Tuesday of the First Week of Advent

“Tree of Jesse” 
by Jan Mostaert, c. 1500

Readings for Tuesday of the First Week of Advent [1] 

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2] 

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 

Isaiah predicts that the line of David will produce the Messiah with the first verse: “stump of Jesse,” King David’s father. The stump refers to the line of David being cut back during the Babylonian exile. For the first time in scripture, the prophet then presents the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. [13] (Note also the reference to fullness. In Hebrew numerology the number seven is the perfect number.) In the Septuagint and the Vulgate, the word "piety" is coupled with “fear of the Lord.”

The description of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is followed with a list of the just and compassionate characteristics of the messianic rule. This is followed by a picture of universal peace under the Messiah’s rule. Isaiah sees the return of the messianic king as 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. 

CCC: Is 11:1-9 672; Is 11:1-2 712, 1831; Is 11:2 436, 536, 1286

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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 (see Isaiah 11:1-10). 

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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 

Jesus rejoices in the Holy Spirit because his disciples have understood his role of Messiah in the kingdom. He restates his relationship as Son of God: “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." The inference here is that we must approach belief with “childlike” faith and trust in order to achieve that level of understanding.

Earlier in this chapter of St. Luke’s Gospel, Jesus sent out the seventy (two). Just prior to this selection (Luke 10:17-20), 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. 

CCC: Lk 10:21-23 2603; Lk 10:21 1083

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Reflection: 

As we hear the words of St. Luke today, how Jesus is caught up in the Holy Spirit and begins to pray, thanking God for his aid in the Lord’s mission, we can’t help but remember Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.  This great science fiction epic was written in 1870. At one point in the story, the infamous Captain Nemo was asked if he intended to share his great scientific discoveries with the rest of the world. He informed his prisoner/narrator, Professor Aronnax, that he would never do that because the world was not ready for so great a power. This story is recalled because Jesus rejoices for the opposite reason. 

While the great knowledge and power of the mythical antagonist in the novel needs to be kept secret, the great knowledge and power of the Lord must be spread, so that all might have access to it and find hope as a result. This Advent season, as we look forward with hope to the Lord’s coming, we are reminded that this anticipation and hope are not shared by all of those we meet. Incredible as it seems to us, many of our colleagues, friends, and acquaintances think of this season only for the presents they must buy, and the orgy of commercialism that infuses the economy of the country with great strength because of all the money that is spent. They do not realize that our Advent is first devoted to preparing for the Lord’s return, when he will come again in glory! 

In the Gospel, the Lord rejoices because God’s word has reached so many others. He thanks his Father that their ears have been opened by the words and works of his followers. This is the legacy we have been handed. As we prepare ourselves to join the Lord when he comes again, and to celebrate the Nativity of the Lord, we recall that we too are asked to joyfully make known the reason for the season (cliché but appropriate). Children understand this very easily, but they must hear it first. Adults need to overcome their cynicism and adopt a childlike attitude that recalls the Christmas proclamation: “Joy to the World!” 

We hear St. Luke relay the story once more of how the Lord was ecstatic over the success of the seventy (two) in proclaiming the Good News. Now it is our turn. We must not, through our actions, seem to be like Captain Nemo, keeping the great promise to ourselves. We are called to share that glorious message, and in sharing the joy of that announcement, it will be returned to us, and we move closer to the promised peace of Christ. 

As we begin this new liturgical year, many of us still not able to receive Christ in the Eucharist, either out of caution or availability to attend Mass physically we continue to offer this prayer:  

My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things,  And I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive you  sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You.  

Amen 

Pax

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[1] The picture used today is “Tree of Jesse” by Jan Mostaert, c. 1500.

[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.

Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle

Biographical Information about St. Andrew

“St Andrew” 
by Jusepe de Ribera, 1616-18

 Readings for the Feast of Saint Andrew [1] 

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2] 

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. 

CCC: Rom 10:9 343, 186, 449; Rom 10:12-13 2739; Rom 10:13 2666; Rom 10:14-15 875; Rom 10:17 875

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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 for God’s gift of the Law which guides us in our daily lives. The hymn extols the virtues of obedience and steadfastness to the Law and its precepts. The passage also reflects the idea that following God’s statutes leads to peace and prosperity. 

