The Daily Gospel

DAILY GOSPEL
«Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.» John 6,68


Tuesday, 15 December 2009
Tuesday of the Third week of Advent

Today the Church celebrates : St. Virginia Centurione Bracelli (1587-1651)

Blessed Guerric of Igny : Repenting at John the Baptist's cry as he prepares la the way of the Lord


Book of Zephaniah 3:1-2.9-13.

Woe to the city, rebellious and polluted, to the tyrannical city! She hears no voice, accepts no correction; In the LORD she has not trusted, to her God she has not drawn near. For then I will change and purify the lips of the peoples, That they all may call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one accord; From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia and as far as the recesses of the North, they shall bring me offerings. On that day You need not be ashamed of all your deeds, your rebellious actions against me; For then will I remove from your midst the proud braggarts, And you shall no longer exalt yourself on my holy mountain. But I will leave as a remnant in your midst a people humble and lowly, Who shall take refuge in the name of the LORD; the remnant of Israel. They shall do no wrong and speak no lies; Nor shall there be found in their mouths a deceitful tongue; They shall pasture and couch their flocks with none to disturb them.

Psalms 34(33):2-3.6-7.17-18.19.23.

I will bless the LORD at all times; praise shall be always in my mouth.
My soul will glory in the LORD that the poor may hear and be glad.
Look to God that you may be radiant with joy and your faces may not blush for shame.
In my misfortune I called, the LORD heard and saved me from all distress.
The LORD'S face is against evildoers to wipe out their memory from the earth.
When the just cry out, the LORD hears and rescues them from all distress.
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted, saves those whose spirit is crushed.
The LORD redeems loyal servants; no one is condemned whose refuge is God.


Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 21:28-32.

What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, 'Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.' He said in reply, 'I will not,' but afterwards he changed his mind and went. The man came to the other son and gave the same order. He said in reply, 'Yes, sir,' but did not go. Which of the two did his father's will?" They answered, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you. When John came to you in the way of righteousness, you did not believe him; but tax collectors and prostitutes did. Yet even when you saw that, you did not later change your minds and believe him.

Copyright Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB



Commentary of the day :

Blessed Guerric of Igny (c.1080-1157), Cistercian abbot
5th sermon pour Advent (Cistercian Fathers series)

Repenting at John the Baptist's cry as he prepares la the way of the Lord


And now, with your indulgence, I cannot resist recalling the praises with which Isaiah foretold this way of the Lord's precepts... «And there will be there...», he says, «in the terrible, trackless wastes, a path and a way... And it shall be called the holy way» (Is 35,7-8); holy, because it is the sanctification of sinners and the salvation of those who were lost...

«The unclean shall not pass over it.» But surely, Isaiah, those who are unclean will not therefore have to travel by another way? Certainly not: all must come to this one way and travel by it. For Christ, who «came to seek and save what had fallen» (Lc 19,10)... has laid down this way especially for the unclean. Does this mean then that the unclean will travel along the holy way? Not at all. However unclean a man is when he reaches it, he will no longer be unclean when he travels along it because once he starts along it he is already cleansed. The holy way does admit a man defiled, but immediately cleanses all admitted to it, because it cleanses the faults that have been committed... And that is why this way admits the defiled but does not let him travel along it in that state. The way is constricted and is like the «eye of the needle» (Mt 7,14; 19,24)...

If you are on the way then fear only one thing: lest you leave it, lest you offend the Lord who leads you along it so that he would abandon you to wander in «the way of your own heart» (Is 57,17)... If you feel that the way is too narrow look forward to the end to which it leads you... If you cannot see so far, believe Isaiah who could; he is your eye. He must have seen, for he described the consequences: "Behold," he says, "the redeemed shall walk by this way and the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Sion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads. They shall obtain also joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away" (35,9-10).

DAILY GOSPEL
«Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.» John 6,68


Wednesday, 16 December 2009
Wednesday of the Third week of Advent

Today the Church celebrates : St. Adelaide, St. Eusebius, Bishop (+ c. 371)

Saint Gregory of Agrigente : "The poor have the good news proclaimed to them"


Book of Isaiah 45:6-8.18.21-25.

so that toward the rising and the setting of the sun men may know that there is none besides me. 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 to be lived in: I am the LORD, and there is no other. Come here and declare in counsel together: 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."

Psalms 85(84):9-14.

I will listen for the word of God; surely the LORD will proclaim peace To his people, to the faithful, to those who trust in him.
Near indeed is salvation for the loyal; prosperity will fill our land.
Love and truth will meet; justice and peace will kiss.
Truth will spring from the earth; justice will look down from heaven.
The LORD will surely grant abundance; our land will yield its increase.
Prosperity will march before the Lord, and good fortune will follow behind.


Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 7:18-23.

The disciples of John told him about all these things. John summoned two of his disciples and sent them to the Lord to ask, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?" When the men came to him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, 'Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?'" At that time he cured many of their diseases, sufferings, and evil spirits; he also granted sight to many who were blind. And he said to them in reply, "Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me."

Copyright Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB



Commentary of the day :

Saint Gregory of Agrigente (c.559-594), Bishop
Commentary on Ecclesiastes, 10, 2

"The poor have the good news proclaimed to them"


The sun's light as seen by our bodily eyes proclaims the spiritual sun, the «Sun of Justice» (Mal 3,20). This was truly the gentlest of suns to have arisen on those who, at that time, had the happiness of being his disciples and of seeing him with their own eyes while he was sharing man's life as though he were an ordinary man. And yet, by nature, he was also truly God, which was why he was capable of restoring sight to the blind, of making the lame to walk and the deaf to hear; he cleansed lepers and, with a word, brought back the dead to life.

And now, too, there is truly nothing sweeter that to fix our spiritual eyes on him so as to contemplate and picture to ourselves his inexpressible, divine beauty. There is nothing sweeter than to be enlightened and made beautiful by this participation and communion in the light, to have one's heart softened, one's soul sanctified, and to be filled with a holy joy all the days of this present life... Truly, this Sun of justice is, for those who gaze at it, the transmitter of joy according to the prophecy of David: «The just rejoice and exult before God; they are glad and rejoice!» And again: «Exult you just in the Lord; praise from the upright is fitting!» (Ps 68[67],4; 33[32],1).



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DAILY GOSPEL
«Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.» John 6,68


Thursday, 17 December 2009
17 December

Today the Church celebrates : St. Olympias, Widow (+ c. 410)

Saint Leo the Great : "The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ"


Book of Genesis 49:2.8-10.

"Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob, listen to Israel, your father. "You, Judah, shall your brothers praise --your hand on the neck of your enemies; the sons of your father shall bow down to you. Judah, like a lion's whelp, you have grown up on prey, my son. He crouches like a lion recumbent, the king of beasts--who would dare rouse him? The scepter shall never depart from Judah, or the mace from between his legs, While tribute is brought to him, and he receives the people's homage.

Psalms 72:2.3-4.7-8.17.

O God, give your judgment to the king; your justice to the son of kings; That he may govern your people with justice, your oppressed with right judgment,
That the mountains may yield their bounty for the people, and the hills great abundance,
That he may defend the oppressed among the people, save the poor and crush the oppressor.
That abundance may flourish in his days, great bounty, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea, from the river to the ends of the earth.
May his name be blessed forever; as long as the sun, may his name endure. May the tribes of the earth give blessings with his name; may all the nations regard him as favored.


Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 1:1-17.

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham became the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse, Jesse the father of David the king. David became the father of Solomon, whose mother had been the wife of Uriah. Solomon became the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asaph. Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram the father of Uzziah. Uzziah became the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah. Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amos, Amos the father of Josiah. Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the Babylonian exile. After the Babylonian exile, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud, Eliud the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Messiah. Thus the total number of generations from Abraham to David is fourteen generations; from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen generations; from the Babylonian exile to the Messiah, fourteen generations.

Copyright Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB



Commentary of the day :

Saint Leo the Great (?-c.461), Pope and Doctor of the Church
Letter 31 ; PL 54, 791 (trans. cf. Charles Feltoe, Select Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers)

"The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ"


It is of no avail to say that our Lord, the Son of the blessed Virgin Mary, was true and perfect man unless we believe that he is so in the way that the Gospel declares. For Matthew says: «The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham» and follows the order of his human origin so as to bring the lines of his ancestry down to Joseph, to whom the Lord's mother was espoused. Whereas Luke, going backwards step by step, traces his succession to the first of the human race to show that the first Adam and the last Adam were of the same nature (3,23f.).

No doubt the Almighty Son of God could have appeared for the purpose of teaching and justifying in exactly the same way as he appeared, in the semblance of flesh, to the patriarchs and prophets: for instance, when he wrestled with Jacob (Gn 32,25) or engaged in a conversation with Abraham, not refusing his hospitality and even partaking of the food set before him (Gn 18). But these appearances were indications of that man whose reality they manifested, assumed from the stock of those same ancestors.

