From the American Bible Society:
December 18, 2011
Fourth Sunday of Advent
This is a reminder to continue in your daily Lectio Divina Scripture reading. We’ve included the content again for you, to make it easier for you to continue to engage with God’s Word.
I AM THE LORD’S SERVANT
Luke 1:26-38 (Good News Translation)
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy God sent the angel Gabriel to a town in Galilee named Nazareth. 27 He had a message for a young woman promised in marriage to a man named Joseph, who was a descendant of King David. Her name was Mary. 28 The angel came to her and said, “Peace be with you! The Lord is with you and has greatly blessed you!” 29 Mary was deeply troubled by the angel's message, and she wondered what his words meant. 30 The angel said to her, “Don't be afraid, Mary; God has been gracious to you. 31 You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God. The Lord God will make him a king, as his ancestor David was, 33 and he will be the king of the descendants of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end! ” 34 Mary said to the angel, “I am a virgin. How, then, can this be?” 35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and God's power will rest upon you. For this reason the holy child will be called the Son of God. 36 Remember your relative Elizabeth. It is said that she cannot have children, but she herself is now six months pregnant, even though she is very old. 37 For there is nothing that God cannot do. ” 38 “I am the Lord's servant,” said Mary; “may it happen to me as you have said.” And the angel left her.
Other Readings: 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8-11, 16; Psalm 89:2-3, 4-5, 27, 29; Romans 16:25-27;
Lectio
Last week, Mary’s joy, expressed in her hymn of praise and thanksgiving, was the key to understanding the contents of that Sunday’s lessons. Today, it is Mary who, once again, becomes the focus of the whole liturgy. Several motifs converge in her, in such a dramatic way, that she embodies, as a living symbol, the whole mystery of Salvation. As on some other occasions, let’s go step by step. The place. Almost from its very beginning, Israel needed a ‘space’ to locate the presence of the Lord. First, it was the Tent of the Lord’s Presence, which travelled with his people; later, the shrines of Shiloh and Bethel, where they gathered to worship Yahweh; at last, the Temple in Jerusalem became the sacred dwelling place, center for prayer and sacrifices. In today’s Gospel, the place where God makes himself present is Nazareth, a small town in Galilee, forgotten, insignificant, not even mentioned in the Old Testament. The characters. We know nothing about Gabriel, a name mentioned in Daniel 9:21, but without being called an “angel.” As for Mary herself, the only facts available to us are that she was a young woman, a virgin, promised to Joseph, a descendant of King David. Nothing else, not even her parents’ names or the tribe to which she belonged. The facts. John’s Gospel began with the announcement of the saving Word, God himself, who had become a man. And so does Luke’s. The message addressed to Mary is also a saving word, both a calling and a promise. We should recall here how God’s word was the creative force throughout the history of Israel. From the creation of the world, Abraham, Moses, the Patriarchs and Prophets, received God’s word as a message and source of life, judgement, punishment and hope. In today’s Gospel, the word from Gabriel’s mouth announces salvation, and pronounces a promise and an invitation to carry out a decisive mission in the history of Israel. For a young, humble woman in a poor, anonymous village, those words must have sounded as if they were the lines from a fairy tale, some kind of Cinderella story. Becoming the mother of the King of Israel! Who could turn down that proposal? It is clear that God’s word is such a creative force that it is capable of transforming the humbleness of a simple young woman in a poor village into a model of mature response. Just because she is “greatly blessed” (“full of grace” in the traditional wording), Mary is conscious of her own dignity and the responsibility that lies in front of her. “How can this be?” That is her first, cautious reaction to the proposal. Only when she can ascertain that the flattering, glittering promises come from God, does she give her assent: “may it happen to me as you have said.” All of a sudden, the unknown village and the humble woman become the center of history, the singular place where God’s presence is so privileged that all the shrines and temples fade. God’s word, in this case “the Word,” through Mary’s faithful and obedient listening, receives a “yes” from her heart, and becomes flesh in her womb. Never had the Word shown such a creative power in such a lowly place.
Meditatio
We live in a world where our attention seems to be attracted only by “superlatives.” Cars must be the fastest, books must be best-sellers, everything and everybody aspires to be included in the Guinness Book of Records. Do you share that mentality? To which extent do you look for God’s presence in the humble facts of life? Only with an attitude of inner silence, like that of Mary, can we hear and listen to God’s voice. In the noisy din of our environment (political slogans, commercials, propaganda, physical noise), can you find moments of peace, where you can enjoy a prayerful communication with the Lord?
Oratio
Pray for yourself, that the spirit of Christmas may allow you to discover the importance of humility, obedience to God’s word, readiness to follow his inspiration. Pray for those responsible for our economy and social welfare, that they hold the poor and the unimportant in the center of their attention and interest, and work for the solution to their needs. Pray for those who do not know the Lord, that our humble witness to his incarnation may bring them close to faith. Pray for those who feel abandoned or ignored, that they may find in the solidarity and closeness of Christians the saving presence of our God, who shared our humble human condition.
Contemplatio
Read again the hymn used by Paul in his letter to the Philippians (2:5-11), and reflect on the traits of Christ, the Messiah born of Mary, and the humble path he followed to fulfil his mission in the history of our salvation.
Reflections written by Rev. Fr. Mariano Perrón Director of Inter-Religious Affairs Archdiocese of Madrid, Spain
© 2010 American Bible Society. All Rights Reserved. 1865 Broadway, New York, NY 10023-7505
Privacy Statement
Contact Us
Photo Policy
Financial Information
December 18, 2011
Fourth Sunday of Advent
This is a reminder to continue in your daily Lectio Divina Scripture reading. We’ve included the content again for you, to make it easier for you to continue to engage with God’s Word.
