Bible Diary for November 27th – December 3rd

November 27
Sunday

1st Sunday of Advent

1st Reading: Is 63:16b–17, 19b; 64:2–7
For you are our Father, whereas Abraham does not know us nor has Israel any knowledge of us. But you, O Yahweh, are our Father, from the beginning, you are our redeemer: this is your name.

Why have you made us stray from your ways? Why have you let our heart become hard so that we do not fear you? Return for the sake of your servants, the tribes of your inheritance.

19 For too long we have become like those you do not rule, like those who do not bear your name.

Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down! The mountains would quake at your presence.

As when fire sets brushwood ablaze and causes water to boil, make the nations know your name, and your enemies tremble. Let them witness your stunning deeds.

No one has ever heard or perceived, no eye has ever seen a God besides you who works for those who trust in him.

You have confounded those who acted righteously and who joyfully kept your ways in mind. You are angry with our sins, yet conceal them and we shall be saved.

All of us have become like the unclean; all our good deeds are like polluted garments; we have all withered like leaves, blown away by our iniquities.

There is no one who calls upon your name, no one who rouses himself to lay hold of you. For you have hidden your face, you have given us up to the power of our evil acts.

And yet, Yahweh, you are our Father; we are the clay and you are our potter; we are the work of your hand.

Ps 80:2–3, 15–16, 18–19
Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.

2nd Reading: 1 Cor 1:3–9
Brothers and sisters, grace and peace from God our Father, and Christ Jesus our Lord.

I give thanks constantly to my God for you and for the grace of God given to you in Christ Jesus. For you have been fully enriched in him with words as well as with knowledge, even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you. You do not lack any spiritual gift and only await the glorious coming of Christ Jesus, our Lord. He will keep you steadfast to the end, and you will be without reproach on the day of the coming of our Lord Jesus. The faithful God will not fail you after calling you to this fellowship with his Son, Christ Jesus, our Lord.

Gospel: Mk 13:33–37
Jesus said to his disciples, “Be alert and watch, for you don’t know when the time will come. When a man goes abroad and leaves his home, he puts his servants in charge, giving to each one some responsibility; and he orders the doorkeeper to stay awake. So stay awake, for you don’t know when the Lord of the house will come, in the evening or at midnight, when the cock crows or before dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him catch you asleep.

“And what I say to you, I say to all: watch.”

REFLECTION
Be alert and watch, for you don’t know when the time will come. The Lord is already with us but we need to be reminded and be ready for Him because we are not often in touch with Him. This Advent, let us promise to be connected with the Lord and never lose sight of Him. Let us start a new liturgical year by being in constant contact with the Word of God and find ways to serve Him.

November 28
Monday

1st Week of Advent

1st Reading: Is 2:1–5
The vision of Isaiah, son of Amoz, concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

In the last days, the mountain of Yahweh’s house shall be set over the highest mountains and shall tower over the hills.

All the nations shall stream to it, saying, “Come, let us go to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and we may walk in his paths. For the Teaching comes from Zion, and from Jerusalem the word of Yahweh.

“He will rule over the nations and settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not raise sword against nation; they will train for war no more.

“O nation of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!”

Ps 122:1–2, 3–4b, 4cd–5, 6–7, 8–9
Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Gospel: Mt 8:5–11
When Jesus entered Capernaum, an army captain approached him to ask his help, “Sir, my servant lies sick at home. He is paralyzed and suffers terribly.” Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”

The captain answered, “I am not worthy to have you under my roof. Just give an order and my boy will be healed. For I myself, a junior officer, give orders to my soldiers. And if I say to one: ‘Go,’ he goes, and if I say to another: ‘Come,’ he comes, and to my servant: ‘Do this,’ he does it.”

When Jesus heard this he was astonished and said to those who were following him, “I tell you, I have not found such faith in Israel. I say to you, many will come from east and west and sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob at the feast in the kingdom of heaven.”

REFLECTION
It’s the beginning of a new journey with Jesus in this new liturgical year. The readings on this first day of Advent are invitations summed up in the responsorial psalm: “Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.” Let us start this new adventure of following the Lord’s words and works with faith and joy! Are we ready to live and die with Christ?

