Experiencing the Possibility of the Impossible

Fourth Sunday of Advent

Ir-Raba' Ħadd ta’ l-Avvent

Messalin  C  pp 91

Reading 1                 Michah 5:1-4a

Thus says the LORD: You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah too small to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel; whose origin is from of old, from ancient times. Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time when she who is to give birth has borne, and the rest of his kindred shall return to the children of Israel. He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock by the strength of the LORD, in the majestic name of the LORD, his God; and they shall remain, for now his greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth; he shall be peace.

L-Ewwel Qari  -   mill-Ktieb tal-Profeta Mikea 5, 1-4a

Dan jgħid il-Mulej:  "Int, Betlehem ta' Efrata,  ċkejkna fost il-familji ta' Ġuda, minnek għad joħroġli dak li jkun prinċep f'Iżrael; hu għandu l-bidu tiegħu mill-qedem, sa minn dejjem ta' dejjem. Għalhek il-Mulej jitlaqhom sa meta teħles dik li hi fl-uġigħ tal-ħlas; imbagħad  il-bqija ta' ħutu jerġgħu lura fost ulied Iżrael. U hu joqgħod jirgħa l-merħla tiegħu bil-qawwa tal-Mulej, bil-glorja ta' isem il-Mulej, Alla tiegħu. U huma jgħammru fiż-żgur, għax issa tkun kbira setgħetu, sa trufijiet l-art. U dan ikun is-sliem!" Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm         PSALM 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19.

R. (4) Lord, make us turn to you;  let us see your face and  we shall be saved.

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

Once again, O LORD of hosts,
look down from heaven, and see;
take care of this vine,
and protect what your right hand has planted
the son of man whom you yourself made strong.            R/

May your help be with the man of your right hand,
with the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
Then we will no more withdraw from you;
give us new life, and we will call upon your name.         R/

Salm Responsorjali      -    Salm 79(80)

                R/   Mulej, ifta fuqna d-dija ta' wiċċek, u nkunu salvi.

O Ragħaj ta' Iżrael, agħti widen,

int li qiegħed fuq il-kerubini, iddi.

Qajjem il-qawwa tiegħek,

u ejja ħa ssalvana.                                                           R/

Erġa' ejja, Alla tal-eżerċti;

ħares mis-sema,  u ara,

u żur 'il din id-dielja.

Ħu ħsieb dak li ħawlet lemintek,

ir-rimja li int kabbart għalik.                                      R/

Ħa tkun idek fuq il-bniedem ta' lemintek,

fuq il-bniedem li int saħħaħt għalik.

Aħna ma nitbegħdux minnek;

roddilna l-ħajja, u aħna nsejħu ismek.   R/

Reading 2     -           Hebrews 10:5-10

Brothers and sisters: When Christ came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; in holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight. Then I said, 'As is written of me in the scroll, behold, I come to do your will, O God.'" First he says, "Sacrifices and offerings, holocausts and sin offerings, you neither desired nor delighted in." These are offered according to the law. Then he says, "Behold, I come to do your will." He takes away the first to establish the second. By this "will," we have been consecrated through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.  This is the Word of the Lord.

It-Tieni Qari  -   mill-Ittra lil Lhud 10, 5-10

Ħuti:   Kristu meta daħal fid-dinja qal:  "Sagrifiċċju u offerta int ma ridtx, imma ġisem int ħejjejt għalija; vittmi maħruqa u vittmi għad-dnubiet lilek ma għoġbukx. Jien imbagħad għedt:  "Hawn jien, ġejt biex nagħmel ir-rieda tiegħek, O Alla, kif fil-ktieb hemm miktub fuqi." L-ewwel qal:  "Sagrifiċċji u offerti, vittmi maħruqa u  vittmi għad-dnubiet,   la ridthom u lanqas għoġbuk", għalkemm dawn titlobhom il-Liġi. Imbagħad qal:  "Hawn jien, ġejt biex  nagħmel ir-rieda tiegħek". B'hekk Alla neħħa s-sagrifiċċji tal-ewwel biex  iqiegħed flokhom tat-tieni.  Bis-saħħa ta' din ir-rieda aħna  konna mqaddsin, permezz tal-offerta tal-ġisem ta' Ġesu' Kristu magħmula għal dejjem. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel           -     Luke 1:39-45

