These past few days the 1st readings were all about the prophecies of the birth of Jesus Christ and what never ceases to amaze me is the uniformity of the messages of these prophets from the Old Testament and how they were all fulfilled in the New Testament and is now continuously being celebrated year after year as we all say "Merry Christmas". I have always said this and will never ever get tired of saying this. We have a God who never fail and will always fulfill what He said He would do. This prophecy of Samuel explains why Jesus was often referred to in the scriptures as Son of David. The long history of the chosen people of God speaks of a Messiah whom they have long waited for. The more we get familiar with the scriptures the better our understanding of the prophecies from the Old Testament in connection with the New Testament. The deeper we know more about them the better our amazement and appreciation of how God works in mysterious, wonderful and miraculous ways. The long span of more than 4 thousand years that date way back to the time of Abraham to the time of Jesus speak of God's faithfulness to His covenant with His people. I often hear people say that life is so uncertain and that nobody knows what's going to happen next. Everything that we do seems to be a gamble for we are so imperfect and bound to make mistakes and wrong decisions. There are times when we look at our lives and ask where it is headed, when are things going to happen and change for the better and what await us in the days to come. It is so appeasing to know that we have a God who always speaks to us through the events, people and circumstances that surround us. In today's 1st reading, it tells us that only time can tell, all we have to do is remain faithful to God and persevere to the end since it speaks of Samuel telling David of a prophecy which was fulfilled 900 years later in Jesus. God's promises will always be true and can stand the test of time all throughout generations. Before I got myself involved in bible study I was just taking the title of Jesus as "Son of David" for what it is, just a title they have decided to call him. After several sessions things become clearer to me and taken on a deeper meaning. People who address him in the New Testament as Son of David are people who know of the salvation history of Israel or the chosen people. They are the very people who have come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah because they have been promised of one who will come from the House of David as foretold by the prophets of old. This is very interesting that we find our Christian faith rooted in Jewish heritage. The more we know of the ancestral beginning of Christianity the better our appreciation of it and eventually and inevitably lead to awe and marvel of God's wonders and miracles. St. Joseph is the foster father of Jesus and protector of the Holy Family. Joseph is an unwitting accomplice to the work of salvation. Mary, the Mother of Jesus, is his betrothed. He is given no options as to what he wants as regards the birth of Jesus. Yet somehow Joseph manages to allow the grace of God to lead and guide him such that he willingly accepts his role as foster father of Jesus and protector of the Holy Family. We, too sometimes find ourselves in a situation when we have no idea how things came about, it just happened without exerting any effort on our part. It just shows how God is able to do wonderful things in our life. All we need to do is follow the example of Joseph who at that time did not have any idea whatsoever that those were going to happen to him. Joseph is a righteous man; he stands in the line of righteous men stretching back to Abraham. It was mentioned above that he had little choice about the direction of his life. However, we must not fail to reflect upon the option that he could have simply walked away and left Mary and the child in her womb to fend for themselves. He could not do this as he was a good man and could see that Mary was going to need his help. Though he may seem to be a somewhat silent observer in the work of salvation, he plays a much greater and more important role than most give him credit for. He allowed God to lead and guide him through that situation which he obviously did not plan or intend to happen. In whatever situation we are in right now, whether it's all part of our plans or not, let us continue to allow the grace of God to work for He can surely bring about goodness and prosperity in our lives. We may be in a situation where we are not truly satisfied with what is happening around us but we must continue to believe in the magic that Christmas brings to our hearts. What a glorious promise from God to His faithful servant David. I believe that He has the same words for those who will faithfully and perseveringly follow His lead. If we can only look back and examine carefully our lives in the past then we can gauge from there if we have been totally obedient to His will in our lives. Are we missing out on something? Let us be quick and diligent to assess our lives so as not to miss out on the best things that God has in store for us. We can always count on God to carry out the plans He has for His people and always be true to His word. There is no greater joy in the knowledge of the hope, joy and love that our Savior is born. We recall when God said let there be light and God created the world. In John’s gospel (John 1:1), the very first words are, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The word became flesh and dwelt among us. The word made flesh is not just a concept, He is a person who dwelt among us as the Lord has spoken in today’s 1st reading, “Thus says the LORD: Should you build me a house to dwell in? Amen. Hallelujah!
