The 11^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

This Sunday the Church returns to ‘Ordinary Time’ in the Liturgical Calendar thus concluding several weeks of highly charged Readings concerning the risen Christ, Pentecost, the Trinity and the Body and Blood of Christ, all of which demonstrate, in one way or another, God’s love for mankind.  Now, although we are back in a more ordinary time period, the readings for next Sunday are about Faith, Love and Forgiveness all of which are still signs of God’s love for us.  Let us look at each to see how this is demonstrated.

 In the First Reading, from the Second Book of Samuel (12:7 – 13), we hear the priest Samuel rebuking King David because of his great sin – the whole story about Bathsheba and the way her husband was killed.  This reading gives us only a brief statement of David’s remorse and contrition, but there is more. (See Psalm 51)   David was God’s anointed king of the Israelites and a faithful servant, but being human and vulnerable, as we all are, he committed a serious sin.  Then, because of Samuel’s rebuke and warning, David repents and asks God’s forgiveness which was granted, but not without punishment.  David went on to become a great kind and a great servant of God.  It was David that began the ‘Golden Age’ of Judaism.

The Responsorial Psalm is (32:1 – 2).  Anyone who has experienced the relief of being forgiven after confessing his or her sin can identify with this brief Psalm.  It ends with the psalmist encouraging everyone to rejoice in the Lord for He is full of mercy and forgiveness.

The Second Reading is taken from St. Paul’s letter to the Galatians (2:16 – 21).  In this passage we have that great misunderstanding that precipitated the Protestant Reformation.  Paul is talking about being ‘justified’ by works of the Mosaic Law.  Being “Justified” means being forgiven and set “right with God.’  Paul is saying that keeping the 613 Mosaic laws will not do this.  Only God in His infinite mercy can make us right after we confess our sins.  “Laws” can only tell us where we have gone wrong.  They cannot save us, only the grace of God given to us through Christ’s death and resurrection enable us to reach salvation.

The Gospel Reading is from the Gospel of St. Luke (7:36 – 8:3).  This is a story of how love can overcome many faults and failures and how riches and position count for nothing in the eyes of God if they are not given from the heart.  The Pharisee invited Jesus to dine with him but for ulterior motives.  He skipped the common courtesies of cleansing and greeting but then accuses in his mind and heart the woman who is anointing the feet of Jesus as her sign of love and sorrow for her faults and her sins.

God is not looking for great demonstrations of sorrow from those of us who have sinned.  He is looking for sincerity, honesty and repentance – a resolution to avoid that sin, or those sins in the future. Then His great love is showered upon us and we can, as the psalmist says, “Be glad in the Lord and rejoice.”  From these readings we are prompted to ask ourselves, “In looking at my spiritual life, do I feel at peace with the Lord?  If not, what do I plan to do about it?

If you have comments or questions regarding the above commentary, please send them, in writing, to the parish office.  We will try to respond as quickly as possible.

                                                                                                                                                                MFB

The Third Sunday of the Easter Season

The Readings for this, the Third Sunday of the Easter Season, continue to tell us about the Resurrection of Jesus Christ but with emphasis on how this unique and miraculous event became the seed of faith necessary to convince many people to accept Christ as Lord and Messiah.  Without the Resurrection there would have been no proof that Jesus was sent from God and so the Resurrection becomes the basis for our belief, as well as, our salvation.

The First Reading is from the Acts of the Apostles (5:27 – 32, 40b – 41).  The time of this scene is sometime after the Resurrection.  The apostles cannot stop talking about Jesus being raised from the dead.  Here they are defying the Sanhedrin, the temple rulers who, interestingly enough, claim that the apostle’s teachings might “….bring this man’s blood upon us.”  And yet, that is what they accepted in an earlier event.  (See: Matt: 27:25)   Peter continues to explain:  “We are witnesses of these things, as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.”  The time after the Resurrection and Ascension, even unto the present, is the time of the Holy Spirit who has been given to all the faithful in the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation.  It is He who will teach us all things as the apostles did in the beginning.

