Reflections for the Week after Christmas

December 27, 2010
Feast of Saint John, Apostle and evangelist

Reading 1

1 Jn 1:1-4

Beloved:
What was from the beginning,
what we have heard,
what we have seen with our eyes,
what we looked upon
and touched with our hands
concerns the Word of life
for the life was made visible;
we have seen it and testify to it
and proclaim to you the eternal life
that was with the Father and was made visible to us
what we have seen and heard
we proclaim now to you,
so that you too may have fellowship with us;
for our fellowship is with the Father
and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
We are writing this so that our joy may be complete.

We have called ‘the Beloved Disciple” John, the Evangelist. His message is that Jesus is real, a real human being and at the same time truly Son of God. God’s great gift to us is the call to fellowship. It is a fellowship by which we receive every blessing in the heavenly places. As the Son became man, so we his brothers and sisters will become God. What Jesus is by nature we are called to be by God’s free gift, his grace. This is worked out in those who surrender by the Holy Spirit.

Ps 97:1-2, 5-6, 11-12

Responsorial Psalm

R. (12) Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice;
let the many isles be glad.
Clouds and darkness are around him,
justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne.

Jn 20:1a and 2-8

Gospel

On the first day of the week,
Mary Magdalene ran and went to Simon Peter
and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,
“They have taken the Lord from the tomb,
and we do not know where they put him.”
So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.
They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter
and arrived at the tomb first;
he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in.
When Simon Peter arrived after him,
he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there,
and the cloth that had covered his head,
not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.
Then the other disciple also went in,
the one who had arrived at the tomb first,
and he saw and believed.

Peter represents the appointed leaders of the Church community. The “disciple whom Jesus loved” represents the unknown and so insignificant member of the community who has no public office but who loves Jesus. It is love burning within one, whether leader or simple member, that brings a person to the tomb first. It is love for Jesus which gives a member a precious position, because it brings her or him into the heart of Jesus. We should strive to love Jesus not to have some position in the Church. Love for Jesus will compel us to work for him. The more love the more work. Love will enliven our faith and we will experience the risen Lord in our lives. Without love we may know theology, we may ‘see’ the burial cloths and the neatly arranged tomb but will it touch our heart? Has it touched yours? Has Jesus risen for you?

December 28, 2010
Feast of the Holy Innocents, martyrs

Reading 1

1 Jn 1:5—2:2

Beloved:
This is the message that we have heard from Jesus Christ
and proclaim to you:
God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all.
If we say, “We have fellowship with him,”
while we continue to walk in darkness,
we lie and do not act in truth.
But if we walk in the light as he is in the light,
then we have fellowship with one another,
and the Blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from all sin.
If we say, “We are without sin,”
we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just
and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing.
If we say, “We have not sinned,” we make him a liar,
and his word is not in us.

My children, I am writing this to you
so that you may not commit sin.
But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous one.
He is expiation for our sins,
and not for our sins only but for those of the whole world.

To walk in darkness is to walk without love. Love is to be the Christian’s life. The Commandments give us the border beyond which we cannot pass if we have any love in us. To commit the sins forbidden is to show we are bereft of love for God and our neighbour. But we are called to have limitless love: as I have loved you, so you must love one another. We are always imperfect. Jesus is our advocate with the Father pleading for the Holy Spirit through whom we can alone become perfect. We come to Jesus as did so many in the Gospels: lepers, the blind, the lame, the deaf, the sinful, the repentant. In some way we are all of these.

Ps 124:2-3, 4-5, 7cd-8

Responsorial Psalm

R. (7) Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare.
Had not the LORD been with us—
When men rose up against us,
then would they have swallowed us alive,
When their fury was inflamed against us.

Mt 2:13-18

Gospel

When the magi had departed, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said,
“Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt,
and stay there until I tell you.
Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.”
Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night
and departed for Egypt.
He stayed there until the death of Herod,
that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled,
Out of Egypt I called my son .

When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi,
he became furious.
He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity
two years old and under,
in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi.
Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet:

A voice was heard in Ramah,
sobbing and loud lamentation;
Rachel weeping for her children,
and she would not be consoled,
since they were no more.

Jesus is a member of the Chosen People and their head. Like his ancestors he too must go down into Egypt as a refugee. They went to be saved from death and so does Jesus. Like his namesake, Joseph son of Jacob, God speaks to this Joseph through dreams. Like the Israelites Jesus too faces a wicked king who seeks to kill him as Pharaoh Moses. As in the time of the destruction of Jerusalem and the massacre of its people so again the people of Judah cry out in distress. Anyone associated with Jesus will have to suffer. The Cross faces all who are with Christ. Those who endure it for his sake will receive the crown of glory. Jesus is the Saviour of all who give their lives for him. He brings the Chosen People to their final glory. Do you belong to the suffering and faithful Messiah?

December 29, 2010
The Fifth Day in the Octave of Christmas

Reading 1

1 Jn 2:3-11

Beloved:
The way we may be sure that we know Jesus
is to keep his commandments.
Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not keep his commandments
is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
But whoever keeps his word,
the love of God is truly perfected in him.
This is the way we may know that we are in union with him:
whoever claims to abide in him ought to walk just as he walked.

