us.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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Commentary on Ps 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10
 
Psalm 146 is from the wisdom tradition. Here we are given a vision of God’s salvation. His saving power (envisioned in the oracle of Isaiah and fulfilled in Jesus the Christ) lifts up the poor and the downtrodden. The Lord heals those afflicted with every sort of malady.
 
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Reading II: James 5:7-10
 
Be patient, brothers and sisters,
until the coming of the Lord.
See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth,
being patient with it
until it receives the early and the late rains.
You too must be patient.
Make your hearts firm,
because the coming of the Lord is at hand.
Do not complain, brothers and sisters, about one another,
that you may not be judged.
Behold, the Judge is standing before the gates.
Take as an example of hardship and patience, brothers and sisters,
the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
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Commentary on Jas 5:7-10
 
The apostle exhorts the faithful, especially those persecuted for their faith, to be patient and not to lose faith in the Lord.  He encourages them to stay unified, supporting each other and not to turn on one another in frustration ("Do not complain, brothers and sisters, about one another, that you may not be judged."). St. James recalls that the Hebrew prophets were also persecuted, yet remained faithful.
 
 “Those oppressed by the unjust rich are reminded of the need for patience, both in bearing the sufferings of human life (James 5:9) and in their expectation of the coming of the Lord. It is then that they will receive their reward (James 5:7-8, 10-11; cf Hebrews 10:25; 1 John 2:18).”[5]
 
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Gospel: Matthew 11:2-11
 
When John the Baptist heard in prison of the works of the Christ,
he sent his disciples to Jesus with this question,
“Are you the one who is to come,
or should we look for another?”
Jesus said to them in reply,
“Go and tell John what you hear and see:
the blind regain their sight,
the lame walk,
lepers are cleansed,
the deaf hear,
the dead are raised,
and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.
And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.”
 
As they were going off,
Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John,
“What did you go out to the desert to see?
A reed swayed by the wind?
Then what did you go out to see?
Someone dressed in fine clothing?
Those who wear fine clothing are in royal palaces.
Then why did you go out? To see a prophet?
Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.
This is the one about whom it is written:
Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you;
he will prepare your way before you.
Amen, I say to you,
among those born of women
there has been none greater than John the Baptist;
yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”
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Commentary on Mt 11:2-11
 
In this selection from St. Matthew’s Gospel, St. John the Baptist sends his disciples to question Jesus. He does so because his expectation of the prophesied messiah, based upon great Hebrew prophets, is of one coming with power and majesty, “his winnowing fan will be in his hand.” In response the Lord directs them to see the messiah as Isaiah’s oracle predicted (Isaiah 35:1-6). It can be seen as a warning not to disbelieve because the expectations of a “Royal Messiah” were not met.
 
The Gospel continues with the Lord turning to the crowd and praising St. John’s role, likening him to Elijah who was to come, preparing the way for the Messiah. He concludes this passage with a statement about the reward given to those who hear and believe in the Kingdom of God.
 
CCC: Mt 11:5 549, 2443; Mt 11:6 548
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Reflection:
 
The Gospel message summarizes the vision of both the incarnation of Jesus and the vision of his coming again.  It also does one more very important thing: it asks a question that we must answer for ourselves.  In the Gospel Jesus is speaking to the disciples of St. John the Baptist (it is likely St. Andrew was among them).  They came to him with a rather insulting question.  They ask him directly if he is the Messiah.  As if to add injury, they finish their question with: “or should we look for another?”
 
The reason for this question goes back to what we have heard from Scripture previously.  Recall the words of St. John the Baptist as he spoke to the Sadducees and Pharisees about the Messiah: “Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand. He will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” (Matthew 3:10-12)
 
The Baptist was expecting the Lord to come with authority and power like Elijah, calling down the wrath of God on those who opposed him.  In a breath, the Lord changed everything.  He told St. John’s disciples, quoting Isaiah’s vision, that he was the Messiah, and they did not need to look elsewhere.  The Baptist had just looked at the wrong prophecy.  Justice for the unjust would come later. First, God’s love and the hope for things not seen must be expressed to the poor through his Son, his love for the crippled, the blind and the mute, those seen by others as being punished by God.
 
As if to emphasize his point he turned to the crowd and asked them about St. John.  He asked them what they had gone into the desert expecting. (“What did you go out to the desert to see?”)  This question brings our question into sharp focus: what do we expect of Christ?  Do we go to Mass and come away saying: “I didn’t get much out of that”?  What had we gone to see?  When we do God’s work and behave in ways we know God would approve and no one says “thank you,” or even worse, when you are criticized for it, we must ask: “What did we expect?”  Did we expect angel choirs or loud hosannas for doing as we have been asked to do?
 
The Gospel message is crystal clear today.  The Lord asks us during this, our season of great expectation, what it is we expect.  It is a difficult question for us but one we need to pray on.  On this “Little Easter,” on this “Eighth Day,” we pray that our hope is the hope God gives, not what the world gives.  We also pray for the patience St. James mentions as we see the hope of eternal life dawn at the Nativity of the Lord.
 
Pax
 
In other years on December 14^th: Memorial for Saint John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor or the Church

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[1] Catechism links are taken from the Homiletic Directory, published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014.
[2] The picture is “The Prophet Isaiah” by Lorenzo Monaco, 1405-10.
[3] S.S. Commemoratio
[4] 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.
[5] NAB Footnote on James 5:7ff.