The Responsorial Psalm is (30:2 – 13).  Although this psalm is more about being rescued from physical illness near death, we can accept it as our song of praise for Jesus’ delivering us from the snares of spiritual death.  His death was the source of our spiritual life and His resurrection was a sign that we too will rise on the last day if we are faithful and accept His teachings and directions in our life.

The Second Reading is taken from the Book of Revelation (5:11 – 14).  The visions of the writer, John, are visions of the future in heaven for those who accepted Christ and struggled through this life by the grace of God and the direction of the Holy Spirit.  We can be counted among “the countless number” present at the never-ending worshipping of Christ, “the Lamb that was slain.”

The Gospel Reading is from the Gospel of St. John (21:1 – 19).  In this long and intriguing story, we see the apostles returning to their earlier occupations after the Resurrection of Jesus.  Here they are out fishing but catch nothing.  Then they are called to come and share a breakfast prepared by a stranger.  It was Jesus, but they did not recognize Him for He was now in a glorified state.  Finally, realizing it was “the Christ” they joined Him for a breakfast already prepared.  Then Jesus questions Peter about his love and sincerity – three times.  Was this to counter Peter’s denial of Jesus three times?  Each time Peter is told to “…feed my lambs” or “…tend my sheep.”  Here Jesus is renewing His giving to Peter the authority of ‘leader’ of the Church, but hints at Peter’s death as well.

How often has our Church leaders told us that this world is a temporary ‘journey’ in our walk with Christ? We must go about our occupations and duties as if we are going to live forever, but knowing that our ultimate goal is to live with God in heaven.  Although Easter is now behind us and we are beginning to settle back into our usual routines, we must never lose sight of what has just been celebrated.  Each day we should remind ourselves that Easter – the memorial celebration of the death and Resurrection of Our Lord – was for each of us – as if we were the only person on this earth.   Something to think about during your Prayer Time this week!

If you have comments or questions regarding the above commentary, please send them, in writing, to the parish office.  We will try to respond as quickly as possible.       -  MFB

The Second Sunday of the Easter Season

Sometimes our faith is lifted by certain events or liturgical celebrations and we get a spiritual rush or ‘high.’  Last week was certainly one of those times.  If we have truly participated in the liturgies of the Easter Triduum we earned that Joy of the Resurrection, but now that it has past we might settle back into our routine schedules where we experience doubts and the ‘lows.’  In fact, this Sunday use to be called ‘Low Sunday’ for that very reason.  We need to keep up our Lenten resolutions and, in prayer, ask Jesus to bless us with a mature faith that carries us through all our emotions.

 The First Reading  is from the Acts of the Apostles (5:12 – 16).  This scene is after the first Pentecost when the Apostles received the Holy Spirit and were infused with faith to the point of being daring.  Their preaching and working of miracles attracted many to the faith.  What a change from just a short time before when some of these same people must have shouted “Crucify Him.”  Emotions play a significant part in our everyday life, but our spiritual life should be strong enough to sail smoothly through the physical emotions.

The Responsorial Psalm is (188:2 – 24).  This is the same psalm from Easter Sunday.  It is an important liturgical poem to both Jews and Christians alike.  It recalls how the Israelites implored the God of Israel for help during a time of suffering and how God came to their rescue.  The psalmist, speaking on behalf of the whole community, goes on to offer praises of thanksgiving acknowledging God’s divine benevolence.  The Church uses this Psalm in its celebrations to acknowledge God’s rescuing us from spiritual death through the death and resurrection of His Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Second Reading is taken from the Book of Revelation (1:9 – 19).  This passage describes how John, the visionary of this writing, was “caught up” in the spirit and taken to heaven where he “saw” the Glorified Jesus.  Can you imagine the emotional rush he must have had?  Little wonder that he fell on his face as if dead, but Jesus comforts him and explains His eternal existence and power.  We might never be as fortunate as John (at least during our lifetime), but through prayer we can deepen our relationship with Jesus and be ready whenever and wherever He calls us.