Beloved, I am writing no new commandment to you
but an old commandment that you had from the beginning.
The old commandment is the word that you have heard.
And yet I do write a new commandment to you,
which holds true in him and among you,
for the darkness is passing away,
and the true light is already shining.
Whoever says he is in the light,
yet hates his brother, is still in the darkness.
Whoever loves his brother remains in the light,
and there is nothing in him to cause a fall.
Whoever hates his brother is in darkness;
he walks in darkness
and does not know where he is going
because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

The religion taught by Jesus can be summed up in the one word ‘love’ but to love is not an easy thing to do. It is very easy to love the whole world, very difficult to love one individual. Love begins with realising that each person is precious to God and for whom he is willing to become a human being and suffer their rejection and even a torturous death at their hands in order to appeal to them, without pressurizing them, to leave the life of darkness and enter into the light of love which he offers now in faith and later in glory. If precious to God then each person should be precious to me. We are to imitate God.

Ps 96:1-2a, 2b-3, 5b-6

Responsorial Psalm

R. (11a) Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Sing to the LORD; bless his name.
R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

Lk 2:22-35

Gospel

When the days were completed for their purification
according to the law of Moses,
the parents of Jesus took him up to Jerusalem
to present him to the Lord,
just as it is written in the law of the Lord,
Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,
and to offer the sacrifice of
a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,
in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon.
This man was righteous and devout,
awaiting the consolation of Israel,
and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit
that he should not see death
before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.
He came in the Spirit into the temple;
and when the parents brought in the child Jesus
to perform the custom of the law in regard to him,
he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:

“Lord, now let your servant go in peace;
your word has been fulfilled:
my own eyes have seen the salvation
which you prepared in the sight of every people,
a light to reveal you to the nations
and the glory of your people Israel.”

The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him;
and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,
“Behold, this child is destined
for the fall and rise of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be contradicted
(and you yourself a sword will pierce)
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

The infancy stories are not just stories of a mother and her child. They are proclamations of the Gospel that Jesus is the Christ, Saviour of the world. Here the Messiah comes to the Temple. In the Temple the angel announced the birth of his forerunner. Jesus will teach in the Temple. He will become the new Temple for all nations. Simeon represents the Israel which longs for the Messiah. He prophecies that Jesus will be a sign to be rejected by many in Israel. Matthew in his infancy story had proclaimed the same by his account of Herod and all Jerusalem being disturbed at the birth of the ‘child born to be king’. The shadow of the Cross falls on Mother and Child. It is through the Cross that he will become the ‘light to the nations’. Do you live your life in his light?

December 30, 2010
The Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas

Reading 1

1 Jn 2:12-17

I write to you, my children, because your sins are forgiven for the sake of Christ. 13 I write to you, fathers, because you know him who has existed from the beginning. I write to you, young people, because you have defeated the Evil One. 14 I write to you, my children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who has existed from the beginning. I write to you, young people, because you are strong; the word of God lives in you, and you have defeated the Evil One. 15 Do not love the world or anything that belongs to the world. If you love the world, you do not love the Father. 16 Everything that belongs to the world - what the sinful self desires, what people see and want, and everything in this world that people are so proud of - none of this comes from the Father; it all comes from the world. 17 The world and everything in it that people desire is passing away; but those who do the will of God live forever.

The Evil One is everywhere infiltrating everything. The story of the Garden of Eden goes on endlessly and so many listen to the promptings of the Evil One and sin against God.  This is the world we must not love. It crucified Jesus. We have to overcome the Evil One. He encourages us to control our selfish inclinations - what the sinful self desires, what people see and want, and everything in this world that people are so proud of. This leads us nowhere and leaves us feeling empty. Only the friendship of Jesus gives us satisfaction. We need to pray for this gift.

Ps 96:7-8a, 8b-9, 10

Responsorial Psalm

R. (11a) Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
Give to the LORD, you families of nations,
give to the LORD glory and praise;
give to the LORD the glory due his name!

Lk 2:36-40

Gospel

There was a prophetess, Anna,
the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.
She was advanced in years,
having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage,
and then as a widow until she was eighty-four.
She never left the temple,
but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer.
And coming forward at that very time,
she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child
to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.

When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions
of the law of the Lord,
they returned to Galilee,
to their own town of Nazareth.
The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom;
and the favor of God was upon him.

In Israel as in the Church those closest to God are often those insignificant in the eyes of the institution. Anna was such. She is a symbol of true Israel.  She is a widow and spends her time in the Temple praying night and day as she longs to see the One whom God will send. He is the Bridegroom. Like Anna we too are to have our minds and hearts focused on Jesus alone as we look forward to his coming. Jesus tells us to pray constantly as we long for him to come and establish his Kingdom. While living in this world we should also be ‘the poor of Yahweh’, desiring only that which is needed for our life and sharing the rest with those who need it more than we. Full of love for him, we too will speak to others of him. Do you mirror Anna?

December 31, 2010
The Seventh Day in the Octave of Christmas

Reading 1

1 Jn 2:18-21

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

The first hour was the hour of darkness, the fruit of Adam’s sin. Then with the birth of Christ Jesus the light dawned in the darkness and we were saved from sin and the wounds of sin. We now long for the complete salvation that will be ours with the coming of Christ in glory. Meanwhile we are surrounded by ‘antichrists’. However we need not fear if we are daily anointed by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth and the power and energy of God and he is forever with those who call on him.

