Reflection on Today’s Daily Readings by Fr. Bertrand Buby, SM

Today’s Readings



Scripture: Lectionary # Genesis 3:9-15.20. Psalm 98:1.2-3.3-4. Ephesians
1:3-6. Luke 1:26-38:
What a wonderful help for continuing in the spirit of Advent–this Feast of
the Immaculate Conception of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. It centers on her
person who from the first moment of her conception was free from all sin
and would continue in that freedom by the grace of God through the
Incarnation of Jesus, her Son and her Redeemer. It happened in the “kairos”
time of God that she was preserved from all sin. We realize, in speaking
about Mary as Catholics,we should never separate her from the mysteries of
her son, Jesus the Messiah and our Lord.Mary is always to be seen with her
son as we learn from the whole of the Scriptures that reflect upon her
through the evangelists and St. Paul ( Galatians 4:4-5). She is associated
with Jesus in all of his mysteries as Blessed Chaminade says.

One of the most succinct insights gained from an exegetical look at Mary
and Jesus is found in the commentary by Benedict T.Viviano on Matthew 2:11.
It is the only reference to mariology or marian theology per se in the
whole of the New Jerome Biblical Commentary, but it says what we need to
hear and and ponder over:” the child with Mary his mother: The Magi offer a
model of sound mariology as worshippers in a Marian context.” That
exegtical comment gives us the way of properly approaching Mary in all of
her mysteries and of not failing her by minimalism or maximalism. Mary and
Jesus therefore are not to be separated even in the mystery of her
Immaculate Conception. At first, we may think this dogma separates her from
us and even from Jesus. Her sole purpose of existence was from the first
moment of her life wrapped in the mystery of God sending his Son to us
through a human person, a real mother. She was in the plan of God to be
that woman called Mary of Nazareth.

In Genesis 3 we have the persons of Adam and Eve who fail in their original
purpose of living always in obedience to God. The new Adam and the new Eve
would recapitulate what had failed through them.The failure is
recapitulated, that is, restored,by the New Adam born of the New Eve. It
was Irenaeus of Lyon who first gave us the theme of recapitulation in the
order of grace within God’s salvific plan for the human race. Cardinal John
H. Newman took as his starting point for marian theology this theological
statement and insight of Irenaeus. For the rereading of the Old Testament
in Genesis 3, we found that Patristic thought based on Irenaeus insight
continued to develop Mary as the New Eve. The first Eve in the original
plan was in a special creation immune from sin but had the capacity to
choose sin and did. Mary is the promised woman whose offspring will undo
the work of the serpent by having her son’s heel crush the head of that
snake that represented evil. Together then the Promised Woman and her son
brought the victory over the devil.

The reading from Ephesians shows us that all of us in the plan of God were
predestined for salvation. There is no negative predestination present for
anyone who reads carefully the word of God in the Bible. Our text says,
“God has bestowed on us every spiritual blessing. God chose us (and
certainly Mary) before the world began to be holy and blameless in his
sight, to be full of love.” Those words though not directly speaking of
Mary are a great insight into what the Immaculate Conception of Mary is all
about. (Ephesians 1:4). Even the word used for love and charity and grace
is bound up to what we will see in Mary’s call. She is given a new name in
the Annunciation of Luke. (Luke 1: kecharitomene ho Kyrios meta soul which
translates “you have already been graced by the love of God and the Lord is
with you.” The nobility of our calling and that of Mary is present in those
lines. She is the one who through her son’s redemptive love and actions
kept her always in the presence of God the Father. She was always present
with her son in those hidden years at Nazareth.

Just as a newness was found in Christ,the Church saw a newness in Mary by
calling her the new Eve. Mary is given a new name that unravels the
mysteries of her vocation and life–”kecharitomene”– the same word that is
formed from what Paul is speaking about in the love of God and the grace of
blamelessness meant for all of us. This newness is taken up in a beautiful
way by the Psalm when it speaks of a new song being sung to the Lord. We
sing that song in honor of Mary this day. (Psalm 98: “Sing to the Lord a
new song…the Lord has made known his salvation…Sing joyfully to the
Lord all you lands…Sing praise to the Lord before the Lord for he
comes.”).

Mary’s cooperation with God in the plan of salvation is the meaning of the
Annunciation Narrative and why it is told by St. Luke. Her paraphrased
name is an indication of who she is in the sight of God– “the one who has
been loved, graced already”. Even the grammatic meaning of the perfect
passive participle shows this to be the sense of her new name. We rejoice
that Mary said Yes to what Gabriel was asking of her. She does respond
after dialoguing and discerning as well as she could the mystery of her
calling, her vocation. Her rational consent is with a graced will and a
loving heart that exploded on the sins of this world.She accepted the
mystery of her vocation.

The reading from Ephesians has high praise for us, but Mary is the person
who first understood and fully lived out that grace coming from God that
made her blameless and full of love. Eve was first called to such a way of
life, but said a No to the Lord with Adam equally responsible with his No.
Mary is not the woman of paradise but of this world that is surrounded in
so many dimensions of sin and evil. She was born of human parents just
like the rest of us. She was gifted with the presence of the Holy Spirit
and through those gifts understood and was full of wisdom when she gave her
acceptance: “Let it be done to me according to thy word.” Her Yes was a
commitment to a life which she always lived in the presence of God and her
son.

We honor on this day the most noble calling of the Woman of Promise
(Genesis 3:15) who was full of the grace and love of God. She was blessed
because she believed in the mystery of God’s love for her. Her hope and her
love would continue to unfold each day in the presence of her Son and her
God. Today we ask Mary, our spiritual mother, to intercede for us before
God. We celebrate her and sing to her with our new song and we join the
poet who said of her that “She (Mary) is our tainted nature’s solitary
boast.” Amen.

Reflection on Today’s Daily Readings by Fr. Bertrand Buby, SM

Today’s Readings

Scripture for Dec. 7, Second week in Advent:

Lectionary # 183. Isaiah 40:1-11. Psalm 96:1-2.3. 10.11-12.13. Matthew
18:12-14:

“Comfort, ye, comfort ye my people saith your God”. This version has more
of an Advent tone to it than some of the other translations and helps us to
enter more deeply into two of the great models for Advent: Isaiah and John
the Baptist. In the prophetic words, John’ mission is announced and
carried from Isaiah into the Gospels. John will indeed prepare the way of
the Lord and help them to hear and experienced the comforting words of the
Messiah Jesus. They need not look for another. John’s disciples will help
the master to realize that the Christ is now among his people and the
Baptist will fade into the background and soon give his life for the coming
of the kingdom.

The prophet, then John, and finally the confirming words of Jesus help us
to blot out the guilt of the past that often haunts us. The kingdom is
among us. Emmanuel is present in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. For us,
we need the daily reminder that we live in the peace of Christ, a peace
this world cannot give, and that all of our sins are forgiven. This is the
time for renewal and for a metanoia. For us who are sinners, changing one’s
mind or rethinking our behaviors involves repenting or changing one’s life;
for those who are religious people not conscious of sin the demand of
metanoia might be better translated literally as a change of mind,
attitude, and motivation. If we reflect on the opposition encountered by
Jesus’ demand, the Gospels record little rejection of him by sinners but
quite the opposite from those who considered themselves right.

