BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD
A LECTIO DIVINA Approach
to the Sunday Liturgy and Holy Days,
Year C
ADVENT - CHRISTMAS SEASON
1st Sunday of Advent (n. 1)
2nd Sunday of Advent (n. 2)
3rd Sunday of Advent (n. 3)
4th Sunday of Advent (n. 4)
Christmas: Mass at Night (n. 5)
Christmas: Dawn Mass (n. 6)
Christmas: Day Mass (n. 7)
Holy Family (n. 8)
Mary Mother of God (n. 9)
Epiphany (n. 10)
Baptism of the Lord (n. 11)
Prepared by
Sr. Mary Margaret Tapang, PDDM
*** Text of the Cover Page ends here. ***
A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday Liturgy & Holy Days
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (n. 1)
FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT, YEAR C
“JESUS SAVIOR: In Him Redemption Is at Hand”
BIBLE READINGS
Jer 33:14-16 // I Thes 3:12-4:2 // Lk 21:25-28, 34-36
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Lk 21:25-28, 34-36): “You redemption is at hand.”
July 16, 1990: A terrible earthquake jolted the island of Luzon in the Philippines
and wrought havoc and misery. People were entombed alive in the collapsed buildings.
One young man was buried two weeks in the basement of a ruined hotel in Baguio City.
On the 13th day he lost hope of being rescued and decided to hasten his death. He started
to bang his head viciously against a concrete slab, but a pair of invisible hands gently
restrained him from killing himself. A serene feeling took hold of him and there was the
assurance that redemption was at hand. He relaxed his battered body on the cold slab. On
the 14th day the rescuers found him and were able to break through. He was liberated
from his tomb of death. As he weakly mouthed his words of thanks (“Salamat!
Salamat!”) to the rescuers, his family and friends wept for joy. The young man’s advent
expectation for redemption was fulfilled.
With the First Sunday of Advent we begin a new liturgical year – a year of grace
– with its renewed assurance that our redemption is at hand. As we celebrate the entire
arc of salvation history through the year, the grace of radical redemption won for us by
Jesus Christ in his Paschal Mystery progressively unfolds. It makes itself present anew
into the “here and now” of our life, until the day of cosmic “christification” when Christ
will restore all things in himself. The liturgical year is the “sacrament” or “sacred sign” of
Christ’s redeeming act in time.
The Advent season of grace begins with apocalyptic images: “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 waves …” (Lk 21:25). These cataclysmic images are not meant
to frighten us, but rather, an invitation to open ourselves to the saving intervention of
Christ and the grace of his kingdom. Jesus tells his followers not to panic when they see
strange signs occurring. These signs are prelude to the final redemption. Indeed, the
awesome scene of the coming of the Son of Man at the end of the world is a radical call
to open our hearts to Christ’s redeeming love and to the pursuit of his kingdom.
B. Old Testament Reading (Jer 33:14-16): “I will raise up for David a just shoot.”
The 2006 September issue of ST. ANTHONY MESSENGER magazine dedicates a
special section to “Healing After 9/11”. Its cover photo by Eric Bechtold is deeply
evocative. The cover shows a beautiful rose gently opening its yellow-pink petals and
glistening in the radiant sun. This symbol of life and beauty is set against the grim
backdrop of an austere iron fence beside the former World Trade Center, in New York’s
Ground Zero site. The cover photo, as well as the interesting articles that accompany it,
conveys a lesson of hope and reminds a bruised people that goodness prevails, that grief
will turn to joy, and that today’s challenge is to look forward to a healing future.
Replete with grace and hope and permeated with the reality of redemption, the
liturgy of the First Sunday of Advent challenges us to look beyond the specter of doom
and destruction that assails us. It invites us to trust in Jesus Christ who assures that our
redemption is at hand. The promise of redemption by the coming of the Son of Man at the
end of time acquires deeper perspective against the background of the suffering people of
Israel and the prophetic vision of a “just shoot” sprouting from the royal lineage of David
(cf. Jer 33:14-15). Despite everything, even destruction and exile, the prophet Jeremiah
assures the people of Israel and Judah that nothing can turn God away from keeping his
promise of redemption.
The promised virtuous branch from the branch of David is accomplished in Jesus,
the Messiah, who has come and will come again on the last day. Christ will come again at
the end time to restore all things in him. The goodness of the faithful God in sending us
“the just shoot” and the saving act accomplished by Jesus Christ – “the righteous branch
of David” - by his death and rising invite us to look with hope and joyful expectation to
the parousia or end-time. It is a cosmic event and all-embracing.
C. Second Reading (I Thes 3:12-4:2): “May the Lord strengthen your hearts at the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
The messianic expectation for the Lord’s coming inflames St. Paul with zeal,
urgency and enthusiasm. He exhorts the Thessalonians “to be blameless in holiness” at
the coming of our Lord Jesus with his holy ones – the saints. He invites them to grow in a
life pleasing to God and “to do so even more”. In effect, St. Paul is reminding us that we
anticipate in our individual lives Christ’s parousia and promote the cosmic
transformation to be brought about by his definitive advent at the end time. Each day of
our earthly life should be a portal that leads to eternal life.
The advent of Jesus Christ at the hour of our death is an intense personal moment
that flows irreversibly to the parousia or end time, when all things would be restored in
Christ. The encounter with death calls for vigilance and readiness. Though the specter of
death can dishearten, the Christian vision of the “last things” – the ultimate triumph of
God’s love, the offer of saving grace, the reality of eternal life, and our participation in
Christ’s glory - puts us in proper perspective. This was the experience of Tony Snow,
when he was battling colon cancer, to which he eventually succumbed in 2008. The
former President Bush’s Press Secretary realized that we could wisely choose how to
spend the interval between the “now” and the moment we meet our Creator face-to-face.
In the following testimony shared on the Internet, Tony Snow teaches us how to prepare
for the decisive “advent” of the Lord in our personal life – for his coming at the hour of
our death as our Master and Savior.
Blessings arrive in unexpected packages – in my case cancer. Those of us with
potentially fatal diseases – and there are millions in America today – find
ourselves in the odd position of coping with our mortality while trying to fathom
God’s will. Although it would be the height of presumption to declare with
confidence What It All Means, Scripture provides powerful hints and
consolations. The first is that we shouldn’t spend too much time trying to answer
the “why” questions: Why me? Why must people suffer? Why can’t someone else
get sick? We can’t answer such things, and the questions themselves often are
designed more to express our anguish than to solicit an answer.
I don’t know why I have cancer, and I don’t much care. It is what it is, a plain and
indisputable fact. Yet even while staring into a mirror darkly, great and stunning
truths begin to take shape. Our maladies define a central feature of our existence:
We are fallen. We are imperfect. Our bodies give out. But despite this – or
because of it – God offers the possibility of salvation and grace. We don’t know
how the narrative of our lives will end, but we get to choose how to use the
interval between now and the moment we meet our Creator face-to-face.
Second, we need to get past the anxiety. The mere thought of dying can send
adrenaline flooding through the system. A dizzy, unfocused panic seizes us. Your
heart thumps, you head swims. You think of nothingness and swoon. You fear
partings; you worry about the impact on family and friends. You fidget and get
nowhere. To regain footing, remember that we were born not into death, but into
life – and that the journey continues after we have finished our days on this earth.
We accept this on faith, but that faith is nourished by a conviction that stirs even
within many non-believing hearts – an intuition that the gift of life, once given,
cannot be taken away. Those who have been stricken enjoy the special privilege of
being able to fight with their might, main, and faith to live fully, richly,
exuberantly – no matter how their days may be numbered.
Third, we can open our eyes and hearts. God relishes surprise. We want lives of
simple, predictable ease – smooth, even trails as far as the eye can see – but God
likes to go off-road. He provokes us with twists and turns. He places us in
predicaments that seem to defy our endurance and comprehension – and yet
don’t. By his love and grace, we persevere. The challenges that make our hearts
leap and stomachs churn invariably strengthen our faith and grant measures of
wisdom and joy we would not experience otherwise. (…)
Even though God doesn’t promise us tomorrow, he does promise us eternity –
filled with life and love we cannot comprehend – and that one can in the throes of
sickness point the rest of us toward timeless truths that will help us weather future
storms. Through such trials, God bids us to choose: Do we believe, or do we not?
Will we be bold enough to love, daring enough to serve, humble enough to submit,
and strong enough to acknowledge our limitations? Can we surrender our
concern in things that don’t matter so that we might devote our remaining days to
things that do?
When our faith flags, he throws reminders in our way. Think of the prayer
warriors in our midst. They change things, and those of us who have been on the
receiving end of their petitions and intercessions know it. It is hard to describe,
but there are times when suddenly the hairs on the back of your neck stand up,
and you feel a surge of the Spirit. Somehow you just know: Others have chosen,
when talking to the Author of all creation, to lift us up – to speak of us!
This is love of a very special order. But so is the ability to sit back and appreciate
the wonder of every created thing. The mere thought of death somehow makes
every blessing vivid - every happiness more luminous and intense. We may not
know how our contest with sickness will end, but we have felt the ineluctable
touch of God. We don’t know much, but we know this: No matter where we are,
no matter what we do, no matter how bleak or frightening our prospects, each
and every one of us who believe, each and every day, lies in the same safe and
impregnable place, in the hollow of God’s hand.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the
MEDITATIO
How does the promise of the “just shoot” impact you personally? When faced
with specters of doom, death and destruction, are you willing to raise your heads and trust
in God, believing that redemption is close at hand? Do we truly long for the definitive
coming of the Messiah?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Loving Father,
we welcome with joy the various comings of Jesus Christ:
at Bethlehem, in the vicissitudes of our daily life
at the hour of our death and his final coming to “christify” all things.
We open our hearts to the saving grace he offers us
with great kindness and love.
May our Advent expectation energize us.
Let it be a torch for our faith.
May our lives be always directed to the end time,
to the perfect fulfillment of your saving plan
to restore all things in your beloved Son.
To him we cry out: “Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus!”
As people of Advent expectation, but already redeemed,
we look forward to the coming of your Kingdom:
a kingdom of justice, peace and love.
We love you and praise you,
we adore and serve you,
now and forever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION
CONTEMPLATIO
OF
THE
WORD:
A
Pastoral
Tool
for
the
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the
day. Please memorize it.
“Raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.” (Lk 21:28)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray that the final coming of Christ may efficaciously shape the choices and
actions of today’s Christian disciples. Make this season of Advent a privileged occasion
to respond to the many tragedies in the world. An Advent “fasting” in view of a loving
Christmas sharing with the poor is recommended.
*** Text of First Sunday of Advent, Year C, ends here. ***
A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday Liturgy & Holy Days
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (n. 2)
SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT, YEAR C
“JESUS SAVIOR: Through Him All Flesh Shall See the Salvation of
God”
BIBLE READINGS
Bar 5:1-9 // Phil 1:4-6, 8-11 // Lk 3:1-6
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Lk 3:1-6): “All flesh shall see the salvation of God”
It was past midnight. Everything was peaceful and quiet in the departure area of
Mumbai airport. After praying the rosary, I whiled the time away by observing the people
around me. The Swissair flight crew that had just arrived caught my attention. I was
fascinated by the limpid quality of a flight attendant who looked Japanese. After I
boarded the plane bound for Manila, that flight attendant came and greeted me in
Japanese. She thought I was Japanese. I told her that I am not. She laughed and shifted to
English. She shared that she had just been baptized a Christian. There was joy etched in
her face as she avowed her Christian faith. I rejoiced with her and thanked the Lord for
the gradual realization of the Advent promise: “All flesh shall see the salvation of God”.
The Gospel reading of this Sunday (Lk 3:1-6) resounds with God’s promise of
salvation transmitted to us by the prophet Isaiah when he wrote the Book of Consolation
of Israel (cf. Is 40:3-5). The evangelist Luke, in narrating the inaugural ministry of John
the Baptist, cited the Isaiah text more amply than Mark and Matthew. The final words of
today’s Gospel passage: “All flesh shall see the salvation of God” are not cited by Mark
and Matthew in the parallel accounts of John the Baptist’s ministry. Luke’s editing
strategy is meant to highlight the promise of universal salvation that is so important to
him and his Gentile readers. Indeed, the entire world is included in God’s saving plan.
