God's Word for the Weekdays of the 1st Week of Advent

Monday of the First Week of Advent
November 28th 2011

Many will come from the east and the west,
and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven.

Reading 1 Is 2:1-5

This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz,
saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

In days to come,
The mountain of the LORD's house
shall be established as the highest mountain
and raised above the hills.
All nations shall stream toward it;
many peoples shall come and say:
"Come, let us climb the LORD's mountain,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
That he may instruct us in his ways,
and we may walk in his paths."
For from Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
and impose terms on many peoples.
They shall beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks;
One nation shall not raise the sword against another,
nor shall they train for war again.

O house of Jacob, come,
let us walk in the light of the LORD!

This passage was written some seven hundred years before Christ. But it is a prophecy that comes from much before that and is taken over by the author. In the context of this book it looks forward to the Messianic days of justice and peace. Jerusalem will be the centre of instruction on how to live. From there God will teach people the way of living that pleases him and brings prosperity to the people.  We can see how this was fulfilled in Christ Jesus. But he is not a ruler in the ways of this world. He doesn’t enforce his rule. He invites us to listen and submit ourselves to his loving wisdom. It is an invitation that lasts to this day. Advent is a time to listen to his invitation and accept the instruction given to us by Jesus through the Word of God in his Church. Advent doesn’t look back but forward to Christ Jesus present now in our midst. The Church Community is the New Jerusalem. Christ speaks to us through the Church which has the living presence of the Holy Spirit. 

Responsorial Psalm Ps 122:1-2, 3-4b, 4cd-5, 6-7, 8-9

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me,
"We will go up to the house of the LORD."
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
May those who love you prosper!
May peace be within your walls,
prosperity in your buildings.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Because of my relatives and friends
I will say, "Peace be within you!"
Because of the house of the LORD, our God,
I will pray for your good.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Gospel Mt 8:5-11

When Jesus entered Capernaum,
a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying,
"Lord, my servant is lying at home paralysed, suffering dreadfully."
He said to him, "I will come and cure him."
The centurion said in reply,
"Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof;
only say the word and my servant will be healed.
For I too am a man subject to authority,
with soldiers subject to me.
And I say to one, "Go," and he goes;
and to another, "Come here," and he comes;
and to my slave, "Do this," and he does it."
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him,
"Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.
I say to you, many will come from the east and the west,
and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven."

Advent is about ‘now’. We are not living in the past or in the future. Do I believe that Jesus is here today and that I can meet him, just as the centurion in today’s Gospel?  The truth is that I can if I have faith. I can meet him in the Holy Eucharist, his physical presence and I can meet him in prayer, on my own and with others. But belief is not enough; I must have trust in him like the centurion. I must become the friend of Jesus (John 15:15) and share everything with him. I must have the confidence that he loves and cares for me and that he will always take my side. Prayer is not an occasional request but an ongoing relationship of mutual happiness. Let Advent be the occasion for entering into a deeper and more personal relationship with him? Are you ready?

Tuesday of the First Week of Advent
November 29th 2011

Turning to the disciples in private he said,
"Blessed are the eyes that see what you see".
 

Reading 1 Is 11:1-10

On that day,
A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,
and from his roots a bud shall blossom.
The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him:
a Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
A Spirit of counsel and of strength,
a Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD,
and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD.
Not by appearance shall he judge,
nor by hearsay shall he decide,
But he shall judge the poor with justice,
and decide aright for the land's afflicted.
He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.
Justice shall be the band around his waist,
and faithfulness a belt upon his hips.

Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;
The calf and the young lion shall browse together,
with a little child to guide them.
The cow and the bear shall be neighbours,
together their young shall rest;
the lion shall eat hay like the ox.
The baby shall play by the cobra's den,
and the child lay his hand on the adder's lair.
There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD,
as water covers the sea.

On that day,
The root of Jesse,
set up as a signal for the nations,
The Gentiles shall seek out,
for his dwelling shall be glorious.

 In the original context this is a vision longing for the days of the Messiah. They will days of justice and peace and everything will be perfect. He will be the perfect king in the line of Jesse, father of David. He will possess the gifts of the Holy Spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, knowledge, fortitude, piety and fear of the Lord. The oracle is fulfilled in Christ. If we submit ourselves to Jesus these blessings become ours in this life. Any person or family which truly consecrates itself to him will be blessed in a remarkable way.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17

R. (see 7) Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king's son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
He shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
May his name be blessed forever;
as long as the sun his name shall remain.
In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed;
all the nations shall proclaim his happiness.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.

Gospel Lk 10:21-24

Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said,
"I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to the childlike.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows who the Son is except the Father,
and who the Father is except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him."

Turning to the disciples in private he said,
"Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.
For I say to you,
many prophets and kings desired to see what you see,
but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it."

God’s ways are not ours. Here is the Son of God through whom all things were made but now living among men and women in humility. God too only reveals himself to the humble of heart and puts down the mighty from their seats. Jesus is the revelation of God because in him we see God in human form. He is the radiance of the Father, the visible likeness of the invisible God. Through him we have the opportunity to live with God even now and enjoy the blessings of God. To meet God today in Christ demands humility, sincerity and truth. If we approach him like this then we will experience what so many prophets and kings longed to experience but did not. For those with eyes Jesus is as present today as he was two thousand years ago. Blessed are those who have found him. Have you searched for him?

Feast of Saint Andrew, apostle
November 30th 2011

 He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father
and followed him.

Reading 1 Rom 10:9-18

Brothers and sisters:
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord
and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved.
For one believes with the heart and so is justified,
and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.
The Scripture says,
No one who believes in him will be put to shame.
There is no distinction between Jew and Greek;
the same Lord is Lord of all,
enriching all who call upon him.
For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

But how can they call on him in whom they have not believed?
And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard?
And how can they hear without someone to preach?
And how can people preach unless they are sent?
As it is written,
How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news!
But not everyone has heeded the good news;
for Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed what was heard from us?
Thus faith comes from what is heard,
and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.
But I ask, did they not hear?
Certainly they did; for

Their voice has gone forth to all the earth,
and their words to the ends of the world.

We might think proclaiming Jesus as Lord is an easy thing. For a Jew it might well mean that his family would reject him and he would be expelled from the synagogue. To proclaim Jesus as Lord is not something we do so much with our mouth as with our life, our behaviour, our words and conversations, our family life. As St. Francis said, ‘you should preach the Gospel at all times and on occasion use words’.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11

R. (10) The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. (John 6:63) Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
They are more precious than gold,
than a heap of purest gold;
Sweeter also than syrup
or honey from the comb.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

Gospel Mt 4:18-22

As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers,
Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew,
casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen.
He said to them,
"Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men."
At once they left their nets and followed him.
He walked along from there and saw two other brothers,
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.
They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets.
He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father
and followed him.

Andrew is mentioned several times in the Gospel. Here he drops everything and follows Jesus. He needs to grow but he stays with Jesus throughout and this is the key. If we stay with Jesus in prayer he will make up for our weaknesses and failings. Like him we need to have a living relationship with Jesus. In John’s Gospel Andrew he is a disciple of John the Baptist, discovers Jesus and then he finds his brother and tells him, “We have found the Messiah”. Have you? Who have you told?  Andrew is the one who tells Jesus about the boy with the loaves and fishes and he is the one who brings the Greeks to Jesus.  Andrew was an ordinary person who found greatness by his union with Jesus. All who are close to Jesus will become great. He calls you as he called him. How do you respond?

Thursday of the First Week of Advent
December 1st 2011

Reading 1 Is 26:1-6

On that day they will sing this song in the land of Judah:

"A strong city have we;
he sets up walls and ramparts to protect us.
Open up the gates
to let in a nation that is just,
one that keeps faith.
A nation of firm purpose you keep in peace;
in peace, for its trust in you."

Trust in the LORD forever!
For the LORD is an eternal Rock.
He humbles those in high places,
and the lofty city he brings down;
He tumbles it to the ground,
levels it with the dust.
It is trampled underfoot by the needy,
by the footsteps of the poor.

This vision is only fulfilled in Christ when he brings us to the New Jerusalem described in the book of Revelation. 21:2 I saw the new Jerusalem,

the holy city coming down

from God, out of heaven, adorned as

a bride prepared for her husband. 3 A

loud voice came from the throne,

“Here is the dwelling of God among

mortals: He will pitch his tent among

them and they will be his people; he

will be God-with-them.

4 He will wipe every tear from their

eyes. There shall be no more death

or mourning, crying out or pain, for

the world that was has passed away.”

5 The One seated on the throne said,

“See, I make all things new.”