Ps 96:1-2, 11-12, 13

Responsorial Psalm

R. (11a) Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Sing to the LORD; bless his name;
announce his salvation, day after day.

Jn 1:1-18

Gospel

In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things came to be through him,
and without him nothing came to be.
What came to be through him was life,
and this life was the light of the human race;
the light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it.

A man named John was sent from God.
He came for testimony, to testify to the light,
so that all might believe through him.
He was not the light,
but came to testify to the light.
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

He was in the world,
and the world came to be through him,
but the world did not know him.
He came to what was his own,
but his own people did not accept him.

But to those who did accept him
he gave power to become children of God,
to those who believe in his name,
who were born not by natural generation
nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision
but of God.

And the Word became flesh
and made his dwelling among us,
and we saw his glory,
the glory as of the Father’s only-begotten Son,
full of grace and truth.

John testified to him and cried out, saying,
“This was he of whom I said,
‘The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me
because he existed before me.’”
From his fullness we have all received,
grace in place of grace,
because while the law was given through Moses,
grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
No one has ever seen God.
The only-begotten Son, God, who is at the Father’s side,
has revealed him.

In the other Gospels we come to know who Jesus at the end. The gentile centurion proclaims, ‘Surely he was the Son of God’. In John we come to know Jesus in the first sentence. He is God’s Word and is God himself. This Word has become a human being and reveals the Father to us. It is only through Jesus that we can understand our life, for he is the source of the life we experience. The world has no meaning without him. The world we know, the life we live, the situation in which we are only find meaning in him. To have the fullness of life we must get to know him, become intimate with him.  This is an ongoing effort throughout life as we live in the darkness of faith. But persistent prayer brings his light into our lives. Has the light dawned in your life?

January 1, 2011
The Octave Day of Christmas
Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God

Reading 1

Nm 6:22-27

The Lord commanded Moses 23 to tell Aaron and his sons to use the following words in blessing the people of Israel: 24 May the Lord bless you and take care of you; 25 May the Lord be kind and gracious to you; 26 May the Lord look on you with favor and give you peace. 27 And the Lord said, "If they pronounce my name as a blessing upon the people of Israel, I will bless them."

Our life is so fragile. Anything can happen to us. This blessing gives us confidence. Let us invoke it on ourselves and our loved ones everyday of the year.

Ps 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8

Responsorial Psalm

R. (2a) May God bless us in his mercy.
May God have pity on us and bless us;
may he let his face shine upon us.
So may your way be known upon earth;
among all nations, your salvation.

Gal 4:4-7

Reading 2

But when the right time finally came, God sent his own Son. He came as the son of a human mother and lived under the Jewish Law, 5 to redeem those who were under the Law, so that we might become God's children. 6 To show that you are his children, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who cries out, "Father, my Father." 7 So then, you are no longer a slave but a child. And since you are his child, God will give you all that he has for his children.

God the Son became man that we might become as he is in the glory of God. Through the Holy Spirit we are already the children of God and can call God “Daddy’ as the word “Abba” means. Our relationship with God gives us intimacy and confidence and a genuine hope for the future. If we live in his hands we have nothing to fear and everything to expect “when the right time” finally comes.

Lk 2:16-21

Gospel

The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph,
and the infant lying in the manger.
When they saw this,
they made known the message
that had been told them about this child.
All who heard it were amazed
by what had been told them by the shepherds.
And Mary kept all these things,
reflecting on them in her heart.
Then the shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God
for all they had heard and seen,
just as it had been told to them.

When eight days were completed for his circumcision,
he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel
before he was conceived in the womb.

A New Year has dawned. What will it hold for you, for me? It’s in the hands of God but can we see God, touch him, and hear his voice? Does he live ‘out there’ or right ‘in here’? Make it your aim this year to reach out and hold him. How can I do this? God is one of us. He is a human being, a man with flesh and blood, with feelings and emotions. We can see him and touch him in Jesus. In each Mass you receive him and take him with you. He makes his home with you. Do you make yours with him? The Spirit is his gift to you and he can make Jesus ‘real’. Pray to him. He is with you. Decide to spend some time each day alone with Jesus who lives in your heart. Can you do it for your peace?

The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph A

The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph A

Ecclesiasticus 3:2-6, 12-14 Psalm127:1-5 Rv1 Col. 3:12-21. Matthew 2:13-15. 19-23

My son support your father and mother in their old age.

Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.

You are God’s chosen race, his saints.

Get up, take the child and his mother and escape into Egypt.

After the magi had left, suddenly the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, 'Get up, take the child and his mother with you, and escape into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, because Herod intends to search for the child and do away with him.'

14 So Joseph got up and, taking the child and his mother with him, left that night for Egypt,

15 where he stayed until Herod was dead. This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: I called my son out of Egypt.

19 After Herod's death, suddenly the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt

20 and said, 'Get up, take the child and his mother with you and go back to the land of Israel, for those who wanted to kill the child are dead.'