Jesus acts as the good shepherd dor the little ones–the children. He
teaches us a lesson that we need very badly in our society where children
are abused at home, at school, and even by those who represent the Church.

The changing not only of our minds but also our hearts helps us to move
away from negativity, cynicism, and rash judgments. We then feel and
experience the hope, joy, and peace Isaiah prophesies for us. We hear
Isaiah pointing the way to the Good Shepherd by his own mention of a
shepherd who feeds his flock and gathers his lambs in his arms. Then in
the Gospel, we hear Jesus himself assuming the role of a shepherd who
searches for the lost sheep and gathers in the innocent into his arms. We
see this applied by Jesus to the children, the little ones who surround him
and felt protected and loved by him. He tells us that it is the Father’s
plan that not one of these little ones should be in any way harmed. His
words are of comfort to those who are parents and do show the love that
children need. “It is not part of your heavenly Father’s plan that a
single one of these little ones should ever come to grief.” (Matthew
18:24).

Psalm 96 assures us that the comfort promised by God through the mouth of
Isaiah is real and effective in those who allow God to work within them.
We are to exult in the Lord before he comes; he comes to rule the earth and
he shall rule the world with justice and the peoples with his constancy.
(Ps. 96:13). Marana tha! Come, Lord Jesus, come. Maran atha!
Amen.Scripture: Sat. of First week of Advent. Lectionary 181: Isaiah
30:19-21.23-26. Psalm 147: 1-2.3-4.5-6. Matthew 9:35-10:1.6-8:

Pathos and hope well up in our hearts and minds by today’s readings.
Pathos deals with the experience of our feelings in times of hardship,pain,
or disappointment. It is directly related to the word for suffering
(pathien in Greek). We are all afflicted by such sufferings and some are
almost paralyzed by them day in and day out. The readings then give us the
other side of the pathos by offering us God’s gift of hope. The two words
may be in tension with one another, but the Scriptures unravel and loosen
the hold of one over the other. Jesus shows his pathos for the ailing
people of the land in which he was born; he has mercy on them and sees that
the harvest is so many that he beckons the disciples to help him in what he
is doing for the poor, the blind, the lame, the deaf, the marginal.

We are startled to see that Jesus’ focus is exclusively on his own people.
He realizes that one–even if he be the Messiah–can only do so much. He
does not micro-manage what he is doing; he delegates the curing, healing,
exorcizing to his disciples, the twelve men whom he has chosen to help with
the harvest. There is more that enough to do even in his own land for all
of his disciples and followers. After his death, a universal sending will
take place through the downpour of the gifts of the Holy Spirit upon the
apostles and Mary.

We sense the same tension in Isaiah between pathos and hope. The prophet
however is offering more of a hopeful vision than one of pathos. In the
Gosplel we are in need of God’s mercy. Jesus had pity upon them and us for
he was merciful. The psalm likewise has the same message. God heals the
wounds of his people and gives them great almost idyllic hope through
Isaiah and the Psalmist. Patience, waiting, and trusting are offered as a
way of coping while believing these things will come to be real and a time
of peace and prosperity will follow.We too join in these tensions of pathos
and hope allowing Jesus to unbind our wounds without his worrying about his
own sufferings. Thus he is the wounded healer.

How do we handle our problems, our worries, our ills? There is another
message to help us answer, namely, God promises that a voice will tell us
what to do. Is this the voice of our heart, mind, and soul? Or is it the
Holy Spirit within us? ” While from behind you, a voice shall sound in
your ears: “This is the way; walk in it.” It is both our voice of
conscience and discernment as well as that of the Holy Spirit. This voice
helps us to make good choices about helping Jesus in his healing mission to
all peoples. We are the hands of the wounded healer Jesus. He it is who
heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds. The reign of God is at
hand. We sense the presence of the Lord and continue to cry out, Come ,
Lord Jesus, come. Maranatha.
Prayer: Lord, strengthen me to wait upon you with courage and faith. Let me
seek one thing: to dwell in your house all the days of my life and there
gaze upon your loveliness. Lord, cure my blindness that I might see your
beauty. Yes, Come, Lord Jesus, and let us see your face and we shall be
saved. Happy are all who long for your coming. May each of us be your
instrument in stirring these desires in our brothers and sisters. Amen.
(Fr. C. Stuhlmueller, C.P.P. )

Today’s Readings



Second Sunday of Advent Scripture readings for Sunday, December 5, 2010,
cycle A. Lectionary # 4

Scripture: lectionary # 4. Isaiah 11:1-10. Psalm 72:1-2.7-8. 12-13.17.
Romans 15:4-9. Matthew 3:1-12:

Our saintly leader for this second Sunday in Advent is John the Baptist.
We recall how Mark, the Evangelist, actually starts his gospel with John
the Baptist as the voice crying out, “Prepare, the way of the Lord.” We are
to reform and renew our spiritual lives and discipline our bodies while
doing justice for others. The Kingdom of God is at hand. It is a Lenten
message, but also a call that sobers us to realize Advent is the time when
the King of the Kingdom comes among us and gets us ready also for his
Second Coming. Matthew has completed the first two chapters before he
comes to this scene. He is dependent on Mark for it, but he enchances it
with much more description about John the Baptist; it is thick description
and we get a picture of how the early Chritians envisioned John. John is
interested in preparing us for the coming of the Messiah who we believe is
Jesus,the Son of God and son of Mary.

The Gospel gives us the contrasting effects of the Baptism of John and that
of the Holy Spirit that the Messiah will give us. John invites the people
and even the Roman soldiers to receive a baptism of immersion in the Jordan
River. He is an apocalyptic preacher of strict divine judgment. Jesus, on
the other hand, is the one who will baptize in the Holy Spirit and that
baptism will be like a fire purging us from all of our sins effectively.
This latter baptism prepares us for the second coming of Christ the Lord
who also is the Messiah. We are thus made aware of the first coming of
Christ the Messiah through John the Baptist, then through the Holy Spirit’s
baptism we are made aware of the Lordship of Jesus and his ultimate coming
at the end times.

The other leading person for us is again the constant and classic prophet
Isaiah. He insists on the uniqueness of God, God’s oneness, and absolute
holiness. ( Remember his vision and the Sanctus ! Sanctus! Sanctus! Holy!
Holy!Holy! We Christians like that since it reminds us of the Trinity of
Persons in One God!) Isaiah helps us establish something about the Messiah
who descends from David and Jesse. Jesus is the shoot from the stump of
Jesse. The seven gifts of God’s Spirit are given to this Messiah: wisdom,
understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, fear and reverence for the
presence of God, piety.