The Christian life is a life of faith in Christ, of hope for the fulfillment of his promises and love for him and his creation.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 118:1 and 8-9, 19-21, 25-27a

R. (26a) Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in princes.
R. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Open to me the gates of justice;
I will enter them and give thanks to the LORD.
This gate is the LORD's;
the just shall enter it.
I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me
and have been my savior.
R. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
O LORD, grant salvation!
O LORD, grant prosperity!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD;
we bless you from the house of the LORD.
The LORD is God, and he has given us light.
R. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Gospel Mt 7:21, 24-27

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

"Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
And everyone who listens to these words of mine
but does not act on them
will be like a fool who built his house on sand.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
And it collapsed and was completely ruined."

Advent is not simply looking forward to Christmas. Jesus came to his own but they refused to accept him. To those who did accept him he gave authority to become the children of God. Advent is a time to accept Jesus as Lord of our life and the readings explain how. It is not a matter of lip service, of rituals and traditions. It is a matter of doing the will of God. This is first to obey all his Commandments. We cannot pick and choose. It is a matter of deep personal faith and trust in Jesus which is nourished by daily prayer and meditation on his Word in the Gospels. By building our lives on ‘the rock which is Christ’ we will be able to master the storms of life. Anything else is to build on sand. Is your life built on Christ Jesus?

Friday of the First Week of Advent
December 2nd 2011

Reading 1 Is 29:17-24

Thus says the Lord GOD:
But a very little while,
and Lebanon shall be changed into an orchard,
and the orchard be regarded as a forest!
On that day the deaf shall hear
the words of a book;
And out of gloom and darkness,
the eyes of the blind shall see.
The lowly will ever find joy in the LORD,
and the poor rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
For the tyrant will be no more
and the arrogant will have gone;
All who are alert to do evil will be cut off,
those whose mere word condemns a man,
Who ensnare his defender at the gate,
and leave the just man with an empty claim.
Therefore thus says the LORD,
the God of the house of Jacob,
who redeemed Abraham:
Now Jacob shall have nothing to be ashamed of,
nor shall his face grow pale.
When his children see
the work of my hands in his midst,
They shall keep my name holy;
they shall reverence the Holy One of Jacob,
and be in awe of the God of Israel.
Those who err in spirit shall acquire understanding,
and those who find fault shall receive instruction.

By the death of Christ we have been saved but the process of Salvation is still on the way to fulfilment. Today’s first reading will only find its fulfilment in the Kingdom of Heaven, when Christ has cleansed creation of sin and the influence of the Evil One and made all things new. This is the hope that Advent renews in our hearts. Hope came into the world with the birth of Jesus. Before that there was nothing but despair and pesimism. Yet the promises are not just for the future life. If Jesus comes into our life now then a transformation takes place in us. The tyrant of  sin and evil habits is overthrown and we will experience liberation. Our spirits though bound to this world will long for the presence of God. we will feel security from the presence of Jesus in our lives.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 27:1, 4, 13-14

R. (1a) The Lord is my light and my salvation.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life's refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
One thing I ask of the LORD;
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stout hearted, and wait for the LORD.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.

Gospel Mt 9:27-31

As Jesus passed by, two blind men followed him, crying out,
"Son of David, have pity on us!"
When he entered the house,
the blind men approached him and Jesus said to them,
"Do you believe that I can do this?"
"Yes, Lord," they said to him.
Then he touched their eyes and said,
"Let it be done for you according to your faith."
And their eyes were opened.
Jesus warned them sternly,
"See that no one knows about this."
But they went out and spread word of him through all that land.

We need to believe in the actual presence of Jesus, as someone who is real and desirous of being our Friend, Saviour and Lord. Through the Holy Spirit the more we can realize this the more he will be able to open our eyes to see a new reality even now. We will then realize that our lives are in his hands. We will know that he is our companion in every event of our lives and we will experience his closeness. We will grow to live more consciously with him. In the midst of all the affairs of life with their hardships and tragedies, we will experience the assurance of his presence. Our life will eventually turn out well and we will look back and see his hand at work. Advent encourages us to get closer to him. Will Christmas be more than just a festivity for you?

Memorial of Saint Francis Xavier, priest
Saturday 3rd December 2011

Reading 1 Is 30:19-21, 23-26

Thus says the Lord GOD,
the Holy One of Israel:
O people of Zion, who dwell in Jerusalem,
no more will you weep;
He will be gracious to you when you cry out,
as soon as he hears he will answer you.
The Lord will give you the bread you need
and the water for which you thirst.
No longer will your Teacher hide himself,
but with your own eyes you shall see your Teacher,
While from behind, a voice shall sound in your ears:
"This is the way; walk in it,"
when you would turn to the right or to the left.

He will give rain for the seed
that you sow in the ground,
And the wheat that the soil produces
will be rich and abundant.
On that day your flock will be given pasture
and the lamb will graze in spacious meadows;
The oxen and the asses that till the ground
will eat silage tossed to them
with shovel and pitchfork.
Upon every high mountain and lofty hill
there will be streams of running water.
On the day of the great slaughter,
when the towers fall,
The light of the moon will be like that of the sun
and the light of the sun will be seven times greater
like the light of seven days.
On the day the LORD binds up the wounds of his people,
he will heal the bruises left by his blows.

We can rightly ask, "When is this going to happen? Is it on some future day, something like pie in the sky?" It will no doubt reach its fulfilment when the Day of the Lord comes but it is also fulfilled now in the lives of those who sincerely and wholeheartedly seek for the Lord Jesus. He is the One who is to come, but he has already come. Those who find him now will receive these blessings in a spiritual  and yet deep sense. He will care for us in the difficulties of life. We are reminded of the father longing for the return of the prodigal son. God longs for each of us and wants to pour out his blessings on us now. But we need to return to him, which is the call of Advent.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 147:1-2, 3-4, 5-6

R. (see Isaiah 30:18d) Blessed are all who wait for the Lord.
Praise the LORD, for he is good;
sing praise to our God, for he is gracious;
it is fitting to praise him.
The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem;
the dispersed of Israel he gathers.
R. Blessed are all who wait for the Lord.
He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
He tells the number of the stars;
he calls each by name.
R. Blessed are all who wait for the Lord.
Great is our LORD and mighty in power:
to his wisdom there is no limit.
The LORD sustains the lowly;
the wicked he casts to the ground.
R. Blessed are all who wait for the Lord.

Gospel Mt 9:35-10:1, 5a, 6-8

Jesus went around to all the towns and villages,
teaching in their synagogues,
proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness.
At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them
because they were troubled and abandoned,
like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples,
"The harvest is abundant but the labourers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest."

Then he summoned his Twelve disciples
and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out
and to cure every disease and every illness.

Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus,
"Go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
As you go, make this proclamation: 'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.'
Cure the sick, raise the dead,
cleanse lepers, drive out demons.
Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give."

Who ever they are, if Jesus is not really present to them then they are like sheep without a shepherd. He alone is the answer to all the problems of life. We are to be filled with his Spirit and minister to one another in our needs. We are to become Christ to one another. Life is to be life of living faith and through our faith we make Christ Jesus present to one another. We are to remember the words of Jesus at the Last Supper. Those who believe in me will do the same kind of works that I do. They will do even greater works because I am going to the Father. We let our brothers and sisters down when we are not filled with the Spirit and do not continue the work of Jesus. Is your religion is a religion of power in love for others? 

God's Word for 1st Sunday of Advent B

1st Sunday of Advent B

27th November 2011

Watch, therefore;
you do not know when the Lord of the house is coming,
whether in the evening, or at midnight,
or at cockcrow, or in the morning.
 

Isaiah 63:16-17, 64:1, 3-8. Psalm 79:2-3.15-16, 18-19 Rv.4. 1Cor. 1:3-9.

Lord, you are our Father; we are all the work of your hands.

Let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.

God by calling you has joined you to his Son, Jesus Christ.

Stay awake because you do not know when the master of the house is coming.

Gospel Mk 13:33-37

Jesus said to his disciples:
"Be watchful! Be alert!
You do not know when the time will come.
It is like a man traveling abroad.
He leaves home and places his servants in charge,
each with his own work,
and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch.
Watch, therefore;
you do not know when the Lord of the house is coming,
whether in the evening, or at midnight,
or at cockcrow, or in the morning.
May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping.
What I say to you, I say to all: 'Watch!'"

Feeling good or doing good?

Life can be so engrossing that we forget the purpose of it. We all think that our life is our own. Yet it isn’t. It hangs by a thread. We like to think that good health, good income, good family and friends, are forever while in fact they are temporary at best. Even if we don’t think they are forever, we think they won’t disappear now.  

            But everything passes so soon. While we are young we may think youth will never end! We learn that this is not true. Middle age comes soon and following fast on its heels comes old age. Old age does not come alone!