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

L-Evanġelju  -   skond San Luqa 1, 39-45

F'dawk  il-ġranet Marija qamet u marret tħaffef lejn   l-għoljiet, f'belt tal-Lhudija. Daħlet għand Zakkarija u sellmet lil Eliżabetta. Malli Eliżabetta semgħet lil Marija ssellmilha, it-tarbija qabżet fil-ġuf tagħha u Eliżabetta mtliet bl-Ispirtu s-Santu: u nfexxet f'għajta kbira u qalet: "Imbierka inti fost in-nisa, u mbierek il-frott tal-ġuf tiegħek! U minn fejn ġieni dan li omm il-Mulej tiegħi tiġi għandi? Għax ara, malli smajt f'widnejja leħen it-tislima tiegħek, it-tarbija li għandi fil-ġuf qabżet bil-ferħ. Iva, ħiena dik li emmnet li jseħħ kulma bagħat igħidilha l-Mulej." Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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Experiencing the Possibility of the Impossible 

By Fr Thomas Rosica CSD

The visitation of Mary to Elizabeth turned out to be a divine visitation, the Ark of God bringing not terror but blessing as it did to the house of Obededom the Gittite (1 Samuel 6:9-11). Unlike Sarah, who had laughed at the notion that she could conceive and bear a child in her old age to Abraham (Genesis 18:12), and unlike Zechariah, her husband, who had been struck dumb for questioning God’s power in this matter (Luke 1:8-20), Elizabeth gives thanks to God and trusted in his providence: “So has the Lord done for me at that time when he has seen fit to take away my disgrace before others” (Luke 1:25). Mary, for her part, deserved to be acclaimed by Elizabeth as “she who trusted that the Lord’s words to her would be fulfilled.”

Although Mary is praised for being the mother of the Lord and because of her belief, she reacts as the servant in a psalm of praise, the Magnificat. The Magnificat celebrates the wonders of God’s graciousness in the lives not only of these two Advent women but of all for whom “the Mighty One has done great things” (Luke 1:49).

There are two aspects of today’s Visitation scene to consider. The first is that any element of personal agenda of Mary and Elizabeth is put aside. Both had good reason to be very preoccupied with their pregnancies and all that new life brings. Both women had a right to focus on themselves for a while as they made new and radical adjustments to their daily lives.

Mary reaches out to her kinswoman to help her and also to be helped by her. These two great biblical women consoled each another, shared their stories, and gave each other the gift of themselves in the midst of the new life that they must have experienced: Elizabeth after her long years of barrenness and now sudden pregnancy, and Mary, after her meeting with the heavenly messenger, and her “irregular” marriage situation and pregnancy.

The second point to consider is Mary’s quick response and movement. Luke tells us that she undertook “in haste” the long and perilous trek from Nazareth to a village in the hill country of Judea. She knew clearly what she wanted and did not allow anyone or anything to stop her.

In his commentary on Luke’s Gospel, St. Ambrose of Milan describes this haste with a difficult Latin phrase, “nescit tarda molimina Spiritus Sancti gratia,” which could mean: “the grace of the Holy Spirit does not know delayed efforts,” or “delayed efforts are foreign to the grace of the Holy Spirit.” Mary’s free choice to move forward and outward reflects a decision taken deep within her heart followed by immediate action.

Procrastination

How many things exist in our lives that we dreamed of doing, should have done, and never did — letters that should have been written, dreams that should have been realized, gratitude that was not expressed, affection never shown, words that should have been spoken, etc.? Postponements and delays weigh heavily upon us, wear us down and discourage us. They gnaw away at us. How true St. Ambrose described Mary’s haste: The Spirit completely possessed the Virgin Daughter of Nazareth and compelled her to act.

The story of the Visitation teaches us an important lesson: When Christ is growing inside of us, we will be led to people, places and situations that we never dreamed of. We will bear words of consolation and hope that are not our own. In the very act of consoling others, we will be consoled. We will be at peace, recollected, because we know that however insignificant our life and issues seem to be, from them Christ is forming himself.