Psalm 72 is a messianic psalm praising the works of the Messiah King. It
complements what we have seen at the end of the passage in Isaiah: “On
that day the root of Jesse is set up as a signal for the nations; the
Gentiles shall seek out, for his dwelling shall be glorious.” (Isaiah
11:10). Amen.

Today’s Readings

Scripture: Sat. of First week of Advent. Lectionary 181: Isaiah
30:19-21.23-26. Psalm 147: 1-2.3-4.5-6. Matthew 9:35-10:1.6-8:

Pathos and hope well up in our hearts and minds by today’s readings.
Pathos deals with the experience of our feelings in times of hardship,pain,
or disappointment. It is directly related to the word for suffering
(pathien in Greek). We are all afflicted by such sufferings and some are
almost paralyzed by them day in and day out. The readings then give us the
other side of the pathos by offering us God’s gift of hope. The two words
may be in tension with one another, but the Scriptures unravel and loosen
the hold of one over the other. Jesus shows his pathos for the ailing
people of the land in which he was born; he has mercy on them and sees that
the harvest is so many that he beckons the disciples to help him in what he
is doing for the poor, the blind, the lame, the deaf, the marginal.

We are startled to see that Jesus’ focus is exclusively on his own people.
He realizes that one–even if he be the Messiah–can only do so much. He
does not micro-manage what he is doing; he delegates the curing, healing,
exorcizing to his disciples, the twelve men whom he has chosen to help with
the harvest. There is more that enough to do even in his own land for all
of his disciples and followers. After his death, a universal sending will
take place through the downpour of the gifts of the Holy Spirit upon the
apostles and Mary.

We sense the same tension in Isaiah between pathos and hope. The prophet
however is offering more of a hopeful vision than one of pathos. In the
Gosplel we are in need of God’s mercy. Jesus had pity upon them and us for
he was merciful. The psalm likewise has the same message. God heals the
wounds of his people and gives them great almost idyllic hope through
Isaiah and the Psalmist. Patience, waiting, and trusting are offered as a
way of coping while believing these things will come to be real and a time
of peace and prosperity will follow.We too join in these tensions of pathos
and hope allowing Jesus to unbind our wounds without his worrying about his
own sufferings. Thus he is the wounded healer.

How do we handle our problems, our worries, our ills? There is another
message to help us answer, namely, God promises that a voice will tell us
what to do. Is this the voice of our heart, mind, and soul? Or is it the
Holy Spirit within us? ” While from behind you, a voice shall sound in
your ears: “This is the way; walk in it.” It is both our voice of
conscience and discernment as well as that of the Holy Spirit. This voice
helps us to make good choices about helping Jesus in his healing mission to
all peoples. We are the hands of the wounded healer Jesus. He it is who
heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds. The reign of God is at
hand. We sense the presence of the Lord and continue to cry out, Come ,
Lord Jesus, come. Maranatha.
Prayer: Lord, strengthen me to wait upon you with courage and faith. Let me
seek one thing: to dwell in your house all the days of my life and there
gaze upon your loveliness. Lord, cure my blindness that I might see your
beauty. Yes, Come, Lord Jesus, and let us see your face and we shall be
saved. Happy are all who long for your coming. May each of us be your
instrument in stirring these desires in our brothers and sisters. Amen.
(Fr. C. Stuhlmueller, C.P.P. )

Today’s Readings



Scripture: Lectionary # 180. Isaiah 29:17-24. Psalm 27:1.4.13-14.
Matthew 9:27-31:

What a wonderful gift is our sight. Even in reading about the curing of
the blind in Isaiah and then Jesus giving sight to the two blind men who
grope their way toward him on the road to Capernaum, we are amazed and
startled by such miracles. John has Jesus speaking about blindness when he
cures another person who was blind from birth: His disciples asked him,
“Rabbi, was it his sin or that of his parents that caused him to be born
blind?” “Neither,” answered Jesus: “It was no sin, either of this man or
his parents. Rather, it was to let God’s works show forth in him. We must
do the deeds of him who sent me while it is day. The night comes on when no
one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” (John
9:2b-5).

Our reading from Isaiah has the following consoling message, “And out of
gloom and darkness the blind shall see.” Then the selection for the day has
Jesus healing both men who cried out with great and courageous faith,
“Jesus, Son of David, have pity on us.” What a marvelous experience they
had in seeing the face of the Son of God and then the beauty of all that
surrounded them on both sides of the road.

Psalm 27 is also about the light in which we see and it extols this gift of
God given freely to us. “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom
should I fear?” The psalm comes back several times to the act of seeing.
“This I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
that I may gaze on the loveliness of the Lord all the days of my life. Show
me, O Lord, your way, and lead me to a level path. I believe that I shall
see the bounty of the Lord in the land of the living.” Yes, God and
Jesus are our light and our salvation whom should we fear?

Perhaps, blindness can be applied to the spiritual realm as well. Many
people returning from Lourdes, Fatima, or other shrines for healing, say
they were not physically healed but spiritually. That means they see
things in a new way that gets them out of the old patterns that blocked
their vision of Jesus and the saints. Now they are on pilgrimage with the
people of God toward the city of God, the new Jerusalem coming down from
heaven. All of us need to wait for the healing power of the Lord with
courage, patience, and faith.We are to be stouthearted while waiting for
the Lord. We are led to pray for those who also are eye
specialists–opthamologists, oculists, medical doctors. We pray also for
the spiritual persons who help us see better by looking at the bigger
picture: mentors, confessors, counselors, spiritual directors and novice
masters. Jesus, we are confident that you can help us to see beyond our
own biases, addictions, sins, and spiritual blindness. Lord, Jesus, Son of
David, have pity on us! Restore our sight. Amen.

Today’s Readings



Scripture: Lectionary 179: Isaiah 26:1-6. Psalm 118:1.8-9.19-21.25-27.
Matthew 7:24-27:
Jerusalem looms high in the Bible both in the readings from Isaiah during
this Advent and in the Gospels. We know well that it is central as a point
of departure and return for Luke-Acts. Some say that the geography that
surrounds it and itself is like a fifth gospel. Jerusalem is also featured
in the most eschatological book of the New Testament, the Book of
Revelation. It is a reflection of the heavenly Jerusalem that is so
beautifully described in the last chapters of Revelation. It is a powerful
symbol for our meditations despite the present day turmoil. Associated
with the Land, the Isaeli people cherish it as a precious gem and somehow
God protects it despite all that is happening in and around it. As John’s
Gospel tells us, “Salvation is from the Jews.” Salvation is also the
meaning of Jesus’ name!

By trusting in God and with faith of the heart helps us to understand that
God is our rock and our refuge. We encounter the Presence of God within the
walls of Jerusalem and within our sacred places like chapels, churches,
shrines, mosques, and synagogues. They are spaces where we do pray and are
led even to contemplation. We learn the meaning of the Psalm for today
when it sings out, “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust
in princes.” (Psalm 118).

