Tag Archives: advent

Advent Day 22: Eternity starts small

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TODAY’S READINGS

FROM Micah 5:1 (the full passage is Mi 5:1-4a):

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.

From The Word of the Lord (Year C), page 30

“The language of a ‘ruler’ who ‘comes forth’ from ‘Behlehem-Ephrathah’ is a poetic way of describing an heir to the throne of David, a new king who has the Davidic bloodline. This rules is described in provocative ways that suggest divinity. His origin is miqqedem in Hebrew, which can mean both ‘from the east’ and ‘from antiquity.’ Both are suggestive because the east was associated with the abode of the arrival of God — the temple, for example faced east. Likewise, an ancient origin was a divine attribute — that, God the Father, is called ‘the Ancient of Days’ (Dan 7:22 RSV2CE). This concept of ancient origin is reinforced in the next verse of our Micah passage, translated ‘whose origin is from of old,’ but which literally reads ‘his origin is from days of eternity.’ This language of a Davidic ruler who has ‘eternal’ origins could be just poetic hyperbole, but let us note that, much like Isaiah 9:6. the literal sens of this text of Micah describes a king who is both human and divine.”

FROM Psalms 80:2 (the full passage is Ps 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19):

O shepherd of Israel, hearken,
from your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth.
Rouse your power,
and come to save us.

From The Navarre Bible: The Psalms and the Song of Solomon, page 278

“God, as Shepherd of his people, has his dwelling-place in the temple, above the ark, ‘enthroned upon the cherubim’ (cf. Ex 25:18-22).”

FROM Hebrews 10:10 (the full passage is Heb 10:5-10

[W]e have been consecrated 
through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

From Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture: Hebrews, page 199

“The Greek word for ‘consecrated’ (hagiazō) would be better translated as ‘sanctified’ or ‘made holy,’ since here it connotes not only being ‘set apart’ for God but coming to share in god’s own holiness. The reason Jesus’ sacrifice has power to sanctify is that he offered no mere substitute but himself, his own human life wholly given over in love. His sacrifice therefore transforms human nature from within; it heals the self-will, pride, rebellion, and unbelief that have deeply wounded human nature ever since the fall. Hebrews emphatically declares that this sanctification is already an accomplished fact, ‘once for all.’ Christ’s passion is the fulcrum of human history, the act that has definitively reconciled humanity to God and given access to God’s own holiness, Yet paradoxically, Hebrews will say in verse 14 that we who believe in Christ ‘are being sanctified’; the accomplished fact must be personally appropriated and lived by every believer (see also 12:10, 14).”

FROM Luke 1:42-43 (the full passage is Lk 1:39-45)

“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?”

From Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: The Gospel of Luke, page 20

“Blessed are you: Elizabeth blesses Mary with words once spoken to Jael and Judith in the OT (Judg 5:24–27; Jud 13:18). ● These women were blessed for their heroic faith and courage in warding off enemy armies hostile to Israel. Victory was assured when both Jael and Judith assassinated the opposing military commanders with a mortal blow to the head. Mary will follow in their footsteps, yet in her case both the enemy destroyed and the victory won will be greater, for she will bear the Savior who crushes the head of sin, death, and the devil underfoot (Gen 3:15; 1 Jn 3:8) (CCC 64, 489).
mother of my Lord: This title reveals the twin mysteries of Jesus’ divinity and Mary’s divine maternity (CCC 449, 495). Note that every occurrence of the word Lord in the immediate (1:45) and surrounding context refers to God (1:28, 32, 38, 46, 58, 68). ● Mary’s divine motherhood was the first Marian dogma expounded by the Church. The Ecumenical Council of Ephesus (A.D. 431) defined her unique relationship to Christ and honored her with the title ‘Mother of God’ (Gk. Theotokos). This was reaffirmed in 1964 at Vatican II (Lumen Gentium, 53).”

From Opening the Scriptures: Bringing the Gospel of Luke to Life, page 29

“In the culture in which Mary lived, a woman’s greatness came from the children she bore (see 11:27). Elizabeth, inspired by the Holy Spirit, perceives the greatness of the child whom Mary is carrying and Mary’s resulting greatness.”

From The Word of the Lord (Year C), page 35

“Elizabeth is a wise woman, learned in history and culture of Israel and Judah. Through the Holy Spirit, she recognizes our Mother Mary as the Queen Mother, as the ‘First Lady’ of the kingdom of Israel, and she treats her as such, showing her all deference and veneration. So if we are ever challenged by non-Catholics concerning the biblical nature of the honor we show Mary within the Church, we should point to this passage of Luke as indication that the custom of venerating the Blessed Mother began in her lifetime, in the very pages of Scripture.”

