Born Of God

John 1: 1-18

The Word Became Flesh

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

⁶ There was a man sent from God whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. ⁸ He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

⁹ The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. ¹¹ He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ¹² Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

¹⁴ The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

¹⁵ (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) ¹⁶ Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. ¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

We end the Christmas Octave with the Prologue of St. John, a beautiful, profound reflection and summary of what we have been celebrating for the past week. "The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us" (Jn 1: 1-14) . It seems we cannot fully comprehend this, but yet it is a fact, one for which we owe our lives, for it is the root and foundation of our salvation...Not only did God become one of us, but also  was "not received", willingly giving up his life on the cross, as we know, that we might have LIFE...ETERNAL LIFE! As we grow in deeper understanding and appreciation of this, our love and our actions move from self-centeredness to "other-centerdness" and we not only bear our own hardships with a smile, we seek to help others bear theirs, as certainly Jesus did. 

 As we look back over this difficult year, may we see how God was schooling us toward laying down our lives for others, thank him for this blessing and asking him that we may not pull back from our call to be born again as "children of light."  

Bro. Rene

Giving Thanks

^{Luke 2: 36-40}

 ^{Anna's Gratitude}

³⁶ There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, ³⁷ and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.^[a] She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. ³⁸ Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

³⁹ When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. ⁴⁰ And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.

We repeat part of yesterday's Gospel, this time focusing on Anna, whose life had been a prayer, worship and fasting. We can imagine her joy in recognizing the child and the promise of redemption for which she had been praying so long. We might also be reminded to seek that same patience and steadfastness in our prayer, especially when we don't receive immediate answers. Do we stop asking, or, like Anna, do we continue, knowing that at some time, in God's way, our prayer will be answered? May we learn to pray with confidence, trust, faith, patience and consistency to our God who will not be outdone in generosity.

Bro. Rene

 

A Mixed Blessing

Luke 2: 22-35

Jesus Presented in the Temple

²² When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord ²³ (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), ²⁴ and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”

²⁵ Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. ²⁶ It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. ²⁷ Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, ²⁸ Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

²⁹ “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
    you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
³⁰ For my eyes have seen your salvation,
³¹     which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
³² a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
    and the glory of your people Israel.”

³³ The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. ³⁴ Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, ³⁵ so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

As Mary and Joseph fulfill the Law regarding the rites of purification for Mary, and the dedication of the first-born to the Lord, they were surprised by the presence of the Old Simeon, who had been praying faithfully to see the Messiah before he died, and who took the child and blessed him with the beautiful prayer which is now the part of Night Prayer, (Compline), in the Divine Office prayed daily by priests, monks and religious.  Known also by its Latin name, NUNC DIMITIS, it is an easy prayer to memorize and make part of our own night prayer. It reminds us of the salvation made possible by Jesus, as well as a reminder of our role in making light shine through our own words and actions, at the risk of  having our own hearts wounded as we attempt to serve others.  May this short prayer inspire us to carry on our lives in the footsteps of Jesus.

Bro. Rene 

 

The Slaughter of the Innocents

Matthew 2: 13-18

The Escape to Egypt

¹³ When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”

¹⁴ So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, ¹⁵ where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

¹⁶ When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. ¹⁷ Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:

¹⁸ “A voice is heard in Ramah,
    weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children
    and refusing to be comforted,
    because they are no more.”

^{The slaughter of these children presents a gruesome picture, one that begs the question of how far fear and hatred will go.  Yet in our own day, countless children die unnecessarily from hunger, neglect, "ethnic cleansing", and yes, sadly abortion. Children are helpless and suffer at the hands of those capable of caring for them. Whatever we can do to support organizations such as FEED THE CHILDREN, might not solve the problem, but can help to save a few lives.  May this reading today prick our consciences and move us to their aid, even in a small way.}

^{Bro. Rene}

Wating Rewarded

 

Luke 2:22-40

Jesus Presented in the Temple

²² When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord ²³ (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”^[a]), ²⁴ and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”

²⁵ Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. ²⁶ It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. ²⁷ Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, ²⁸ Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

²⁹ “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
    you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
³⁰ For my eyes have seen your salvation,
³¹     which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
³² a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
    and the glory of your people Israel.”