2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16
...And when your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins, and I will make his kingdom firm. 14 I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. 16 Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever.’
If we enter into agreement with any person we have to make sure that we are able to fulfill it and vice versa for the person whom we make a contract with. It is so disappointing when things do not turn out the way it should be and terms and conditions are not followed. I guess, we have all encountered mishaps and are dismayed along the way. It is always best that if there's someone whom we should observe and maintain a covenant with then there should be no other but God. For His words and promises will always remain true. As in Habakkuk 2:2-3, "Write down the vision clearly upon the tablets, so that one can read it readily. For the vision still has its time, presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint; If it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late." We can be assured that His covenant will last and stand firm. Thousands of years have passed and only one name remains tried and true and continues to stand the test of time and even eternity, the name above all names, Jesus. If we are to look closely and pay attention to the succession of events of the salvation history or covenant history which goes back to the time of Adam & Eve and Noah and dates way back to 1800 BC during the time of Abraham, Moses (1200), David (means the favored one,1000), Exodus (600) to the birth of our Lord Jesus we will see God’s faithfulness and steadfast love for His people. In this time line are significant events that happened from the time of Creation when God created man who fell into sin and became unfaithful and how God continuously called us back to Him by showing us who He really is throughout the length of time. As dramatic events unfold, like the entrance of the Israelites to the promised land, the pockets of rebellion as they took over the 12 tribes and settled into a life of monarchy (kings) from their 1st king (Saul) to King David and King Solomon, the time of David is described as the greatest time of the people of God. Today’s psalm speaks of how God is pleased with His faithful servants and promises to maintain kindness forever. As we celebrate Christmas and the birth of Jesus we look at St. Joseph in the eyes of the Jews, he was the person who gave Jesus His proper name and claim as descendant of King David. Joseph was more of a foster father, because he was truly the legal father of Jesus. In like manner, he was not just the guardian of Mary. Before the law and traditions of Israel , he was the husband of Mary of Nazareth, the one who legitimized the “virgin birth” of Jesus to Mary. In the church’s liturgy, Joseph, aside from the Blessed Mother, is the only saint mentioned in the “Divine Praises” for the Eucharistic Benediction. Then, according to experts on the apparitions of Fatima, Joseph was the only saint who appeared with the Blessed Mother in those phenomena that happened in Portugal ." All these things tell us that there is really no cause for worry and fear for we have a God who is faithful to all His promises. We should always be reminded of this reality and never doubt that everything will come to pass. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 89:2-3, 4-5, 27, 29
R: For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
1 [2] The favors of the LORD I will sing forever; through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness. 2 [3] For you have said, “My kindness is established forever”; in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness. (R) 3 [4] “I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant: 4 [5] Forever will I confirm your posterity and establish your throne for all generations.” (R) 26 [27] “He shall say of me, ‘You are my father, my God, the rock, my savior.’ 28 [29] Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him, and my covenant with him stands firm.”
We may have been to a situation where we are totally undecided which way to go. It is this part where we don't really know whether to move forward or backward or stay put. In times like these we must always entrust to God whatever decisions we may come up with. The Lord will never confuse nor ignore us in our plea. Let us always be full of confidence of His light, guidance, direction and protection. For in His most perfect time and design everything will be revealed and made known to us. The 1st reading for today confirms the importance and relevance of what we have discussed in our bible study about the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew being a true Jew knows well the history and tradition of the life of Jesus. This makes him a 1st hand witness of this. Matthew is beyond any doubt an apostle of our Lord Jesus. The gospel according to the account of Matthew stands according to traditional and is made first among the canonical Gospels. There are good reasons for placing the gospel of Matthew at the beginning of the New Testament. It is filled with references and allusions to the Old Testament that are shown to find their fulfillment in the New Testament. The unity and integrity of the gospel of Matthew were never in ancient times called in question. The apostolic origin and canonical rank were accepted without a doubt by the early church making it the first of the four gospels and received without dispute by the church. If we daily ponder and reflect on the words of God then there is only one truth that will repeatedly and constantly confront us, that God's promises were all fulfilled throughout all generations and will continue to bring about what it has said it will do. Amen. Hallelujah!
Letter to the Romans 16: 25-27.
