December 1, 2020 Tuesday of the First Week in Advent

2020년 12월 1일 대림 제1주간 화요일 

오늘의 복음 : http://info.catholic.or.kr/missa/default.asp 

제1독서

이사야서. 11,1-10
그날 1 이사이의 그루터기에서 햇순이 돋아나고 그 뿌리에서 새싹이 움트리라.
2 그 위에 주님의 영이 머무르리니
지혜와 슬기의 영, 경륜과 용맹의 영, 지식의 영과 주님을 경외함이다.
3 그는 주님을 경외함으로 흐뭇해하리라.
그는 자기 눈에 보이는 대로 판결하지 않고
자기 귀에 들리는 대로 심판하지 않으리라.
4 힘없는 이들을 정의로 재판하고

이 땅의 가련한 이들을 정당하게 심판하리라.
그는 자기 입에서 나오는 막대로 무뢰배를 내리치고
자기 입술에서 나오는 바람으로 악인을 죽이리라.
5 정의가 그의 허리를 두르는 띠가 되고
신의가 그의 몸을 두르는 띠가 되리라.
6 늑대가 새끼 양과 함께 살고 표범이 새끼 염소와 함께 지내리라.
송아지가 새끼 사자와 더불어 살쪄 가고 어린아이가 그들을 몰고 다니리라.
7 암소와 곰이 나란히 풀을 뜯고 그 새끼들이 함께 지내리라.
사자가 소처럼 여물을 먹고
8 젖먹이가 독사 굴 위에서 장난하며
젖 떨어진 아이가 살무사 굴에 손을 디밀리라.
9 나의 거룩한 산 어디에서도
사람들은 악하게도 패덕하게도 행동하지 않으리니
바다를 덮는 물처럼 땅이 주님을 앎으로 가득할 것이기 때문이다.
10 그날에 이러한 일이 일어나리라.
이사이의 뿌리가 민족들의 깃발로 세워져
겨레들이 그에게 찾아들고 그의 거처는 영광스럽게 되리라.

복음

루카. 10,21-24
 21 그때에 예수님께서 성령 안에서 즐거워하며 말씀하셨다.

“아버지, 하늘과 땅의 주님,
지혜롭다는 자들과 슬기롭다는 자들에게는 이것을 감추시고
철부지들에게는 드러내 보이시니, 아버지께 감사를 드립니다.
그렇습니다, 아버지! 아버지의 선하신 뜻이 이렇게 이루어졌습니다.”
22 “나의 아버지께서는 모든 것을 나에게 넘겨주셨다.
그래서 아버지 외에는 아들이 누구인지 아무도 알지 못한다.
또 아들 외에는,
그리고 그가 아버지를 드러내 보여 주려는 사람 외에는
아버지께서 누구이신지 아무도 알지 못한다.”
23 그리고 예수님께서는 돌아서서 제자들에게 따로 이르셨다.
“너희가 보는 것을 보는 눈은 행복하다.
24 내가 너희에게 말한다.
많은 예언자와 임금이 너희가 보는 것을 보려고 하였지만 보지 못하였고,
너희가 듣는 것을 들으려고 하였지만 듣지 못하였다.”

December 1, 2020

Tuesday of the First Week in Advent

Daily Readings — Audio

Daily Reflections — Video

http://www.usccb.org/bible/ 

Daily Mass : http://www.catholictv.com/shows/daily-mass 

Reading 1

Is 11:1-10

On that day,
A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,
and from his roots a bud shall blossom.
The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him:
a Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
A Spirit of counsel and of strength,
a Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD,
and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD.
Not by appearance shall he judge,
nor by hearsay shall he decide,
But he shall judge the poor with justice,
and decide aright for the land's afflicted.
He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.
Justice shall be the band around his waist,
and faithfulness a belt upon his hips.

Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;
The calf and the young lion shall browse together,
with a little child to guide them.
The cow and the bear shall be neighbors,
together their young shall rest;
the lion shall eat hay like the ox.
The baby shall play by the cobra's den,
and the child lay his hand on the adder's lair.
There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD,
as water covers the sea.

On that day,
The root of Jesse,
set up as a signal for the nations,
The Gentiles shall seek out,
for his dwelling shall be glorious.

 

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17

R. (see 7) Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king's son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
He shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
May his name be blessed forever;
as long as the sun his name shall remain.
In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed;
all the nations shall proclaim his happiness.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.

Gospel

Lk 10:21-24

Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said,
"I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to the childlike.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows who the Son is except the Father,
and who the Father is except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him."

