November 29
Sunday
1st Sunday of Advent
1st Reading: Jer 33:14–16
The Lord says, “The days are coming when I shall fulfill the promise that I made in favor of Israel and Judah.
“In those days and at that time I will cause to sprout the shoot of righteousness from David’s line; he will practice justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will experience salvation and Jerusalem will live in safety. He will be called Yahweh-Our-Righteousness.”
2nd Reading: 1 Thes 3:12–4:2
May the Lord increase more and more your love for each other and for all people, as he increases our love for you. May he strengthen you internally to be holy and blameless before God, our Father, on the day that Jesus, our Lord, will come with all his saints.
For the rest, brothers, we ask you in the name of Jesus, the Lord, and we urge you to live in a way that pleases God, just as you have learned from us. This you do, but try to do still more. You know the instructions we gave you on behalf of the Lord Jesus.
Gospel: Lk 21:25–28, 34–36
Jesus said, “Then there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth anguish of perplexed nations when they hear the roaring of the sea and its waves. People will faint with fear at the mere thought of what is to come upon the world, for the forces of the universe will be shaken. And at this time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
“Now, when you see the first events, stand erect and lift up your heads, for your deliverance is drawing near.”
“Be on your guard; let not your hearts be weighed down with a life of pleasure, drunkenness and worldly cares, lest that day catch you suddenly as a trap. For it will come upon all the inhabitants of the whole earth. But watch at all times and pray, that you may be able to escape all that is bound to happen and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Commentary
The prophets of the Old Testament dwelt upon the thought that God is the supreme king and that, by Him alone, all other kings rule. This same thought of God’s ultimate rule over His people is brought into clearer relief, until it culminates in the prophecy of Daniel, to which the thoughts of Christ’s hearers turn, when they hear Him speak of His kingdom. In that vision, the ruling power over all the forces of evil is given to the Son of Man.
In the New Testament, the advent of this kingdom has the one theme: do penance, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. At every stage in Christ’s teaching, the advent of this kingdom, its various aspects, its precise meaning and the way in which it is to be attained, form the staple of His discourses; so much so that His discourse is called “the gospel of the kingdom”. In the mouth of Christ the kingdom is not so much a goal or a place to be attained; it is rather a state of mind; it stands for an influence which must permeate our minds, if we would be one with Christ and aspire to His ideals.
November 30
Monday
1st Week of Advent
St. Andrew, Apostle
1st Reading: Rom 10:9–18
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.
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.
Commentary
Jews do not have priority in righteousness or merit. Nor do gentiles. We are all on the same footing. That is one of the main points of Paul’s letter to the Romans. The Jews do not have priority in how they are saved. They are saved in exactly the way gentiles are. Both are saved by faith in Christ, not in any ethnic or religious distinctions. The Jews don’t have priority in participation in God’s covenant blessings. Gentiles are now full partners in the blessings of salvation. Gentiles are full fellow heirs of all the promises of God.
To the gentiles, Paul says: salvation is of the Jews. You are not saved by your Greek culture, or by any other culture. You are saved by a salvation that comes through the despised Semitic people, called the Jews. We gentiles are saved by becoming spiritual Jews. This should humble us and strip us of any arrogance in any presumed ethnic superiority. It should also vanquish anti-Semitism. The whole point is that God is the one, who has mercy. Ethnicity is not decisive here. We are all sinners. So the gospel is the power of God to everyone who believes in Him!
December 1
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.
Gospel: Lk 10:21–24
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 the 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, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”
Commentary
Although the phrase, the lion shall lie down with the lamb, is one of the more popular quotes from the Bible, it’s really misquoted. In the King James version, it’s the wolf that will dwell with the lamb, and it’s the leopard that will rest beside the kid, while the calf and the lion cub will feed together. But, no matter how we interpret it all, the most remarkable part of this prophecy in Isaiah is the amazing prediction that a little child will lead them!
There has always been a tendency to overlook the significance of the child Jesus, finding its way into commentaries on his ministry and teaching. The centrality of childhood, in understanding and entering Christ’s kingdom, has been overlooked or marginalized. We haven’t seen children as signs of the kingdom. Our Christian brothers and sisters must start to see that the parent-child relationship is at its most pervasive, when it describes God’s love for each and every person. Christ taught us to pray: Our Father! As Christians, we have been born again and have become like children. This process deeply interweaves us into the incarnation: the child Christ is in us and we are in Him!
December 2
Wednesday
1st Week of Advent
1st Reading: Is 25:6–10a
On this mountain Yahweh Sabaoth will prepare for all peoples a feast of rich food and choice wines, meat full of marrow, fine wine strained.