But the fulfilment of the mystery of our redemption, ordained from all eternity, was not assisted by any images because the Holy Spirit had not yet come down on the Virgin and the power of the Most High had not overshadowed her (Lk 1,35). Wisdom had not yet built herself a house within her undefiled body so that the Word might there become flesh and, the form of God and the form of a slave coming together in one person, the Creator of time might be born in time and he himself, through whom all things were made, might be brought forth in the midst of all things. For if the New Man had not been made in the likeness of sinful flesh and taken our old nature on himself and, being consubstantial with the Father, had deigned to be consubstantial with his mother also – yet without sin – the whole human race would be held captive under the devil's yoke and we should not be able to make use of the Conqueror's victory because it would have been won outside our nature. But it was from Christ's marvellous sharing of our nature that the mystery of regeneration shone upon us.



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DAILY GOSPEL
«Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.» John 6,68


Friday, 18 December 2009
18 December

Today the Church celebrates : St. Gatian, Bishop (3rd century)

John-Paul II: "When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him"


Book of Jeremiah 23:5-8.

Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David; As king he shall reign and govern wisely, he shall do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah shall be saved, Israel shall dwell in security. This is the name they give him: "The LORD our justice." Therefore, the days will come, says the LORD, when they shall no longer say, "As the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites out of the land of Egypt"; but rather, "As the LORD lives, who brought the descendants of the house of Israel up from the land of the north"--and from all the lands to which I banished them; they shall again live on their own land.

Psalms 72:2.12-13.18-19.

O God, give your judgment to the king; your justice to the son of kings; That he may govern your people with justice, your oppressed with right judgment,
For he rescues the poor when they cry out, the oppressed who have no one to help.
He shows pity to the needy and the poor and saves the lives of the poor.
Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who alone does wonderful deeds.
Blessed be his glorious name forever; may all the earth be filled with the LORD'S glory. Amen and amen.


Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 1:18-25.

Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means "God is with us." When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home. He had no relations with her until she bore a son, and he named him Jesus.

Copyright Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB



Commentary of the day :

John-Paul II, Pope from 1978 to 2005
Apostolic Letter « Redemptoris Custos », § 25-27 ( copyright Libreria Editrice Vaticana)

"When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him"


The same aura of silence that envelops everything else about Joseph also shrouds his work as a carpenter in the house of Nazareth. It is, however, a silence that reveals in a special way the inner portrait of the man. The Gospels speak exclusively of what Joseph "did." Still, they allow us to discover in his "actions" - shrouded in silence as they are - an aura of deep contemplation. Joseph was in daily contact with the mystery "hidden from ages past," and which "dwelt" under his roof...

Why should the "fatherly" love of Joseph not have had an influence upon the "filial" love of Jesus? And vice versa why should the "filial" love of Jesus not have had an influence upon the "fatherly" love of Joseph, thus leading to a further deepening of their unique relationship? Those souls most sensitive to the impulses of divine love have rightly seen in Joseph a brilliant example of the interior life. Furthermore, in Joseph, the apparent tension between the active and the contemplative life finds an ideal harmony that is only possible for those who possess the perfection of charity. Following the -known distinction between the love of the truth and the practical demands of love, we can say that Joseph experienced both love of the truth - that pure contemplative love of the divine Truth which radiated from the humanity of Christ - and the demands of love - that equally pure and selfless love required for his vocation to safeguard and develop the humanity of Jesus.

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DAILY GOSPEL
«Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.» John 6,68


Saturday, 19 December 2009
19 December

Today the Church celebrates : Bl. Urban V, St. Nemesion, Martyr

Saint Ephrem : "Zechariah went home. After this time his wife Elizabeth conceived"


Book of Judges 13:2-7.24-25.

There was a certain man from Zorah, of the clan of the Danites, whose name was Manoah. His wife was barren and had borne no children. An angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, "Though you are barren and have had no children, yet you will conceive and bear a son. Now, then, be careful to take no wine or strong drink and to eat nothing unclean. As for the son you will conceive and bear, no razor shall touch his head, for this boy is to be consecrated to God from the womb. It is he who will begin the deliverance of Israel from the power of the Philistines." The woman went and told her husband, "A man of God came to me; he had the appearance of an angel of God, terrible indeed. I did not ask him where he came from, nor did he tell me his name. But he said to me, 'You will be with child and will bear a son. So take neither wine nor strong drink, and eat nothing unclean. For the boy shall be consecrated to God from the womb, until the day of his death.'" The woman bore a son and named him Samson. The boy grew up and the LORD blessed him; the spirit of the LORD first stirred him in Mahaneh-dan, which is between Zorah and Eshtaol.

Psalms 71(70):3-4.5-6.16-17.

Be my rock and refuge, my secure stronghold; for you are my rock and fortress.
My God, rescue me from the power of the wicked, from the clutches of the violent.
You are my hope, Lord; my trust, GOD, from my youth.
On you I depend since birth; from my mother's womb you are my strength; my hope in you never wavers.
I will speak of the mighty works of the Lord; O GOD, I will tell of your singular justice.
God, you have taught me from my youth; to this day I proclaim your wondrous deeds.


Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 1:5-25.

In the days of Herod, King of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah of the priestly division of Abijah; his wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. Both were righteous in the eyes of God, observing all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren and both were advanced in years. Once when he was serving as priest in his division's turn before God, according to the practice of the priestly service, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to burn incense. Then, when the whole assembly of the people was praying outside at the hour of the incense offering, the angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right of the altar of incense. Zechariah was troubled by what he saw, and fear came upon him. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of (the) Lord. He will drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the holy Spirit even from his mother's womb, and he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of fathers toward children and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to prepare a people fit for the Lord." Then Zechariah said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years." And the angel said to him in reply, "I am Gabriel, who stand before God. I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news. But now you will be speechless and unable to talk until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled at their proper time." Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah and were amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary. But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He was gesturing to them but remained mute. Then, when his days of ministry were completed, he went home. After this time his wife Elizabeth conceived, and she went into seclusion for five months, saying, So has the Lord done for me at a time when he has seen fit to take away my disgrace before others.

Copyright Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB



Commentary of the day :

Saint Ephrem (c.306-373), Deacon in Syria, Doctor of the Church
Diatessaron, 1, 11-13 (SC 127, p. 49 rev.)

"Zechariah went home. After this time his wife Elizabeth conceived"


The angel said to him: «God has heard the voice of your prayer». If Zechariah believed his prayer would be heard then he prayed well; if he did not believe, he prayed badly. His prayer was about to be answered, yet he doubted. Therefore it was reasonable that at that very moment the word was removed from him. Beforehand he was praying for a son but the instant his prayer was answered he turned around and said: «How can this be?» Because it was with his mouth that he cast doubts on his prayer, it was his speech he lost ... So long as Zechariah believed, he spoke; as soon as he ceased to believe, he was silent. So long as he believed, he spoke: «I believed and therefore I spoke» (Ps 116[115],10). Because he rejected the angel's word, this word plagued him so that he would respect with his silence the word he had rejected.

It was fitting that the mouth that said: «How shall this be?» should be silenced so that it might learn the possibility of a miracle. The unbound tongue was bound so that it might learn that He who had bound the tongue was capable of unbinding the womb. In this way experience taught him who had not accepted the teaching of faith... Thus he learned that he who had closed an open mouth could open a closed womb.


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DAILY GOSPEL
«Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.» John 6,68


Sunday, 20 December 2009
Fourth Sunday of Advent

Today the Church celebrates : St. Dominic of Silos, Abbot (14th century)

Saint John Chrysostom : "The infant in my womb leaped for joy"


Book of Micah 5:1-4.

But you, Bethlehem-Ephrathah too small to be among the clans of Judah, From you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel; Whose origin is from of old, from ancient times. (Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time when she who is to give birth has borne, And the rest of his brethren shall return to the children of Israel.) He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock by the strength of the LORD, in the majestic name of the LORD, his God; And they shall remain, for now his greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth; he shall be peace. If Assyria invades our country and treads upon our land, We shall raise against it seven shepherds, eight men of royal rank;

Psalms 80(79):2-3.15-16.18-19.

Shepherd of Israel, listen, guide of the flock of Joseph! From your throne upon the cherubim reveal yourself
to Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh. Stir up your power, come to save us.
Turn again, LORD of hosts; look down from heaven and see; Attend to this vine,
the shoot your right hand has planted.
May your help be with the man at your right hand, with the one whom you once made strong.
Then we will not withdraw from you; revive us, and we will call on your name.


Letter to the Hebrews 10:5-10.

For this reason, when he came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight in. Then I said, 'As is written of me in the scroll, Behold, I come to do your will, O God.'" First he says, "Sacrifices and offerings, holocausts and sin offerings, you neither desired nor delighted in." These are offered according to the law. Then he says, "Behold, I come to do your will." He takes away the first to establish the second. By this "will," we have been consecrated through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 1:39-45.

During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, "Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled."

Copyright Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB



Commentary of the day :

Saint John Chrysostom (c.345-407), priest at Antioch then Bishop of Constantinople, Doctor of the Church
A Homily attributed to,

"The infant in my womb leaped for joy"


O what a novel and wonderful mystery! John has not yet been born but already he gives voice with his bounds; he has not yet appeared but already he manifests signs of his presence; he cannot yet cry and already he is heard through what he does; as yet he has not begun his life and already he is preaching about God; he does not yet see the light and is already pointing to the sun; he has not yet been brought forth and already he hastens to act as forerunner. The Lord is there! John cannot restrain himself; he is not going to be restricted by the limitations set by nature but strives to break out of the prison of his mother's womb and make known beforehand the Savior's coming. «He who breaks our bonds has come,» he says. «and am I to remain shackled? Am I still bound to remain here? The Word comes to re-establish all things and am I still to remain captive? I will come out and run ahead of him and announce to all: Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world» (Jn 1,29).