The women of today’s Gospel show us that it is possible to move beyond our own little, personal agendas and engage in authentic ministry and service in the Church. Ministry and service are not simply doing things for others. Authentic Christian ministers and servants allow themselves to serve and be served, taught, cared for, consoled and loved. Such moments liberate us and enable us to sing Magnificat along the journey, and celebrate the great things that God does for us and His people.

Consider these words of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997): “In the mystery of the Annunciation and the Visitation, Mary is the very model of the life we should lead. First of all, she welcomed Jesus in her existence; then, she shared what she had received. Every time we receive Holy Communion, Jesus the Word becomes flesh in our life — gift of God who is at one and the same time beautiful, kind, unique.

“Thus, the first Eucharist was such: Mary’s offering of her Son in her, in whom he had set up the first altar. Mary, the only one who could affirm with absolute confidence, ‘this is my body,’ from that first moment offered her own body, her strength, all her being, to form the Body of Christ.”

God’s choice

Let me conclude with these thoughts given to me years ago by an elderly Italian religious sister who made a retreat I preached in a small Umbrian town in Italy just prior to Christmas. The poem is entitled “Bellezza” meaning “Beauty,” and speaks about God’s choice of Mary for a special mission.

Don’t smile, brothers and sisters,
And don’t shrug your shoulders:
Our God is fascinating and what he does always surpasses the impossible.

God looked upon a woman and loved her,
And he who loves even before looking at the face
Seeks the beauty that lies in the heart.

God looked upon a woman who was from the race
Of the little ones without name,
Those that live far away from palaces.

Those who work in kitchens,
Those who come from the numbers of the humble and the forgotten,
Those that never open their mouths and who are accustomed to poverty.

God looked upon her and found her to be beautiful,
And this woman was joined to him as if she were his beloved —
For life and for death.

From now on all generations will call her blessed.
God looked upon a woman. Her name was Mary.

As a woman who gives herself, she believed,
And during the night, in a grotto, she cried out with pain,
And from her womb God himself was born,
Brining with him salvation and peace, like treasures for all eternity.

As a woman who surrenders herself and never regrets it,
She believed against all the obscurity that enveloped her,
Against all the doubts that filled her.

From now on her name will be sung, because God took her
And she gave herself to him, she, Mary, one of us.

And God crowned her with stars and robed her with the sun,
And under her feet God placed the moon.

Her name is Mary, and if you looked upon her Lord, it is because on Our earth filled with women and men, you found such beauty.

"....I shall say it again: Rejoice!"

Third Sunday of Advent

It-Tielet Ħadd ta’ l-Avvent

Messalin C 86

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.  This is the Word of The Lord.

L-Ewwel Qari  -  mill-Ktieb tal-Profeta SOFONIJA 3, 14-18

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 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.

R. (6) Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.

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/

Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;
among the nations make known his deeds,
proclaim how exalted is his name.                         R/

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/

Salm Responsorjali   -   ISAIAH. 12

                R/  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

timtlew 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 understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. This is the Word of The Lord.

It-Tieni Qari   -   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 Ġesu'. 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.  This is the Word of The Lord.

L-Evanġelju  -   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 żewg 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:   "Tissikaw lil ħadd biex jagħtikom   taxxi iżjed milli jmisskom tieħdu." Staqsewh ukoll xi suldati u qalulu:  "U aħna, 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 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 minn, 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 fl-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

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COMMENTARY by Fr Thomas Rosica

Shout for Joy, O Daughter Zion!

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-20] 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 personification 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, 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 function 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” (No. 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 title Daughter of Zion evokes the great biblical symbolism of the Messianic Zion. Mary illustrates the prophecies of the Hebrew Scriptures which 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.

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 in 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 given voice to all people.

Both at Cana and at Calvary (in John’s Gospel), Mary represents not only her maternity and physical relationship with her son, but also her highly symbolic role of 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 not only welcomes and represents 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 of 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 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 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). 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.

