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Advent Day 24: The Davidic Covenant

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TODAY’S FIRST READING (2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16)

FROM 2 Samuel 11b-12, 14a, 16:

“‘The LORD also reveals to you
that he will establish a house for you.
And when your time comes and you rest with your ancestors,
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.'”

From Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: Old and New Testament, page 474

The Davidic Covenant

The Davidic covenant is the latest and greatest of the Old Testament covenants. Following the steady buildup of covenants between God and his people over the centuries, beginning with Adam and continuing with Noah, Abraham, and Moses, the divine covenant with David brings the biblical story to a theological highpoint. Each of these ancient covenants helps to prepare the way for messianic times, but Jewish and ­Christian traditions agree that hopes for a coming Messiah are anchored most explicitly in the Lord’s covenant with David.

Nathan’s Oracle

The foundation of the Davidic covenant is Nathan’s oracle in 2 Sam 7.8-16, which responds to David intention to build a sanctuary for Yahweh. Nathan reveals that the king’s desire, although noble, is not part of God’s plan for his life. Instead, something more wonderful is envisioned. What David wants to do for the Lord hardly compares to what the Lord wants to do for David. This divine plan can be summarized under four headings.

1. Dynasty. Yahweh first pledges to build David a “house” (2 Sam 7:11). By this he means a dynasty, a hereditary line of royal successors, so that his kingdom and his throne will be “established for ever” (2 Sam 7:16). The house of David may have to be disciplined as times and circumstances demand, but the house of David will never be fully disowned like the house of Saul was when the Lord abandoned it on account of Saul’s failings (2 Sam 7:14-15). David’s dynasty will exercise an everlasting rule that is guaranteed by God.

2. Temple. Yahweh’s second pledge responds directly to David’s desire to build a Temple (2 Sam 7:2). The king wishes to begin construction on a worthy sanctuary, but, according to Nathan, the privilege a building a “house” for the Lord will fall to David’s royal “offspring” (2 Sam 7:12-13). This is an allusion to David’s son and successor, King Solomon, who pulls together a massive workforce to construct the Jerusalem Temple after his father’s death (1 Kings 6-8). The Temple thus serves as an architectural sign of the Davidic covenant.

3. Adoption. Yahweh’s third pledge is to create a father-son relationship between himself and David’s royal offspring (2 Sam 7:14). It is a promise that the kings of David’s line will be made sons of God by divine adoption. In this way, the covenant of kingship creates an especially close relationship between Yahweh and the anointed successors of David. It is implied in Ps 2:7 that the royal adoption of each king take place on the day of his coronation.

4. Law for Mankind. In response to the oracle, David senses that God, in pledging himself to these grandiose commitments, is initializing a plan to extend his blessings to the human race beyond Israel. What the Lord has revealed to him is nothing less than torat ha-adam, “the law of mankind” (see note on 2 Sam 7:19). The Law of Moses was a gift for Israel alone; but the covenant arrangement promised to David is a gift for Israel and other nations alike. This becomes visible in the days of Solomon, who recruits Gentiles from Phoenicia to assist with building the Temple (1 Kings 5:6, 18), who implores Yahweh to answer the prayers of the Gentiles who direct their pleas toward his Temple (1 Kings 8:41-43), and who instructs inquiring Gentiles from many nations in the fundamentals of godly “wisdom” (1 Kings 4:3- 10:1-10, 24).

Nathan’s oracle is worded as a divine promise, but its terms are guaranteed by divine oath. Whether a formal pledge is made on this occasion or afterward makes little difference. It is clear from other texts that Yahweh makes his commitments to David into a covenant (2 Sam 23:5; Sir 45:25; 47:11) by swearing an oath to David (Ps 89:3-4, 35-37; 132:11-12). And since God alone swears the oath, he alone assumes responsibility for its fulfillment. The Davidic covenant of kingship is an unconditional “grant”, meaning that Yahweh takes upon himself the unilateral obligation to make good on his pledges, regardless of whether or not David’s future line of successors proves worthy of this honor.

New Testament Fulfillment

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 13:33-3 Rom 1:3-4), and, at his Ascension, he commences his everlasting reign (Lk 1 :33) as David’s messianic Lord (Mk 12:35-37). 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).

