THIRD WEEK OF ADVENT
MONDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK OF ADVENT (Matt.21-23-27) "the comfort zone" was severely challenged. They wanted it both ways, and were apparently getting it until they were challenged. The Lord asked a question, which forced them to answer. Their silence indicted them. Living contradictions is such an easy mode in which to enter. It is often not done deliberately, nor with malice. Most of the time it becomes a way of acting that we have adopted. We say one thing, do another. We take a set of values but make decisions according to a contradictory set. The Lord is- asking us to decide. The split, which seems to exist within us, is something He wants to heal. He wants the contradictions to be healed, so that we may truly become one person.
TUESDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK OF ADVENT (Matt.21: 28-32) The call to conversion comes again. How often we have been invited to change, and just as often have not seen or responded to the invitation. People who should be attentive to the call seem to miss it while those whom one would not expect hear it. There seems to be a complacency, which sets into the lives of "good people." Things are alright, why change. The others feel the pangs of incompleteness. Their hunger pushes them on. This could be the message: are we so afraid to be hungry that we fill ourselves up with other things without searching for the one thing, God.
WEDNESDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK OF ADVENT (Luke 7:18-23) The answer is the same today as it was two thousand years ago. Works of justice proclaim that the Lord has come. Announcing the Gospel makes Him present to the age. It will always be the Church's mission to stand against the world and answer: Look what we do; this is the proof that the Lord has come. This is a big responsibility, one under which we sometimes fall. They were looking for the Messiah, so is the world. Unfortunately, they answer the question with money, power, and prestige. We are constantly being asked to hear the correct voice; to break through the static of the other voices, and to follow the Lord.
THURSDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK OF ADVENT(Luke 7:24-30) God has a dream for us. We are reminded negatively of this in the last words of today's Gospel: they defeated God's plan in their regard. The dream, which God has, is really quite simple: that we live in His love and that we follow the Lord. To live this dream means that we have to let go of things and to grab onto new things. This takes courage. A false sense of security can stop us. This was probably the fault of the Pharisees and lawyers, they did not want to, or, perhaps, they could not see, the need for letting go. There was nothing beyond what they already had. They were simply afraid to dream with God.
FRIDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK OF ADVENT (Jn.5:33-36) Advent is a time for us to check our spiritual eyeglasses. The words of the Lord in the Gospel: these very works, which I perform, testify on my behalf... .remind us of how important it i see. St. Paul reminds us that faith and sight are synonymous, cause we believe we can see the things of God, we are given eyeglasses. Sometimes they get cloudy. The dust of everyday prevents us from seeing the way we should. As scripture says: see but really do not see. Advent is such a great time to clean glasses off so that we come into contact with the wonderful we of the Lord.
WEEKDAYS OF ADVENT DECEMBER 17 TO DECEMBER 24
Advent is coming to a close. The readings from December 17 to December 24 will focus on the Birth of Jesus. The readings asking us to reflect deeply on who Jesus is.
WEEKDAYS OF ADVENT DECEMBER 17 TO DECEMBER 24
Advent is coming to a close. The readings from December 17 to December 24 will focus on the Birth of Jesus. The readings asking us to reflect deeply on who Jesus is.
DECEMBER 17 (Matt. 1:1-17) The genealogy of Jesus as gi> by Matthew may be boring to listen. There is a beauty hidden 1 neath the long list of names. Its beauty lies in placing Jesus firn inside the human race. He has a human history. Like all of us I history is filled with people. Some of these people were not e actly models of virtue. It is encouraging to realize that Jesus h skeletons in his closet.
There is a reminder, very subtle, that indeed God did become o like us. He did not simply "drop out of the sky" but can be p pointed in our history. His history is also a fulfillment history. T genealogy reminds us also that in Jesus all the promises of the 0 Testament have been fulfilled.
There is a reminder, very subtle, that indeed God did become o like us. He did not simply "drop out of the sky" but can be p pointed in our history. His history is also a fulfillment history. T genealogy reminds us also that in Jesus all the promises of the 0 Testament have been fulfilled.
DECEMBER 18 (Matt.l: 18-24) The place of humans in the pi; of God can never be forgotten. Joseph gives us an example < color="#660000">
DECEMBER 19 (Luke 1:5-25) The circle has to be closed. The new and the old have to meet, and in meeting the new begins. John the Baptizer is the last of the old and the first of the new. He is the bridge. He will announce the Lord, he will prepare the way in the desert, he will call people to look to God.
John is also a symbol, a reminder. He reminds us that we all come into contact with people who will announce, prepare and call us to the Lord. All those people whom we have met along the path of life who have brought us a deeper awareness of God, teachers, parents, people who we have just casually met, make John present to us. The voice of the one crying in the desert still resounds in the desert of our hearts. As we approach the celebration of the Nativity it would be good for us to remember in a special way all those who were instruments in bringing the Lord alive in us.