The opposite of rejoicing

The opposite of rejoicing and happiness is not sorrow, but deadness that often manifests itself through cynicism, meanness of spirit and smallness of mind and heart. Many of us know what that feels like: the deadness and dissatisfaction induced by a consumer culture that stimulates our senses and bombards us with largely meaningless choices, while leaving us starved for some deeper purpose.

Then there is jealousy, envy, and that gnawing feeling that we have accomplished so little because we have been so poorly motivated and made some bad choices. And when we realize that others have been able to do much because they have been rooted in God, we become jealous and envious. These are not new phenomena!

The desire to escape such deadness and dissatisfaction was one of the motives of the early desert fathers and mothers. They rejected a world whose agenda was defined by the pursuit of power, property, and pleasure. They went into the desert to tap into the source of life and joy, and discover their own true selves through constant prayer. Having found the emptiness of what their culture defined as happiness, they sought another way.

This Advent, may the example of John the Baptist give us the strength and courage necessary to transform our deserts into gardens, and our emptiness into rich Catholic meaning and experience. May the boldness of St. Paul and the example of Mary, Virgin Daughter of Zion, teach us how to rejoice in the Lord, whose coming is very near.

A flesh shall see the salvation of God

6^th December, 2015

 Second Sunday of Advent

It-Tieni Hadd ta’ l-Avvent

Messalin C 80  

Reading 1                             Baruk 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.  This is the Word of The Lord.

L-Ewwel Qari  -   mil-Ktieb tal-Profeta Baruk 5, 1-9

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, Ġerusalemm, 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'dawk 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.

R. (3) The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.

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/

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/ 

Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like the torrents in the southern desert.
Those who sow in tears
shall reap rejoicing.                                                                       R/

Although they go forth weeping,
carrying the seed to be sown,
They shall come back rejoicing,
carrying their sheaves.                                                 R/  

Salm Responsorajli     -    (Salm 125 (126)

       R/        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 igħidu 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-Neġeb!

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.   This is the Word of The Lord.

It-Tieni Qari    -     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 Ġesu'. Iva, jixhidli Alla kemm jien miġbud lejkom bil-qalb ta' Kristu Ġesu'! U jien dan nitlob:  li l-imħabba tagħkom tikber u toktor dejjem iżjed  fl-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' Ġesu' 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." This is the Word of the Lord.

 L-Evanġelju   -   skond San Luqa 3,1-6

Fis-sena ħmistax il-ħakma ta' Tiberu Ċesari, meta Ponzu Pilatu kien gvernatur tal-Lhudija, Erodi, tetrarka tal-Galililja, ħuh Filippu  tetrarka tal-artijiet  tal-Iturija u t-Troakonija, u Lisanja tetrarka ta'Abeleni,  fiż-żmien meta l-uffiċċju ta' qassis il-kbir  kien f'idejn Anna u Kajfa,   il-kelma ta' 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 igħajjat fid-deżert:  Ħejju t-triq  tal-Mulej, iddrittaw il-mogħdijiet tiegħu. Kull wied jimtela, kull  muntanja u għoja titbaxxa, il-mogħdijiet mgħawwġa jiddrittaw,u t-triqat  imħarbta jitwittew.  U l-bnedmin kollha jaraw is-salvazzjoni ta' Alla!" Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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Father Cantalamessa on John the Baptist:

John the Baptist: Prophet of the Most High

This Sunday's Gospel is concerned entirely with the figure of John the Baptist. From the moment of his birth John the Baptist was greeted by his father as a prophet: "And you, child, will be called prophet of the Most High because you will go before the Lord to prepare the ways for him" (Luke 1:76).

What did the precursor do to be defined as a prophet, indeed, "the greatest of the prophets" (cf. Luke 7:28)? First of all, in the line of the ancient prophets of Israel, he preached against oppression and social injustice. In Sunday's Gospel we can hear him say: "He who has two tunics must give one to him who has none; and he who has something to eat must do likewise."

To the tax collectors who so often drained away the money of the poor with arbitrary requests, he says: "Do not mistreat anyone or commit extortion" (Luke 3:11-14). There are also the sayings about making the mountains low, raising up the valleys, and straightening the crooked pathways. Today we could understand them thus: "Every unjust social difference between the very rich (the mountains) and the very poor (the valleys) must be eliminated or at least reduced; the crooked roads of corruption and deception must be made straight."