My take

There is a lot wrapped up in the Davidic covenant, as explicated in the excerpt above from the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, is there not? It took about one thousand years for this solemn agreement to find its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ. This is why we should pay particular attention to those incidents in the Gospels when Jesus is called Son of David. The persons saying this are not simply calling the Lord by any title — there is a whole depth of meaning behind it. Another word study, this time of “Son of David”:

The term is used eight times in the Old Testament, seven times referring to David’s biological son, Solomon, the other time to David’s son Jerimoth. For Solomon’s story (consider how he is a type [check out here and here] of Jesus — and how he’s not) see 1 Kgs 1-11 and 2 Chr 1-9.

The term is used sixteen times in the New Testament in eight different episodes or contexts, one of those being genealogies, one time referring to Joseph, Jesus’ foster father, one time used by Jesus in referring to David, and the other five times being addressed to Jesus. Note carefully (and use a good commentary), those contexts, especially the last five.

A last note, this on the Gospel reading (Lk 1:67-79). It seems to me that one major takeaway from Zechariah’s exuberant prayer is the value of silence. Zechariah had a lot of time to think, not knowing when — or if — he would ever get his voice back. Silent contemplation, without distraction, can yield great results. Let us take a lesson from this episode by spending much more time listening to the Lord and his mother (I imagine Zechariah heard Mary’s Magnificat and sat by while his wife Elizabeth and Mary were chatting in those three months leading up to the birth of his son) and much less time in idle conversation (yikes!). The results just might be amazing.

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
for he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty Savior,
born of the house of his servant David. (Lk 1:68-69)

AI generated — I could not find an image with all three figures that wasn’t licensable.

God bless!

Advent Day 23: No greater man

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TODAY’S GOSPEL (Lk 1:57-66)

From Luke 1:66b:

“What, then, will this child be?
For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.”

From Opening the Scriptures: Bringing the Gospel of Luke to Life, page 41

“Luke concludes his account of the birth and naming of John with his own comment: “For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.” The Old Testament uses the expression “hand of the Lord” to convey the power of God (Joshua 4:24; see Exod 7:4; 13:3; 15:6); the hand of the Lord being with or upon someone means that he is empowered and guided by God (1 Kings 18:46; 1 Chron 28:19; Ezra 7:28; Ezek 1:3; 3:14, 22)/ Surely someone born to a previously barren woman in fulfillment of an angel’s words has been sent by God to carry out a special work, and surely God will empower and guide him to accomplish his mission/ By adding that final comment, Luke invites his readers to join those pondering what this child will be and to share their sense of anticipation.”

My take

“Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” (Mt 11:11)

We think much of and revere deeply the greatest woman to be born of woman, the Blessed Virgin Mary, but how much do we consider the greatest man born of woman, as declared by Jesus Himself!, John the Baptist? Fittingly, he is the only person in Heaven, aside from Jesus and His mother, whom we honor by celebrating his earthly birth on the liturgical calendar (June 24, appropriately, six months before Christmas).

This man was repeatedly asked if he was the Messiah. How powerful must his preaching have been? Herod wondered if Jesus might be John reincarnated. What sort of impact must John have had on all of Judea? People flocked to him from miles around, confessing their sins and seeking a baptism of repentance. How much weight must his words have carried with the general population? The wife of Herod wanted John shut up for good. What weight must his words have carried with the commonfolk?

My suggestion is to read everything in Scripture about John the Baptist in one sitting (it won’t take very long). I have listed and linked below, all Gospel passages pertaining to John:

  • Lk 1:5-25 (annunciation and conception of John)
  • Lk 3:1-22 (John’s public ministry, his future arrest by Herod, Jesus’ baptism)
  • Mt 3:1-16 (John introduced and the baptism of Jesus)
  • Mk 1:2-11 (John introduced and the baptism of Jesus)
  • Jn 1:6-8, 15 (from the Prologue)
  • Jn 1:19-37, 40 (John’s public ministry, his prophesying about Jesus and the retelling of the Spirit coming upon Jesus, his encouraging his disciples to follow Jesus)
  • Lk 7:18–23 (John sends disciples to Jesus to ask if He is the Messiah)
  • Jn 3:23-30, 4:1-2 (John baptizing and commenting on Jesus baptizing; Jesus’ disciples baptizing)
  • Jn 5:31-36 (Jesus extolling John as a precursor to Him)
  • Lk 7:24-35 (Jesus extolling John to the crowds)
  • Mk 1:14-15 (indicates John’s arrest)
  • Mk 3:18-22 (John’s disciples; on fasting)
  • Mk 6:14-29 (Herod’s suspicions about Jesus; the recounting of John’s imprisonment and death)
  • Lk 9:7-9: (Herod’s suspicions about Jesus and his speaking of John’s death)
  • Mk 8:27-30 (speculation that Jesus is John)
  • Lk 9:18-22 (speculation that Jesus is John)
  • Jn 10:40-41 (the crowds compare Jesus and John)
  • Lk 11:1 (Jesus asked to teach His disciples how to pray as John taught them)
  • Mk 11:27-33 (Jesus’ authority questioned and He invokes John)
  • Lk 16:1 (John invoked by Jesus as the last prophet)
  • Lk 20:1-8 (Jesus’ authority questioned and He invokes John

John’s baptism is also referred to in Acts 1, 10, 11, 13, 18, 19.

John the Baptist, pray for us, that we may join you in the kingdom, even as the “least.”

The Birth of St. John the Baptist (1370 – 1371 probably) by Don Silvestro dei Gherarducci

God bless!

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 21: The ‘ark’ of (salvation) history

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TODAY’S GOSPEL (Lk 1:39-45)

From Luke 1:41:

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit…

From Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture: The Gospel of Luke, page 48

“Mary’s greeting provokes a reaction as Gabriel’s greeting did before (1:29). The infant John leaped in his mother’s womb, and Elizabeth herself was filled with the holy Spirit. the angel’s words to Zechariah are being fulfilled , as the child is ‘filled with the holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb’ (1:15). the verb ‘leap’ is used in the Septuagint to describe how Esau and Jacob leaped or ‘jostled each other’ in he womb of Rebekah, another once-barren woman (Gen 25:22). She was told that ‘the older will serve the younger’ (Gen 25:22). She was told that ‘the older will serve the younger’ (Gen 25:23), which is the case here as well, as the older John already signal;s his role as precursor of the younger Jesus.”

From Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: The Gospel of Luke, page 21