³³ The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. ³⁴ Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, ³⁵ so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

³⁶ There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, ³⁷ and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. ³⁸ Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

³⁹ When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. ⁴⁰ And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.

As we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, we are guided by two old and holy people who have been waiting for the promised Messiah.  Their patience was rewarded when Joseph and Mary brought Jesus into the Temple for the customary purification rite and they recognized him immediately. What a thrill that must have bee! Simeon's response (verses 29-32) captures the moment and attitude so thoroughly that it is still recited as part of Compline, the Church's Evening Prayer. 

This scene and this Feast, the Holy Family, point to the reality that our salvation is worked out within the family (or community) whose love and support guides us and keeps us focused on loving, supporting, and when necessary, challenging one another. No family will admit that it is the perfect family, acknowledging the need for purification and deeper and more honest engagement with each other, so that love may grow in the good moments and deepen through the lessons learned in the dark moments, in God's good time and with all patience. As Jesus was "filled with wisdom and the grace of God', may we as family grow wiser and be filled daily with God's grace as were Simeon and Anna.

Bro. Rene

 

 

Be On Your Guard

^{Matthew 10: 17-22} 

^{Endure to the End}

¹⁷ Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. ¹⁸ On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. ¹⁹ But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, ²⁰ for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

²¹ “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. ²² You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.

 It always seems strange to leap from the joy and "magic" of the nativity scene at Bethlehem with the Christ Child surrounded by shepherds, animals, angels singing in the sky, and a huge star illuminating the scene, a picture that remains fixed in our imagination, to the martyrdom of St. Stephen, which we celebrate the very next day.  The Acts of the Apostles (Acts 7) recounts his death in great detail, including his  final words as well as his fatal stoning, and sets the stage for a drama that will be repeated endlessly even to the present day:  people giving their lives for this Child; no ordinary child but the Son of God who became a man precisely to die that we might be set free from our sins. The irony is that the Nativity, with all its coziness made possible the brutal slaying of this Child as a man, the God-man, who rose from the dead and reversed the pattern of death to LIFE.

As we remember St. Stephen today, we also reminds ourselves that the death-to-life theme is also working in our lives, as we die to ourselves daily in order to rise with Christ to enjoy the best part of the life for which we were created.

Bro. Rene

God's Free Gift

Titus 3:4-7

 

Because of His Mercy

⁴ But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, ⁵ he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, ⁶ whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷ so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

As we exchange gifts today, or before, (because there is so much going on when the gift exchange takes place), we might give some thought to these few verses which highlight the ultimate gift, God's kindness and Love in the Person of Jesus, who not only became one of us, but has enabled us to be reborn in the Spirit as a child of God. If God was so thoughtful and lavish in his love, can we not make it the goal and purpose of our lives to be the same?

Merry Christmas and God's generous gift of his Son be yours today and forever.

Bro. Rene 

 

A Mighty Savior

 

LK 1:67-79

 Blessed be the Lord

Zechariah his father, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied, saying:

 

“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;

for he has come to his people and set them free.

He has raised up for us a mighty Savior,

born of the house of his servant David.

Through his prophets he promised of old

that he would save us from our enemies,

from the hands of all who hate us.

He promised to show mercy to our fathers

and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:

to set us free from the hand of our enemies,

free to worship him without fear,

holy and righteous in his sight

all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,

for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,

to give his people knowledge of salvation

by the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God

the dawn from on high shall break upon us,

to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,

and to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

 

To our torn and fragmented world, this song of praise is most welcome and a fitting prelude to the events we will celebrate this evening and tomorrow.  Our celebrations will be simple and whittled down to the basics:  the Son of God took our flesh and was born as one of us in order to save us from our sins and give us the opportunity for eternal life. Let not worries, regrets nor anxieties spoil the joy and the peace experienced on that holy night and can be ours if we let his Light shine in our hearts. There is much food for the soul in this beautiful song of praise.  Pray over it and allow its message fill you with peace.