MY TAKE

The same Gospel two days in a row! Boring? No way! We should be glad this is proclaimed to us again and we could stand to hear it every day. The acknowledgement by Elizabeth of the zygote inside Mary as the Lord of the universe, the one God, is a cause for celebration — the Redeemer promised in Gen 3:15 has finally come. And what a powerful pro-life message, to boot. The developing child is now, a few days after conception, the Messiah. Elizabeth knows that what Micah prophesied, that a ruler whose “origin is from days of eternity,” is finally Emmanuel, that is, God with us (see Is 8:8-10). Her son, John, is to be the precursor to the one who has “come to save us” as the Psalmist tells us today. Just imagine the conversations Mary and Elizabeth had the next three months regarding their two special children. Finally, per Hebrews, Jesus came to consecrate us with that same developing body in the Paschal Mystery and continues to consecrate us until today and on till the end of time in the most Blessed Sacrament.

Is there any question why we call this Good News?

BP BARRON SERMON

FR MIKE SCHMITZ HOMILY

God bless!

Advent Day 19: Speechless is not so bad

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TODAY’S GOSPEL (Lk 1:5-25)

From Luke 1:19b-20:

“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.”

From Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture: The Gospel of Luke, page 39

“Gabriel was sent precisely to announce to Zechariah this good news about John. For the first time Luke uses the very euangelizō (‘to announce good news’), which refers throughout Luke-Acts to the preaching of the gospel message (e.g., 4:18; Acts 5:42). The proper response to ‘good news’ is to ‘believe’ (see Acts 8:12). However, Zechariah did not believe and so is punished by becoming temporarily speechless (literally, ‘silent’).”

From Opening the Scriptures: Bringing the Gospel of Luke to Life, page 15-16

“Gabriel has told Zechariah the gospel truth, as it were, but Zechariah would not accept it.
…
“Zechariah did not understand how he and Elizabeth could have a child in their old age, and he limited what he thought God could do to what he could understand. Nevertheless, the things that Gabriel said would happen ‘will be fulfilled at their proper time’ — in God’s timing. God’s word is always fulfilled. Zechariah will be ‘unable to talk until the day these things take place.’ It is not apparent what ‘day’ Gabriel is referring to, since he has not only spoken of Elizabeth bearing a son who is to be named John (verse 13) but of John carrying on a ministry as an adult (verses 15-17). Zechariah must have been left wondering how long his speechlessness would last and what would have to be fulfilled for him to talk again.”

My take

It is hard to blame Zechariah for being incredulous regarding this whole episode. How many times did he enter the sanctuary previously with nothing unusual happening? Now, out of the blue, so to speak, this awesome figure tells him news he wasn’t expecting and that he finds difficult to believe. Maybe he thought he was hallucinating. How long must he and his wife have prayed for a child before giving up due to biology. Their prayers seemed to go unheeded.

We know that Zechariah and Elizabeth “were righteous in the eyes of God, observing all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly” (v. 6), so their faithfulness was finally rewarded. Here is where Zechariah drops the ball. Having conceded that it was not meant for him and his wife to have children, it is no longer on his radar. In the surprise of the presence of the angel, he apparently did not recall episodes in the history of the Chosen People that were comparable, for example, Abraham and Sarah, and, from today’s first reading, Manoah and his barren wife. He pays a price for his doubt, but the end result is glorious.

It occurs to me that it would be wonderful if doubters of God’s Revelation would be struck mute today. Instead of spreading ignorance, criticism, lies, or heresy, they would be taught a lesson for them to consider (silently) and for the rest of the world to see until they came around to the truth. Then, like Zechariah, they would bless God (cf. v. 64) and bring the fear of God to others (cf. v. 65).

May we all be struck dumb instead of speaking ignorantly, falsely, or irreverently about the word of God.

The Angel Appearing to Zacharias (1799–1800) by William Blake

God bless!

Advent Day 7: We’re all to be farmers

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TODAY’S GOSPEL READING (Mt 9:35–10:1, 5a, 6-8)

From Matthew 9:37-38:

[Jesus] said to his disciples,
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.”