Mary, Ark of the Covenant

“Luke’s Gospel tells us more about the Mother of Jesus than any other book in the New Testament. Most of this information is packed within his first two chapters, where Luke strings together some of the most beautiful traditions we have about her life and mission. The deeper we delve into Luke’s narrative, the more we appreciate the way in which Luke tells us the story of Mary. One example of this is found in the story of the Visitation. On one level, it tells of a joyous encounter between two expectant mothers; on another, it recalls memorable stories told in the Old Testament about the Ark of the Covenant. By alluding to these ancient traditions, Luke expands the vision of the careful reader considerably. For he leads us to see Mary as the Ark of God’s New Covenant and implies that the sacred Ark of the Old Covenant merely prefigured a more wonderful Ark to come: the Mother of the divine Messiah.
“One tradition that Luke draws upon is from 2 Samuel. He intentionally sets up the subtle but significant parallels between Mary’s Visitation with Elizabeth and David’s effort to bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem narrated in 2 Sam 6. When Luke tells us that Mary “arose and went” into the Judean hill country to visit her kinswoman (Lk 1:39), he reminds us of how David ‘arose and went’ into the same region centuries earlier to retrieve the Ark (2 Sam 6:2). Upon Mary’s arrival, Elizabeth is struck by the same sense of awe and unworthiness before Mary (Lk 1:43) that David felt standing before the Ark of the Covenant (2 Sam 6:9). Parallels continue as the joy surrounding this great encounter causes the infant John to leap with excitement (Lk 1:41), much as David danced with excitement before the Ark (2 Sam 6:16). Finally, Luke adds that Mary stayed in the ‘house of Zechariah’ for ‘three months’ (Lk 1:40, 56), recalling how the Ark of Covenant was temporarily stationed in the ‘house of Obed-edom’ for a waiting period of ‘three months’ (2 Sam 6:11). Taken together, these parallels show us that Mary now assumes a role in salvation history that was once played by the Ark of the Covenant. Like this golden chest, she is a sacred vessel where the Lord’s presence dwells intimately with his people.
“Luke also draws upon a second tradition from the Books of Chronicles. This time he brings into his story a highly significant expression once connected with the Ark. The term shows up in Lk 1:42, where Elizabeth bursts out with an exuberant cry at the arrival of Mary and her Child. Although the Greek verb translated as ‘exclaimed’ seems ordinary enough, it is hardly ever used in the Bible. In fact, it is found only here in the entire New Testament. Its presence in the Greek Old Testament is likewise sparse, appearing only five times. Why is this important? Because every time the expression is used in the Old Testament, it forms part of the stories surrounding the Ark of the Covenant. In particular, it refers to the melodic sounds made by Levitical singers and musicians when they glorify the Lord in song. It thus describes the ‘exulting’ voice of instruments that were played before the Ark as David carried it in procession to Jerusalem (1 Chron 15:28; 16:4–5) and as Solomon transferred the Ark to its final resting place in the Temple (2 Chron 5:13). Alluding to these episodes, Luke connects this same expression with the melodic cry of another Levitical descendant, the aged Elizabeth (Lk 1:5). She too lifts up her voice in liturgical praise, not before the golden chest, but before Mary. Luke’s remarkable familiarity with these ancient stories enables him to select even a single word that will whisper to his readers that this young Mother of the Messiah is the new Ark of the Covenant.
“For the reader with eyes to see and ears to hear, Luke has given us a vision of the Virgin Mary that becomes ever more glorious the deeper we dig into the Scriptures. Our ability to see Mary as he did depends in part on our knowledge of the Old Testament and in part on our sensitivity to Luke’s skillful use of it. By choosing his words and phrases carefully, he is able to weave various strands of biblical tradition into his narrative, adding beauty and depth to his already elegant prose. Little wonder the Church’s liturgical and theological traditions have so often described Mary as the Ark of the New Covenant. This vision is not merely the fruit of mystical speculation from a later age. It is already embedded within the Infancy Narrative of Luke’s Gospel.”

My take

I could have just extracted the third paragraph above, but, because my favorite title for Mary is “Ark of the Covenant,” I wanted to provide the entire topical essay from the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible. I have little to add, but I would point out how important typology is in the Bible. St. Augustine famously said, per the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 129,

The New Testament lies hidden in the Old and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New.

We can’t fully understand Christ without the entire Bible. An early heresy wanted to discard the Old Testament as inconsistent with its understanding of God and Jesus. With this episode in the Gospel of Luke, not only Mary as Ark, but what is highlighted by the Catholic Commentary regarding Esau and Jacob, we have just one example of many of the unity and importance of the entire Scripture handed down to us faithfully by the Church.

I’ve had the self-published Mary the Ark of the Covenant on my shelf for some time now. I must read it.

God bless!

Advent Day 20: With God all things are possible

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TODAY’S GOSPEL (Lk 1:26-38)

From Luke 1:34:

But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”

From Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture: The Gospel of Luke, page 44

“Like Zechariah, Mary asks a question of the angel regarding the fulfillment of the message: ‘How can this be?’ A more literal rendering is ‘How will this be?’ At first glance, it seems similar to Zechariah’s question, ‘How shall I know this?’ (Luke 1:18). Beneath the similarity in form, however, lies a greater dissimilarity in attitude. While Zechariah ‘did not believe’ the words of the angel (1:20), Mary instead will be called ‘blessed’ precisely for believing ‘what was spoken’ by the angel (1:45). The difference is that whereas Zechariah ‘wanted proof,’ Mary ‘wants instructions.’
The reason for Mary’s question is that she has ‘no relations with a man.’ Mary’s response is puzzling, since a betrothed woman would normally expect to begin sexual relations after the celebration of the second stage of marriage, when she moved into the home of her husband. One would think that after this delay the angel’s words would be fulfilled, as they were for Zechariah following the delay of his remaining days of ministry (1:23-24). Some interpreters have therefore explained Mary’s response as due to her interpreting the promise as having an immediate fulfillment, while she was still a virgin, although Gabriel’s words do not say this. Another explanation, offered by Church Fathers such as Gregory of Nyssa and Augustine, is that Mary did not plan to have relations with Joseph, but had already dedicated herself to God as a virgin. This idea is often dismissed as anachronistic, imposing a Christian ideal onto a Jewish context, since mainstream Jewish groups such as the Pharisees emphasized marriage. However, this possibility cannot be excluded, given the diversity of views in Judaism at the time (e.g., some Essenes practiced celibacy).”