Like Jerusalem the words of Jesus are very important for our faith and our
union with our Creator and Redeemer. They are inspired words given to us
through the Spirit as well as through the mouth of Jesus.Again, the lesson
is simple if we are to understand the word(s) of God: we are to do God’s
will. How? Again back to the ten commandments and their positive
explanation. We should love to do and obey them. Then our prayer, “Lord,
Lord,” will be heard and answered.

We are intent during this Advent season to really receive the word of God
and to take it to heart through faith of the heart. (See Romans 10). The
heart represents and symbolizes in biblical language the whole person, the
integrated one, the one doing the will of God. We love God with all our
heart, our mind, and our soul. (Deuteronomy 6). We hear in the Invitatory
Psalm : “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” (Psalm 95).

St. Bernard tells us there are three comings of Jesus Christ. The middle
one is like a road that leads from the first coming to the final coming of
the Lord. We know Christ now through his presence within us in word and
sacrament and through the indwelling of the Spirit. Bernard continues,
“Keep God’s word in this way. Let it enter into your very being; let it
take possession of your desires and your whole way of life. Feed on
goodness, and your soul will delight in its richness. Remember to eat
your bread or your heart will wither away. Fill your soul with richness and
strength.” Amen.

Today’s Readings


Scripture: Lectionary 178. Isaiah 25:6-10. Psalm 23:1-3,3-4.5.6. Matthew
15:29-37:

“They gathered up the fragments left over, these filled seven
hampers.” (Matt.15:37). From the two fish and the seven loaves of bread
Jesus is able to feed the multitude. What is amazing is that there are
seven hampers left over from the miracle. There is enough for those
travelling home to have something to eat. This miracle later is understood
as symbolizing the Eucharist and we can easily see why. Jesus thanks God
the Father: “Jesus then took the seven loaves and the fish, and after
giving thanks he broke them (kai eucharistesas eklasen), and gave them to
the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowd.” We easily find an echo
of what the celebrant says in the Mass while proclaiming the Eucharistic
prayer. The word “Eucharist” is well known in translation as
“Thanksgiving.” We hear these prayers each time we participate in the
Mass.

The gathering of the fragments is found also in one of the earliest
declarations of faith called the Didache or the Teaching of the Twelve
Apostles. The phrase symbolizes the unity of the church made up of the
different fragments. In one of the Communion Songs frequently sung at the
Liturgy “As the Grains of Wheat” once scattered on the hill were gathered
into one to become our bread, so may all your people from all the ends of
the earth be gathered into one in you.”

Chapter 9:1-5 is worth citing for our meditation today:

In regard to the Eucharist—you shall give thanks thus: First, in
regard to the cup: We give you thanks, our Father, for the holy vine of
David your son, which you have made known to us through Jesus your Son.
Glory be to you forever. In regard to the broken bread: We give you
thanks, our Father, for the life and knowledge which you have made known to
us through Jesus your Son. Glory be to you forever. As this broken bread
was scattered on the mountains, but brought together was made one, so
gather your Church from the ends of the earth into your kingdom. For yours
is the glory and the power through Jesus Christ forever. Let no one eat or
drink of the Eucharist with you except those who have been baptized in the
name of the Lord.

Within the text we should not forget the “fish”. This became an early
symbol for Jesus himself in the form of an anacronym. The word fish in
Greek is ichthus and the letters symbolize the titles of Jesus: I=Jesus
or Iesus; CH=Christos or Christ; TH=Theos or God, U= Hyuios or Son of
(God), S=Soter or Savior.
We have thus a Scriptural passage that has been transformed into a
Sacramental Prayer for the Eucharist and symbols that represent the Bread
of Life and the Cup of Salvation as well as Jesus Christ, Son of God,
Savior. Amen.

Today’s Readings

Scripture: Lectionary 177: Isaiah 11:1-10. Psalm 72: 1.7-8.12-13.17. Luke
10:21-24:

Jesus teaches us the best way to think and pray during Advent. It is easy
and direct and involves the love he and the Father have. Yes, it is the
Holy Spirit and we are called to rejoice as he did in the Holy Spirit.
This word rejoice will be heard and seen in writing many times this season,
but today it is announced and we are led to respond to the word today and
the rest of Advent. This word characterizes Advent and is a gift of the
Holy Spirit–rejoicing, joy, blessedness.

Mary, another great person to follow during Advent, is told by the Angel to
rejoice (Chaire!). She is filled with the Holy Spirit and rejoices in God
her Savior (Yeshua or Jesus). Though not part of the Trinity she is in
tune with what the Persons are and how their love for one another results
as one God ever present among us. The Holy Spirit is that love. Paul, too,
tells us to rejoice in his letters. He announces Advent by this word
rejoice.

The Gospel passage comes from the Evangelist Luke who is the Evangelist of
the Holy Spirit. He presents the scene in which we enter the spirit of
Jesus as one of rejoicing as well as one who shares his intimate prayer
with his Father through the Spirit. Jesus prays for us to be like innocent
children so that we may learn what the wise and powerful of this world
cannot know. We receive that same Spirit at our Baptism when most of us
are children or even babies and, at that sacred moment of grace we will be
guided and transformed during the rest of our lives. We become then the
“merest” of children but we understand the promptings of the Holy Spirit
and how we are to rejoice in the Spirit.

Jesus, the Son of the Father, wishes to reveal himself to us this Advent.
We sense this through the peace, joy, and graces that are ours for the
asking. Our silence, contemplation, and listening will help us to rejoice
in the Spirit by giving us the atmosphere necessary for such inward joy.

The passage tells us that Jesus shared this privately with his disciples.
He tells them, “Blessed (happy) are your eyes that many of the prophets
and kings did not have. They wished to see Jesus but did not. The disciples
see Jesus among them and rejoice in his presence. They listen and hear his
words. And we, the disciples of the Lord for today’s world are called to
accept the Spirit and to be children of God. We then enjoy the same graces
that the disciples did. We therefore Rejoice! that we are God’s children.

Prayer: Lord, grant us the strength to dream out our best thoughts, the
heroism to persevere through their collapse, the chlidlkeness to be reborn
anew so that the mystery of your hopes be manifest in our lives. No life,
lost in you, is ever lost, only transformed into its most mysterious
possiblity. (Fr. Carroll Stuhlmueller, C.P.). Amen.

Today’s Readings



cripture: Lectionary 176. Isaiah 4:2-6 (A). Psalm 122: 1-9. Matthew
8:5-11:

Jesus was surrounded by all sorts of people. This included Roman soldiers
who occupied his native land. We learn of one centurion who had charge of
one hundred soldiers who comes to him seeking help for his son or his
slave. The word in Greek can mean either son or slave. This Gentile
approaches Jesus and asks that Jesus cure his son. Somehow being a
well-informed foreigner and a smart commander he knew about Jesus and
believed in him as a healer. It was worth is effort to seek Jesus and ask
for this cure. We learn from the narrative Matthew gives us that this man
had a deep faith, a strong sense of who he was which is the essence of
humility, and a concern for another person who served him. He is a person
who speaks clearly and sincerely from the depths of his heart. We know his
plea, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you under my roof. Just say the word
and my servant (son, slave) will be healed.”