21 So Joseph got up and, taking the child and his mother with him, went back to the land of Israel.

22 But when he learnt that Archelaus had succeeded his father Herod as ruler of Judaea he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the region of Galilee.

23 There he settled in a town called Nazareth. In this way the words spoken through the prophets were to be fulfilled: He will be called a Nazarene.

Where love was supreme

We know little of the Holy Family. We can however pick up some gleanings from the Gospels. Joseph was her husband and devoted to Mary. After their betrothal but before they lived together, Mary was pregnant. Joseph knew one thing for certain: he was not the father of her child. He could have had a public enquiry. But he was unwilling to cause Mary distress and so decided to let her go quietly. Then at the angel’s word he takes her to his house and names her child, thereby publicly accepting Jesus as his son.  According to Luke he takes his wife Mary with him to Bethlehem. He is with her when she delivers her first born. He goes with Mary to the Temple to present Jesus to the Lord. Luke tells us that each year Mary and Joseph went to Jerusalem for the Passover. With her he searched for Jesus when he was lost. Both were amazed at the words of Jesus.  With great love he cares for Mary and Jesus as we see in today’s Gospel. He arises at night and flees with them to Egypt. Then when the danger has passed he brings them back to Nazareth. No word from Joseph, but he is the anchor of their family. We can imagine what love he had for Jesus and Mary. 

Many of the values Jesus would live by later he learned from Joseph who was an upright man and fulfilled the Law. This was the atmosphere Jesus grew up in. In the home of Nazareth there must have been great mutual respect and patience with the ability to control anger. From his parents Jesus learned to respect others and make allowances for their weaknesses. Jesus constantly gives himself to others and never thinks of himself. He becomes the friend of tax-collectors and sinners. That is how Mary and Joseph brought him up. Mary and Joseph gave Jesus the greatest gift they could. They gave him a family of stable and indissoluble love. Jesus grew up to have the strength to carry the sins of the whole world.

            God is love and God is a family. Father and Son are two Persons united in their Love which is the Holy Spirit, the third Person. Each earthly family takes its name and is to be modelled on this heavenly one. The bond between husband and wife is to be love and their children the fruit and image of their mutual love. This is God’s vision and plan. Our prayer for every family is contained in the second reading: be clothed in sincere compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. The Lord has forgiven you, now you must do the same. Over all and to keep them together and complete them put on love.

            Decide today to make your family an oasis of love and peace.

Father, grant that every family becomes a home of love where all can grow.

Christmas Mass at Midnight and at Dawn

December 25, 2010
The Nativity of the Lord Christmas
Mass at Midnight

Reading 1

2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. They lived in a land of shadows, but now light is shining on them. 3 You have given them great joy, Lord; you have made them happy. They rejoice in what you have done, as people rejoice when they harvest grain or when they divide captured wealth. 4 For you have broken the yoke that burdened them and the rod that beat their shoulders. You have defeated the nation that oppressed and exploited your people, just as you defeated the army of Midian long ago. 5 The boots of the invading army and all their bloodstained clothing will be destroyed by fire. 6 A child is born to us! A son is given to us! And he will be our ruler. He will be called, "Wonderful Counselor," "Mighty God," "Eternal Father," "Prince of Peace."

Whatever the original intention of the author, we see this passage fulfilled in Jesus whose birth we celebrate today. This is the inspirited Word and God, even without the human author’s knowing it has his own plan in mind. Jesus is the light, the cause of joy, the one who breaks the yoke of misery, and the rod of oppression, has put down the mighty and raised the lowly, filled the empty with good things and sent the rich away empty. He is the Son born to us. He is our ruler and Mighty God who has humbled himself ‘to pitch his tent among us’ But what is the use unless you too experience him through prayer, meet him in other people and serve him in the poor, oppressed and suffering?

Ps 96: 1-2, 2-3, 11-12, 13

Responsorial Psalm

R. (Lk 2:11) Today is born our Savior, Christ the Lord.
Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Sing to the LORD; bless his name.

Ti 2:11-14

Reading 2

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

‘Godless ways and worldly desires’ may look attractive at first. But our experience is that they all turn to dust. Happiness can only be found in a right relationship with Jesus. He alone is the source of joy. Sin and lack of faith lead us nowhere except into darkness. Would that we can have an experience of Jesus. In him God’s goodness has appeared today.

Lk 2:1-14

Gospel

At that time Emperor Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2 When this first census took place, Quirinius was the governor of Syria. 3 Everyone, then, went to register himself, each to his own hometown. 4 Joseph went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to the town of Bethlehem in Judea, the birthplace of King David. Joseph went there because he was a descendant of David. 5 He went to register with Mary, who was promised in marriage to him. She was pregnant, 6 and while they were in Bethlehem, the time came for her to have her baby. 7 She gave birth to her first son, wrapped him in cloths and laid him in a manger - there was no room for them to stay in the inn. 8 There were some shepherds in that part of the country who were spending the night in the fields, taking care of their flocks. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone over them. They were terribly afraid, 10 but the angel said to them, "Don't be afraid! I am here with good news for you, which will bring great joy to all the people. 11 This very day in David's town your Savior was born - Christ the Lord! 12 And this is what will prove it to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." 13 Suddenly a great army of heaven's angels appeared with the angel, singing praises to God: 14 "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom he is pleased!"