            Jesus tells us today that we have this life on trust. God has given us this life and everything in it. But he has also given us something he hasn’t given to any other creature, namely the power to make our own choices. We can live our own life, yet we don’t own our life. One day he will ask us how we spent it. God leaves us free to decide how we live our life but has also given us guidelines for a happy life. Whatever walk of life we choose he has given us what we call commandments – guidelines for happiness. With every walk of life come responsibilities too. To fulfil these is to please God and experience fulfilment. If I am a married man or women, then holiness will consist in fulfilling my responsibility to love my spouse and my children. To forget this and do other things however ‘holy in themselves’ is not a life that is pleasing to God. If I am a son or a daughter, pleasing God consists in fulfilling with love my responsibilities as a child. The way of holiness is not something outside our life but is built into the very structure of the life we have chosen to live. We cannot substitute the responsibilities of our state of life with acts of piety such as going to church, involvement in church activities, even helping those in need. Through religion we gain the wisdom and inner strength to fulfil the duties of our state of life and already now offer our life to God.

            God is love and we who are made in the image of God should do everything out of love for God, our neighbour and ourselves. This is the second guideline for a life pleasing to God. To love is to live both now and in eternity.

            Are you ‘awake’ to what life is about? Do you fulfil your responsibilities with love for God, your neighbour and yourself? If Jesus were to come today could you welcome him? Would you know him?

            Advent is a wakeup call!

Father give us the wisdom to make the right choices in life and the strength to fulfil with love the responsibilities of the life we choose.

God's Word for the week of 21st November

Please scroll down to find the day you want

November 21, 2011

 "She, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood" 

Memorial of The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary  

Reading 1 Dn 1:1-6, 8-20

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah,
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came
and laid siege to Jerusalem.
The Lord handed over to him Jehoiakim, king of Judah,
and some of the vessels of the temple of God;
he carried them off to the land of Shinar,
and placed the vessels in the temple treasury of his god.

The king told Ashpenaz, his chief chamberlain,
to bring in some of the children of Israel of royal blood
and of the nobility, young men without any defect,
handsome, intelligent and wise,
quick to learn, and prudent in judgment,
such as could take their place in the king's palace;
they were to be taught the language and literature of the Chaldeans;
after three years training they were to enter the king's service.
The king allotted them a daily portion of food and wine
from the royal table.
Among these were men of Judah: Daniel, Hananiah,
Mishael, and Azariah.

But Daniel was resolved not to defile himself
with the king's food or wine;
so he begged the chief chamberlain to spare him this defilement.
Though God had given Daniel the favour and sympathy
of the chief chamberlain, he nevertheless said to Daniel,
"I am afraid of my lord the king;
it is he who allotted your food and drink.
If he sees that you look wretched
by comparison with the other young men of your age,
you will endanger my life with the king."
Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief chamberlain
had put in charge of Daniel, Hananiah,
Mishael, and Azariah,
"Please test your servants for ten days.
Give us vegetables to eat and water to drink.
Then see how we look in comparison with the other young men
who eat from the royal table,
and treat your servants according to what you see."
He acceded to this request, and tested them for ten days;
after ten days they looked healthier and better fed
than any of the young men who ate from the royal table.
So the steward continued to take away
the food and wine they were to receive, and gave them vegetables.
To these four young men God gave knowledge and proficiency
in all literature and science,
and to Daniel the understanding of all visions and dreams.
At the end of the time the king had specified for their preparation,
the chief chamberlain brought them before Nebuchadnezzar.
When the king had spoken with all of them,
none was found equal to Daniel, Hananiah,
Mishael, and Azariah;
and so they entered the king's service.
In any question of wisdom or prudence which the king put to them,
he found them ten times better
than all the magicians and enchanters in his kingdom

This book of Daniel is not historical in the sense we understand history. The author is not describing things that happened in the way he describes them. He wants to teach us God’s truth for our lives and they are lessons which have enduring value. He was writing at at a time (about 65 BC) when the religion of Israel was without life run by priests who only wanted to secure their position. People wanted something new, the living Word of God for their age. In today’s reading the author is teaching us that to keep God’s Law – as apart from human traditions – will always bring us prosperity. God has given it with the intention of showing us the way to peace and happiness. We need to understand God’s Law as he has given it. He also teaches us that if we are faithful to God and sacrifice for him then he will give us wisdom

Responsorial Psalm Dn 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56

R. (52b) Glory and praise for ever!
"Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;
And blessed is your holy and glorious name,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages."
R. Glory and praise for ever!
"Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,
praiseworthy and glorious above all forever."
R. Glory and praise for ever!
"Blessed are you on the throne of your Kingdom,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever."
R. Glory and praise for ever!
"Blessed are you who look into the depths
from your throne upon the cherubim,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever."
R. Glory and praise for ever!
"Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven,
praiseworthy and glorious forever."
R. Glory and praise for ever!

Gospel Lk 21:1-4

When Jesus looked up he saw some wealthy people
putting their offerings into the treasury
and he noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins.
He said, "I tell you truly,
this poor widow put in more than all the rest;
for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood."

Who has trust in God like this widow? She “offered her whole livelihood”. The original says she offered her ‘life’. She, then, risked her life for the sake of God, trusting that he would provide her ‘daily bread’. This is radical trust and puts the saints in a category of their own. We may give to charity but often we give of what we can spare, but this widow gave everything she had, even what she needed to live on. To trust as she did needs a deep relationship with the Father, just as small children have. The widow didn’t actually give everything she had to live on, because she had her Father on whom she could rely. Likewise Jesus gave everything because he knew his Father was with him and would save him. Can you dare to even pray to have such radical trust in God?

 Tuesday November 22

 "All that you see here?
the days will come when there will not be left
a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down."

Memorial of Saint Cecilia, virgin and martyr

Reading 1 Dn 2:31-45

Daniel said to Nebuchadnezzar:
"In your vision, O king, you saw a statue,
very large and exceedingly bright,
terrifying in appearance as it stood before you.
The head of the statue was pure gold,
its chest and arms were silver,
its belly and thighs bronze, the legs iron,
its feet partly iron and partly tile.
While you looked at the statue,
a stone which was hewn from a mountain
without a hand being put to it,
struck its iron and tile feet, breaking them in pieces.
The iron, tile, bronze, silver, and gold all crumbled at once,
fine as the chaff on the threshing floor in summer,
and the wind blew them away without leaving a trace.
But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain
and filled the whole earth.

"This was the dream;
the interpretation we shall also give in the king's presence.
You, O king, are the king of kings;
to you the God of heaven
has given dominion and strength, power and glory;
men, wild beasts, and birds of the air, wherever they may dwell,
he has handed over to you, making you ruler over them all;
you are the head of gold.
Another kingdom shall take your place, inferior to yours,
then a third kingdom, of bronze,
which shall rule over the whole earth.
There shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron;
it shall break in pieces and subdue all these others,
just as iron breaks in pieces and crushes everything else.
The feet and toes you saw, partly of potter's tile and partly of iron,
mean that it shall be a divided kingdom,
but yet have some of the hardness of iron.
As you saw the iron mixed with clay tile,
and the toes partly iron and partly tile,
the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile.
The iron mixed with clay tile
means that they shall seal their alliances by intermarriage,
but they shall not stay united, any more than iron mixes with clay.
In the lifetime of those kings
the God of heaven will set up a kingdom
that shall never be destroyed or delivered up to another people;
rather, it shall break in pieces all these kingdoms
and put an end to them, and it shall stand forever.
That is the meaning of the stone you saw hewn from the mountain
without a hand being put to it,
which broke in pieces the tile, iron, bronze, silver, and gold.
The great God has revealed to the king what shall be in the future;
this is exactly what you dreamed, and its meaning is sure.

The stories in Daniel are not to be taken as historical. They are stories with a moral. They are written much later than the events they refer to and written as if the person was having a vision of the future. In today’s reading the author shows how Israelite wisdom is grater than that of the pagans. With God’s help Daniel is able to interpret the dream while the pagan wizards were not. He also wants to show that God is in charge of history. Kingdoms will come and go. People of the time thought that the world situation was going to get worse. God will one day make all things new and establish the Kingdom of Christ. This is the kingdom which the angel said to Mary would never end.

Responsorial Psalm Dn 3:57, 58, 59, 60, 61

R. (59b) Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord,
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord,
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"You heavens, bless the Lord,
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"All you waters above the heavens, bless the Lord,
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"All you hosts of the Lord, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.

Gospel Lk 21:5-11

While some people were speaking about
how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings,
Jesus said, "All that you see here?
the days will come when there will not be left
a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down."