Amazingly this expression is used before we receive our Lord Jesus Christ
in the Sacrament of the Eucharist at communion just after we have said the
Lord’s Prayer and the priest has another prayer about removing all anxiety
from us. Our faith should at that time spring from our hearts while we say
the same words as the soldier who was helped by Jesus. Humility is
necessary for us too as we learn to accept who we are without murmurring
about it. Wholesomeness is part of humility; sincerity too.

Jesus too is amazed when he sees and hears the Roman requesting this favor
and expressing himself with such faith and trust in the Lord. Jesus does
heal the boy and by this event challenges us to have the same deep faith of
the heart that the centurion had. We then can find in our participation in
Communion a sign that the kingdom of God is already within us and among us
in one another as one bread and one body through the Body and Blood of the
Lord Jesus Christ. We are invited daily to the banquet of the Lord even
though we, too, are unworthy to have the Lord come into our hearts.

Fr. Stuhmueller says, ” During this Advent season we are asked to learn,
humbly and gratefully, for the outsider how to live worthily inside the
holy temple of God.” Amen.

Today’s Readings



Advent begins with the Vespers of last night and will continue till the
Feast of Christmas. We are beginning a new year of God’s graces and in our
Eucharist we are blessed with the grace of Scripture being read and
listened to by believers who want to make of Advent a time of
contemplation, quietness, and expectation. It is a season of great hope.
One religious member of a community of brothers and priests has this
beautiful passage from Lamentations. It helps us to emphasize hope during
this waiting period of prayer and liturgy:

But I will this to mind as my reason to have hope: The favors of the
Lord are not exhausted, his mercies are not spent; They are renewed each
morning, so great is his faithfulness. My portion is the Lord, says my
soul; therefore will I hope in him. (Lamentations 3:21-24).

Lord, come to our assistance and help us to be attentive and devoted to
your holy word during this Advent season. O Holy Spirit, stir up deep
devotion and love within our hearts for you and for one another through the
inspiration of the words of God and Jesus that you have sent to us. May
Isaiah, the Psalmist, John the Baptist, and Jesus be present to us through
these holy words. Father, we thank you for giving us Jesus as the Word
made flesh who dwells among us as Emmanuel. He is the hoped for promises
fulfilled in every age of our history and your salvation history.

We ask Isaiah to help us understand his words to us. May he instruct us in
your ways that we may walk in your paths. May your word bring forth
instruction for us from Zion, the holy city of Jerusalem. (Isaiah 2: 3).

And as we sing the psalm response of Psalm 122 let us pray for one another
for peace among all peoples especially among Christians, Muslims, and Jews.
“For the sake of these my brothers and my friends, I shall say, ‘Peace be
within you.” (Psalm 122:8).

St. Paul keeps telling us that our salvation is near. We are to put on the
Lord Jesus Christ and make no provisions for the desires of the
flesh.” (Romans 13:14).

We are encouraged by Jesus to stay awake for we do not know the hour of his
coming. We must be prepared for the day of the Lord. We are to keep watch
and to pray for the Son of Man is coming at the time we least expect.
(Matthew 24:42).

May we be atuned to what St. Augustine says as we enter this Advent with
hope and enthusiasm: “At present your body receives life from the soul, but
then it will receive life from the Spirit.” The Lord is good to those who
wait for him. Our souls seek the Lord. It is good to hope in the Lord.
Marana tha Jesus! Come, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Today’s Readings



Scripture: Lectionary # 508. Revelation 22:1-7. Psalm 95:1-2.3.5.6-7. Luke
21:34-36:

In this next to last day of the liturgical year, our gospel reading is
short and to the point. Jesus is preparing us for the great day when he
will return in glory. This is often called the Parousia, a Greek word which
also means presence (The kingdom of God is within). Decisive lines are
drawn up for our pondering and we are encouraged to avoid selfishness,
sensuality, drunkedness, and preoccupation with worldly allurements. We
have been hearing how necessary it is for us to be strong in our belief in
Jesus (fortes in fide). Now Jesus is telling us to stand strong before him
(thus he is present to us).

This reading is appropriate as we consider the ultimate things and the
future coming of the Lord. It is an eschatological message that is
persuasive and clear as it comes directly from the mouth of the Son of God,
Jesus. Our response is Advent like as we sing out or chant: Marana tha!
Come, Lord Jesus!

The selection from the Book of Revelation also tells us that we are
reflecting on the end time. We have a glimpse of Heaven from the seer, John
of Patmos. We envision our lives in front of the throne of God and the
Lamb of God. God’s promises to us will be fulfilled both now and in the
future. We will see God. The last words we have for today are truly
consoling: “Remember, I am coming soon. ! Happy the man who heeds the
prophetic words of this book!” This is another of the many beatitudes we
hear in the Scriptures. The Book of Revelation has given us seven specific
beatitudes.

Our Psalm95 is a psalm of praise and confidence in God the creator and
redeemer. We join in the call of God: Let us greet him with thanksgiving;
let us joyfully sing psalms to him.” Arthur Weiser in his classic
commentary on the psalms encapsulates the meaning of this excellent morning
prayer psalm: “The profound meaning of the liturgical festival as an
encounter between God and his people finds its fulfillment in the fact that
the ancient tradition of the Heilsgeschicte (salvation history) regarding
creation, election, and the making of the covenant at Sinai is here renewed
as a present sacral event (cf. of the “today” in verse 7b), and that God’s
power and saving grace are here revealed before the eyes of his people, who
in their turn humble themselves in his presence, offering him their
humility and adoration, their gratitude and trust, their submission and
obedience.” (Weiser, The Psalms, Old Testament Library, p. 626). Amen.

Today’s Readings

Scripture: Lectionary 507. Rev. 20:1-4, 11-21:2. Psalm 84:3.4.5-6.8. Luke
21:29-33:

Both the Creed, our liturgy on All Saints Day and All Souls, and the
Catechism of the Catholic Church help us to probe more deeply and calmly
into the Book of Revelation as it comes to an end in our continuous
readings. Nicetas, an early theologian of the Church, in his commentary on
the Creed states, “What is the Church if not the assembly of all the
saints?” The most important member of the Church is Jesus Christ, the Head
of the Body of his members called the Church. The riches of Christ are
communicated to all the members, through the sacraments. (St. Thomas
Aquinas).

The liturgy of the Eastern Catholic Churches tells us “Sancta
sanctis” (God’ holy gifts for God’s holy people.” This is proclaimed by the
celebrant during the elevation of the holy Gifts before the distribution of
communion. The faithful (sancti) are fed by Christ’s holy body and blood
(sancta) to grow in the communion of the Holy Spirit (koinonia) and to
communicate and witness to the world.

Revelation is unfolding step by step the revelation of God to us as members
of the Church. The power of our union with the victorious Lamb of God,
Jesus, overcomes Satan now and in the end times when the victory will be
fully understood and experienced. All of the martyrs and holy persons who
gave their lives for Jesus witness to us about the meaning of perseverance
and total self-giving.