Bro. Rene

O Emmanuel

 O Emmanuel, our King and Lawgiver, the hope of all nations and their Savior, come and save us, O Lord our God!

Summarized beautifully, succinctly and efficiently, this is what we are about to celebrate, this is what we have prepared for these past four weeks of Advent:  God with us, King, Lawgiver, Hope, Savior, the Lord our God! May we gracefully and peacefully slide into our curtailed celebration of Christmas with a fuller but less cluttered spirit and appreciate even more the simplicity of the stable of Bethlehem. Let our prayer be a reverent repetition of the name, Emmanuel.

Bro. Rene

O Rex Gentium

 Bind Us Together

O King of the nations and their Desire, the Cornerstone who binds two into one:/ come and save mankind whom you fashioned from clay.

From our current world of division and confusion comes the plea for unity and a reminder of our formed-from-clay fragility.  We need our Maker, our Savior to bind us together and make us whole again as individuals and as a people.  By ourselves we fragment, fall apart, and walk aimlessly in the dark. This year the "Bethlehem Star" (Jupiter and Saturn) shines in our night sky attracting our attention and putting us in the shoes of the Magi who followed that star to the crib of Jesus. Yes, we need guidance from above, and more than just from a star, but from the child who was born to save us, the Light of the World, the Son of God. May our desire to see him, worship him and give ourselves to him help us pick up the pieces of our fragmented relations with one another and become whole again. Come, Lord, Jesus, save us whom you fashioned from clay.

Bro. Rene

O ORIENS

 O RISING DAWN

O Rising Dawn, splendor of eternal Light and Son of Justice; come and illuminate those who sit in the darkness and the shadow of death.

After a long night, when dawn begins to break on the horizon, time is short before the actual light of day appears.  So it is as we move closer to Christmas, our O Antiphon is less wordy and more pointed in expressing its petition, one, which echoes the words in the Canticle of Zechariah, "In the tender compassion of our God, the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,/ and to guide our feet into the way of peace."  (Lk 1: 78-79).

On this the "shortest day of the year" (of daylight), may we seek the light amidst the challenges we face daily from within and without to see more clearly how our behavior needs illumination so that we might be instruments of peace and justice, not of  harm.

Bro. Rene

Lead Us To Freedom

 O Clavis David, O Key of David, and scepter if the House of Israel; who open and none can shut; who shut and none can open: come and lead to freedom the prisoner who sits in darkness and the shadow of death.

This, key, of course is Jesus, the Messiah, whose life, death and resurrection have surely opened the gates of Paradise and given us the light for which generations have longed. As king he holds the scepter of power over darkness and death, and leads us to the freedom that ever seems to elude us.  We struggle with our own weaknesses, and the challenges that come daily through our interactions with others magnified globally and thrust in our faces by the media. There seems to be no escape; the door seems eternally locked, except for the Key, whose birth we celebrate in just a few days.  May we not lose hope, lose heart, but TRUST that indeed because of Emmanuel, God with Us, Jesus, ALL SHALL BE WELL.

Bro. Rene 

O RADIX JESSE

 O  ROOT OF JESSE, who stand as a sign among the people, before whom kings shall shut their mouths, to whom the nations shall make supplication: come to deliver us, and tarry not.

Reference is here made to Jesse, the father of King David and ancestor of Jesus, who was born of the House of David. This descendant of Jesse, Jesus, not crowned as a King (except in mockery with the crown of thorns), is truly the King of Kings, before whom kings and all of us bow in homage, and who has delivered us from the consequences of our sinfulness.  Indeed, we beg him to hurry up and deliver us from this vale of tears and our sins.  We might forget this as we flurry about preparing for Christmas; that's what the season of Advent is for:  to remind us that the mission of Jesus goes beyond Bethlehem to Calvary, and three days later, the Resurrection. May we find time between the Christmas cards and the tinsel to pray over this and ask that we keep it all in perspective.

Bro. Rene

O Adonai

 O Adonai

O sacred Lord of ancient Israel,
who showed yourself to Moses in the burning bush,
who gave him the holy law on Sinai mountain:
come, stretch out your mighty hand to set us free.