Then they asked him,
"Teacher, when will this happen?
And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?"
He answered,
"See that you not be deceived,
for many will come in my name, saying,
"I am he," and "The time has come."
Do not follow them!
When you hear of wars and insurrections,
do not be terrified; for such things must happen first,
but it will not immediately be the end."
Then he said to them,
"Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues
from place to place;
and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky."

The Temple embellished by Herod was immensely beautiful. Jesus prophesied that it would all be destroyed. It happened in 70 AD. Jerusalem did not recognize God’s visitation. The truth is that  those who refuse to follow Jesus walk in darkness. Their end is destruction. People ask, when will the Temple be destroyed. He tells them not be deceived by false messiahs who even claim to be God, “I am he”. Likewise we are not to be deceived by the false promises of the world, - wealth, pleasure, fame, self-indulgence. These are false messiahs. Those who follow them will have the end that the Temple had. Catastrophes will happen in the world but Luke clearly says they are not linked with the end. The end of the world will come at the time decided, but each of us has our ‘world’ which will come to end shortly. Are you prepared?

Wednesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

 23rd November 2011

 I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking

that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.

Reading 1 Dn 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28

King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his lords,
with whom he drank.
Under the influence of the wine,
he ordered the gold and silver vessels
which Nebuchadnezzar, his father,
had taken from the temple in Jerusalem,
to be brought in so that the king, his lords,
his wives and his entertainers might drink from them.
When the gold and silver vessels
taken from the house of God in Jerusalem had been brought in,
and while the king, his lords, his wives and his entertainers
were drinking wine from them,
they praised their gods of gold and silver,
bronze and iron, wood and stone.

Suddenly, opposite the lamp stand,
the fingers of a human hand appeared,
writing on the plaster of the wall in the king's palace.
When the king saw the wrist and hand that wrote, his face blanched;
his thoughts terrified him, his hip joints shook,
and his knees knocked.

Then Daniel was brought into the presence of the king.
The king asked him, "Are you the Daniel, the Jewish exile,
whom my father, the king, brought from Judah?
I have heard that the Spirit of God is in you,
that you possess brilliant knowledge and extraordinary wisdom.
I have heard that you can interpret dreams and solve difficulties;
if you are able to read the writing and tell me what it means,
you shall be clothed in purple,
wear a gold collar about your neck,
and be third in the government of the kingdom."

Daniel answered the king:
"You may keep your gifts, or give your presents to someone else;
but the writing I will read for you, O king,
and tell you what it means.
You have rebelled against the Lord of heaven.
You had the vessels of his temple brought before you,
so that you and your nobles, your wives and your entertainers,
might drink wine from them;
and you praised the gods of silver and gold,
bronze and iron, wood and stone,
that neither see nor hear nor have intelligence.
But the God in whose hand is your life breath
and the whole course of your life, you did not glorify.
By him were the wrist and hand sent, and the writing set down.

"This is the writing that was inscribed:
MENE, TEKEL, and PERES.
These words mean:
MENE, God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it;
TEKEL, you have been weighed on the scales and found wanting;
PERES, your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians."

The king in this story is different from the others. Even when he hears the message of God he does not repent. As a result he is doomed. The moral of the story is quite clear. Human beings are dependent on God for everything and so they should glorify him as their Creator. They have no right to worship false gods and desecrate the sacred vessels of the Tempe in Jerusalem. They cannot do this with impunity. This is a moral for all time.

Responsorial Psalm Dn 3:62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67

R. (59b) Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"Sun and moon, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"Stars of heaven, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"Every shower and dew, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"All you winds, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"Fire and heat, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"Cold and chill, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.

Gospel Lk 21:12-19

Jesus said to the crowd:
"They will seize and persecute you,
they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons,
and they will have you led before kings and governors
because of my name.
It will lead to your giving testimony.
Remember, you are not to prepare your defence beforehand,
for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking
that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.
You will even be handed over by parents,
brothers, relatives, and friends,
and they will put some of you to death.
You will be hated by all because of my name,
but not a hair on your head will be destroyed.
By your perseverance you will secure your lives."

Jesus clearly says that persecution will be part of discipleship. Jesus was persecuted, so will his disciples be. We often prefer to forget this. Persecution is an opportunity to witness to Jesus. We need not be afraid. The Holy Spirit will be with us to defend us and give us invincible power. There will be persecutions from enemies but also from family members. Fidelity to Jesus will lead to divisions in families and denouncement to civil authorities. This will lead on to martyrdom. Outsiders will misunderstand disciples and hate them. But those who suffer for the sake of Jesus are blessed. We may lose everything, even our life, but ours is a faithful God. He will reward out of all proportion those who suffer for his Son. Do you pray to persevere in a world alien to Jesus? Do you see fidelity to Jesus’ Word as an opportunity to witness? 

Memorial of Saint Andrew Düng-Lac, priest and martyr, and his companions, martyrs
Thursday 24th November 2011

 Then they will see the Son of Man
coming in a cloud with power and great glory

Reading 1 Dn 6:12-28

Some men rushed into the upper chamber of Daniel's home
and found him praying and pleading before his God.
Then they went to remind the king about the prohibition:
"Did you not decree, O king,
that no one is to address a petition to god or man
for thirty days, except to you, O king;
otherwise he shall be cast into a den of lions?"
The king answered them, "The decree is absolute,
irrevocable under the Mede and Persian law."
To this they replied, "Daniel, the Jewish exile,
has paid no attention to you, O king,
or to the decree you issued;
three times a day he offers his prayer."
The king was deeply grieved at this news
and he made up his mind to save Daniel;
he worked till sunset to rescue him.
But these men insisted.
They said, "Keep in mind, O king,
that under the Mede and Persian law
every royal prohibition or decree is irrevocable."
So the king ordered Daniel to be brought and cast into the lions' den.
To Daniel he said,
"May your God, whom you serve so constantly, save you."
To forestall any tampering,
the king sealed with his own ring and the rings of the lords
the stone that had been brought to block the opening of the den.

Then the king returned to his palace for the night;
he refused to eat and he dismissed the entertainers.
Since sleep was impossible for him,
the king rose very early the next morning
and hastened to the lions' den.
As he drew near, he cried out to Daniel sorrowfully,
"O Daniel, servant of the living God,
has the God whom you serve so constantly
been able to save you from the lions?"
Daniel answered the king: "O king, live forever!
My God has sent his angel and closed the lions' mouths
so that they have not hurt me.
For I have been found innocent before him;
neither to you have I done any harm, O king!"
This gave the king great joy.
At his order Daniel was removed from the den,
unhurt because he trusted in his God.
The king then ordered the men who had accused Daniel,
along with their children and their wives,
to be cast into the lions' den.
Before they reached the bottom of the den,
the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.

Then King Darius wrote to the nations and peoples of every language,
wherever they dwell on the earth: "All peace to you!
I decree that throughout my royal domain
the God of Daniel is to be reverenced and feared:

"For he is the living God, enduring forever;
his Kingdom shall not be destroyed,
and his dominion shall be without end.
He is a deliverer and saviour,
working signs and wonders in heaven and on earth,
and he delivered Daniel from the lions' power."

The moral of this story is that the faithful Jew is willing to give his life rather than be unfaithful to the Lord God of the Israelites. God being a faithful God saves those who trust in him. In this story he saves Daniel from the lions. For “God is a deliverer and saviour, working signs and wonders in heaven and on earth”. The message of Daniel is one for all time.

Responsorial Psalm Dn 3:68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74

R. (59b) Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"Dew and rain, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"Frost and chill, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"Ice and snow, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"Nights and days, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"Light and darkness, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"Lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"Let the earth bless the Lord,
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.

Gospel Lk 21:20-28

Jesus said to his disciples:
"When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies,
know that its desolation is at hand.
Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains.
Let those within the city escape from it,
and let those in the countryside not enter the city,
for these days are the time of punishment
when all the Scriptures are fulfilled.
Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days,
for a terrible calamity will come upon the earth
and a wrathful judgment upon this people.
They will fall by the edge of the sword
and be taken as captives to all the Gentiles;
and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles
until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

"There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars,
and on earth nations will be in dismay,
perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves.
People will die of fright
in anticipation of what is coming upon the world,
for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
And then they will see the Son of Man
coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
But when these signs begin to happen,
stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand."

The Word of God is clear. There is no hope except in Jesus. To trust in anyone or anything else is folly and doomed to total loss. Abandon Jesus and we face only destruction in one form or another. This is what happened to Jerusalem. Luke speaks here of the destruction of the city in the year 70 AD, because it did not recognize the time of its visitation. Everyone has their time of visitation. To fail to recognize it brings the same fate as for Jerusalem. This is a cause of sorrow. We are called to life not death. The destruction of Jerusalem brings to mind the parousia, the second coming of Christ. It will be a time for the destruction of evil but a time of rejoicing and salvation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. On which side will you be? Now is the time to decide.