The Gospel Reading is from the Gospel of St. John (20:19 – 31).  Put yourself into this scene.  It is the night of the Resurrection and Jesus appears in all His divine Glory before the apostles.  Can you imagine the joy after the shock subsides?  They must have been bouncing all over the room.  Then Thomas, who wasn’t there, throws cold water on that event when he learns about it but refuses to believe.  It takes another appearance of Christ to convince Thomas who then utters the great phrase of humility, “My Lord and my God!”  Do you have doubts like that?  It is natural, but we must not harbor them for long.  Prayer is the answer.

Emotions and doubts are not wrong or sinful, but to leave them as such without doing anything about them is wrong.  Sometimes God puts doubts into our head in order for us to get moving toward finding the truth through prayer or study or both.  Something to think about during your Prayer Time this week!

If you have comments or questions regarding the above commentary, please send them, in writing, to the parish office.  We will try to respond as quickly as possible.

                                                                                                                                                                MFB

The Third Sunday in Lent

Lent is a time to reassess our relationship with God in Jesus Christ.  It is not a time for self-inflicted penance for the sake of self-punishment.  That went out with the ‘dark ages.’  Our God is a God of love and forgiveness, however, all good things have their limit or boundaries.  Lent gives us a time to step back to see where are we going in our relationship and if we are in need of some correction to our course.  The one thing we are all guilty of at one time or another is complacency – the belief that we are ‘doing okay.’   Our God wants more from us than what we might think is ‘good enough.’

The First Reading is from the Book of Exodus (3:1 – 15).  This is one of the most profound stories in the Old Testament.  It is Moses’ first encounter with God where God reveals Himself to Moses and calls him to a special mission.  At the same time God explains that He has heard the cries of the Israelites now in slavery and He intends to free them through Moses’ leadership.  Moses was not in good standing at this time with either the Egyptians or his own people, the Israelites, and so he asks for a sign to give as proof.  God gives him His name, “Yahweh – I AM who AM, or as we might say today, “I AM all that Is!”  In that time and culture, giving ones name to a stranger or anyone outside of your immediate circle of acquaintances, was the same as giving the stranger some authority to represent you.  And yet we know that after all of this; their release from slavery and feeding them and caring for them in the desert, the Israelites still rebelled against God and sinned because they became complacent, but God had His limits.

The Responsorial Psalm is (103:1 – 11).  In this prayer, the psalmist is praising God for His divine goodness and benevolence and enumerates many of these qualities, but ends with a veiled warning, “His kindness is toward those who fear Him.”   Warning: Don’t take God for granted.

The Second Reading is taken from St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians (10:1 – 12).   In this passage, Paul gives us the reasons why God was not pleased with the Israelites in the first Reading and he goes on to say, “These things have been written down as a warding to us” and further, “…whoever thinks he is standing secure should take care not to fall.”

The Gospel Reading is from the Gospel of St. Luke (13:1 – 9).  The people of Jesus’ time often thought, wrongly, that misfortunes of any kind, such as accidents or ill health were signs of sinfulness in the unfortunate person or persons.  Jesus points out that this was not the case, those who are not careful about their relationship with God are in greater danger.  He gives and example of a fig tree that is in full foliage with all the appearance of being healthy, but it does not bear fruit. The owner orders it to be cut down for not fulfilling its intended purpose.  However, the gardener asks for more time to work with it hoping that it will respond. 

Lent is like that ‘more time’ for us to respond to God’s call to fulfill our intended purpose.  So the question to ponder over is: Are you taking time to be with God in prayer during this Lenten Season, or are you just ‘doing okay’ as is?   Something to think about during your Prayer Time!

                                                                                                                        - MFB

The Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Readings for the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time compare spiritual attitudes and relationships and the result of the positive versus the negative.  Attitudes often reflect the success or failure of our relationships and end up affecting our whole being, both spiritual and physical.  Relationships are often based on personal needs and expectations – without regard to the needs and expectations of the other person, thereby setting up an in balance that is bound to fail.  Let us see how this works out in the Readings today.