Up to this point we can easily recognize our contemporary understanding of a prophet: one who pushes for change; who denounces the injustices of the system, who points his finger against power in all its forms – religious, economic, military – and dares to cry out in the face of the tyrant: "It is not right!" (Matthew 14:4).

But there is something else that John the Baptist does: He gives to the people "a knowledge of salvation, of the remission of their sins" (Luke 1:77). Where, we might ask ourselves, is the prophecy in this case? The prophets announced a future salvation; but John the Baptist does not announce a future salvation; he indicates a salvation that is now present. He is the one who points his finger toward the person and cries out: "Behold, here it is" (John 1:29). "That which was awaited for centuries and centuries is here, he is the one!" What a tremor must have passed though those present who heard John speak thus!

The traditional prophets helped their contemporaries look beyond the wall of time and see into the future, but John helps the people to look past the wall of contrary appearances to make them see the Messiah hidden behind the semblance of a man like others. The Baptist in this way inaugurated the new Christian form of prophecy, which does not consist in proclaiming a future salvation ("in the last times"), but to reveal the hidden presence of Christ in the world.

What does all of this have to say to us? That we too must hold together those two aspects of the office of prophet: On one hand working for social justice and on the other announcing the Gospel. A proclamation of Christ that is not accompanied by an effort toward human betterment would result in something disincarnate and lacking credibility. If we only worked for justice without the proclamation of faith and without the regenerative contact with the word of God, we would soon come to our limits and end up mere protestors.

From John the Baptist we also learn that proclamation of the Gospel and the struggle for justice need not remain simply juxtaposed, without a link between them. It must be precisely the Gospel of Christ that moves us to fight for respect for human beings in such a way as to make it possible for each man to "see the salvation of God." John the Baptist did not preach against abuses as a social agitator but as a herald of the Gospel "to make ready for the Lord a people well prepared" (Luke 1:17).

(December 08, 2006) © Innovative Media Inc.

Life itself is a Waiting Room

 First Sunday of Advent

L-1 Ħadd ta' l-Avvent

Messalin C  pp 75

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.

L-Ewwel Qari   -     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 isjeħulha: Il-Mulej is-sewwa tagħna. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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

R. (1b) To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.

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/

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/

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/

Salm Responsorjali                                    Salm 24(25)

                R/            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-imsejknna fis-sewwa,

jgħallem lill-fqajrin it-triq tiegħu.                                           R/

Il-mogħdijiet tal-Mulej kollhom tjieba u fedelta'

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.

It-Tieni Qari     mill-Ewwel Ittra ta' San Pawl Appostlu lit-Tessalonkin 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 Ġesu' 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 Ġesu' nitolbnukom u  nħeġġukom biex tagħmlu xi ħaġa iżjed.   Tafu x'tagħlim tajniekom permezz ta' Sidna Ġesu'. 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."  This is the Word of The Lord.

L-Evanġelju    -      skond San Luqa 21, 25-28;34-36

F'dak iż-żmien, Ġesu' 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'jaqdbu jagħmlu minħabba  l-ħsejjes tal-baħar u tal-imwieġ;  in-nies ruħhom ħerġa 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

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Father Cantalamessa on First Sunday of Advent

"Life is Expectation!"

Autumn is the ideal time to meditate on human things. We have before us the annual spectacle of leaves that fall from the trees. This has always been seen as an image of human destiny. "Here we are as leaves on the trees in autumn," says the poet Giuseppe Ungaretti. A generation comes, a generation goes …   But is this truly our ultimate destiny? Is it worse than the fate of these trees? After it is stripped, the tree regains its leaves in spring. But man, once he passes, never again returns. At least he does not return to this world. … Sunday's readings help us to give an answer to this most anxious of human questions.