But tell us, John, held fast as you are in the darkness of your mother's womb, how is it that you see and hear? How can you behold divine things? How can you be leaping and rejoicing? «The mystery that is taking place is great indeed,» he says. «It is something beyond human understanding. It is with good reason that I am doing something new in the natural order on behalf of him who is to do something new in the supernatural order. I see even before my birth because I see the Sun of Justice gestating (Mal 3,20). I perceive by ear because, in coming into the world, I myself am the voice that goes before the great Word. I cry out because I behold the only Son of the Father clothed in his flesh. I rejoice because I see the world's Creator receive human form. I leap for joy when I think that the Redeemer of the world has taken a human body. I am the forerunner of his coming and precede your testimony with my own.

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DAILY GOSPEL
«Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.» John 6,68


Monday, 21 December 2009
21 December

Today the Church celebrates : St. Peter Canisius, Priest and Doctor of the Church (1521-1597)

Blessed Teresa of Calcutta : "Mary set out... in haste"


Book of Zephaniah 3:14-18.

Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! sing joyfully, O Israel! Be glad and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! The LORD has removed the judgment against you, he has turned away your enemies; The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst, you have no further misfortune to fear. On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem: Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged! The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior; He will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love, He will sing joyfully because of you, as one sings at festivals. I will remove disaster from among you, so that none may recount your disgrace.

Psalms 33(32):2-3.11-12.20-21.

Give thanks to the LORD on the harp; on the ten-stringed lyre offer praise.
Sing to God a new song; skillfully play with joyful chant.
But the plan of the LORD stands forever, wise designs through all generations.
Happy the nation whose God is the LORD, the people chosen as his very own.
Our soul waits for the LORD, who is our help and shield.
For in God our hearts rejoice; in your holy name we trust.


Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 1:39-45.

During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, "Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled."

Copyright Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB



Commentary of the day :

Blessed Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997), founder of the Missionary Sisters of Charity
Jesus, the Word to Be Spoken

"Mary set out... in haste"


Our Lady's strength was her gaiety and joy. This is what made her God, her son's, attentive servant because as soon as he came to her she «set out in haste». Joy alone could have given her the strength to set out in all haste across the hill country of Judah to become the servant of her cousin. It is just the same for us. Like her, we must be true servants of the Lord and after holy communion each day we must hurry over the mountains of the difficulties we encounter, offering our service to the poor with all our heart. Give to Jesus in the poor as a servant of the Lord.

Joy is prayer, joy is strength, joy is love. It is love's net with which to catch souls. «God loves a cheerful giver» (2Cor 9,7). Those who give with joy give twice over. If you meet up with difficulties and accept them with joy, with a big smile, in this as in many other things people will realize that your works are good and the Father will be glorified in them. The best way of showing God and others your gratitude is to accept everything with joy. A joyful heart comes from a heart that is burning with love.

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DAILY GOSPEL
«Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.» John 6,68


Tuesday, 22 December 2009
22 December

The Great O Antiphons: "O Rex Gentium"
Today the Church celebrates : St. Ischyrion, Martyr (+ c. 250)

Saint Bede the Venerable : "My spirit rejoices in God my savior"


1st book of Samuel 1:24-28.

Once he was weaned, she brought him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and presented him at the temple of the LORD in Shiloh. After the boy's father had sacrificed the young bull, Hannah, his mother, approached Eli and said: "Pardon, my lord! As you live my lord, I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the LORD. I prayed for this child, and the LORD granted my request. Now I, in turn, give him to the LORD; as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the LORD." She left him there;

1 Sam. 2:1.4-5.6-7.8.

and as she worshiped the LORD, she said: "My heart exults in the LORD, my horn is exalted in my God. I have swallowed up my enemies; I rejoice in my victory.
The bows of the mighty are broken, while the tottering gird on strength.
he well-fed hire themselves out for bread, while the hungry batten on spoil. The barren wife bears seven sons, while the mother of many languishes.
"The LORD puts to death and gives life; he casts down to the nether world; he raises up again.
The LORD makes poor and makes rich, he humbles, he also exalts.
He raises the needy from the dust; from the ash heap he lifts up the poor, To seat them with nobles and make a glorious throne their heritage. He gives to the vower his vow, and blesses the sleep of the just. "For the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, and he has set the world upon them.


Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 1:46-56.

And Mary said: "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior. For he has looked upon his handmaid's lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed. The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him. He has shown might with his arm, dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart. He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly. The hungry he has filled with good things; the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped Israel his servant, remembering his mercy, according to his promise to our fathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever." Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.

Copyright Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB



Commentary of the day :

Saint Bede the Venerable (c.673-735), monk, Doctor of the Church
Homilies on the Gospel, I, 4 ; CCL 122, 25f.

"My spirit rejoices in God my savior"


«My soul magnifies the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior». The first interpretation of these words is undoubtedly to acknowledge the gifts granted to her, to Mary in particular, by God. But then she recalls the universal blessing with which God never ceases to surround the human race.

The soul glorifies the Lord when it consecrates all its inner powers on praising and serving God and when, by its submission to the divine commands, it proves that it never loses sight of his power and majesty. The spirit rejoices in God its Savior when it places all its joy in the remembrance of its Creator, from whom it hopes for eternal salvation. Without doubt these words exactly express the thought of all the saints, but it was most especially fitting they should be spoken by the blessed Mother of God who, filled with a special privilege, burned with a wholly spiritual love for the one she had the joy of conceiving in her flesh. More than any other saint she had good reason to rejoice in Jesus – that is to say, in her Savior – because he whom she acknowledged to be the eternal author of our salvation would in time, as she knew, be born in his own flesh and with such authenticity that in one and the same person her son and her God would be truly present...

Hence it is a praiseworthy and salutary custom, whose fragrance perfumes Holy Church, when every day at Vespers we sing the Canticle of the Virgin. We may well expect from this that the souls of the faithful, by so often calling to mind the Lord's incarnation, will be enflamed with even greater fervor and that such a frequent reminder of his holy Mother's example will strengthen them in virtue. And Vespers is the best time to come back to this song since our souls, tired by the day and drawn this way and that by the day's thoughts, need to come back together again when the hour of rest draws near so that they may find once more their singleness of focus.



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DAILY GOSPEL
«Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.» John 6,68


Wednesday, 23 December 2009
23 December

The Great O Antiphons: "O Emmanuel"
Today the Church celebrates : St. John of Kanty, Priest (1390-1473)

Homily attributed to Saint Gregory the Wonderworker : "He spoke blessing God"


Book of Malachi 3:1-4.23-24.

Lo, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me; And suddenly there will come to the temple the LORD whom you seek, And the messenger of the covenant whom you desire. Yes, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. But who will endure the day of his coming? And who can stand when he appears? For he is like the refiner's fire, or like the fuller's lye. He will sit refining and purifying (silver), and he will purify the sons of Levi, Refining them like gold or like silver that they may offer due sacrifice to the LORD. Then the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem will please the LORD, as in days of old, as in years gone by. Lo, I will send you Elijah, the prophet, Before the day of the LORD comes, the great and terrible day, To turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the land with doom. Lo, I will send you Elijah, the prophet, Before the day of the LORD comes, the great and terrible day.

Psalms 25(24):4-5.8-9.10.14.

Make known to me your ways, LORD; teach me your paths.
Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my savior. For you I wait all the long day, because of your goodness, LORD.
Good and upright is the LORD, who shows sinners the way,
Guides the humble rightly, and teaches the humble the way.
All the paths of the LORD are faithful love toward those who honor the covenant demands.
The counsel of the LORD belongs to the faithful; the covenant instructs them.


Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 1:57-66.

When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her. When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother said in reply, "No. He will be called John." But they answered her, "There is no one among your relatives who has this name." So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. He asked for a tablet and wrote, "John is his name," and all were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God. Then fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea. All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, "What, then, will this child be?" For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.

Copyright Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB



Commentary of the day :

Homily attributed to Saint Gregory the Wonderworker (c.213-270), Bishop
Homily on the holy Theophany, 4 ; PG 10, 1181 (Friends of Henry Ashworth)

"He spoke blessing God"


[John the Baptist said:] «I am the voice, the voice crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way for the Lord». So I cannot be silent, Lord, in your presence. «I need to be baptized by you, and do You come to me?» (Mt 3,3.14).

At my birth I took away my mother's barrenness, and while still an infant I healed my father's dumbness, for you gave me in childhood the gift of working miracles. But when you were born of the Virgin Mary, in the way you willed and in a manner known to you alone, you did not take away her virginity, but while preserving it intact you gave her in addition the name of "mother." Her virginity did not hinder your birth, nor did your birth destroy her virginity. On the contrary, two opposites, motherhood and virginity, were easily united by you, because the laws of nature have their origin in you.

I am a mere man, sharing in the grace of God, but you are both God and man because of your love for humankind (cf. Wis 1,6).



