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Tuesday of the First Week of Advent
Readings for Tuesday of the First Week of Advent [1][2]Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading 1: Isaiah 11:1-10
On that day,
A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,
and from his roots a bud shall blossom.
The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him:
a Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
A Spirit of counsel and of strength,
a Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD,
and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD.
Not by appearance shall he judge,
nor by hearsay shall he decide,
But he shall judge the poor with justice,
and decide aright for the land’s afflicted.
He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.
Justice shall be the band around his waist,
and faithfulness a belt upon his hips.
Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;
The calf and the young lion shall browse together,
with a little child to guide them.
The cow and the bear shall be neighbors,
together their young shall rest;
the lion shall eat hay like the ox.
The baby shall play by the cobra’s den,
and the child lay his hand on the adder’s lair.
There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD,
as water covers the sea.
On that day,
The root of Jesse,
set up as a signal for the nations,
The Gentiles shall seek out,
for his dwelling shall be glorious.
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Commentary on Is 11:1-10
The Prophet Isaiah refers to a “shoot from the stump of Jesse.” Jesse was the father of King David. The stump refers to the line of David being cut back during the Babylonian Exile. These verses describe the attributes of the King who is to come. Those three pairs of attributes, in which later scholars substitute piety for “Fear of the LORD”, are a listing of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. The prophet, in this passage, sees the return of the messianic King, predicting that the messiah will come from King David’s line and will ultimately bring great peace. The term used “…on all my holy mountain;” indicates this peace is for all the faithful, not just those in Jerusalem.
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 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.
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.
He shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.
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, 7-8, 12-13, 17
Psalm 72 is one of the Royal Psalms. In this selection we hear an echo of the justice and peace of the King’s rule that is reiterated in Isaiah’s prophecy above.
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Gospel: Luke 10:21-24
Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said,
“I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to the childlike.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows who the Son is except the Father,
and who the Father is except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”
Turning to the disciples in private he said,
“Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.
For I say to you,
many prophets and kings desired to see what you see,
but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”
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Commentary on Lk 10:21-24
Earlier in this chapter of St. Luke’s Gospel, Jesus sent out the seventy (two). Just prior to this selection, they returned and reported great success in doing what the Lord asked of them. We are given in today’s passage his prayer of thanks to the Father The Lord gives thanks that God has seen fit to reveal his identity and pass on his power to these disciples of his. It is reiterated that the Kingdom of God shall be revealed to the childlike (see also Luke 8:10) and turning to his disciples, he tells them that the victory they are witnessing is the Good News hoped for by prophets and kings throughout history.
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Reflection:
As the Prophet Isaiah enumerates for us the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit in his oracle, we hear the Gospel of Luke extol one of those gifts – the gift of Wisdom. He tells his disciples “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.” What was it that they saw that caused Jesus to praise God for giving the gift Wisdom to his friends? It was the knowledge that Jesus was the Messiah whose coming was foretold. It was he who gave them authority and told them to “cure the sick in it and say to them, 'The kingdom of God is at hand for you.'” (Luke 10:9) He told the seventy (two) this as he sent them out. He listened as they came back singing of their success. Had they not believed and understood his identity as being the prophesied shoot sprouted from “the stump of Jesse” – from the line of King David – the Messiah, they could not have done what they did nor had the success they reported. Just as St. Andrew had told his brother Simon [Peter] (John 1:37-40), they too had found the Messiah.
The gift of Wisdom had been given and the word of God had begun to spread. The Lord rejoices in this event. He rejoices because of his love for all those on God’s “holy mountain”. It was for all people that he had come and it was passed to those with Wisdom, the knowledge of God’s will, to pass on this joyous news, this revelation.
Ah, one might say – here then is the message for us. If Jesus, the Savior of the world, was overjoyed, praising God his Father, for giving the disciples the gift of Wisdom and the subsequent sharing of it, how much more will he look to us, also recipients of that gift, to spread that message during our Advent season? Indeed, we have all seen how the modern world takes hold of our Christian celebration. They would dilute its holiness, subvert its meaning. The secular world would have it become an excuse for over-indulgence and greed.
Today in the Gospel the Lord rejoices because God’s gift of Wisdom was given to his disciples. That Wisdom was also given to us, first in our Baptism and then sealed in Confirmation. We are called to take the good news into the world and announce that God’s love for us is so great that he sacrificed his only Son for our salvation and promised that he would come again, as he promised, to rescue all the faithful from sin and darkness. We ask God on this day to give us the strength to announce this message to all we meet, rejoicing in our success along with Jesus.
Pax
[1] ALTRE[2] The picture is “Tree of Jesse” by Jan Mostaert, c. 1500
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.
Saint Andrew, Apostle Feast
Biographical Information about St. Andrew
Readings for the Feast of Saint Andrew[1][2]Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading 1: Romans 10:9-18
Brothers and sisters:
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord
and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved.
For one believes with the heart and so is justified,
and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.
The Scripture says,
No one who believes in him will be put to shame.
There is no distinction between Jew and Greek;
the same Lord is Lord of all,
enriching all who call upon him.
For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
But how can they call on him in whom they have not believed?
And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard?
And how can they hear without someone to preach?
And how can people preach unless they are sent?
As it is written,
How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news!
But not everyone has heeded the good news;
for Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed what was heard from us?
Thus faith comes from what is heard,
and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.
But I ask, did they not hear?
Certainly they did; for
Their voice has gone forth to all the earth,
and their words to the ends of the world.