On this mountain he will destroy the pall cast over all peoples, this very shroud spread over all nations, and death will be no more. The Lord Yahweh will wipe away the tears from all cheeks and eyes; he will take away the humiliation of his people all over the world: for Yahweh has spoken.
On that day you will say: This is our God. We have waited for him to save us, let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation. For on this mountain the hand of Yahweh rests.
Moab instead will be trodden down, as straw trodden down on a dunghill.
Gospel: Mt 15:29–37
Jesus went to the shore of Lake Galilee, and then went up into the hills where he sat down. Great crowds came to him, bringing the dumb, the blind, the lame, the crippled, and many with other infirmities. The people carried them to the feet of Jesus, and he healed them. All were astonished when they saw the dumb speaking, the lame walking, the crippled healed and the blind able to see; so they glorified the God of Israel.
Jesus called his disciples and said to them, “I am filled with compassion for these people; they have already followed me for three days and now have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away fasting, or they may faint on the way.” His disciples said to him, “And where shall we find enough bread in this wilderness to feed such a crowd?” Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” They answered, “Seven, and a few small fish.”
So Jesus ordered the people to sit on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves and the small fish and gave thanks to God. He broke them and gave them to his disciples, who distributed them to the people.
They all ate and were satisfied, and the leftover broken pieces filled seven wicker baskets.
Commentary
Whenever we read today’s verse…..This is our God. We have waited for him to save us; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation!…..we receive the power to comfort our heart so much and thrill our soul. There are many things we can run after in our search for pleasure in this world; but the things of this world never truly satisfy. The pleasure is fleeting, the consequences are devastating, and we end up hating what we may have thought we loved. However, the love of God is so much greater than anything the world could ever offer.
God’s mercy is certainly something worth being glad about. God knows our souls in the adversities we go through in life; that makes it worth praising Him. We are never alone or left by ourselves; God is always there. He sees us, considers what we are going through, and truly cares for us. When we call upon Him and then listen for Him with our heart, He answers us and shows us great and mighty things, which we didn’t know, or didn’t realize the value of, before. So yes, let’s be glad and rejoice, because God is working on our behalf!
December 3
Thursday
1st Week of Advent
St. Francis Xavier
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.
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!”
Commentary
Possibly we have watched a child, who is afraid of the water, jump off the side of the pool into the arms of a loving parent. What causes that child to jump? It is trust in the parent. Why does the child trust the parent. The parent has shown, through love, that he or she will not let anything bad happen to the child. We should have that child-like faith in God. It is not a blind, leave-your-brain-at-the-door type of trust or faith. God doesn’t want us to check our brains at the door. He has given us plenty of proof, not only of His existence, but also of the truth of His word.
Do we trust God with the big things, like our eternal home, but not trust Him in the little things, like our jobs and our finances? We must trust God in the little things as well as the big things. Do we believe that God cares enough about us to look after those things as well? God has shown so much of His love for us, that it is only reasonable to trust that He will take care of the little things in our lives.
December 4
Friday
1st Week of Advent
St. John of Damascus
1st Reading: Is 29:17–24
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.
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.
Commentary
We know we’re safe in the arms of God; we just have to believe it. As Christians we often fall prey to senseless fears. We tend to worry and fret over things which we cannot control. We’re very aware that God is with us; yet we have difficulty turning over our fears to Him. For some reason, we find it necessary to cling to the things that Christ says to release; we want to handle them ourselves. We are completely aware that God will handle our fears; still we refuse to believe that He will.
Christ said it plainly: “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” Just believe! It’s easy for us to insist that we trust God completely when, in fact, we fail Him by not fully believing in Him. We know God will care for us, however, we fail to believe what we know. When fear attacks us, whether it be health issues, children or anything else, we should remember what Christ said: “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” We should always keep these words close to our heart: God of all strength and wisdom, help us to believe what we know to be true…..that is you, our loving God!
December 5
Saturday
1st Week of Advent
1st Reading: Is 30:19–21, 23–26
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.
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.”
Commentary
A famine of food is not as great as a famine of the word of God. There are right-handed and left-handed errors, while the devil is busy courting us into by-paths, away from the way to God. But, to all true penitents, sin becomes very distasteful. This is shown in the conversion of souls, by the power of divine grace. The effect of this brings comfort and joy to the people of God. Light, that is, knowledge, shall increase. This is the light which the gospel brought into the world, and which proclaims healing to the broken-hearted.
Obedience is the pathway to God’s blessings upon us. Let’s hope we don’t plug our ears to God and walk down the wrong path, thereby missing His blessings. When we walk in the way of God, we experience the pure joy of being used as an instrument of God and the quiet joy and contentment that settles in on us. We have many lessons to learn. We must always strive to put our egos aside and follow God’s promptings. Words will not explain the ecstasy that will fill our hearts, when we allow God to use us in bringing joy to others.