From The Navarre Bible: St Matthew, page 101

“Paul VI reminds us: ‘the responsibility for spreading the Gospel that saves belongs to everyone — to all those who have received it! the missionary duty concerns the whole body of the Church; in different ways and to different degrees, it is true, but we must all of us be united in carrying out this duty. Now let the conscience of every believer ask himself: Have I carried out my missionary duty? Prayer for the Missions is the first way of fulfilling this duty’) Angelus Address, 23 October 1977).”

From Opening the Scriptures: Bringing the Gospel of Matthew to Life, page 180:

“This request [v. 38] will be the prayer of the church when Matthew writes his gospel, and it is the prayer of the church today. It is a prayer offered out of compassion for those who are troubled and helpless: laborers are needed to lift their burdens and bring them ‘the gospel of the kingdom’ (verse 35).”

From Fire of Mercy, Heart of the Word (Volume I), page 520:

“Jesus’ movement of mercy in verse 36 and his densely imaged reflection, which in a flash of lightning transforms the landscape before him, are conveyed by the evangelist not as a direct quite of anything said by Jesus, but rather as an unveiling of the interior thoughts of the His Heart. For one precious instant, Matthew makes us privy to the emotive and mental processes of the Son of God. This means that the prayer Jesus teaches his disciples a moment later is a communication to them of his own Heart, mind, and prayer. In teaching them to pray in that way, there is an undertone of high pathos as God turns to man expectantly, seeing if he might convey to him the desires of his own Heart. On seeing and assuming human misery, the Son of God turns to his brother men — to those who he has chosen and who have given him some token of reciprocal affection — in order to share with them the common burden of the Persons of the Trinity. e does not at once inform them of some efficient plan of action to solve the problem before them. Rather, he admonishes them to see as he sees and to run to his and their Father with their pressing desire. In this way, the friends and followers of the Bridegroom are on the point of becoming fellow workers with the Bridegroom…’Disciple’ becomes indistinguishable from ‘worker’.”

My take

Just a month ago we marked National Vocation Awareness Week. It was billed as “an annual week-long celebration of the Catholic Church in the United States dedicated to promoting vocations to the priesthood, diaconate, and consecrated life through prayer and education, and to renew our prayers and support for those who are considering one of these particular vocations.” This is a wonderful thing! No bishops, no priests. No priests, no Mass. No Mass, no Eucharist. So let us continue to fervently pray for our clergy and for those being called by God to be ordained.

But even with a vocations boom, the number of clergy would be minuscule in relation to the general population. This is where we, the laity, come in. By virtue of our Baptism, we are called to be harvesters — wherever the Lord has placed us. The vast majority of us are the laborers in fields like: the office, the school, the construction site, the homestead, the club, and the public square. If we truly interiorize the Good News of Jesus, becoming possessed by the Holy Spirit, even if we are resistant to expressing this outwardly, we would be like Jeremiah (20:9 — read vv. 7-18 for inspiration from his struggle and ours):

I say I will not mention him,
I will no longer speak in his name.
But then it is as if fire is burning in my heart,
imprisoned in my bones;
I grow weary holding back,
I cannot!

And like the disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:32):

Then they said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning [within us] while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?”

Jesus, the Word of God, known to us by the Scriptures the Church has given to us, should light a fire (cf. Acts 2:3) within us.

How can I repay the LORD
for all the great good done for me? (Psalms 116:12)

How about fulfilling His desire to be a farmer? Let us pray incessantly for others (and ourselves) with Ezekiel (36:26):

I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

ADVENT RESOURCES

ADVENT/CHRISTMAS READING

The Harvesters (1565) by Pieter Bruegel the Elder

God bless!

Advent Day 5: Challenging Jesus

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TODAY’S GOSPEL READING (Mt 7:21, 24-27)

From Matthew 7:21:

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.”

From The Navarre Bible: St Matthew, page 84:

“To be genuine, prayer must be accompanied by a persevering effort to do God’s will. Similarly, in order to do his will it is not enough to speak about the things of God: there must be a consistency between what one preaches — what one says — and what one does: ‘The kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power’ (1 Cor 4:20); ‘Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves’ (Jas 1:22).
…
“To enter the Kingdom of heaven, to be holy, it is not enough, then, to speak eloquently about holiness. One has to practise what one preaches, to produce fruit which accords with one’s words. Fray Luis de León puts it very graphically: ‘Notice that to be a good Christian it is not enough just to pray and fast and hear Mass: God must find you faithful, like another Job or Abraham, in times of tribulation’ (Guide for Sinners, book 1, part 2, chap. 21).”

From Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture: The Gospel of Matthew, page 121:

“The point is that religious confession is no substitute for a personal relationship with Jesus and the obligation to obey his Father’s will. If our creed and our conduct are out of alignment, then our profession of Jesus as Lord is not a true submission to his lordship.”

My take

Particularly, as a teacher, this passage and the associated commentary really hit home for me. Day in and day out, I endeavor to faithfully and clearly expound on the truths of Catholicism. But it requires frequent prayer, penance, reflection, spiritual reading, and of course recourse to the Sacraments, to even come close to practicing what I teach and preach — and not without a struggle and frequent stumbles. I especially appreciated the nod in Navarre to the letter of James, my favorite New Testament epistle due to its practicality. James, again:

So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead. (Jas 2:17)

A message I find plenty of opportunities to convey to my students is that with the Catholic Faith there is no “easy-believism.” Saying, “I believe in Jesus,” and thinking that is enough to be saved, is poppycock. Jesus did not spend years teaching for nothing. He speaks of hell often, letting us know how one can find himself there, and what it takes to avoid it. The message of our Lord is not for lightweights; it is a challenge that we face daily. Only with the grace of God can we overcome the lure of sin and gain perseverance during trials so as to maintain a right relationship with the Lord.

Are you ready to meet the Lord should He come calling today? Am I?

ADVENT RESOURCES

ADVENT/CHRISTMAS READING

Christ Enthroned (1505) by Giovanni Battista Cima da Conegliano

God bless!

Advent Day 4: Our Lord and Savior

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TODAY’S FIRST READING (Is 25:6-10a)

From Isaiah 25:9:

“Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us!
This is the LORD for whom we looked;
let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!”

From The Navarre Bible: Major Prophets, page 128:

“[T]he Lord…is faithful; those who put their hope of salvation in him will never be disappointed…”

My take

Hear this sentiment from Isaiah echoed by Jesus in the last Beatitude in the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5:12):

Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you [falsely] because of me.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

And I was surprised to find another connection to this phrase in Peter’s first letter (4:12-13 RSV):

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which comes upon you to prove you, as though something strange were happening to you.
But rejoice in so far as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.

Note the common thread. The Lord has saved us, but only if we cooperate with the graces that come from the gift of redemption Jesus has won for all humankind. How do we do live this cooperation? Well, whatever happens during our time on earth, particularly when we are insulted and persecuted for living our Christian beliefs, and whatever share of Christ’s sufferings comes our way (check out Col 1:24), we are to rejoice and be glad in our brief sojourn here knowing that we will rejoice and be glad in the eternal bliss of heaven.

ADVENT RESOURCES

ADVENT/CHRISTMAS READING

Christ Rescuing Peter from Drowning (c. 1370) by Lorenzo Veneziano

God bless!

Advent Day 2: Jesus is amazing and amazed

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TODAY’S GOSPEL READING

For today, I’m going to fall back to a couple of my favorite posts regarding the encounter between Jesus and the centurion. One of my absolute favorite Gospel events and immortalized by Ernest Borgnine in the classic movie Jesus of Nazareth.

Advent Day 2: Amazing Amazing Jesus

As a bonus, check out this fine article on this biblical episode.

ADVENT RESOURCES (in case you missed yesterday; and I added one as a bonus)

ADVENT/CHRISTMAS READING (in case you missed yesterday)

Christ and the Centurion

Christ and the Centurion (ca. 1575) by Veronese and Workshop

God bless!

Advent Day 1: A true Friend

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IT’S GOOD TO BE BACK!

Happy Advent! I faithfully posted all through Advent and the Christmas Season last year and hope to do so again this year. Let us pray for each other. Happy preparation!

TODAY’S READINGS

As I did during last Advent and Lent, for these upcoming posts, I plan to use Catholic commentaries and other resources generously to bring light to each day’s readings. I’m particularly excited about the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: Old and New Testament that finally came out last month as one complete work. Save your pennies and get this! There is nothing else like it. Because this Bible was released in parts over the last twenty years or so, I had previously worked through the entire New Testament and all the books of the Old Testament that were released, but now I have the rest. I will be using comments from this work exclusively in today’s post.

+The first reading is from Jer 33:14-16.