I AM THE LORD’S SERVANT
Luke 1:26-38 (Good News Translation)
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy God sent the angel Gabriel to a town in Galilee named Nazareth. 27 He had a message for a young woman promised in marriage to a man named Joseph, who was a descendant of King David. Her name was Mary. 28 The angel came to her and said, “Peace be with you! The Lord is with you and has greatly blessed you!” 29 Mary was deeply troubled by the angel's message, and she wondered what his words meant. 30 The angel said to her, “Don't be afraid, Mary; God has been gracious to you. 31 You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God. The Lord God will make him a king, as his ancestor David was, 33 and he will be the king of the descendants of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end! ” 34 Mary said to the angel, “I am a virgin. How, then, can this be?” 35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and God's power will rest upon you. For this reason the holy child will be called the Son of God. 36 Remember your relative Elizabeth. It is said that she cannot have children, but she herself is now six months pregnant, even though she is very old. 37 For there is nothing that God cannot do. ” 38 “I am the Lord's servant,” said Mary; “may it happen to me as you have said.” And the angel left her.
Other Readings: 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8-11, 16; Psalm 89:2-3, 4-5, 27, 29; Romans 16:25-27;
Lectio
Last week, Mary’s joy, expressed in her hymn of praise and thanksgiving, was the key to understanding the contents of that Sunday’s lessons. Today, it is Mary who, once again, becomes the focus of the whole liturgy. Several motifs converge in her, in such a dramatic way, that she embodies, as a living symbol, the whole mystery of Salvation. As on some other occasions, let’s go step by step. The place. Almost from its very beginning, Israel needed a ‘space’ to locate the presence of the Lord. First, it was the Tent of the Lord’s Presence, which travelled with his people; later, the shrines of Shiloh and Bethel, where they gathered to worship Yahweh; at last, the Temple in Jerusalem became the sacred dwelling place, center for prayer and sacrifices. In today’s Gospel, the place where God makes himself present is Nazareth, a small town in Galilee, forgotten, insignificant, not even mentioned in the Old Testament. The characters. We know nothing about Gabriel, a name mentioned in Daniel 9:21, but without being called an “angel.” As for Mary herself, the only facts available to us are that she was a young woman, a virgin, promised to Joseph, a descendant of King David. Nothing else, not even her parents’ names or the tribe to which she belonged. The facts. John’s Gospel began with the announcement of the saving Word, God himself, who had become a man. And so does Luke’s. The message addressed to Mary is also a saving word, both a calling and a promise. We should recall here how God’s word was the creative force throughout the history of Israel. From the creation of the world, Abraham, Moses, the Patriarchs and Prophets, received God’s word as a message and source of life, judgement, punishment and hope. In today’s Gospel, the word from Gabriel’s mouth announces salvation, and pronounces a promise and an invitation to carry out a decisive mission in the history of Israel. For a young, humble woman in a poor, anonymous village, those words must have sounded as if they were the lines from a fairy tale, some kind of Cinderella story. Becoming the mother of the King of Israel! Who could turn down that proposal? It is clear that God’s word is such a creative force that it is capable of transforming the humbleness of a simple young woman in a poor village into a model of mature response. Just because she is “greatly blessed” (“full of grace” in the traditional wording), Mary is conscious of her own dignity and the responsibility that lies in front of her. “How can this be?” That is her first, cautious reaction to the proposal. Only when she can ascertain that the flattering, glittering promises come from God, does she give her assent: “may it happen to me as you have said.” All of a sudden, the unknown village and the humble woman become the center of history, the singular place where God’s presence is so privileged that all the shrines and temples fade. God’s word, in this case “the Word,” through Mary’s faithful and obedient listening, receives a “yes” from her heart, and becomes flesh in her womb. Never had the Word shown such a creative power in such a lowly place.
Meditatio
We live in a world where our attention seems to be attracted only by “superlatives.” Cars must be the fastest, books must be best-sellers, everything and everybody aspires to be included in the Guinness Book of Records. Do you share that mentality? To which extent do you look for God’s presence in the humble facts of life? Only with an attitude of inner silence, like that of Mary, can we hear and listen to God’s voice. In the noisy din of our environment (political slogans, commercials, propaganda, physical noise), can you find moments of peace, where you can enjoy a prayerful communication with the Lord?
Oratio
Pray for yourself, that the spirit of Christmas may allow you to discover the importance of humility, obedience to God’s word, readiness to follow his inspiration. Pray for those responsible for our economy and social welfare, that they hold the poor and the unimportant in the center of their attention and interest, and work for the solution to their needs. Pray for those who do not know the Lord, that our humble witness to his incarnation may bring them close to faith. Pray for those who feel abandoned or ignored, that they may find in the solidarity and closeness of Christians the saving presence of our God, who shared our humble human condition.
Contemplatio
Read again the hymn used by Paul in his letter to the Philippians (2:5-11), and reflect on the traits of Christ, the Messiah born of Mary, and the humble path he followed to fulfil his mission in the history of our salvation.
Reflections written by Rev. Fr. Mariano Perrón Director of Inter-Religious Affairs Archdiocese of Madrid, Spain
© 2010 American Bible Society. All Rights Reserved. 1865 Broadway, New York, NY 10023-7505
Privacy Statement
Contact Us
Photo Policy
Financial Information
No comments:
Post a Comment