REJOICE! GAUDETE!

December 16, 2018

Third Sunday of Advent

Lectionary: 9

It-Tielet Ħadd tal-Avvent

 

Reading 1     ZEPhaniah 3:14-18A

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

Qari I  -  mill-Ktieb tal-Profeta Sofonija 3, 14-18a 

Għajjat bil-ferħ ta’ qalbek, bint Sijon, Iżrael, samma’ leħnek! Infexx fl-hena u ifraħ b’qalbek kollha, bint Ġerusalemm! Neħħa l-Mulej minn fuqek is-sentenza li kellek kontrik, keċċa l-għedewwa tiegħek. Is-sultan t’Iżrael, il-Mulej, hu f’nofsok; ma jkollokx iżjed ħsara minn xiex tibża’. Dakinhar jgħidu lil Ġerusalemm: “Tibżax, Sijon, tħallix idejk jintelqu! Il-Mulej, Alla tiegħek, qiegħed f’nofsok,gwerrier li jsalva; minħabba fik jithenna b’hena kbir, fi mħabbtu jġeddek, jinfexx minħabba fik f’għajjat ta’ ferħ, bħalkieku f’jum ta’ festa”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej 

Responsorial Psalm      ISaiah 12:2-3, 4, 5-6.

God indeed is my savior;
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water
at the fountain of salvation.
R. Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.

Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;
among the nations make known his deeds,
proclaim how exalted is his name.
R. Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.

Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;
let this be known throughout all the earth.
Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,
for great in your midst
is the Holy One of Israel!
R. Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.

Salm Responsorjali          Isaija 12, 2-3.4bċd. 5-6

R/. (6): Kbir hu f’nofsok il-Qaddis ta’ Iżrael    

Alla s-salvazzjoni tiegħi,

jiena nittama u ma jkollix mniex nibża’.

Għax qawwieti u għanjieti hu l-Mulej,

għalija sar is-salvazzjoni.

Kollkom ferħana

timlew l-ilma mill-għejun tas-salvazzjoni.   R/.

Roddu ħajr lill-Mulej, sejħu ismu,

għarrfu lill-ġnus bl-għemejjel tiegħu,

xandru li ismu huwa fl-għoli.      R/.

                                          

Għannu lill-Mulej għax għamel ħwejjeġ kbar;

ħa jkun dan magħruf mal-art kollha.

Aqbeż bil-ferħ, għanni,

int li tgħammar f’Sijon,

għax kbir hu f’nofsok il-Qaddis ta’ Iżrael.   R/. 

Reading 2      PHILippians 4:4-7      

Brothers and sisters: Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,  make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all nderstanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Qari II       mill-Ittra lill-Filippin 4, 4-7

Ħuti, ifirħu dejjem fil-Mulej; nerġa’ ngħidilkom, ifirħu. Il-ħlewwa tagħkom, ħa jkunu jafuha l-bnedmin kollha. Il-Mulej qorob! Tħabbtu raskom b’xejn. Fit-talb kollu tagħkom itolbu u uru lil Alla xi jkollkom bżonn, u iżżuh ħajr. U s-sliem ta’ Alla, sliem li jgħaddi kulma l-moħħ jista’ jifhem, iżommilkom qalbkom u moħħkom sħaħ fi Kristu Ġesù. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej 

Gospel        LuKe 3:10-18

The crowds asked John the Baptist, “What should we do?” He said to them in reply, “Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise.” Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?” He answered them,  “Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.” Soldiers also asked him, “And what is it that we should do?” He told them, “Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone,  and be satisfied with your wages.” Now the people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts  whether John might be the Christ. John answered them all, saying,  “I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn,  but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” Exhorting them in many other ways, he preached good news to the people.