The First Reading is from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah (17:5 – 8).  This is a teaching from the Prophet who, in the early 5^th century BC, is trying to revive the spirits and attitudes of the Jews shortly after the end of the Babylonian Exile.  They were demoralized and had lost hope in themselves, in God and everyone else.  Jeremiah uses an example from nature: of trees planted near streams or rivers that survive even in times of severe heat or drought.  In this example, he is saying that the Jews (represented by the trees) need to stay close to God (nourishing waters) and when they do, they will survive and flourish, but if they turn away from God and try to survive on their own, they will surly perish.

The Responsorial Psalm is (1:1 – 6).   This Psalm picks up the same theme, using almost the same words.  Psalms are often meditations on an event or teaching from an earlier part of the Bible and can often be a support or verification of the earlier work.  Because the point being made in Jeremiah’s teaching is so important to everyone, even today, it needs to be repeated.

The Second Reading is taken from St. Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians (15:12, 16 – 20).  At the time of Christ, as it is today, the Jews were, and still are, divided in their belief about life after death.  Here, Paul is teaching those Jews and Greeks who have become Christians that to believe in the resurrection of the dead is necessary to being a true Christian because it reflects our belief in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ – the hallmark of all Christian beliefs.  To not believe in life after death is to be like the tree that is not being watered or nourished; it will perish. 

The Gospel Reading is from the Gospel of St. Luke (6:17, 20 – 26). In this passage, we hear Luke’s version of the Beatitudes, similar to those in Matthew’s Gospel, but with the negative side (the woes) added.  These statements of blessing and woe are to help people, then and now, to make wise decisions and relationships based on positive attitudes and objectives, or suffer the consequences for acting alone, that is, without the counsel of the Holy Spirit.

 The greatest relationship we can have is a firm prayerful relationship with our Lord, Jesus Christ, but if we don’t believe that He rose from the dead, what good would that relationship be to us?  Therefore, we must reexamine the tenets of our faith to better understand what we believe and why?   Could you, right at this moment, sit down and write out what you do believe about Christ?  Every Catholic should be able to do this, if you cannot, then re-read the last sentence from the comments on the passage from Jeremiah above.  Something to think about during your Prayer time this week! 

If you have questions or comments regarding the above, please send them, in writing, to the Parish Office.  We will try to respond as quickly as possible.

                                                                                                                                                                MFB

The Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Readings for the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, have several themes, each of which could be the subject of this commentary, but the one that I see that stands out is the theme of “love conquers all.” 

 The First Reading is from the Book of Jeremiah (1:4 – 5, 17 – 19).  In this we read or hear the Prophet describing his first contact with God calling him to be a prophet – God’s spokesman.  Jeremiah didn’t want to be a prophet and gave all kinds of excuses to God; he already had a job, he was a tree trimmer; he was too young and the people wouldn’t listen to him and he would be shamed and embarrassed.  Nevertheless, God insists that Jeremiah was predestined “from the womb” to be God’s prophet to the people of Israel and he need not fear being shamed or “crushed” by his people; “They will fight against you, but will not prevail over you.”  To the people of this time and culture, personal shame and embarrassment were worse than death itself, but God prevails upon Jeremiah and showers His love upon him resulting in Jeremiah being God’s prophet for nearly forty years. 

The Responsorial Psalm (71:1 – 6, 15 – 17) continues the same theme, praying to be saved from shame and embarrassment.  It could have been written or composed by Jeremiah, but the last line seems to say that the psalmist knew better and that God’s infinite love melted his heart and he ends with, “…from my youth …till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.”

The Second Reading is taken from St. Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians (12:31 – 13:13).  This is Paul’s greatest oration or lesson on Love.  Its message is: Regardless of what we say or do, for whom or to whom, if we do not do it with love, it is meaningless.  We can be the greatest teacher, evangelist or prophet, but it is love that makes it come alive and from the heart of God.

The Gospel Reading is from Luke (4:21 – 30).  This passage is a continuation of the Gospel reading for today’s Mass where Jesus is preaching in the synagogue in Nazareth and the townspeople are pleased with what He was saying until He got to a point where they began to question, in the their minds, where He got all this information and then discount what He was saying because He was just one of them and ‘nothing more.’  Jesus then challenges them and compares them with the pagan people of Sidon and Syria who, Jesus says, had more faith in Him then the local people.  They became indignant and demanded signs and wonders and even tried to kill Him, but His love prevailed and He eluded their threats.