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DAILY GOSPEL
«Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.» John 6,68


Thursday, 24 December 2009
The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas), Mass at Midnight - Solemnity

Tonight: Nativity of the Lord (Christmas), solemnity
Today the Church celebrates : St. Delphinus, Bishop (+ 403), Sts. Thrasilla and Emiliana, Virgins

Saint Alphonsus Liguori : "I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people"


Book of Isaiah 9:1-6.

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; Upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone. You have brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing, As they rejoice before you as at the harvest, as men make merry when dividing spoils. For the yoke that burdened them, the pole on their shoulder, And the rod of their taskmaster you have smashed, as on the day of Midian. For every boot that tramped in battle, every cloak rolled in blood, will be burned as fuel for flames. For a child is born to us, a son is given us; upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace. His dominion is vast and forever peaceful, From David's throne, and over his kingdom, which he confirms and sustains By judgment and justice, both now and forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this!

Psalms 96(95):1-2.3.11-12.13.

Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth.
Sing to the LORD, bless his name; announce his salvation day after day.
Tell God's glory among the nations; among all peoples, God's marvelous deeds.
Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice; let the sea and what fills it resound;
let the plains be joyful and all that is in them. Then let all the trees of the forest rejoice
before the LORD who comes, who comes to govern the earth, To govern the world with justice and the peoples with faithfulness.


Letter to Titus 2:11-14.

For the grace of God has appeared, saving all and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age, as we await the blessed hope, the appearance of the glory of the great God and of our savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to deliver us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people as his own, eager to do what is good.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 2:1-14.

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town. And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear. The angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.

Copyright Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB



Commentary of the day :

Saint Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787), Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Address for the ninth day of Christmas, no. 10

"I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people"


«I proclaim to you news of great joy.» These were the angel's words to the shepherds of Bethlehem. I will repeat them to you today, my faithful friends: I am bringing you news that should give you great joy. For poor exiles, condemned to death, could there be happier news than that of their Savior's appearing, who came not just to deliver them from death but to win for them their return to their homeland? Yet this is precisely what I am proclaiming to you: «A Savior is born to you»...

When a king first makes his entry into one of the towns in his kingdom, the greatest honors are showered on him: what decorations! what triumphal arches! Make yourself ready, then, to receive your King worthily, O happy Bethlehem... Know, the prophet says to you, that of all the cities of the earth you are the most favored, for the heavenly King has chosen you as his birthplace here below that he may later reign, not only over Judah, but over men's hearts everwhere... What will the angels have said on seeing the Mother of God enter a cave to give birth to the King of kings! Princely infants come into the world in bedchambers glittering with gold. They are surrounded by the highest dignitaries in the kingdom. But the King of heaven wished to be born in a cold, unheated stable; for covering he had only poor sheepskin; to rest his limbs only a wretched manger with a little straw...

Ah! Simply to think of the birth of Jesus Christ and the circumstances that accompanied it should enflame us with love. And for us, the mere words 'cave', 'manger', 'straw', 'milk', 'cry', representing the Child of Bethlehem before our eyes as they do, should be so many burning arrows wounding all our hearts with love. O blessed cave, manger and straw! But even more blessed still those souls who fervently and tenderly cherish this loveworthy Lord and who, enflamed with burning charity, receive him in holy communion. With what alacrity and joy does Jesus come to rest in the soul who truly loves him!


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DAILY GOSPEL
«Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.» John 6,68


Friday, 25 December 2009
The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas), Mass during the Day - Solemnity

Today: Nativity of the Lord (Christmas), solemnity
Today the Church celebrates : Birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Saint Leo the Great : "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us"


Book of Isaiah 52:7-10.

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings glad tidings, Announcing peace, bearing good news, announcing salvation, and saying to Zion, "Your God is King!" Hark! Your watchmen raise a cry, together they shout for joy, For they see directly, before their eyes, the LORD restoring Zion. Break out together in song, O ruins of Jerusalem! For the LORD comforts his people, he redeems Jerusalem. The LORD has bared his holy arm in the sight of all the nations; All the ends of the earth will behold the salvation of our God.

Psalms 98:1.2-3.4.5-6.

Sing a new song to the LORD, who has done marvelous deeds, Whose right hand and holy arm have won the victory.
The LORD has made his victory known; has revealed his triumph for the nations to see,
Has remembered faithful love toward the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.
Shout with joy to the LORD, all the earth; break into song; sing praise.
Sing praise to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and melodious song.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn shout with joy to the King, the LORD.


Letter to the Hebrews 1:1-6.

In times past, God spoke in partial and various ways to our ancestors through the prophets; in these last days, he spoke to us through a son, whom he made heir of all things and through whom he created the universe, who is the refulgence of his glory, the very imprint of his being, and who sustains all things by his mighty word. When he had accomplished purification from sins, he took his seat at the right hand of the Majesty on high, as far superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. For to which of the angels did God ever say: "You are my son; this day I have begotten you"? Or again: "I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me"? And again, when he leads the first-born into the world, he says: "Let all the angels of God worship him."

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 1:1-18.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. A man named John was sent from God. He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came to be through him, but the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him. But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man's decision but of God. And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father's only Son, full of grace and truth. John testified to him and cried out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.'" From his fullness we have all received, grace in place of grace, because while the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. The only Son, God, who is at the Father's side, has revealed him.

Copyright Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB



Commentary of the day :

Saint Leo the Great (?-c.461), Pope and Doctor of the Church
1st. sermon for the Nativity of the Lord; PL 59,190 (cf SC 22 bis, p. 67f., breviary)

"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us"


This is the day our Saviour was born: what a joy for us, my beloved! This is no season for sadness, this, the birthday of Life-the Life which annihilates the fear of death, and engenders joy, promising, as it does, immortality. Nobody is an outsider to this happiness. The same cause for joy is common to all, for our Lord... came with redemption for all. Let the saint rejoice, for he hastens to his crown; let the sinner be filled with joy, for pardon is offered him; let the Gentile be emboldened, for he is called to life. When the designated time had come, which God in his deep and impenetrable plan had fixed upon, God's Son took the nature of man upon himself in order to reconcile man to his Creator...

The Word, God's Speech, who is God, the Son of God «who was in the beginning with God; through whom all things came to be, and without whom nothing came to be», has become man to deliver man from eternal death. He humbled himself to assume our mortal condition yet without diminution to his greatness. Remaining what he was and assuming what he was not, he united our condition of a slave to his condition of equality with God the Father... Greatness was clothed with humility, strength with weakness, eternity with mortality: true God and true man, in the unity of a single Lord, «the one mediator between God and the human race» (1Tm 2,5)...

My beloved, let us offer thanksgiving to God the Father, through his Son, in the Holy Spirit. In the great mercy with which he loved us, he had pity on us, and «in giving life to Christ, gave life to us too, when we were dead through sin,» so that in him we might be a new creation, a new work of his hands (Ep 2,4-5; 2Co 5,17)... O Christian, be aware of your nobility!

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DAILY GOSPEL
«Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.» John 6,68


Saturday, 26 December 2009
Saint Stephen, first martyr - Feast

Today the Church celebrates : St. Stephen, the first martyr

Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross [Edith Stein] : Saint Stephen offers his life like gold to the Child Jesus


Acts of the Apostles 6:8-10.7:54-59.

Now Stephen, filled with grace and power, was working great wonders and signs among the people. Certain members of the so-called Synagogue of Freedmen, Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and people from Cilicia and Asia, came forward and debated with Stephen, but they could not withstand the wisdom and the spirit with which he spoke. When they heard this, they were infuriated, and they ground their teeth at him. But he, filled with the holy Spirit, looked up intently to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." But they cried out in a loud voice, covered their ears, and rushed upon him together. They threw him out of the city, and began to stone him. The witnesses laid down their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul. As they were stoning Stephen, he called out, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."

Psalms 31(30):3-4.6.8.16.17.

incline your ear to me; make haste to rescue me! Be my rock of refuge, a stronghold to save me.
You are my rock and my fortress; for your name's sake lead and guide me.
Into your hands I commend my spirit; you will redeem me, LORD, faithful God.
I will rejoice and be glad in your love, once you have seen my misery, observed my distress.
My times are in your hands; rescue me from my enemies, from the hands of my pursuers.
Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your kindness.


Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 10:17-22.

But beware of people, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved.

Copyright Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB



Commentary of the day :

Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross [Edith Stein] (1891-1942), Carmelite, martyr, co-patron of Europe
Meditation for the 6th. January 1941 (Institute of Carmelite Studies)

Saint Stephen offers his life like gold to the Child Jesus


Closest to the newborn Savior we see St. Stephen. What secured the first martyr of the Crucified this place of honor? In youthful enthusiasm he accomplished what the Lord said upon his entrance into the world, "A body you have prepared for me. Behold, I come to fulfill your will" (Heb 10,5-7). He practiced complete obedience that is rooted in love and revealed in love.

He followed the Lord in what may be by nature the most difficult for the human heart, and even seems impossible: He fulfilled the command to love one's enemies as did the Savior himself. The Child in the manger, who has come to fulfill his Father's will even to death on the cross, sees before him in spirit all who will follow him on this way. His heartbeat goes out to the youth whom he will one day await with a palm as the first to reach the Father's throne. His little hand points him out to us as an example, as if to say, "See the gold that I expect of you."