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Commentary on Rom 10:9-18
As part of his dialogue regarding why the Jews had failed in their mission, St. Paul calls upon the Roman Christians to profess their belief that Jesus is the Son of God, divine in his own person. The Jewish converts could not say the name of God but referred instead to Yahweh as “Lord”. By asking the Christians to “…confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord“, they professed their belief in his divinity and what flowed from that profession was justification (to be made just as if one had not sinned). In justification is salvation since the physical act of confessing with the lips must come from an interior faith from the heart.
The Evangelist continues his call to faith explaining that this path to salvation is open to all peoples (“There is no distinction between Jew and Greek."). This invitation does not have any prerequisites (i.e. one does not have to have come to belief through Judaism) to be unified in Christ paraphrasing Isaiah 28:16.
In the next section (v. 14-21) St. Paul poses questions as to why the Jewish people forfeited their status as favorites in the eyes of God. Perhaps there were reasons which he rhetorically proposes and then rejects; did they not hear; did they not understand? To the question; have they not heard? St. Paul responds quoting Psalm 19:5, which concludes this passage.
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 11
R. (10) The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. (John 6:63) Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
They are more precious than gold,
than a heap of purest gold;
Sweeter also than syrup
or honey from the comb.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
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Commentary on Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11
Psalm 19 is a hymn of praise. In this passage we give praise to God’s gift of the Law which guides us in our daily lives. The hymn also extols the virtue of obedience and steadfastness to the Law and its precepts.
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Gospel: Matthew 4:18-22
As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers,
Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew,
casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen.
He said to them,
“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
At once they left their nets and followed him.
He walked along from there and saw two other brothers,
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.
They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets.
He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father
and followed him.
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Commentary on Mt 4:18-22
This passage is the account in St. Matthew’s Gospel of the call of the first disciples. Ironically the notes on this section point out that three of the four called, Peter, James, and John, are distinguished by a particular closeness to Jesus. The reason that Matthew’s account indicates the disciples left work and family immediately without any explanation may be due in part to Andrew’s earlier encounter with Jesus as a disciple of John the Baptist (John 1:40)
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Reflection:
What would the world be like if St. Andrew had not become a disciple of St. John the Baptist? We don’t know what called him to follow the Voice, to become a member of that close circle of devout followers. But we do that if the Apostle had not, he would never have been sent, as tradition holds, with his companion to ask Jesus if he was the one to come or if they should expect someone else.
If he had not gone to the Lord and heard those words “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.” (Luke 7:22). Those words had meaning beyond the obvious. While indeed the blind, the lame, and deaf were healed, those events were a direct reference to the prophesy of Isaiah (Isaiah 61:1).
And what did St. Andrew do? He returned to the Baptist and then, perhaps taking St. John’s own mission to the next level went immediately to his brother (John 1:37-40). The words he spoke echo through the thousands of years that have passed. They are graven in the heart of every Christian who has ever come to faith; "We have found the Messiah"
From that point forward that profession of faith made by and to the brother of the one who would be given the Keys to the Kingdom would shape the whole world. From St. Peter and those first four disciples would be added eight more, including the one who betrayed him. From them the Gospel of the Lord would travel to every part of the world. It began with a simple statement of faith - "We have found the Messiah"
Today as we celebrate the feast day of St. Andrew, we thank God for the gift of faith; the faith he gave St. Andrew and all the Apostles and the faith he gives us. We ask on this day that St. Andrew will intercede for us and the one he found will bless us with an abundance of faith so that we in our turn may announce it to the world - "We have found the Messiah"
Pax
[1] ALTRE[2] The picture is “Apostle St. Andrew” by El Greco, 1610-14
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.
First Sunday of Advent
Readings for the First Sunday of Advent[1][2]Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading 1: Jeremiah 33:14-16
The days are coming, says the LORD,
when I will fulfill the promise
I made to the house of Israel and Judah.
In those days, in that time,
I will raise up for David a just shoot ;
he shall do what is right and just in the land.
In those days Judah shall be safe
and Jerusalem shall dwell secure;
this is what they shall call her:
“The LORD our justice.”
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Commentary on Jer 33:14-16
Jeremiah predicts the continuation of the dynasty of King David (“I will raise up for David a just shoot”) in fulfillment of the promise made (the prophecy of Nathan in 2 Sam 7:11-16) To contemporaries of the period this would have announced the restoration of Judah and Jerusalem. This selection is the second time the Prophet has predicted the coming of the Messiah; the first being in Jeremiah 23:5-6. This prediction, fulfilled in Jesus, is one reason so much stress is laid on Jesus’ genealogy.
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14
R. (1b) To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.
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,
and for you I wait all the day.
R. To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.
Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
and teaches the humble his way.
R. To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.
All the paths of the LORD are kindness and constancy
toward those who keep his covenant and his decrees.
The friendship of the LORD is with those who fear him,
and his covenant, for their instruction.
R. To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.
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Commentary on Ps 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14
In this hymn of thanksgiving we hear the petition we have all made many times. In paraphrase it is “God tell me what you want me to do. Tell me how to follow you.” It goes on to say how blessed are those who have found that path.
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Reading II: 1 Thessalonians 3:12—4:2
Brothers and sisters:
May the Lord make you increase and abound in love
for one another and for all,
just as we have for you,
so as to strengthen your hearts,
to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father
at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones. Amen.
Finally, brothers and sisters,
we earnestly ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that,
as you received from us
how you should conduct yourselves to please God
Cand as you are conducting yourselves
you do so even more.
For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
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Commentary on 1 Thes 3:12—4:2
St. Paul speaks to the Thessalonians about encouraging their already fervent love for on another and the Lord. He has warned them earlier that they will be facing resistance and that it is now necessary to strengthen themselves for what is to come.
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Gospel: Luke 21:25-28, 34-36
Jesus said to his disciples:
“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars,
and on earth nations will be in dismay,
perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves.