Let us stop to think about these readings and ask ourselves; “When God asks us for something, do we put up excuses?”  When we are faced with a question about our faith or beliefs, do we become embarrassed to answer and become indignant?  At such times we should call upon the never ending love that God holds out to each of us and respond with kindness that might be ‘sharper than a two-edge sword .’  How could anyone refuse Our Lord and Our God and yet we often do.  Something to think about during your Prayer Time this week!

 If you have questions or comments regarding the above, please send them, in writing, to the Parish Office.  We will try to respond as quickly as possible.

                                                                                                                                                          -     MFB

The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

The Readings for Sunday, January 10^th, are all connected, in some way with the Baptism of Jesus which we traditionally celebrate the Sunday after the Epiphany.  Therefore, I would like to comment on the meaning of this great event in the life of Christ, the God-Man, rather than commenting on each scripture passage:  (Isaiah 42:1 – 7; Acts: 10:34 – 38; and Luke 3:15 – 22).

The entire focus or purpose of Christ’s life, His coming to earth and living as Man and dying as if He were the lowest of criminals, was to reconcile humanity to God.  Certainly this could have been done in a less dramatic way, but it was God’s way of showing mankind how much we are loved. Also, because God, being perfect in all respects, lives by the rules of divine perfection and thus the reconciliation process He required came about in a powerful and amazing way.

The Baptism of Jesus Christ was the first theological event in the life of the adult Jesus.  Up to this point and time of His life, Jesus had “set aside His divinity” and lived as any ordinary human being in order to experience all the life-building joys and trials that it takes to grow from infancy to a mature adult.  Now, with that part of His mission completed, He is ready to take up His role in the Father’s Plan of Salvation.  That is why the evangelists, Mark and John, begin their Gospels – at the Baptism of the Lord.

John the Baptist, a relative of Jesus, had been preaching and baptizing a form of repentance that was not new to the Jews of that culture, but his was more energized with a sincerity and urgency that the others did not have.  John’s baptism was a ritual form of personal repentance and acknowledgement of one’s sins.  So, you might ask, why did Jesus need to be baptized?  The answer is more difficult to verbalize than one would think because Jesus was “without sin.”  Think of it this way: Even the greatest of saints went to confession frequently – to acknowledge their humanity which is naturally prone to sin.  This does not mean that Jesus or the greatest of saints were sinners, but that they admitted to themselves and to the world that they were human and, except for the abundance of God’s grace working within them, they were capable of sinning.

Another theological reason for Jesus’ Baptism in the Jordan river by John was: For those who are subsequently baptized in the Name of Jesus after His death and resurrection, what was once just a personal pious act now becomes a commitment to God through Jesus Christ.  Plus, the Holy Spirit is released into the soul of the baptized, thereby overcoming the consequences of original sin and initiating him or her into the family of the faithful.  This is why Jesus elevated this ritual to a sacrament (See Matt: 2818B, 19).

There is so much more to this event than meets the eye.  It seems so simple yet we have difficulty in seeing and acknowledging its importance.  However, God the Father put His ‘stamp of approval’ on this event with His confirming statement, “You are my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.” So, each time you dip your hand into the baptismal font in a church and bless yourself, remember, this act is a renewal of your baptismal commitment.  Something to think about during your Prayer Time this week!

If you have comments or questions regarding the above, please send them, in writing, to the parish office.  We will try to answer them as quickly as possible.

                                                                                                                                                   -MFB

The Feast of the Epiphany

Sunday, January 3, the Church celebrates the Feast of Epiphany which represents the coming of God to earth in the form of Jesus Christ.  In years past, this important feast was celebrated on January 6^th regardless of what day of the week it fell.  January 6^th was the 12^th Night of Christmas and, in some countries and cultures, it was the night when gifts where exchanged in remembrance of the Magi’s arrival and giving gifts to the newborn Christ Child.  It was also the official end of the Christmas Season and a reason to celebrate all the joys and pleasures of Christmas. 