From The Navarre Bible: St Luke, page 39

“The Blessed Virgin, who received a very special inspiration of the Holy Spirit to practise virginity, is a first-fruit of the New Testament, which will establish the excellence of virginity over marriage while not taking from the holiness of the married state, which it raises to the level of a sacrament (cf. Gaudium et spes, 48).”

From Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: The Gospel of Luke, page 19

“How can this be: Or, better, ‘How will this be …?’”’ Mary is not questioning God’s ability to give her a son, but she is inquiring as to how such a plan will unfold. I have no husband: The Greek text literally reads ‘I do not know man’, which refers to Mary’s virginal status rather than her marital status. Her concern is not that she is unmarried but that she is a virgin at present and that she intends to remain one in the future. The announcement of a miraculous conception (1:31) thus causes Mary to wonder aloud how God will bless her with a son and yet preserve her virginal purity. Her words are inexplicable otherwise. For nothing about the angel’s announcement should have perplexed Mary—whose betrothal to Joseph was already a legally binding marriage—unless she intended to forego ordinary sexual relations even as a married woman. See note on Mt 1:18. ● According to certain Church Fathers, such as St. Gregory of Nyssa and St. Augustine, Mary had previously taken a vow of lifelong virginity.”

My take

We celebrate the Annunciation on March 25, exactly nine months before the birth of Jesus. But it is good to be reminded of that episode just five days before Christmas.

I focused on Mary’s initial response to the angel because it is a source of controversy, particularly between Catholics and Protestants. It is Catholic dogma that Mary was a virgin before, during, and after the birth of Jesus. Protestants, generally, dispute this idea. I find it disappointing they are so invested in the notion that Mary had other children. As detailed in the commentaries presented above, it is simply “inexplicable,” as the Ignatius commentary, specifically, states, that Mary ever intended to remain anything else but a virgin. (For those who have trouble with the “brothers” of Jesus, see here. For those who have trouble with “no relations…until she bore a son,” see here. For those who have trouble with Jesus as “firstborn son,” see here.)

God blessed our Queen Mother and He blessed us by giving her to us. You might say that Mary really does have many children! When I contemplate the last Glorious Mystery, I imagine Jesus saying to His mom, “I’ve got a special mission for you,” and her replying, as echoed by St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the Little Flower:

Yes, I want to spend my heaven in doing good on earth.

And she does.

The Annunciation (1898) by Henry Ossawa Tanner

God bless!

Advent Day 17: Generations

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TODAY’S GOSPEL (Mt 1:1-17)

From Matthew 1:17:

[T]he 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 Christ,
fourteen generations.

From Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: Old and New Testament, pages 1725-26

“fourteen generations: Matthew divides the genealogy into three units of 14. It is not exhaustive, since several OT names are omitted and the divisions cover unequal periods of time. Matthew stresses the number 14 to show Jesus as the new Davidic king: (1) David and Jesus are the only names listed with their respective titles (king, 1:6; Christ, 1:16); (2) David is the 14th name in the list; (3) the numerical value of David’s name (three consonants) in Hebrew equals 14 (D = 4 + V = 6 + D = 4). ● The 42 generations from Abraham to Jesus correspond to the 42 encampments of Israel during its wilderness journey to the Promised Land (cf. Num 33:1–49). These generations bring us to the Messiah, through whom we arrive at the land of promise in heaven (St. Jerome, Letters 78). deportation to Babylon: The Exile of the Jews starting in 586 B.C. under the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar. After that time, Israel’s Davidic kingdom collapsed, and no legitimate heir assumed David’s throne. Jesus comes as the awaited Messiah-king (21:4–5; Jn 1:49) to fulfill God’s covenant oath to perfect and establish the Davidic dynasty for all time (cf. Ps 132:11–12; Lk 1:32–33).”