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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. The important principle provided in this episode is the fact that the four disciples called by Jesus, the first four, followed the Lord immediately.  It is recorded that they left their entire livelihood and all their possessions behind and followed Jesus. (A similar abruptness is found also in the call of Levi, Matthew 9:9.)

 

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)

 

CCC: Mt 4:19 878; Mt 4:21 878

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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 know 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. 

And what if he had not done as St. John had suggested 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 prophecy of Isaiah (Isaiah 61:1). 

[Note: there are two different versions about the call of Andrew and his brother, Simon (St. Peter).  In Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus calls them while they are fishing with their father (Mark 1:16; Matthew 4:18-22; Luke 5:1-11), although we notice in Luke, Andrew is not mentioned.  However, in the Gospel of St. John, hear the following: "Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus. He first found his own brother Simon and told him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which is translated Anointed)." (John 1:35-41) The reflection above sort of cross-references the two versions of the call.] 

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 to him 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 the profession of faith made by and to the brother of Peter, who would be given the Keys to the Kingdom, would shape the whole world.  To 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." 

For those of us still not able to receive Christ in the Eucharist, either out of caution or availability to attend Mass physically we offer this prayer:  

My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things,  And I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive you  sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You.  

Amen 

Pax 

In other years: Monday of the First Week of Advent

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[1] The picture is “St Andrew” by Jusepe de Ribera, 1616-18.

[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.

First Sunday of Advent

Catechism Links[1]

CCC 668-677, 769: The final tribulation and Christ’s return in glory

CCC 451, 671, 1130, 1403, 2817: “Come, Lord Jesus!”

CCC 35: God gives humanity grace to accept Revelation, welcome the Messiah

CCC 827, 1431, 2677, 2839: Acknowledging that we are sinners

 

“Polyptych of the Apocalypse" (central panel) 
by Jacobello Alberegno 1360-90

Readings for the First Sunday of Advent [2] 

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3] 

Readings and Commentary:[4] 

Reading 1: Isaiah 63:16b-17, 19b; 64:2-7 

You, LORD, are our father,
our redeemer you are named forever.
Why do you let us wander, O LORD, from your ways,
and harden our hearts so that we fear you not?
Return for the sake of your servants,
the tribes of your heritage.
Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down,
with the mountains quaking before you,
while you wrought awesome deeds we could not hope for,
such as they had not heard of from of old.
No ear has ever heard, no eye ever seen, any God but you
doing such deeds for those who wait for him.
Would that you might meet us doing right,
that we were mindful of you in our ways!
Behold, you are angry, and we are sinful;
all of us have become like unclean people,
all our good deeds are like polluted rags;
we have all withered like leaves,
and our guilt carries us away like the wind.
There is none who calls upon your name,
who rouses himself to cling to you;
for you have hidden your face from us
and have delivered us up to our guilt.
Yet, O LORD, you are our father;
we are the clay and you the potter:
we are all the work of your hands.

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Commentary on Is 63:16b-17, 19b; 64:2-7 

This reading is part of what is called the “Psalm of Entreaty.” The Jewish people have returned from exile and find Jerusalem in ruins. Completely without resources, their only hope is in the Lord. 

“Now at last the Lord comes as a conqueror and a Judge to dispense rewards and punishments. There are a number of oracles here to do with this theme, and they combine to create a long and beautiful apocalyptic poem. There are three stanzas in it: the first (63:1-6) describes the Lord's victory over the Edomites, the epitome of a nation hostile to Israel; the second (63:7-14) celebrates the mercy of God and all he has done for his people; the third (63:15-64:12) is an entreaty full of confidence in the Lord, our Father.” [5] 

We hear the psalmist in these verses identify himself with a sinful and fallen people who see the Lord’s redemptive acts in the distant past (“such as they had not heard of from of old “). Pleading their unworthiness, he calls upon God to come to them in their need, return to them, his creation (“we are the clay and you the potter”). 

