Tuesday - December 24, 2019
December 23 2019
Monday of the Fourth Week of Advent
Lectionary: 199
Reading 1MAL 3:1-4, 23-24
Thus says the Lord GOD:
Lo, I am sending my messenger
to prepare the way before me;
And suddenly there will come to the temple
the LORD whom you seek,1
And the messenger of the covenant whom you desire.
Yes, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.
But who will endure the day of his coming?
And who can stand when he appears?
For he is like the refiner's fire,
or like the fuller's lye.
He will sit refining and purifying silver,
and he will purify the sons of Levi,
Refining them like gold or like silver
that they may offer due sacrifice to the LORD.
Then the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem
will please the LORD,
as in the days of old, as in years gone by.
Lo, I will send you
Elijah, the prophet,
Before the day of the LORD comes,
the great and terrible day,
To turn the hearts of the fathers to their children,
and the hearts of the children to their fathers,
Lest I come and strike
the land with doom.
Lo, I am sending my messenger
to prepare the way before me;
And suddenly there will come to the temple
the LORD whom you seek,1
And the messenger of the covenant whom you desire.
Yes, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.
But who will endure the day of his coming?
And who can stand when he appears?
For he is like the refiner's fire,
or like the fuller's lye.
He will sit refining and purifying silver,
and he will purify the sons of Levi,
Refining them like gold or like silver
that they may offer due sacrifice to the LORD.
Then the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem
will please the LORD,
as in the days of old, as in years gone by.
Lo, I will send you
Elijah, the prophet,
Before the day of the LORD comes,
the great and terrible day,
To turn the hearts of the fathers to their children,
and the hearts of the children to their fathers,
Lest I come and strike
the land with doom.
Responsorial PsalmPS 25:4-5AB, 8-9, 10 AND 14
R.(see Luke 21:28) Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand.
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.
R. Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand.
Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
he teaches the humble his way.
R. Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand.
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. Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand.
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.
R. Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand.
Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
he teaches the humble his way.
R. Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand.
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. Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
O King of all nations and keystone of the Church;
come and save man, whom you formed from the dust!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
O King of all nations and keystone of the Church;
come and save man, whom you formed from the dust!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 1:57-66
When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child
she gave birth to a son.
Her neighbors and relatives heard
that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her,
and they rejoiced with her.
When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child,
they were going to call him Zechariah after his father,
but his mother said in reply,
"No. He will be called John."
But they answered her,
"There is no one among your relatives who has this name."
So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called.
He asked for a tablet and wrote, "John is his name,"
and all were amazed.
Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed,
and he spoke blessing God.
Then fear came upon all their neighbors,
and all these matters were discussed
throughout the hill country of Judea.
All who heard these things took them to heart, saying,
"What, then, will this child be?
For surely the hand of the Lord was with him."
she gave birth to a son.
Her neighbors and relatives heard
that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her,
and they rejoiced with her.
When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child,
they were going to call him Zechariah after his father,
but his mother said in reply,
"No. He will be called John."
But they answered her,
"There is no one among your relatives who has this name."
So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called.
He asked for a tablet and wrote, "John is his name,"
and all were amazed.
Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed,
and he spoke blessing God.
Then fear came upon all their neighbors,
and all these matters were discussed
throughout the hill country of Judea.
All who heard these things took them to heart, saying,
"What, then, will this child be?
For surely the hand of the Lord was with him."
******************************
Heralding Joy to the World
Like John, we are destined to be heralds of the Good News about Jesus Christ. If we respond to our calling, living out the purposes for which God the Father created us, using the gifts and talents he's given us, sharing with others the wisdom we've gained from the Holy Spirit, we will draw others to Christ.
We are evangelizers. Others meet Jesus, even when they refused to realize it, in us, through our deeds of love and mercy. It's the glow of our love that enlightens the faith of others. Our words are like those on a sign: First people have to see the sign before they will read the message. Our actions of love, on behalf of Jesus, are what get people's attention.
As John's father Zechariah prophesied, a herald prepares a way into people's hearts for the Lord to enter. By itself, our love is not enough to convince people that they need to come to church or turn to Jesus or change their ways. If we have no joy, our love seems to be a burden instead of a blessing. Joy is the glow of our love. When others see that we have joy from knowing that Jesus loves us, faith in him becomes more appealing.
We give people knowledge of salvation and forgiveness of their sins only if the overcoming of our own sins brings us deeper into God's love and produces amazing joy. Our transformation, with its accompanying joy, is proof of the tender mercy of our God, and thus the people around us who sit in darkness and death's shadow will see that the light from on high has made a wonderful difference in our lives. They need to see that the light of Christ guides our feet onto the path of peace.
Being a Christian today is counter-cultural. Being a Christian needs to look like it's worthwhile to live differently than the rest of the world. We need to show by our lives that holiness is beneficial. Think of how many people visited Saints like Padre Pio to confess their sins. Think of why even atheists respected Saint Teresa of Calcutta. This is our goal, too! Our holiness needs to be very attractive.
That's how Christ is born into the world. Through us, the Savior wants to beam his light of truth into the darkness, embrace sinners, and carry them safely in his arms to the healing and freedom and forgiveness that they inwardly long for.
In the new season of Christmas, may our lives proclaim "Joy to the world! The Lord has come!" Let the gift of the Lord's love shine from you, which is only possible if you keep your eyes on Jesus.
Is joy missing from your life? The absence of joy is merely a void in your view of what God is doing. He's doing far more than you can even imagine! More goodness, more blessings, more healing. Instead of focusing on what's been blocking your joy, keep your eyes on Jesus, for nothing can prevent the coming of the Lord.
Today's Prayer:
I praise You and thank You, Lord Jesus my Savior, because You reveal yourself to those humble hearts who are waiting in silence to be loved and raised up to You. Amen.
------------------------------
God Bless You.....
Rosary Family
The mother of Jesus promised St. Dominic that, “one day through the rosary & the scapular I shall save the world!”
No comments:
Post a Comment