Now the Church celebrates this Feast on the Sunday closest to January 6^th so that it receives greater recognition than it would if celebrated on a weekday.  All of these reasons for celebrating are good and of value, but we must keep with the true meaning of the Epiphany in mind.  The word is from the ancient Greek meaning “manifestation” or “revealing” as in presenting oneself to the world.  In this feast, we celebrate the coming of God into our world as Man and making Himself known through the angels, the shepherds, the Magi, the Apostles and finally through the Church, and though He came in this humble way of being born in a stable, He is still God.

The First Reading is from the Prophet Isaiah (60:1 – 6).  In it we hear the prophet encouraging the people of Israel to rejoice and not be so sad because, if they are true to their Lord God then the Glory that used to be found in Jerusalem at the time of Solomon will return.  The Church looks upon this passage as prophesy that has been fulfilled through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Just think of how this land (Israel) has been blessed by millions of people over the centuries coming to see where Christ was born, lived and died.

In the Responsorial Psalm (72:1 – 13), the psalmist picks up the same theme of celebrating the coming of the “King of kings and the Lord of lords.”  Although he might not have realized it at the time, this Psalm fits the description of Jesus, the divine King of the Jews and of all mankind.

The Second Reading is taken from St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians (3:2 – 6).  In chapter One of Ephesians, Paul gave us a brief glimpse of God’s Plan of Salvation (1:3 – 10).  Here, he explains how he received this great insight and what it means for all who accept Christ and live by His teachings.

The Gospel Reading is from the Gospel of Matthew (2:2 – 12).  In this passage we hear the familiar story of the three men, called Magi in Matthew’s gospel, but elsewhere they are called ”wise men” or “astrologers” and still in other places they are called ”kings.”  It took faith and obedience to their inner conscience (the Holy Spirit ?) to travel to a distant land to worship and give gifts to the child who would be Lord and Savior.  Let us not look so much at who or what these three men were, but rather, let us see what they did out of faith.  During this holy season can we imitate the Magi by going out of our way to worship the Christ Child – the Babe of Bethlehem?  Something to think about during your Prayer Timer this week!

Happy New Year, Everyone!

MFB

The Feast of the Holy Family

The Sunday between Christmas and New Year’s Day is celebrated in honor of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.  This is timely and appropriate because Christmas is, or should be, a family celebration.  It began with the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph becoming parents – rounding out their household into a family.  This family should be the perfect model for any family in any culture or time.

The First Reading is taken from the Book of the Prophet Sirach (3:2 – 14).  The writer, the Sage, Sirach, gives us his idea of the ideal family with all the responsibilities, honors and benefits that are bestowed on each member.  We, in modern society, have a tendency to overlook the responsibility that each member of a family has to all the other members regardless of age.  That is why we have so many families falling apart.  They are not pulling together!

In the Responsorial Psalm (128:1 – 5), the psalmist picks up the same theme of family life and blesses those who “walk in the way of the Lord.”  This is a beautiful prayer that all parents should pray and teach their children.

 The Second Reading is taken from St. Paul’s Letter to the Colossians (3:12 – 21).  In this passage, Paul gives us his thoughts on the ideal family life which should be just as true today as it was then.  However, many women get upset with a certain phrase within this beautiful Letter and dismiss the whole thing.  Please take a moment to listen to what Paul is really saying:  If we are truly Christians, with Christ living within each of us, then authority over,  or responsibility to, should be a matter of  “Love they Neighbor,” not only within families, but toward everyone.  In today’s lifestyle raising a family is difficult enough unless each shoulders his or her responsibility.