The celebration of Advent entails the missionary task and commitment for the
coming of God’s kingdom. The liturgical season of Advent, while it reveals the true,
profound and mysterious dimension of the Lord’s coming, delineates likewise the
missionary commitment of the Church and of every Christian to work for the advent or
coming of God’s kingdom. “ADVENIAT REGNUM TUUM” (“Thy kingdom come!”)
should be the missionary mantra of every Christian in this Advent season. The Advent
celebration is meant to enkindle our apostolic obligation to bring the Good News to those
already baptized but had developed a culture that is not compatible with the Gospel, as
well as, to those who have not known Christ explicitly.
In the Church’s Advent mission to bring about the coming of God’s kingdom so
that “all flesh shall see the salvation of God”, we have an important paradigm or model:
John the Baptist. Indeed, together with the Advent figure, John the Baptist, whose
ministry is described by Luke as “the voice crying out in the desert: Prepare the way of
the Lord; make straight his paths …” (Lk 3:5), let us welcome the Word of God that
comes to us like a refreshing dew from above. We must allow the Word of God to
convert us, mold us and strengthen us; and then, let us dedicate ourselves to the task of
missionary witnessing.
B. Old Testament Reading (Bar 5:1-9): “Jerusalem, God will show your splendor.”
The priest who helped me discern my religious vocation is Fr. Alexis, a
Franciscan Capuchin missionary from Goa, India. He was assigned in the Sacred Heart
Parish in Sta. Mesa, Manila where I grew up. Fr. Alexis wrote the letter of
recommendation when I made my application to enter the convent in 1970. Fifteen years
later I was sent by Mother General to India where my spiritual director has been
reassigned. Fr. Alexis invited me to visit Goa, famed for its beautiful beaches and lush
vegetation. From Mumbai, I joined some of his family members on a night-long bus trip.
When we entered Goa, the oversea workers traveling with us – many of them returning
from the Gulf countries – clapped their hands and broke into a song of joy. After difficult
years of life abroad, they were grateful and enthusiastic to be home.
The song of the homecoming workers that I heard in Goa helps me appreciate the
jubilant poetry in today’s First Reading (Bar 5:1-9). The prophet Baruch consoles God’s
chosen people – subjugated by the Babylonians and humiliated in their land of exile with images of victory, e.g. robes of splendor, miter of glory, royal throne, etc. He
likewise comforts them with images of peace, e.g. level paths, fragrant shade trees, divine
light, etc. The prophet encourages the feeble hearted and the suffering with visions of
glory when Israel is restored to the Promised Land. Baruch thus makes a decisive and
radical statement about the glorious destiny of the people of God. He depicts a very
optimistic picture of the Advent of God’s chosen people to their ancestral home. Indeed,
the oracle of hope and song of salvation in the Book of Baruch evoke the coming of God
in the fullness of time in his Son Jesus Christ.
C. Second Reading (Phil 1:4-6, 8-11): “Show yourselves pure and blameless for the
day of Christ.”
In the Second Reading (Phil 1:4-6, 8-11), Paul acknowledges with a spirit of
thanksgiving and joy the signs of hope that fill the early Christian community in Philippi.
He likewise prays that they may have greater love, understanding and insight so that they
may be pure and blameless for the Lord’s definitive Advent at the end time. It is
absolutely necessary that Christian disciples advance upright and without stumbling
toward the “day of Christ” – his final coming.
The life of Saint Maximilian Kolbe shows what it means “to be pure and
blameless for the day of Christ”. Ted Wojtkowsi, as a young man, was privileged to
witness one of the greatest acts of saintly heroism of the twentieth century. His encounter
with Father Maximilian Kolbe changed his life and enabled him to be a man of hope (cf.
Jay Copp, “Inspired by a Martyr” in Amazing Grace for the Catholic Heart, ed. Jeff
Cavins, et. al., West Chester: Ascension Press, 2004, p. 26-29).
The year was 1939. In September, German tanks rumbled into Poland. The first
village attacked by the Nazis was the home of Wojtkoswki, then a 20-year-old
student. A patriot, Wojtkowski went underground. He and his buddies manned a
shortwave radio to gather war news from London and then secretly printed
leaflets to let villagers know what was occurring. Before long, Wojtkowski hopped
on his father’s bicycle and headed toward Hungary. His destination was France,
where he hoped to join the Polish army. The Nazis caught him at the border,
jailed him, and sent him to Auschwitz on May 1, 1949.
Auschwitz was not a killing ground for Jews yet; the Nazis were using it for
criminals and for foes of their regime, including priests and activists. Wojtkowski,
living with eight-hundred men in a two-story barracks, was put to work building
more barracks. The Nazis treated the prisoners brutally. Priests were especially
singled-out for punishment – guards kicked them in the face and stomach and
clubbed them over the head. When a prisoner escaped, all the others were
ordered to stand in the sun for days, hands on their heads. After a second escape,
ten prisoners were machine-gunned. The third escape occurred on or about July
28, 1941. One hundred members of Wojtkowski’s barracks were forced to stand in
rows of ten. Ten of them would die. Wojtkowski stood in the eighth row. The camp
commander ordered each row, one after the other, to step forward. He began a
random selection. One, two, three were pulled from a group. Wojtkowski hoped
that ten would be singled out before his row was reached.
A fourth, fifth, and sixth were picked. The sixth broke down. “My wife, my
children …” he sobbed. “Who will take care of them?” A prisoner from the sixth
row turned to the commander, “I will take the place of this man with the wife and
children”, he said. Most remarkable of all was the volunteer’s demeanor. “His
expression was so serene, so peaceful, not a shadow of fear”, Wojtkowski recalls.
The commander, however, was not impressed. “You must be some kind of
(expletive) priest”, he snarled. But he accepted him as one of the ten. The
volunteer and nine others were locked in a bunker. The Nazis would not waste
bullets on them. They would be starved to death. The man was indeed a priest, but
not just any priest. He was Franciscan Father Maximilian Kolbe. Poles
considered Kolbe a saint. His personal assistant Jerome Wierziba, once said of
him: “He had something good in his face that emanated God. Just looking at him
gave you peace of mind.”
Kolbe published religious magazines and newspapers read by more than one
million Poles. He was widely admired, running the largest Catholic religious
house in the world. Intensely devoted to the Blessed Mother, Kolbe supervised sixhundred-fifty friars at his City of the Immaculata, an evangelization center near
Warsaw. The Nazis naturally regarded Kolbe with suspicion after they invaded
Poland. When he resisted pressure to apply for German citizenship for which he
was eligible, he was arrested on February 17, 1941.
When the guards were out of earshot, the prisoners shared information with one
another about the fate of the ten in the bunker. Kolbe was leading the doomed in
prayers and hymns, and a piece of bread had been smuggled in to be used in a
Mass. After three weeks, Kolbe was the last to die. The Nazis, impatient to use the
bunker to punish others, had a doctor inject poison into Kolbe to finish him off.
The more Wojtkowski thought about Kolbe’s self-sacrifice, the more astounded he
was. Francis Gajowniczek, whom Kolbe had saved, was a peasant farmer. Kolbe,
forty-seven, was one of the most accomplished men in Poland, a priest with many
plans. Already he had begun a missionary center in Japan and was determined to
open an evangelization center in each continent. And Kolbe, who possessed great
drive and ambition, had given up all his dreams in a moment. He truly was a man
of God, Wojtkowski realized. Kolbe saved not only Gajowniczek, but also
Wojtkowski. Years of deprivation awaited Wojtkowski. There would be
backbreaking labor and physical abuse. But Wojtkowski never lost his will to
survive. “Father Kolbe inspired me”, he says. “After his sacrifice, I never thought
I would die at Auschwitz. Someday I would be liberated and tell what happened.”
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the
MEDITATIO
In our Advent preparation, do we heed the call of the voice of one crying in the
desert: “Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight his paths”? Do we remove what
impedes grace? Do we prepare the way of grace? Are we a Church “in mission”? Are we
a “voice that cries out” so as to proclaim Christ to the world? How do we contribute to
the realization of the Advent invocation: “ADVENIAT REGNUM TUUM”? Do we yearn
for the fulfillment of the prophetic vision: “All flesh shall see the salvation of God”? In
this Advent season, do we strive to imitate John the Baptist as a model of messianic
expectation and of a person in mission?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Father,
we give you thanks through Christ our Lord.
His future coming was proclaimed by all the prophets.
The virgin mother bore him in her womb
with love beyond all telling.
John the Baptist was his herald
and made him known when at last he came.
Christ has filled us with joy
as we prepare to celebrate his birth.
When he comes may he find us watching in prayer,
our hearts filled with wonder and praise.
Heavenly Father,
assist us as we promote the advent of your kingdom
and grant that with your grace at work in us,
we may attain to that prophetic vision:
“All flesh shall see the salvation of God.”
You live and reign,
forever and ever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION
CONTEMPLATIO
OF
THE
WORD:
A
Pastoral
Tool
for
the
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the
day. Please memorize it.
“All flesh shall see the salvation of God.” (Lk 3:6)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Close your eyes and slowly enumerate the five continents of the earth: Asia,
Africa, America, Europe and Oceania. As you mention each continent, picture in your
mind the peoples of that continent and pray: “ADVENIAT REGNUM TUUM” … “Thy
kingdom come!” By sharing your spiritual and material resources, promote the mission of
the Church “ad intra” and “ad extra”.
*** Text of Second Sunday of Advent, Year C, ends here. ***
A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday Liturgy & Holy Days
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (n. 3)
THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT, YEAR C
“JESUS SAVIOR: John the Baptist Is His Prophet”
BIBLE READINGS
Zep 3:14-18a // Phil 4:4-7 // Lk 3:10-18
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Lk 3:10-18): “What should we do?”
Some years ago, the horrible avalanche of garbage that killed many scavengers in
the city dump in Payatas, Manila Metropolis in the Philippines, and the stinking trash that
littered and polluted our once beautiful land provoked sensitive persons to ask: “What
should we do?” One day I saw Sr. Mary Carmela, who had attended an ecological
seminar organized for our Antipolo Diocese, washing messy plastic bags and putting
them on the clothesline to dry. She explained that the plastic bags would be brought to
the Augustinian Recollect Fathers where they would be picked up by a recycling factory.
She showed me also a long list of recyclable materials and the address of the factories
that recycle them in the Metro Manila area. That was a day of conversion for me! From
then on I knew that I would be able to do something for God’s beloved creation – so
violently abused by man’s greed and senselessness. I joined the work of “zero waste”, the
promotion of a life of simplicity and the campaign against wastefulness. In caring for the
earth, I become more connected with the Church of the poor and feel the joyful advent of
God’s justice and peace in my heart.
The question “What should we do?” is very much related to the Advent mantra
“Adveniat regnum tuum” (“Thy kingdom come!”). The joy of Advent is not passivity. In
order to bring about the advent of God’s kingdom on earth, the people of messianic
expectation must ask the question “What should we do?” as the crowds, tax collectors
and soldiers asked John the Baptist. The Baptist’s response emphasized a practical
spirituality rather than a high mysticism. His reply to the expectant crowds was:
“Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none. And whoever has
food should do likewise” (Lk 3:11). John the Baptist did not prescribe ritual sacrifice or
oblige ascetical practices but challenged them to a more radical response: a selfless
concern for the disadvantaged poor. Moreover, he demanded just and responsible
behavior from the tax collectors and soldiers. Indeed, as salvation is for all classes of
people, so the practice of justice and charity is a moral imperative in every walk of life.
Our Advent celebration involves a joyful hope that manifests itself in acts of
peace and justice, and care for the earth. In response to John the Baptist’s exhortation
“Prepare the way of the Lord”, we strive to make alive and real the kingdom of God’s
justice and peace in the “here and now”. Our charity for our less fortunate brothers and
sisters and our active concern for God’s beloved creation are a necessary preparation for
the coming of the Messiah, the servant of justice and the Lord of creation. John the
Baptist, the precursor of the Messiah, preached the good news of the Savior’s imminent
coming to the people who were on tiptoe in expectation. And Jesus the Messiah, anointed
by the Spirit to bring good news to the poor, came in time and space and continues to
come to earth to bring forth justice and salvation.