People will die of fright
in anticipation of what is coming upon the world,
for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
And then they will see the Son of Man
coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
But when these signs begin to happen,
stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand.
“Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy
from carousing and drunkenness
and the anxieties of daily life,
and that day catch you by surprise like a trap.
For that day will assault everyone
who lives on the face of the earth.
Be vigilant at all times
and pray that you have the strength
to escape the tribulations that are imminent
and to stand before the Son of Man.”
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Commentary on Lk 21:25-28, 34-36
Jesus again finds it necessary to remind his disciples not to become complacent in their practice of the faith. It is one of his sternest warnings that the end will come without notice and judgment will be immediate. This same Gospel reading concluded the Liturgical Year, having been used only yesterday (Saturday of the 34th Week in Ordinary Time) and is used again to begin the Advent season. This duel use emphasizes that we celebrate not only the coming of Christ in his nativity but look forward to his second coming in Glory.
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Reflection:
We do not preach only one coming of Christ, but a second as well, much more glorious than the first. The first coming was marked by patience; the second will bring the crown of a divine kingdom.
In general, what relates to our Lord Jesus Christ has two aspects. There is a birth from God before the ages, and a birth from a virgin at the fullness of time. There is a hidden coming, like that of rain on fleece, and a coming before all eyes, still in the future.
At the first coming he was wrapped in swaddling clothes in a manger. At his second coming he will be clothed in light as in a garment. In the first coming he endured the cross, despising the shame; in the second coming he will be in glory, escorted by an army of angels.
We look then beyond the first coming and await the second. At the first coming we said: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. At the second we shall say it again; we shall go out with the angels to meet the Lord and cry out in adoration: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. (From the Catechetical Lectures of St. Cyril of Jerusalem)
We have marveled before that for all of our reflection and prayer; for all of our questioning and study, we find that in the millennia since Christ waked the earth as man, others, graciously endowed with the gift of faith have reflected more deeply and expressed more clearly the ideals the Lord saw fit to impart. In this case we have offered the words of St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Bishop and Doctor of the Church who served us until his death in 386 AD.
St. Cyril reminds us, as does the Gospel from St. Luke that the Kingdom of God has not yet been fulfilled and while we most commonly use this Advent season to anticipate the triumph of the manger, we need also to be vigilant in our faith as the Lord’s second coming needs to find us diligent in our faith.
We will be reminded of the key figures of Christ’s life on earth in the coming weeks; the Lord’s cousin and herald– St. John the Baptist, St. Mary- virgin and mother, St. Joseph – the Lord’s foster father and servant of God. All these chosen ones played their part in bringing God’s plan forward as the Son of God comes into the world the first time as man, the gift and sacrifice that makes us whole.
This Advent season is also a time for us to recall that we are called to continue their work, advancing God’s Kingdom on earth in anticipation of the second part of the Lord’s promise “And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”
Our prayer then is this – that we may make this Advent season one in which we are devoted to the Lord’s work and plan – the plan God was pleased to decree in Christ before the world began. May we be blessed for our efforts when he comes again in glory.
Pax
[1] ALTRE[2] The picture is “Holy Family with the Infant St John The Baptist” by Francesco de Mura, 1760s
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.
Saturday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Readings for Saturday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time[1][2]Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading 1: Daniel 7:15-27
I, Daniel, found my spirit anguished within its covering of flesh,
and I was terrified by the visions of my mind.
I approached one of those present
and asked him what all this meant in truth;
in answer, he made known to me the meaning of the things:
“These four great beasts stand for four kingdoms
which shall arise on the earth.
But the holy ones of the Most High shall receive the kingship,
to possess it forever and ever.”
But I wished to make certain about the fourth beast,
so very terrible and different from the others,
devouring and crushing with its iron teeth and bronze claws,
and trampling with its feet what was left;
about the ten horns on its head, and the other one that sprang up,
before which three horns fell;
about the horn with the eyes and the mouth that spoke arrogantly,
which appeared greater than its fellows.
For, as I watched, that horn made war against the holy ones
and was victorious until the Ancient One arrived;
judgment was pronounced in favor of the holy ones of the Most High,
and the time came when the holy ones possessed the kingdom.
He answered me thus:
“The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on earth
different from all the others;
It shall devour the whole earth,
beat it down, and crush it.
The ten horns shall be ten kings
rising out of that kingdom;
another shall rise up after them,
Different from those before him,
who shall lay low three kings.
He shall speak against the Most High
and oppress the holy ones of the Most High,
thinking to change the feast days and the law.
They shall be handed over to him
for a year, two years, and a half-year.
But when the court is convened,
and his power is taken away
by final and absolute destruction,
Then the kingship and dominion and majesty
of all the kingdoms under the heavens
shall be given to the holy people of the Most High,
Whose Kingdom shall be everlasting:
all dominions shall serve and obey him.”
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Commentary on Dn 7:15-27
This selection from the Book of Daniel contains the interpretation of his dream which was described in the first fifteen verses of this chapter. Much of this imagery is consistent with but had different means from what was later used by St. John in his Revelations.
The four kingdoms were those described in Daniel 2:36-45 in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. They represent the Babylonian (gold), the Median (silver), the Persian (bronze), and the Hellenistic (iron). The image of the final kingdom is interpreted in St. John’s Revelation as being the Roman Empire, in this instance it refers to Alexander’s kingdom.