There was a particular scene that I remember seeing in a film or reading about it in an adventure story as a child, a scene that left a deep impression. A railroad bridge had collapsed during the night. An unsuspecting train is coming at full speed. A railroad worker standing on the tracks calls out: "Stop! Stop!" and waves a lantern to signal the danger. But the distracted engineer does not see him and plunges the train into the river. … It seems to me something of an image of contemporary society, careening frenetically to the rhythm of rock 'n' roll, ignoring all the warnings that come not only from the Church but from many people who feel a responsibility for the future …

With the First Sunday of Advent, a new liturgical year begins. The Gospel that will accompany us in the course of this year, Cycle C, is the Gospel of St. Luke. The Church takes the occasion of these important moments of passage -- from one year to another, from one season to another -- to invite us to stop for a moment and reflect and ask ourselves some essential questions: "Who are we? From whence do we come? And, above all, where are we going?"

In the readings of Sunday's Mass, the verbs are in the future tense. In the First Reading we hear these words of Jeremiah: "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. …" To this expectation, realized in the coming of the Messiah, the Gospel passage brings a new horizon and content which is the glorious return of Christ at the end of time. "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."

These are apocalyptic, catastrophic tones and images. But what we have is a message of consolation and hope. They tell us that we are not heading for an eternal void and an eternal silence but we are on our way to an encounter, an encounter with him who created us and loves us more than mother and father.

Elsewhere the Book of Revelation describes this final event of history as an entering into a wedding feast. Just recall the parable of the ten virgins who enter with the bridegroom into the banquet hall, or the image of God who, at the threshold of the life to come, waits for us to wipe away the last tear from our eyes.

From the Christian point of view, the whole of human history is one long wait. Before Christ, his coming was awaited; after him, we await his glorious return at the end of time. For just this reason the season of Advent has something very important to say to us about our lives. A great Spanish author, Calderón de la Barca, wrote a celebrated play called "Life is a Dream." With just as much truth it must be said that life is expectation! It is interesting that this is exactly the theme of one of the most famous plays of our times: Samuel Beckett's "Waiting for Godot" …

Of a woman who is with child it is said that she is "expecting"; the offices of important persons have "waiting rooms." But if we reflect on it, life itself is a waiting room. We get impatient when we have to wait, for a visit, for a practice. But woe to him who is no longer waiting for something. A person who no longer expects anything from life is dead. Life is expectation, but the converse is also true: Expectation is life!

What distinguishes the waiting of the believer from every other waiting; from, for example, that of the two characters who are waiting for Godot? In that play a mysterious person is awaited (who, according to some, would be God, hence, "God-ot"), without any certainty that he will really come. He was supposed to come in the morning; he sends word to say that he will come in the afternoon. In the afternoon he does not come, but surely he will come in the evening, and in the evening, perhaps tomorrow morning. … The two tramps are condemned to wait for him, they have no other alternative.

This is not how it is for the Christian. He awaits one who has already come and who walks by his side. For this reason after the First Sunday of Advent in which the final return of Christ is looked for, on the following Sundays we will hear John the Baptist who speaks of his presence among us: "In your midst," he says, "there is one whom you do not know!" Jesus is present among us not only in the Eucharist, in the word, in the poor, in the Church … but, by grace, he lives in our hearts and the believer experiences this.

The Christian's waiting is not empty, a letting the time pass. In Sunday's Gospel Jesus also talks about the way that the disciples must wait, how they must conduct themselves in the meantime to not be taken by surprise: "Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life. … Be vigilant at all times."

Of these moral duties we will speak another time. Let us conclude with a memory from a film. There are two big stories about icebergs in the movies. The one is that of the Titanic, which we know well. … The other is narrated in a Kevin Kostner film of several years back, "Rapa Nui." A legend of Easter Island, which is in the Pacific Ocean, tells of an iceberg that, in reality, is a ship and that passes close to the island every century or so. The king or hero can climb aboard and ride toward the kingdom of immortality.

There is an iceberg that runs across the course which each of us travel; it is sister death. We can pretend to not see her or to be heedless of her like the people who were enjoying themselves on that tragic night aboard the Titanic. Or we can make ourselves ready and climb onto her and let ourselves be taken to the Kingdom of the blessed. The season of Advent should also serve this purpose …
[Translation by ZENIT]     © Innovative Media Inc.