B. Old Testament Reading (Zep 3:14-18a): “The Lord will rejoice over you with
gladness.”
I have never imagined that the small peaceful town where I was born, near the
slopes of Mayon volcano in the Philippines, would ever be in the international news. In
2006 my hometown, Guinobatan, was one of the worst hit areas by the tropical storm
Durian and the devastation it suffered was almost “apocalyptic”. At its height, with 165
mph winds and a five-hour deluge, the storm dislodged tons of debris that cascaded down
the slopes of the Mayon volcano. Walls of mud and boulders destroyed nearly every
standing structure in their path. Official figures showed 526 dead, 1,000 injured and 740
missing, but the extent of the calamity exceeds the official tally or human imagination.
My brother who lives on another island wrote to me his personal impression.
Although I have been to Guinobatan several times recently, tonight as I was
watching the live TV Broadcast in front of the Guinobatan Municipal Hall, I was
trying to look for something that is familiar to me in the footage. There is nothing
that I can relate to in the past, nor anything that will give me the feeling of deja
vu. Not even the Municipal Hall with its bold signboard. What I saw was total
desolation and pictures of human grief. I kept wondering where the Guinobatan
where I grew up went. And I kept wondering if any of those bloated bodies lined
up on the concrete floor, for lack of space, is not one of our kin … I just can’t help
but foolishly wonder aloud why the town was being singled out by nature or fate.
As I was receiving reports of the devastation, and more impressively from the
personal accounts of my relatives who were in the deluge, I was also struggling to make
sense of the bible readings assigned for Gaudete Sunday, especially the First Reading
(Zep 3:14-18a). For those people whose wounds are so raw, whose grief is too bitter and
whose loss is exceedingly real, Zephaniah’s Ode to Joy seems callous, incongruous and
senseless. I even complained, “How on earth could I make a Lectio Divina on this
passage?” The grace of God, however, did not abandon me. Slowly, slowly a sense of
understanding came to me as I prayed and meditated on that catastrophic event in the
light of the transforming Word of God. Indeed, delving more deeply into the book of the
prophet Zephaniah and the Gospel message, I came to realize with renewed conviction
that God is present in this paschal situation, transforming death and sadness into salvation
and redemption – and that sadness does not have the ultimate word, but joy in the Lord.
Zephaniah, who prophesied under King Josiah of Judah, is both the prophet of the
“day of wrath” and the harbinger of the promise of salvation. His foreboding of doom (cf.
Zep 1:15: “a day of wrath, that day, a day of distress and agony, a day of ruin and
devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of cloud and darkness …”) merely
underlines the consoling message that God is in our midst – to bring salvation out of a
painful situation. The enigmatic prophet Zephaniah makes an ardent appeal to trust in the
mighty Lord who is “in our midst”. He courageously invites a presently distressed people
to rejoice in a situation in which joy seems utterly impossible. Zephaniah’s climactic
message of hope reinforces the clarion call of the Church on this Advent season to rejoice
always in the Lord. The indomitable joy of a believer and the faith community is founded
on the conviction that our future is secured by God and promoted by human endeavor and
response.
C. Second Reading (Phil 4:4-7): “The Lord is near.”
Through the Second Reading of this Sunday’s Mass – called fittingly “Gaudete
Sunday” - we have received a beautiful gift from Saint Paul: his witness of joy and his
inspiring call to rejoice in the Lord always (cf. Phil 4:4-7). Writing from a prison in
Ephesus to the Philippians, the first church that Paul established on European soil in the
Roman province of Macedonia, he was sharing with them and with us, through time and
space, the confident joy that springs forth from deep faith in Jesus Christ. Paul reminds
the Philippians and us that the Lord Jesus is the motive and guarantee of our joy,
which is to be shared with everyone in the form of kindness and serenity.
As we look forward to the final coming of Jesus Christ at the parousia, or end
time, we are not anxious, but rather warmed with joyful hope. In our Advent expectation
we do not despair, but are filled with the grace of peace. Indeed, Saint Paul’s remarkable
message for us this Gaudete Sunday is a source of comfort, inspiration and greater
insight. Paul’s fundamental response to the Lord’s Good News is that of optimism and
joy. He challenges us to make it ours as well.
The people of Advent expectation are a people of joy. They are a bunch of joyful
optimists, rooted in union with Jesus Christ and anchored securely through deep faith in
him. The following charming story gives us an idea of the undaunted conviction that
animates a joyful optimist (cf. “The Optimist” in A 2nd Helping of Chicken Soup for the
Soul, ed. Jack Canfield & Mark Victor Hansen, Deerfield Beach: Health
Communications, Inc., 1993, p. 180). His trust in the good that is in store is total and
unyielding.
There is a story of identical twins. One was a hope-filled optimist: “Everything is
coming up roses!” he would say. The other was a sad and hopeless pessimist. He
thought that Murphy, as in Murphy’s Law, was an optimist. The worried parents
of the boys brought them to the local psychologist.
He suggested to the parents a plan to balance the twins’ personalities. “On their
next birthday, put them in separate rooms to open their gifts. Give the pessimist
the best toys you can afford, and give the optimist a box of manure.” The parents
followed these instructions and carefully observed the results.
When they peeked in on the pessimist, they heard him audibly complaining, “I
don’t like the color of this computer … I’ll bet this calculator will break … I don’t
like this game … I know someone who’s got a bigger toy car than this …”
Tiptoeing across the corridor, the parents peeked in and saw their little optimist
gleefully throwing the manure up in the air. He was giggling, “You can’t fool me!
Where there’s this much manure, there’s gotta be a pony!”
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the
MEDITATIO
In the Church’s preparation for the Lord’s definitive coming, do we seek to
translate our Advent invocation “ADVENIAT REGNUM TUUM” into an expression of
effective concern by asking: “WHAT SHOULD WE DO?” Does our joyful hope in the
coming of the Messiah, the servant of justice and the Lord of creation, prove itself in acts
of justice and works of charity, and care for the earth? Do we imitate the messianic
witness of John the Baptist who “preached the good news to the people”? Do we respond
to his challenge of practical spirituality that we may “prepare the way of the Lord”?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Lord Jesus,
as we prepare for your definitive coming at the end time
and as we welcome your daily advent in our lives,
teach us “what we should do”
so that we may truly be a people of the new covenant
and messengers of hope to the poor and the oppressed.
Help us to care for the earth.
The earth forms the basic raw material for humankind
and the substance for the incarnation of God’s Son.
In our care for the earth
and in deeds of compassion and mercy,
may we be a “sacrament” of the final advent of your Kingdom
where you live and reign forever and ever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION
CONTEMPLATIO
OF
THE
WORD:
A
Pastoral
Tool
for
the
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the
day. Please memorize it.
“The crowds asked John the Baptist, ‘What should we do?’” (Lk 3:10)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
As an Advent offering, offer your prayers and/or contribute money, time or other
resources to the environmental projects of the local community and any other.
*** Text of Third Sunday of Advent, Year C, ends here. ***
A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday Liturgy & Holy Days
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (n. 4)
FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT, YEAR C
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Calls Us to Be Christ Bearers”
BIBLE READINGS
Mi 5:1-4a // Heb 10:5-0 // Lk 1:39-45
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Lk 1:39-45): “And how does this happen to me, that the mother of
my Lord should come to me?”
Composer and performer Bradley James has put Mother Teresa of Calcutta’s
teachings and prayers to music in the internationally acclaimed recording, “Gift of Love:
Music to the Words and Prayers of Mother Teresa”. Bradley remembers: “Mother said
we don’t have to go to Calcutta to help the poor; rather, we must help them right in front
of us.” He applied this lesson when he encountered a homeless beggar on the streets of
San Francisco (cf. Susan Conroy, Our Sunday Visitor, Oct. 19, 2003, p. 17). Bradley
placed some money in his metal cup, then reached out and shook the man’s hand. The
recipient gave him a big smile and the two exchanged names and small talk. Bradley
recalls: “Then he pulled me a little closer and said, ‘Thanks for the money, but what I
really needed was a handshake’.” Indeed, what was remarkable was the human dignity
that Bradley brought to the beggar through the handshake. In effect, Bradley has
replicated in his life the joyful mystery of the Lord’s visitation.
In Luke’s Gospel account of the visitation of Mary to her kinswoman, Elizabeth
(Lk 1:39-45), he brings together the new mothers-to-be, so that both might praise God’s
marvelous activity in their lives and that Elizabeth’s child might be presented as the
precursor of Mary’s child. Indeed, the meeting of the two expectant mothers has a
redemptive significance: God’s inauguration in Jesus of the final stage of salvation. The
one who brought the saving Lord to Elizabeth’s home is Mary, the Mother of the Lord.
She is the “christofora” or the bearer of the good news. The mother of Christ, God’s most
beautiful and precious gift to humankind, brings him to John, in the womb of Elizabeth.
The Church, the community of Christian disciples, is called to be the bearer of Christ’s
saving love in the here and now. Our ministry today is like that of Mary, the “christofora”
or bearer of Christ. But before becoming bearers of Christ, we must let him be formed in
us.
B. Old Testament Reading (Mi 5:1-4a): “From you shall come forth the ruler of
Israel.”
The archeologist Sal Trento’s article “Tidings of Joy” in GUIDEPOSTS Magazine
(December 2006 issue, p. 68-72) narrates of a mysterious visit he received on a Christmas
Eve when he lay near death in a hospital bed after a terrible car accident. He was feeling
trapped in a broken body and trapped by his regrets about the past, when a mysterious
elderly lady with intense blue eyes entered his room in the ICU to hold his hand and pray
for him. Sal writes:
Instinctively I wanted to pull my hand away. But I couldn’t . I was too weak. Then,
from somewhere deep inside I felt a tingle, like an electric charge coursing through
my body. The feeling moved up along my spine and into my chest, then it exploded in
my mind, infusing me with light and energy and a power that was at once alien and
innate. I would not have been surprised to see myself aglow like the lights on the
monitors. And I knew it meant the same thing: that I was alive and would survive.
That never again would I feel alone. What I felt now was something very certain and
very real: joy. “Thank you, Lord,” I hear myself say. The words reverberated through
me like a kind of healing. I looked at the old woman. She was talking softly,
soothingly. I couldn’t understand her words. But I knew she was praying. I must have
finally fallen back asleep. When I awoke, it was already Christmas morning. And the
elderly woman was gone.
The medical staff was aghast at Sal Trento’s miraculous recovery. The mysterious
kindly lady who radiated great calm and kindness brought to him the gift of healing and
Sal would forever remember that Christmas Eve when he experienced that he would
never again feel alone … when all is joy. Sal Trento’s experience gives us an insight into
the ineffable mystery of the visitation of Mary, the Christ bearer, into the house of
Elizabeth whose child in her womb leapt for joy when she heard Mary’s greeting.
This Sunday’s Old Testament reading (Mic 5:1-4a) helps define the character of
the child that is in Mary’s womb – the gift of joy of which she is the bearer. Micah
foretells of an ideal messianic king who will inaugurate a new era after Israel’s period of
exile. The mission of this highly idealized ruler is characterized as a good shepherd who
protects his flock and keeps them from being scattered. This new king will be great and
he himself will be peace. Prophesying in the late eighth century at about the same time as
Isaiah, Micah uttered an oracle that seemed to identify Bethlehem as the city of a yet
unborn ruler’s birth. This fascinating oracle contributed to a profound vision of Jesus’
destiny as a ruler. Indeed, Micah’s oracle reinforces the hope that God would make a
fresh start by appointing again Bethlehem – the city of King David - as the birthplace of a
future king that surpasses all in greatness. From Bethlehem, that is, from the Davidic
dynasty would be born the one who is to rule over us all: Jesus the son of David. He is
the peace and the joy of all believers.
C. Second Reading (Heb 10:5-10): “Behold I come to do your will.”
This Sunday’s Second Reading (Heb 10:5-10) gives us a profound insight into the
“why” of the Lord’s incarnation. The Son of God became man so that through his “body”
he could offer a sacrifice of perfect obedience to the Father’s saving will. The effect of
Christ’s perfect sacrifice is our salvation and redemption. Through the offering of the
body of Christ for all, we have been sanctified and consecrated to the loving, merciful
God the Father.