.... Brothers and sisters: To him who can strengthen you, according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret for long ages 26 but now manifested through the prophetic writings and, according to the command of the eternal God, made known to all nations to bring about the obedience of faith, 27 to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Among all of God's creation, the Blessed Virgin Mary is the best and most perfect work of God's hands. For through her cooperation with God, salvation of mankind was made possible. Mary never doubted God's mercy and goodness to carry out His plan for she trusted God more than anything else. We should always be confident in the truth that God's will in our lives will always work out for our own good. Whenever we feel afraid let us always follow the example of Mary. No matter how bothering the news or instances that are happening before us we should always maintain the same total surrender and trusting attitude of our Blessed Mother. Just like Mary who agreed to conceive and give birth to Jesus we should also openly and freely accept Jesus in our lives. We should always follow after her example of a perfect handmaid of the Lord. We are destined for the Lord just like Mary, all we have to do is follow the example she set before us from today's gospel. The example of Mary's complete obedience and trust in God should compel us to do likewise and believe in the fulfillment of God's promises in our lives no matter how impossible and difficult it may seem. During the time of Mary, she knew perfectly well the implications of her total surrender to God in agreeing to become pregnant could make her the object of ridicule and can lead to a very humiliating and life threatening situation but despite all of these she consented willingly and obediently. We, too can learn a lot from her and not miss out on the glorious reward that the Blessed Mother is bestowed now in heaven and for all generations to come. Mary was predestined to take on this special role to be Mother of God. It wasn't easy for her during that time for she was still bound by human laws which meant being stoned to death if found pregnant out of wedlock. But she thought of accepting the will of God in her life first and foremost by consenting to God's word like a handmaid would do to her Master and God. We are also invited through our daily circumstances to live out the will of God in our lives against all odds. May we also have the courage to say the words that Mary said whenever we are confronted with situations in our life that calls us to carry out God's will rather than our own. May we find in our hearts doing God's will at every moment of our life and truly make it our own. God's and our own wills as one. We all have plans in life but as the scripture in Proverbs 19:21 says, “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the decision of the Lord that endures.” Mary knew of this and though she may have other plans for her life back then already betrothed to Joseph, she did not hesitate and accepted the will of God in her life and the rest is history which is forever etched in the pages of the bible, every kind of reading material and most especially in the heart, mind and soul of every Christian. The greatest miracle is the birth of our Lord Jesus made possible through the obedience and cooperation of our Blessed Mother Mary. May we in our total surrender to God's will become a vessel of the birth of our own miracles. God coming to us in the form of man is a truth so great and awesome that no one can fully understand all the mysteries that surround it. Even the Blessed Mother who was favored by God and given this great privilege of giving birth to Jesus, our Savior was troubled. Because of our probing minds we tend to question a lot of things and resort to various ways in order to get a better view and understanding of things but there are times, too when all we have to do is follow the example of Mama Mary's perfect obedience to the will of God. There is only one thing we need to know, meditate and internalize daily, that God loves us this much, He suffered His only Son to become man and die on the cross for us. From this standpoint I am sure that all other things will follow. There are famous stories that are very wonderful to tell that it continue to be spoken of throughout the length of time. It has been passed on from generation to generation and never lose the awe, wonder and mystery it holds for those who come to know it. There are some that never leave our memory and continue to inspire and give us hope. It serves as a driving force that keeps us going and lifts us up when we are down and out. These stories are a source of strength and courage at times when we feel like giving up. The story of how God came to save us. This is one story that we should take personally. It should never leave our hearts, minds and memories every waking moment of our lives. It is the greatest story, living and true, ever told. On the day that the angel appeared to Mary she may have already been praying for a Savior to come. We all have been praying to God for something. Le us not doubt that God answers all our prayers in the best way possible. We should not waver or falter and have faith in God who knows our past, present and future. He can make all things beautiful in His perfect time that is for sure. There is no question to this, God is moving in power. Everything lies in the hands of God but it is in our hands to respond in the way Mary did and say this to God with all humility and trust, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” St. Anselm brilliantly captures the crucial role of Mary in our salvation history. He said, “God... is the Father of the created world and Mary the mother of the re-created world. God is the Father by whom all things were given life, and Mary the mother through whom all things were given new life. For God begot the Son, through whom all things were made, and Mary gave birth to him as the Savior of the world. Without God’s