This mystery was celebrated at the beginning of this month of November in
the Feast of All Saints followed by that of All Souls Day liturgy. Now at
the end of the month the complete story is told through the Book of
Revelation in today’s selection. Life for those who have died in Christ is
being changed and transformed into eternal life. The Scriptures simply
confirm these beliefs for us.

We pray that all whom we know and love and who have passed through the veil
of death may be alive before God in their prayers for us just as we pray
and invoke them. The Communion of Saints therefore is one of our most
consoling of mysteries. We are confident that our own remembrances and
prayers to these holy ones will help us to have our names written in the
Book of Life. This call of God that comes to us each day helps us to
choose life over death in both the little things we face and in the greater
verities of the meaning of human life and its limitations. We are called
to be witnesses to the word of God and to Jesus. This message is both
challenging and hopeful. We make the invocation of the King of all saints
as we pray, “Come, Lord Jesus! Maranatha! Amen.

Today’s Readings



Scripture: Lectionary # 506: Rev. 18:1-2.21-23. 19:1-3,9. Psalm
100:2.3.4.5. Luke 21:20-28.

Two great cities are mentioned in our readings today. The first is Rome
under the pseudonym Babylon. Revelation gives us the details of its
crumbling under its own corruption–most of which is in the area of
economics and buying and celling to its clients called the merchants. Rome
is far from being the city we know today! Then in the Gospel the great
holy city of Jerusalem is mentioned but in the context of its destruction
by the Romans. We have the tale of two cities in the readings and Charles
Dickens had nothing to do with these narratives. The destruction of both
cities is total according to these biblical accounts.

Rome represents the greed, the worthlessness of its economic power and its
powerful domination over the rest of peoples especially the land where
Jesus lived. The Jewish writer of the Apocalypse can only identify it with
Babylon– greed and lust are leading to its downfall and the emergence of
Jesus as Victor over its evils of all sorts in commerce and warfare.
Symbolic language is used throughout Revelation and this makes sense for
the author, John of Patmos, is describing his ecstatic visions of the
future.

Jerusalem is destroyed because of its failure to live up to the covenant of
God and also its inability to withstand the power of the Roman military
force. We may ask is there any hope for Jerusalem, for Rome? The answer is
yes for today these two cities stand and are admired by most peoples.
Somehow the holiness of Jerusalem is sensed. Luke love it enough to make it
the center of his Gospel geography and theology and also his Acts of the
Apostles. And today the beauty of both cities continues to admire
pilgrims, vacationers, and curious travelers.

Both cities need to be seen within the perspective of the plan of salvation
that God has for them.
We are speaking of the perspective of the Scriptures and not of the secular
press here. The covenant has been renewed by many faithful believers and
the person of Jesus stands out for Christians in both cities as they
reflect on the meaning of so many sacre places in these cities. It is
through the faithful believers and the peace makers that both of these
cities figure in the future peace that we all hope for.

Yes, this is a tale of two cities. This tale however is real and historical
and is not simply a literary masterpiece.
Let us pray for the peace of Jerusalem and for the peace that Rome can help
bring about. Amen.

Today’s Readings



Scripture: Lectionary 505. Revelation 15:1-4. Psalm 98:1.2-3.7-8.9. Luke
21:12-19:

Readings of an apocalyptic genre are frightening and we are hearing several
of them as we approach the end of this liturgical year. The tendency to
think about the future will continue in Advent, but the fear will be
changed more to expectation and hope. By trusting in Jesus we overcome our
fear and look beyond the apocalyptic into the sacrament of the present
moment where Jesus is within us and we are temples of the Holy Spirit.

We learn a number of important virtues or attitudes to have as disciples of
Jesus in the Gospel for the day. We are to have enduring patience, we must
witness to our belief in Jesus, and we are to cherish the words of wisdom
that will be given to us as we reflect on Jesus’ presence in word,
sacrament, and indwelling within our hearts. We believe that Jesus is king
of all hearts. We may experience conflict even within our family, or among
our friends. Still in the patience we have we will possess our souls. We
are to be agents of reconciliation despite these conflicts. We are hearers
and doers of the word of God through the wisdom given to us by the Holy
Spirit.

Apocalyptic and futuristic thinking in these passages of Scripture center
also on the cosmic conflict between good and evil that keeps going on
around us. As disciples of the Lord we live within the present and make of
it a sacrament of Christ living within us; then hope ensues and fears
disappear. All will pass away and only God remains and God is to be
worshipped alone. Let nothing disturb you we hear from a Saint Theresa of
Avila.

Even with the many symbols, images, and scenes of the Book of Revelation,
we sing the verse taken from that same book: “Great and wonderful are your
works, Lord Mighty God.” (Rev.15:3). We place all our trust in the Word of
God, Jesus who is our Savior and our Wisdom. He is the one who controls
all elements in time whether past, present, or future. The Apocalypse
gives him the unique title of the Alpha and the Omega: “I am the Alpha and
the Omega…the one who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty
(the Pantokrator).”

Dr. Vincent Branick gives us the excellent perspective we are to have while
reading these passages and while celebrating the Eucharist together as the
Body of Christ: “Jewish apocalyptic is absorbed by early Christianity with
a major shift. Jesus becomes the figure through whom God rescues people
from the realm of evil and transfers them to that of goodness. The return
of Jesus becomes the main event of the end times.” Amen.

(Taken from : Understanding Paul and his Letters, by Dr. Branick, page
107).

Today’s Readings


Scripture: Lectionary 504. Rev. 14:14-19. Psalm 96:10, 11-12,13. Luke
21:5-11:
Scripture often alludes to cosmic power. Today’s scenes from the Book of
Revelation are completely cosmic in scope and lead to the judgment of God
upon all who are evil doers; they will experience the wrath of God at the
time of harvest. These images of power reflect the great descripition of
God and Jesus as the Pantokrator, the Almighty One. You may get an idea of
how magnificent this image of God is by visiting a Greek or Russian
Orthodox Church or a Byzantine Catholic Church. There high above the altar
is a huge mosaic, painting, or icon of Jesus as Pantokrator. Keep this in
mind as you read about the power of God vested in Jesus his Son who will
come to judge the living and the dead. Two angels and the Son of God are
the ones who do the harvesting and have a sickle in their hands. The
harvest consists of the grain to be reaped and the wine to be crushed from
the grapes into the winepress of God described as a winepress of wrath.
Again we think of the Beast, the Devil, and the evil power mongers of the
world who are headed for that winepress. The faithful have nothing to fear,
but are awed by what they see and hear.

The Psalm response harmonizes with this first reading:”The Lord comes to
judge the earth.” Many of its verses also chime in with the judgment of God
but we never forget God’s mercy which outweighs his justice. We should
read the entire psalm to catch its power and majesty. One great commentator
says this, “The proclamation of the kingship of God is linked up with the
declaration of the two foundational pillars of the universe. The order of
nature in creation and the order of history in judgment are planned by God
in such a way that they are turned to each other and supplement each other,
being both directed towards their common goal, and that goal is the
realization of the ‘righteousness of God’ in his plan of
salvation.” (Weiser, p.630).