Evanġelju    Qari skond San Luqa 3, 10-18  

F’dak iż-żmien, in-nies kienu jistaqsu lil Ġwanni u jgħidulu: “Mela x’għandna nagħmlu?”. U huwa kien iweġibhom: “Min għandu żewġ ilbiesi, jaqsam ma’ min ma għandu xejn, u min għandu x’jiekol jagħmel l-istess”. Resqu wkoll xi pubblikani biex jitgħammdu u qalulu: “Mgħallem, x’għandna nagħmlu aħna?”. U huwa weġibhom: “Tissikkaw lil ħadd biex jagħtikom taxxi iżjed milli jmisskom tieħdu”. Staqsewh ukoll xi suldati u qalulu: “U aħna, x’għandna nagħmlu?”. U huwa weġibhom: “Tisirqu lil ħadd bit-tehdid jew bil-qerq tagħkom, u kkuntentaw ruħkom bil-paga li għandkom”. Il-poplu kien qiegħed jistenna ħerqan, u kulħadd kien jistaqsi lilu nnifsu dwar Ġwanni, jekk kienx hu l-Messija. Għalhekk Ġwanni qabad u qal lil kulħadd: “Jien, ngħid għalija, ngħammidkom bl-ilma, imma ġej wieħed aqwa minni, li ma jistħoqqlix inħollu l-qfieli tal-qorq tiegħu. Hu jgħammidkom bl-Ispirtu s-Santu u n-nar. Il-midra qiegħda f’idu, biex iderri l-qiegħa u jiġbor il-qamħ fil-maħżen tiegħu, imma t-tiben jaħarqu b’nar li ma jintefiex”. U b’ħafna twissijiet oħra kien ixandar lill-poplu l-bxara t-tajba. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

//////////////////////////

Shout for Joy, O Daughter Zion!

A reflection by Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB                                      

                  

Advent, far from being a penitential time, is a time of rejoicing. Christians proclaim that the Messiah has indeed come and that God’s reign is at hand. During these days we are invited to quietly prepare our hearts and our lives for the coming of the Son of God in the flesh.

On this third Sunday of Advent – known as Gaudete Sunday, the Sunday of rejoicing – I would like to focus on two important themes found in today’s scripture readings: the biblical expression “Daughter of Zion” and what it means to “rejoice.”

The rich text of today’s first reading from the Prophet Zephaniah (3:14-18a) speaks of the Daughter of Zion, the personification of the city of Jerusalem. Let us reflect on the significance of this title of the holy city of Jerusalem and see how and why the Church appropriated the title for Mary, Mother of the Lord.

“Daughter of Zion” is the personified title of the city of Jerusalem. Zion was the name of the Jebusite citadel that later became the City of David. In the many texts of the Old Testament that speak of the Daughter of Zion, there is no real distinction to be made between a daughter of Zion and the city of Jerusalem itself.

In the Old Testament, the title “Virgin of Israel” is the same as the Daughter of Zion. The image of the Bride of the Lord is found in Hosea, chapters 1-3: It reflects the infidelity of the people to their God.

Jeremiah 3:3-4 speaks of prostitution and the infidelity of the bride. Virginity in the Old Testament is fidelity to the Covenant. In 2 Corinthians 11:2, Paul speaks of the Church as a pure virgin. Here, virginity is the purity of faith.

Throughout the Old Testament, it is in Zion-Jerusalem that God shall gather together all of his people. In Isaiah 35:10, the tribes of Israel shall gather in Zion. In Ezekiel 22:17-22, the prophet describes God’s purification of his people that shall take place “within” the walls of the city, in the midst of Jerusalem.

The Hebrew word used to describe this inner section of the city is beqervah, a word formed from the root qerev meaning something deep, intimate, situated deep within a person. It also means the maternal womb, the intestines, the breast, the insides of a person, and the most secret area of one’s soul, where wisdom, spirit, malice, and the Law of the Lord dwell. Therefore, the city of Jerusalem has a definite maternal character in the history of salvation.

In the Christian Tradition    

The Second Vatican Council formally called Mary “Daughter of Zion” in the dogmatic constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium (#52). The Church’s appropriation of this title for the Mother of the Lord has a rich scriptural foundation. Mary illustrates the prophecies of the Old Testament that ascribed value to the eschatological role of woman as mother, both of the Messiah and of the new people of God: the individual person and the whole people being very closely united, in line with the cultural structures of Israel.