Son, nothing could exist; without Mary’s Son, nothing could be redeemed.” This is an incredible thing. It was only possible because God became man. There is an interplay between God’s grace and Mary’s free acceptance. This is what the real Catholic life is all about. This is God’s desire for us which is a fantastic calling. The power to do this is given to us by God in Jesus through Mary. Let us no longer be tricked into believing otherwise and know that just like Mary we are also called to play our part in the history of salvation the way she did. The wonderful phrase from the lips of the angel is pregnant with meaning as He announces to Mary she is full of grace. When something is full there is no room for anything else just like a glass there’s a limit to what it can hold. When the angel announced the words in the present tense by saying you are full of grace. She has no room for sin and is where the Church got its dogma that Mary is conceived without sin. The angel could have said, hail who will be full of grace. She is already filled with the grace of God, special grace from God and for God so He can do His work. God made Mary the untainted human nature and spotless. There's this painting of the Annunciation where the angel is hovering over Mary with a ray coming from his mouth to Mary’s ear. Though, this is not a literal depiction of the Incarnation but a metaphor. The angel spoke the Word of God because the angel can only speak the word of God and this painting is a beautiful depiction of what happened in the annunciation. Jesus conceived in her womb without the assistance of husband or father but with the power of the Holy Spirit. Mary hearing the Word and accepts the Word became flesh. We also hear the Word and must accept that the bread and wine in Holy Mass is transformed in the Body& Blood in the Eucharist. We celebrate this when we pray the Hail Mary which is recorded by St. Luke spoken by the angel and also taken out from the words of St. Elizabeth inspired by the Holy Spirit. This is a prayer that we should say often each day. Mary is a part of what she heard, accepted and said yes. Eve was also created holy and in innocence. Eve and Mary are two innocent women created by God. Lucifer tempted and spoke a lie to Eve. The devil starts off by telling a lie while Mary is greeted by an angelic being speaking the truth. Eve gives in to the devil's allurement. At first Eve spoke the truth when the devil said in Gen 3:1-3, "Did God really tell you not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?" The woman answered the serpent: "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; it is only about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, 'You shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die.'" but Eve was allured and gave in. Mary on the other hand when greeted by the angel, instead of propping herself up like God she said I am the handmaid of the Lord and said yes and her womb became God’s dwelling place. Eve is the mother of the living while Mary is our spiritual mother. In the beginning humanity fell flat on his face when Adam& Eve sinned so we needed a Redeemer. We should remember these words in Gen 3:14, "Then the LORD God said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, you shall be banned from all the animals and from all the wild creatures; On your belly shall you crawl, and dirt shall you eat all the days of your life. These are the words we should say to the devil every time we are tempted. Following that, is Gen 3:15, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel." We know that the woman spoken of is Mary, the New Eve, Mary crushes the serpent’s head by her Son and defeat the devil once and for all. Lucifer’s no to God made him lose heaven. God breaks into human history and becomes one of us, wanting to be like us, as true God and true Man, filled with divinity and humanity. This is a glorious day and every time we pray the Hail Mary. We should say it with love and not embarrassed. When we speak of something important we say it with intention, deliberation and reverence. We ought to keep this in mind that the Hail Mary is the inspired word of God. It is a beautiful prayer and a sign of God’s love for us. It is God's poem to us to get us to participate in the plan of salvation and to motivate us to say yes. If we say no to God then we’re in trouble but if we say yes then we are saved. There’ll be suffering, even Mary who is without sin suffered the 7 sorrows. When Jesus is just a baby she was told of the sword that will pierce her heart. The sword pierced her heart when Jesus was missing for 3 days but the most intense was when He died on the cross. She had to go through sorrow and she is without sin. Do we think we are to get away scar free? How we get there is not as important what matters most is that we get there. It is God's divine will that He chose Mary to be part of the equation. Her immaculate heart keeps the heart of Jesus alive while He was in the womb. He loves us and He loves her so we say yes to Mary and be a handmaid of the Lord. She will definitely help us get to where Jesus is. We will never regret it for we are a people of the Word like Mary is. We are in the 3rd week of Advent and very soon we celebrate Christmas when Jesus enters history, fulfills our salvation when Jesus is born, the Word made flesh. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 1:26-38
26 In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth , 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And coming to her, he said, “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, 33 and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34 But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” 35 And the angel said to her in reply, “The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. 36 And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; 37 for nothing will be impossible for God.” 38 Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.
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