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DAILY GOSPEL
«Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.» John 6,68


Sunday, 27 December 2009
The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph - Feast

The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph - Feast
Today the Church celebrates : St. John, Apostle and Evangelist (Feast)

Saint Anthony of Padua : "He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them"


1st book of Samuel 1:20-22.24-28.

She conceived, and at the end of her term bore a son whom she called Samuel, since she had asked the LORD for him. The next time her husband Elkanah was going up with the rest of his household to offer the customary sacrifice to the LORD and to fulfill his vows, Hannah did not go, explaining to her husband, "Once the child is weaned, I will take him to appear before the LORD and to remain there forever; I will offer him as a perpetual nazirite." Once he was weaned, she brought him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and presented him at the temple of the LORD in Shiloh. After the boy's father had sacrificed the young bull, Hannah, his mother, approached Eli and said: "Pardon, my lord! As you live my lord, I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the LORD. I prayed for this child, and the LORD granted my request. Now I, in turn, give him to the LORD; as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the LORD." She left him there;

Psalms 84(83):2-3.5-6.9-10.

How lovely your dwelling, O LORD of hosts!
My soul yearns and pines for the courts of the LORD. My heart and flesh cry out for the living God.
Happy are those who dwell in your house! They never cease to praise you. Selah
Happy are those who find refuge in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrim roads.
LORD of hosts, hear my prayer; listen, God of Jacob. Selah
O God, look kindly on our shield; look upon the face of your anointed.


First Letter of John 3:1-2.21-24.

See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Beloved, if (our) hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence in God and receive from him whatever we ask, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. And his commandment is this: we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another just as he commanded us. Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them, and the way we know that he remains in us is from the Spirit that he gave us.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 2:41-52.

Each year his parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom. After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, "Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety." And he said to them, "Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" But they did not understand what he said to them. He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus advanced (in) wisdom and age and favor before God and man.

Copyright Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB



Commentary of the day :

Saint Anthony of Padua (c.1195-1231), Franciscan, Doctor of the Church
Sermons for Sundays and Feasts of the saints

"He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them"


«He was subject to them.» With these words let all pride dissolve, all rigidness crumble, all disobedience submit. «He was subject to them.» Who? In brief, he who created all things from nothing; he who, as Isaiah says, «has cupped in his hand the waters of the sea and marked off the heavens with a span; who has held in a measure the dust of the earth, weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance» (40,12). He who, as Job says, «shakes the earth and the pillars beneath it tremble. He commands the sun and seals up the stars. He alone stretches out the heavens and treads upon the crests of the sea; he who made the constellations; he does marvellous things beyond reckoning» (9,6-10)... This is he who, great and powerful though he be, was subject. And subject to whom? To a workman and a poor young maid.

O «First and Last»! (Rv 1,17). O leader of angels, subject to men! The Creator of heaven subject to a workman; God of eternal glory subject to a poor young maid! Has anyone ever seen anything like this? Has anyone heard such a thing before?

So no longer hesitate to obey or be submissive... Come down, come to Nazareth, be subject, obey perfectly: all wisdom lies in this... This is what it means to be soberly wise. Simplicity that is pure is «like the waters of Shiloah that flow silently» (Is 8,6). There are people of wisdom within religious orders but it is by means of simple men that God brought them there. God chose the foolish and weak, the lowly and ignorant to bring together those who were wise, powerful and of noble birth through them, «so that no human being might boast in itself» (cf. 1Cor 1,26-29) but in him who came down, who came to Nazareth, and who was subject.


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DAILY GOSPEL
«Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.» John 6,68


Monday, 28 December 2009
The Holy Innocents, martyrs - Feast

Today the Church celebrates : Holy Innocents, Martyrs - Feast

Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross [Edith Stein] : The Holy Innocents, poor as Christ is poor


First Letter of John 1:5-10.2:1-2.

Now this is the message that we have heard from him and proclaim to you: God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say, "We have fellowship with him," while we continue to walk in darkness, we lie and do not act in truth. But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, then we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from all sin. If we say, "We are without sin," we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing. If we say, "We have not sinned," we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. My children, I am writing this to you so that you may not commit sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous one. He is expiation for our sins, and not for our sins only but for those of the whole world.

Psalms 124(123):2-3.4-5.7-8.

Had not the LORD been with us, when people rose against us,
They would have swallowed us alive, for their fury blazed against us.
The waters would have engulfed us, the torrent overwhelmed us;
seething waters would have drowned us.
We escaped with our lives like a bird from the fowler's snare; the snare was broken and we escaped.
Our help is the name of the LORD, the maker of heaven and earth.


Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 2:13-18.

When they had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him." Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, "Out of Egypt I called my son." When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi. Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet: A voice was heard in Ramah, sobbing and loud lamentation; Rachel weeping for her children, and she would not be consoled, since they were no more.

Copyright Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB



Commentary of the day :

Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross [Edith Stein] (1891-1942), Carmelite, martyr, co-patron of Europe
Meditation for the 6 January 1941 (Institute of Carmelite Studies)

The Holy Innocents, poor as Christ is poor


Not far from Stephen, the first martyr, stand the «flores martyrum», the tender buds that were broken before they had ripened to the act of sacrifice. There is a pious belief that the grace of natural maturity came to the innocent children beforehand and gave them an understanding of what was happening to them so they could give themselves freely and thus be ensured martyrdom. Even so, they do not resemble the valiant confessor who heroically took on the cause of Christ. In their defenseless surrender, they are much more like lambs led to the slaughter (Is 53,7; Ac 8,32).

So they are the example of uttermost poverty. They have no other goods than their lives. And now even that is taken from them, and they allow it to happen without resistance. They surround the manger to show us what kind of myrrh we are to bring to the Divine Child: those who want to belong entirely to him must deliver themselves to him in complete self-renunciation; they must surrender to the divine decision like these children.

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DAILY GOSPEL
«Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.» John 6,68


Tuesday, 29 December 2009
The 5th Day in the Octave of Christmas

Today the Church celebrates : St. Thomas Becket, Bishop and Martyr (12th century)

Origen : «To depart in peace»


First Letter of John 2:3-11.

The way we may be sure that we know him is to keep his command ments. Whoever says, "I know him," but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps his word, the love of God is truly perfected in him. This is the way we may know that we are in union with him: whoever claims to abide in him ought to live (just) as he lived. Beloved, I am writing no new commandment to you but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. And yet I do write a new commandment to you, which holds true in him and among you, for the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining. Whoever says he is in the light, yet hates his brother, is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother remains in the light, and there is nothing in him to cause a fall. Whoever hates his brother is in darkness; he walks in darkness and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

Psalms 96(95):1-2.3.5-6.

Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth.
Sing to the LORD, bless his name; announce his salvation day after day.
Tell God's glory among the nations; among all peoples, God's marvelous deeds.
For the gods of the nations all do nothing, but the LORD made the heavens.
Splendor and power go before him; power and grandeur are in his holy place.


Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 2:22-35.

When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord," and to offer the sacrifice of "a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons," in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord. Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Messiah of the Lord. He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying: Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in sight of all the peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel." The child's father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted (and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."

Copyright Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB



Commentary of the day :

Origen (c.185-253), priest and theologian
Sermon 15 on St Luke's Gospel ; PG 13, 1838-1839 (cf SC 87)

«To depart in peace»


Simeon knew there was no one who could take us out of the prison house of our bodies in hope of the life to come except he whom he held in his arms. And so he said to him: «Now, Lord, let your servant depart in peace, for while I was not carrying Christ and embracing him in my arms I was held like a prisoner, unable to free myself from my bonds.» And it should be noted that this doesn't only apply to Simeon but to everyone. If anyone wants to abandon the world and gain the Kingdom, let them take Jesus in their hands, wrap their arms around him, hug him to their bosom. Then they will be able to walk joyously wherever they wish...

«All those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God» (Rom 8,14). It was the Holy Spirit, then, who led Simeon into the Temple. So if you, too, want to hold Jesus, wrap your arms around him and become worthy of leaving your prison, strive to let yourself be led by the Spirit into the temple of God. Now see how, even now, you are in the temple of our Lord Jesus, namely his Church: his temple built of living stones (1Pt 2,5)...

So if you enter the Temple impelled by the Spirit, you will find the Child Jesus, will take him into your arms and will say: «Now, Lord, let your servant depart in peace». This deliverance, this departure take place in peace... Who are they who die in peace if not those who possess the peace of God that surpasses all knowledge and keeps the hearts of those who to whom it belongs? (Phil 4,7). And who are they who leave this world in peace if not those who understand that God was in Christ reconciling the world?

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The Purpose of Prayer


You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. —James 4:3

Why do we pray for certain things? What is the purpose of prayer? Perhaps if we didn’t first think about it, if we just said what came to mind, we would say that it is to get things from God.

Then there are some who would tell us that if we name it and claim it and ask for it in Jesus’ name, then God must give it to us. But this is nonsense. It distorts the purpose of prayer.

It comes down to our motives in prayer. When James warned, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures” (James 4:3), he was saying, “Because of your lust for pleasure, because of your obsession with self, it can even affect your prayer life.” If I pray about something and yet my motive is wrong, then my prayer will go unanswered.