When I was reading the following story by Poverello House Founder Mike
McGarvin, I felt something vaguely familiar in it (cf. Poverello News, November 2009,
p.1-2). Now I know! The meeting of Campbell and “Papa Mike” is like the visit of Mary
to her cousin Elizabeth. What a beautiful story for the Advent-Christmas season when we
are deeply challenged to live our calling: to allow the word of God to dwell in our hearts
… to let Christ grow within us … to be Christ bearers to others! In imitation of Mary’s
discipleship and charity, we too need to live out our vocation to be like Christ who said to
the heavenly Father at his incarnation: “Behold, I come to do your will, O God” (Heb
10:7).
It’s strange thing to know someone for ten years, but never actually meet him.
That describes my friendship with a young man, up until last summer. One
Christmas season ten years ago, I received a letter from a six-year old child
whose name was Campbell. It was charming. The boy wrote as if he knew me, and
told me all about the things in his life that interested him. Accompanying the letter
was some money he had earned to help the homeless. I sent a letter to thank him.
The next year, he sent another little missive with yet another donation. Again, the
tone was familiar and conversational, as if we had been pals for decades. I shared
these letters with the Poverello staff, who were as delighted as I was.
The letters came every year about the same time, with one exception. One
Christmas rolled by a few years ago with no letter from Campbell. I was
disappointed, and, to tell the truth, a little depressed. I figured he had grown tired
of Poverello House, and had moved on to new things. However, much to my relief,
the letter came in January. He apologized, and said his life had been so busy that
he was a little late. And busy he was. Each year, he would describe the joys and
anxieties of entering a new grade in school. I learned about his martial art
lessons, his school wrestling, and the academic subjects that excited or bored him
the most. Each letter was a glimpse into the life of a thoughtful, engaging, and
very involved youngster. Every letter also contained a school picture of him, so I
could see him grow from a cute little boy into a handsome teenager.
In the decade that passed, Campbell talked about visiting Poverello, but never
seemed to get the time. Then, one day in August, I got a surprising call: he and his
grandfather were going to come down and see the Pov. After all this time, I
thought I knew what to expect. I was a little shocked to meet the face in the
pictures attached to a body that was as tall as me. At sixteen years old, Campbell
was well over six feet tall. He towered over his grandpa. I gave them both a tour,
which they seemed to enjoy. When we paused at the POW/MIA table in our
dayroom, the grandfather got a little emotional. It turns out that he had spent
many years in the military and had fought in World War II.
Sometimes, working at Poverello and living down here is a little like being in a
bubble. Most of what I see is negative, and I don’t get away enough to see much
else. I meet many young people on the streets, most of whom are going nowhere
in life, and who are pretty well ruined before they turn twenty. It’s easy to lose
hope.
Now and then, however, a vibrant, compassionate young person like Campbell
crosses my path, and I start to think more positively. If there’s someone like
Campbell, who, since the age of six, has thought about the poor and done what he
could to help, then maybe, just maybe, there are a lot more like him. What a
blessing it was to finally meet him face to face and to see the good work that God
started in him. Maybe there’s hope for humanity, after all, if somehow we can
help to produce a few more Campbells.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the
MEDITATIO
Do we believe that we are being sent to carry out the Lord’s visitation and saving
mission? Do we perceive the meaning of the tremendous gift that we, as Christian
disciples, are called to share to the world? That we may be effective “christoforas” or
Christ bearers, do we allow Christ to be formed in us?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
(Adapted from the Advent Preface “The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary” and
Mary’s Canticle of Praise)
Father, all-powerful and ever living God,
we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
By your Holy Spirit
you inspired Elizabeth
to reveal the surpassing honor
you have given to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Mary is rightly hailed as blessed
because she believed in your promise of salvation;
in her act of loving service
she is greeted as mother of the Lord
by the mother of Christ’s herald.
We make our own the canticle of joy
on the lips of God’s Virgin Mother,
and in our lowliness we too proclaim your greatness:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord
and my spirit exults in God my savior.”
IV. INTERIORIZATION
CONTEMPLATIO
OF
THE
WORD:
A
Pastoral
Tool
for
the
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the
day. Please memorize it.
“And how does this happen to me that the mother of my Lord should come to
me?” (Lk 1:43)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Be an instrument of the Lord’s visitation to those who need his salvation by
visiting the sick, the lonely, and/or the prisoners.
*** Text of Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year C, ends here. ***
A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday Liturgy & Holy Days
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (n. 5)
CHRISTMAS – MASS AT NIGHT, YEAR A, B & C
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Is the Savior Born for Us”
BIBLE READINGS
Mass at Night: Is 9:1-6 // Ti 2:11-14 // Lk 2:1-14
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
In the Christmas mystery, the Son of God became totally involved in our human
lot. Jesus Savior thoroughly embraced our humanity, immersing himself in the human
situation – experiencing the best of us and the worst of us. This is what God intended. He
refused to be a mere spectator in human affairs. He wanted to participate, to be a part of
it. This is the tremendous mystery of the Incarnation; this is the beautiful mystery of
Christmas; this is the profound mystery of the Eucharist. They are all a definitive
participation of Jesus Christ in our human affairs in a self-giving manner. Thus, in these
moments, Jesus gives us a model of self-giving. He shows us the way to love.
The studies of my professor in Scripture, Fr. Herman Hendrickx, CICM, on the
Infancy Narratives of Luke, can help us deepen our understanding of the Lord’s self-gift
and total involvement in our human situation.
1) In chapter 2 of the Infancy Narrative, the evangelist Luke states that “there was
no place for them in the inn”. There was no place for them in the inn because the
inn is the place for strangers … for traveling strangers who stay only for the night.
But Christ is not a stranger. He comes to his own. “The word became flesh and
dwelt among us.” The inn is not a place for him to stay because he is not a
stranger or distant from us. He belongs to us. His total involvement in our human
destiny makes him really one with us. He could never be born in the inn, that is,
outside of us. He has to be born in each one of us. He has to make his home in
each of us.
2) Luke also mentions that Mary laid him in a “manger”. The manger is the place
where animals are nourished. The manger is the place of sustenance … of
nourishment. Jesus was laid in the manger because he is the symbol and reality of
God’s support and sustenance of his people. The Son of God has to be born in
Bethlehem, the “city of Bread” for he is the Bread of life – the Bread to be given,
broken, and shared. Jesus in the manger points to the reality of being a “self-gift”
in the Eucharistic Bread, the nourishment of his people.
3)
Furthermore, Luke mentions that Jesus was wrapped in “swaddling clothes”,
symbol of royalty. Rather than a sign of poverty and destitution, the swaddling
clothes of Jesus indicate that he is a king. And in the biblical term, a king is the
one who shepherds and cares for God’s people. And the infant wrapped in
swaddling clothes becomes truly “king-shepherd” upon the tree of life – the
Cross! It is there where he becomes truly KING-SHEPHERD in the fullest sense
of the word – laying down his life for the sheep. On the Cross, Jesus KingShepherd gathers all sheep into one flock to guide and lead them to the eternal
home.
The Child Jesus laying in the manger, symbol of God’s sustenance and nourishment
… the Lord Jesus who, on the night when he was given up, offered us the Eucharistic
Bread and the Cup … the Lord Jesus, King-Shepherd, laying down his life for us on the
Cross, the altar of sacrifice … HE IS STILL PRESENT IN OUR MIDST! He is the
“Emmanuel”, the God-with-us Savior. Our celebration of Christmas and our participation
in the Eucharist should transform us, like Jesus, into “self-gift”. Our celebration of the
birth of Christ and our sharing in the Eucharistic feasting ought to make us – Christian
disciples – capable of sharing the best of what we are … capable of sharing both our
poverty and our riches, following the example of Jesus, the model of self-giving.
My former student in the seminary, G. Campese, writes: “Our expectations for
something new, for a better humanity and human society, our joy and hope which come
from the spirit of Christmas, will remain just a confused ideal and will return into a
disillusion if we do not take seriously and clearly to ourselves the message of Christmas:
in Jesus Christ the salvation from God becomes a reality; the kingdom is not yet fulfilled,
but it is already here, and it needs our cooperation in service and self-giving.”
This remark reminds me of my favorite Christmas story that was narrated by Fr. Paul
Bernier in his book, Bread Broken and Shared. How I wish that this Christmas story
would be repeated and replicated over and over, certainly not just in story-telling, but in
the daily miracles of life!
The film might have been entitled “Christmas Dinner in the Dump”. Being
homemade, however, it was untitled. But it was about real people, and it was all
about Christmas in the town dump. We were being told of the apostolic efforts of
some Jesuits working in El Paso, Texas. It seems that across the border from El Paso
lies Juarez. Juarez is much better known to Americans for its cheap goods, its
gambling and the other amenities provided by Mexican border towns. Less well
known is the town dump, which dozens of people call home. There they build their
shanties, raise their families and compete with the rats for the food that is provided
daily by the garbage pails of the nearby city.
One of the Jesuits working with a group of cursillistas had gotten the brilliant idea of
expressing something of the joy and peace of Christ’s birthday by sharing Christmas
dinner with the unfortunate people, the refuse of the society, living – existing would
be a better word – across the border. It was considered to be a good idea, so two
dozen or so people with their families prepared food and gifts and set off for the dump
on Christmas afternoon. They were not prepared for what they saw. Instead of the
dozens which they expected to find, there were hundreds. They were completely
outnumbered by the wretched poor whose only hope of survival was vying with others
to glean the leftovers and discarded items of the city.
The film captured that so graphically: a small group laden with food advancing amid
the garbage and the rubble being met by an army of the hungry for whom the
available food would hardly be enough for appetizers. But they continued on and
bravely told the people of their love and concern, and offered apologies that they had
not brought sufficient food so that they might all enjoy a good Christmas dinner
together. However, they could at least share as much as would go around. So with
songs, hymns, and good will the dinner was begun. They took the food, blessed it, and
distributed it to the people. Did they eat! The film showed smiling faces and full
plates. The film also showed, inexplicably, that horde of humanity completely
satisfied – and plenty of food left over. Once again the disciples gathered what was
left over after all had had their fill. Once again, the Lord wondrously fed the
multitudes.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the
MEDITATIO
Do we allow ourselves to be enthralled by the mystery of the Son “born for us” –
God’s awesome self-gift to us?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
(cf. Alternative Opening Prayer, Mass at Midnight)
Lord our God,
with the birth of your Son,
your glory breaks on the world.
Through the night hours of the darkened earth
we, your people, watch for the coming of your promised Son.
As we wait,
give us a foretaste of the joy that you will grant us
when the fullness of his glory has filled the earth,
who lives and reigns with you forever and ever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION
CONTEMPLATIO
OF
THE
WORD:
A
Pastoral
Tool
for
the
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the
day. Please memorize it.
“She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there
was no room for them in the inn.” (Lk 2:7)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
By your charity and goodness to people who are experiencing a bleak Christmas,
translate the mystery of Christmas into a lived reality and into acts of self-giving.
*** Text of Christmas – Night Mass, ends here. ***
A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday Liturgy & Holy Days
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (n. 6)
CHRISTMAS – DAWN MASS, YEAR A, B & C
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Is the Father’s Gift of Love”
BIBLE READINGS
Mass at Dawn: Is 62:11-12 // Ti 3:4-7 // Lk 2:15-20
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
The Christmas season is a privileged opportunity to contemplate the awesome
sign of God’s love for us: his own beloved Son Jesus Christ. The Son of God made flesh,
born as a child, is the most powerful sign of the Father’s will to bring us salvation:
UNTO US A CHILD IS BORN! UNTO US A SON IS GIVEN!
My former student Fr. Mike Garcia remarked: “When we give anything, we give
part of ourselves. When we give ourselves, we give everything we have – past, present,
and future.” Indeed, in becoming man just like any of us, Jesus became personally
involved in our suffering, in our human lot and destiny. Satan cannot impeach God’s
integrity. No one can doubt the quality of the Lord’s self-gift … of his unconditional love
for us.
Because God has loved us, we too must become lovers – lovers of one another.