Jesus is good news. He is the Lord – God himself. He is our Saviour. He will not use force to make us turn to him As a Lover he longs for each one. He longs for you. He humbles himself coming as a baby, born to poor parents in a remote and isolated place. He will not wield influence over our choice. He wants our love but without the adulteration of selfish gain. He wants our love but given in absolute freedom. Today let us break through the formality of religious practice and enter into a personal relationship with Jesus. He looks for those who come to him in spirit and in truth. In the darkness of faith but also in truth we can meet the One who came for us. I must be aware that he came for me. Are you? Will Christmas make a difference to you?

December 25, 2010
The Nativity of the Lord Christmas
Mass at Dawn

Reading 1

Is 62:11-12

The Lord is announcing to all the earth: "Tell the people of Jerusalem That the Lord is coming to save you, Bringing with him the people he has rescued." 12 You will be called "God's Holy People," "The People the Lord Has Saved." Jerusalem will be called "The City That God Loves," "The City That God Did Not Forsake."

Isaiah was writing in a political setting. The Israelites were in exile. Their Temple was destroyed. Some did return and did build a Temple which could not be compared with the previous one. But his word is the inspired Word and we see this fulfilled in Christ. We too must still live by faith. This Word is being fulfilled for everyone who accepts the Lord Jesus but its glorious fulfillment is still in the future. But for those who open themselves to him, Jesus will save them now. This is the meaning of his name. He will save us from our sins.

Ps 97:1, 6, 11-12

Responsorial Psalm

R. A light will shine on us this day: the Lord is born for us.
The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice;
let the many isles be glad.
The heavens proclaim his justice,
and all peoples see his glory.
Ti 3:4-7

Reading 2

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior was revealed, 5 he saved us. It was not because of any good deeds that we ourselves had done, but because of his own mercy that he saved us, through the Holy Spirit, who gives us new birth and new life by washing us. 6 God poured out the Holy Spirit abundantly on us through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that by his grace we might be put right with God and come into possession of the eternal life we hope for.

Jesus is the kindness and love of God in human form. Look at Jesus and you see the kindness and the love of God for you. Jesus saves everyone who surrenders himself to him. He is the Savour. We do not save ourselves by obeying his commandments. We cannot save our souls, only he can do that through the outpouring of the Spirit who cleanses us of sin and gives us the life of God through rebirth..

Lk 2:15-20

Gospel

When the angels went away from them to heaven,
the shepherds said to one another,
“Let us go, then, to Bethlehem
to see this thing that has taken place,
which the Lord has made known to us.”
So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph,
and the infant lying in the manger.
When they saw this,
they made known the message
that had been told them about this child.
All who heard it were amazed
by what had been told them by the shepherds.
And Mary kept all these things,
reflecting on them in her heart.
Then the shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God
for all they had heard and seen,
just as it had been told to them.

God’s ways are not our ways. He is born in the secrecy and humiliation of a stable. Mighty God, he appears in the weakness of a new born baby. The first to be invited to meet him are the marginalized and outcasts of society.  The shepherds hurried to Bethlehem and in the darkness they found Mary, Joseph and the child. By the Word spoken to them by the angel they could penetrate the darkness of the stable and see the glory of God. Mary ponders the inner meaning of it all. Today it is the same. God comes in the simplicity of the bread and wine. He remains with us in the hidden mystery of the Eucharist in our churches. We can see nothing as in the crib. Do you follow Mary and ponder the meaning and so meet Jesus in the Real Presence and become his friend.

Reflections for 4th Week of Advent

December 20, 2010
Monday of the Fourth Week of Advent

Reading 1

Is 7:10-14

The LORD spoke to Ahaz:
Ask for a sign from the Lord, your God;
let it be deep as the nether world, or high as the sky!
But Ahaz answered,
“I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!”
Then Isaiah said:
Listen, O house of David!
Is it not enough for you to weary men,
must you also weary my God?
Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:
the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and shall name him Emmanuel.

In the original situation Ahaz king of Juda was in a very threatening situation (735BC). The Assyrian army was approaching and with them destruction and death. The kings of Syria and Israel were conspiring to get rid of Ahaz and put another on his throne who would join them against the Assyrians. The prophet tells Ahaz to trust in God and says as a sign that a young woman will bear a son and call him Emmanuel as a witness that God is always with them. Before her son has reached the age of reason, these two kings will have gone. Matthew will use the Greek translation which says “a virgin will conceive’ and he sees how this inspired word is fulfilled in the child of Mary. Her son is indeed Emmanuel. In Jesus God is always with us and this is the promise he makes in the last sentence of Matthew’s Gospel.

Ps 24:1-2, 3-4ab, 5-6

Responsorial Psalm

R. (see 7c and 10b) Let the Lord enter; he is the king of glory.
The LORD’s are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.

Lk 1:26-38

Gospel

In the sixth month,
the angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”

But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”

Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.