I will raise up for David a just shoot;
he shall do what is right and just in the land. (v. 15)

“a righteous Branch: The Davidic Messiah, whom God will raise up after the collapse of the Davidic monarchy. justice and righteousness: required of the kings of Israel and Judah as earthly representatives of God and his rule.” (1319)

Branch: “The image of the Messiah as a sprouting ‘branch’ is likely indebted to Isaiah 11:1, where the stump of David’s royal house shows signs of life — a ‘branch’ (Heb., nēṣer) that rises up as a king anointed with God’s Spirit (Is 11:2) and sought by the nations (Is 11:10).” (1303)

The friendship of the LORD is with those who fear him,
and his covenant, for their instruction. (v. 14)

+The Responsorial Psalm is from Ps 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14.

“friendship: The Hebrew term indicates a ‘private conversation’ or ‘counsel’ such as one would have with a close confidant. Reverential fear is essential to any relationship with the Lord and is thus a first step toward wisdom (111:10; Ex 20:20; Prov 1:7).” (851)

+The second reading is from 1 Thes 3:12—4:2.

May the Lord make you increase and abound in love
for one another and for all,
…
so as to strengthen your hearts,
to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father
at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones. Amen. (3:12-13)

“holiness: Moral and spiritual sanctity. See note on 1 Thess 4:3. the coming: The third mention of Christ’s return so far in the letter (1:10; 2:19). See note on 1 Thess 2:19. all his saints: Or, “all his holy ones”. This could refer to the blessed angels or the victorious saints or both. Most likely, Paul is saying that Christ will descend from heaven with an army of holy angels. This is the picture drawn by Jesus (Mk 8:38), by the OT (Zech 14:5), and by Paul himself in his follow-up letter (2 Thess 1:7).” (2116)

+The Gospel reading is from Lk 21:25-28, 34-36.

Be vigilant at all times
and pray that you have the strength
to escape the tribulations that are imminent
and to stand before the Son of Man. (v. 36)

“to stand: i.e., to withstand temptation and face the divine Judge with confidence (Eph 6:13; 1 Jn 2:28).” (1873)

|||My wrap

To tie all this together: The shoot that was awaited for by Israel (and the world, whether everyone knew it or not) was Jesus, the Christ/Messiah/Anointed One. He came to restore friendship with the Godhead. And He did so by first becoming not just one of us, but our friend. Jesus Himself said:

No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command you.
I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father. (Jn 15:13-15)

But note the caveat! If you do what I command you. As I highlighted in today’s Responsorial Psalm, friendship with the Lord entails a reverential fear. The instruction we are given by God, the command we are given by Jesus, are not suggestions. To have a right relationship with God, to have an authentic belief in Jesus, we must follow His teaching. This requires complete and uninhibited trust. If we can say we trust our spouse and/or best friend on earth, how much more must we place our entire lives in the hands of the One who created us, redeemed us, and sanctified us? Then we can, by begging for and cooperating with God’s grace, increase and abound in love for one another and for all — no easy task for us fallen humans. But to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father when He comes, whether during our lifetime or when we are face to face with Jesus at the end of it (we know neither the day nor the hour — Mt 25:13), requires being vigilant at all times so we can stand before the Son of Man in confident hope of eternal life.

BP BARRON’S SUNDAY SERMON

Always worth a listen, as I do each week. Today:Three Dimensions of Advent (and check out this article with the same theme).

THE WORD OF THE LORD

Worth every penny and more: https://stpaulcenter.com/the-word-of-the-lord/

A great way to take a deep dive into the Sunday readings every week — I try to never miss it. And the companion books are a treasure that will stay on my shelf (I’ve already worked through Year A, Year B, and Solemnities and Feasts and began the final volume, Year C today — outstanding!). What a blessing!

Also check out Breaking the Bread: A Biblical Devotional for Catholics (Year C) from Scott Hahn and Ken Ogorek, which I started today. Another great resource from two great educators!

ADVENT RESOURCES

ADVENT/CHRISTMAS READING

God bless!

Lent Day 35: Joseph the Just

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TODAY’S READINGS

Today’s Gospel reading (Mt 1:16, 18-21, 24a) gives us the story of Joseph discovering Mary’s pregnancy. Joseph’s initial reaction:

Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly. (v. 19)