The title “Daughter of Zion” evokes the great biblical symbolism of the Messianic Zion. For the prophets, the Daughter of Zion was the spouse of the Lord when she observed the covenant. Mary’s role as Daughter of Zion, or for that matter any of her roles in the life of God’s people, can never be understood independently of Christ and of the Spirit, which he bestows upon all humanity by dying on the cross.

Lumen Gentium says that all theology and Marian piety belong to the mystery of Christ and to the mystery of the Church. Mary, Daughter of Zion, is the archetype of the Church as Bride, Virgin, and Mother. It is not only biological virginity but also spiritual virginity, which means fidelity to the Scriptures, openness toward others, and purity in faith.

Mary’s words to the servants at the wedding banquet in Cana (John 2:1-12) are an invitation to all peoples to become part of the new people of God. Mary is the new Daughter of Zion because she has invited the servants to perfectly obey Jesus the Lord. At Cana this new Daughter of Zion has spoken to all people.

At both Cana and Calvary (in John’s Gospel), Mary manifests not only her maternity and physical relationship with her Son but also her highly symbolic role as Woman and Mother of God’s people. At Calvary, more than any other place in the fourth Gospel, Mary is “Mother Zion”: her spiritual maternity begins at the foot of the cross.

As Mother Zion, she welcomes and represents not only Israel but the Church, the People of God of the New Covenant. At the foot of the cross, Mary is the mother of the new Messianic people, of all those who are one in Christ.

She who bore Jesus in her womb now takes her place in the assembly of God’s holy people. She is the new Jerusalem: in her own womb was the Temple, and all peoples shall be gathered back to the Temple, which is her Son. The Mother of Jesus is indeed the Mother of all of God’s scattered children. She is Mother of the Church. Mary is the first Daughter of Zion, leading all of God’s people on the journey toward the Kingdom.

I cannot help but recall the words of Cardinal Marc Ouellet, then Archbishop of Quebec City, in his profound, opening address to the Synod of Bishops on “The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church” in October 2008: “A woman, Mary, perfectly accomplishes the divine vocation of humanity by her ‘yes’ to the Word of the Covenant and her mission. Through her divine motherhood and her spiritual motherhood, Mary appears as the permanent model and form for the Church, like the first Church.”

Rejoice in the Lord      

In today’s second reading, St. Paul tells us to rejoice in the Lord always (Philippians 4:4-7; see also Philippians 2:18; 3:1; 4:4). This is the rejoicing to which St. Paul invites us and which forms the heart of the Advent season. But we must ask ourselves, what did persecuted Christians have to rejoice about?

The answer is their relationship with the Lord, which can even become stronger and more intimate in times of persecution. Their joy is not in their circumstance; indeed, it is often in spite of their circumstance. Rather it is in the Lord.

Sheer joy arises out of a deep and abiding relationship with God that carries the believer through all sorts of trials and tribulations. Rejoicing in the Lord is a sort of adoration, and adoration often takes the form of prayer. Rejoicing constantly leads to praying and praising repeatedly. Since Paul refers to giving thanks after he mentions prayer, it is probable that the term “praying” refers to petitioning God in some form, perhaps interceding for self and others in some manner.

/////////////////////////////////////////

Only a voice in the wilderness?

Second Sunday of Advent

Lectionary: 6

It-Tieni Ħadd tal-Avvent 

Reading 1  =  BARuch 5:1-9

Jerusalem, take off your robe of mourning and misery; put on the splendor of glory from God forever: wrapped in the cloak of justice from God, bear on your head the mitre that displays the glory of the eternal name. For God will show all the earth your splendor: you will be named by God forever the peace of justice, the glory of God’s worship. Up, Jerusalem! stand upon the heights; look to the east and see your children gathered from the east and the west at the word of the Holy One, rejoicing that they are remembered by God. Led away on foot by their enemies they left you: but God will bring them back to you borne aloft in glory as on royal thrones. For God has commanded that every lofty mountain be made low, and that the age-old depths and gorges be filled to level ground, that Israel may advance secure in the glory of God. The forests and every fragrant kind of tree have overshadowed Israel at God’s command; for God is leading Israel in joy by the light of his glory, with his mercy and justice for company.