November 29
Tuesday

1st Week of Advent

1st Reading: Is 11:1–10
From the stump of Jesse a shoot will come forth; from his roots a branch will grow and bear fruit.

The Spirit of the Lord will rest upon him—a Spirit of wisdom and understanding, a Spirit of counsel and power, a Spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord.

Not by appearances will he judge, nor by what is said must he decide, but with justice he will judge the poor and with righteousness decide for the meek. Like a rod, his word will strike the oppressor, and the breath of his lips slay the wicked.

Justice will be the girdle of his waist, truth the girdle of his loins. The wolf will dwell with the lamb, the leopard will rest beside the kid, the calf and the lion cub will feed together and a little child will lead them.

Befriending each other, the cow and the bear will see their young ones lie down together. Like cattle, the lion will eat hay. By the cobra’s den the infant will play. The child will put his hand into the viper’s lair. No one will harm or destroy over my holy mountain, for as water fills the sea the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord.

On that day the “Root of Jesse” will be raised as a signal for the nations. The people will come in search of him, thus making his dwelling place glorious.

Ps 72:1–2, 7–8, 12–13, 17
Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace fore ever.

Gospel: Lk 10:21–24
At that time Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit, and said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and made them known to little ones. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. I have been given all things by my Father, so that no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son, and he to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said to them privately, “Fortunate are you to see what you see, for I tell you that many prophets and kings would have liked to see what you see, but did not see it; and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”

REFLECTION
Jesus is the fullness of the revelation of God. The Father has given His Son the gift of His Spirit. “Fortunate are you to see what you see.” As followers of Christ, we are heirs of this tremendous testimony of the apostles. Are we able to give witness to Jesus through our words and works? Let us continue to be witnesses of Christ to others. How can we reveal Christ to others today?

November 30
Wednesday

St. Andrew, Apostle

1st Reading: Rom 10:9–18
Brothers and sisters: You are saved if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and in your heart you believe that God raised him from the dead. By believing from the heart, you obtain true righteousness; by confessing the faith with your lips you are saved. For Scripture says: No one who believes in him will be ashamed. Here there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; all have the same Lord, who is very generous with whoever calls on him. Truly, all who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.

But how can they call upon the name of the Lord without having believed in him? And how can they believe in him without having first heard about him? And how will they hear about him if no one preaches about him? And how will they preach about him if no one sends them? As Scripture says: How beautiful are the feet of the messenger of good news. Although not everyone obeyed the good news, as Isaiah said: Lord, who has believed in our preaching? So, faith comes from preaching, and preaching is rooted in the word of Christ.

I ask: Have the Jews not heard? But of course they have. Because the voice of those preaching resounded all over the earth and their voice was heard to the ends of the world.

Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11
The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.

Gospel: Mt 4:18–22
As Jesus walked by the lake of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. He said to them, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fish for people.”

At once they left their nets and followed him.

He went on from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John in a boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. Jesus called them.

At once they left the boat and their father and followed him.

REFLECTION
“Come follow me.” This is the constant challenge for us this first week of Advent. We are given the example of Andrew, the brother of Peter, who responded immediately by leaving his old business and started a new enterprise with Jesus. Let us join the apostles in following Christ by leaving our old selves in order to live a new life with Him. Are we ready to leave everything to follow Jesus?

December 1
Thursday

1st Week of Advent

1st Reading: Is 26:1–6
On that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city, he himself has set up walls and fortifications to protect us.

Open the gates! Let the righteous nation enter, she who is firm in faithfulness. You keep in perfect peace the one of steadfast mind, the one who trusts in you.

Trust in Yahweh forever, for Yahweh is an everlasting Rock. He brought down those who dwell on high, he laid low the lofty city, he razed it to the ground, leveled it to the dust, Now it is trampled the poor and the lowly tread upon it.

Ps 118:1 and 8–9, 19–21, 25–27a
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Gospel: Mt 7:21, 24–27
Jesus said to his disciples, “Not everyone who says to me: Lord! Lord! will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my heavenly Father.