Only if we love the visible neighbor can we love the invisible God. This gift of love is
exemplified in the self-giving act of a five-year old boy on behalf of his little sister. After
the blood transfusion, he asked the doctor with a trembling voice, “Say, doctor, when do I
start to die?” He thought that by giving his life-blood to his kid sister, he would die.
The child Jesus lying in a manger, symbol of God’s nourishment for his people …
the Lord Jesus who, on the night when he was given up, offered us the Eucharistic bread
and the chalice of life … the Lord Jesus, gentle shepherd and king, who laid down his life
for us on the cross – the altar of sacrifice … HE IS STILL PRESENT IN OUR MIDST!
He is Emmanuel, God-with-us. In our Christmas celebration, he invites us to be a “gift of
love” for others.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the
MEDITATIO
Do we endeavor to delve into the Christmas mystery of God’s self-giving? Do we
endeavor to be a “gift of love” for others?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Lord Jesus,
you are Love-incarnate,
the sacrament of the Father’s self-giving.
We celebrate your birth and your dwelling among us.
You are God’s “gift of love” to us,
the Emmanuel, God-with-us.
Help us to be a “gift of love” for others.
With the choirs of angels, we acclaim:
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will!
IV. INTERIORIZATION
CONTEMPLATIO
OF
THE
WORD:
A
Pastoral
Tool
for
the
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the
day. Please memorize it.
“So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the
manger.” (Lk 2:16)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray that in this Christmas season we may understand more deeply the depths of
God’s self-giving to us. By your acts of goodness and compassion to the people around
you, enable them to savor the joy of Christmas and the warmth of the “gift of love” for
others.
*** Text of Christmas – Dawn Mass, ends here. ***
A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday Liturgy & Holy Days
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (n. 7)
CHRISTMAS – DAY MASS, YEAR A, B & C
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Is the Word Made Flesh”
BIBLE READINGS
Mass during the Day: Is 52:7-10 // Heb 1:1-6 // Jn 1:1-18
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
The readings proclaimed at today’s Mass during the day give deeper insight into
the Christmas mystery. In the Prologue (Jn 1:1-18) Saint John asserts: “And the Word
became flesh.” The deepest concept of “word” is not a mere verbalization or articulation
of thought. In the Jewish biblical tradition, God’s word or “dabar” is God himself
communicating and giving himself in self-revelation. “Dabar” to the Israelites is
something extremely personal. The communication of the “word” is actually the
communication of the speaker himself. In the case of the “Word of God” what is
communicated is the divine reality itself – the very person of God himself. It is God
revealing himself as Creator, Liberator and Savior. The German theologian, Karl Rahner,
remarks: “When we say it is Christmas we mean that in Christ God has spoken his
definitive, final and beautiful word … a word that cannot be revoked. And the word
means I love you.”
In the fullness of time, God spoke his most beautiful word in Jesus Christ. In
today’s Second Reading we read (Heb 1:1-6): “In many and various ways, God spoke of
old to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.”
The meaning of God’s person as “LOVE” is definitely revealed when God spoke to us
through his Son Jesus Christ. In the Word-made-flesh is God’s decisive Word, the Good
News, the saving Word. Jesus, the Divine Word, recapitulates all previous words of
salvation, bringing them to perfect fulfillment. Jesus, the Son of God, brings the good
news of salvation to all and in him “all the ends of the earth will behold the saving power
of God (cf. Is 52:10). Indeed, through the mystery of the incarnation, Jesus enables us to
come to the heart of God. Born “in the flesh” of Mary, the Son of God is destined to die
on the cross, be gloriously resurrected and to communicate to us the fullness of his life,
light and love.
In the Christmas mystery of “the Word made flesh” is the concreteness of
salvation. We too are called to be the embodiment of the incarnate Word. The following
personal account gives insight into this (cf. Patty Kirk in Daily Guideposts 2014, p. 393).
Recently, a student in my Writing from Faith course voiced a revelation. “Until
now”, she said, “I’ve always thought ‘Be concrete’ meant ‘Use more adjectives’.
Now I see I need to make people see what I saw, hear what I heard, smell what I
smelled. Using your senses helps people believe and care about what you’re
saying.”
She was responding to a fellow student’s psalm about not being able to afford to
go home for Christmas – to Costa Rica, where her family are missionaries. In the
poem, the student-psalmist is alone in her room, staring at the computer while,
just beyond the thin walls, her dorm-mates gather excitedly about their holiday
plans. She recounts family traditions she’ll miss: getting ornaments out of dusty
boxes, drinking hot cocoa with her siblings while Dad reads Christmas stories,
sharing a festive dinner of arroz con pollo. Then like a good psalmist, she affirms
her faith.
We all teared up. Afterward her classmates raised money for her flight and
launched a ministry to do the same for every missionary kid on campus.
It was a big moment for me. Not only had a student’s writing spurred others to
action, but they’d all finally acknowledged the persuasive power of sensory data,
which I’d been trying to convince them of from day one.
Christmas is such a sensory celebration. Pine smells. Fruitcake and sugar
cookies. Snow. The concreteness of Christmas crystallizes its gospel: that our
invisible Creator sent us palpable evidence, in the form of a newborn, so that we
might believe and have eternal life.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the
MEDITATIO
What is our personal response to the “Word became flesh”? How does the reality
of “God speaking to us” through his Son shapes our lives? Do we make an effort to let
“the ends of the earth behold the salvation of our God”?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
(Cf. Alternative Opening Prayer, Christmas Day Mass)
God of love, Father of all,
the darkness that covered the earth
has given way to the bright dawn of your Word made flesh.
Make us a people of this light.
Make us faithful to your Word,
that we may bring your life to the waiting world.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION
CONTEMPLATIO
OF
THE
WORD:
A
Pastoral
Tool
for
the
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the
day. Please memorize it.
“And the Word became flesh.” (Jn 1:14)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Savor the sights, sounds, tastes, textures and forms of the Christmas celebration.
Above all, by your works of charity, let the needy in today’s society experience the
mercy and compassion of the Word-made-flesh.
*** Text of Christmas – Day Mass, ends here. ***
A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday Liturgy & Holy Days
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (n. 8)
HOLY FAMILY, YEAR C
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Must Be in His Father’s House”
BIBLE READINGS
I Sm 1:20-22, 24-28 // I Jn 3:1-2, 21-24 // Lk 2:41-52
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Lk 1:39-45): “His parents found Jesus sitting in the midst of the
teachers.”
I came into contact with the pain and anxiety of one who has lost a child. The
Italian lady, Sarah, and her adopted girl, Saraji, the six-year old daughter of lepers from a
leper colony where she used to work as a volunteer, were guests at our convent in
Bangalore, India. One afternoon, they went downtown to shop. An hour later a very
distraught Sarah came back to inform us that Saraji wandered away and was lost. We
prayed in earnest for her return. Sarah, accompanied by some Sisters, searched for her
and after a few distressing hours, found the little girl at the police station calmly eating an
ice cream cone. The mother was overjoyed when she found her child.
Today’s Gospel passage (Lk 2:41-52) is about the finding of the child Jesus in the
temple. The story of the lost and found child seems banal and commonplace, but in the
editorial strategy of Luke the episode illumines the entire Gospel. Indeed, this story that
concludes the Infancy Narrative gives us a glimpse of the main content of the Christ
event: Jesus’ special filial relationship with God and his paschal mission on behalf of the
family of God. In this account of Luke, Jesus and his parents journey to Jerusalem for the
feast of Passover. The next time the evangelist Luke presents Jesus as journeying to
Jerusalem will be for the celebration of the Jewish Passover feast at the end of his public
ministry, and this will coincide with his own Passover sacrifice on the Cross.
In the context of the Father’s saving plan, the boy Jesus is not really “lost” in the
temple, but is simply obeying a divine compulsion and asserting his personal duty to his
Father in heaven. The necessity to be in his Father’s house and to be busy with his
Father’s affairs lies in his inherent filial relationship with God who demands from him,
the Servant Son, an absolute obedience to the divine saving plan. Indeed, the “three days”
that Jesus stayed in the temple is a symbolic reference to the three days of being buried in
the tomb, before he would reappear as the victorious Risen Lord, accomplishing the
Father’s all inclusive plan to save the human family and the cosmic family of his beloved
creation.
The episode of the boy Jesus in the temple depicts him as sitting among the
doctors of the Law, not with any braggadocio or pride, but “listening to them and asking
them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and
answers” (Lk 2:46-47). By implication, Jesus is being presented as the true Teacher at
the center of the circle of teachers. He is the Divine Master – the ultimate Teacher - who
would teach the family of God about the greatest lesson of love and obedience to the
Father’s saving will. In the meantime, as the evangelist Luke narrates, he goes down with
Mary and Joseph to Nazareth. Obedient to them, he learns the sterling lessons of love,
and service in the context of family life.
According to Luke, the parents of Jesus “did not understand what he said to
them” (Lk 2:50) and Mary, his mother, is portrayed as keeping all these things in her
heart (Lk 2:52). Mary, the first disciple and the first “christofora”, continues her journey
of faith as she ponders the meaning and destiny of her Son, who “increased in wisdom,
and age and favor before God and man” (Lk 2:52). Indeed, the full understanding of
Jesus’ messianic identity and saving mission needs to await the paschal event of his death
and resurrection.
With Jesus’ intimate filial relationship with the Father and his paschal destiny as a
backdrop, it would be easier to understand the role of the Holy Family of Nazareth in the
divine saving plan. It is the cradle of life and faith for Jesus, the beloved Son of the
Father. The perfect paschal sacrifice to be offered on the Cross is being prepared silently
and diligently in the home of Nazareth, under the loving guidance of Mary and Joseph.
This grace-filled domestic setting is where the Son of God is loved, nourished, and
formed for his mission to reunite, at the end time, the human family and the cosmic
family of God’s beloved creation.
B. Old Testament Reading (I Sm 1:20-22, 24-28): “Samuel, as long as he lives, shall
be dedicated to the Lord.”
On February 2,1993 – the Feast of the Lord’s Presentation in the temple – the
PDDM Sisters organized in the Diocese of Antipolo (Philippines) the MARY MOTHER
OF THE CHURCH: PRAYER ASSOCIATION FOR PRIESTS, composed of mothers of
priests and other persons who care for the welfare of priests. In one of the prayer
meetings of this marvelous group, the mother of Fr. Eymard shared her experience about
him. When she would rock him to sleep as an infant, she would sing a lullaby with an
improvised text that was, in fact, dedicating him to the Lord. She would pray that the
gracious God would deign to choose her son, when he grew up, and ordain him to be his
priest. Her son grew up to be an artist and, in answer to her devout prayers, entered the
seminary and became a priest in the Antipolo diocese.
Hannah’s dedication of Samuel as a perpetual nazirite (I Sm 1:20-22, 24-28)
evokes Mary’s own presentation of the child Jesus at the temple of Jerusalem. This
Sunday’s Gospel episode of the finding of Jesus in the temple underlines the tremendous
implication of Jesus as the totally consecrated One – fully dedicated at the service of the
Father’s saving plan. After three days of anxious searching, Joseph and Mary found the
twelve-year-old Jesus in the temple, sitting with the Jewish teachers, listening to them
and asking them questions. All who heard them were amazed at his intelligent answers.
Even in their relief, Mary could not refrain from reproaching him for his conduct: he
should have realized that by staying in Jerusalem without informing them would have
cause them great pain and anxiety. Jesus’ answer to their reproach was even more
perplexing: “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my
Father’s house?”
When Jesus declared to her, “I must be in my Father’s house”, his mother Mary
knew in that instant that, although he would return with her to Nazareth, he would no
longer be hers. Indeed, in the episode of the loss and the finding of the boy Jesus in the
temple, the Easter event of the Son of God’s total obedience to his heavenly Father and
his radical submission to his paschal destiny of death and rising for the ransom of the
family of nations was already in the horizon.
C. Second Reading (I Jn 3:1-2, 21-24): “We are called children of God. And so we
are.”