From Opening The Scriptures: Bringing the Gospel of Matthew to Life, page 19

“Matthew sees a pattern in the genealogy, with turning points coming every fourteen generations. God began something new with Abraham, calling him to be the father of a people. The kingship of David was a turning point: descendants of David were to rule over God’s people forever. Yet this seemed to end with the catastrophe of the Babylonian exile, another major turning point. Now, fourteen generations after the last major turning point, God sends the Messiah to his people. Jesus is a new turning point in God’s unfolding plan.
“If a person’s genealogy tells us who a person is, then Jesus is a Jew descended from Abraham and David. Jesus’ past is Israel’s past; Jesus marks the next stage in God’s plan for his people.”

From Fire of Mercy, Heart of the Word (Volume I), page 60

“[I]f the Word of God waited for forty-two generations in order to come ‘when time had taken a downward plunge’ (cursu declivi temporis), as the Advent hymn has it, it is because God, like a good physician, comes when he is most needed: somehow, to be fully rejuvenated, the world first had to grow old utterly and come to the limit of its own foolish hopes. Christ is sent by the Father into the world ‘to liberate the human race from its state of decrepitude’ (Collect, first Saturday of Advent).”

My take

The world waited in breathless anticipation for the promised Messiah. Generation after generation after generation came and went, with some good, but by no means perfect, men, but with more questionable characters (not only the gents, but get a load of the women mentioned in this line). What good can come from these ancestors? A greater Good than could be imagined!

This “anointed one,” explodes all categories. We can certainly call Him a New Abraham: finally the blessing to all nations has arrived (cf. Gen 12:2). We can also call Him the New David, the ultimate Son of David and the real King of Kings. But Christ is so much more. Who knew that God Himself would have to come down to clean up the mess begun with Adam and Eve and exacerbated by their descendants (i.e., all of us)? The experts in the Law, for the most part, didn’t see it (although they should have — the entire Hebrew Scriptures ultimately points toward Christ). But those with open hearts embraced the Lord when He became incarnate. We are invited to open our hearts ever wider to the miracle of the conception of the Son of God in the womb of a humble Jewish girl and its culmination nine months later at Christmas. The First Coming should make us long for the Second Coming (“thy Kingdom come”!) and for His coming into our souls at each Mass.

Maranatha! Come, O Lord!

God bless!

Advent Day 16: Wise and gentle

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TODAY’S GOSPEL (Mt 21:23-27)

From Matthew 21:24-25a:

Jesus said to them in reply,
“I shall ask you one question, and if you answer it for me,
then I shall tell you by what authority I do these things.
Where was John’s baptism from?
Was it of heavenly or of human origin?”

From The Navarre Bible: St Matthew, page 183

“Jesus knows that [the chief priests and the elders] are not well-intentioned and he declines to give them a direct answer; he prefers to put a question to them that forces them to make their own attitude clear. He seeks to provoke them into examining their consciences and changing their whole approach.”

From Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture: The Gospel of Matthew, page 274-5:

“This counterquestion is not a change of topic. In this question Jesus implies continuity between John’s ministry and his own: just as John’s authority came from God, so does his. At the same time, Jesus’ counterquestion puts the temple authorities in an awkward position. They can either (a) say what they think — that John’s baptism was not from God — and face the anger of the crowds that ‘regard John as a prophet.’ or (b) admit that John’s baptism was from heaven, in which case they would be put to shame for not believing him. To try to save face, they answer, ‘We do not know.'”

From Opening The Scriptures: Bringing the Gospel of Matthew to Life, page 451

“Responding to a question with a counter question was a common debating tactic of the time. If Jesus is to tell the chief priests and elders by what authority he does these things, he will first ask a question to lay the groundwork for his response.”

