Daily Scripture

Saturday of the Third Week of Advent

Scripture:

Zephaniah 3:14-18a
Luke 1:39-45

Reflection:

Signs play a major role in God’s dealings with us.  Biblical history makes this abundantly clear, as the unfolding of the Christmas story that we are about to recall will remind us the next few days.  Were it not for the angels acting as signs attracting the attention of the shepherds out in the fields with their flocks, the shepherds would not have known of the birth of the infant nearby.  And it was the sign of a  star in the sky that caught the attention of the wise men in the east,  leading them to the place where the child lay, so that they could offer Him gifts.  And earlier on it was Joseph’s dream acting as a sign leading Joseph to take Mary as his wife, despite his initial misgivings.  Before it was all over, Joseph would become adept at interpreting dreams as signs of God’s interventions in his life.

Signs have been major players in God’s dealings with us, across the centuries.  They appear in the biblical readings we hear today.  When the prophet Zephaniah addresses the people of Jerusalem assuring them of their safety, urging them to be joyful because their enemies have been repulsed, he emerges as a sign from God alerting them to God’s action on their behalf.  And Elizabeth, Mary’s cousin, offers her hospitality upon her arrival, and sings a song of joy as she greets her pregnant kinfolk by understanding the sign of Mary’s pregnancy as a visit from her Lord.  Elizabeth realized this was no ordinary pregnancy by interpreting a sign within her own pregnancy.

Signs play an important role in God’s dealings with us.  He finds them helpful in communicating with us, and they facilitate our association with God, provided we are able to interpret or decode His signs.   Biblical history is full of signs, calling, as they do, for interplay between God the signer and us the interpreters.  Jesus frequently encountered those seeking a sign from Him that would convince them of His Messianic claims: "An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet." (Mt. 12.39)  "Others, to test Him, asked him for a sign from heaven." (Lk. 11:16)

We use signs among ourselves, which also require interpretation in order to be understood.  Sometimes we refer to such signs as codes, especially when they are intended for only a restricted group of people.   During WWII American military forces utilized Native American languages, in both major theaters of war.  A group of 24 Navajos handled telephone communications, using voice codes in their native tongue, between the Air Command in the Solomon Islands and various airfields in the region, and these codes proved difficult to decode and understand.  Enemy forces had to find a way of decoding a strange language.  And when God uses signs in our regard, we too need to decode the message, and this happens only by faith.

We still honor signs in God’s dealings with us, such as the sacraments.  We have regard sacraments as "signs" of grace instituted by Christ and committed to the church.  Sacramental signs are in continuity with those so frequently mentioned in the scriptures.  Like so many signs, they too have to be decoded in order to be appreciated, and it is only faith that enables us to do this, just as it was faith that enabled Elizabeth to interpret the import of Mary’s pregnancy.  Before this shortest day of the calendar year draws to a close, let us seek the fullness of faith to interpret the events of life in continuity with the whole history of God’s interventions in human life.

 

Fr. Sebastian MacDonald, C.P. is a member of the Passionist formation community at Catholic Theological Union, Chicago. 

 

Christmas Eve   

Scripture:

2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16
Luke 1:67-79

 

 

Reflection:

 The Stunning Visit

The Church’s liturgy beautifully prepares us for the grand feast of Christmas by putting before us the words of Zechariah.  These words are among the most beautiful in the New Testament.   They are a challenge to the translator to put into good English.  The best I can do is the following.   "Through the tender mercies of our God, the rising sun from on high did look upon (Visit) us."

The beautiful words "tender mercies" in the original Greek New Testament are "splágxnon eleous"  which mean the visceral mercy of God. The words roar out the passionate parental love that God has for us.  I think the Latin had it best with "per viscera misericordiae Dei nostri".  God comes to us with stunning feelings of warmth and care in this great mystery of the Incarnation.

In this immense cosmos of God’s creation we might easily be led as so many are today, to believe that we are but flyspecks.    They would say God could not possibly be that interested in the earth, a piece of dust, floating in the vast universe of a hundred million galaxies.   And if He did show some special interest in our planet, He certainly would not be bothered with smudged and gritty humanity.