Qari I  -  mill-Ktieb tal-Profeta Baruk 5, 1

Neħħi minn fuqek, Ġerusalemm, ilbies il-vistu u n-niket tiegħek, u ilbes għal dejjem id-dija tal-glorja ta’ Alla. Ilbes mantar il-ġustizzja ta’ Alla, qiegħed fuq rasek id-dijadema tal-glorja ta’ Alla ta’ dejjem. Għax Alla għad juri sbuħitek lid-dinja taħt ix-xemx, Alla jsemmik għal dejjem:“Sliem tal-Ġustizzja” u “Glorja tal-Qima ta’ Alla”. Qum, erusalemm, itla’ fl-għoli, u ħares madwarek lejn il-Lvant, ara ’l uliedek miġmugħa, minn fejn tinżel ix-xemx sa fejn titla’, għall-kelma tal-Qaddis, ferħana li Alla ftakar fihom. Telqu mingħandek bil-mixi, imkarkra mill-għedewwa, u issa Alla se jġibhomlok, merfugħin fil-ġieħ bħalkieku fuq tronijiet is-slaten. Għax Alla ordna; jitniżżlu l-muntanji għolja, u l-għoljiet ta’ dejjem, jimtlew il-widien u titwitta l-art, biex hemm Iżrael jimxi ’l quddiem, bla tfixkil ta’ xejn,taħt il-ħarsien ta’ Alla. U l-foresti u s-siġar tal-fwieħa, jixħtu dellhom għal fuq Iżrael, bl-ordni ta’ Alla. Għax Alla jmexxi lil Iżrael ferħan, b’dawl il-glorja tiegħu, imsieħba mill-ħniena u l-ġustizzja ħierġa minnu .Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm  =  PSalm 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6.

When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion,
we were like men dreaming.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with rejoicing. 
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.

Then they said among the nations,
"The LORD has done great things for them."
The LORD has done great things for us;
we are glad indeed. 
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.

Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like the torrents in the southern desert.
Those who sow in tears
shall reap rejoicing. 
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.

Although they go forth weeping,
carrying the seed to be sown,
They shall come back rejoicing,
carrying their sheaves.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.

Salm Responsorjali  -  SALM 125 (126), 1-2ab. 2ċd-3.4-5.6

R/. (3): Kbir f’għemilu l-Mulej magħna!

Meta l-Mulej reġġa’ lura l-imjassra ta’ Sijon,

konna qisna mitlufa  f’ħolma;

imbagħad bid-daħk imtela fommna, 

u bl-għajjat ta’ ferħ ilsienna.        R/

.

Imbagħad bdew jgħidu fost il-ġnus: 

"Kbir f’għemilu l-Mulej magħhom!

Kbir f’għemilu l-Mulej magħna! 

U aħna bil-ferħ imtlejna.     R/.

Biddel, Mulej, xortina bħall-widien tan-Negeb! 

Dawk li jiżirgħu fid-dmugħ 

jaħsdu bl-għana ta’ ferħ.    R/.

Huma u sejrin, imorru jibku, 

iġorru ż-żerriegħa għaż-żrigħ. 

Iżda huma u ġejjin  lura,                                                                                             jiġu b’għana ta’ ferħ, iġorru l-qatet f’idejhom. R/.

Reading 2  -  PHILippians 1:4-6, 8-11

Brothers and sisters: I pray always with joy in my every prayer for all of you, because of your partnership for the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus. God is my witness,  how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer: that your love may increase ever more and more in knowledge and every kind of perception, to discern what is of value, so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.

