Joyful Anticipation of the Messiah
Introduction: May you continue to reflect on the meaning
of the Lord Jesus’ coming to earth and being born a human, and may that reflection
lead you to a greater sense of your calling to serve others, in imitation of Jesus
and His mother.
Many people go out of their way these last days before Christmas to do special things for
others. That may include buying gifts, baking goodies, preparing meals, and/or decorating
the house so others may be welcomed into a warm, loving environment. This is the
time to think generously and give to others. Hopefully, they act with kindness and love because they are aware of Jesus’ loving service by
His leaving His rightful place in heaven and humbly coming to earth so that we might
live eternally with Him and His Abba-Father.
Our Advent
attention now rightly focuses on the human Coming (Adventus) of Jesus
among us. The prophet Micah announces that in the small and relatively insignificant
town of Bethlehem (at least in comparison to the capital city of Jerusalem) a new
ruler would be born. The psalm is a prayer that GOD would pour forth divine blessings
upon the Son of Man. In the passage from the Letter to the Hebrews, the author describes
GOD as “preparing a body” for the Messiah, emphasizing the humanity of the Messiah
(the Christ). The Gospel gives us the account of the pregnant Mary visiting her
pregnant kinswoman, Elizabeth.
First Reading, Micah 5:1-4: He will
stand and feed his flock with the power of the Lord
Commentary: The prophecy
of Micah reminds us that God’s standards are utterly different from human standards.
Bethlehem was an insignificant little hilltop town, the home of the smallest clan
of Judah, in an insignificant and oppressed country. Yet it had two moments of greatness,
one when David was anointed king there, the other when Jesus was born. David, the youngest of his father’s sons, left to look after the sheep when all the others
were summoned. He stands in the long tradition in the Bible that God chooses the
younger or less distinguished, Abel instead of Cain, Jacob instead of Esau, and Joseph
the youngest of all Jacob’s sons. Jesus seemed to have no visible father at all,
and Mary had no roof over her head for the birth of her first child. We cannot dare
to estimate any person’s value in God’s eyes. Still, amid all our striving, all the
pushing and shoving for priority, we do have a lurking suspicion that those nearest
to God, most marked by the image of God, are the humblest and least distinguished
of people. Mary was among them.
Birthday BVM: Bethlehem, the hometown of Jesse, father
of David, is forever associated with the promise of a king of David’s line and the
promise that his kingship will be eternal and surpass any human kingship. The
present verses, with ‘she who is in labour gives birth’ link the promise to that
given to King Ahaz in Isaiah 7.14, though in neither place is the identity of the
mother given. Nor, for that matter, is there any indication in scripture that Mary
was of the House of David: Jesus was adopted into the House of David by Joseph,
who was of that line.
Responsorial Psalm 80:2-3,15-16,18-19:
God of hosts, bring us back; let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.
The psalm picks
up on the imagery of the One Who shepherds the Chosen People and also on the coming
of the Son of Man (the Messiah). The psalmist lifts up a prayer of petition to GOD
to pour forth divine help and strength upon the One Whom GOD has chosen, so that
people may experience the awesome and divine power of GOD manifested through the
humanity of the Son of Man.
Second Reading, Hebrews 10:5-10:
God, here I am! I am coming to obey your will
Commentary: We are reminded that Jesus came to overtrump
the disobedience of Adam by his own perfect obedience. It was not the suffering
of Jesus that redeemed the world, as though suffering had some value in
itself, or paid some penalty. The medieval theology that suggested this tied itself
in knots about the recipient of this payment: God or the devil? Neither recipient
works out! In Romans Paul is quite clear that the redemptive factor was Jesus’ obedience
even to the point of suffering on the Cross: ‘Just as by one man’s disobedience
many were made sinners, so by one man’s obedience are many to be made upright.’
Adam is the image of human disobedience, the disobedience of us all. Today’s reading
from Hebrews tells us that Jesus was given a body to express his obedience. By his
bodily obedience, the guarantee and expression of his full humanity, he brought
all bodily men and women back to God. By our bodies, we express our obedience, in
sickness and in health. Jesus too, in his baby’s body, his child’s body, his youthful
body, his fully mature body, expressed his obedience to his Father. In so doing
he prepared for the ultimate expression of loving obedience on the Cross.
