Advent 3rd Week: Dec 16-21
Dec 16 Monday: Mt: 21:23-27:
The context: After casting out the animal merchants and money changers from the Temple immediately after the Palm Sunday procession, Jesus started teaching in the Temple courts. Hence, the chief priests and elders of the people approached Jesus, questioning his authority to enter the city in a triumphal procession, allowing the children to acclaim him, curing the sick, casting out merchants and moneychangers, and teaching in the Temple area. It was a trap. If Jesus claimed Divine authority, as the Messiah, they would bring a charge of blasphemy. Jesus could not claim only human authority without denying His very Being — both Son of God and Son of Man. But even if He could, His arrest as a mad zealot would give scandal, another sin, and would damage the simple Faith of the people in the Temple and what it stood for, destroying Jesus’ whole Messianic Mission. So Jesus refused to answer, unless they would first answer His challenging counter-question about John the Baptist and his message – was this from God or man? Was this Divine or human? If they answered Divine, the questioners would be asked to explain why they had not accepted John’s message and his witness-bearing that Jesus was the Messiah. If they answered human, they would have to face the anger of the crowd who had accepted John as a prophet. Hence, they kept silent, opting for a shameful self-humiliation.
Life message: 1) In religious matters we should not ask whether our stand is safe, politically correct, or useful. Instead, believing and knowing that what God reveals and Jesus teaches is Truth, we need both to live out and to stand for this Truth drawing on the courage of our Christian convictions even if it our support should cost us our earthly life. (Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
Dec 17 Tuesday: Mt 1:1-17:
The context: Starting with a genealogy was the Jewish way of beginning a biography because the Jews gave importance to the purity of the lineage which made each of them part of God’s Chosen People. For a noble Jew, the line must be traceable back through five generations, and for a Jewish priest traceable back to Aaron. Matthew presents Jesus’ human ancestry, indicating that salvation history has reached its climax with the birth of the Son of God through Mary by the working of the Holy Spirit. The Jewish genealogies followed the male line. Hence, Joseph, as the husband of Mary, was the legal father of Jesus, and the legal father was on a par with the real father regarding rights and duties. Thus, it is through Joseph, His legal father, that Jesus became the descendant of David. Since the Jews generally married within their clan, the early Fathers of the Church believed that Mary also belonged to David’s family. As a legal son of David, Jesus is the fulfillment of prophecies. The genealogy of Jesus Christ in today’s Gospel is carefully arranged into three groups of fourteen generations each. The three groups are based on 1) the rise of Israel to a great kingdom under David and Solomon, 2) the fall of the nation in the Babylonian exile and 3) the raising of the nation after the exile. The three groups symbolically represent the creation of man in God’s image, the loss of man’s greatness in Adam’s sin, and the regaining of that greatness through Christ Jesus.
Life messages: 1) We need to accept, support, lift up, and correct the bad members of our family, acknowledging the truth that every family has some black sheep. Jesus’ genealogy mentions a harlot named Rahab, an adulteress named Tamar and a Moabite Gentile woman named Ruth. We need to remember that God can bring good out of the worst persons and circumstances. We need to appreciate our membership in the Divine family of God through Baptism and behave as holy children of a Holy God.
(Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
Dec 18 Wednesday: Mt 1:18-25:
The context: Today’s Gospel focuses on the story of the Virgin Birth, which is at the heart of our Christmas celebrations. It focuses also on the person and role of St. Joseph. In today’s Gospel, Matthew sees in the passage from Isaiah one of the most descriptive and definite prophecies that the future Messianic King, Christ, will be born as a descendant of David. In order for Jesus to fulfill this promise, Joseph had to, and willingly did, accept and name Jesus as his son, making Jesus a descendant of David because Joseph was a descendant of David. Matthew makes it clear that Jesus was not the biological child of Joseph. But because Joseph was the husband of Mary at the time Jesus was born, Jesus was legally the son of Joseph and, thus, a descendant of David in his royal line. Luke tells us of Mary’s obedience (Lk 1:38), and Matthew shows us Joseph’s obedience. Luke tells the story of the angel’s appearance to Mary (Lk 1:26-38), but Matthew tells us only that the child was from the Holy Spirit.
God’s message through His angel: This is the first of four* occasions on which an angel appears to Joseph in a dream. The angel commands Joseph to take Mary as his wife. Mary’s role is to bear a son, and Joseph’s role is to name him. By naming him, Joseph makes Jesus his son and brings him into the House of David. Joseph’s hallmark is obedience — prompt, simple, unspectacular obedience. Joseph’s obedience allows Jesus to be adopted as a true Son of David; it is Mary’s free consent to the will of God that allows Jesus to be born Son of God. In the end, Joseph takes Mary as his wife, in spite of his fears, and he claims her son as his own by naming him. In spite of his earlier decision to divorce this woman quietly, Joseph nurtured and protected and watched over and loved both Mary and her child. *[The
other three angelic vision-encounters are:
2) the message to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt and stay there, until 3)
the angel comes to tell them to come home again, and then 4) to settle in
Galilee instead of Bethlehem or Jerusalem.]
Life messages: 1) Like Joseph, we need to trust in God, listen to Him, and be faithful. Like Joseph and Mary, we are called to be faithful, to trust in God as we do His will. Let us talk to Him and listen to Him speaking through the Bible. 2) Let us try to imitate Joseph and Mary, the humblest of the humble, the kindliest of the kindly, and the greatest-ever believers in God’s goodness and mercy, and welcome Jesus into our hearts and lives not only at Christmas but all year long. (Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
Dec 19 Thursday: Lk 1:5-25: The context: We recall two advents and two angelic messages during the Advent season, namely, the advent of John the Baptist and the advent of Jesus. The first was preceded by the Archangel Gabriel’s informing Zechariah the priest that a son whom he was to name John would be born to him and his barren, aged wife. The second is preceded by the Archangel Gabriel’s message to Mary, a virgin betrothed to Joseph, asking her consent to become the mother of God’s Son, Jesus. Today’s Gospel describes how Zechariah got the Divine message from the Archangel Gabriel in the Holy of Holies in the Temple of Jerusalem while making the offering of incense.