Qari II  -  mill-Ittra lill-Filippin 1, 4-6.8-11

Ħuti, nitlob dejjem ferħan fit-talb tiegħi għalikom, minħabba s-sehem li intom ħadtu fix-xandir tal-Evanġelju, mill-ewwel jiem sal-lum. Jiena żgur minn dan: li dak li beda din l-opra tajba fikom, iwassalha għat-tmiem tagħha sa ma jasal il-jum ta’ Kristu Ġesù. Iva, jixhidli Alla kemm jien miġbud lejkom bil-qalb ta’ Kristu Ġesù! U jien dan nitlob: li l-imħabba tagħkom tikber u toktor dejjem iżjed bl-għerf u b’kull dehen, biex tistgħu tagħrfu tagħżlu l-aħjar, u mbagħad tkunu safja u bla ebda ħtija fil-jum ta’ Kristu, mimlijin bil-frott tal-ġustizzja li ġejja permezz ta’ Ġesù Kristu, għall-glorja u l-foħrija ta’ Alla.  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel   =  LuKe 3:1-6

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee,and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene,  during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert. John went throughout the whole region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah: A voice of one crying out in the desert:“Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The winding roads shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

Evanġelju  -  Qari skont San Luqa 3, 1-6

Fis-sena ħmistax tal-ħakma ta’ Tiberju Ċesari, meta Ponzju Pilatu kien gvernatur tal-Lhudija, Erodi tetrarka tal-Galilija, ħuh Filippu tetrarka tal-artijiet tal-Iturija u t-Trakonija, u Lisanja tetrarka ta’ Abileni, fiż-żmien meta l-uffiċċju ta’ qassis il-kbir kien f’idejn Anna u Kajfa, il-kelma tal-Mulej ġiet fuq Ġwanni bin Żakkarija, fid-deżert. U ġie fl-inħawi kollha ta’ madwar il-Ġordan, ixandar magħmudija ta’ ndiema għall-maħfra tad-dnubiet, kif hemm imniżżel fil-ktieb tal-profeziji ta’ Isaija: “Leħen ta’ wieħed jgħajjat fid-deżert: Ħejju t-triq tal-Mulej, iddrittaw il-mogħdijiet tiegħu. Kull wied jimtela, kull muntanja u għolja titbaxxa, il-mogħdijiet mgħawwġa jiddrittaw, u t-triqat imħarbta jitwittew. U l-bnedmin kollha jaraw is-salvazzjoni ta’ Alla!”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

/////////////

John the Baptist, the Paradox of Advent

A reflection by Fr Thomas Rosica csb

The true prophets of Israel help us in our struggle against all forms of duplicity. John the Baptist is the patron saint par excellence of authenticity. How often our words, thoughts, and actions are incoherent! Inherent in John the Baptist is the very paradox of Advent: the coming triumph of God manifest precisely in the darkness of the present, evil age. John the Baptist heard, experienced, and lived God’s liberating word in the desert and was thus able to preach it to others so effectively because his life and message were one. He certainly didn’t mince words. 

John the Baptist shatters the silence of the wilderness with his cry: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Not just “repent,” change the way we live, but repent and prepare for the coming of the Kingdom of heaven, which will upset all our securities and overturn anything we try to leave in place. The joy and the challenge of Advent is that in Jesus Christ, our God is coming, and our aching and longing for God are about to be met. But this God who comes disturbs us.

There was nothing politically correct about the Baptist’s message. He got right to the point and said what needed to be said. He told the first people who came to him to share. He told the tax collectors to be just. He told the soldiers to make peace.

The Baptist taught the people of his day and our day that the Messiah comes to save us from the powers of duplicity, despair, darkness, and death, and to put us back on the path of peace and reconciliation so that we might find our way back to God. John the Baptist’s life and mission remind us how badly we need a Saviour to save us, in order that we might be all that we are called to be and do all that we have to do to live in the Light. So often we fail to recognize the one among us who is our Way, our Truth, and our Life. This is what Advent is all about: finding our way back to God. 

The transformation of our deserts

Advent is a mystery that transforms and not just informs. Advent comprises a paradoxical combination of waiting and hastening, suffering and joy, judgment and deliverance, apocalyptic woe and eschatological hope. Unfortunately for our culture of instant gratification, hope requires incompleteness. To hope, in the true Advent fashion, is to live with the certainty of unfulfilled desire.

The God who was a highway engineer making new ways through the wilderness, a gardener turning deserts into flower gardens, is now the artist painting a new perspective of the age-old Messianic promise of hope. Hope in God cannot stand still, because – as Isaiah reminds us – we hope in a God who is constantly doing a new thing. Does our hope in God hold fast in the face of chaos and confusion in our life? How do we live with the Word of God? How can we live with the silence of God?