Gospel, Luke 1:39-45; Why should
I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord?
Commentary: Luke’s account of the birth and infancy
of Jesus is built on the comparison and contrast of the two stories of John the
Baptist and Jesus: the annunciation to the parents, the birth of each, the joy on
earth and in heaven, the circumcision, the growth of the child. In each incident, John is shown to be great, but Jesus is greater still. Only in this incident do the
two families meet, the two stories cross. The two mothers meet each other to marvel
at the destiny of their children. The journey from Nazareth to even the nearest
of the towns in the hill country of Judah (traditionally Elizabeth’s home is located
at Ain Karim, now on the outskirts of Jerusalem) would have been arduous, a week’s
walk for a fit young woman. This special exertion and generosity show her love
and care for her elderly relative, as well as the natural excitement of the two
in sharing their motherhood. Luke has already told us that Mary was filled with
the Holy Spirit. Now Elizabeth too is filled with the Holy Spirit as they share
and exchange the praise of God for the gift of their child.
Reflection: Do you recognize the indwelling presence
of the Lord Jesus in your life? Blessed are you if you see and recognize the Lord
with the "eyes of faith". The word "blessed" [makarios
in Greek] literally means "happiness" or "beatitude". It describes
a kind of joy that is serene and untouchable, self-contained, and independent from
chance and changing circumstances of life.
God gives us supernatural joy with hope in his promises:
There is a certain paradox for those "blessed" by the Lord. Mary was given
the "blessedness" of being the mother of the Son of God. That blessedness
also would become a sword that pierced her heart as her Son died upon the cross.
Anselm, a great teacher and Archbishop of Canterbury (1033-1109), spoke these words
in a homily: "Without God's Son nothing could exist; without Mary's son, nothing
could be redeemed." To be chosen by God is an awesome privilege and responsibility.
Mary received both a crown of joy and a cross of sorrow. Her joy was not diminished
by her sorrow because it was fueled by her faith, hope, and trust in God and his
promises.
Jesus promised his
disciples that "no one will take your joy from you" (John 16:22). The
Lord gives us a supernatural joy that enables us to bear any sorrow or pain and
which neither life nor death can take away. Do you know the joy of a life given
over to God in faith and trust?
They were filled with the Holy Spirit: What is
the significance of Mary's visit to her cousin Elizabeth before the birth of Jesus?
When Elizabeth greeted Mary and recognized the Messiah in Mary's womb they were
filled with the Holy Spirit and with a joyful anticipation of the fulfillment of
God's promise to give a Savior. What a marvelous wonder for God to fill not only
Elizabeth's heart with his Holy Spirit but the child in her womb as well. John the
Baptist, even before the birth of the Messiah, pointed to his coming and leaped
for joy in the womb of his mother as the Holy Spirit revealed to him the presence
of the King to be born.
The Lord wants to fill each of us with his Holy Spirit:
The Holy Spirit is God's gift to us to enable us to know and experience the indwelling
presence of God and the power of his kingdom. The Holy Spirit is the way in which
God reigns within each of us. Do you live in the joy and knowledge of God's indwelling
presence with you through his Holy Spirit?
Lord Jesus, fill
me with your Holy Spirit and give me joy in seeking you more earnestly. Increase
my faith in all your promises, my hope in the joy of heaven, and my love for You
as my All.
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: John prophecies from the womb, by Maximus of Turin (died
between 408-423 AD)
"Not yet born,
already John prophesies and, while still in the enclosure of his mother's womb,
confesses the coming of Christ with movements of joy - since he could not do so
with his voice. As Elizabeth says to holy Mary, 'As soon as you greeted me, the
child in my womb exulted for joy.' John exults, then, before he is born. Before
his eyes can see what the world looks like, he can recognize the Lord of the world
with his spirit. In this regard, the prophetic phrase is appropriate: 'Before I
formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you came forth from the womb, I sanctified
you' (Jeremiah 1:5). Thus, we ought not to marvel that after Herod put him in prison,
he continued to announce Christ to his disciples from his confinement when even
confined in the womb he preached the same Lord by his movements." (excerpt
from SERMON 5.4)
Cleaning is an “in-thing”
“What emerges from
within a man, that and nothing else is what makes him impure.” —Mark 7:20. “All
these evils come from within and render a man impure.” —Mark 7:23
The source of “acts
of fornication, theft, murder, adulterous conduct, greed, maliciousness, deceit,
sensuality, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, an obtuse spirit” (Mk 7:21-22) is the impurity
inside us. Consequently, it is very important to be cleansed inside and to remain
clean inside. This means that:
The Sacrament of
Reconciliation is one of God’s most precious gifts because of its cleansing power.