“Alexander's empire was different from all the others in that it was Western rather than Oriental in inspiration. The ten horns represent the kings of the Seleucid dynasty, the only part of the Hellenistic empire that concerned the author. The little horn is Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175-163 B.C.), the worst of the Seleucid kings, who usurped the throne.”[4]
The reference to the persecutions of the holy ones by the “fourth beast” points at Antiochus IV. He attempted to force the Jews to give up their customs and adopt Hellenistic traditions (1 Maccabees 1:33-34). The Ancient One in this setting refers to God the Father; we might also interpret these remarks prophetically referring also the Christ, the Son, eternally begotten of the Father. In the final verses, heavenly court is convened and God’s eternal reign is promised.
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Responsorial Psalm: Daniel 3:82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“You sons of men, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“O Israel, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Priests of the Lord, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Servants of the Lord, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Holy men of humble heart, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
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Commentary on Dn 3:82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87
The selection from Daniel used as a Psalm Response is once more take from the chant of by Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. This long hymn of praise (from verse 24 to verse 90) is used extensively in the Liturgy of the Hours on Feasts and High Holy Days as our united song of praise to the Father. This is the sixth and final section used in this sequence.
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Gospel: Luke 21:34-36
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy
from carousing and drunkenness
and the anxieties of daily life,
and that day catch you by surprise like a trap.
For that day will assault everyone
who lives on the face of the earth.
Be vigilant at all times
and pray that you have the strength
to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.”
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Commentary on Lk 21:34-36
Jesus again finds it necessary to remind his disciples not to become complacent in their practice of the faith. It is one of his sternest warnings that the end will come without notice and judgment will be immediate.
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Reflection:
On this last day of the liturgical year please forgive me as I preach to myself. The great danger all of us who are very fervent in our faith as Christians face is that the practice of that faith becomes an end in itself. That is, we fall into the trap the Pharisees fell into where the rigor we apply to insuring we are true to our traditions [and rubrics] becomes an object of pride. Or we have given so much to trying to follow God’s word that the acts of charity we have obligated ourselves to have begun to seem like a job rather than a joyful sacrifice to Him who has given us everything.
When we begin embracing the practice of our faith or obsessing on some part of our ministry for the sake of that ministry something very important is lost Рwe stop being present to God. That may sound clich̩, but it simply means we have become so self-involved that the spirit is no longer being considered, only the activity.
Let’s look at this time of year from a secular perspective as our extreme example. These past few days in the United States are the busiest shopping days of the year. The malls and shops are packed with people shopping for gifts – looking for bargains so that on Christmas morning (whether they are Christian or not) they might have that special gift (at the best possible price) for a friend or family member. For many who were out at 4:00 AM on Friday morning it was the act of shopping that was the object of attraction – not the love of the person for whom they were buying (although in many cases they were shopping for themselves so that does break down a little). Does that not happen to us as well? Does the act of worship become more important than the object of our worship?
There are different ways of becoming complacent about our faith. We can make prayer a rote activity we have pledged to do and we can take for granted that we will go to Mass. We may even take pride in a perfect act of contrition or in the fact that we visited twenty six infirmed people in one week. We must step back and ask ourselves – but are we present to Christ in these activities? For whom did we do these things?
Tomorrow we begin our Advent season and look joyfully to the Nativity of Jesus the Christ. Let us pledge to make this season one in which we re-establish our unity with Christ in worship and join him in our humble praise of our Heavenly Father, who sent us such a gift.
Pax
[1] ALTRE[2] The picture is “Heavenly Charity” by Simon Vouet, c. 1640
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.
[4] See NAB footnote on Daniel 7:7-8
Friday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Readings for Friday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time[1][2]Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading 1: Daniel 7:2-14
In a vision I, Daniel, saw during the night,
the four winds of heaven stirred up the great sea,
from which emerged four immense beasts,
each different from the others.
The first was like a lion, but with eagle’s wings.
While I watched, the wings were plucked;
it was raised from the ground to stand on two feet
like a man, and given a human mind.
The second was like a bear; it was raised up on one side,
and among the teeth in its mouth were three tusks.
It was given the order, “Up, devour much flesh.”
After this I looked and saw another beast, like a leopard;
on its back were four wings like those of a bird,
and it had four heads.
To this beast dominion was given.
After this, in the visions of the night I saw the fourth beast,
different from all the others,
terrifying, horrible, and of extraordinary strength;
it had great iron teeth with which it devoured and crushed,
and what was left it trampled with its feet.
I was considering the ten horns it had,
when suddenly another, a little horn, sprang out of their midst,
and three of the previous horns were torn away to make room for it.
This horn had eyes like a man,
and a mouth that spoke arrogantly.
As I watched,
Thrones were set up
and the Ancient One took his throne.
His clothing was snow bright,
and the hair on his head as white as wool;
His throne was flames of fire,
with wheels of burning fire.
A surging stream of fire
flowed out from where he sat;
Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him,
and myriads upon myriads attended him.
The court was convened, and the books were opened.
I watched, then, from the first of the arrogant words
which the horn spoke, until the beast was slain
and its body thrown into the fire to be burnt up.
The other beasts, which also lost their dominion,
were granted a prolongation of life for a time and a season.
As the visions during the night continued, I saw
One like a son of man coming,
on the clouds of heaven;
When he reached the Ancient One
and was presented before him,
He received dominion, glory, and kingship;
nations and peoples of every language serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that shall not be taken away,
his kingship shall not be destroyed.
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Commentary on Dn 7:2-14
This selection from the Book of Daniel, Daniel’s dream is the first of four apocalyptic visions presented. Scripture scholars agree that the vision of the four beasts represents four successive pagan empires; the Babylonians, the Medes, the Persians, and the Greeks. These kingdoms are represented by different metals (see Daniel 2) and the numeric value of the horns represents the numbers of rulers in the various kingdoms.