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 80:2-3, 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,
and come to save us.
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 80:2-3, 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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Reading II: 1 Corinthians 1:3-9 

Brothers and sisters:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I give thanks to my God always on your account
for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus,
that in him you were enriched in every way,
with all discourse and all knowledge,
as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you,
so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift
as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He will keep you firm to the end,
irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God is faithful,
and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.

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Commentary on 1 Cor 1:3-9 

This is the salutation portion of Paul’s first letter to the church at Corinth. In typical letter format, he gives thanks to God for the gift of faith given to this community and continues his fervent wish that they (and we) be steadfast in the faith: “He will keep you firm to the end, irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus (Christ).“ The reference to "the day of the our Lord" is a reference to the day of judgment when Christ will return again in glory (cf. 2 Corinthians 1:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:2). The Apostle emphasizes a recurring exhortation to Christians to remain faithful because the hour of the Lord's coming is not known. 

CCC: 1 Cor 1:1-6 401

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Gospel: Mark 13:33-37 

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Be watchful! Be alert!
You do not know when the time will come.
It is like a man traveling abroad.
He leaves home and places his servants in charge,
each with his own work,
and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch.
Watch, therefore;
you do not know when the Lord of the house is coming,
whether in the evening, or at midnight,
or at cockcrow, or in the morning.
May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping.
What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’”

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Commentary on Mk 13:33-37 

Jesus, in the verses just prior to this selection, has just concluded his eschatological prediction about the destruction of the Temple (his body). He now renews and expands his exhortation to his disciples to remain vigilant. This commandment becomes the watchword of all Christians, in that vigilance means love. Through love all the commandments are kept, and the hope of Christ’s coming is strengthened. The final verse: “What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’” expands this injunction to all the faithful. 

CCC: Mk 13:33-37 672, 2849

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Reflection: 

Our Advent season holds a complex set of emotions for us.  At once we recall the upcoming celebration of Christmas with great anticipation and joy, while at the same time we look to the future when the Lord’s second coming will bring to fulfillment the promise of the angels who first heralded his birth. 

As we look forward to the Christmas season, the feast of the Nativity of the Lord, we are filled with wonder at the great love God demonstrated, sending his only Son to us as a revelation.  He showed us in the great efficacious act (he who came bringing hope was hope, he who came bringing love, was love!) that God’s love knows no bounds. In this anticipatory sense we feel the joy of the young child who has just learned they have won a great prize.  Even though the prize has not yet been given, the simple knowledge of winning brings even greater hope and joy than the gift of the prize itself. 

Even as we look forward to Christmas, now just a few short weeks away, we look beyond that date to the time when our Savior promised he would come again.  As much as we must prepare for the Lord’s Nativity, we must be more diligent, more persistent in our preparation for the “big event.”  The really good news is that if we prepare for the Lord’s birthday as we should, we are also preparing for his second coming as well.,

This is the message implicit in the Gospel.  Let’s review what we know of God’s commandments to us.  If we are anxious to please him and thereby give him what he wants, we should look to what he has asked of us.  His first and greatest commandment was to love God and, the second was like it: to “Love one another.”  If we can get much better at doing this, our exterior actions in preparation for the Lord’s birthday will reflect our interior preparation for the day when we will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 

In our love for God we come before him with Isaiah’s great hymn of entreaty: “Would that you might meet us doing right, that we were mindful of you in our ways!”  In our hearts God sees that love, a love most perfectly represented by his Son.  In our own entreaty we call to him as generations of the faithful have done before “Come, Lord Jesus!”  In that call we express our love for him and our expectation of his coming. 

Our Advent season is one of complex emotions.  Let us pray this season that the dominating emotion is love – love for God and love for one another.  In love is hope, and in hope we experience the peace Christ brings.

For those of us still not able to receive Christ in the Eucharist, either out of caution or availability to attend Mass physically we offer this prayer: 

My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things,  And I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive you  sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. 

Amen

Pax

[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 used today is “Polyptych of the Apocalypse (central panel) by Jacobello Alberegno 1360-90.

[3] Begins Cycle B, Year II, 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] The Navarre Bible: “Major Prophets,” Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, pp. 269-70.