The Gospels focus on Jesus. The evangelist writes to explain his importance. He is not born of Joseph but by the Holy Spirit and so is Son of God. Mary gives him his human body. Jesus is the beginning of the New Creation and all in him will be ‘a new creation’. Jesus is the new Adam. He is head of the new People of God and will rule them forever. Mary has found favour with God and is chosen as the new Eve. With Jesus and Mary the human race begins all over again and this time will be a glorious success, not the miserable failure it was with the first Adam and Eve. Unlike Eve Mary believes and obeys: I am the Lord’s handmaid. She thereby becomes the mother of the new race in Christ, the new Adam. Do you follow Mary in obeying God in Christ Jesus?

December 21, 2010
Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Advent

Reading 1

Sg 2:8-14

Hark! my lover–here he comes
springing across the mountains,
leaping across the hills.
My lover is like a gazelle
or a young stag.
Here he stands behind our wall,
gazing through the windows,
peering through the lattices.
My lover speaks; he says to me,
“Arise, my beloved, my dove, my beautiful one,
and come!
“For see, the winter is past,
the rains are over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth,
the time of pruning the vines has come,
and the song of the dove is heard in our land.
The fig tree puts forth its figs,
and the vines, in bloom, give forth fragrance.
Arise, my beloved, my beautiful one,
and come!

“O my dove in the clefts of the rock,
in the secret recesses of the cliff,
Let me see you,
let me hear your voice,
For your voice is sweet,
and you are lovely.”

Do we realize that this passage is meant for us? This is the relationship that Jesus wants with you and with each of us. He has chosen you. Now in Advent and Christmas do you choose him? Is your aim in religion to have such a relationship with Jesus? Can you imagine he thinks of you as the lover does in this story of love? The truth is, he does. When Jesus is with us, it is always spring and summer.

or

Zep 3:14-18a

Shout for joy, O daughter Zion!
Sing joyfully, O Israel!
Be glad and exult with all your heart,
O daughter Jerusalem!
The LORD has removed the judgment against you,
he has turned away your enemies;
The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst,
you have no further misfortune to fear.
On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem:
Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged!
The LORD, your God, is in your midst,
a mighty savior;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
and renew you in his love,
He will sing joyfully because of you,
as one sings at festivals.

God wants to be with you, to take care of you in the unforeseen and sudden events of life. When he sees you coming, he rejoices with gladness, and sings songs over you. Give joy to God this Christmas by opening your heart to him. Christmas is not just a Birthday Celebration, it is an embrace.

Ps 33:2-3, 11-12, 20-21

Responsorial Psalm

R. (1a; 3a) Exult, you just, in the Lord! Sing to him a new song.
Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.
Sing to him a new song;
pluck the strings skillfully, with shouts of gladness.

Lk 1:39-45

Gospel

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

Mary never comes alone. She always brings Jesus with her. She is the true Christian described in the Song of Songs today. She is the Virgin – the one who has responded with all her heart to God’s love. Joseph is her human companion and legal husband but Mary carries the Lord within her, not only in the days before his birth but always. God longs for her and she belongs to God. If we sit in her school we too will learn to respond to God’s passionate love and give our hearts to him. Following in Mary’s footsteps St. Paul could say, “For me life is Christ”. Do you long to imitate Mary in listening to God’s Word and allowing God to bless you, as a lover blesses his beloved? Do you carry Jesus with you everywhere you go and allow him to bless others? You can begin this Christmas.

December 22, 2010
Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Advent

Reading 1

1 Sm 1:24-28

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

Every child, however they come to be born, is a gift from God and precious to him. Jesus tells us that when we receive a small child we receive him. the greatest gifts we can give a child is our love and the example of a good life lived according to the Word of God. This will bring the child on his own to God.

1 Samuel 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8abcd

Responsorial Psalm

R. (see 1a) My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
“My heart exults in the LORD,
my horn is exalted in my God.
I have swallowed up my enemies;
I rejoice in my victory.”

Lk 1:46-56

Gospel

Mary said, "My heart praises the Lord; 47 my soul is glad because of God my Savior, 48 for he has remembered me, his lowly servant! From now on all people will call me happy, 49 because of the great things the Mighty God has done for me. His name is holy; 50 from one generation to another he shows mercy to those who honor him. 51 He has stretched out his mighty arm and scattered the proud with all their plans. 52 He has brought down mighty kings from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away with empty hands. 54 He has kept the promise he made to our ancestors, and has come to the help of his servant Israel. 55 He has remembered to show mercy to Abraham and to all his descendants forever!" 56 Mary stayed about three months with Elizabeth and then went back home.

Count your blessings. This is precisely what Mary is doing. She is full of joy and tension-free, like an infant in her Father’s arms. Whatever happens she has nothing to fear. He is there. He loves and cares for her. She has faith in him whom she cannot see or touch. As a result she experiences the warmth of his love. She has the humility to realize that of herself she is nothing and that everything she is, is God’s gift. She knows too there is no limit to his gifts. She also proclaims that the Father will bless abundantly all who come to him as she does. He longs to embrace each of his children. He longs to embrace you. Do you take time daily to relax in his arms? Do you have the faith and humility? Will you count your blessings this Christmas and praise God?