The last horn of the fourth beast, the final ruler (…a little horn, sprang out of their midst) is considered to be Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the final Greek ruler who persecuted the Hebrews before that kingdom collapsed (see 1 Maccabees 1:41-64). The vision of the heavenly court that follows describes how two of the beasts (the Medes and the Persians, now greatly diminished) are allowed to survive for a period. The coming of the Messianic King (“One like a son of man coming, on the clouds of heaven”) comes from above were the four beasts came from below. This kingdom is established for all eternity “…his kingship shall not be destroyed.”
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Responsorial Psalm: Daniel 3:75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!
“Mountains and hills, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!
“Everything growing from the earth, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!
“You springs, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!
“Seas and rivers, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!
“You dolphins and all water creatures, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!
“All you birds of the air, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!
“All you beasts, wild and tame, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!
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Commentary on Dn 3:75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81
The selection from Daniel used as a Psalm Response is once more take from the chant of by Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. This long hymn of praise (from verse 24 to verse 90) is used extensively in the Liturgy of the Hours on Feasts and High Holy Days as our united song of praise to the Father. (This is the fifth section from this song used on successive days.)
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Gospel: Luke 21:29-33
Jesus told his disciples a parable.
“Consider the fig tree and all the other trees.
When their buds burst open,
you see for yourselves and know that summer is now near;
in the same way, when you see these things happening,
know that the Kingdom of God is near.
Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away
until all these things have taken place.
Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will not pass away.”
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Commentary on Lk 21:29-33
As part of his discourse on the destruction of Jerusalem, St. Luke’s Gospel gives us the Parable of the Fig Tree (see also Mark 13:28-32 and Matthew 24:32-35). In Palestine nothing looks as dead in the winter as a Fig Tree, however, in spring they bloom to new life (see also Joel 2:22). This imagery is seen at two levels. First the Lord himself must undergo his passion before taking his place at the right hand of the Father. Second, more prophetically, the Christian community must also undergo trials before coming to its own spring-time of rebirth; alluding to the persecutions to come.
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Reflection:
One of the greatest barriers to manned interplanetary travel is the fact that when exposed to weightlessness, the human body looses bone mass at an alarming rate. Astronauts who serve 6 months at the international space station expect to loose ten percent of their bone density in that time. When they come back, they must go through rigorous rehabilitation to recover from these effects in spite of the fact that they work out every day when they are off-world.
Why is this? It is because gravity is absent. That lack of resistance tells the body it does not need all that structural support so it erodes as do the muscles that drive them. In the Gospel, the Parable of the Fig Tree does not speak to this phenomenon but it does prove the same point. When we as Christians are not challenged; when we simply take for granted that our faith is unopposed, it erodes just like bone density in an astronaut.
The worst part of that erosion is we may not notice it until we really need that strength of faith. When we reach out for those reserves of strength that flow from faith and find that they have been depleted we may find ourselves in real trouble. It is for this reason that we should rejoice when we are persecuted and thank those who challenge our beliefs. We recently took a fairly hard shot at the ACLU (see yesterdays post). Given that they challenge Christians in a society that is very pro-Christian, they provide a valuable service. They make sure we do not become complacent and find our faith weakened to a point of non-existence.
As we think about all of the visions we are given in scripture of the trials and persecutions the Church and its Hebrew ancestors underwent, let us thank God for that resistance; it gave us strength. As we recall the lives of martyrs, we give thanks to God because they showed us how to endure the trials that may come. The Lord tells us in parable that a grain of wheat must fall to the ground and die if it is to have new life. Let us accept the trials that come our way; welcoming them as a chance to exercise our faith and grow stronger in it.
Pax
[1] ALTRE[2] The picture is “The Vision of Daniel” (detail) by Willem Drost, 1650
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.
Thursday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Thanksgiving (Dioceses of the United States)
Alternate Readings for the celebration Thanksgiving
Readings for Thursday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading 1: Daniel 6:12-28
Some men rushed into the upper chamber of Daniel’s home
and found him praying and pleading before his God.
Then they went to remind the king about the prohibition:
“Did you not decree, O king,
that no one is to address a petition to god or man
for thirty days, except to you, O king;
otherwise he shall be cast into a den of lions?”
The king answered them, “The decree is absolute,
irrevocable under the Mede and Persian law.”
To this they replied, “Daniel, the Jewish exile,
has paid no attention to you, O king,
or to the decree you issued;
three times a day he offers his prayer.”
The king was deeply grieved at this news
and he made up his mind to save Daniel;
he worked till sunset to rescue him.
But these men insisted.
They said, “Keep in mind, O king,
that under the Mede and Persian law
every royal prohibition or decree is irrevocable.”
So the king ordered Daniel to be brought and cast into the lions’ den.
To Daniel he said,
“May your God, whom you serve so constantly, save you.”
To forestall any tampering,
the king sealed with his own ring and the rings of the lords
the stone that had been brought to block the opening of the den.
Then the king returned to his palace for the night;
he refused to eat and he dismissed the entertainers.
Since sleep was impossible for him,
the king rose very early the next morning
and hastened to the lions’ den.
As he drew near, he cried out to Daniel sorrowfully,
“O Daniel, servant of the living God,
has the God whom you serve so constantly
been able to save you from the lions?”
Daniel answered the king: “O king, live forever!
My God has sent his angel and closed the lions’ mouths
so that they have not hurt me.
For I have been found innocent before him;
neither to you have I done any harm, O king!”
This gave the king great joy.
At his order Daniel was removed from the den,
unhurt because he trusted in his God.
The king then ordered the men who had accused Daniel,
along with their children and their wives,
to be cast into the lions’ den.
Before they reached the bottom of the den,
the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.