November 25, 2011

 Friday of the Thirty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will not pass away.

Reading 1 Dn 7:2-14

In a vision I, Daniel, saw during the night,
the four winds of heaven stirred up the great sea,
from which emerged four immense beasts,
each different from the others.
The first was like a lion, but with eagle's wings.
While I watched, the wings were plucked;
it was raised from the ground to stand on two feet
like a man, and given a human mind.
The second was like a bear; it was raised up on one side,
and among the teeth in its mouth were three tusks.
It was given the order, "Up, devour much flesh."
After this I looked and saw another beast, like a leopard;
on its back were four wings like those of a bird,
and it had four heads.
To this beast dominion was given.
After this, in the visions of the night I saw the fourth beast,
different from all the others,
terrifying, horrible, and of extraordinary strength;
it had great iron teeth with which it devoured and crushed,
and what was left it trampled with its feet.
I was considering the ten horns it had,
when suddenly another, a little horn, sprang out of their midst,
and three of the previous horns were torn away to make room for it.
This horn had eyes like a man,
and a mouth that spoke arrogantly.
As I watched,

Thrones were set up
and the Ancient One took his throne.
His clothing was snow bright,
and the hair on his head as white as wool;
His throne was flames of fire,
with wheels of burning fire.
A surging stream of fire
flowed out from where he sat;
Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him,
and myriads upon myriads attended him.

The court was convened, and the books were opened.
I watched, then, from the first of the arrogant words
which the horn spoke, until the beast was slain
and its body thrown into the fire to be burnt up.
The other beasts, which also lost their dominion,
were granted a prolongation of life for a time and a season.
As the visions during the night continued, I saw

One like a son of man coming,
on the clouds of heaven;
When he reached the Ancient One
and was presented before him,
He received dominion, glory, and kingship;
nations and peoples of every language serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that shall not be taken away,
his kingship shall not be destroyed.

We must remember that this is neither history nor prophecy concerning the future. The author was writing in the context of his time and thought patterns. he did not have in mind Jesus as Messiah.We cannot apply it to the time of Jesus and much less to later ages. It is written in the context of the time. This story has the same meaning as the story of the statue. These beasts refer to kingdoms which persecuted the Israelites. The horn refers to Antiochus who persecuted the Jews in the time of the Maccabees. The author announces the end of the persecution and the coming of God’s kingdom. ‘On the clouds of heaven’ refers to the divine glory and the One of Great Age refers to God. Of course God is out of time and is eternal. We cannot make an image of God which is a true representation. It can only be symbolic. This is just a human way of saying something which cannot otherwise be described. We have no experience of eternity. Jesus applied the term Son of Man to himself and proclaimed that men would see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven.

Responsorial Psalm Daniel 3:75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81

R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!
"Mountains and hills, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!
"Everything growing from the earth, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!
"You springs, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!
"Seas and rivers, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!
"You dolphins and all water creatures, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!
"All you birds of the air, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!
"All you beasts, wild and tame, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Gospel Lk 21:29-33

Jesus told his disciples a parable.
"Consider the fig tree and all the other trees.
When their buds burst open,
you see for yourselves and know that summer is now near;
in the same way, when you see these things happening,
know that the Kingdom of God is near.
Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away
until all these things have taken place.
Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will not pass away."

We are to read the signs of the times and take appropriate action. We are not to be complacent. Everything is passing away, including us, and there is a day of reckoning. There is only one thing that will last and it is the Word of Christ. He is the only Person who is master of the passing world. It may not look like that but we are not to be deceived. The wisest policy in this world is to accept the offer of friendship made by Jesus. The closer we can come to him in this life and the more sincere we are in listening to his Word, will be the key to salvation when our world crumbles around us. Life in this world has one goal for those wise in the Spirit. It is to make Jesus the centre of our life. Do you? You can decide today.

November 26, 2011

Saturday of the Thirty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Be vigilant at all times
and pray that you have the strength

to stand before the Son of Man.

Reading 1 Dn 7:15-27

I, Daniel, found my spirit anguished within its covering of flesh,
and I was terrified by the visions of my mind.
I approached one of those present
and asked him what all this meant in truth;
in answer, he made known to me the meaning of the things:
"These four great beasts stand for four kingdoms
which shall arise on the earth.
But the holy ones of the Most High shall receive the kingship,
to possess it forever and ever."

But I wished to make certain about the fourth beast,
so very terrible and different from the others,
devouring and crushing with its iron teeth and bronze claws,
and trampling with its feet what was left;
about the ten horns on its head, and the other one that sprang up,
before which three horns fell;
about the horn with the eyes and the mouth that spoke arrogantly,
which appeared greater than its fellows.
For, as I watched, that horn made war against the holy ones
and was victorious until the Ancient One arrived;
judgment was pronounced in favour of the holy ones of the Most High,
and the time came when the holy ones possessed the kingdom.
He answered me thus:

"The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on earth
different from all the others;
It shall devour the whole earth,
beat it down, and crush it.
The ten horns shall be ten kings
rising out of that kingdom;
another shall rise up after them,
Different from those before him,
who shall lay low three kings.
He shall speak against the Most High
and oppress the holy ones of the Most High,
thinking to change the feast days and the law.
They shall be handed over to him
for a year, two years, and a half-year.
But when the court is convened,
and his power is taken away
by final and absolute destruction,
Then the kingship and dominion and majesty
of all the kingdoms under the heavens
shall be given to the holy people of the Most High,
Whose Kingdom shall be everlasting:
all dominions shall serve and obey him."

These beasts represent the kingdoms persecuting the Israelites and the last is Antiochus. But all earthly kingdoms come to an end, however powerful hey have been in their hey day. The holy people are the people of God founded by the Messiah. The Christians saw themselves as ‘the holy ones’. They belong to God who will establish his everlasting reign.

Responsorial Psalm Dn 3:82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87

R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"You sons of men, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"O Israel, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"Priests of the Lord, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"Servants of the Lord, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"Spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"Holy men of humble heart, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.

Gospel Lk 21:34-36

Jesus said to his disciples:
"Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy
from carousing and drunkenness
and the anxieties of daily life,
and that day catch you by surprise like a trap.
For that day will assault everyone
who lives on the face of the earth.
Be vigilant at all times
and pray that you have the strength
to escape the tribulations that are imminent
and to stand before the Son of Man."

It is so easy to get so involved in the affairs of this life that we can hardly think of nothing else. Who has not? Our faith can become a part of our life that we turn to like other activities. We have our church-going time, times for saying prayers etc. and at other times we can live as if we have no faith. Jesus warns us about allowing our hearts to ‘become drowsy’. To be always awake we need to pray constantly. We need to build up a personal relationship with Jesus – in faith, but true. He is going to come to you one day. May he come as your friend. May he welcome you as the father the son who returned home.  Now is the opportunity to use your time well. “Now” is the only moment you have. Is Jesus your life or something or someone else?

God's Word for theSolemnity of Christ the Universal King

 The Solemnity of Christ the Universal King

Sunday 20th November

Ezekiel 34: 11-12. 15-17., Psalm 22:1-3, 5-6. Rv.1. 1Cor 15:20-28. Matthew 25:31-46

 I shall bring back the stray, bandage the wounded, strengthen the weak strong.

Near restful waters he leads me to revive my drooping spirit.

After that the end will come so that God may be all in all.

Take for your heritage the kingdom prepared for you, for you gave me food.

Gospel Mt 25:31-46

Jesus said to his disciples:
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory,
and all the angels with him,
he will sit upon his glorious throne,
and all the nations will be assembled before him.
And he will separate them one from another,
as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Then the king will say to those on his right,
'Come, you who are blessed by my Father.
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me,
ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me.'
Then the righteous will answer him and say,
'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,
or thirsty and give you drink?
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you,
or naked and clothe you?
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?'
And the king will say to them in reply,
'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did
for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Then he will say to those on his left,
'Depart from me, you accursed,
into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you gave me no food,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
a stranger and you gave me no welcome,
naked and you gave me no clothing,
ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.'
Then they will answer and say,
'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty
or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison,
and not minister to your needs?'
He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you,
what you did not do for one of these least ones,
you did not do for me.'
And these will go off to eternal punishment,
but the righteous to eternal life."

 Find salvation in the market place

We have the power to decide but must answer to God for our choices. I can decide to love or to hate.

            There is a theme running through life in all its forms. How have I used my gift to love? Love is the key to salvation. God looks for love. We may not have had the opportunity to know God, or Jesus Christ and we cannot love someone we have never known. We live here and it is among human beings that our salvation is found or lost.