The Second Reading (I Jn 3:1-2, 21-24) delineates the meaning and implication of
being members of God’s family. We became God’s own children by the love he
bestowed on us through his dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ. The biblical scholar Bruce
Vawter remarks: “In the truest and most absolute sense, God’s gift of love has been the
gift of his only Son as savior of the world. It is this gift that has made it possible that we
be called children of God.” Indeed, the saving grace of the magnanimous God becomes
present to us on the condition that we respond in faith to his Son Jesus Christ and if we
love one another. By keeping the twofold commandment of faith in Jesus Christ and love
of neighbor, we fully experience the presence of God, which is made evident by the gift
of the Spirit.
The following Christmas story is heartwarming (cf. Kelly Stewart Harcourt,
“Starring Dad” in GUIDEPOSTS, December 2009, p. 42-44). Kelly remembers the
tremendous love shown to them by their parents one Christmas morning. She reminisces
on the unforgettable role played on that day by their dad, famous actor Jimmy Stewart of
the It’s a Wonderful Life fame, where he played the part of George Bailey in that
wonderful Christmas film. The spirit of love at work in the domestic setting of the
Stewart family gives us a glimpse of the awesome love bestowed by God the Father on
his own children.
It was 1958. Judy and I were seven and our family was spending the holidays in
Hawaii. You’d think we’d be thrilled, but we were wondering if it would even feel
like Christmas so far from home. There’d be no singing carols on the piano bench
next to Dad, his long fingers gracefully skimming across the keys. No Christmas
dinner in the formal dining room. And what really mattered – how would Santa
know where to bring our presents? We asked about it night after night in our
prayers, and Mom assured us again and again that Santa would find us, even in
Hawaii. But there’d be no chimney to slide down in a hotel room. How would he
even get in our room?
Christmas Eve the hours dragged by. Finally, Mom announced, “It’s time for
little girls to get to bed. Santa won’t come until you’re sleep.” She was already in
her nightgown and Dad had on his blue-and-white-striped pajamas. Even with his
long arms the sleeves fell past his wrists. Judy and I got in bed and looked at each
other. We didn’t have to say a word to know we were thinking the same thing.
This didn’t feel like the night before Christmas at all. There wasn’t even a place
to put our stockings! Mom and Dad kissed us goodnight and for the first time in
my young life I fell sleep dreading Christmas morning.
The next thing I knew Mom was shaking me, “Dad went out to get a newspaper
and then there was a knock on the door,” she said. “Wake up and see who’s
here.” I sat up and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. There was Santa! “Ho! Ho!
Ho! Merry Christmas, Kelly and Judy!” our visitor said, laughing merrily, his
voice deep and powerful. It was really him. White beard, red suit, black boots and
a big belly – though he was taller than I’d imagined. Santa sat down and Judy
and I scrambled onto his lap. I felt so comfortable, as if I’d sat there hundred
times. Everything about him felt so … familiar.
I looked closely at Santa. I didn’t recognize his face, covered by mounds of white
beard. But I’d seen those hands before, those long fingers. And sticking out ever
so slightly from one red sleeve was the cuff of his pajamas with those blue and
white stripes. Mom and Dad were trying to fool us that Santa had come! “So,
Santa, how ya doin’?” I asked, punching him playfully on the shoulder. Judy
looked at me in astonishment. With a wink I shared my skepticism. She nodded –
now she knew what our parents were up to. “Yeah, Santa ole boy,” Judy joined
in. “Long trip, eh? How are those reindeer doing?”
“Ho! Ho!” Santa boomed. “Why they’re having breakfast. They eat hay and
mangoes here in Hawaii. They sure do like soaking up some sun before we head
back to the North Pole.” On and on Judy and I went. We couldn’t break him. He
had an answer for everything, delivered with that jolly booming voice and
twinkling eyes. By the time we hugged our visitor goodbye and he reminded us to
be good girls, my stomach was churning. What if he was the real deal? What
happened to little girls who were rude to Santa?
Mom told us to wash our hands before breakfast and then we’d see what Santa
had brought us. She seemed irritated. In the bathroom with Judy, I was nearly in
tears. “I think that really was Santa”, I whispered. “He didn’t sound like Dad at
all.” “We were so mean to him”, Judy said. “She’ll tell Dad when he gets back
from the store. They’ll be so disappointed in us.” But Judy thought of something
far worse. “What if Santa takes our presents away? What if he leaves us with
coal?”
There was no doubt what was in store for us. And we’d brought it upon ourselves
by not trusting Mom and Dad. We walked out to the breakfast table quaking.
There sat Dad. “Merry Christmas!” he cried, sounding just like George Bailey.
“I hear Santa dropped by. Boy, I wish I’d been here.” We went to his chair and
he lifted us up onto his lap, his long arms hugging us close. Soon we were telling
him all about Santa and everything we’d said and done. He didn’t scold us. In
fact, he laughed so hard there were tears rolling down his cheeks. Like he was
hearing it all for the first time.
I’ve long forgotten what Santa brought us that year. But I will never forget the
greatest gift of that Christmas – the knowledge that Mom and Dad loved us so
much that they would do everything in their power to help make our prayers come
true.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the
MEDITATIO
Do we try to see Nazareth as a kind of school where we may begin to discover
what Christ’s life was like and understand his Gospel? Do we make of our own human
family a cradle of life and sanctification? Do we try to minister to the needs of the greater
families: the family of God - the Church, the family of humankind, and the family of
creation?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Loving Father, the origin of all families,
in Jesus Christ your Son,
we become a part of the greater family of God, the Church.
Like Jesus, your faithful Son-Servant,
help us to be always in “your House”
and be completely dedicated to your saving work.
May we look with joy to the Holy Family of Nazareth
and learn the enduring lesson of a holy family life
that is centered on Christ
and marked by love, prayer, and service.
Nourished as beloved members of the Christian family,
help us to reach out in love and service
to the greater family of humankind and cosmic creation.
Let your beloved Son Jesus
be all and in all.
He lives and reigns, forever and ever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION
CONTEMPLATIO
OF
THE
WORD:
A
Pastoral
Tool
for
the
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the
day. Please memorize it.
“Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (Lk 2:49)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Today, pause for a moment of quiet prayer and thank the Lord for belonging to
the following: your biological family, nourishing family, family of God – the Church,
family of humankind, family of creation. Invite a needy family to your home for a dinner,
which may be preceded or concluded with a family blessing (cf. Book of Blessings).
*** Text of Holy Family, Year C, ends here. ***
A Lectio Divina Approach to the Marian Feast & Holy Days
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (n. 9)
SOLEMNITY OF MARY, MOTHER OF GOD, YEAR A, B & C
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Is Born of the Virgin Mary”
BIBLE READINGS
Nm 6:22-27 // Gal 4:4-7 // Lk 2:16-21
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
On the Octave of Christmas, we celebrate the oldest Marian feast in the Church,
the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. In this Marian feast we celebrate her intimate role
in the Christmas mystery as the willing virgin who gave birth to the Son of God. Cardinal
Leon Joseph Suenens remarks: “We find Mary at the very heart of the mystery of the
incarnation. She is the mother of the one who will be for all future ages the way, the
truth, and the life. The threshold of the one who, above all, can introduce us to Jesus …
To our contemporary world Mary offers the living and vibrant reality, the incarnate
Savior of the world.”
The solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, falls on New Year’s Day (January 1), the
first day of the civil year – an occasion when people look back on the past and wish each
other God’s abundant blessings. It is most opportune that the Old Testament reading for
the New Year’s Mass is the Priestly Blessing from the book of Numbers (6:22-27).
Prayed in the context of the Christmas-Marian feast, it evokes the truth that Mary, Mother
of God, is the utmost recipient of God’s blessing. In the motherhood of Mary, the icon of
the blessed of God, the fullness of blessing is given to the world through her divine Child,
the Savior of the world - the Priest of the New Covenant.
Combined with the Gospel episode (Lk 2:16-21) of today’s Marian feast, the
Priestly Blessing from the Book of Numbers serves to interpret the Christmas mystery.
From the manger, in his Son Jesus, the Lord God blesses us abundantly and protects us.
In the Christ Child, the icon of the divine love, the Lord God lets his face shine upon us
and enables us to experience his favor and graciousness. In Mary’s Son, the Prince of
Peace, the Lord looks kindly upon us and grants us peace and total salvation. Indeed, in
Jesus Christ, the Word of God incarnate, is the fullness of the Father’s benediction to
humankind. Moreover, in his Son Jesus, born of Mary, the fullness of blessing and praise
– the Eucharist – is rendered to God, our Almighty Father.
In his past Message for the World Day of Peace (January 1, 2014), Pope Francis
asserts that fraternity is the foundation and pathway to peace. In Jesus is true fraternity.
The Pope remarks: “All who accept the life of Christ and live in him acknowledge God as
Father and give themselves completely to him, loving him above all things. The
reconciled person sees in God the Father of all, and, as a consequence, is spurred on to
live a life of fraternity open to all … All are loved by God. All have been redeemed by
the blood of Christ, who died on the Cross and rose for all. This is the reason why no one
can remain indifferent before the lot of our brothers and sisters.” Pope Francis concludes
his Message with the following intercession: “May Mary, the Mother of Jesus, help us to
understand and live every day the fraternity that springs up from the heart of her Son, so
as to bring peace to each person on this beloved earth.”
The following story gives us a glimpse into how fraternity in Christ can
extinguish war (cf. Brad Steiger & Sherry Hansen Steiger, Christmas Miracles, Avon:
Adams Media Corporation, 2001, p. 44-46).
Five months after the start of World War I, just after midnight on Christmas
morning, the vast majority of German soldiers declared a Christmas truce in the
hostilities between themselves and those of the Allied troops – the Russian,
French, and British. Regimental bands began to play Christmas carols and the
men raised their voices in joyous celebration of the Holy Night when the Prince of
Peace was born.
The Allied soldiers were understandably suspicious about the shouts of “Merry
Christmas” that they heard directed at them from the German trenches. Perhaps
they had snipers lined up just waiting for a curious Tommy, Ivan, or Frenchy to
peek his head above the trenches. But at the end of each hymn or cheerful carol
they heard the German boys from Kaiser Bill’s army calling out something about
a Christmas truce. The men in the Allied trenches checked with their officers, but
none of them knew anything about a truce having been declared for the holidays.
At dawn’s first light on Christmas morn, the German troops rose up out of their
trenches, set down their weapons, and began to walk across “no-man’s land”,
singing carols and shouting out, “Merry Christmas” in French, Russian, and
English, as well as their native German. From all appearances, from everything
the Allied officers could see through their field glasses and from what the soldiers
were able to witness from their frontline observation posts, all the Germans
appeared to be without rifles or any kind of weaponry whatsoever.
Soon the Allied soldiers crawled out of their trenches and walked toward the
Germans who were so openly and trustingly celebrating Christmas. The men
shook hands, wished each other a blessed Christmas, and exchanged gifts of
cigarettes and food. Later, they sang hymns and carols, and those of the same
faith worshipped together. Some accounts of the Christmas truce even state that
opposing sides played a good-natured, but rousing, game of soccer. The
remarkable unofficial “time-out” that was declared by the combat soldiers
without any thought of obtaining permission from their superiors lasted for two or
three days.
Sadly, the Christmas truce of 1914 was probably one of the very last examples of
old-fashioned chivalry in modern warfare. Within another few weeks, the first
technological war would begin slaughtering human beings on a scale previously
undreamt of in any military officer’s most fevered nightmare of destruction. The
employment of poison gas against the men in the trenches, the serial bombing of
cities and civilians beyond the frontlines, the onslaught of armored tanks crushing
men and smashing walls, machine guns mowing down ranks of soldiers, aircraft
swooping down from the skies and strafing troops on the ground – all of these
horrors and more would make the notion of another Christmas truce during the
war an impossible dream. But the 1914 Christmas miracle created by the common
foot soldiers’ declaration of peace and goodwill toward their fellow comrades-inarms will live forever in memory as a triumph of the indomitable human spirit
over the fatal disease of war.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the
MEDITATIO
Do we allow the Lord God to bless us and keep us … to let his face shine upon us
and be gracious to us … to look kindly upon us and give us peace? Do we look upon
Mary as model of receptivity to grace and God’s abundant blessings? Do we look
forward to the gracious blessings God has reserved for us in this New Year 2015? How
can we promote fraternity as a foundation and pathway to peace? Do we call upon Mary,
the Mother of the Prince of Peace, to help us in our peace-making?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Lord Jesus,
in you is the fraternity
that is the foundation and pathway to peace.