Fortunately, as believers we realize and acknowledge that the Lord rules
with justice and mercy. God rules with constancy and fidelity to the
promises made from the beginning of our human history and the mystery of
God working within it as Savior.

The Gospel has Jesus predicting the destruction of the most holy city on
earth, Jerusalem. This will actually take place during the years of 68-73
A.D. Luke, of course, is writing this while knowing full well the story of
the Roman destruction of Jerusalem. The paragraph has an introduction to
the theme of the fall of Jerusalem, an exhortation, and then the
manifestation of the power of Roman warfare. This is not the end of the
world but Luke uses it as a way of making us think about the end times. The
day of reckoning is in the future, but it is definitely there as a reality
that no one can escape. Our passage therefore is a prefigurement of the Day
of the Lord. The “Dies Irae” chant haunts us in this reading. Amen.

Today’s Readings


Scripture: Lectionary 503. Rev. 14:1-3.4-5. Psalm 24:1-2.3-4.5-6. Luke 21:
1-4:
We are God’s People who always long to see God’s face! (Psalm 24:6). This
Psalm was prayed and sung on the first day of the week (Yom Echad) a Sunday
and it fits the spirit of the Lord God’s creation events in Genesis chapter
one. Meanwhile, in reading the first reading of the day from Revelation we
are in the Heavens where God’s throne is central and the seer, John of
Patmos, continues to unravel his visions and experiences for us. Rather
than being lost in the symbolism we should simply realize that he is trying
to tell us in every page that God alone is to be worshipped and that the
Lamb of God, Jesus, is the great King and victor over all Evil (Satan),
sin, and death. Keeping these ideas in mind will help us not to get lost
in the forest studded with symbolic images.

We, as a People of God, like the Israel of the first testament, always are
searching and seeking for God. Yet, God is the “Hound of Heaven” who is
searching for us. We long to see God’s face and do see something in the
opaque images of God in the Scriptures. Jesus, the Son of God, is the
human face of God for those who have been baptized and are Christian
believers.

We discover Jesus looking at those entering the temple and paying some
tribute to it by offerings. He sees a poor widow putting in her last two
copper coins; she is giving all she has and does it so humbly and
discreetly, that only Jesus sees and notices her. He is moved to say, “I
assure you that this woman has put in more than all the rest–she from her
want has given what she could not afford–every penny she had to live on.”
She is among the greatest in the kingdom of heaven whose angels protect her
and the children who are among the greatest in the kingdom. The Psalms
honor such persons by calling them the Poor of Yahweh or the ‘Anawim. There
are ample examples of this type of person in the psalms and these are
prayers to make us mindful of the poor, the widows, the orphans, and the
marginal persons.

Luke began his story of Jesus in the Temple area and now as he is getting
near the end of the Gospel, he continues to focus on Jerusalem and Mount
Zion where the Temple is. We should join him in reverencing the holy
places there and spirtually take ourselves to the new and heavenly
Jerusalem which is the one John of Patmos is describing in the Book of
Revelation. We learn from Jesus looking at a poor woman approaching the
temple to be generous and thankful to God. We see this as quite timely as
we approach Thanksgiving Day. We too should give all to God by helping our
poor neighbors and those who have no one to care for them. This is how we
will find the face of God just as Mother Theresa of Calcutta did in India
among those lying in the mud and dying on the streets. This is how we
learn how to worship God alone! Amen.

Today’s Readings



Scripture: Lectionary 163: II Samuel 5:1-3. Psalm 122:1-2.3.4.4-5.
Colossians 1:12-20. Luke 23:35-43.
The Bible Today is the name of a small periodical that presents themes,
studies, and the spirituality of the Bible. It issues from the Benedictines
at Collegeville, Minnesota on the grounds of St. John’s College. The
periodical aims at helping both students and ordinary folks to learn more
about the New Testament and the Old Testament. In its most recent issue the
theme was the Messiah. This current issue is most helpful in helping a
reader to appreciate the meaning of Jesus as King and Messiah and is a good
source for understanding the meaning of today’s feast, the last Sunday of
the liturgical year 2010.

Jesus did not proclaim himself as Messiah very often. He wanted his people
and his disciples to learn about who he is through his actions and words.
He did not emphasize his messiahship but his disciples and evangelists
after the resurrection did. We have St. Luke as our guide in seeing Jesus
as the “King of the Jews”–the title given to him by Pilate and placed on
top of the wood of the cross for all to see and identify his kingship as
the reason for his being crucified.

We learned from the II Book of Samuel that David was the great King of both
Israel and Judah and that he was the one who was anointed by Samuel and
thus started the authentic lineage for a messiaic type of leadership in
those who followed him as King. His sons were among them and could not live
up to his reign of forty years which helped him to unite the twelve tribes
of Israel with Jerusalem as the capital city for all Israelites. As a
royal messiah he was the hope of the Israelites for overcoming oppression.
That did not happen and the Romans destroyed the Temple and devastated the
city of Jerusalem into a pile of smashed stones and dust. But some thirty
years before that Jesus still was considered by the leaders as a threat and
hence the title “King of the Jews.”

The reading therefore forces us to ask what type of King-Messiah was Jesus
in his very short reign of possibly only one year of active ministry? And
for us, how do we identify who Jesus is for us when we think of him as the
Anointed One, the Messiah? We continue reading the passage of Luke and
discover that only the criminal who realized that Jesus was innocent was
the one who grasped something about the real Jesus dying on the Cross. He
prays, “Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus, the
merciful one, responds with “this day you shall be with me in paradise.”

Luke has offered an image of a prophetic messiah. His role is similar to
that of the Suffering Servant of Isaiah. Jesus, the anointed one, was a
merciful and kind person in his rule which was not of this world. He dies
in order that we may be saved by his blood. This king messiah, who has
done nothing wrong, is the Messiah. Only the thief affirms in Luke 23:41
that Jesus is innocent. Again, Fr. Karris helps us to appreciate Jesus the
merciful messiah: “The jewel in this rich setting of theological themes
follows. It is Jesus’ third word, sometimes called the Gospel within the
Gospel: “Indeed, I promise you, today you will be with me in paradise
(23:43). Jesus had come to put his arms of mercy around sinners and hug
them. To the last he is very true to that kingly vocation.” Sister Diane
Bergant ends her reflection on this Sunday in this manner: In the last
words of the Gospel, words with which the entire Liturgical Year is brought
to completion, he opens the gates of his kingdom to a repentent sinner:
“Today you will be with me in Paradise.” These are the words we all long
to hear, words that are empty when coming from one who has no authority but
charged with power when spoken by the one who is King over us all.”

Today’s Readings

Scripture: Lectionary 502: Revelation 11:4-12. Psalm 144: 1.2.9-10. Luke
20:27-40.