Turning to the disciples in private he said,
"Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.
For I say to you,
many prophets and kings desired to see what you see,
but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it."

 

http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html

 

Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;
The calf and the young lion shall browse together,
with a little child to guide them.
               
I have certainly heard excerpts from this reading previously.  However, as we enter the 12th month of 2020, this particular paragraph speaks to my heart.  It seems most years by the time we get to Advent, we are ready to leave the ordinary time of the year and embrace Advent with all of its promises.  This year of 2020 has been challenging for so many – illness and death, isolation, financial concerns and the list could go on.  I so long for peace and serenity, for a sense of security and order, for something predictable.  These prophecies from Isaiah foretelling the rise of a new Davidic king give us (me) so much hope and optimism.  This year the promise of Advent and everything new is more important than ever.  As I wrote about what I long for, I realized that is exactly what we are promised – predictability – of a Child who will redeem us.  The above paragraph creates a picture of peace and serenity – the animals listed who live as enemies in nature are now able to co-exist in peace without threat to each other. Our chaotic world offers very little of this these days.  How can we learn from these animals to look beyond our comfort zones and allow that little child to guide us?

For me, at least, it seems that Advent is here just in time.  It reminds me of a fresh beginning – an opportunity to welcome the new and out with the old.  All the feelings of being worn out from this horrendous year and wondering when isolation will come to an end fade when I realize that the very symbol of hope and everything good is coming.  The beginning of the church year gives me a chance to begin anew and not only leave 2020 behind but also all the stress and uncertainty.  It reminds me that this earth and all of its challenges are just transitory – this is not my forever.  The journey here is not the final goal. Sometimes, I let this fragile life direct my thoughts and attitude and drag me into unimportant details. I forget (so many times) to look at the bigger picture and the eternal life that should be my priority.

The season of Advent is just what this world (and me) needs right now to raise our spirits and direct us to the truly important aspects of life and preparation for our eternal life. Advent reminds us to open our hearts as we anticipate and prepare for our greatest Gift. It is our Faith and  hope of what is to come that will support us and allow us to see beyond our troubles and this chaos called life.  Most importantly, Advent reveals what Jesus says to the disciples:

Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. 

For I say to you,
many prophets and kings desired to see what you see,
but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it

Big Daddy Weave:  The Lion and the Lamb  

 

 http://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp

CHILDLIKE, BLESSED EYES

“Blest are the eyes that see what you see.” —Luke 10:23

Much of the world has already started to celebrate Christmas, but we Christians are still waiting. We are observing the season of Advent. We are not jumping ahead of the Lord, but waiting for His coming by preparing our hearts.

What do we hear from the world? We hear that Christmas is a season for children; innocent, delighted children are often pictured on “holiday” commercials. This is true for Christians as well. We are to become as children, innocently waiting with delight for the Child Jesus to come into our lives. God likewise thinks Christmas is for children and all who become like little children. He sent prophets to announce that a Child shall lead us (Is 11:6). Then He sent His Son as a Child to lead us into His Kingdom.

Today’s readings show that:

• a child shall play safely in the most dangerous places, such as an adder’s lair (Is 11:8),
• as in a child’s fairy tales, deadly opponents like a wolf and a lamb shall live at peace (Is 11:6ff).
• God reveals things especially to the childlike (Lk 10:21),
• the King’s Child will bring justice (Ps 72:1),
• these readings are not a fairy tale. God makes this picture real by becoming an incarnate Child.

Blessed indeed are our eyes! (Lk 10:23) If we can respond to this Good News with a childlike sense of awe and wonder, we will be prepared for Christ’s coming. Ask the Lord for the blessed eyes of a child.

Prayer:  Father, I allow You to hold me in Your arms and love me as Your little child.

Promise:  “The earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as water fills the sea.” —Is 11:9

Praise:  Bedridden Louise depends trustingly on others and on her Lord.

 

 http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/

 

How does God bring his kingdom to us? Jesus remarked that many prophets and kings before him longed to see and understand God's plan for establishing his kingdom. When King David's throne was overthrown and vacant for centuries, God promised, nonetheless, to raise up a new king from the stump of Jesse, the father of David. This messianic king would rule forever because the Spirit of God would rest upon him and remain with him (Isaiah 11:1).