            Jesus in this parable mentions the basic physical needs of people, - food, water, clothing, housing, health, and freedom. But more than physical needs human beings need love and compassion. Jesus doesn’t talk of grandiose schemes to eliminate poverty. He talks of one human being helping another in human concern.

            God is concerned about each person. He feels for them. He feels the pain of each of his children. He wants us to share the pain of others and reach out to them in a personal way. He says, “I was hungry and you gave me to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me to drink”. Our suffering neighbour is not Jesus.  It is often difficult to see the face of Jesus in them. But we must remember that however rough or crude he or she may be Jesus loves them and longs to save them and so must we. We love them because Jesus loves them. We serve them because Jesus wants us to. We value them because Jesus values them.

            The Israelite slaves in Egypt did not listen to Moses; “So discouraged were they by their cruel slavery”. Love will make us go out to others in their basic needs but they have other needs. Everyone needs to know Jesus. Our love should be warm and human and unconditional. If it is, it will often attract the other to the source of our love, namely to Jesus. Until we are able to give Jesus to people we haven’t really done them any lasting service. He is the real food, the real drink. He gives real freedom. He heals us and not just our sicknesses. He has prepared an eternal home for us. Pure human love is the source of all our activity. It is a love, which shows itself in word and in deed. Words without deeds are hollow but deeds without words are misunderstood.

            This parable teaches the mystery of eternal punishment. We may not be able to understand the horror of an eternity of torment, but Jesus teaches it again and again. It is not for some slip but for people who have feely chosen to withhold their love. Hell is a loveless place and is for those who have no love in them, but only hatred.

Father, may I share everything I have with those who suffer.

God's Word for the weekdays from 14th November

He is not God of the dead, but of the living,
for to him all are alive
  (Saturday)

 

Please scroll down to find the page you want.

Monday of the Thirty-Third Week in Ordinary Time 

Monday 14th November 2011
Reading 1 1 Mc 1:10-15, 41-43, 54-57, 62-63

[From the descendants of Alexander's officers]
there sprang a sinful offshoot, Antiochus Epiphanes,
son of King Antiochus, once a hostage at Rome.
He became king in the year one hundred and thirty seven
of the kingdom of the Greeks.

In those days there appeared in Israel
men who were breakers of the law,
and they seduced many people, saying:
"Let us go and make an alliance with the Gentiles all around us;
since we separated from them, many evils have come upon us."
The proposal was agreeable;
some from among the people promptly went to the king,
and he authorized them to introduce the way of living
of the Gentiles.
Thereupon they built a gymnasium in Jerusalem
according to the Gentile custom.
They covered over the mark of their circumcision
and abandoned the holy covenant;
they allied themselves with the Gentiles
and sold themselves to wrongdoing.

Then the king wrote to his whole kingdom that all should be one people,
each abandoning his particular customs.
All the Gentiles conformed to the command of the king,
and many children of Israel were in favor of his religion;
they sacrificed to idols and profaned the sabbath.

On the fifteenth day of the month Chislev,
in the year one hundred and forty-five,
the king erected the horrible abomination
upon the altar of burnt offerings
and in the surrounding cities of Judah they built pagan altars.
They also burned incense at the doors of the houses and in the streets.
Any scrolls of the law which they found they tore up and burnt.
Whoever was found with a scroll of the covenant,
and whoever observed the law,
was condemned to death by royal decree.
But many in Israel were determined
and resolved in their hearts not to eat anything unclean;
they preferred to die rather than to be defiled with unclean food
or to profane the holy covenant; and they did die.
Terrible affliction was upon Israel.

This passage sets the scene for the for all that follows. Antiochus wants to unite his kingdom and thinks that they way to do it is tohave one culture and one religion and so he tries to impose the Greek culture and religion. Faithful Jews will rise up in revolt. They will give their lives rather than deny the faith of their fathers.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 119:53, 61, 134, 150, 155, 158

R. (see 88) Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
Indignation seizes me because of the wicked
who forsake your law.
R. Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
Though the snares of the wicked are twined about me,
your law I have not forgotten.
R. Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
Redeem me from the oppression of men,
that I may keep your precepts.
R. Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
I am attacked by malicious persecutors
who are far from your law.
R. Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
Far from sinners is salvation,
because they seek not your statutes.
R. Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
I beheld the apostates with loathing,
because they kept not to your promise.
R. Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.

Gospel Lk 18:35-43

As Jesus approached Jericho
a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging,
and hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what was happening.
They told him,
"Jesus of Nazareth is passing by."
He shouted, "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!"
The people walking in front rebuked him,
telling him to be silent,
but he kept calling out all the more,
"Son of David, have pity on me!"
Then Jesus stopped and ordered that he be brought to him;
and when he came near, Jesus asked him,
"What do you want me to do for you?"
He replied, "Lord, please let me see."
Jesus told him, "Have sight; your faith has saved you."
He immediately received his sight
and followed him, giving glory to God.
When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God.

This man lives in darkness. Without Jesus we live in darkness, even if we think we see. The man sits by the side of the road, helpless. He has never seen, but he has heard of Jesus and calls him ‘Jesus, Son of David’ a Messianic title. Everyone who calls on the name of Jesus will be saved (Rom10:9). People there told him to be silent, but he realized that Jesus was his only hope. If he let him pass, he would remain in darkness. Jesus is our only hope for life but do we understand this? Do we think we can find life in the things of this world? Do we succumb to our own desires which prevent us meeting Christ Jesus? Are we afraid of what others will say or think? Jesus tests faith to make it grow. Jesus opens his eyes and he follows Jesus. Do you?

November 15, 2011 
Tuesday of the Thirty-Third Week in Ordinary Time
Reading 1 2 Mc 6:18-31

Eleazar, one of the foremost scribes,
a man of advanced age and noble appearance,
was being forced to open his mouth to eat pork.
But preferring a glorious death to a life of defilement,
he spat out the meat,
and went forward of his own accord to the instrument of torture,
as people ought to do who have the courage to reject the food
which it is unlawful to taste even for love of life.
Those in charge of that unlawful ritual meal took the man aside privately,
because of their long acquaintance with him,
and urged him to bring meat of his own providing,
such as he could legitimately eat,
and to pretend to be eating some of the meat of the sacrifice
prescribed by the king;
in this way he would escape the death penalty,
and be treated kindly because of their old friendship with him.
But Eleazar made up his mind in a noble manner,
worthy of his years, the dignity of his advanced age,
the merited distinction of his grey hair,
and of the admirable life he had lived from childhood;
and so he declared that above all
he would be loyal to the holy laws given by God.

He told them to send him at once
to the abode of the dead, explaining:
"At our age it would be unbecoming to make such a pretence;
many young people would think the ninety-year-old Eleazar
had gone over to an alien religion.
Should I thus pretend for the sake of a brief moment of life,
they would be led astray by me,
while I would bring shame and dishonour on my old age.
Even if, for the time being, I avoid the punishment of men,
I shall never, whether alive or dead,
escape the hands of the Almighty.
Therefore, by manfully giving up my life now,
I will prove myself worthy of my old age,
and I will leave to the young a noble example
of how to die willingly and generously
for the revered and holy laws."

Eleazar spoke thus,
and went immediately to the instrument of torture.
Those who shortly before had been kindly disposed,
now became hostile toward him because what he had said
seemed to them utter madness.
When he was about to die under the blows,
he groaned and said:
"The Lord in his holy knowledge knows full well that,
although I could have escaped death,
I am not only enduring terrible pain in my body from this scourging,
but also suffering it with joy in my soul
because of my devotion to him."
This is how he died,
leaving in his death a model of courage
and an unforgettable example of virtue
not only for the young but for the whole nation.

It was the death of such faithful Israelites that induced the Israelites to believe in the life after death. God is a faithful God and it would be unjust to allow people to sacrifice their only life for the sake of the laws of God and their belief in him if everything ended at death. God would surely reward those who sacrificed their lives for him. In this way God revealed to them that there is a life after death in which people are rewarded for their fidelity to him. We can ask ourselves whether like Eliazer we put God and his laws first in our life. Are we willing to sacrifice everything, including our life, for him, trusting like him in his goodness and fidelity?

Responsorial Psalm Ps 3:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

R. (6b) The Lord upholds me.
O LORD, how many are my adversaries!
Many rise up against me!
Many are saying of me,
"There is no salvation for him in God."
R. The Lord upholds me.
But you, O LORD, are my shield;
my glory, you lift up my head!
When I call out to the LORD,
he answers me from his holy mountain.
R. The Lord upholds me.
When I lie down in sleep,
I wake again, for the LORD sustains me.
I fear not the myriads of people
arrayed against me on every side.
R. The Lord upholds me.