In this grace-filled New Year,
help us to become courageous heralds of your saving Gospel
and to be channels of your peace.
May your Mother Mary help us to promote the fraternity
that springs up from your heart
so as to bring peace to each person on this beloved earth.
With all peoples and creation and all the choirs of angels
we acclaim: Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to people of good will!
We give you thanks and praise,
now and forever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION
CONTEMPLATIO
OF
THE
WORD:
A
Pastoral
Tool
for
the
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the
day. Please memorize it.
“The Lord bless you and keep you!
The Lord let his face shine upon you and be gracious to you!
The Lord look kindly upon you and give you peace!” (Nm 6:24-26)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
At the family reunion on New Year’s Day, use the Priestly Blessing as part of the
prayer before or after meals, or at any other appropriate occasion during the day. With the
help of Mary, Mother of God, perform acts of charity and service throughout the year that
will bring God’s healing and benediction to the poor, the marginalized and the victims of
natural and man-made calamities.
*** Text of Mary, Mother of God, ends here. ***
A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday Liturgy & Holy Days
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (n. 10)
SOLEMNITY OF THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD, YEAR A, B & C
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Is Manifested Among the Nations”
BIBLE READINGS
Is 60:1-6 // Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6 // Mt 2:1-12
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Mt 2:1-12): “We saw his star at its rising and have come to do
him homage.”
The World Youth Day celebrated in 1995 in Manila was, in a sense, an
“epiphany”. Thousands of youth and other delegates from all over the world, together
with millions of Filipino Christians, gathered at the Rizal National Park to celebrate the
Eucharist with Pope John Paul II, now a canonized saint. The presence of vibrant and
energetic youth delegates from all nations in their beautiful and colorful costumes and the
participation of a great throng of Filipino believers from all walks of life contributed to
make the event, using the words of the Saint Pope, “a phenomenal experience”. Indeed, it
was an “epiphany”, a revelation of the powerful presence of God… a manifestation of
Christ proclaimed among the nations. It was a fulfillment of the prophetic declaration:
“Lord, every nation on earth will adore you!” (cf. refrain of the Responsorial Psalm of
the Feast of Epiphany).
Matthew’s story of the visit of the magi or “wise men” (Mt 2:1-12) intends to
demonstrate that Christ is the fulfillment of every prophecy. The adoration of the magi
fulfills the messianic prophecies of the homage paid by the nations to the God of Israel
(cf. Is 60:5 ff.). In a later Christian tradition, the “wise men” became kings under the
influence of Ps 72:10; Is 49:7; Is 60:10, and their numbers settled at three, as deduced
from the three gifts. Eventually they were named Caspar, Balthasar and Melchior.
Caspar, furthermore, came to be depicted as a black person. The “wise men” were
understood as representatives of the Gentile world, in all its racial diversity, who come to
Christ. With regard to the gifts brought by the wise men: in later tradition gold came to
signify the kingship of Christ; incense his divinity; myrrh his redemptive suffering,
prayer and virtue. The “star” that guided the wise men to Jesus is probably a midrashic
element derived from Num 24:17, in which Balaam prophesied about “a star from Jacob”
taking leadership. Moreover, the mention of the “rising star” evokes the divine promise to
Abraham that his descendants would be as the stars of heaven (cf. Gen 15:5; 22:17). One
of Abraham’s descendants would be the Messiah, the “star that shall come out of Jacob”,
the object of the adoration of the wise men.
The power of the messianic “star” is undiminished and shines through the ages.
According to St. Leo the Great: “Whenever a shaft of light newly pierces a darkened
heart, its source is the radiance of the same star, which impresses the soul it touches by
the miracle of its appearance and leads them forward to worship God.” The famed
liturgist, Adrian Nocent, continues this reflection: “The Christian must let the divine light
within him shine through to others. He has sought the light and has been guided by it;
now, because of the light that is in him, the world must in turn go in quest of the light…
It remains the duty of Christians to point to the star.”
B. Old Testament Reading (Is 60:1-6): “The glory of the Lord shines upon you.”
Today’s feast of Epiphany reminds me of O. Henry’s classic story, “The Gift of
the Magi” about a poverty stricken, but self-sacrificing married couple, Dell and Jim. Out
of deep love, they sold their most precious possessions in order to present to each other
the best Christmas gift one could ever give. Dell sold the beautiful hair that rippled down
to her knees like brown cascades to buy Jim a grand platinum chain for his gold watch
heirloom. Jim sold his gold watch to get money for a set of beautiful combs, pure tortoise
shell, with jeweled rims, to adorn the gorgeous tresses of Dell. Jim ended up with a
precious chain for a watch that had been sold for her sake. Dell received the coveted
adornments for her beautiful tresses that had been unselfishly sacrificed for him. O.
Henry concluded the beautiful story of self-giving in the following words:
The magi, as you know, were wise men – wonderfully wise men – who brought
gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas
presents. Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones … And here I have
lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who
most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house. But
in the last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts
these two were the wisest. Of all who give and receive gifts such as they are the
wisest. Everywhere they are the wisest. They are the magi.
Today’s Old Testament reading (Is 60:1-6) provides beautiful meaning to the
Gospel story of the gift of the magi. In Matthew’s Gospel, the magi from the East who
came to do homage to the King of the Jews represented the fulfillment of the messianic
prophecy: “The wealth of the nations shall be brought to you … All from Sheba shall
come bearing gold and frankincense, and proclaiming the praises of the Lord” (Is 60:56) // “The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts; the kings of Arabia and Seba
shall bring him tribute. All kings shall pay him homage, all nations shall serve him” (Ps
72:1-11). Eventually, the Christian tradition gleaned a deeper meaning from the threefold
gift of the magi to the Child in Bethlehem. St. Irenaeus (c. 135-202) remarks: “Myrrh
signified that he, for our mortal human race, would die and be buried; gold, that he was
the King whose reign would be without end; incense, that he was God who came to make
himself known in Judea, and to show himself to those who never sought him.”
Moreover, the modern-day writer and apostolic worker, Dorothy Day, perceived
the dimension of oblation and reparation in the magi’s gifts. She asserted: “Even the gifts
that the wise men brought have in themselves an obscure recompense and atonement for
what would follow later in this Child’s life. For they brought gold, the king’s emblem, to
make up for the crown of thorns that he would wear; they offered incense, the symbol of
praise, to make up for the mockery and spitting; they gave him myrrh, to heal and
soothe.”
C. Second Reading (Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6): “Now it has been revealed that the Gentiles are
co-heirs of the promise.”
The second reading (Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6) of today’s liturgical feast of Epiphany
narrates Paul’s experience of the divine “epiphany”, the basis of his apostolic ministry.
Having experienced the graciousness of God and his revelation of an all-encompassing
plan to save all nations of the earth, Paul responds with love. He is moved to
“conversion”. From a staunch Pharisee with a parochial outlook, he is transformed into
an apostle of the Gospel in a universal, catholic sense. Paul’s mission of proclaiming and
witnessing the Gospel to peoples of all nations is, in a sense, an “epiphany”. His apostolic
ministry involved the “manifestation” of the love of God to all peoples of the earth, so
much so that groups with irreconcilable differences would embrace a common belief,
reach for a common goal and share a wondrous destiny in Jesus Savior. Saint Paul’s
announcement of the Gospel is truly an “epiphany” of the divine “mystery” to unite all
and to restore all things in Christ.
The following “epiphany” story by Mike McGarvin, founder of the Poverello
House in Fresno, California, narrates a contemporary visit by “Three Wise Men” (cf.
POVERELLO NEWS, December 2008, p.2-3). It also invites us to open our eyes to the
transforming work of God in our lives and to be grateful for the yuletide miracles that
manifest God’s unmitigated love for us.
Last year, I was having a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit. My diabetes
was getting worse, my old body ached in the cold more than usual, and I was very
grouchy and feeling sorry for myself. The Amici Del Poverello Guild had their
annual parties for poor children and for men in the Poverello drug rehabilitation
program, and I grudgingly went to both because I was supposed to take pictures.
At the Resident Program party, something happened that helped change my
perspective, and maybe even shooed the Grinch away from me.
As I was mingling with people and taking photos, I came upon three young men
sitting at a table. It took a moment for me to recognize them. They were former
Poverello program residents, clean and sober, coming back to celebrate
Christmas with Poverello, where they got started on a new life. Their stories were
very different.
One of them came to us from Southern California. He had grown up in a well-todo family, but drugs had destroyed the family’s trust. After he enrolled in the
program, he walked away. A couple of months later, he came back, but this time
we kicked him out for violating the rules. He could have done what most do in
that situation: he could have gone back to using drugs. Instead, he started going
to A.A. and N.A. meetings, got a job with a relative, and has managed to abstain
from drugs for several years now.
The second man started using drugs early in life, probably in response to the pain
of growing up in a dysfunctional family. He became a drug dealer at a young age.
He was very bright, fondly remembered by his teachers in school. Brought to
Poverello via the legal system, he was smart enough to see that drugs were going
to get him nowhere, and struggled valiantly so stay away from the street scene.
He graduated from the program, and stayed clean for a long time after. However,
he eventually succumbed to the lure of meth, but loved his life of sobriety too
much to continue with the drug. He came back to N.A. and started all over again.
His sincerity and hard work paid off.
The third man was very troublesome for much of his time in the program. Another
referral from jail, he had shattered his marriage with drugs and unfaithfulness.
The first couple of months he was here, he was spacey and full of self-pity. He was
an educated professional man who had fallen as far as one can fall. Now, he was
stripped of his career, his wife, and his family by his addiction and consequent
bad choices. On more than one occasion, he came close to getting kicked out of
our program for stupid infractions of the rules. Then, almost overnight, something
clicked. He began taking responsibility for his problems, taking the program more
seriously, and started helping others. The transformation was remarkable.
So here they sat, three different men with diverse backgrounds, united in two
things. First, they had hit bottom and ended up at Poverello, the home of
desperate cases and last chances. Second, all three of them, in their own unique
ways, found answers to their addictions.
As I was talking to them, a Christmas image came into my mind: I was being
visited by the Three Wise Men. Wise, because so many of their brothers in the
program had chosen to return to the madness of addiction, while they instead
chose the simpler, but much more difficult path of responsibility. Wise, because in
the midst of agony and failure, they had cried out in despair, and accepted help
when it was offered. And finally, wise, because, like the other Wise Men who
found what they sought in a lowly place, these men discovered what they were
looking for in a humble place called Poverello House. It reminded me that
Christmas is full of good surprises.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the
MEDITATIO
What does “the gift of the Magi” mean to me personally? How do I imitate the
Magi gift-givers? Above all, how do I imitate Jesus Savior, the perfect gift-giver? Do I
intend to offer my life to the Christ Child as “gift”? How? How will I be the “epiphany”
of God’s saving love in the world in which I live today? What do I do to make the
Church, the community of faith composed of believers from all peoples of the earth, a
radiant sign of Christ as “the light” to the nations?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Loving Father,
in Jesus, your beloved Son,
you have given us the greatest Christmas gift
and the perfect model of self-giving.
Like the magi from the East,
we present to you today
the gold of our charity and good works,
the incense of our prayer and faith
and the myrrh of our bitter suffering that leads to glorious resurrection.
By incarnating the Christmas-Epiphany mystery
in our life of service and caring for the poor and needy,
let us offer Jesus to the nations in a perpetual epiphany of love.
We thank you with humble and grateful hearts for Jesus,
our Lord and Savior, now and forever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION
CONTEMPLATIO
OF
THE
WORD:
A
Pastoral
Tool
for
the
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the
week. Please memorize it.
“They offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” (Mt 2:11)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Prepare a “gift” for one lonely person in most need of the love of Jesus. To
celebrate the Epiphany of God’s love for us, make an effort to spend some quiet time
before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
*** Text of the Epiphany ends here. ***
A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday Liturgy & Holy Days
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (n. 11)
BAPTISM OF THE LORD, YEAR C
“JESUS SAVIOR: At His Baptism, Heaven Was Opened”
BIBLE READINGS
Is 40:1-5, 9-11 // Ti 2:11-14; 3:4-7 // Lk 3:15-16, 21-22
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Lk 3:15-16, 21-22): “When Jesus had been baptized and was
praying heaven was opened.”