From Fire of Mercy, Heart of the Word (Volume III), page 448

“[Jesus] responds to [the chief priests and the elders] two questions with one loaded question of his own, a question that induces a crisis in those interrogated by exposing their ‘faith’ as nothing but sly political pragmatism. Jesus’ tactic challenges them to demonstrate by what authority they dare to question his authority in the first place. He has already shown in word and action that his mere presence transforms the world around him into a better place. What has been the fruit of their alleged religious zeal, he wonders? What exactly are their own deepest motivations in relentlessly persecuting him at every turn?
…
“This move is brilliant because, by his reference to the Baptist, Jesus is suggesting that he himself is not an isolated figure calling for radical reform in contemporary Palestine. He hints that there exists a vibrant , effervescent spirit at present among the Jews in general that is operating outside the establishment and bearing a truly prophetic witness to God’s urgent activity in human hearts.”

My take

This is another case where I’m looking for answers to what, on the face of it, may seem like a diversionary tactic on Jesus’ part. But, it should go without saying that Jesus has no need for such stunts. His words always have purpose. He may be shrewd as a serpent and gentle as a dove, as He urges His apostles to be (cf. Mt 10:16), but He always makes His point, always to the dismay of those who oppose Him.

As always when it comes to Jesus, we should take a lesson from Jesus’ approach. This debate tactic is just as valid today as it was two thousand years ago. Responding to a question with a question can help clarify in your mind, and in your interlocutor’s mind, what he is driving at. We want to make sure we are on the same page — not talking past each other, arguing points our discussion partner is not making. This approach can also help to defuse someone coming in “hot.” When this happens, we must resist the urge to respond in kind, but rather look to dig deeper to (hopefully) discover the root issue.

Christ and the Pharisees (ca. 1880) by Lawrence W. Ladd

God bless!

Advent Day 15: The Savior in our midst

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TODAY’S READINGS

FROM Zephaniah 3:17-18a (the full passage is Zep 3:14-18a):

   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.

From The Word of the Lord (Year C), page 22

“[T]he Lord is described as a bridegroom. The words ‘rejoice over you,’ ‘renew you in his love,’ ‘sing joyfully because of you,’ describe the behavior of a bridegroom. Many Advent/Christmas texts have nuptial themes because the Incarnation of Christ is the ‘wedding’ of two natures, human and divine. God weds his nature to ours in Christ. Furthermore, Jesus is the promised ‘Bridegroom King’ from the line of David, fulfilling many texts which describe the king from the line of David as the ideal spouse.”

FROM Isaiah 12:2 (the full passage is Is 12:2-3, 4, 5-6):

God indeed is my savior;
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.

From The Word of the Lord (Year C), page 23

“The joyful theme of this doxology fits the mood of this Mass and ties with the First Reading through the motif of God being ‘in [the] midst’ of his people.”

FROM Philippians 4:5b-6 (the full passage is Phil 4:4-7)

The Lord is near.
Have no anxiety at all, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God

From The Word of the Lord (Year C), page 24

“St. Paul’s advice in this reading is some of his most intensely practical teaching. He gives some keys to lifestyle of rejoicing: (1) not being anxious, through abandonment to God’s providence, (2) showing kindness to everyone, (3) making constant practice of prayer as an antidote to worry, including intercession, supplication, and especially thanksgiving in our prayer. How often we forget to include thanksgiving, and how important it is for the maintenance of joy on both a psychological and spiritual level!”

FROM Luke 3:18 (the full passage is Lk 3:10-18)

Exhorting them in many other ways,
he preached good news to the people.

From The Word of the Lord (Year C), page 26

“We need to keep reminding ourselves that the good news is not a plan for temporal comfort in this life because it is our tendency to revert to thinking that it is And when we look around and see that things are not comfortable, even after two thousand years, we mistakenly think the good news has not worked.
“The good news is about eternal life with God through Jesus Christ, which starts now but won’t be directly seen until the life in the world to come! The good news really is about heaven and what lies beyond the grave.
…
“The exhortation to rejoice in the first two readings and psalm are not based on some external reality, but on an interior and eternal reality: that Christ has come and taken up residence in our hearts, giving us communion with God even now and in the life to come. This is truly good news!”

MY TAKE

The Lord is near! The Lord is my savior! The first three Scripture passages pound home these themes. How do we know these proclamations to be true? Because, starting with John the Baptist, the Church has “preached good news to the people” — the news of the Savior in our midst: Jesus Christ.