Gospel Lk 19:1-10

At that time Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town.
Now a man there named Zacchaeus,
who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man,
was seeking to see who Jesus was;
but he could not see him because of the crowd,
for he was short in stature.
So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus,
who was about to pass that way.
When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said,
"Zacchaeus, come down quickly,
for today I must stay at your house."
And he came down quickly and received him with joy.
When they saw this, they began to grumble, saying,
"He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner."
But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord,
"Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor,
and if I have extorted anything from anyone
I shall repay it four times over."
And Jesus said to him,
"Today salvation has come to this house
because this man too is a descendant of Abraham.
For the Son of Man has come to seek
and to save what was lost."

This story is the story of the Gospel. Jesus has come to search for us and invite us to intimate friendship. His love is unconditional. He didn’t ask Zachaeus to repent before inviting himself to his house. He wanted to meet Zachaeus because he loved him. He loves you too, whether you repent or not. Zachaeus too wants to see Jesus. Do you want to meet Jesus? Zachaeus was not able to see Jesus. Not only his size but his sins prevented him. But Jesus calls him by his name. He is precious to him and he doesn’t want to lose him. When Zachaeus realizes how much Jesus longs for him, he is transformed. Love transforms. He gladly throws away his wealth. The friendship of Jesus is worth more than the entire world. Has Jesus’ love touched you? Can you believe he wants you as his friend? 

November 16, 2011 
Wednesday of the Thirty-Third Week in Ordinary Time
Reading 1 2 Mc 7:1, 20-31

It happened that seven brothers with their mother were arrested
and tortured with whips and scourges by the king,
to force them to eat pork in violation of God's law.

Most admirable and worthy of everlasting remembrance was the mother,
who saw her seven sons perish in a single day,
yet bore it courageously because of her hope in the Lord.
Filled with a noble spirit that stirred her womanly heart with manly courage,
she exhorted each of them
in the language of their ancestors with these words:
"I do not know how you came into existence in my womb;
it was not I who gave you the breath of life,
nor was it I who set in order
the elements of which each of you is composed.
Therefore, since it is the Creator of the universe
who shapes each man's beginning,
as he brings about the origin of everything,
he, in his mercy,
will give you back both breath and life,
because you now disregard yourselves for the sake of his law."

Antiochus, suspecting insult in her words,
thought he was being ridiculed.
As the youngest brother was still alive, the king appealed to him,
not with mere words, but with promises on oath,
to make him rich and happy if he would abandon his ancestral customs:
he would make him his Friend
and entrust him with high office.
When the youth paid no attention to him at all,
the king appealed to the mother,
urging her to advise her boy to save his life.
After he had urged her for a long time,
she went through the motions of persuading her son.
In derision of the cruel tyrant,
she leaned over close to her son and said in their native language:
"Son, have pity on me, who carried you in my womb for nine months,
nursed you for three years, brought you up,
educated and supported you to your present age.
I beg you, child, to look at the heavens and the earth
and see all that is in them;
then you will know that God did not make them out of existing things;
and in the same way the human race came into existence.
Do not be afraid of this executioner,
but be worthy of your brothers and accept death,
so that in the time of mercy I may receive you again with them."

She had scarcely finished speaking when the youth said:
"What are you waiting for?
I will not obey the king's command.
I obey the command of the law given to our fathers through Moses.
But you, who have contrived every kind of affliction for the Hebrews,
will not escape the hands of God."

She suffered the death of her seven sons because, the Word of God says, of her hope in the Lord. God is a just and faithful God. He will in no way abandon those who sacrifice their lfe for him, as the mother instructed her sons. Belief in the future life sprang from the knowledge that God is faithful and just and therefore will save those who trust in him. Jesus will teach his disciples not to be afraid of those who can only kill the body but cannot touch their souls. The martyrs in the Old Testament and those of the New teach us the truth of this statement. A man can have no greater love Jesus said than to lay down his life for his friends. For this reason the Christian Community of the Church honours most of all those who gave their life rather than deny their Lord.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 17:1bcd, 5-6, 8b and 15

R. (15b) Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.
Hear, O LORD, a just suit;
attend to my outcry;
hearken to my prayer from lips without deceit.
R. Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.
My steps have been steadfast in your paths,
my feet have not faltered.
I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;
incline your ear to me; hear my word.
R. Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.
Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings.
But I in justice shall behold your face;
on waking, I shall be content in your presence.
R. Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.

Gospel Lk 19:11-28

While people were listening to Jesus speak,
he proceeded to tell a parable because he was near Jerusalem
and they thought that the Kingdom of God
would appear there immediately.
So he said,
"A nobleman went off to a distant country
to obtain the kingship for himself and then to return.
He called ten of his servants and gave them ten gold coins
and told them, 'Engage in trade with these until I return.'
His fellow citizens, however, despised him
and sent a delegation after him to announce,
'"We do not want this man to be our king.'
But when he returned after obtaining the kingship,
he had the servants called, to whom he had given the money,
to learn what they had gained by trading.
The first came forward and said,
'Sir, your gold coin has earned ten additional ones.'
He replied, 'Well done, good servant!
You have been faithful in this very small matter;
take charge of ten cities.'
Then the second came and reported,
'Your gold coin, sir, has earned five more.'
And to this servant too he said,
'You, take charge of five cities.'
Then the other servant came and said,
'Sir, here is your gold coin;
I kept it stored away in a handkerchief,
for I was afraid of you, because you are a demanding man;
you take up what you did not lay down
and you harvest what you did not plant.'
He said to him,
'With your own words I shall condemn you,
you wicked servant.
You knew I was a demanding man,
taking up what I did not lay down
and harvesting what I did not plant;
why did you not put my money in a bank?
Then on my return I would have collected it with interest.'
And to those standing by he said,
'Take the gold coin from him
and give it to the servant who has ten.'
But they said to him,
'Sir, he has ten gold coins.'
He replied, 'I tell you,
to everyone who has, more will be given,
but from the one who has not,
even what he has will be taken away.
Now as for those enemies of mine who did not want me as their king,
bring them here and slay them before me.'"

After he had said this,
he proceeded on his journey up to Jerusalem.

Can we identify the king with God? In an agrarian society money is made by giving it on interest. The servants would have made money while the master was away in this way. From one gold coin the servant made ten. This could only be done by being what today we call a loan shark. Naturally the king was pleased with him. This money was for him. So he congratulates them. He himself earns money through hardness of heart as the other servant says. Naturally he considers the one who refused to earn money unjustly a useless servant. Is a king who slaughters his enemies a type of God?. Is Jesus not telling us that we should not follow the ways of the world, greed, exploitation and revenge? Jesus refused to and was killed. Are you willing to be despised because you will not go along with the world?

Memorial of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, religious

Thursday 17th November 2011

Reading 1 1 Mc 2:15-29

The officers of the king in charge of enforcing the apostasy
came to the city of Modein to organize the sacrifices.
Many of Israel joined them,
but Mattathias and his sons gathered in a group apart.
Then the officers of the king addressed Mattathias:
"You are a leader, an honourable and great man in this city,
supported by sons and kin.
Come now, be the first to obey the king's command,
as all the Gentiles and the men of Judah
and those who are left in Jerusalem have done.
Then you and your sons shall be numbered among the King's Friends,
and shall be enriched with silver and gold and many gifts."
But Mattathias answered in a loud voice:
"Although all the Gentiles in the king's realm obey him,
so that each forsakes the religion of his fathers
and consents to the king's orders,
yet I and my sons and my kin
will keep to the covenant of our fathers.
God forbid that we should forsake the law and the commandments.
We will not obey the words of the king
nor depart from our religion in the slightest degree."

As he finished saying these words,
a certain Jew came forward in the sight of all
to offer sacrifice on the altar in Modein
according to the king's order.
When Mattathias saw him, he was filled with zeal;
his heart was moved and his just fury was aroused;
he sprang forward and killed him upon the altar.
At the same time, he also killed the messenger of the king
who was forcing them to sacrifice,
and he tore down the altar.
Thus he showed his zeal for the law,
just as Phinehas did with Zimri, son of Salu.

Then Mattathias went through the city shouting,
"Let everyone who is zealous for the law
and who stands by the covenant follow after me!"
Thereupon he fled to the mountains with his sons,
leaving behind in the city all their possessions.
Many who sought to live according to righteousness and religious custom
went out into the desert to settle there.