Advent teaches us that if we are quiet in our hearts long enough, we will discover that God still carves out highways and turns the desert places of our lives into oases of wonder, life, beauty, even though nothing will be as we expected. Any transformation of the wilderness depends on water.

Throughout the Old Testament, God is spoken of as the one who gives or withholds water – an image easily understood by people for whom water is a precious and controlled commodity. Few of us in the developed world have any concept of drought. The water piped into our homes deprives us of an image of God as the one on whom our very existence depends. Similarly, electricity deludes us into thinking we have the darkness under control. Together they rob us of daily experiences that could give vibrancy to the Advent invitation to revisit our dependence on God, to revisit our desire for God, and to discover through the night of waiting that God does indeed come.

The message of Advent is not that everything is falling to pieces. Nor is it that God is in heaven and all is therefore well with the world. Rather the message of Advent is that when every fixed star on the moral compass is wavering, when all hell is breaking loose on earth, we hear once again the Baptist’s consoling message:

Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

Yet even with the birth of Jesus, we learn that Jerusalem and Israel still awaited their redemption. The world still awaits its freedom from hunger, war, oppression, violence, persecution, and suffering. We all await our redemption. Advent challenges us to look at the ways that we wait, the ways that we long for God, and the ways that we hope. What and who is the source of our Advent hope?

John the Baptist’s life can be summed up in the image of a finger pointing to the one who was coming: Jesus Christ. If we are to take on John’s role of preparing the way in today’s world, our lives also will become the pointing fingers of living witnesses who demonstrate that Jesus can be found and that he is near. Jesus is the fulfilment of our longing, our hoping, and our waiting. Jesus alone can transform the deserts of our lives into living gardens of beauty and nourishment for the world. Come, Lord Jesus! We need you now more than ever!

///////////////////////////////////////

To be blameless in holiness before our God and Father

Lectionary: 3

L-Ewwel Ħadd tal-Avvent

Reading 1     =   JERemiah 33:14-16

The days are coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise  I made to the house of Israel and Judah. In those days, in that time,  I will raise up for David a just shoot ;  he shall do what is right and just in the land. In those days Judah shall be safe  and Jerusalem shall dwell secure;  this is what they shall call her:  “The LORD our justice.”  This is the Word of the Lord.

 Qari I  =  mill-Ktieb tal-Profeta Ġeremija 33, 14-16

Ara, għad jiġu jiem – oraklu tal-Mulej – meta nġib fuq dar Iżrael u dar Ġuda l-ġid li wegħedthom. F’dawk il-jiem u f’dak iż-żmien intalla’ min-nisel ta’ David rimja tas-sewwa, bniedem li jagħmel il-ġustizzja u s-sewwa fil-pajjiż. F’dawk il-jiem Ġuda jinħeles u Ġerusalemm tgħammar b’moħħha mistrieħ, u għalhekk isejħulha: Il-Mulej is-sewwa tagħna. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm    =   PSalm 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14

Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior,
and for you I wait all the day. 
R. To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.

Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
and teaches the humble his way. 
R. To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.

All the paths of the LORD are kindness and constancy
toward those who keep his covenant and his decrees.
The friendship of the LORD is with those who fear him,
and his covenant, for their instruction. 
R. To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.

Salm Responsorjali     =   SALM 24 (25), 4bċ-5ab. 8-9.10.14

R/. (1b): Lejk jien nerfa’ ruħi, Mulej

Triqatek, Mulej, għarrafni,

il-mogħdijiet tiegħek għallimni.

Mexxini fis-sewwa tiegħek u għallimni,

għax int Alla tas-salvazzjoni tiegħi. R/.

Tajjeb u sewwa l-Mulej;

għalhekk juri triqtu lill-ħatja.

Imexxi l-imsejkna fis-sewwa,

jgħallem lill-fqajrin it-triq tiegħu.  R/.

Il-mogħdijiet tal-Mulej kollhom tjieba u fedeltà

għal min iħares il-patt u l-liġijiet tiegħu.