Prayer is not getting my will in heaven; prayer is getting God’s will on Earth. Prayer is not trying to convince God to do what I want Him to do; prayer is a process that I go through in which I learn the will of God and live accordingly.

Am I suggesting that God will not answer a prayer that is outside of His will? Yes. Does this mean that God will inspire us in what to pray for and that is all we should pray for? In a nutshell, yes. God wants us to get into alignment with Him and start praying for the things that will bring glory to His name. And when we start praying like that, we will start seeing our prayers answered in the affirmative.

DAILY GOSPEL
«Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.» John 6,68


Wednesday, 30 December 2009
The 6th Day in the Octave of Christmas

Today the Church celebrates : St. Anysius, St. SABINUS, Bishop, and his Companions, Martyrs

See commentary below or click here
Saint Peter Chrysologus : Now at last Anna sees God in his Temple


First Letter of John 2:12-17.

I am writing to you, children, because your sins have been forgiven for his name's sake. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have conquered the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong and the word of God remains in you, and you have conquered the evil one. Do not love the world or the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, sensual lust, enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life, is not from the Father but is from the world. Yet the world and its enticement are passing away. But whoever does the will of God remains forever.

Psalms 96(95):7-8.9.10.

Give to the LORD, you families of nations, give to the LORD glory and might;
give to the LORD the glory due his name! Bring gifts and enter his courts;
bow down to the LORD, splendid in holiness. Tremble before God, all the earth;
say among the nations: The LORD is king. The world will surely stand fast, never to be moved. God rules the peoples with fairness.


Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 2:36-40.

There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem. When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

Copyright Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB



Commentary of the day :

Saint Peter Chrysologus (c.406-450) Bishop of Ravenna, Doctor of the Church
Sermon 147, on the mystery of the Incarnation

Now at last Anna sees God in his Temple



As for this God whom the world cannot contain, how could man comprehend him, shortsighted as he is? Love is not worried about knowing whether something is certain or convenient or possible. Love... pays no attention to limits. It does not comfort itself with the claim that it is impossible; difficulties cannot stop it... Love cannot not see what it loves... How can we believe ourselves loved by God without contemplating him? Thus love that desires to see God, even if not rationalized, is inspired by the heart's intuition. Hence Moses dared to say: «If I have found favor with you, show me your face» (Ex 33,13f.), and the psalmist: «Show me your face» (cf. 80[79],4)...

God, then, knowing our desire to see him, found a means of making himself visible which would be greatly to the gain of earth's inhabitants without, for all that, involving a lowering with regard to heaven. How could the creature God had made on earth in his own likeness pass into heaven by means of baseness? «Let us make man in our image and likeness» he had said (Gn 1,26)... If God had borrowed an angel's form from heaven he would have remained just as invisible; on the other hand, if he had become incarnate on earth in a nature inferior to that of ours, he would have demeaned the divinity and cast man down rather than lifting him up. So, my beloved, let no one consider the fact that he came to men by means of a man or that he found this means amongst us of being our seeing him to be an insult to God.


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DAILY GOSPEL
«Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.» John 6,68


Thursday, 31 December 2009
The 7th Day in the Octave of Christmas

Today the Church celebrates : St. Sylvester I, Pope, (+ 335)

See commentary below or click here
William of Saint-Thierry : «The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.»


First Letter of John 2:18-21.

Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that the antichrist was coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. Thus we know this is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not really of our number; if they had been, they would have remained with us. Their desertion shows that none of them was of our number. But you have the anointing that comes from the holy one, and you all have knowledge. I write to you not because you do not know the truth but because you do, and because every lie is alien to the truth.

Psalms 96(95):1-2.11-12.13.

Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth.
Sing to the LORD, bless his name; announce his salvation day after day.
Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice; let the sea and what fills it resound;
let the plains be joyful and all that is in them. Then let all the trees of the forest rejoice
before the LORD who comes, who comes to govern the earth, To govern the world with justice and the peoples with faithfulness.


Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 1:1-18.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. A man named John was sent from God. He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came to be through him, but the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him. But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man's decision but of God. And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father's only Son, full of grace and truth. John testified to him and cried out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.'" From his fullness we have all received, grace in place of grace, because while the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. The only Son, God, who is at the Father's side, has revealed him.

Copyright Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB



Commentary of the day :

William of Saint-Thierry (c.1085-1148), Benedictine, then a Cistercian monk
On Contemplating God, 10 (Cistercian Fathers series; cf SC 61, p. 91f.)

«The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.»


You first loved us so that we might love you. And that was not because you needed to be loved by us, but because we could not be what you created us to be, except by loving you. «Having then in many ways and on various occasions spoken to the fathers by the prophets, now in these last days you have spoken to us in the Son», your Word (Heb 1,1), by whom «The heavens were established, and all the power of them by the breath of his mouth» (Ps 33[32],6). For you to speak thus in your Son was an open declaration, a "setting in the sun" as it were, of how much and in what sort of way you loved us, in that you «spared not your own Son, but delivered him up for us all» (Rm 8,32). Yes, and he himself floved us and gave himself for us (Gal 2,20)

This, Lord, is your word to us, this is your all-powerful message: he who, while all things kept silence (that is, were in the depths of error), came from the royal throne (Cant 18,14), the stern opponent of error and the gentle apostle of love. And everything he did and everything he said on earth, even the insults, the spitting, the buffeting, the cross and the grave, all that was nothing but yourself speaking in the Son, appealing to us by your love, and stirring up our love for you.

For you, O God, our souls' Creator, knew that this affection cannot be forced in the souls of the sons of men, but has to be evoked. And this is for the obvious reason that there is no freedom where there is compulsion, and, where freedom is lacking, so too is righteousness... We could not with justice have been saved, had we not loved you, nor could we have loved you, save by your gift. You willed, therefore, that we should love you. So, Lord, as the Apostle of your love tells us, and as we ourselves have said before, you "first loved us" (1Jn 4,10) and you love all your lovers first. But we on our part hold you dear by the affection of love that you have implanted in us.


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DAILY GOSPEL
«Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.» John 6,68


Friday, 01 January 2010
The Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God - Solemnity

Today the Church celebrates : Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

John-Paul II: Mother of God, Mother of the Prince of Peace


Book of Numbers 6:22-27.

The LORD said to Moses: "Speak to Aaron and his sons and tell them: This is how you shall bless the Israelites. Say to them: The LORD bless you and keep you! The LORD let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! The LORD look upon you kindly and give you peace! So shall they invoke my name upon the Israelites, and I will bless them."

Psalms 67(66):2-3.5.6.8.

May God be gracious to us and bless us; may God's face shine upon us. Selah
So shall your rule be known upon the earth, your saving power among all the nations.
May the nations be glad and shout for joy; for you govern the peoples justly, you guide the nations upon the earth. Selah
May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you!
May God bless us still; that the ends of the earth may revere our God.


Letter to the Galatians 4:4-7.

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to ransom those under the law, so that we might receive adoption. As proof that you are children, God sent the spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!" So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 2:16-21.

So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them. When eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Copyright Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB



Commentary of the day :

John-Paul II, Pope from 1978 to 2005
Homily of 01/01/02 (trad. copyright Libreria Editrice Vaticana)

Mother of God, Mother of the Prince of Peace


"Hail, holy Mother! The Child to whom you gave birth is the King of heaven and earth for ever" (cf. Entrance Antiphon). With this ancient greeting, today, the eighth day of the Octave of Christmas and the first of the year, the Church greets the Blessed Virgin Mary, invoking her as Mother of God. In her the eternal Son of the Father took our very flesh and through Her became "son of David and son of Abraham" (Mt 1,1). Thus Mary is his true Mother: the Theotokos, Mother of God! If Jesus is Life, Mary is the Mother of Life. If Jesus is Hope, Mary is the Mother of Hope. If Jesus is Peace, Mary is the Mother of Peace, Mother of the Prince of Peace. Entering the new year, let us ask this holy Mother to bless us. Let us ask Her to give us Jesus, our full Blessing, in whom the Father blessed all history once and for all, making it become the history of salvation... The Child born in Bethlehem is the eternal Word of the Father who became flesh for our salvation, he is "God-with-us", who brings with him the secret of true peace. He is the Prince of Peace.

"Salve, Madre santa"!... The Child you embrace has a name that is dear to the peoples of biblical religion: «Jesus», which means "God saves". So the Archangel named him before he was conceived in your womb (cf. Lk 2,21). In the face of the newborn Messiah, we recognize the face of all your children, who suffer from being despised and exploited. We recognize especially the faces of your children, to whatever race, nation or culture they may belong. For them, O Mary, for their future, we ask you to move hearts hardened by hatred so that they may open to love and so that revenge may finally give way to forgiveness. Obtain for us, O Mother, that the truth of this affirmation - No peace without justice, no justice without forgiveness - be engraved on every heart. Thus the human family will be able to find the true peace, that flows from the union of justice and mercy. Holy Mother, Mother of the Prince of Peace, help us! Mother of Humanity and Queen of Peace, pray for us!


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DAILY GOSPEL
«Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.» John 6,68


Saturday, 02 January 2010
Saturday before Epiphany

Today the Church celebrates : St. Basil the Great, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (+ 379) - Memorial -, Saint Gregory Nazianzen, Bishop and Doctor of the Church - Memorial -, St Macarius of Alexandria, anchorite († 394)

Duns Scotus Erigena : "There is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me"


First Letter of John 2:22-28.