Saturday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

(Optional Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary) 

On Saturdays in Ordinary Time when there is no obligatory memorial, an optional memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary is allowed. [1] Mass texts may be taken from the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary, from a Votive Mass, or from the special collection of Masses for the Blessed Virgin Mary. Suggested for this date: #37. The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Divine Hope.

“New Heaven and New Earth” 
Mortier's Bible. Phillip Medhurst Collection, 1700’s

Readings for Saturday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time [2] 

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3] 

Readings and Commentary:[4] 

Reading 1: Revelation 22:1-7 

John said:
An angel showed me the river of life-giving water,
sparkling like crystal, flowing from the throne of God
and of the Lamb down the middle of the street,
On either side of the river grew the tree of life
that produces fruit twelve times a year, once each month;
the leaves of the trees serve as medicine for the nations.
Nothing accursed will be found anymore.
The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it,
and his servants will worship him.
They will look upon his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.
Night will be no more, nor will they need light from lamp or sun,
for the Lord God shall give them light,
and they shall reign forever and ever.

And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true,
and the Lord, the God of prophetic spirits,
sent his angel to show his servants what must happen soon.”
“Behold, I am coming soon.”
Blessed is the one who keeps the prophetic message of this book.

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Commentary on Rv 22:1-7 

This final vision of the heavenly kingdom provides us with the ultimate peaceful setting. God and the Christ, the Lamb of God, preside over the water of life flowing through a land filled with an abundance of good things and nothing evil present.

 

When the reference is made to the name inscribed on their foreheads: “They will look upon his face, and his name will be on their foreheads,” it is a direct corollary to the Hebrew phylactery, small, black leather, cube-shaped cases containing Torah texts written on parchment worn on the forehead to symbolize they had internalized God’s law. (Note: the sign of the beast is in the same place for those who are thrown down.)

 

Our passage ends, appropriately: “Behold, I am coming soon.” This passage is used on the last day of the liturgical year.

 

CCC: Rv 21:1-22:5 117; Rv 22:1 1137; Rv 22:4 1023; Rv 22:5 1029

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 95:1-2, 3-5, 6-7ab 

R. (1 Cor 16: 22b, see Rev. 22: 20c) Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!

Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD;
let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us joyfully sing psalms to him.
R. Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!

For the LORD is a great God,
and a great king above all gods;
In his hands are the depths of the earth,
and the tops of the mountains are his.
His is the sea, for he has made it,
and the dry land, which his hands have formed.
R. Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!

Come, let us bow down in worship;
let us kneel before the LORD who made us.
For he is our God,
and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.
R. Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!

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Commentary on Ps 95:1-2, 3-5, 6-7ab 

Psalm 95 is a song of praise. These strophes rejoice in God’s saving help and extol his greatness as the creator of all things. The psalmist enjoins the faithful to bow down and worship the one who is the great shepherd, who protects his flock from all ills. 

The Advent response itself is explained thus: “Marana tha: an Aramaic expression probably used in the early Christian liturgy. As understood here (‘O Lord, come!’), it is a prayer for the early return of Christ. If the Aramaic words are divided differently (Maran atha, ‘Our Lord has come’), it becomes a credal declaration. The former interpretation is supported by what appears to be a Greek equivalent of this acclamation in Rev 22:20 ‘Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!’” [5] 

CCC: Ps 95:1-6 2628; Ps 95:7-8 2659; Ps 95:7 1165

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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 

This selection is the end of Jesus' final public exhortation before his passion and death.  Some scholars have speculated that the Gospel author could be using a fragment of some forgotten scroll from St. Paul because the Hellenistic form is so similar (see 1 Thessalonians 5:4).

"It is clear from this short section that Luke (different from 1 Thessalonians) eliminated the idea of an immediate parousia.  Sudden trials will strike everyone, and so there is need of continual vigilance.  Everyone, however, will eventually take part in the parousia.  How a person lives now determines how he will 'stand before the Son of Man.'"[6] Jesus reminds 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.

 

CCC: Lk 21:34-36 2612

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Reflection: 

It is almost as if those who assembled our reading could not wait for Advent to begin. The passage from St. John’s Revelation ends with: “Behold, I am coming soon.” The Psalm response is: “Marana tha! Come, Lord Jesus!”  It is interspersed with Psalm 95, the invitatory psalm we use in the Divine Office. And finally we are given a Gospel that has Jesus telling us that we must hold ourselves in constant preparation because we do not want to be caught unawares when the Lord comes again. 