The Messiah King is anointed with divine wisdom and gifts of the Spirit
Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah would be equipped with the gifts of the Spirit - with wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and fear of the Lord (Isaiah 11:2 - for an explanation of the gifts see this helpful article). This king would establish the kingdom of God, not by force of human will and military power, but by offering his life as the atoning sacrifice for the sin of the world. Through his death on the cross, Jesus, the true Messiah King, would defeat Satan, overcome death, and win pardon and reconciliation for sinners. God's plan of redemption included not only the Jewish people but all the nations of the earth as well. Through his death and resurrection Jesus makes us citizens of heaven and friends of God. The Lord Jesus wants us to live in joyful hope and confident expectation that he will come again to fully establish his kingdom of righteousness and peace.

What does Jesus' prayer (Luke 10:21-22) tell us about God and about ourselves? First, it tells us that God is both Father and Lord of earth as well as heaven. He is both Creator and Author of all that he has made, the first origin of everything and transcendent authority, and at the same time, goodness and loving care for all his children. All fatherhood and motherhood are derived from him (Ephesians 3:14-15). Jesus' prayer also contains a warning that pride can keep us from the love and knowledge of God.

The Lord opposes the proud but gives wisdom and understanding to the humble
Pride closes the mind to God's truth and wisdom for our lives. Jesus contrasts pride with child-like simplicity and humility. The simple of heart are like "babes" in the sense that they see purely without pretense and acknowledge their dependence and trust in God who is the source of all wisdom and strength. They seek one thing - the "summum bonum" or "greatest good" which is God himself.

Simplicity of heart is wedded with humility, the queen of virtues, because humility inclines the heart towards grace and truth. Just as pride is the root of every sin and evil we can conceive, so humility is the only soil in which the grace of God can take root. It alone takes the right attitude before God and allows him as God to do all. "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (Prov. 3:34, James 4:6). The grace of Christ-like humility inclines us towards God and disposes us to receive God's wisdom, grace, and help. Nothing can give us greater joy than the knowledge that we are God's beloved and that our names are written in heaven (Luke 10:20). Do you seek God's wisdom and grace with humility and trust?

Through Christ we can personally know the Father and be united with him
Jesus makes a claim which no one would have dared to make: He is the perfect revelation of God. Our knowledge of God is not simply limited to knowing something about God - who he is and what he is like. We can know God personally and be united with him in a relationship of love, trust, and friendship. Jesus makes it possible for each of us to personally know God as our Father. To see Jesus is to see what God is like. In Jesus we see the perfect love of God - a God who cares intensely and who yearns over men and women, loving them to the point of laying down his life for them upon the cross. Do you pray to your Father in heaven with joy and confidence in his love and care for you?

Lord Jesus, give me the child-like simplicity and purity of faith to gaze upon your face with joy and confidence in your all-merciful love. Remove every doubt, fear, and proud thought which would hinder me from receiving your word with trust and humble submission.

Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17

1 Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the royal son!
2 May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice!
3 Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness!
4 May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the needy, and crush the oppressor!
5 May he live while the sun endures, and as long as the moon, throughout all generations!
6 May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth!
7 In his days may righteousness flourish, and peace abound, till the moon be no more!
12 For he delivers the needy when he calls, the poor and him who has no helper.
13 He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy.
17 May his name endure for ever, his fame continue as long as the sun! May men bless themselves by him, all nations call him blessed!

Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: The Seven Gifts of the Spirit, by Ambrose of Milan, 339-397 A.D.

"So, then, the Holy Spirit is the river, and the abundant river, which according to the Hebrews flowed from Jesus in the lands, as we have received it prophesied by the mouth of Isaiah (Isaiah 66:12). This is the great river that flows always and never fails. And not only a river, but also one of copious stream and overflowing greatness, as also David said: 'The stream of the river makes glad the city of God' (Psalm 46:4). For neither is that city, the heavenly Jerusalem, watered by the channel of any earthly river, but that Holy Spirit, proceeding from the fount of life, by a short draught of whom we are satiated, seems to flow more abundantly among those celestial thrones, dominions and powers, angels and archangels, rushing in the full course of the seven virtues of the Spirit. For if a river rising above its banks overflows, how much more does the Spirit, rising above every creature, when he touches the low-lying fields of our minds, as it were, make glad that heavenly nature of the creatures with the larger fertility of his sanctification.
And let it not trouble you that either here it is said 'rivers' (John 7:38) or elsewhere 'seven Spirits,' (Revelation 5:6) for by the sanctification of these seven gifts of the Spirit, as Isaiah said, is signified the fullness of all virtue; the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and godliness, and the Spirit of the fear of God. One, then is the river, but many the channels of the gifts of the Spirit. This river, then, goes forth from the fount of life." (excerpt from ON THE HOLY SPIRIT 1.16)

   

More Homilies

December 4, 2018 Tuesday of the First Week in Advent