The Israelites were instructed not to use the sacred name of God, Yahweh, "I am who am",  but instead to substitute Adonai, "sacred Lord" when referring to him  in their prayers.  We honor their tradition in this second "O Antiphon", recalling the burning bush Moses saw and from which he heard the response to his question, "Who am I to say it is who sent me?" (cf. Ex 2: 3-4) 

As Advent draws closer to its conclusion, we might examine ourselves to see how we reverence not only the name of God, but also how we relate to him in love and service. If we are not keeping his law nor stretching out our arms to receive his freeing hand, we have much more to learn and put into practice in the remaining days of Advent, yes, even for our remaining days on earth. Come, O Adonai, stretch out your arms to help us find the freedom you promise.

Bro. Rene

O Wisdom

O WISDOM, COMING FORTH FROM THE MOUTH OF THE MOST HIGH,  reaching from end to end, mightily and sweetly ordering all things: come and teach us the way of prudence.: (Traditional O Antiphon)

Today's Gospel is taken from Matthew 1: 1-17, the genealogy of Jesus ordered in three segments of 14 (7 x 2, 7 being a number signifying completeness or perfection,  and here, x 2!). Rather than cut our slice of Daily Bread from it, let us take a look at the first of the "O" Antiphons which reminds us of God's ordering or plan for all things: mighty, sweet, and emanating from his mouth. We have nothing to fear from the people and events in our lives; they are all part of his all-encompassing plan to help us live an orderly, prudent life. When we step outside the plan, which our free will allows us to do, we experience chaos, frustration and unhappiness. We  pray today that we might remain in concert with the plan, begging the Wisdom or God, not our own, to guide us. Pray this often during the day (for many of us, while shoveling snow). Let it bring peace as well as prudence to us.

Bro Rene

God Has A Plan

 Is 45: 6c-8; 21b-25

Find light, peace and comfort in the Lord

I am the LORD, there is no other;
I form the light, and create the darkness,
I make well-being and create woe;
I, the LORD, do all these things.
Let justice descend, O heavens, like dew from above,
like gentle rain let the skies drop it down.
Let the earth open and salvation bud forth;
let justice also spring up!
I, the LORD, have created this.

For thus says the LORD,
The creator of the heavens,
who is God,
The designer and maker of the earth
who established it,
Not creating it to be a waste,
but designing it be lived in:
I am the LORD, and there is no other.

Who announced this from the beginning
and foretold it from of old?
Was it not I, the LORD,
besides whom there is no other God?
There is no just and saving God but me.

Turn to me and be safe,
all you ends of the earth,
for I am God; there is no other!
By myself I swear,
uttering my just decree
and my unalterable word:
To me every knee shall bend;
by me every tongue shall swear,
Saying, “Only in the LORD
are just deeds and power.
Before him in shame shall come
all who vent their anger against him.
In the LORD shall be the vindication and the glory
of all the descendants of Israel.”

Soak in this rich passage from the "Book of Consolation" and find peace as the pressures of the Pandemic, and dilemmas about how we are going to celebrate Christmas mount.  The beauty and serenity of this passage are the perfect antidote to our anxieties and offer comfort to our be-leagued souls. God has a  plan, and certainly the Creator of the universe will not abandon us., indeed he will be our vindication and glory.  Re-read these  consoling verses, reflect, be at  peace.

Bro. Rene

Heeding The Invitation

 Matthew 21:28-32

The Parable of the Two Sons

²⁸ “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’

²⁹ “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.

³⁰ “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.

³¹ “Which of the two did what his father wanted?”

“The first,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. ³² For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.

With which of the two sons do I  identify myself, or, even better, with which of the two WOULD I like to identify? I honestly find I am a bit of each, even in my "wishing", let alone my "doing"  What make me (and all of us)  so deceptive, or so lethargic?  What finally motivates us to action and to heeding the command of the master? We tend to procrastinate, even in looking for more time to consider this passage and see how it applies to ourselves.  Always "too much to do", we rationalize. Thank God his patience is infinite with us, but perhaps today we could surprise him as did the first son, and actually take the time to listen to and carry out his request. 1, 2, 3, let's JUST DO IT!