John is also a symbol, a reminder. He reminds us that we all come into contact with people who will announce, prepare and call us to the Lord. All those people whom we have met along the path of life who have brought us a deeper awareness of God, teachers, parents, people who we have just casually met, make John present to us. The voice of the one crying in the desert still resounds in the desert of our hearts. As we approach the celebration of the Nativity it would be good for us to remember in a special way all those who were instruments in bringing the Lord alive in us.
DECEMBER 20 (Luke 1:26-38) Mary makes her appearance in the drama. She will take a prominent role and through her we will be able to come to a deeper understanding of who her Son is. In the Annunciation that she will be the Mother of the Messiah, and in her " Behold the handmaid of the Lord" Mary accepts her place in the divine plan of our salvation.
She knew it was the decisive moment. She knew that everyone in some way had a place in the salvation of the world. She grasped the fact that our lives are not just a certain number of years, but have place in the plan of God. Perhaps this is the real dignity of being human. Perhaps inside the Christmas message this is the truth that Mary's "yes" wants to say to us. Life is important. Its importance lies in its intimate connection with the salvation of people.
DECEMBER 21(Luke 1:39-45) The beginning and the end had to meet. The announcer and the announced had to come together. It was the time of fulfillment. These two women, blessed by God and trusting in His promises to them, are brought together to praise the wonders of God in their lives. The entire scene resounds with joy. Elizabeth overcome with the fact that the Mother of the Lord should come to her, John leaping in the womb, an Old Testament symbol. Mary joyful in bringing her Baby to her cousin. The basis for the joy is recognition. Elizabeth recognizes Mary as the Mother, John recognizes Jesus has his Lord, Mary recognizes the importance of her role. We can recognize things on various levels. To recognize events on the level of faith brings us the meeting with the Lord.
She knew it was the decisive moment. She knew that everyone in some way had a place in the salvation of the world. She grasped the fact that our lives are not just a certain number of years, but have place in the plan of God. Perhaps this is the real dignity of being human. Perhaps inside the Christmas message this is the truth that Mary's "yes" wants to say to us. Life is important. Its importance lies in its intimate connection with the salvation of people.
DECEMBER 21(Luke 1:39-45) The beginning and the end had to meet. The announcer and the announced had to come together. It was the time of fulfillment. These two women, blessed by God and trusting in His promises to them, are brought together to praise the wonders of God in their lives. The entire scene resounds with joy. Elizabeth overcome with the fact that the Mother of the Lord should come to her, John leaping in the womb, an Old Testament symbol. Mary joyful in bringing her Baby to her cousin. The basis for the joy is recognition. Elizabeth recognizes Mary as the Mother, John recognizes Jesus has his Lord, Mary recognizes the importance of her role. We can recognize things on various levels. To recognize events on the level of faith brings us the meeting with the Lord.
DECEMBER 22(Luke 1:46-56) Mary as the pray-er of the Church. Her beautiful prayer rings throughout the centuries. It is the model of prayer. We see in it hope, thanksgiving, praise. The Magnificat is that glorious hymn to God, which will never stop. Mary prays it not only as herself, but as the entire people of God. All the verses of the Old Testament, which go to make up this beautiful prayer, tell us of the people who trusted in God, who had nothing else but God. She incorporates all of these so that she becomes the virgin made Church. She is the poor people of God constantly standing before the throne of her Son praising, thanking and being ever hopeful.
DECEMBER 23 (Luke 1:57-66) Joy continues in the readings. It is the Gospel bursting forth in joy. The merciful acts of God in the lives of people in the face of human impossibility demands a response of joy. This could perhaps be the fundamental reason for Christmas joy, in human terms it should never have happened. God should not have become man, a virgin should not have conceived, an old woman should not have conceived a child in her old age. We are confronted with the overpowering marvelous, surprising mercy of God. We are stripped of all the things the world says should make us happy and are left with this. The loving mercy of God not because of anything we did to deserve it but simply because He loved us.
DECEMBER 24 (morning Mass; Luke 1:67-79) The themes of Christmas ring throughout this prayer of Zechariah. Perhaps there is one motif of Christmas, which escapes us. Amazement. This could possibly be one of the great virtues and at the same time one of which we are afraid. Amazement means that something happens beyond the ordinary limits of experience. But it also means that we have to have the courage to be amazed. To be amazed at the wonderful things God does means that all the safe, predictable categories are done away with. To be amazed means that we stand in the presence of God speechless, with our mouths agape. To be amazed means that we are not in control and have placed ourselves in the realm of God. Perhaps we become jaded overpowered with material things to such an extent that we can no longer feel the joy of being amazed.
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