“So, then, anyone who hears these words of mine and acts accordingly is like a wise man, who built his house on rock. The rain poured, the rivers flooded, and the wind blew and struck that house, but it did not collapse because it was built on rock. But anyone who hears these words of mine and does not act accordingly, is like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain poured, the rivers flooded, and the wind blew and struck that house; it collapsed, and what a terrible fall that was!”

REFLECTION
We are usually judged by the works we do. And oftentimes they are the true testament of our person. The quality of our work leaves a lasting impression. But for Jesus, the glory of his works does not end with him but points to the ultimate source: his Father. Let our lives be a true reflection of the greatness of our maker.

December 2
Friday

1st Week of Advent

1st Reading: Is 29:17–24
Thus says the Lord: In a very short time, Lebanon will become a fruitful field and the fruitful field will be as a forest.

On that day the deaf will hear the words of the book, and out of the dark and obscurity the eyes of the blind will see. The meek will find joy and the poor among men will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

For the tyrant will be no more and the scoffers gone forever, and all who plan to do evil will be cut down – those who by a word make a you guilty, those who for a bribe can lay a snare and send home the just empty-handed.

Therefore Yahweh, Abraham’s redeemer, speaks concerning the people of Jacob: No longer will Jacob be ashamed; no longer will his face grow pale.

When he sees the work of my hands, his children again in his midst, they will sanctify my name, they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and stand in awe of the God of Israel. Those who err in spirit will understand; those who murmur will learn.

Ps 27:1, 4, 13–14
The Lord is my light and my salvation.

Gospel: Mt 9:27–31
As Jesus moved on from Capernaum, two blind men followed him, shouting, “Son of David, help us!” When he was about to enter the house, the blind men caught up with him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do what you want?” They answered, “Yes, sir!”

Then Jesus touched their eyes and said, “As you have believed, so let it be.” And their eyes were opened. Then Jesus gave them a stern warning, “Be careful and let no one know about this.” But as soon as they went away, they spread the news about him through the whole area.

REFLECTION
“Do you believe that I am able to do what you want?” The two blind men believed that’s why they were able to see. Their hearts were already opened before their eyes were. Faith in Christ opens our lives to the exciting possibilities brought about by following Jesus. To believe is to see!

December 3
Saturday

1st Week of Advent

St. Francis Xavier

1st Reading: Is 30:19–21, 23–26
Thus says the Lord: O people of Zion, who dwell in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. When you cry, he will listen; when he hears, he will answer. When the Lord has given you the bread of anguish and the water of distress, he, your teacher will hide no longer. Your own eyes will see him, and your ear will listen to his words behind you: “This is the way, walk in it.”

He will then give rain for the seed you sow and make the harvest abundant from the crops you grow. On that day your cattle will graze in wide pastures. Your beasts of burden will eat silage tossed to them with pitchfork and shovel.

For on the day of the great slaughter, when fortresses fall, streams of water will flow on every mountain and lofty hill.

The light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun seven times greater, like the light of seven days, when Yahweh binds up the wounds of his people and heals the bruises inflicted by his blows.

Ps 147:1–2, 3–4, 5–6
Blessed are all who wait for the Lord.

Gospel: Mt 9:35—10:1, 5a, 6–8
Jesus went around all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom, and he cured every sickness and disease. When he saw the crowds he was moved with pity, for they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the workers are only few. Ask the master of the harvest to send workers to gather his harvest.”

Then he called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority over the unclean spirits to drive them out and to heal every disease and sickness. Jesus sent these twelve on mission with the instruction: “Do not visit pagan territory and do not enter a Samaritan town. Go instead to the lost sheep of the people of Israel. “Go and proclaim this message: The kingdom of heaven is near. Heal the sick, bring the dead back to life, cleanse the lepers, and drive out demons. You received this as a gift, so give it as a gift.”

REFLECTION
What proof do we need to follow Jesus? “Heal the sick, bring the dead back to life, cleanse the lepers and drive out demons.” We can do all these because we have been healed, brought back to life, cleansed and our demons driven away. As beneficiaries of God’s graces, we have to be benefactors of his power to others. Continuing the work of Christ is proof of our following him.