Then King Darius wrote to the nations and peoples of every language,
wherever they dwell on the earth: “All peace to you!
I decree that throughout my royal domain
the God of Daniel is to be reverenced and feared:
“For he is the living God, enduring forever;
his Kingdom shall not be destroyed,
and his dominion shall be without end.
He is a deliverer and savior,
working signs and wonders in heaven and on earth,
and he delivered Daniel from the lions’ power.”
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Commentary on Dn 6:12-28
The story of Daniel in the Lions’ Den is one of the great tales from the Old Testament. We find the moral compelling; Daniel’s faithfulness to God and his refusal to abandon his faith and pray to King Darius is rewarded by God. Daniel is thrown into a deep pit where lions are kept. The pit is sealed so he cannot escape. The king is amazed at Daniel’s salvation through an angel of the Lord who came to seal the jaws of the lions so no harm would come to him. So miraculous was this salvific event that the King proclaimed that only the Lord is God and he alone should be worshiped throughout the kingdoms of Mede and Persia.
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Responsorial Psalm: Daniel 3:68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74
R. (59b) Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Dew and rain, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Frost and chill, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Ice and snow, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Nights and days, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Light and darkness, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Let the earth bless the Lord,
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
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Commentary on Dn 3:68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74
The selection from Daniel used as a Psalm Response is once more take from the chant of by Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. This long hymn of praise (from verse 24 to verse 90) is used extensively in the Liturgy of the Hours on Feasts and High Holy Days as our united song of praise to the Father
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Gospel: Luke 21:20-28
Jesus said to his disciples:
“When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies,
know that its desolation is at hand.
Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains.
Let those within the city escape from it,
and let those in the countryside not enter the city,
for these days are the time of punishment
when all the Scriptures are fulfilled.
Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days,
for a terrible calamity will come upon the earth
and a wrathful judgment upon this people.
They will fall by the edge of the sword
and be taken as captives to all the Gentiles;
and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles
until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars,
and on earth nations will be in dismay,
perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves.
People will die of fright
in anticipation of what is coming upon the world,
for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
And then they will see the Son of Man
coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
But when these signs begin to happen,
stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand.”
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Commentary on Lk 21:20-28
The apocalyptic discourse continues in St. Luke’s Gospel. The first part of this section deals with the destruction of Jerusalem (which actually took place in 70 AD). Since this event took place before the Gospel was published, Luke and his community look back upon the event. This provides the assurance that, just as Jesus' prediction of Jerusalem's destruction was fulfilled, so too will be his announcement of their final redemption
The second part of the reading provides a description of the actual events of the end times. The Lord assures his disciples that he will return and those who follow him should not be afraid, even as the terrible signs manifest themselves upon the earth.
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Reflection:
Daniel’s faithfulness and Jesus’ assurance that those of us who are faithful will find redemption in him provide the framework for our thoughts today. How can we not be attracted to the story and example of Daniel at this time of year? The analogy is so apt.
Let’s set Daniel’s story in contemporary times: Daniel was a faithful Christian but was ordered by civil mandate that he must refrain from any mention of his God or faith publicly. One Christmas he decided he would erect a manger scene in his front yard. Some members of his community association ran immediately to the ACLU (Americans for Civil Liberties Union) and demanded that they sue Daniel for violating this mandate.
The Judge did not want to try the case because Daniel was a well respected member of the community and he (the Judge) too was a Christian (although a secret one for fear of the ACLU). Because the rules said so he was forced to bring the case to trial. The attorney for the ACLU roared like a lion. “How dare Daniel insult the non-Christians by erecting the despicable symbol of a post natal family gathering in a farm yard in his front yard, against the rules of his community association?”
But during deliberations, an angel of the Lord came (invisibly) to the jury and influenced them to find that the rules did not prohibit the display of religious symbols. So impressed were the members of the Daniel’s community that a proclamation went out throughout the neighborhood and all of the Christians decorated their yards and put up Christmas trees and God saw all this and thought it was good.
Pax
[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture is “Daniel in the Lion’s Den” by Pieter Pauwel Rubens, 1615
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.
Wednesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Saint Catherine of Alexandria, Virgin, Martyr
Alternate Readings for the Memorial of St. Catherine of Alexandria
may be taken from the Common of Virgins or the Common of Martyrs
Biographical Information about St. Catherine of Alexandria
Readings for Wednesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time[1][2]Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading 1: Daniel 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28
King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his lords,
with whom he drank.
Under the influence of the wine,
he ordered the gold and silver vessels
which Nebuchadnezzar, his father,
had taken from the temple in Jerusalem,
to be brought in so that the king, his lords,
his wives and his entertainers might drink from them.
When the gold and silver vessels
taken from the house of God in Jerusalem had been brought in,
and while the king, his lords, his wives and his entertainers
were drinking wine from them,
they praised their gods of gold and silver,
bronze and iron, wood and stone.
Suddenly, opposite the lampstand,
the fingers of a human hand appeared,
writing on the plaster of the wall in the king’s palace.
When the king saw the wrist and hand that wrote, his face blanched;
his thoughts terrified him, his hip joints shook,
and his knees knocked.
Then Daniel was brought into the presence of the king.
The king asked him, “Are you the Daniel, the Jewish exile,
whom my father, the king, brought from Judah?
I have heard that the Spirit of God is in you,
that you possess brilliant knowledge and extraordinary wisdom.
I have heard that you can interpret dreams and solve difficulties;
if you are able to read the writing and tell me what it means,
you shall be clothed in purple,
wear a gold collar about your neck,
and be third in the government of the kingdom.”
Daniel answered the king:
“You may keep your gifts, or give your presents to someone else;
but the writing I will read for you, O king,
and tell you what it means.