December 23, 2010
Thursday of the Fourth Week of Advent

Reading 1

Mal 3:1-4, 23-24

The Lord Almighty answers, "I will send my messenger to prepare the way for me. Then the Lord you are looking for will suddenly come to his Temple. The messenger you long to see will come and proclaim my covenant." 2 But who will be able to endure the day when he comes? Who will be able to survive when he appears? He will be like strong soap, like a fire that refines metal. 3 He will come to judge like one who refines and purifies silver. As a metalworker refines silver and gold, so the Lord's messenger will purify the priests, so that they will bring to the Lord the right kind of offerings. 4 Then the offerings which the people of Judah and Jerusalem bring to the Lord will be pleasing to him, as they used to be in the past.

"But before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes, I will send you the prophet Elijah. 6 He will bring fathers and children together again; otherwise I would have to come and destroy your country."

The prophet preached after the return of the exiles and after the rebuilding of the Temple in 516 BC. Their religious practice was in a sad state with little faith and trust in God. Temple worship was a mere formality. The practice of the Law and the Sabbath was neglected. The prophet tells the people that God will suddenly come to the Temple. The New Testament authors will discover the hidden inspired meaning. They saw this passage fulfilled in John the Baptist. But it has a valid application to our situation too. Christmas is not just a celebration. God looks for a change of heart and mind. He demands of us wholehearted faith. He comes to us and ‘John the Baptist’ prepares us through the Word proclaimed by the Church. Do we really listen?

Ps 25:4-5ab, 8-9, 10 and 14

Responsorial Psalm

R. (see Luke 21:28) Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand.
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.

Lk 1:57-66

Gospel

The time came for Elizabeth to have her baby, and she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard how wonderfully good the Lord had been to her, and they all rejoiced with her. 59 When the baby was a week old, they came to circumcise him, and they were going to name him Zechariah, after his father. 60 But his mother said, "No! His name is to be John." 61 They said to her, "But you don't have any relative with that name!" 62 Then they made signs to his father, asking him what name he would like the boy to have. 63 Zechariah asked for a writing pad and wrote, "His name is John." How surprised they all were! 64 At that moment Zechariah was able to speak again, and he started praising God. 65 The neighbors were all filled with fear, and the news about these things spread through all the hill country of Judea. 66 Everyone who heard of it thought about it and asked, "What is this child going to be?" For it was plain that the Lord's power was upon him.

The life of John found its meaning in Jesus. It centered on Jesus. In John’s Gospel he says he did not know Jesus but that the Holy Spirit inspired him that the one on whom the Spirited rested was the Messiah, God’s own Son. “God, who sent me to baptize with water, had said to me, "You will see the Spirit come down and stay on a man; he is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'  I have seen it," said John, "and I tell you that he is the Son of God." Jesus gave witness about John: He was the greatest person ever born. Yet the least in the Kingdom is greater than he. John knew Jesus through the Spirit. This knowledge came to him in his desert prayer. Does your prayer put you in touch with the Spirit and make you a witness to Jesus?

December 24, 2010
Friday of the Fourth Week of Advent Mass in the Morning

Reading 1

2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16

1 King David was settled in his palace, and the Lord kept him safe from all his enemies. 2 Then the king said to the prophet Nathan, "Here I am living in a house built of cedar, but God's Covenant Box is kept in a tent!" 3 Nathan answered, "Do whatever you have in mind, because the Lord is with you." 4 But that night the Lord said to Nathan, 5 "Go and tell my servant David that I say to him, "You are not the one to build a temple for me to live in. "I took you from looking after sheep in the fields and made you the ruler of my people Israel. 9 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have defeated all your enemies as you advanced. I will make you as famous as the greatest leaders in the world. 10 I have chosen a place for my people Israel and have settled them there, where they will live without being oppressed any more. Ever since they entered this land, they have been attacked by violent people, but this will not happen again. I promise to keep you safe from all your enemies and to give you descendants. 12 When you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will make one of your sons king and will keep his kingdom strong.  14 I will be his father, and he will be my son.  16 You will always have descendants, and I will make your kingdom last forever. Your dynasty will never end.'

We shouldn’t try and teach God! Nor should we look with pity on him. ‘My ways are not your ways’. We cannot understand God. Our role is to allow God to work out his plan for our life. He is Lord. If we surrender then he will bless us as he blessed his ‘servant David’. His blessing goes beyond anything we can imagine or even dare to ask for.

Ps 89:2-3, 4-5, 27 and 29

Responsorial Psalm

R. (2) For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
The favors of the LORD I will sing forever;
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness.
For you have said, “My kindness is established forever”;
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.

Lk 1:67-79

Gospel

John's father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he spoke God's message: 68 "Let us praise the Lord, the God of Israel! He has come to the help of his people and has set them free. 69 He has provided for us a mighty Savior, a descendant of his servant David. 70 He promised through his holy prophets long ago 71 that he would save us from our enemies, from the power of all those who hate us. 72 He said he would show mercy to our ancestors and remember his sacred covenant. 73 With a solemn oath to our ancestor Abraham he promised to rescue us from our enemies and allow us to serve him without fear, 75 so that we might be holy and righteous before him all the days of our life. 76 "You, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High God. You will go ahead of the Lord to prepare his road for him, 77 to tell his people that they will be saved by having their sins forgiven. 78 Our God is merciful and tender. He will cause the bright dawn of salvation to rise on us 79 and to shine from heaven on all those who live in the dark shadow of death, to guide our steps into the path of peace."