Midħla l-Mulej ta’ dawk li jibżgħu minnu,

lilhom jgħarraf il-patt tiegħu.        R/.

Reading 2    =    1 THESsalonians 3:12—4:2

Brothers and sisters: May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we have for you,  so as to strengthen your hearts,  to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father  at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones. Amen. Finally, brothers and sisters, we earnestly ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that, as you received from us  how you should conduct yourselves to please God and as you are conducting yourselves you do so even more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.  This is the Word of the Lord.

Qari I   =   mill-1 Ittra lit-Tessalonikin 3, 12 – 4, 2

Ħuti, jalla l-Mulej ikattrilkom u jfawwarkom bl-imħabba għal xulxin u lejn kulħadd, l-istess bħalma aħna nħobbu lilkom, ħalli jqawwilkom qalbkom u jkollkom qdusija bla għajb quddiem Alla, Missierna, għal meta jiġi Sidna Ġesù mdawwar bil-qaddisin tiegħu. Fl-aħħar, ħuti, intom tgħallimtu mingħandna kif għandkom timxu biex togħġbu lil Alla, kif tabilħaqq qegħdin iġġibu ruħkom; aħna f’Sidna Ġesù nitolbukom u nħeġġukom biex tagħmlu xi ħaġa iżjed. Tafu x’tagħlim tajniekom permezz ta’ Sidna Ġesù. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej     

      

Gospel       LuKe 21:25-28, 34-36

Jesus said to his disciples: “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. “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.”

Evanġelju  =  Qari skont San Luqa 21, 25-28.34-36

F’dak iż-żmien, Ġesù qal lid-dixxipli tiegħu: “Ikun hemm sinjali fix-xemx u l-qamar u l-kwiekeb. Il-ġnus fuq l-art, b’qalbhom ittaqtaq, ma jafux x’jaqbdu jagħmlu minħabba l-ħsejjes tal-baħar u tal-imwieġ; in-nies ruħhom ħierġa bil-biża’ billi jobsru x’ikun ġej fuq id-dinja, għax il-qawwiet tas-smewwiet jitqallbu. Imbagħad jaraw lil Bin il-bniedem ġej fi sħaba, b’qawwa u glorja kbira. Meta jibda jseħħ dan kollu, qawwu qalbkom u erfgħu raskom, għax il-fidwa tagħkom hi fil-qrib. Oqogħdu attenti, u qisu li l-ikel u x-xorb żejjed u s-sokor ma jmewtulkomx qalbkom, u tħallux li l-ħafna tħassib għall-ħtiġiet tal-ħajja jeħdilkom raskom, li ma ssibuhx dak il-Jum fuqkom għal għarrieda. Għax hu Jum li għad jaqa’ bħal nassa fuq kull min jgħammar fuq wiċċ l-art kollha. Ishru, mela, u itolbu l-ħin kollu, biex tkunu tifilħu tgħaddu minn kulma għandu jiġri u tieqfu quddiem Bin il-bniedem”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

///////////////

Those who watch for Christ

A reflection by Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB

Every now and then when the world seems to be falling apart and problems appear to be insurmountable, I recall with gratitude the heroes of the Velvet Revolution who helped to bring down the reign of Communism in November and December of 1989. I cherish the words of hope of former Czech president Vaclav Havel, during his days of imprisonment. Those words captivated the imagination of many people as we witnessed the Communist regime finally come to an end:

The more unpropitious the situation in which we demonstrate hope, the deeper that hope is. Hope is definitely not the same thing as optimism. It is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out. In short, I think that the deepest and most important form of hope, the only one that can keep us above water and urge us to good works, and the only true source of the breathtaking dimension of the human spirit and its efforts is something we get, as it were, from “elsewhere.”

I also turn frequently to the Catechism of the Catholic Church’s section on “The Theological Virtues” and read the paragraphs on hope (#1817-1821) to find peace of mind and heart. I have been particularly struck by the thoughts found in #1818:

“The virtue of hope responds to the aspiration to happiness which God has placed in the heart of every man; it takes up the hopes that inspire men’s activities and purifies them so as to order them to the Kingdom of heaven; it keeps man from discouragement; it sustains him during times of abandonment; it opens up his heart in expectation of eternal beatitude. Buoyed up by hope, he is preserved from selfishness and led to the happiness that flows from charity.”