The Gospel Reading is taken from the Gospel of Luke (2:41 -52).  This is the familiar story of Mary and Joseph being separated from Jesus who, at the age of approximately twelve years, remains in the temple after celebrating the feast of Passover.  After searching for Him for several days, and finding Him in the temple, “listening to the teachers and asking them questions” everyone was amazed” – for different reasons.  Jesus was doing whatever any young person might do at that age and was amazed at their question.  Mary and Joseph were amazed at Jesus’ lack of concern, but soon learned that there was more to this scene than they understood.  The ‘teachers’ were amazed at Jesus knowledge of scripture and His questions to them.   We must remember that Mary and Joseph must have shared with Jesus, as he was old enough to understand, the unique circumstances of His birth and encouraged Him to read the scriptures to see how they might apply to Him.  His response to Mary and Joseph is puzzling.  All Jewish first-born males could claim to be a son of God and the temple as “their Father’s house.”  We should not read more into that statement than is there.  Nevertheless, Jesus returned to Nazareth and became subject to them as would be required and, in doing so, He “advanced in wisdom and age and favor before God and man.”

Advent is a time of soul-searching and preparing, of waiting and hoping, of examining our hearts and actions to see if they conform to what God expects of us.  This is all in an attempt to improve our relationship with our God, but we should not stop the process at the end of Advent.  As we can see from the Readings above, each member of a family has a relationship and a responsibility to each other and our examination of our conduct, inside and outside the family, affects the family in total. Neglecting this attitude of relationships is where the family begins to come apart.  Something to think about during your Prayer Time this week!    MFB

The Forth Sunday in Advent

Although we are getting very close to the great and awesome day of Christmas, the Readings for the 4^th Sunday in Advent give us some of both the highs and the lows in the life of Jesus Christ which serve to remind us that, although we are celebrating the birth of our Divine Savior which is a “high,” there is a darker side that we must not forget.  Likewise, when celebrating the birth of a new baby, which often causes us to think of many cute images, this particular baby is “…destined to be the rise and fall of many in Israel.” (See Luke 2:34,35)

The First Reading is taken from the Book of the Prophet Micah (5:1 – 4a).  The message of this prophet, who lived about the 8^th century BC, is dark and foreboding.  He is chastising the rulers of his day because of their evil ways and all of Israel because they are not following the ways of the God of Israel.  However, in this passage he gives them a ray of hope through this prophesy concerning the restoration of Israel and the coming of “…One who is to be ruler in Israel.”  This was to be a great honor for this little village, Bethlehem, but it was also to be the village where Herod had the little innocent babies slaughtered. (See Matt: 2:6 and 16)

The Responsorial Psalm (80:2-3, 15-19).  This is a prayer that the people of the Prophet Micah’s time should have prayed and taken seriously.  Unfortunately, it was written much later and by a different group of people who were in a desperate period of history and truly called upon the Father, the ‘Shepherd of Israel,’ to “come to save us and protect what your right hand has planted.”  What a different tone!  In this psalm, the writer uses the term ‘Son of Man’ which Jesus used to refer to Himself rather than ‘Son of God’ which any first-born Jewish male could claim to be.  At the end they ask for “new Life” which, of course, the Christ Child did eventually bring through His death and resurrection.

The Second Reading is taken from the Letter to the Hebrews (10:5 – 10).  In this passage, the writer is saying that Jesus quoted from Psalm 40:6-8 in referring to Himself as the Divine sin offering that needed to be offered but only once for the forgiveness of all sin, past, current and future and, He did it to fulfill the will of His Father on our behalf.  In other words, the Father “…gave His only son that we might have life.”   In doing so, Jesus fulfilled the First covenant and established the New and Eternal Covenant and that is what we are celebrating at Christmas – the entry into this world of the “One who is to be ruler of the New Israel.”

The Gospel Reading is taken from the Gospel of Luke (1:39 -45).  On a much lighter side, in this passage, we have the beautiful scene of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, coming to visit and help her relative, Elizabeth.  These two women are destined for great joy and much sorrow, but at this point all they can think about is the birth of each of their babies but under very unique circumstances each.  Elizabeth realizes that Mary is blessed with the privilege of carrying the Lord within her, and Mary knows that Elizabeth’s pregnancy is for a much higher purpose than either of them could know at this point.  So, obviously, the two women must have celebrated their good fortune and put aside for another day the sorrow that was to come. So let us celebrate with Mary and Elizabeth and the whole world, but let us also keep in mind that Christmas, the birth of Christ, is not ‘just for children’.  It is for all mankind; the gift of the Father and, that being said, what is YOUR gift to Him?

MFB