In Rome we probably have the oldest picture of the crucifixion of our Lord as a piece of graffiti on the wall of a soldier’s barracks.   Under the image are the words: Alexemenos worships his god.  What is striking about this image is that the head of the crucified is a head of a donkey!   It is a blasphemous image mocking the faith of a Roman soldier in the second century.   God would have to be a donkey to come and die for humans!   This sends a chill down one’s spine and has the smell of the same unbelief in our modern world.   I wonder how many in the world today believe that God so loved the world as to give His only Son?   "Will the Son of Man find faith?"   "He came unto His own, and His own received Him not." John 1

But even human blindness and ignorance seem in this season to be overcome by joy.   I love to see all the lights and cheerfulness in the secular world during this season.  Maybe even pagans deep down in their heart may hope that they might be intensely, totally and profoundly loved by God.

 

Fr. Bob Weiss, C.P. preaches Parish Missions and is a member of the Passionist Community in Louisville, Kentucky.

Thursday of the Third Week of Advent

Scripture:

Judges 13:2-7, 24-25a
Luke 1:5-25

Reflection:

But they (Zechariah and Elizabeth) had no child, because Elizabeth was barren and both were advanced in years. Luke 1:7

Over the years, married couples have come to see me about their struggle to have children. Many of them began their married life thinking that having a child would not be a problem. They thought that the problems would come from other sources: not enough money, not having steady jobs or they were beginning their married life far away from parents and relatives. In a sense, they all thought that they were in control of their lives.

The years go by and they try very hard to have a family. They go to doctors, listen to all of the folk remedies offered by friends and go to Church to pray for children. Slowly, the situation begins to wear on them, and some of them will begin to see their marriages suffer. Many will seek pastoral or professional counseling at that point. Childless marriages are very stressful to a marriage.

Both readings for today’s Mass deal with childless marriages. The first reading is about Samson’s parents. Israel was in need of a savior at that moment in history. God chose this childless couple to give birth to a warrior who would lead the Israelites against their enemies. The second reading is about Zachariah and Elizabeth, the parents of John the Baptist. They were childless but God chose them give birth to a key person in Salvation History, John the Baptist. We admire these parents for not giving up on God and allowing God to enter into their lives for the good of all.

We all know that God’s ways are not our ways. Advent is the perfect time for us to reflect upon that truth. God’s Plan of Salvation will not be frustrated because we do not get our first wish or if things do not go our way. Advent is leaving ourselves open to what God may place before us, no matter how bleak the future looks. Both parents that we read about in today’s Mass were really surprised to see how their sons turned out. When these parents first got married, they probably had very different lives planned for their children. Yet God chose them and their children to continue our path of Salvation.

Advent is adjusting to the circumstances that life brings us. That is hard work. Advent asks us to delve deep within us to find our center, that point of contact with our God and our truest identity. That is where the Child Jesus will be born. Yes, once we were childless. Now, we have given birth to the Child Jesus! Where there was once no life, now there is New Life. What a great preparation for Christmas this season is for us!

 

Fr. Clemente Barrón, C.P. is a member of Immaculate Conception Community in Chicago, Illinois. 

 

Scripture:

Jeremiah 23:5-8
Matthew 1:18-25

 

Reflection:

"She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins."

Just what is Christmas all about?  I’ll answer my own question.  It’s the Christmas songs, the beautiful lighted Christmas trees, the manger scene with the Christ child in the crib, the laughter and merry making of family and friends as presents are opened.  If that is Christmas, then isn’t the line …"And you shall name him Jesus because he will save his people from their sins"…sort of out of place?   Sort of like pulling the plug on T.V. which has been playing Christmas songs, removing the hors d’oeuvres from the table, turning off the lights and insisting on silence?  What do we do with this serious line in Advent…"And you shall name him Jesus because he will save his people from their sins"?

I would suggest that this rather serious line will do wonders for our celebration at Christmas.  Into our midst comes Jesus, our Immanuel ("God is with us").  It’s so much like the family gathering to welcome home the new born baby in the family.    Conversations are halted, the bantering stops and almost in unison is heard, "Ohhhhhhhhh, myyyyyyy!"   All the attention goes to the child.   Who would walk out of a touching, tender moment as that?!