You have rebelled against the Lord of heaven.
You had the vessels of his temple brought before you,
so that you and your nobles, your wives and your entertainers,
might drink wine from them;
and you praised the gods of silver and gold,
bronze and iron, wood and stone,
that neither see nor hear nor have intelligence.
But the God in whose hand is your life breath
and the whole course of your life, you did not glorify.
By him were the wrist and hand sent, and the writing set down.
“This is the writing that was inscribed:
MENE, TEKEL, and PERES.
These words mean:
MENE, God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it;
TEKEL, you have been weighed on the scales and found wanting;
PERES, your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”
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Commentary on Dn 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28
In this reading from the Book of Daniel the son of Nebuchadnezzar (actually a crown prince), Belshazzar profanes the spoils of the Temple in Jerusalem at a huge party. In the midst of their revelry the vision of a hand writes words on the wall that none of the court scholars or wise men can interpret. At that point, Daniel is brought in and offered a huge reward to interpret the writing. He declines the reward and tells the prince how the words are interpreted.
The words written, Mene, Tekel, and Peres, according to scholars are Aramaic names for weights and monetary values: “the mina, the shekel (the sixtieth part of a mina), and the parsu (a half-mina).” Daniel’s interpretation plays on these words. “Mene, (is) connected with the verb meaning to number; Tekel, with the verb meaning to weigh; Peres, with the verb meaning to divide. There is also a play on the last term with the word for Persians.”[4]
The underlying meaning we take from this story is the vision of the God of Justice who, in the eyes of the faithful, rejects those who reject him and structures built upon such greed will not stand. In the full text of this chapter this meaning is punctuated by the death of Belshazzar who is slain the night of the party.
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Responsorial Psalm: Daniel 3:62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67
R. (59b) Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Sun and moon, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Stars of heaven, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Every shower and dew, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“All you winds, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Fire and heat, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Cold and chill, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
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Commentary on Dn 3:62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67
The selection from Daniel used as a Psalm Response is once more take from the chant of by Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. This long hymn of praise (from verse 24 to verse 90) is used extensively in the Liturgy of the Hours on Feasts and High Holy Days as our united song of praise to the Father
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Gospel: Luke 21:12-19
Jesus said to the crowd:
“They will seize and persecute you,
they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons,
and they will have you led before kings and governors
because of my name.
It will lead to your giving testimony.
Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand,
for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking
that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.
You will even be handed over by parents,
brothers, relatives, and friends,
and they will put some of you to death.
You will be hated by all because of my name,
but not a hair on your head will be destroyed.
By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”
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Commentary on Lk 21:12-19
The apocalyptic discourse from St. Luke’s Gospel continues as Jesus who has just predicted the destruction of Jerusalem now tells the crowd that this does not mean the end time has come. He predicts the great persecutions that indeed take place. The subject of how the Gospel message will divide families is once more brought in as the Lord informs those present that the persecution will take place within families as well as society at large. The passage concludes with a restatement of the promise of salvation for those who remain faithful; “By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”
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Reflection:
The lesson we take away from these scripture selections must be that the foundation of whatever we build must be securely grounded in our faith values. If we examine what has transpired in the readings from Daniel we see a clear picture unfolding. King Nebuchadnezzar is seen by the early Hebrews as being a destructive force “allowed” to capture and sack Jerusalem and the Temple. Essentially, he is viewed as a punishment for the faithlessness of the people.
His actions, in the view of the authors of Daniel, go too far. The spoils of the Temple of Jerusalem are taken to the king’s son Belshazzar who profanes them by using the Temple’s sacred vessels to toast the graven images worshiped by the Babylonians. God’s hand writes the doom of this kingdom on the wall of the hall in which the celebratory party is being held. Daniel’s interpretation is seen as the judgment of God upon those who hedonistically trample the sacred underfoot for human profit. The Hebrew vision of the God of Justice is fulfilled quickly as this story ends with the death of Belshazzar that very evening, validating the truth Daniel’s interpretation.
The moral we take away from this story is tempered by the New Covenant. When the Lord came, he showed us a new vision of God. Indeed, that was a major purpose in His coming. He revealed a Father who is loving and merciful. Through our new understanding we see Nebuchadnezzar as a godless barbarian whose cruelty and debauchery earned him the rewards of what was sown as do all the servants of the Evil One. But the lesson is not lost on us. We see how important it is to stay firmly grounded in Christ. If we fall prey to human weakness and profane that which is holy, we too walk in the steps of those who tread in darkness.
Today our prayer is that all we accomplish may be held up for God’s greater glory and that with great care, we will keep all that is sacred and holy safe from the poison of sin.
Pax
[1] ALTRE[2] The picture is “Belshazzar's Feast” by Harmenszoon van Rijn Rembrandt, 1635
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.
[4] See NAB footnote on Daniel 5:25
Memorial of Saint Andrew Dung-Lac, Priest and Martyr,
and his Companions, Martyrs
Biographical Information about St. Andrew Dung-Lac and his companions, Martyrs
Alternate readings for this memorial
may be taken from the Common of Martyrs
Readings for Tuesday of the Thirty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time[1][2]Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading 1: Daniel 2:31-45
Daniel said to Nebuchadnezzar:
“In your vision, O king, you saw a statue,
very large and exceedingly bright,
terrifying in appearance as it stood before you.
The head of the statue was pure gold,
its chest and arms were silver,
its belly and thighs bronze, the legs iron,
its feet partly iron and partly tile.
While you looked at the statue,
a stone which was hewn from a mountain
without a hand being put to it,
struck its iron and tile feet, breaking them in pieces.