Bro. Rene 

Don't Give Up

 Note:  Yesterday's slice of bread should appear today. I thought I had made the publishing deadline, but obviously, not.  Continue your Gaudete Sunday today!

Mt 21:; 23-37

The Authority of Jesus Questioned

²³ Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?”

²⁴ Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. ²⁵ John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?”

They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ ²⁶ But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.”

²⁷ So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”

Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

Does a day go by when we are not confronted by someone questioning our actions or words?  Don't we find ourselves in an on-going bind where it seems we can't win?  Jesus experienced confrontation after confrontation, but was able to handle them adeptly.  Would that we had that ability!  The best we can do is to ask him for the strength and grace to meet these challenges and not let them overtake us, even finding them resolved before we fall asleep in his arms. Advent is the season of preparation and waiting; may our daily troubles increase our desire for Jesus to be "born again" in our hearts and give us the courage and inspiration to keep moving to the place he has prepared for us.

Bro. Rene.  

Whar Are We To Do?

 

 ^{John 1: 1-6}

^{From the Prologue}

⁶ There was a man sent from God whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. ⁸ He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

John 1:19-28

John the Baptist Denies Being the Messiah

¹⁹ Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. ²⁰ He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.”

²¹ They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?”

He said, “I am not.”

“Are you the Prophet?”

He answered, “No.”

²² Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

²³ John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”

²⁴ Now the Pharisees who had been sent ²⁵ questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

²⁶ “I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. ²⁷ He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”

²⁸ This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

The Third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday (from the Latin "to rejoice"), brings us to the "half-way" point in
Advent.  We cannot restrain from anticipating the joy of Christmas, so we begin with Gaudete, Rejoice, and the purple vestments, while not going totally white, are an intermediate rose color, Hence, the name, "Rose Sunday" is often attributed to this day.  While often the sun is not shining in the sky in December, our hearts can be filled with "Son-shine" as we are less than two weeks away from Christmas...(This might not be a cause for joy for shoppers or Christmas card writers, but it is a cause of inner spiritual joy). We still have time to drink in the rich flavors given to us by Isaiah and the witness of John the Baptist who was clearly focused on the Messiah, not himself.  Perhaps shifting our focus similarly these days might better ready us for our Christmas celebration, as "muted" as it might be this year.

Bro. Rene

 

Our Lady of Guadalupe

 Luke 1: 39-47

Mary Visits Elizabeth

³⁹ At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, ⁴⁰ where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹ When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. ⁴² In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! ⁴³ But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? ⁴⁴ As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. ⁴⁵ Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

Mary’s Song

⁴⁶ And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord
⁴⁷     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

Outside Mexico City (or maybe within it, for the city is much more encompassing than it was 500 years ago at the time of the apparition). millions of people are somehow gathering, despite the Pandemic, to pay their homage to and show their love for the Mother of God who came "as one of them" and within a few short years turned Mexico from a "pagan" land to a country vibrant with Faith. She came as an Aztec, in Aztec dress, pregnant, and asking a poor local man, Juan Diego, to tell the bishop to build a church there on Tepeyac hill. The miraculous image of Mary on Juan's tilma (cloak) convinced the bishop to grant her request.  The tilma is still on display and remains in as perfect condition as it was 500 years ago.

This is the third feast of Mary this week, the Immaculate Conception on the 8th, Our Lady of Loreto on the 11th, and now Our Lady of Guadalupe in the 12th.  Mary can't show her love for us enough, yet unlike Juan Diego, we are hesitant to carry out her on-going wish to make her Son known and loved.  

We as Marists (formally or in spirit) bear a special commission to carry out this mission.  May Mary give us the insight and courage to do this with all the gifts and powers God has given us!

Bro. Rene

Will We Dance?

 

Matthew 11:16-19

 

The Pipers Again

 

¹⁶ “To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:

¹⁷ “‘We played the pipe for you,
    and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge,
    and you did not mourn.’