How could you and I ever walk away from the Nativity scene of Jesus?  How could you and I not love Him?  How could you and I not accept His love?  The added aspect for us adults will be the depth of His love.  We will gather for Mass on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.  The depth of His love for you and me will be realized as we catch a glimpse of the crucifix over the altar.  Jesus crucified will not catch the attention of the little ones.  That’s okay.  But for us adults there can be quiet tears.  There is Jesus. And we will go one step further in realizing, "Greater love than this no one has but that he lay down his life for his friends."  And this is our Savior, divine friend and brother: Jesus.

 

Fr. Peter Berendt, C.P. is on the staff of Holy Name Passionist Retreat Center, Houston, Texas.

 

Tuesday of the Third Week of Advent

Scripture:

Genesis 49:2, 8-10
Matthew 1:1-17

Reflection:

As a child I always wondered why today’s Gospel was necessary.  Why is it important that I know who came before whom, especially when I cannot pronounce half of the names included. It wasn’t until I was older that I yearned to know more about my own family heritage: people, names, places. It was these items that gave me an indication of who I am and where I come from. The same applies to those readings during Advent that give us a genealogy, lists of animals and songs of praise. With these we are taken back to where it all began and it shows us how we arrived at where we are today. As we continue on our Advent journey, we are given an opportunity through Scripture to turn and look back. We need that reminder of where we have come from so that we can continue to journey with hope for the future. It gives us the opportunity to look back and allows us to prepare the way of the Lord at Christmas; to open up our lives to the Christ-child.

The commercial effect of Christmas can weigh heavy on us.  We are constantly, from the day after Thanksgiving, preparing for the next major holiday milestone, December 25^th. Whether we are in line getting the best discount, gathering groceries, or wrapping gifts, we are preparing to make Christmas Day happen. If you were to ask anyone why they make all of these preparations, they will tell you -"I want my family and I to enjoy Christmas Day." And that is rightfully so. And when we make the time to prepare spiritually for His coming; make it our priority, it helps us to better enjoy the celebration.

Advent is a time for us to prepare ourselves for His coming, and reflect on the rich history that has brought us here. Instead of blinding ourselves to everything but Christmas, we should enjoy the journey beforehand. Throughout Advent we are graced with readings, traditions and music that exude our faith and give us the opportunity to prepare our hearts. We take time to clear away all the debris that has built up, so that when He comes the path is clear. As we prepare in these final days of Advent for the coming of Christ at Christmas, let us take time to reflect on our rich Salvation History and prepare, as we should every day, the way of Lord.

A voice proclaims in the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD! – Isaiah 40:3

 

Kim Valdez is a Pastoral Associate at Holy Name Passionist Retreat Center in Houston, Texas.

Friday of the Third Week of Advent 

Scripture:

Isaiah 7:10-14
Luke 1:26-38

Reflection:

Today’s readings are about promise and fulfillment, fear and courage, cynicism and trust.   Just five days before we celebrate the birth of Christ, the readings remind us that the coming of Christ was no accident, no twist of fate.  Rather, the coming of Christ was the fulfillment of a promise made long before.

The first reading tells us about the Prophet Isaiah’s encounter with Ahaz, the King of Judah.  Isaiah is trying to give Ahaz a spine so he can face his enemies who are at the gate.  He assures Ahaz of God’s care and tells him to ask for a sign of God’s favor.  Ahaz can’t imagine how God could make a difference in this crisis so he begs off with the words, "I will not ask.  I will not tempt the Lord."  Isaiah, in disgust, responds, "…the Lord Himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel."  The fear and cynicism of Ahaz result in the destruction of his Kingdom.

In the Gospel we hear the story of Mary’s encounter with the Angel of God.  The angel tells her that God has a plan for her that boggles her imagination.  She is told that she will bear a son "who will be called holy, the Son of God…and who will rule over the house of Jacob forever."  Though she is unsure how these things could possibly happen, her personal courage and complete trust in God move her to respond, "I am the handmaid of the Lord.  May it be done to me according to your word."  Luke clearly sees that the promise made by God through Isaiah is fulfilled in the "yes" of the Mother of Jesus.