David lived a thousand years before Christ. Looking at the history of Israel over those years one could imagine that God had forgotten all about his promise. But ours is a faithful God, who remembers his covenant and who delights in showing mercy. He seems to enjoy writing straight on crooked lines and a thousand years is as one day to him. We can then relax in his presence. The history of Israel was fraught externally with wars, invasions, massacres and deportations and internally with infidelity to God, idolatry, social injustice and oppression of the poor. Yet all the same God worked out his plan of sending Jesus. We must have confidence in God as our Father, who loves and cares for us but who will not violate our freedom or make us puppets. He is constantly rectifying the mess his children make. Will he not do it for you?

December 24, 2010
The Nativity of the Lord Christmas
At the Vigil Mass

Reading 1

Is 62:1-5

For Zion’s sake I will not be silent,
for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet,
until her vindication shines forth like the dawn
and her victory like a burning torch.

Nations shall behold your vindication,
and all the kings your glory;
you shall be called by a new name
pronounced by the mouth of the LORD.
You shall be a glorious crown in the hand of the LORD,
a royal diadem held by your God.
No more shall people call you “Forsaken,”
or your land “Desolate,”
but you shall be called “My Delight,”
and your land “Espoused.”
For the LORD delights in you
and makes your land his spouse.
As a young man marries a virgin,
your Builder shall marry you;
and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride
so shall your God rejoice in you.

The land of Israel was very small and surrounded by powerful and voracious neighbours. It was only when their neighbours were suffering decline and weakness that they could flourish politically. Only when the surrounding ‘cats’ were not well could ‘the mice’ of Israel come out and pretend to be powerful. Isaiah was living at a time when the Assyrians were threatening to devour Israel – by the sword. Bur he offers hope and security but it is through an unseen God. Israel chose to trust in princes and suffered great loss. These words of Isaiah are fulfilled in Jesus but they still demand faith as in those days. Blessed are those of us who can believe the Word of God like Mary. Ours is a faithful God. He however demands faith and trust and sometimes, as in Israel’s day, against all apparent odds. All the same he wants to make you his spouse.

Ps 89:4-5, 16-17, 27, 29 

Responsorial PsalmR. (2a) For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant:
Forever will I confirm your posterity
and establish your throne for all generations.

Acts 13:16-17, 22-25

Reading 2

When Paul reached Antioch in Pisidia and entered the synagogue,
he stood up, motioned with his hand, and said,
“Fellow Israelites and you others who are God-fearing, listen.
The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors
and exalted the people during their sojourn in the
land of Egypt.
With uplifted arm he led them out of it.
Then he removed Saul and raised up David as king;
of him he testified,
‘I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart;
he will carry out my every wish.’
From this man’s descendants God, according to his promise,
has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus.
John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance
to all the people of Israel;
and as John was completing his course, he would say,
‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he.
Behold, one is coming after me;
I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.’”

According to the Spirit Jesus is Son of God and equal in every way to the Father. He is the God of creation. According to his human nature is a son of David. He is a member of the race of Israel physically through Mary who gave God a body. Joseph is told to name her child and so publicly and legally Jesus becomes through him ‘son of David’. He is God of love and humility. We too are unworthy to unfasten the sandals on his feet. Yet nonetheless he wants to have an intimate relationship of friendship and love with each of us. That is why he was born and this we celebrate today. 

Mt 1:1-25 or 1:18-25

Gospel

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ,
the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Abraham became the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.
Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah,
whose mother was Tamar.
Perez became the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
Ram the father of Amminadab.
Amminadab became the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
Salmon the father of Boaz,
whose mother was Rahab.
Boaz became the father of Obed,
whose mother was Ruth.
Obed became the father of Jesse,
Jesse the father of David the king.

David became the father of Solomon,
whose mother had been the wife of Uriah.
Solomon became the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
Abijah the father of Asaph.
Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,
Joram the father of Uzziah.
Uzziah became the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah.
Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amos,
Amos the father of Josiah.
Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers
at the time of the Babylonian exile.

After the Babylonian exile,
Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
Zerubbabel the father of Abiud.
Abiud became the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
Azor the father of Zadok.
Zadok became the father of Achim,
Achim the father of Eliud,
Eliud the father of Eleazar.
Eleazar became the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.

Thus the total number of generations
from Abraham to David
is fourteen generations;
from David to the Babylonian exile,
fourteen generations;
from the Babylonian exile to the Christ,
fourteen generations.

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

Matthew introduces Jesus – who he is and why he has come. It is good news. Don’t look for biographical details. Rather we hear God’s message which Jesus is. This Matthew proclaims loud and clear. First he dismisses the demand for purity of Israelite blood to be Abraham’s son. “God can raise up children of Abraham from these very stones” The women are gentile foreigners.  Many of the kings are murderers and idolaters. Solomon is the son of a relationship which began with lust, adultery and murder. Many persons mentioned are insignificant nobodies like most in history. God has become one of a sinful race  to “save them from their sins” Mary alone is the pure Israel because she believed the Word spoken to her. She is the spouse of God and bears his child. You too can be the spouse of God. He invites you. What is your response today?