Our reflections and praying with today’s scriptures turns us toward the
greatest miracle ever performed, namely, the Resurrection of Jesus from the
dead. If this had not happened there would be no New Testament, no
Christian way of life and this world would be indeed in a very sad state of
simply survival of the best. But the Resurrection of Jesus did happen and
today’s reading assures us of it. We can only accept this through the gift
of faith nurtured by our Baptismal commitment. This faith is a personal
gift of God as is our being raised to life after death a personal gift of
God to those who have been created in the image and likeness of God–that
means all of the human race.

Though the Resurrection does not appear in the writings of the Old
Testament until the second or third century before the birth of Christ, it
is there in the Wisdom literature and perhaps in some of the later writings
and the later psalms. We cherish these readings that do and continue to
see how closely related are both testaments–New and “Old.”

Jesus speaks openly about the resurrection in his disputation with the
Sadducees who “claim there is no resurrection” (Luke 20:27-28). Jesus
tells them that the God he knows and experiences is a God of the living not
of the dead. He recalls the burning bush where God appears to Moses and
says “I AM WHO AM”. God is a living Person and has invited Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob to live eternally with him. He is a God of the living ancestors
and patriarchs of the faith. Marriage in heaven is not to be according to
Jesus. Life there never dies and there is no need for propagation of life
in a realm where all is life. The intimacy of love experienced on earth is
only a trace of the intimacy of all who share their love of God with one
another in Heaven. Since we all are made in the image and likeness of God
through God’s creation and redemption we all have the potential within us
to be united totally in God without losing our specific identity. What
good would it be if we are only specks of light, a shooting star, or a
molecule of dust that endures forever? We all through faith in Him can have
life eternal with Him in Heaven. “God is not the God of the dead, but of
the living.For to him all are alive.” (Luke 20: 38). Amen.

Today’s Readings

Scripture: Lectionary 501. Revelation 10:8-11. Psalm 119:
14.24.72.103.111.131. Luke 19:45-48:
Whenever Jesus visited Jerusalem, he was always near or in the Temple.
There he could easily be seen and heard as he preached and taught about
doing the will of the Father. On this this his final visit, he would
achieve his goal by dying on the Cross to save all who believed in him. We
too pray often in a church or a sacred place set aside for prayer. Like
Jesus we preach and teach more by our behavior and our adherence to keeping
the commandments of God given through Moses to us, and those special
commandments of love that Jesus gives us in the beatitudes and the corporal
works of mercy.

Unfortunatley, on this last occasion of having reached Jerusalem with his
disciples, he finds money-changers trafficking in exchanges in the Temple.
This angers him and he drives all of them out through his fiery zeal for
the love of God’s most sacred dwelling place, the Temple. We have seen
Luke making the Temple a theme and a symbol throughout his Gospel where it
begins in the Temple and then from the Temple spreads throughout the world
as we here the message of Jesus being given to the Gentiles. Jesus actions
will lead to his conviction and condemnation to death on the Cross.

Jesus was not the type of Messiah the crowd expected as they celebrated his
entrance into Jerusalem. In Luke Jesus is a prophetic Messiah not a royal
one. As a prophet he is pouring out through parables and teachings the
will of God for the people. Therefore, he does a prophetic action when he
cleanses the Temple by ridding if of the money minded and the business
taking place in this sacred location. The Temple is never meant to be a
marketplace.

Father Karris, O.F.M. shares with us his insights on the messianic kingship
of Jesus: “The theme of Jesus, the peaceful king, culminates in the
startling picture of Jesus the crucified king…To his last breath, Jesus
continues his kingly ministry to the sinner and he saves the “good thief”.
( Luke 23:40-43).

As disciples of the Lord we too experience rejection and misunderstanding
from time to time. We are led to turn back to the Journey Narrative of
Luke and to remember what Jesus taught us. We trust in him and realize
that he alone can help us through some of the problems we face in relating
to others. We trust in Jesus because we know he loves us to the last
breath. Amen.

Today’s Readings



Scripture: Lectionary # 500. Revelation 5:1-10. Psalm 149:1-2.3-4.5-6.9.
Luke 19:41-44.
Luke shows us how much Jesus loves Jerusalem. As he sees the holy city he
weeps not tears of joy but sorrowful tears. The people, the leaders, the
Romans are not friendly to him when he brings his prophetic message to
them. Prophets are never well received in their own country; we know that
well from the Prophets themselves. Jesus is a prophet as well. He
foresees the destruction of the holy city Zion (Jerusalem) with the Roman
ramparts surrounding it and everything being crushed to dust by weapons of
war. We know this all too well as we see it happening even today in Iraq,
Iran, and the Middle East. Jesus therefore weeps and displays his human
side all too well.

The long journey to the city is always described as going up to it. He and
his disciples are now there and the formal teachings of Jesus given to them
is coming to an end. They have had a full course on what it means to be a
disciple of Jesus and Luke has captured it in his magnificent narrative
called the JOURNEY NARRATIVE (chapters 9:51-19:44).

This final scene of the journey helps us to see how real and human Jesus
is. We do not have to theologize about this dimension if we read Luke
carefully. We must experience him as a person who loves us so much that he
gives his life unconditionally especially for those of us who are sinners,
outcasts, marginal people whom others avoid. Jesus does not do that.
Instead he invites us like he did Zacchaeus.

His prediction of the destruction of the holy city will not happen for two
generations or about forty years later after his death, yet, he weeps. He
probably intuits that he will end his life just outside its walls where
criminals were crucified by the Romans. If he is the Messiah, he will
suffer not reign here on earth. All are called to look at the Cross and
see Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews in their own language and their own
way of pondering over such a powerful scene of Jesus dying on the Cross.
Everyone at that time was addressed in Latin, Hebrew and Greek. We were
all covered so too speak.

Jesus probably remembers his many journeys to the holy city with Mary his
mother and Joseph. He recalls the incident of being lost to them while he
is at home within his Father’s house. Feasts were happy occasions for him:
Passover, Sukkoth, Pentecost where he laughed and did not weep. Now it is
different and time fades away so swiftly for the King of the Jews. No
wonder he weeps.

These simple patterns of his life that Luke has developed and narrated are
helpful for our own journeys in life. The journey theme is at the heart of
our own following of the Lord. We laugh, we weep, we pray. His humanity
helps us to be more divine like without it being mentioned either for him
or for us. Luke moves on with the rest of the story. We continue to go up
to Jerusalem each day praying some of the ascent hymns of our own or of the
Church. These are simple tunes like our prayers are and they nourish the
soul that is thirsting for the Lord.

Let us not forget the “time of our visitation” to the holy city. Our being
with Jesus on the journey gives us the lessons in life that we need to hear
and must assimilate. The time we have is relatively short event though most
of us will live twice over the life-span of the Lord Jesus. We continue to
wait patiently with enduring and constant hope for the Coming of the Lord
(Advent, the Parousia). Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus, come! Amen.