These readings call us to realize that God’s promises are best fulfilled in the hearts and lives of those who are open to Him.  As we prepare for Christmas let our prayer be, "Lord, help us welcome you with trust in our hearts whenever you come."

 

Fr. Michael Higgins, C.P. is the director of the Development Office for Holy Cross Province and is stationed at Immaculate Conception Community  in Chicago.

Third Sunday of Advent

Scripture:

Isaiah 35:1-6a, 10
James 5:7-10
Matthew 11: 2-11

Reflection:

Pope Francis has written the Church an apostolic exhortation entitled the JOY OF THE GOSPEL. But it is obvious in reading the exhortation that the gospel, the Good News, is a just a special moment in God’s ongoing relationship to the world that has been characterized by the gift of joy. The oracle that we read in Chapter 35 of Isaiah celebrates one of those moments:  the return of the exiled Jews to Jerusalem from Babylon. All nature joins in. The parched land exults and the steppe rejoices. The flowers of field break out in joyful song. The glory and splendor of the earth meet the glory of splendor of the Lord God. And we are there with our feeble hands, weak knees, and frightened hearts. Isn’t that always so true? Maybe this is why the Church returns year after year to the Christmas story and the Easter story. These are the stories that make us strong and banish our fears. Our God comes once again to save us. If we open our eyes and our ears to the mystery we will proverbially leap like stag and sing like an angel.

Our oracle ends with the assurance that sorrow and mourning will flee and the redeemed will be crowned with everlasting joy. 

Last night I participated in an Advent Penance service. For the most part it was a wonderful experience as young and old came forward to be reconciled as they prepared their hearts for the celebration of Christmas. But then came a woman with a story of anger and grief that seemed to have no end. As I listened I almost froze.  It was too much. I immediately knew that anything I said would be inadequate.

I did say something, but kept it very brief. Then I reached out and placed my hand on her shoulders and began the formula prayer "God the Father of mercies….I absolve you from your sins."  When I finished there were a few seconds of silence. Then she said quietly "Thank you, father." I removed my hand from her shoulder. As she rose and left I could only say a silent prayer for her. For a few sacred moments we had connected in the mystery of God’s reconciling love. I only hope that her peace will grow into joy.      

 

Fr. Michael Hoolahan, C.P. is on the staff of Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, California.

Saturday of the Second Week of Advent 

Scripture:
Sirach 48:1-4, 9-11
Matthew 17:9a-13

Reflection:
On their way down the Mount of Transfiguration, Peter, James and John asked Jesus about Elijah.  Why must he return before the coming of the Messiah?

We ask the same question every year at this time.  Why must we face John the Baptist – Elijah, if we have eyes of faith – before the coming of the Messiah, before Christmas?

Every year, John the Baptist, that high voltage prophet, skinny as cactus, bursts onto the Advent horizon.  He blocks our way.  He points the way.  John blocks our expectations of a risk-free, sentimental notion of baby in a manger.  He points the way to the true Messiah.  He calls us to repentance, to metanoia, to change our lives, to go in a new direction, different than that of our culture. 

The season is full of wrappings and trappings: baking special foods, hanging colorful lights, buying gifts at the mall, having the kids photographed with that man in the white beard, wearing a bright red outfit with a shiny black belt.  Are these activities important?  Yes.  There is nothing wrong with all that. 

Nevertheless, this unpleasant-looking prophet reminds us that this is secondary stuff.  It is time to prepare our souls, our lives for the Coming.  In light of eternity, nothing else matters.  It is time to enter into the wilderness, that place where we are stripped of all distractions, all trappings, where, in the silence, the holy waiting, we encounter God.

So why must Elijah return before the coming of the Messiah?  Unless we first accept and listen to the prophet at Advent time, we will be ill-prepared to welcome the Messiah.

It won’t be difficult to recognize John the Baptist.  Like Elijah, he will be the one shouting in the wilderness, with scraggly beard, clothed in rough camel skin and a leather belt around his waist.

 

Deacon Manuel Valencia is on the staff at Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, California.