The penitential rite at the beginning of Mass is one of the more important moments
of our day and life. To hear God’s cleansing Word daily is even more necessary than
to wash daily (see Eph 5:26; Jn 15:3).
Fasting, because
of its cleansing power, should be highly valued. The defilement from most TV programs
and what we view on our handheld electronic devices is intolerable. “Dirty language”
and “dirty pictures” are aptly named and are worse than living in a garbage can.
The defilement from unforgiveness must be removed immediately (see Mt 5:25). Be
clean and stay clean — deep inside — and thus be free and holy (see Jn 8:36).
Prayer: Father, whatever
it takes, cleanse the temple of my heart (see Jn 2:15ff). “The Lord God formed man
out of the clay of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and
so man became a living being.” —Gn 2:7. St. Jerome Emiliani dedicated his life to
aiding the poor.
The personal action for today: When I think of Mary’s attitude of loving service to her cousin Elizabeth, even though she was giving human life to the Messiah and the Son of GOD, what does it challenge me to do? How can I bring Jesus to others so that they can experience the Lord Jesus Who is with me? What can I do between now and Christmas to bring the true meaning of Christmas to those with whom I celebrate? To whom can I reach out during the week ahead in a way that invites others to experience the presence of the Lord Jesus in a new and positive way? What charisms (gifts) has GOD given me that I must use in my reaching out to others?
Saint of the Day: Jacopone da Todi: Jacomo or James, was born a noble member of the Benedetti family in the northern Italian city of Todi. He became a successful lawyer and married a pious, generous lady named Vanna.
His young wife took it upon herself to do penance for
the worldly excesses of her husband. One day Vanna, at the insistence of Jacomo,
attended a public tournament. She was sitting in the stands with the other noble
ladies when the stands collapsed. Vanna was killed. Her shaken husband was even
more disturbed when he realized that the penitential girdle she wore was for his
sinfulness. On the spot, he vowed to radically change his life. Jacomo divided his
possessions among the poor and entered the Secular Franciscan Order. Often dressed
in penitential rags, he was mocked as a fool and called Jacopone, or “Crazy Jim,”
by his former associates. The name became dear to him.
After 10 years of such humiliation, Jacopone asked to
be received into the Order of Friars Minor. Because of his reputation, his request
was initially refused. He composed a beautiful poem on the vanities of the world,
an act that eventually led to his admission into the Order in 1278. He continued
to lead a life of strict penance, declining to be ordained a priest. Meanwhile,
he was writing popular hymns in the vernacular.
Jacopone suddenly found himself a leader in a disturbing
religious movement among the Franciscans. The Spirituals, as they were called, wanted
a return to the strict poverty of Francis. They had on their side two cardinals
of the Church and Pope Celestine V. These two cardinals though, opposed Celestine’s
successor, Boniface VIII. At the age of 68, Jacopone was excommunicated and imprisoned.
Although he acknowledged his mistake, Jacopone was not absolved and released until
Benedict XI became pope five years later. He had accepted his imprisonment as penance.
He spent the final three years of his life more spiritual than ever, weeping “because
Love is not loved.” During this time he wrote the famous Latin hymn, Stabat Mater.
On Christmas Eve in 1306, Jacopone felt that his end
was near. He was in a convent of the Poor Clares with his friend, Blessed John of
La Verna. Like Francis, Jacopone welcomed “Sister Death” with one of his favorite
songs. It is said that he finished the song and died as the priest intoned the “Gloria”
from the midnight Mass at Christmas. From the time of his death, Brother Jacopone
has been venerated as a saint.
His contemporaries called Jacopone, “Crazy Jim.” We
might well echo their taunt, for what else can you say about a man who broke into
song amid all his troubles? We still sing Jacopone’s saddest song, the
Stabat Mater, but we Christians claim another song as our own, even when
the daily headlines resound with discordant notes. Jacopone’s whole life rang out
our song: “Alleluia!” May he inspire us to keep singing.