The iron, tile, bronze, silver, and gold all crumbled at once,
fine as the chaff on the threshing floor in summer,
and the wind blew them away without leaving a trace.
But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain
and filled the whole earth.
“This was the dream;
the interpretation we shall also give in the king’s presence.
You, O king, are the king of kings;
to you the God of heaven
has given dominion and strength, power and glory;
men, wild beasts, and birds of the air, wherever they may dwell,
he has handed over to you, making you ruler over them all;
you are the head of gold.
Another kingdom shall take your place, inferior to yours,
then a third kingdom, of bronze,
which shall rule over the whole earth.
There shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron;
it shall break in pieces and subdue all these others,
just as iron breaks in pieces and crushes everything else.
The feet and toes you saw, partly of potter’s tile and partly of iron,
mean that it shall be a divided kingdom,
but yet have some of the hardness of iron.
As you saw the iron mixed with clay tile,
and the toes partly iron and partly tile,
the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile.
The iron mixed with clay tile
means that they shall seal their alliances by intermarriage,
but they shall not stay united, any more than iron mixes with clay.
In the lifetime of those kings
the God of heaven will set up a kingdom
that shall never be destroyed or delivered up to another people;
rather, it shall break in pieces all these kingdoms
and put an end to them, and it shall stand forever.
That is the meaning of the stone you saw hewn from the mountain
without a hand being put to it,
which broke in pieces the tile, iron, bronze, silver, and gold.
The great God has revealed to the king what shall be in the future;
this is exactly what you dreamed, and its meaning is sure.”
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Commentary on Dn 2:31-45
In this selection, Daniel interprets the dream of King Nebuchadnezzar. “The four successive kingdoms in this apocalyptic perspective are the Babylonian (gold), the Median (silver), the Persian (bronze), and the Hellenistic (iron). The last, after Alexander's death, was divided among his generals (Daniel 2:41-42). The two resulting kingdoms, which most affected the Jews, were the dynasty of the Ptolemies in Egypt and that of the Seleucids in Syria, who tried in vain, by war and through intermarriage, to restore the unity of Alexander's empire (Daniel 2:43). The stone hewn from the mountain is the messianic kingdom awaited by the Jews (Daniel 2:44-45). Our Lord made this image personal to himself; cf Luke 20:17-18.”[4] For the faithful, the supreme authority of God over all civil and political rulers is the moral of this vision.
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Responsorial Psalm: Daniel 3:57, 58, 59, 60, 61
R. (59b) Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord,
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord,
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“You heavens, bless the Lord,
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“All you waters above the heavens, bless the Lord,
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“All you hosts of the Lord, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
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Commentary on Dn 3:57, 58, 59, 60, 61
The selection from Daniel used as a Psalm Response is once more take from the chant of by Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. This long hymn of praise (from verse 24 to verse 90) is used extensively in the Liturgy of the Hours on Feasts and High Holy Days as our united song of praise to the Father.
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Gospel: Luke 21:5-11
While some people were speaking about
how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings,
Jesus said, “All that you see here–
the days will come when there will not be left
a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.”
Then they asked him,
“Teacher, when will this happen?
And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?”
He answered,
“See that you not be deceived,
for many will come in my name, saying,
‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’
Do not follow them!
When you hear of wars and insurrections,
do not be terrified; for such things must happen first,
but it will not immediately be the end.”
Then he said to them,
“Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues
from place to place;
and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.”
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Commentary on Lk 21:5-11
We are given in today’s Gospel St. Luke’s version of Jesus eschatological (end times) discourse. This version differs significantly from the version found in Mark’s Gospel (Mark 13:1-37) in that it does not anticipate the parousia (second coming) within the lifetime of the audience. We note from many of St. Paul’s epistles that the early Christian community anticipated that Jesus was coming again within their life times.
In the version we hear today, Jesus points to events in the future as opposed to those that would have occurred during the author’s life time. St. Luke focuses on the Christian Community living the faith from day to day as Jesus tells the disciples of the coming persecutions and bids them to trust in the Holy Spirit who will keep their souls safe from harm.
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Reflection:
As we reflect upon the two eschatological readings given today we are struck by the underlying premise that the truly important things in life are not material. In point of fact, all things material must pass away. If we pour our heats into such things, whether it is the accumulation of wealth or the labor of our hands in accomplishing some physical task of building or maintaining, in the end these “things” will pass away. While taken by itself this may seem rather depressing, there is good news here as well.
The implication of both the readings from Daniel and the Gospel of St. Luke is that while the physical structures of this world are transient, they will fail and the material that they are made of will take on new form, there is something eternal. It is a state of being that exists not in Einsteinium Space/Time but outside those temporal boundaries. (Sorry for the lapse into physics but it is the only way to distinguish the metaphysical).
It is this state of being we call the soul that has an eternal quality and is of ultimate importance. It is the spirit which will form our resurrected bodies that we must take care to strengthen and preserve from harm. This is wonderful news because no matter what the world cares to throw at us, no matter how painful or depressing our physical condition, we can rise above it if we keep our eyes focused on that which is love itself, the indwelling spirit of God.
This is the spirit that will be unaffected by any cataclysm, regardless of scope. This is the divine spark that the Lord sees as part of himself. Our actions, our passions should be directed to preserving, building, and glorifying that which is indestructible rather than physical things that will pass away.
As we charge toward our Advent of joy, let us pray that our eyes will always be focused clearly on the important and eternal and not be caught up in the secular drive for the material.
Pax
[1] ALTRE[2] The Picture used is “The Image and the Stone” by Ted Larson (see Digital Art by Ted Larson)
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.
[4] See NAB footnote on Daniel 2:36-45