Zechariah was one of the 1800 priests serving the Temple of Jerusalem. They were divided into 24 groups of 75 each. Thirty priests of each group were to serve the Temple for worship services each day and only one of them got the yearly chance of offering incense in front of the hidden Holy of Holies. It was while performing this priestly function that Zechariah received the vision of the angel who told him that his long-prayed-for son would be born of Elizabeth, said that Zechariah was to name the boy John, and then described in detail how that child was to be raised and what he would do. Disbelieving his message, Zechariah demanded a sign of the angel who responded, “I am Gabriel, who stand in the Presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you, and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things come to pass, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time” (Lk 1:19-20
Life messages: 1) We should not take our small misfortunes as big tragedies. We should imitate Zechariah who remained optimistic, continuing in prayer and service in the Temple. 2) We need to get rid of the barrenness of our heart, cleanse it daily, liberate it from evil attachments and prepare it for the rebirth of Jesus. 3) We need to be good parents and grandparents, offering incessant prayers for our children and grandchildren. (Fr. Tony) (https://www.frtonyshomilies.com
Dec 20 Friday: Lk 1:25-38 The context: Today’s Gospel describes the story of the Annunciation, explaining how God began to keep the promise He had made to King David through the prophet Nathan, that David’s descendant would rule over the world as its Messiah. The Archangel Gabriel’s salutation to Mary: “Hail, full of grace,” reminds us of God’s words to Moses at the burning bush (Ex 3:12), and the angel’s salutation to Gideon, (Jgs 6:12). Mary is described as “full of grace,” filled with God’s favor and graciousness. She is to be the new Ark, a tent and temple. God will be in her, literally and physically, and thus she will be the greater House God promised to David. Mary’s believing question, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” is natural. That is why Gabriel takes no offense, but reminds Mary, “For with God nothing will be impossible.” God will “empower” her (“the Spirit will come upon you“) and “protect” her (“overshadow you“). Luke’s narrative points out that the Child will not only be a distant grandson of David — He will be God’s own Son. “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His ancestor David.” Mary does not require confirmation but responds in Faith. She agrees to carry out the Word Gabriel has addressed to her.
Life messages: 1) We need to be humble instruments in the hand of God, trusting in His power and goodness. St. Augustine reminds us that God Who created us without our permission cannot save us without our active cooperation. Hence, let us cooperate in the fulfillment of God’s plan for us with Mary’s trusting Faith and humility.
2) Like Mary, who brought God to us as Jesus our Savior, it is our duty to carry Jesus everywhere and bring Jesus to the lives of others around us through love, mercy, forgiveness, and service. “Let the soul of Mary be in each one of you to magnify the Lord. Let the spirit of Mary be in each one to exult in Christ.” (St. Ambrose).
3) We should treasure these words of the Gospel and use them often, for example, by practicing the Christian custom of saying the Angelus every day and reflecting on the five Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary. (Navarre Bible Commentary).
(Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
Dec 21 Saturday: (St. Peter Canisius, Priest & doctor of the Church)
Lk 1:39-45: The context: The mystery of the Incarnation comes to ordinary people living ordinary lives, who have the willingness to respond to God’s call and the openness and generosity to do God’s will. Luke, in today’s Gospel, tells us how two seemingly insignificant women met to celebrate the kindness and fidelity of God. In the Gospel, one definition of discipleship is to listen to God’s word and then carry it out. Mary did both, to become the most perfect disciple. The incident also shows us how sensitive Mary was to the needs of Elizabeth, her older cousin, who had miraculously become pregnant in her old age.
Mary’s visit to Elizabeth. There is a saying, “One who is on fire cannot sit on a chair.” Mary, carrying Jesus and filled with the empowering fire of the Holy Spirit, hurried to the mountain country where Elizabeth lived, thereby conveying the Holy Spirit to her cousin and the child in her womb. Like all good Jews, Mary was prompted in everything she did by her commitment to God’s word in her life.
The paradox of blessedness. Blessedness confers on a person both the greatest joy and the greatest task in the world. Nowhere can we see the paradox better illustrated than in Mary’s life. Mary was granted the blessedness and privilege of being the mother of the Son of God. Yet, that very blessedness was to be a sword to pierce her heart: one day she would see her Son hang on a cross, die, and be buried. So, to be chosen by God is often both a crown of joy and a cross of sorrow. God does not choose us to give us a life of ease and comfort, but in order that we may respond to His love by accomplishing His purposes.
Life messages:1) We should recognize the real presence of Emmanuel (God Is with Us) and say “yes” to Him: The Visitation of Mary reminds us that, through his holy ministry, Christ continues to be present among his people. Let us recognize and appreciate the truth that the same Christ “dwells among us” in the Bible, in the Sacraments, in the praying community, and in our souls. 2) We should convey Jesus to others as Mary did to Elizabeth. We can make a real difference in the lives of others today by carrying Jesus to them. For that, we must be filled with the spirit of Christ, allowing his rebirth within us. Then Jesus will enable us to share his love with all whom we encounter, offering them humble and committed service, unconditional forgiveness, and compassionate caring service.
Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