“just: Or, “righteous”. Joseph is a man of sterling moral character, committed to living by the Mosaic Law (Deut 6:25; Lk 1:6).
“put her to shame: The Greek verb does not necessarily have a negative connotation. It simply means “to expose” or “to exhibit”.
“send her away: Catholic tradition proposes three main interpretations to explain why Joseph resolved to end his betrothal with Mary:
“(1) The Suspicion Theory. Some hold that Joseph suspected Mary of adultery when he discovered her pregnancy. Joseph thus intended to pursue a divorce in accord with Deut 24:1–4 until the angel revealed to him the miraculous cause of the conception (1:20). Joseph is said to be righteous because he shuns immorality and directs his life by the Law of God. Proponents of this view include St. Justin Martyr,St. John Chrysostom, and St. Augustine.
“(2) The Perplexity Theory. Others hold that Joseph found the situation of Mary’s pregnancy inexplicable. Divorce seemed to be his only option, and yet he wished to do this quietly, for he could not bring himself to believe that Mary had been unfaithful. Joseph is said to be righteous because he lives by the Law of God and judges Mary’s situation with the utmost charity. The main proponent of this view is St. Jerome, whose exegesis was adopted into the notes of the medieval Bible.
“(3) The Reverence Theory. Still others hold that Joseph knew the miraculous cause of Mary’s pregnancy from the beginning, i.e., he was made aware that the child was conceived “of the Holy Spirit” (1:18). Faced with this, Joseph considered himself unworthy to be involved in the Lord’s work, and his decision to separate quietly from Mary was a discretionary measure to keep secret the mystery within her. On this reading, the angel confirms what Joseph had already known and urges him to set aside pious fears that would lead him away from his vocation to be the legal father of the Messiah (1:20). Joseph is said to be righteous because of his deep humility and reverence for the miraculous works of God. Proponents of this view include St. Bernard of Clairvaux and St. Thomas Aquinas.” (The Gospel of Matthew [Ignatius Catholic Study Bible], 18)

It seems to be commonly held that Joseph was suspicious of Mary, or at least confused, but rarely does one hear about the reverence theory. Thus, I wanted to lay out above a concise but clear explanation of each approach. The more I hear about and consider the last one, the more convinced I am that this is the case. Joseph must have known Mary’s character intimately, so ther seems to be no way he could have even conceived of her sinning. Perplexity makes more sense, especially as it is approached by Jerome, but here I suspect Joseph would have had a deeper insight, especially if, as tradition holds, he never committed a personal sin.

Joseph is a great saint. Let us honor him in a special way today for his faithfulness to Mary and her Child. Let us ask his intercession, so that we may we approach that same faithfulness to the Lord and His mother.

MY FAVORITE ST. JOSEPH BOOK

Combines fascinating insights into the man with a beautiful 33-day consecration to him. Check out the website for more info. Pick it up soon so you can start the consecration!

PRAYER FOR A HAPPY DEATH

Who better to pray to for a happy death than Joseph who died with Jesus and Mary assisting him on his final earthly journey? I pray to him often for this cause. Find several prayers here.

ZAGREB, CROATIA – DECEMBER 28: Holy Family, stained glass window in the Parish Church of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary in Zagreb, Croatia on December 28, 2015.

God bless.

Advent Day 22: Son of David, Son of Mary, Son of God

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TODAY’S READINGS

The first reading is from 2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16. The establishment of the Davidic covenant, the last covenant of the Old Testament. We are given this today in a particular way to show how it is fulfilled in the New Testament. Let us explore this prophecy.

I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins,
and I will make his kingdom firm.
I will be a father to him,
and he shall be a son to me.
Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me;
your throne shall stand firm forever. (vv. 12b, 14a, 16)

“The pledges made to David are provisionally realized in Solomon during the golden age of the united monarchy and, to a lesser extent, in the centuries that the Davidic dynasty ruled in Jerusalem. But definitive fulfillment awaits the coming of Jesus Christ. He is the Messiah grafted into David’s dynastic line (Mt 1:1-16) and the one chosen by God to sit on David’s throne ‘for ever’ (Lk 1:32-33). Like David, Jesus is anointed by the Spirit (1 Sam 16;13; Acts 10:38), and, like Solomon, he offers the wisdom of God to the world (1 Kings 10:1-10; Mt 12:42). The temple he builds is not a stone-and-cedar sanctuary in Jerusalem, but his body, the Church of living believers indwelt by the Spirit (Mt 16;18; Eph 2:19-22; 1 Pet 2:4-5). In the Resurrection, Jesus’ humanity attains the royal adoption promised to David’s offspring (Acts 13;33-34; Rom 1:3-4), and, at his Ascension, he commences his everlasting reign (Lk 1;33) as David’s messianic Lord (Mk 12:335-37). Even now, he holds the key to the kingdom of David (Rev 3:7) and bears the distinction of being ‘King of Israel’ (Jn 1:49) as well as ‘he who rises to rule the Gentiles’ (Rom 15:12). According to the very first Christian sermon, all of this is the fulfillment of Yahweh’s oath to David (Acts 2:29-35).” (The First and Second Books of Samuel [Ignatius Catholic Study Bible], 80)