Memorial of Saint Lucy, Virgin and Martyr

Proper readings for the Memorial of St. Lucy
 
Biographical Information about St. Lucy

“St. Lucy”
by Benvenuto Tisi da Garofalo, 1530’s

 
Readings for Saturday of the Second Week of Advent [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Sirach 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.
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Commentary on Sir 48:1-4, 9-11
 
The final nine chapters of Sirach are devoted to praise of the glory of God. The first of these chapters is focused on God in nature, the final chapters to great prophets and leaders of Israel. In this selection, we hear of the prophet Elijah who came with a fiery message. Reference is made to Elijah’s passing (2 Kings 2:1ff). The image of Elijah is the precursor to St. John the Baptist during Advent and echoes his prophetic work.
 
This passage gives specific praise to the prophet Elijah who clearly chastised the Hebrew people, trying to bring them back to the faith. He is one of the great prophets whose miracles attempted to provide proofs that God was with him and to influence the people to repent and return to faithfully following the Law of Moses.
 
CCC: Sir 48:1 696
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 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.
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Commentary on Ps 80:2ac and 3b, 15-16, 18-19
 
The call to the “Shepherd of Israel” is David’s plea for God to hear. This same “Good Shepherd” image is later applied to God’s Only Begotten Son. While this psalm is a lament, or plea for God’s help in time of distress for King David’s armies, we see in the language an indication of the Messiah to come: “May your help be with the man of your right hand, with the son of man whom you yourself made strong.” The psalmist prays for God’s intervention and help, and in return promises faithfulness. He implores the Lord to send the Messiah: “Rouse your power, and come to save us.” This will be the gift that fulfills all hopes: “Then we will no more withdraw from you; give us new life, and we will call upon your name.”
 
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Gospel: 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.
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Commentary on Mt 17:9a, 10-13
 
This Gospel passage is the epilogue to the story of the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-8). The disciples ask Jesus: “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" To which the Lord replies: “but I tell you Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him.” Here the Lord is referring to St. John the Baptist, who came fulfilling the mission of Elijah. Jesus, titling himself as “Son of Man” indicating his human nature, then indicates that he would also not be recognized as the Messiah, and would suffer at their hands as well.
 
Jesus is helping the disciples understand the prediction from Scripture that before the Messiah comes, Elijah must return to prepare the Hebrews.  This prophecy is fulfilled by John the Baptist, the new Elijah (cf. Malachi 3:23-24 [4]).
 
The way the passage ends can be confusing. Jesus predicts his passion, and it is then that the disciples understand that John, fulfilling the role of Elijah, prepares the way for the Messiah – Christ.
 
“Jesus’ words finally make the apostles understand that ‘Elijah had already come’ in the sense that John the Baptist was the last receptacle of Elijah’s mission and as such, the last and most vital link between the perennial prophetic mission calling Israel to conversion and the Passion and glorification of the Son of man.” [5]
 
CCC: Mt 17:10-13 718
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Reflection:
 
The message for us in Scripture today carries the weight of ancient prophecy behind it.  Yeshua [Jesus, son of Sirach], recalls the prophetic mission of Elijah in the first reading. It is a mission thought by the Sadducees to be completed in preparation for the coming of the Messiah.  When his disciples asked the Lord if the Sadducees were correct, he told them, yes, Elijah must come again before the Messiah will complete his mission.  But he had come, and they did not recognize him.  Here he referred to John the Baptist, described in Scripture as the very image of Elijah.  Also, like Elijah, the Baptist was vociferous in dealing with those who violated the tenets of the faith.  The Sadducees did not make the connection.
 
Then the disciples saw.  They also knew the fate of John the Baptist, executed, and beheaded by King Herod in a fit of drunken lust.  There would be no chariot of fire for the herald of the Son of God, just as there would be no exalted end for Christ himself.  The fireworks are reserved for his return in glory.  The Lord alludes to this as well as he tells his friends: “So also will the Son of Man suffer at their hands.”
 
What message are we given beyond a powerful reminder of how God’s plan from before time was to send his Only Begotten Son so that we might have salvation through him? Clearly one message is expressed by the cliché: “You can’t judge a book by its cover.”  But perhaps that is too passive.  A better understanding would be that we, the modern-day disciples of the Lord, need to be looking carefully for God’s presence in our lives.  We cannot afford to miss the signs that God sends for us.  The big message is this, that we must use a spiritual power of perception to view the world about us.  We must see it with awe and wonder, as God’s salvation is at once part of what he created for us.
 
As Pope Benedict XVI, said in Spe Salvi: “Faith draws the future into the present, so that it is no longer simply a “not yet”. The fact that this future exists changes the present; the present is touched by the future reality, and thus the things of the future spill over into those of the present and those of the present into those of the future.” [6]
 
Our faith, shaped by the past, sees the present, and its future hope redeems us now.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture used today is “St. Lucy” by Benvenuto Tisi da Garofalo, 1530’s.
[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] Note: in many Protestant Bible translations, this citation is Malachi 4:1-5.
[5] Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word Volume II (Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 2003), 572.
[6] Spe Salvi 7.