Who is the liar? Whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Whoever denies the Father and the Son, this is the antichrist. No one who denies the Son has the Father, but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well. Let what you heard from the beginning remain in you. If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, then you will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that he made us: eternal life. I write you these things about those who would deceive you. As for you, the anointing that you received from him remains in you, so that you do not need anyone to teach you. But his anointing teaches you about everything and is true and not false; just as it taught you, remain in him. And now, children, remain in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not be put to shame by him at his coming.

Psalms 98(97):1-4.

Sing a new song to the LORD, who has done marvelous deeds, Whose right hand and holy arm have won the victory.
The LORD has made his victory known; has revealed his triumph for the nations to see,
Has remembered faithful love toward the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.
Shout with joy to the LORD, all the earth; break into song; sing praise.


Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 1:19-28.

And this is the testimony of John. When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites (to him) to ask him, "Who are you?" he admitted and did not deny it, but admitted, "I am not the Messiah." So they asked him, "What are you then? Are you Elijah?" And he said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" He answered, "No." So they said to him, "Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us? What do you have to say for yourself?" He said: "I am 'the voice of one crying out in the desert, "Make straight the way of the Lord,"' as Isaiah the prophet said." Some Pharisees were also sent. They asked him, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet?" John answered them, "I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie." This happened in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Copyright Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB



Commentary of the day :

Duns Scotus Erigena (?-c.870), Irish Benedictine
Homily on St John's Prologue, ch. 15 (Friends of Henry Ashworth; cf SC 151, p. 275)

"There is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me"


Into the theological plan of his gospel John the evangelist draws John the Baptist; «deep calls to deep» (Ps 42[41],8) at the utterance of divine mysteries. We hear the evangelist relating the story of the forerunner, the man whose gift it was to know the Word «as he was in the beginning» (Jn 1,1), speaking to us of the one who was commissioned to go ahead of the Word made flesh... «There was,» says the evangelist, not simply a messenger of God, but «a man» (Jn 1,6). This he said in order to distinguish the man who shared only the humanity of the one he heralded from the Man who came after him, the Man who united godhead and manhood in his own Person. The evangelist's intention was to differentiate between the fleeting voice and the eternally unchanging Word. The one, he would suggest, was the morning star appearing at the dawning of the kingdom of heaven, while the other was the Sun of Justice coming in its wake (Mal 3,20). He distinguished the witness from the one to whom he testified, the messenger from him who sent him, the lamp burning in the night from the brilliant light that filled the whole world (cf. Jn 5,35), the light that dispelled the darkness of death and sin from the entire human race...

A man was sent. By whom? By the divine Word, whose forerunner he was. To go before the Lord was his mission. Lifting up his voice, this man called out: «The voice of one crying in the wilderness!» (Mt 3,3). It was the herald preparing the way for the Lord's coming. «John was his name» (Jn 1,6); John to whom was given the grace to go ahead of the King of kings, to point out to the world the Word made flesh, to baptize him with that baptism in which the Spirit would manifest his divine Sonship, to give witness through his teaching and martyrdom to the eternal light.


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DAILY GOSPEL
«Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.» John 6,68


Sunday, 03 January 2010
The Epiphany of the Lord - Solemnity

The Epiphany of the Lord (solemnity)
Today the Church celebrates : St. Genevieve, Virgin (c. 422 - 512)

Saint Alphonsus Liguori : "They saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage"


Book of Isaiah 60:1-6.

Rise up in splendor! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you. See, darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples; But upon you the LORD shines, and over you appears his glory. Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance. Raise your eyes and look about; they all gather and come to you: Your sons come from afar, and your daughters in the arms of their nurses. Then you shall be radiant at what you see, your heart shall throb and overflow, For the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you, the wealth of nations shall be brought to you. Caravans of camels shall fill you, dromedaries from Midian and Ephah; All from Sheba shall come bearing gold and frankincense, and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.

Psalms 72:2.7-8.10-13.

O God, give your judgment to the king; your justice to the son of kings; That he may govern your people with justice, your oppressed with right judgment,
That abundance may flourish in his days, great bounty, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea, from the river to the ends of the earth.
May the kings of Tarshish and the islands bring tribute, the kings of Arabia and Seba offer gifts.
May all kings bow before him, all nations serve him.
For he rescues the poor when they cry out, the oppressed who have no one to help.
He shows pity to the needy and the poor and saves the lives of the poor.


Letter to the Ephesians 3:2-3.5-6.

if, as I suppose, you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for your benefit, (namely, that) the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly earlier. which was not made known to human beings in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit, that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 2:1-12.

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, "Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage." When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet: 'And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel.'" Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star's appearance. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage." After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.

Copyright Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB



Commentary of the day :

Saint Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787), Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Meditations for the octave of Epiphany, no.1

"They saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage"


The magi find a poor young woman with a poor child wrapped in poor linen bands... and yet, on entering this cave, they feel a joy never experienced before... The divine Infant's expression becomes joyful: a sign of the loving delight with which he welcomes them as the first conquest of his redeeming work. Then the holy kings turn their eyes to Mary, who does not speak, remaining silent; yet her face, reflecting joy and shining with a heavenly sweetness, confirms that she welcomes them and is grateful to them for being the first to recognise her Son for who he is: their Sovereign Lord...

O Child so worthy of our love, I see you lying on the straw in this cave, so poor and despised. Yet faith teaches me that you are my God come down from heaven for my salvation. I acknowledge you as my Sovereign Lord and Savior, as such I proclaim you, yet I have nothing at all to offer you. I am without love's gold since I have given my love to the things of this world – I have only loved my own whim rather than loving you, so infinitely worthy of love. I am without prayer's incense since I have lived wretchedly without thinking of you. I have no myrrh of mortification since, so as not to forsake some paltry pleasures, I have so often saddened your infinite goodness. So what am I to offer you? O my Jesus, I offer you my heart, soiled and naked as it is. Take it and change it, for you have come down to us to wash our guilty hearts with your blood and so to transform us from sinners into saints. O grant me that gold, incense and myrrh that I lack. Grant me the gold of your holy love; grant me the incense that is the spirit of prayer; grant me myrrh, the willingness and strength to deny myself in all that displeases you...

O holy Virgin, you welcomed those devout magi kings with keen affection and satisfied them. Deign to welcome and comfort me also: I who come, following their example, to visit and offer myself to your Son.

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DAILY GOSPEL
«Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.» John 6,68


Monday, 04 January 2010
Monday after Epiphany

Today the Church celebrates : St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

Rupert of Deutz : "On the people who sit in darkness who have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen"


First Letter of John 3:22-24.4:1-6.

and receive from him whatever we ask, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. And his commandment is this: we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another just as he commanded us. Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them, and the way we know that he remains in us is from the Spirit that he gave us. Beloved, do not trust every spirit but test the spirits to see whether they belong to God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can know the Spirit of God: every spirit that acknowledges Jesus Christ come in the flesh be longs to God, and every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus does not belong to God. This is the spirit of the antichrist that, as you heard, is to come, but in fact is already in the world. You belong to God, children, and you have conquered them, for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They belong to the world; accordingly, their teaching belongs to the world, and the world listens to them. We belong to God, and anyone who knows God listens to us, while anyone who does not belong to God refuses to hear us. This is how we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit.

Psalms 2:7-8.10-11.

I will proclaim the decree of the LORD, who said to me, "You are my son; today I am your father.
Only ask it of me, and I will make your inheritance the nations, your possession the ends of the earth.
And now, kings, give heed; take warning, rulers on earth.
Serve the LORD with fear; with trembling bow down in homage, Lest God be angry and you perish from the way in a sudden blaze of anger. Happy are all who take refuge in God!


Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 4:12-17.23-25.

When he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled: Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen." From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." He went around all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness among the people. His fame spread to all of Syria, and they brought to him all who were sick with various diseases and racked with pain, those who were possessed, lunatics, and paralytics, and he cured them. And great crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan followed him.

Copyright Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB



Commentary of the day :

Rupert of Deutz (c.1075-1130), Benedictine monk
On the Trinity and its works, l. 42 : On Isaiah, 2

"On the people who sit in darkness who have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen"


In speaking of vision, or rather of a great light, Matthew undoubtedly intends us to understand our Savior's luminous preaching, the radiance of the Good News of the Kingdom of God. The land of Zebulon and of Naphtali heard it from our Lord's own mouth before anyone else...

For in fact it was in this particular land that our Lord began to preach; it was there his preaching was inaugurated... And the apostles, who were the first to see this true light over these regions of Zabulon and Naphtali, themselves became «lights of the world»... As Isaiah's text continues: «They rejoice before you as at the harvest, as men make merry when dividing the spoils» This joy will indeed become the apostles' joy, it will be a twofold joy when «they come back like reapers carrying their sheaves» and «as conquerors sharing the spoil», that is to say of the conquered devil...