On this last day before the season of Advent begins, it is good to think about this past year and what we have done, right and wrong: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive recompense, according to what he did in the body, whether good or evil.” (2 Corinthians 5:10) As the analogy we have been using implies, take one more good look in the mirror of our souls.  What do we see there that we had not noticed before? 

Let’s think about our interactions at work or school. Were we living God’s law of love as best we could? Did we consciously hurt or degrade a person? Do we need to make amends and apologize to anyone specifically? 

What about in our family: did we set the good example that we are asked to? Did we show those we love the most that God does rule in our hearts? (This is one of the most difficult!) 

And finally, in our solitude, have we worked hard at allowing the Lord to guide our inmost thoughts and therefore drive our actions with those about us? Have we been diligent in our prayer, in praise of the one who saves us all, for ourselves, and for the world? Have we been faithful in our participation in the sacraments of Eucharist, reconciliation, and, as needed, anointing? Have we allowed God’s grace to buoy us up and give us strength? 

As we think through this short list, most of us will find ways to improve, to grow closer to God in the coming new year of grace. Let us add a prayer for strength, that we might walk hand in hand with the Lord throughout the year. 

For those of us still not able to receive Christ in the Eucharist, either out of caution or availability to attend Mass physically we offer this prayer:  

My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things,  And I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive you  sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You.  

Amen 

Pax

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[1] General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar Miscellaneous Notes no. 5: “Outside Advent, Christmas Time, Lent, and Easter Time, on Saturdays which have no commemoration having the rank of Obligatory Memorial or higher, a Mass in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary may be celebrated. This is indicated in the calendar by “BVM.” The readings and prayers may be selected from the Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary.”

[2] The picture used today is “New Heaven and New Earth” Mortier's Bible. Phillip Medhurst Collection, 1700’s.

[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] See NAB footnote on 1 Cor 16:22.

[6] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 44:149, p. 155.

Friday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

”All is Vanity” 
by C. Allen Gilbert, c. 1900’s

Readings for Friday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time [1] 

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2] 

Readings and Commentary:[3] 

Reading 1: Revelation 20:1-4, 11—21:2 

I, John, saw an angel come down from heaven,
holding in his hand the key to the abyss and a heavy chain.
He seized the dragon, the ancient serpent,
which is the Devil or Satan,
and tied it up for a thousand years and threw it into the abyss,
which he locked over it and sealed,
so that it could no longer lead the nations astray
until the thousand years are completed.
After this, it is to be released for a short time.

Then I saw thrones; those who sat on them were entrusted with judgment.
I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded
for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God,
and who had not worshiped the beast or its image
nor had accepted its mark on their foreheads or hands.
They came to life and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

Next I saw a large white throne and the one who was sitting on it.
The earth and the sky fled from his presence
and there was no place for them.
I saw the dead, the great and the lowly, standing before the throne,
and scrolls were opened.
Then another scroll was opened, the book of life.
The dead were judged according to their deeds,
by what was written in the scrolls.
The sea gave up its dead;
then Death and Hades gave up their dead.
All the dead were judged according to their deeds.
Then Death and Hades were thrown into the pool of fire.
(This pool of fire is the second death.)
Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life
was thrown into the pool of fire.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth.
The former heaven and the former earth had passed away,
and the sea was no more.
I also saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem,
coming down out of heaven from God,
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

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Commentary on Rv 20:1-4, 11—21:2 

In this selection from John’s Book of Revelation we are given the vision of Christ defeating sin and death (“holding in his hand the key to the abyss and a heavy chain. He seized the dragon, the ancient serpent, which is the Devil or Satan, and tied it up for a thousand years and threw it into the abyss”). The thousand years specified is not to be taken literally. Like other numerical references in apocalyptic literature different numbers have different significance (i.e. 7 the perfect number or fullness, 6 the least perfect number, hence 666 the mark of the beast, and 40 the number of years for a generation), this one simply represents a long period of time between Christ’s first victory and his second coming, the Parousia. 