I can’t help but think of the two primary ways Jesus is tangibly present to us today. In the Eucharist and in the Bible. Jesus, the Word, gives us Himself for our digestion, in Sacrament and in Scripture. Both should be consumed ravenously at every opportunity. But unlike food we eat that we assimilate to sustain us physically, the Food that is Jesus is meant to assimilate us into Him. Let us have frequent recourse to the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, to breathe life into us through consuming the Word.

BP BARRON SERMON

FR MIKE SCHMITZ HOMILY

God bless!

Advent Day 14: Elijah the Prophet

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TODAY’S GOSPEL (Mt 17:9a, 10-13)

As they were coming down from the mountain,
the disciples asked Jesus,
“Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
He said in reply, “Elijah will indeed come and restore all things;
but I tell you that Elijah has already come,
and they did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased.
So also will the Son of Man suffer at their hands.”
Then the disciples understood
that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.

My take

For today, I will simply invite you to get to know Elijah’s story and, while doing so, encourage you to be mindful of John the Baptist as you read through it: 1 Kings 17-19, 21; 2 Kings 1-2. Afterward, use this to examine all New Testament passages referring to the prophet and then dive into the context.

Elijah in the Desert (1543-1547) by Daniele da Volterra

God bless!

Advent Day 12: Spoken to and spoken for

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TODAY’S GOSPEL (Lk 1:39-47)

From Luke 1:45:

“Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.”

From The Navarre Bible: St Luke, page 43

“Joining the chorus of all future generations, Elizabeth, moved by the Holy Spirit, declares the Lord’s Mother to be blessed and praised her faith. No one has ever had faith to compare with Mary’s; she is the model of the attitude a creature should have towards its Creator — complete submission, total attachment. Through her faith, Mary is the instrument chosen by God to bring about the redemptive work of her Son.”

From Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture: The Gospel of Luke, page 50:

“Elizabeth concludes her Spirit-filled words by pronouncing the first beatitude in the Gospel: ‘Blessed are you who believed’…Mary ‘believed’ that God’s word ‘spoken’ to her ‘would be fulfilled.’ In this way, she received the privilege of being the mother of the Son of God. She also became a model for all those who ‘hear’ God’s word and accept it (8:21; 11:28). Throughout the Gospel, not only God’s words spoken through an angel but also those written in Scripture will be fulfilled (4:21; 18:31; 22:37; 24:44).”

From Opening The Scriptures: Bringing the Gospel of Luke to Life, page 30

“She is blessed because of her faith that what God said ‘would be fulfilled’ — that she would conceive through the Holy Spirit and bear a son who would be called Son of God and rule over God’s people forever (1:31-33). That is a lot for a young woman to believe!…Mary is a model for hearing the word of God and acting on it (see 8:21; 11:28).”

My take

Mary is very much a model for us. The reason I chose this quote from today’s readings is that the word “spoken” struck me. God speaks to us in myriad ways: in our heart, in our conscience, through others, through events, and, last but not least, through Scripture, which is the Word of God, who is Jesus (cf. John 1:1-18). The Bible is the inerrant revelation of God through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (I highly recommend reading Vatican II’s Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation [Dei Verbum] and CCC 101-141 to understand the proper approach to Scripture specifically and divine revelation in general).

St Jerome famously said, “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” So, regular, ideally daily, reading of the Bible, particularly the Gospels, is necessary. But then we encounter this problem:

Some people are troubled by the things in the Bible they can’t understand.
The things that trouble me are the things I can understand. (Attributed to Mark Twain)

Do we hear the Word and accept it? Do we hear the Word and act on it? Are we completely submissive and totally attached to the Word? With apologies to JFK, do we choose to follow the Lord’s commands, not because they are easy, but because they are hard?

The gift of faith is ours through Baptism. Do we exercise it by complete submission to the will of God? Can we truly say we know the will of God for our lives? Mary likely did not know how it was going to all turn out, but she submitted to the Lord. She “let go and let God.”

Are we ready to believe that what the Lord speaks to us will be fulfilled? And are we completely open to being God’s instrument, without counting the cost, in fulfilling our mission?

The Meeting of Mary and Elisabeth (1866) by Carl Heinrich Bloch

God bless!