For it was you, our Lord and Savior, who removed from their shoulders «the yoke that burdened them», that yoke of the devil's who in former times lorded it over the world when he reigned over all the nations and caused their necks to bow beneath the yoke of a grievous slavery... You it was who, without troops, without bloodshed, in the secret of your power, freed us to place us at your service... Yes, the devil will be «burned as fuel for the flames» because «a child is born to us», the lowly Son of God «upon whose shoulders dominion rests» because, being God, he is able to possess the pre-eminence by his own strength... And his «dominion extends» since he will not only reign over the Jews, as David did, but he will have the sovereignty over all nations «both now and forever».

(Biblical references: Is 9,1-6; Mt 5,14; Ps 126[125],6)


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DAILY GOSPEL
«Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.» John 6,68


Tuesday, 05 January 2010
Tuesday after Epiphany

Today the Church celebrates : St. John N. Neumann, Bishop (1811-1860), Saint Simeon Stylites (c.401-460)

Saint John Chrysostom : « He took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them saying: 'This is my body' » (Lk 22,19)


First Letter of John 4:7-10.

Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love. In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.

Psalms 72:2.3-4.7-8.

O God, give your judgment to the king; your justice to the son of kings; That he may govern your people with justice, your oppressed with right judgment,
That the mountains may yield their bounty for the people, and the hills great abundance,
That he may defend the oppressed among the people, save the poor and crush the oppressor.
That abundance may flourish in his days, great bounty, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea, from the river to the ends of the earth.


Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 6:34-44.

When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. By now it was already late and his disciples approached him and said, "This is a deserted place and it is already very late. Dismiss them so that they can go to the surrounding farms and villages and buy themselves something to eat." He said to them in reply, "Give them some food yourselves." But they said to him, "Are we to buy two hundred days' wages worth of food and give it to them to eat?" He asked them, "How many loaves do you have? Go and see." And when they had found out they said, "Five loaves and two fish." So he gave orders to have them sit down in groups on the green grass. The people took their places in rows by hundreds and by fifties. Then, taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to (his) disciples to set before the people; he also divided the two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied. And they picked up twelve wicker baskets full of fragments and what was left of the fish. Those who ate (of the loaves) were five thousand men.

Copyright Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB



Commentary of the day :

Saint John Chrysostom (c.345-407), priest at Antioch then Bishop of Constantinople, Doctor of the Church
Homilies on the 1st letter to the Corinthians, no.24, 4 ; PG 61, 204 (Friends of Henry Ashworth)

« He took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them saying: 'This is my body' » (Lk 22,19)


Christ gave us his flesh to eat in order to deepen our love for him. When we approach him, then, there should be burning within us a fire of love and longing... The wise men paid homage to Christ's body even when it was lying in a manger... They only saw Christ in a manger, they saw nothing of what you now see, and yet they approached him with profound awe and reverence.

You see him, not in a manger but on an altar, not carried by a woman but offered by a priest; and you see the Spirit bountifully poured out upon the offerings of bread and wine. Unlike the wise men, you do not merely see Christ's body: you know his power as well, and the whole divine plan for our salvation... Let us then awaken in ourselves a feeling of awe and let us show a far greater reverence than did those foreigners so that we do not approach this sacrament casually, without thinking of what we do...

This food strengthens us; it emboldens us to speak freely to our God; if is our hope, our salvation, our light and our life. If we go to the next world fortified by this sacrifice, we shall enter its sacred portals with perfect confidence as though protected all over by armor of gold. But why do I speak of the next world? Because of this sacrament earth becomes heaven for you. Throw open the gates of heaven, look through and you will see the proof of what I say. What is heaven's most precious possession? I will show you it here on earth. I do not show you angels or archangels, heaven or the heaven of heavens, but I show you the very Lord of all these. Do you not see how you gaze, here on earth, upon what is most precious of all? You not only gaze on it but touch it as well. You not only touch it but eat it. So cleanse your soul from sin and prepare your mind to receive these mysteries.


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DAILY GOSPEL
«Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.» John 6,68


Wednesday, 06 January 2010
Wednesday after Epiphany

Saint Hilary : "About the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them"


First Letter of John 4:11-18.

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another. No one has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us. This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us, that he has given us of his Spirit. Moreover, we have seen and testify that the Father sent his Son as savior of the world. Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him and he in God. We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us. God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him. In this is love brought to perfection among us, that we have confidence on the day of judgment because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love.

Psalms 72:2.10-13.

O God, give your judgment to the king; your justice to the son of kings; That he may govern your people with justice, your oppressed with right judgment,
May the kings of Tarshish and the islands bring tribute, the kings of Arabia and Seba offer gifts.
May all kings bow before him, all nations serve him.
For he rescues the poor when they cry out, the oppressed who have no one to help.
He shows pity to the needy and the poor and saves the lives of the poor.


Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 6:45-52.

Then he made his disciples get into the boat and precede him to the other side toward Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. And when he had taken leave of them, he went off to the mountain to pray. When it was evening, the boat was far out on the sea and he was alone on shore. Then he saw that they were tossed about while rowing, for the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them. But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out. They had all seen him and were terrified. But at once he spoke with them, "Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!" He got into the boat with them and the wind died down. They were (completely) astounded. They had not understood the incident of the loaves. On the contrary, their hearts were hardened.

Copyright Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB



Commentary of the day :

Saint Hilary (c.315-367), Bishop of Poitiers, Doctor of the Church
Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, 14, 13-14 (trans. SC 258, p. 27 rev.)

"About the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them"


«Then he made the disciples get into the boat while he dismissed the crowds. After doing so, he went up to pray. When it was evening, he was there alone» (cf. Mt 14,22-23). If we are to explain these happenings we must distinguish between the times. If he was alone in the evening, this points to his solitude at the hour of his Passion when panic had caused everyone to scatter. If he made his disciples get into the boat and cross over the sea while he himself dismissed the crowds, and if, having dismissed them, he went up a mountain, this means that he directed them to remain in the Church and to sail across the sea – that is to say, this world – until, at his return in glory, he would grant salvation to all who are to be the remnant of Israel (cf. Rom 11,5)... and this people would give thanks to God his Father and be set firm within his glory and majesty...

«During the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them.» In the expression «fourth watch of the night» we find the number corresponding to the signs of his care. Thus, the first watch was that of the Law; the second, that of the prophets; the third, that of his coming in the flesh; the fourth is situated in his return in glory. But he will find the Church declining and hemmed in by the spirit of the Antichrist and all the distresses of this world. He will come when anxieties and afflictions are at their height... The disciples will be terrified even by the coming of the Lord, fearing the images of a reality distorted by the Antichrist and by the deceitful imaginations infiltrating their sight. But our good Lord will speak to them directly, casting out their fear and saying: «It is I», dispersing their fear of imminent shipwreck by faith in his coming.

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DAILY GOSPEL
«Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.» John 6,68


Thursday, 07 January 2010
Thursday after Epiphany

Today the Church celebrates : St. Raymond of Peñafort, Priest (c. 1175-1275), St. Lucian, Priest and Martyr (+ 312)

Catechism of the Catholic Church: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me"


First Letter of John 4:19-21.5:1-4.

We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. This is the commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother. Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God, and everyone who loves the father loves (also) the one begotten by him. In this way we know that we love the children of God when we love God and obey his commandments. For the love of God is this, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world. And the victory that conquers the world is our faith.

Psalms 72:2.14-15.17.

O God, give your judgment to the king; your justice to the son of kings; That he may govern your people with justice, your oppressed with right judgment,
From extortion and violence he frees them, for precious is their blood in his sight.
Long may he live, receiving gold from Arabia, prayed for without cease, blessed day by day.
May his name be blessed forever; as long as the sun, may his name endure. May the tribes of the earth give blessings with his name; may all the nations regard him as favored.


Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 4:14-22.

Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news of him spread throughout the whole region. He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all. He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord." Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. He said to them, "Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing." And all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They also asked, "Isn't this the son of Joseph?"

Copyright Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB



Commentary of the day :

Catechism of the Catholic Church
§ 695

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me"


Symbols of the Holy Spirit: Anointing. The symbolism of anointing with oil signifies the Holy Spirit, to the point of becoming a synonym for the Holy Spirit. In Christian initiation, anointing is the sacramental sign of Confirmation, called 'chrismation' in the Churches of the East. Its full force can be grasped only in relation to the primary anointing accomplished by the Holy Spirit, that of Jesus. Christ (in Hebrew 'messiah') means the one 'anointed' by God's Spirit.

There were several anointed ones of the Lord in the Old Covenant, pre-eminently King David. But Jesus is God's Anointed in a unique way: the humanity the Son assumed was entirely anointed by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit established him as 'Christ'. The Virgin Mary conceived Christ by the Holy Spirit who, through the angel, proclaimed him the Christ at his birth and prompted Simeon to come to the Temple to see Christ the Lord. The Spirit filled Christ and the power of the Spirit went out from him in his acts of healing and saving.

Finally, it was the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead. Now fully established as 'Christ' in his humanity victorious over death, Jesus pours out the Holy Spirit abundantly until the 'saints' constitute, in their union with the humanity of the Son of God, the perfect man «to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ»: «the whole Christ», in St Augustine's expression.

(Biblical references: 1Jn 2,20.27; 2Cor 1,21; Ex 30,22-32; 1Sm 16,13; Lk 4,18-19; 1,35; 2,11; 2,26-27; 4,1; 6,19; Rom 1,4; 8,11; Acts 2,36; Eph 4,13)
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