¹⁸ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ ¹⁹ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.”

Following up on yesterday's passage, which was not posted but should accompany this, we are reminded to ACT on what we hear from Jesus,   It is our WORKS, not our words that vindicate us.

Bro. Rene

The Violent Bear It Away

Matt 11: 11-15

 The Violent Are forcefully Advancing

 ¹¹ Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. ¹² From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence,^[a] and violent people have been raiding it. ¹³ For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. ¹⁴ And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. ¹⁵ Whoever has ears, let them hear.

These short verses pique our spirit, especially the reference to violence.  God knows we are living in a violent age: headlines, TV and radio news broadcasts abound in the latest acts of destructive activity. I this what Jesus was proposing?  More likely, he meant that we should not be afraid to live our faith, and stand firm against those who try to destroy it (or raid it).  It's up to us to keep it and move it forward as did John the Baptist and the legions that have followed his lead. We must meet violence with strength, the strength that comes from a firm faith and foundation in Jesus. We know from history that suffering has always been part of discipleship. Who are we to be different? Complete bliss is not our lot while were are sojourners on this planet, but will come as a reward for bearing our share of suffering and violence.  Let us pray that we are not the occasion of causing others to suffer.

Bro, Rene

Note:  Today is also the first time the Church celebrates the Memorial of Our Lady of Loreto. Legend has it that part of Mary's Nazareth home was transported to Loreto, Italy during the 13th century to protect it from the Muslims.  Whether it was transported by angels, as the legend goes, to several locations before landing in Loreto, it not certain, but the stones of its walls are indigenous to Israel, not Italy.  Popes have prayed and offered Mass there, and Pope Francis put this day on the Liturgical Calendar.  

More Encouragement

Isaiah 40: 25-31

He Gives Strength

 “To whom will you compare me?
    Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.
²⁶ Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:
    Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one
    and calls forth each of them by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,
    not one of them is missing.

²⁷ Why do you complain, Jacob?
    Why do you say, Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord;
    my cause is disregarded by my God”?
²⁸ Do you not know?
    Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
    and his understanding no one can fathom.
²⁹ He gives strength to the weary
    and increases the power of the weak.
³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
³¹ but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.

Rightly are these chapters from Isaiah called "The Book of Consolation".  It's as if Isaiah were alive today among us, sees what we are going through and reminds us that it is God who will give us the strength we need, who will rescue us and make us able to bear whatever the day brings. And God knows, after I write this or after you read it, we have no idea what's down today's road for us.  It is good medicine to reflect often during the day on verses 29-31and learn to trust more and more on the God who makes such outlandish promises and keeps them!

Bro. Rene

The Lord's Servant

 

 Luke 1: 26-31

The Birth of Jesus Foretold

²⁶ In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, ²⁷ to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

²⁹ Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. ³⁰ But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. ³¹ You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. ³² He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, ³³ and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

³⁴ “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

³⁵ The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called^[a] the Son of God. ³⁶ Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. ³⁷ For no word from God will ever fail.”

³⁸ “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

 As we celebrate this major feast of the Patroness of the United States, let us put ourselves in Mary's shoes as she hears the invitation to participate in God's plan for her, the baby to be conceived and called Jesus, and her role in the salvation of the human race.  What does a teenage girl do with such a huge proposal?  She does not run, but seeks a bit of clarification, and then fully accepts to do God's will as his humble servant. No wonder we honor her today when we remember her conception, totally free and clean of Original Sin, which plagues the rest of humankind.  When we are confronted with calls and duties we think far beyond our capacity to fulfill, may Mary's example remind us that we too are humble servants and that God will give us whatever we need to fulfill his plan for us.

In 1846, the American Bishops placed the United States under the protection of the Immaculate Conception.  Let us renew this pledge and find strength from the protection and example of Mary during these troubled times.