This should make us appreciate in a special way those times when Jesus is called “Son of David” in the Gospels, considering all that’s implied in that title. For an interesting Bible study, read the passages and context around those times the Lord is addressed in this way (here — note that Jesus is addressed this way only six different times with Matthew giving us all six [Mark and Luke repeat one of the stories, the blind beggar, in Matthew). Exquisite fruit for contemplation.

The Responsorial Psalm is Ps 89:2-3, 4-5, 27, 29. We should be reminded of Mary’s Magnificat. Mary knew her Scriptures — I suspect, being a uniquely bright and holy child, that she was literate, although this is not necessary for her to have this depth of knowledge and interiority of the Bible.

Forever will I confirm your posterity
and establish your throne for all generations. (v. 4)

Jesus is Son of David and Son of Mary and Son of God. Wow.

The second reading is from Rom 16:25-27. Let us key in on the phrase “obedience of faith.”

…according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ,
according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret for long ages…
made known to all nations to bring about the obedience of faith… (vv. 25a, 26)

“the obedience of faith: Probably means ‘the obedience that is faith’ or ‘the obedience that springs from faith’. The expression stands like two bookends at the beginning and end of Romans (16:26). It holds the epistle together around the central theme of faith, which is the act of trusting in God and entrusting oneself to God. Faith inspires love (Gal 5:6) and is the indispensable basis for a living relationship with Christ (Rom 1:17; Heb 11:6) (CCC 143, 1814). (The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: The New Testament (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2010), 257.

The gift of faith comes to us with the other theological virtues (hope and love/charity) in Baptism and remains with us as long as we avoid mortal sin (thank the Lord for Confession!). It is a free gift, but it isn’t cheap. A simple statement of belief not followed by a life striving for holiness is certainly the devil’s deceit.

The Gospel gives us the Annunciation (Lk 1:26-38). So much can be said about the seemingly infinite number of aspects of this encounter, but let’s focus on the first words of the angel:

Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you. (v. 28)

Hail: Or ‘Rejoice!’ It crowns the theme of joy and gladness that punctuates Luke’s Infancy Narrative (1:14, 44, 47, 58; 2:10, 20). ● The call to rejoice echoes OT passages that address Daughter Zion. In the prophets this refers to Mother Jerusalem, whose faithful children will rejoice in the messianic age because God has chosen to dwell in their midst (Joel 2:23–24; Zeph 3:14–17; Zech 9:9). Mary, chosen to be the virgin mother of the Messiah, is greeted with the same summons because she is the embodiment of faithful Israel and the most privileged recipient of Yahweh’s messianic blessings. full of grace: This is the only biblical instance where an angel addresses someone by a title instead of a personal name. Two considerations help to clarify its meaning. (1) The expression full of grace is rooted in Catholic tradition and traced to St. Jerome’s translation of this verse in the Latin Vulgate. Although fundamentally accurate, it lacks some of the depth of the Greek original. Luke could have described her with the words full of grace (Gk. plērēs charitos) as he did of Stephen in Acts 6:8, yet here he uses a different expression (Gk. kecharitōmenē) that is even more revealing than the traditional rendering. It indicates that God has already ‘graced’ Mary previous to this point, making her a vessel who ‘has been’ and ‘is now’ filled with divine life. (2) Alternative translations like ‘favored one’ or ‘highly favored’ are possible but inadequate. Because of the unparalleled role that Mary accepts at this turning point in salvation history, the best translation is the most exalted one. For God endowed Mary with an abundance of grace to prepare her for the vocation of divine motherhood and to make her a sterling example of Christian holiness (CCC 490–93, 722). ● Gabriel’s declaration points in the direction of Mary’s Immaculate Conception. According to Pope Pius IX’s 1854 definition Ineffabilis Deus, Luke’s Annunciation narrative is an important indicator of Mary’s lifelong holiness. God is her ‘Savior’ (1:47) in the most perfect way possible: he sanctified Mary in the first instance of her conception and preserved her entirely from sin and even from the inclination toward sin that we experience. (The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: The New Testament [San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2010], 105.)

