오늘의 복음

December 22, 2022Thursday of the Fourth Week of Advent

Margaret K 2022. 12. 22. 05:53

2022년 12월 22일 대림 제4주간

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

제1독서

<한나가 사무엘의 탄생을 감사드리다.>

사무엘기 상. 1,24-28

그 무렵 사무엘이 24 젖을 떼자 한나는 그 아이를 데리고 올라갔다.

그는 삼 년 된 황소 한 마리에

밀가루 한 에파와 포도주를 채운 가죽 부대 하나를 싣고,

실로에 있는 주님의 집으로 아이를 데려갔다. 아이는 아직 나이가 어렸다.

25 사람들은 황소를 잡은 뒤 아이를 엘리에게 데리고 갔다.

26 한나가 엘리에게 말하였다.

“나리! 나리께서 살아 계시는 것이 틀림없듯이,

제가 여기 나리 앞에 서서 주님께 기도하던 바로 그 여자입니다.

27 제가 기도한 것은 이 아이 때문입니다.

주님께서는 제가 드린 청을 들어주셨습니다.

그래서 저도 아이를 주님께 바치기로 하였습니다.

이 아이는 평생을 주님께 바친 아이입니다.”

그런 다음 그들은 그곳에서 주님께 예배를 드렸다.

복음

<전능하신 분께서 나에게 큰일을 하셨습니다.>

루카. 1,46-56

그때에 46 마리아가 말하였다. “내 영혼이 주님을 찬송하고

47 내 마음이 나의 구원자 하느님 안에서 기뻐 뛰니

48 그분께서 당신 종의 비천함을 굽어보셨기 때문입니다.

이제부터 과연 모든 세대가 나를 행복하다 하리니

49 전능하신 분께서 나에게 큰일을 하셨기 때문입니다.

그분의 이름은 거룩하고

50 그분의 자비는 대대로 당신을 경외하는 이들에게 미칩니다.

51 그분께서는 당신 팔로 권능을 떨치시어

마음속 생각이 교만한 자들을 흩으셨습니다.

52 통치자들을 왕좌에서 끌어내리시고 비천한 이들을 들어 높이셨으며

53 굶주린 이들을 좋은 것으로 배불리시고

부유한 자들을 빈손으로 내치셨습니다.

54 당신의 자비를 기억하시어 당신 종 이스라엘을 거두어 주셨으니

55 우리 조상들에게 말씀하신 대로

그 자비가 아브라함과 그 후손에게 영원히 미칠 것입니다.”

56 마리아는 석 달가량 엘리사벳과 함께 지내다가 자기 집으로 돌아갔다.

 

December 22, 2022

Thursday of the Fourth Week of Advent

Daily Readings — Audio

Daily Reflections — Video

http://www.usccb.org/bible/

Daily Mass : https://www.youtube.com/c/EWTNcatholictv

: https://www.youtube.com/c/DailyTVMass

Reading 1

1 Sm 1:24-28

In those days,

Hannah brought Samuel with her,

along with a three-year-old bull,

an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine,

and presented him at the temple of the LORD in Shiloh.

After the boy’s father had sacrificed the young bull,

Hannah, his mother, approached Eli and said:

“Pardon, my lord!

As you live, my lord,

I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the LORD.

I prayed for this child, and the LORD granted my request.

Now I, in turn, give him to the LORD;

as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the LORD.”

She left Samuel there.

Responsorial Psalm

1 Samuel 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8abcd

R. (see 1a) My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

“My heart exults in the LORD,

my horn is exalted in my God.

I have swallowed up my enemies;

I rejoice in my victory.”

R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

“The bows of the mighty are broken,

while the tottering gird on strength.

The well-fed hire themselves out for bread,

while the hungry batten on spoil.

The barren wife bears seven sons,

while the mother of many languishes.”

R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

“The LORD puts to death and gives life;

he casts down to the nether world;

he raises up again.

The LORD makes poor and makes rich,

he humbles, he also exalts.”

R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

“He raises the needy from the dust;

from the dung heap he lifts up the poor,

To seat them with nobles

and make a glorious throne their heritage.”

R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

Gospel

Lk 1:46-56

Mary said:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;

my spirit rejoices in God my savior.

for he has looked upon his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed:

the Almighty has done great things for me,

and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him

in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm,

and has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones

and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel

for he remembered his promise of mercy,

the promise he made to our fathers,

to Abraham and his children for ever.”

Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months

and then returned to her home.

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

Mothers get top billing in today’s readings. As we are in the Advent season, it is fitting to hear about mothers. Both Advent and motherhood are times filled with watching and waiting. Hands down, motherhood has been the hardest and best thing I have ever done it my life. There are so many ways to get it wrong. That’s why I am so amazed at the mothers featured in these readings.

First there is Hannah whose desire to have a child is so powerful. That ache about not being able to have a child is so painful to women unable to bear a child. You wonder what you have done wrong or why this happening to you. You feel so out of control. There seems to be nothing you can do for something you want so badly. So, Hannah tells God: If I am able to bear a child, I will dedicate this child to you.

And Hannah makes good on her promise. When her boy turns 3, she brings Samuel, along with other gifts, to Eli at the temple. I cannot even imagine what she was going through. How did she find the strength to walk to the temple knowing she would be leaving without him? Without her beloved, beautiful boy who was still so young?

However, Hannah was a woman of faith and she made good on her promise to God even though her heart had to be breaking. Her commitment and courage to carry it out, to give away this child she had so yearned for, is particularly impressive. It made me think of all the times I promised God one thing or another if a particular thing in my life occurred. Regardless of what I had promised God, how many times did I follow though?