Bro, Rene

Most Holy Trinity, we place the United States of America into the hands of Mary Immaculate in order that she may present the country to you. Through her, we wish to thank you for the great resources of this land and for the freedom that has been its heritage. Through the intercession of Mary, have mercy on the Catholic Church in America. Grant us peace. Have mercy on our President and on all the officers of our government. Grant us a fruitful economy, born of justice and charity. Have mercy on capital and industry and labor. Protect the family life of the nation. Guard the precious gift of many religious vocations. Through the intercession of our Mother, have mercy on the sick, the tempted, sinners--on all who are in need. Amen.

Healing And Forgiving

Luke 5:17-26

Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man

¹⁷ One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick. ¹⁸ Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. ¹⁹ When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.

²⁰ When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

²¹ The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

²² Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? ²³ Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? ²⁴ But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” ²⁵ Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. ²⁶ Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.”

This Gospel  passage is dynamite:  Jesus both forgives sins and heals a cripple. There's a complementarity here as the man's healing is an outward sign of the healing of his soul through the forgiveness of his sins. The restored body assures the once-crippled man, that indeed his sins were forgiven.  We don't often have such visible assurance when we come out of the confessional, but very often there is a peace in our hearts when we leave it that we did not have when we went in. This joy, this lightness of spirit, is our sign that indeed our sins were forgiven. Just as the paralyzed man was able to walk and begin a new life, so too can we, newly forgiven and healed, begin again. The restrictions of the Pandemic make it difficult for us to be present for the Sacrament of Penance, but we can confess our sins sincerely in our hearts now, and when we are "free" to move about, go to confession later. This longing is a gift and a sign as real as the paralytic's longing for healing. Jesus will not refuse us.

Bro. Rene 

 

Preparing the Way

 Mark 1: 1-8

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

1 The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, ² as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:

“I will send my messenger ahead of you,
    who will prepare your way”—
³ “a voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
    make straight paths for him.’^"

⁴ And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁵ The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. ⁶ John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. ⁷ And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. ⁸ I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

As we move into the Second Week of Advent, our focus turns a bit more toward the Messiah, the Promised One, as John, the Baptist, the messenger calls out his message to repent and prepare for the arrival of the long-awaited Savior. The people evidently came to hin in droves, so hungry and thirsty were they for a chance to begin again. The symbolic baptism of John foreshadowed the baptism of water and the Spirit, which Jesus came to give, but it was s strong symbol of the desire to wash clean and begin again.  John used this opportunity to announce and prepare the way for the One who would truly fulfill the longing of the people for a new life.

As we are being stripped of so many familiar activities because of the Pandemic, we have time to touch base with our own frame of mind as we approach Christmas...Are we simply frustrated by the restrictions or can we go beyond them to "the things that matter"?  Are we still too busy to pray, to reflect  on the writings of Isaiah or the Gospels?  Can we find the time and patience to deal with those whose lives are uncertain because of illness or unnecessary fears, who always see the worst in every situation, and cannot seem to find happiness or just plain old contentment?  These are a few of the things we can do to make our Advent a paving of the way for the birth of the Messiah in our hearts.

Bro. Rene

 

No More Weeping

 

 ^{Is 30: 19-21, 23-26}

^{The Kingdom To Come}

¹⁹ People of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you. ²⁰ Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. ²¹ Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

²³ He will also send you rain for the seed you sow in the ground, and the food that comes from the land will be rich and plentiful. In that day your cattle will graze in broad meadows. ²⁴ The oxen and donkeys that work the soil will eat fodder and mash, spread out with fork and shovel. ²⁵ In the day of great slaughter, when the towers fall, streams of water will flow on every high mountain and every lofty hill. ²⁶ The moon will shine like the sun, and the sunlight will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven full days, when the Lord binds up the bruises of his people and heals the wounds he inflicted.

 

From our Pandemic Vantage Point, the promises of Isaiah are sweeter than ever. Read through the agricultural imagery to the world we all long for.  Advent gives us promise of deliverance and hope for a brighter future, for which we are all in the market. Gloomy, rainy Autumnal days add to the desire for light and relief and Isaiah assures us that they will come.We need to stop our worrying and "woe is me" attitude and put our confidence in God's saving power.  Come, Lord Jesus, come!