Day-to-day following of Jesus

Such thoughts are important for us as we enter the season of Advent with a bang – this year with a section from Luke’s chapter on the end times! In Sunday’s Gospel story (21:25-28, 34-36), we can see, hear, and feel Jesus’ eschatological discourse as contained in Mark 13. The actual destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 AD, upon which Luke and his community look back in 21:20-24, provides the assurance that, just as Jesus’ prediction of Jerusalem’s destruction was fulfilled, so too will be his announcement of its final redemption (21:27-28).

The evangelist Luke has made some significant alterations to Mark’s description of the end times. Luke maintains the belief in an imminent end of the age but, by focusing attention throughout his Gospel on the importance of the day-to-day following of Jesus and by reinterpreting the meaning of certain signs of the end from Mark 13, he has come to terms with what seemed to the early Christian community to be a delay of the Parousia (Second Coming). In dealing with the persecution of the disciples (21:12-19) and the destruction of Jerusalem (21:20-24), Luke is pointing to eschatological signs that have already been fulfilled.

The central message of Christianity does not consist in knowing the exact details of the end of the world. As a matter of fact, there are very few specifics about the future in Jesus’ preaching other than that God is going to accomplish his purpose and he’s going to accomplish it through Jesus. Whenever my students ask me about the Second Coming, I always tell them that I suspect it’s going to be as big a surprise as the first coming was. It is in God’s hands. God will bring about his Kingdom in his own way and that is what is most important.

Blameless in holiness

In the second reading from St. Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians (3:12-4:2), we encounter Paul trying to strengthen his Thessalonian converts in their new faith about twenty years after the death and resurrection of Jesus. For Paul, an essential part of the Christian message was the Parousia, or the Second Coming. Without that event, the drama of salvation is incomplete. Paul believed that theParousia was imminent, but preparation was required. Paul asked two things of the early Christians: (1) an increase in mutual and universal love; and (2) the attainment of the Christian goal. This goal was holiness expressed in loving concern for one another. Holiness would be achieved through daily, ordinary acts of goodness, kindness, charity, and hope.

The work of Advent

Advent confronts us and wakes us from our stupor. What is the work of Advent for each of us this year? We are invited to quietly prepare our hearts and our lives for the coming of the ever-greater one in the flesh. For what or for whom are we waiting in life? What virtues or gifts are we praying to receive this year? What material things do we seek? The people, qualities, things we await give us great insights into who we are. Advent, far from being a penitential time or a time of despair, is a time of rejoicing in hope and a time of patient waiting. God knows how impatient we are as a people and as individuals. Nevertheless, patience is a blessed virtue for which we should pray during Advent.

Long ago St. Cyril of Jerusalem wrote that almost everything about our Lord Jesus Christ is twofold:

He has two births: one from God before the ages, the other from the Virgin at the end of all ages. He has two comings: the one is hidden and resembles the falling of the dew upon a fleece; the other – the future one – on the contrary will be manifest. At his first coming, he was wrapped in linens and laid in a manger; at the second, light shall be his robe. In the first coming he endured the Cross, heedless of its shame; in his second coming he will be in glory surrounded by an army of angels. Let us therefore not stop at his first coming but look forward to the second. We hailed him at his first coming with the words, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” And we shall hail him in the same way at his second coming. For we shall go out to meet the Lord and his angels, and, prostrating ourselves before him, we shall cry, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”

As Christians, we proclaim the coming of Christ – not just a first coming but another as well that will be far more glorious than the first. The first took place under the sign of patient suffering; the second, on the contrary, will see Christ wearing the crown of God’s kingdom. Advent teaches us that there are two ways of looking at history: one is sociological and the other is religious. The first,chronos, is essentially unredeemed and cyclic. The second, kairos, is redeemed by God in Christ Jesus and becomes the occasion of providence and sacrament.

///////////////////////////