Respect for the Law of Moses forces Mattathias take up arms in a holy war. It will also be political too in seeking independence. His attitude is an example to us to put God first in our lives and never to compromise our beliefs.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 50:1b-2, 5-6, 14-15

R. (23b) To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
God the LORD has spoken and summoned the earth,
from the rising of the sun to its setting.
From Zion, perfect in beauty,
God shines forth.
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
"Gather my faithful ones before me,
those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice."
And the heavens proclaim his justice;
for God himself is the judge.
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
"Offer to God praise as your sacrifice
and fulfil your vows to the Most High;
Then call upon me in time of distress;
I will rescue you, and you shall glorify me."
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

Gospel Lk 19:41-44

As Jesus drew near Jerusalem,
he saw the city and wept over it, saying,
"If this day you only knew what makes for peace?
but now it is hidden from your eyes.
For the days are coming upon you
when your enemies will raise a palisade against you;
they will encircle you and hem you in on all sides.
They will smash you to the ground and your children within you,
and they will not leave one stone upon another within you
because you did not recognize the time of your visitation."

Jesus loved Jerusalem. It was God’s chosen city. The Temple was his dwelling place. Jesus longed to fill it with God’s blessings. Since the city rejected him, he could not. Jesus sees the destruction of the Temple and city in AD 70 as a judgement of God. Writing after that date Luke describes the devastation. Now we are the chosen ones: “I chose you before the foundation of the world”. “You are the Temple of God. God lives in you”. However, as with Jerusalem, so with us, his love makes God helpless in the face of our hardness of heart and willful rebellion. Looking at us, Jesus can only weep at the heavy price we will pay for our rejection. Our ‘Temple’ too will be destroyed, not by God but by the very sins we commit. But we can change our future. Have you realized the importance of your decisions?

Friday of the Thirty-Third Week in Ordinary Time

18th November 2011

Reading 1 1 Mc 4:36-37, 52-59

Judas and his brothers said,
"Now that our enemies have been crushed,
let us go up to purify the sanctuary and rededicate it."
So the whole army assembled, and went up to Mount Zion.

Early in the morning on the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month,
that is, the month of Chislev,
in the year one hundred and forty-eight,
they arose and offered sacrifice according to the law
on the new altar of burnt offerings that they had made.
On the anniversary of the day on which the Gentiles had defiled it,
on that very day it was reconsecrated
with songs, harps, flutes, and cymbals.
All the people prostrated themselves and adored and praised Heaven,
who had given them success.

For eight days they celebrated the dedication of the altar
and joyfully offered burnt offerings and sacrifices
of deliverance and praise.
They ornamented the facade of the temple with gold crowns and shields;
they repaired the gates and the priests' chambers
and furnished them with doors.
There was great joy among the people
now that the disgrace of the Gentiles was removed.
Then Judas and his brothers and the entire congregation of Israel
decreed that the days of the dedication of the altar
should be observed with joy and gladness
on the anniversary every year for eight days,
from the twenty-fifth day of the month Chislev.

The Temple had been desecrated by the gentiles who had even built an altar to Zeus. We see here the zeal for the house of God shown by Matthathias. This became an annual feast called the feast of dedication referred to in John chapter 10.

Responsorial Psalm 1 Chronicles 29:10bcd, 11abc, 11d-12a, 12bcd

R. (13b) We praise your glorious name, O mighty God.
"Blessed may you be, O LORD,
God of Israel our father,
from eternity to eternity."
R. We praise your glorious name, O mighty God.
"Yours, O LORD, are grandeur and power,
majesty, splendour, and glory.
For all in heaven and on earth is yours."
R. We praise your glorious name, O mighty God.
"Yours, O LORD, is the sovereignty;
you are exalted as head over all.
Riches and honour are from you."
R. We praise your glorious name, O mighty God.
"You have dominion over all,
In your hand are power and might;
it is yours to give grandeur and strength to all."
R. We praise your glorious name, O mighty God.

Gospel Lk 19:45-48

Jesus entered the temple area and proceeded to drive out
those who were selling things, saying to them,
"It is written, My house shall be a house of prayer,
but you have made it a den of thieves."
And every day he was teaching in the temple area.
The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people, meanwhile,
were seeking to put him to death,
but they could find no way to accomplish their purpose
because all the people were hanging on his words.

The Messiah has taken possession of the Temple. Until his Passion Jesus will spend every day teaching God’s people there. As Messiah he clears the Temple of all that is unworthy of God.  On his first arrival in the Temple Simeon had prophesied that he would be the cause of division, for the rise and fall of many in Israel. The people hang on to his words. The chief priests want to kill him. The community of believers is now the Temple. Each of us too is temple for God. What will Jesus be offended by in the life of your Community? What will displease him in the temple which we are individually? We need to beg him cleanse us now so that we become a fit dwelling place for God. The Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed because it refused to be made holy. Then what of you and me?

Saturday of the Thirty-Third Week in Ordinary Time

19th November 2011

Reading 1 1 Mc 6:1-13

As King Antiochus was traversing the inland provinces,
he heard that in Persia there was a city called Elymais,
famous for its wealth in silver and gold,
and that its temple was very rich,
containing gold helmets, breastplates, and weapons
left there by Alexander, son of Philip,
king of Macedon, the first king of the Greeks.
He went therefore and tried to capture and pillage the city.
But he could not do so,
because his plan became known to the people of the city
who rose up in battle against him.
So he retreated and in great dismay withdrew from there
to return to Babylon.

While he was in Persia, a messenger brought him news
that the armies sent into the land of Judah had been put to flight;
that Lysias had gone at first with a strong army
and been driven back by the children of Israel;
that they had grown strong
by reason of the arms, men, and abundant possessions
taken from the armies they had destroyed;
that they had pulled down the Abomination
which he had built upon the altar in Jerusalem;
and that they had surrounded with high walls
both the sanctuary, as it had been before,
and his city of Beth-zur.

When the king heard this news,
he was struck with fear and very much shaken.
Sick with grief because his designs had failed, he took to his bed.
There he remained many days, overwhelmed with sorrow,
for he knew he was going to die.

So he called in all his Friends and said to them:
"Sleep has departed from my eyes,
for my heart is sinking with anxiety.
I said to myself: "Into what tribulation have I come,
and in what floods of sorrow am I now!
Yet I was kindly and beloved in my rule."
But I now recall the evils I did in Jerusalem,
when I carried away all the vessels of gold and silver
that were in it, and for no cause
gave orders that the inhabitants of Judah be destroyed.
I know that this is why these evils have overtaken me;
and now I am dying, in bitter grief, in a foreign land."

The author puts his despair and death down to his pillage of Jerusalem and the punishment of God. The responsorial psalm also declares that God’s hand is here bringing salvation to the Israelites. The underlying motif is that we can always trust God to be with us if we are faithful to him. It is clear that in this life there is only one wise way of living. To grasp at the things of this life disregarding the God who is author of everything is to grasp at a straw. We will drown. To seek to know Jesus, to have union with him and do his will is the only way to flourish in this life and in the next. Anything else is worthless.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 9:2-3, 4 and 6, 16 and 19

R. (see 16a) I will rejoice in your salvation, O Lord.
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart;
I will declare all your wondrous deeds.
I will be glad and exult in you;
I will sing praise to your name, Most High.
R. I will rejoice in your salvation, O Lord.
Because my enemies are turned back,
overthrown and destroyed before you.
You rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked;
their name you blotted out forever and ever.
R. I will rejoice in your salvation, O Lord.
The nations are sunk in the pit they have made;
in the snare they set, their foot is caught.
For the needy shall not always be forgotten,
nor shall the hope of the afflicted forever perish.
R. I will rejoice in your salvation, O Lord.

Gospel Lk 20:27-40

Some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection,
came forward and put this question to Jesus, saying,
"Teacher, Moses wrote for us,
If someone's brother dies leaving a wife but no child,
his brother must take the wife
and raise up descendants for his brother.
Now there were seven brothers;
the first married a woman but died childless.
Then the second and the third married her,
and likewise all the seven died childless.
Finally the woman also died.
Now at the resurrection whose wife will that woman be?
For all seven had been married to her."
Jesus said to them,
"The children of this age marry and remarry;
but those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age
and to the resurrection of the dead
neither marry nor are given in marriage.
They can no longer die,
for they are like angels;
and they are the children of God
because they are the ones who will rise.
That the dead will rise
even Moses made known in the passage about the bush,
when he called "Lord,
the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob;
and he is not God of the dead, but of the living,
for to him all are alive."
Some of the scribes said in reply,
"Teacher, you have answered well."
And they no longer dared to ask him anything.

We must not think that the future life is an improved version of this life. “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man to know what God has prepared for those who love him”. We already possess eternal life and the love of God even now urges us on to a closer intimacy and union with him. We must not think that human life in which we are male and female is limited to what we experience here. The life of faith begun here will flower in the vision of God. It will be human life but filled ‘with the utter fullness of God’. God is a God of fidelity. He will not allow death to swallow up those who have lived and died for him. In your love for Jesus do you desire to experience eternal life even now?