Bro. Rene 

Nothing New

 

Isaiah 29:17-24

 

The Gloom will end

¹⁷ Is it not yet a very little while
    until Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field,
    and the fruitful field shall be regarded as a forest?
¹⁸ In that day the deaf shall hear
    the words of a book,
and out of their gloom and darkness
    the eyes of the blind shall see.
¹⁹ The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the Lord,
    and the poor among mankind shall exult in the Holy One of Israel.
²⁰ For the ruthless shall come to nothing
    and the scoffer cease,
    and all who watch to do evil shall be cut off,
²¹ who by a word make a man out to be an offender,
    and lay a snare for him who reproves in the gate,
    and with an empty plea turn aside him who is in the right.

²² Therefore thus says the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob:

“Jacob shall no more be ashamed,
    no more shall his face grow pale.
²³ For when he sees his children,
    the work of my hands, in his midst,
    they will sanctify my name;
they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob
    and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.
²⁴ And those who go astray in spirit will come to understanding,
    and those who murmur will accept instruction.

Isaiah, who lived 700 years before Christ, could be writing to us in our Corona World today. We are certainly in darkness, although trying to find creative ways to deal with it somewhat successfully...Perhaps the gloom is forcing us to see things that were right in front of us, but we were too blinded by our familiar routines to see them. Isaiah assures us that light will come.  It has come in the Person of Jesus,  but we need to be forced, it seems, to recognize him in ways we never thought of before...May we reflect on this passage today and discover that indeed, as the ancients survived, we shall too, and even more so, as the Light of Bethlehem shines even today for those who seek it!

Bro. Rene

Building on the Rock

..

Matthew 7: 21, 24-27

True and False Disciple
²¹ “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

The Wise and Foolish Builders

²⁴ “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. ²⁶ But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Jesus does not want empty words or promises, but ACTION!  It is by DOING the will of the Father, by basing our lives solidly on Jesus...love for him, acting like him... that we will survive the rains and storms caused by the people and events we encounter daily. It is not easy to be insulted, taken for granted, be abused verbally, or to live in fear of the next berating, but with Jesus as the foundation stone on which we are building our house, we will withstand all of this and more, for we are wisely building on Jesus, our Rock. 

Bro. Rene

 

He Never Stopped Giving

Mt. 15: 29-37

Jesus feeds the four thousand

²⁹ Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. ³⁰ Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. ³¹ The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.

³² Jesus called his disciples to him and said, ‘I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.’

³³ His disciples answered, ‘Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?’

³⁴ ‘How many loaves do you have?’ Jesus asked.

‘Seven,’ they replied, ‘and a few small fish.’

³⁵ He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. ³⁶ Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. ³⁷ They all ate and were satisfied. Afterwards the disciples picked up seven baskets full of broken pieces that were left over. 

Jesus, the man of compassion, the man with a mission, attentive to every need. A beautiful picture of the healer, teacher and  friend.  After three non-stop days of healing others, Jesus makes sure they do not go home hungry. What a lesson in ministry, in simply being a Christian, this is.  Even when we think we are at the end of our wits and strength, may this scene muster up in us the abiity to find that extra ounce of energy to meet the needs pressing upon us. What a beautiful and compelling scene for our meditation this first week of Advent! As Jesus stretched himself for others, may he help us do the same.

Bro .Rene 

 

Endless Giving

Luke 10:21-24

Blessed are the eyes

²¹ At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.

²² “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

²³ Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. ²⁴ For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

Isn't it a pleasure to read the Jesus was "full of joy through the Holy Spirit"?  It seems he is always facing confrontation or tired of being besieged by people needing healing, but evidently he did have his moments when something went his way for a change, made him smile and filled him with joy... It seems to be the plight of the caregiver...give all the time, rarely receive a sparkle of joy in return.  But not so, there is joy in giving, whether or not there is a "thank you." Just the look on the face of the recipient of our love is sometimes all we get, but it is enough.  We are blessed to see Jesus at work in our lives and to receive the boundless attention and love of Jesus. May we learn to say thank you more often, but may we also be assured that thank you or not, he will never stop giving.

Bro. Rene