When I think of my prayer life, I have to admit I most turn to God when I or a loved one is in trouble. I seem to spend much of my time asking God for things rather than thanking or “proclaiming the greatness of the Lord.” Which is what Mary does in today’s gospel as she comes to term to what is happening to her. The phrase “the Almighty has done great things for me” hit home with me. During this Advent season of watching and waiting, it struck me how blessed my life has been.

In these final days of Advent I plan to think about all the blessing God has showered me with, and to wholeheartedly thank God for such abundance. As we continue to watch and wait for the birth of our Savior, may we all see the ‘great things” the Lord has done for us. Sharing these blessings with others who are struggling is a concrete way I can “proclaim the greatness of the Lord.”

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

THE “BLESSED” MOTHER

“All ages to come shall call me blessed.” —Luke 1:48

At her visitation to the house of Elizabeth and Zechariah, the Blessed Virgin Mary prophesied that all generations would call her “blessed” (Lk 1:48). This prophecy has been proven true. Throughout the history of the Church, she has been called the “Blessed Mother.” Likewise, she is called the “Blessed Virgin Mary” in the Eucharistic Prayers II, III, and IV of the Mass.

In the Hail Mary prayer, we likewise fulfill this prophecy by praying the words of Elizabeth: “Blessed are you among women and blessed is the Fruit of your womb” (see Lk 1:42). Surely many millions of times each day throughout the world, Mary is called blessed by each generation in countless rosaries (Lk 1:48).

Elizabeth called Mary blessed a second time: “Blest is she who trusted that the Lord’s words to her would be fulfilled” (Lk 1:45). Jesus also fulfilled Mary’s prophecy when He called her blessed because she heard the Word of God and obeyed it (Lk 11:28). In her Magnificat, which is quoted in today’s Gospel, Mary acknowledges that God has greatly blessed her, and promptly redirects the focus to God Himself. She proclaims the greatness of God, rejoices in Him, and praises His mercy and righteousness (Lk 1:46-55).

Imitate the Blessed Virgin Mary. Use your every blessing to proclaim “the greatness of the Lord” (Lk 1:46).

Prayer: “My being proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit finds joy in God my Savior” (Lk 1:46-47).

Promise: “I prayed for this child, and the Lord granted my request.” —1 Sm 1:27

Praise: “O King of all the nations, the only Joy of every human heart; O Keystone of the mighty arch of man, come and save the creature You fashioned from the dust.”

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

Do you know the mercy and favor of the Lord? Those who hunger for the Lord will not be disappointed. The Lord himself will fill them with the fruits of his peace, joy, and righteousness. We see God's boundless love manifested in the promise of a Redeemer. As the events leading to the birth of our Savior unfold we see all the prophecies, promises and prayers of the Old Testament being fulfilled because "God so loved the world that he gave us his only Son" (John 3:16).

Those who are humble and hungry for God receive his Spirit

The Gospel of Luke reveals the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in Mary's life. When Elizabeth and Mary greeted one another they were filled with the Holy Spirit and with a joyful anticipation of the fulfillment of God's promise to give a Savior. John the Baptist, even before the birth of the Messiah, pointed to his coming and leapt for joy in the womb of his mother as the Holy Spirit revealed to him the presence of the King to be born. The Holy Spirit is God's gift to us to enable us to know and experience the indwelling presence of God and the power of his kingdom. The Holy Spirit is the way in which God reigns within each of us.

The Holy Spirit fills us with the joy and hope of heaven

Mary accepted her mission with uncompromising faith and obedience. She acted with unwavering trust and faith because she believed that God would fulfill the word he had spoken. Her great hymn of praise echoes the song of Hannah (see 1 Samuel 2:1-10) and proclaims the favor of the Lord: God exalts the lowly and he fills the hungry with good things. Hannah like Mary had been without child and God in a marvelous way gave her a son, named Samuel, whom she dedicated at an early age to the service of the Lord (1 Samuel 1:24ff.) Mary, too, would lose her son to a servant ministry that would take him to the cross. Christmas is a time for renewing our faith and hope in God and in his promises and for deepening our love for God and for neighbor. Do you seek the Lord Jesus and the power of his Holy Spirit so that you may be renewed in faith, hope, and love?


Lord Jesus, help me to earnestly seek you with humility and confidence. Increase my faith in your promises, strengthen within me the hope of heaven and eternal life, and set my heart on fire with burning love for you and for your kingdom. May I always praise and magnify your great mercy and glory.


Psalm 89:2-5, 27, 29

2 For your steadfast love was established for ever, your faithfulness is firm as the heavens.

3 You have said, "I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant:

4 `I will establish your descendants for ever, and build your throne for all generations.'" [Selah]

5 Let the heavens praise your wonders, O LORD, your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones!

27 And I will make him the first-born, the highest of the kings of the earth.

29 I will establish his line for ever and his throne as the days of the heavens.

Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: Mary preaches the new kingdom, by Ephrem the Syrian (306-373 AD)

"[Mary] revealed to Elizabeth what the angel spoke to her in secret, and that he called her blessed because she believed in the realization of the prophecy and the teaching that she heard (Luke 146-55). Then Mary gently brought forth the fruit of what she heard from the angel and Elizabeth: 'My soul bless the Lord.' Elizabeth had said, 'Blessed is she who has believed,' and Mary replied, 'From henceforth all generations will call me blessed.' It was then that Mary began to preach the new kingdom. 'She returned home after three months,' so that the Lord whom she was carrying would not begin service before his servant. She returned to her husband to clarify the matter, for if she had become pregnant through human fruit, it would have been appropriate for her to flee from her husband." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON TATIAN'S DIATESSARON 1.28)