One Advent season, I volunteered to set the table for the community dinner every
Sunday. I put forth the mood of expectancy for the coming of our Savior through the art
of paper napkin folding. Each Advent Sunday, the Sisters entering the refectory would
notice the increasing light pattern at the table: one paper napkin candle, two paper napkin
candles, etc. On the fourth Sunday, after I had set the table, one enterprising Sister added
a wonderful element to the décor. She placed a beautiful long-stemmed rose in the center
of the candle-filled table. The sturdy-looking rose completed the evocative Advent setting
and reminded us of the one who is to come, Jesus - the Rose of Judah. According to a
popular Church hymn, he “came, a flower bright amid the cold of winter, when half spent
was the night”. The rose that Sister placed on our dinner table slowly opened its petals, to
our delight. Indeed, there is beauty in a blooming rose and there is grace in the earth that
buds forth its Savior Jesus – the Rose of Judah.
On the feast of the Lord’s Baptism, we contemplate another miraculous moment
of beauty and grace: the heaven opening its sky at the baptism of Jesus. On this Sunday,
which closes the Advent-Christmas season, we continue to contemplate the mystery of
the Word Incarnate - manifest anew in his baptism at the Jordan. The image of the newly
baptized Jesus in prayer evokes the haunting Advent invocation: “Oh, that you would
tear the heavens open and come down” (Is 64:1). The “heaven that opens” indicates that
a divine revelation is made in answer to Jesus’ prayer. It also evokes the first pages of the
Bible about the first morning of creation when the breath of God flew to and fro above
the primordial waters as a power of life and fruitfulness. At the baptism of Jesus, the
Holy Spirit, descending upon him in bodily form like a dove, heralds a new creation.
The descent of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus at his baptism is a messianic event. The
Spirit of the Father anoints Jesus and empowers him for his public ministry as the
Messiah. The Spirit rests upon him for the fulfillment of God’s saving will. At the
messianic anointing, the Father’s voice likewise avows: “You are my beloved Son; with
you I am well pleased” (Lk 3:22). God proclaims Jesus as the expected messianic king.
His kingship, though, will not be exercised in pomp and power, but in humble selfsacrifice. Empowered by the Holy Spirit at his baptism, Jesus is now ready to embark on
his public ministry and his messianic mission: to open the door to the loving forgiveness
of God.
B. Old Testament Reading (Is 40:1-5, 9-11): “The glory of the Lord shall be revealed
and all people shall see it.”
Today’s Old Testament reading (Is 40:1-5, 9-11) is also the First Reading for the
Second Sunday of Advent, Year B. It is a beautiful message of hope and consolation. The
prophet speaks of “Jerusalem, herald of glad tidings” (Is 40:9) Jerusalem here does not
refer to a place, which at that time was actually in shambles, but to the chosen people in
Exile. Having been purified in the crucible of suffering as a captive nation in Babylon,
the “Jerusalem, herald of glad tidings” refers to the people of Israel, who were being
invigorated and enjoined to prepare the way of the Lord and tread it with converted and
renewed hearts.
The baptized Christians are the new “Jerusalem, herald of glad tidings”. By their
life witnessing they enable “the glory of the Lord to be revealed” and to enable today’s
people to experience the love and mercy of God. The following personal testimony gives
insight into the Christians’ call to radiate the compassion of our glorious God (cf. Karen
Barber in Daily Guideposts 2015, p. 79).
When I received a letter from my dear friend Roberta, who lives hundreds of miles
away in West Virginia, I noticed that she had written something in neat letters
along the V-shaped seal on the back of the envelope. It was a quote from the
author Phyllis Theroux: “To send a letter is a good way to go somewhere without
moving anything but your heart.”
Inside the letter, Roberta wrote, “I have a bad headache and can’t sleep, but I am
thinking about you and your prayer ministry. Thank you so much for praying for
me through so many seasons of my life.”
Have I really done so much for her? I wondered. I rarely know what’s going on
in her day-to-day world, and we haven’t seen each other in several years. But we
weren’t so far out of touch after all. Every morning I was in contact with God
about Roberta because I pray for her at the same spot near some rose bushes on
my morning prayer walk. I took out my journal, inspired to change Theroux’
quote ever so slightly: “To say a prayer for someone is a good way to be there for
her without moving anything but your heart.”
C. Second Reading (Ti 2:11-14; 3:4-7): “Jesus Christ saved us through the bath of
rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”
Today’s Second Reading (Ti 2:11-14; 3:4-7) is composed of two insightful
passages that were used in the liturgy of Christmas. The first passage (Ti 2:11-14)),
which proclaims that “the grace of God has appeared, saving all”, was read at the
Christmas Midnight Mass. The second passage (Ti 3:4-7), which extols the “epiphany” of
the kindness and generous of God through his Son Jesus Christ who saved us through
“the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit”, was read at the Christmas Dawn
Mass. Read again at the feast of the Lord’s Baptism which concludes the ChristmasEpiphany season, these powerful affirmations direct our attention beyond the “water
immersion” of Jesus at the River Jordan to his Spirit-laden and life-giving blood-bath on
the cross. Indeed, the Lord’s incarnation is intimately linked with his passion and
redemptive mission on the cross.
Our celebration of the Christmas-Epiphany mystery has left us with images of
hope and renewal. As we conclude this grace-filled season with the episode of the Lord’s
Baptism we continue to be grateful to God the Father for his wonderful Christmas gift –
his beloved Servant-Son Jesus. We are likewise grateful that through the sacrament of
Baptism we too were immersed into the blood-bath of Christ’s passion, death and
resurrection. In living our own baptismal consecration in imitation of Jesus, we become a
continual “Christmas gift” for others and to one another.
Mr. Tony Blair, three times elected Prime Minister of Britain and who received a
standing ovation on his last day in Parliament in a country famous for its reserve, was
admitted into the Catholic Church in 2008. He was interviewed for the Vatican
newspaper L’Osservatore Romano and the following excerpts illustrate the challenges of
a person who has made a leap of faith and who endeavors to live his baptismal
consecration in the world today (cf. L’Osservatore Romano, September 16, 2009, p. 1112).
Let us start with your recent entry into the Catholic Church. Two years ago,
following your visit to the Pope in June the world started to buzz with news of
your possible conversion to Catholicism. Can you tell us what led to your
decision?
My spiritual journey began when I started to go to Mass with my wife. And then
when we had children they were baptized in the Catholic Church. So really for 25
years or more I was going to Mass. And over time it just seemed to me
emotionally, intellectually and rationally that it was the right spiritual home for
me. It happened over a period of time. And then when I left office, when I was no
longer in the position of Prime Minister, it was something I wanted to do.
Do you come from a religious family?
Actually, not really. My mother used to go to Church occasionally, as she was a
protestant from Ireland. My father on the other hand was a militant atheist. But in
Durham I went to the Chorister School attached to the Cathedral, so religion was
very much part of my schooling. However it was really at university that I started
to think seriously about my Christian faith, to think about it more profoundly. And
it was then that I realized it was not only an important aspect but central to my
life.
Cherie Booth is a Catholic. What importance has religion in your marriage?
Religion was something that brought us together. We did not meet as a result of
religion, but it was very interesting to discover that my wife was very active in the
Catholic student and other youth organizations. It was quite unusual for 23-24year-olds as we were then to find we shared this interest in religion.
During your last visit to Benedict XVI as Prime Minister you gave him three
photographs of John Henry Newman. Was the reason for choosing this gift the
fact that Cardinal Newman played an important role in your journey towards
conversion? Or did other figures contribute to it?
No, Cardinal Newman was not the reason even though, obviously, I knew his
history and had read his writings. The photographs were simply an appropriate
gift. With regard to other figures, I was very lucky to have participated, with my
family in 2003, in a Mass that Pope John Paul II celebrated in his private chapel.
I still have a very vivid memory of it. The event made a huge impression on me. Of
course, it is highly likely that I would have come to this decision anyway but it
was undoubtedly an important milestone that further strengthened my decision.
One of the things that most attracted me to the Catholic Church was her universal
nature. If you are a Catholic, you can go anywhere in the world and take part in
Mass in all countries. I have been to Mass in Kengali, in Beijing, in Singapore. I
remember when we went to Mass in Tokyo. I went incognito, in a very low key,
but at the end of the celebration a woman invited the many visitors to stand up
and introduce themselves. So I stood up and said “I’m Tony from London”.
Which was quite a surprise! Well, the sense that wherever you are in the world
you are in communion with others is truly formidable. It is something that
fascinates me. The universal Church is herself the model of a global institution.
More in general, do you think that in modern democracies politicians have the
right to talk on behalf of their faith – for example, explaining that they are
against abortion because abortion violates the fifth commandment – or is it
their duty to be silent about personal beliefs?
No, I’ve always said that people have the right to speak. And that’s why I was
very insistent on these issues, handles on a frequent basis in the U.K. Because
people do feel very strongly about them. People have different views on these
issues but if a person holds a view that is absolutely central to his being of course
he should have the right to speak about it.
To return to you, since your conversion has anything changed in your personal
life (for example, as a father), in your political activities in Britain and lastly in
your new role on the international scene?
As a father, it was just a continuation. My three elder children, now really grown
up, are practicing Catholics (they still go to Mass fortunately!). They were
baptized into the Catholic Church and have all been educated at Catholic schools
(Leo, the youngest, is also being educated at a Catholic school). Faith has always
been very much part of our family life. In this regard, therefore, my conversion
did not change anything.
With regard to British politics, I have tried to stay out of them since I left
Downing Street. Lastly, as for my international commitment, obviously faith
makes me particularly sensitive and attentive to certain specific issues.
Think of the Middle East. For a believer to be there is fascinating, exciting,
motivating. To visit the places of the Holy Land was wonderful: to go to places
such as Jericho, the River Jordan where Jesus was baptized and of course
Jerusalem, where my office is. Being a person of faith gives all this special
significance.
In Africa, my Foundation for inter-religious dialogue is very active. For example,
we have a program that unites different religions in the fight against malaria
which kills one million people in Africa every year, mainly children.
We are also concerned with climate change. I believe that respect for the
environment for the future generations is our responsibility as Christians. All
these subjects are very much dominated by my faith. The Tony Blair Foundation
aims to promote respect and understanding about the world’s major religions –
Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Judaism – and to show
how faith is a powerful force for good in the modern world. I recall that I
launched the Foundation in Westminster Cathedral to a Catholic audience.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the
MEDITATIO
Do we regard with devotion the messianic event of Jesus’ baptism? Do we open
our hearts to the grace that this divine revelation brings? As baptized Christians, are we
willing to follow the way of Jesus, the Suffering Servant? Do we believe in the power of
the Spirit who anoints and confirms us in our mission of Christian witnessing?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
(Cf. Alternative Opening Prayer, Feast of the Baptism of the Lord)
Loving Father,
we are truly grateful for the Christmas-Epiphany mystery.
Your grace has appeared in Jesus Christ,
born for our salvation.
He saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
In the Lord’s baptism at River Jordan
is prefigured the saving event of his blood-bath on the cross.
By your kindness, we are immersed in this blood-bath of grace.
Sustain us in this New Year 2013 with images of hope and renewal.
Teach us how to prolong the joy and peace of Christmas through the year.
Give us the grace to be faithful to our baptismal consecration.
In Jesus your Servant-Son,
help us to be a continual “epiphany”
of your kindness and love for the world
and in the world.
We love you and we glorify you,
now and forever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION
CONTEMPLATIO
OF
THE
WORD:
A
Pastoral
Tool
for
the
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the
day. Please memorize it.
“Heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him.” (Lk 3:22)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Today, the feast of the Lord’s baptism, thank the Lord for the gift of your own
baptism and renew your own baptismal promises. In honor of the Lord’s baptism in
which heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended, open up your hearts to a needy
person and be an instrument of God’s revelation and messianic salvation.
*** Text of Baptism of the Lord, Year C, ends here. ***