Faithful Catholics have said the Hail Mary many, many times. How often do we contemplate these first words of the prayer (by the way, the Hail Mary is a biblical prayer!)? Put yourself in Mary’s sandals. This awesome creature surprises you with such a greeting. “Rejoice”! He calls me “full of grace”! What is about to happen? Might I have the inkling, the hope, that the long awaited Messiah is about to come? How will it happen? Will I be involved?

BP BARRON’S SUNDAY SERMON

Focusing on Nathan and David.

SANTA CLAUS

A nice article about Santa Claus and keeping children’s dreams alive: Santa Claus, St. Nicholas, Myths, Fairy Tales and ‘Lies.’

ADVENT ENDS

Today we end the shortest Advent possible. Yes, we must go to Mass again this evening or tomorrow. This shouldn’t be a burden but a joy and a blessing. Honoring the Lord’s first coming and then having him come to us in Holy Communion — who could possibly want to miss it!

God bless.

David and Nathan (1672) by Matthias Scheits

Advent Day 21: What’s in a name?

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TODAY’S READINGS

The Gospel reading is from Lk 1:57-66, again picking up where we left off from the previous day. Here, Elizabeth names her newborn son to those gathered round.

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.” (vv. 59-61)

“[C]ircumcision of Jewish males incorporated them into God’s covenant with his people (Gen 18:9-14; it was ‘the mark of the covenant’ (Gen 17:11). Circumcision was done on the eighth day after birth (Gen 17:12; Lev 12:3). Elizabeth and Zechariah observe all God’s commandments (1:6); their son is circumcised on the proper day. Neighbors and relatives (verse 58) came to celebrate the circumcision…

“The Hebrew name that comes into English as John means ‘God has shown favor’ (using God’s personal name — Yahweh); it was not an unusual name in priestly families (1 Macc 2:1-2). Luke does not explaining the meaning of John’s name, but it is highly appropriate: God has shown favor to Elizabeth and Zechariah and would show favor to his people through their son (see 1:16-17)…

“If a son was not named after his father, it was customary to name him after one of his other relatives. But no one in the families of Elizabeth and Zechariah is named John. Breaking with customary practice in naming John is a sign that he is someone out of the ordinary. His significance will not lie in his family heritage but in who he is an what he will do.” (Bringing the Gospel of Luke to Life, 38-39)

I’ve long wondered why it was so astonishing to those visiting John’s parents that the little boy was not named after his father. I an unaware of any instance in the Bible where a Jewish parent and child had the same name (Abraham Jr., anyone) or even that of a relative (at least mentioned)? I did a bit of research: some speculate that it was because John had a special mission (as mentioned above); others that it was a specifically Levite custom at the time, or still others that Luke got some bad info (which doesn’t square with my understanding of biblical inerrancy). If anyone has come across anything more definitive or explanatory, please let me know in the comments.

Also, check out the article, What’s Your Name?, that gives important scriptural insights and practical application to this Gospel story. Maybe it will inspire you to look up the etymology of your own name (here’s mine).

CATHOLIC COMMENTARY ON SACRED: SCRIPTURE: OLD TESTAMENT!

I had been checking in from time to time on the Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture website to find out if, after having published volumes covering the entire New Testament, the Old Testament would be tackled. Well, to my surprise, a suggestion came up yesterday on Amazon about a new commentary on Wisdom from this series (already in my cart)! I checked the site again, but no news there. So I contacted one of the General Editors, Dr. Mary Healy, who tells me, “Yes, we’ve started work on the OT, and Wisdom and Ezekiel will be coming out in 2024! Next will be Sirach and Isaiah, and roughly two volumes every year.”

This is a phenomenal series. I have the entire NT set, and have worked through many of the volumes, even using one to lead a Bible study. Scholarly, but accessible, these are meant for interested and engaged Catholics of all stripes. If you have not seen these yet, I encourage you to pick up at least one (maybe the one that covers your favorite Gospel or epistle) and read it.

CHRISTMAS…HISTORICALLY

Finally, I listened today to one of my more recently adopted favorite podcasters, Catholic Answers apologist Jimmy Akin, who explores what we know, or can reasonably speculate, about the first Christmas. I can assure you, without question, that you will learn something new. For example, there is a decent reason to believe the first Christmas happened on September 11, 3 B.C. — and you’ll be entirely surprised the scriptural warrant for this. Learn this and a lot more in the podcast. And check out the many subjects Jimmy covers in his Mysterious World.

God bless.

The Birth and Naming of Saint John the Baptist (1450-1460) by Sano di Pietro