We also are given the image of the final judgment, when the dead rise from their graves (I saw the dead, the great and the lowly, standing before the throne) with a list of all they had done, the scrolls. They were judged according to their actions and then either passed to the new Jerusalem or cast into the pool of fire. 

"The author then turns his attention to the resurrection, when all men will be judged according to their works.  He describes this by using the metaphor of two books.  One of these records the actions of men (as in Daniel 7:10 and other passages of the Old Testament, cf., e.g., Isaiah 65:6; Jeremiah 22:30).  The second book contains the names of those predestined to eternal life (an idea inspired by Daniel 12:1; cf. also, e.g., Exodus 32:32).  This is a way of showing that man cannot attain salvation by his own efforts alone: it is God who saves him: however, he needs to act in such a way that he responds to the destiny God has marked out for him."[4] 

Finally comes the new age, and God ruling over it for eternity symbolized by the wedding. 

CCC: Rv 20:12 677; Rv 21:1-22:5 117; Rv 21:1-2 756; Rv 21:1 1043; Rv 21:2-4 677; Rv 21:2 757, 1045, 2016

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 84:3, 4, 5-6a and 8a 

R. (Rev. 21:3b) Here God lives among his people.

My soul yearns and pines
for the courts of the LORD.
My heart and my flesh
cry out for the living God.
R. Here God lives among his people.

Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest
in which she puts her young–
Your altars, O LORD of hosts,
my king and my God!
R. Here God lives among his people.

Blessed they who dwell in your house!
continually they praise you.
Blessed the men whose strength you are!
They go from strength to strength.
R. Here God lives among his people.

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Commentary on Ps 84:3, 4, 5-6a and 8a 

Psalm 84 is a hymn of praise for those who depend on God (Blessed they who dwell in your house). The house of the Lord invites all who are faithful, from the largest to the smallest.  Those who find a home in God's temple are blessed; they find strength flowing from the Lord, sustaining them. 

CCC: Ps 84:3 1770

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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 the spring fig trees 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: 

The line we walk in tightening circles is drawing back upon itself as we mark this second to the last day in the liturgical year.  This Sunday marks the beginning of the Advent season and we must prepare to shift gears, as they say.  Today we continue our thoughts about the end of all things, and hope desperately that our names are inscribed in the book of life. We have faith that we will eventually find the eternal home promised by our Lord. 

Jesus’ parable in the Gospel reminds us that the end will come sooner than we think, and that we dare not procrastinate.  The new Jerusalem is waiting for us and the longer we delay in our own preparations the longer the journey will be to get to that final destination. 

The analogy of approaching the mirror has been used before, but it is apt at this time as we come to the end of another year.  Looking in a mirror from a great distance, we see ourselves, our spiritual selves, looking very presentable.  Especially if we are standing next to our brothers and sisters, we may even look positively sparkling.  As we draw closer to the mirror, representing our spiritual introspection over the past year, we begin to see things that we had not noticed before.  We see little flaws that were not apparent from the previous distance, but become glaringly apparent as we stand closer. 

Each cycle of spiritual effort brings us closer to that mirror, and each year we find elements of our faith lives that need to be repaired, replaced, or completely overhauled.  Just as the fastidious dresser looks at each seam, at each article of clothing, its color, its fit, the way it lays, so we look at each element of our spiritual lives.  What seemed fine just a short year ago may not do at all with our new heightened sense of spiritual awareness. 

For now, we take our steps toward a new Jerusalem where there is no more suffering or pain, where all our spiritual blessings will be heaped upon us, and we will know what it is like to be in the presence of pure love; for that is what God is. We have just one more day beyond this one to contemplate that wondrous journey before we will look once more at the mirror to see if we have prepared ourselves for the advent of the king, who is Christ. 

For those of us still not able to receive Christ in the Eucharist, either out of caution or availability to attend Mass physically we offer this prayer:  

My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things,  And I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive you  sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You.  

Amen 

Pax

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[1] The picture used today is ”All is Vanity” by C. Allen Gilbert, c. 1900’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 re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.

[4] The Navarre Bible: “Revelation and Hebrews and Catholic Letters”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003, p. 116.