Discovering the
Presence Christ - Daily Gospel Reflections
December 8, 2013
Gospel Reading:
John the Baptist
appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom
of heaven is at hand!” It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he
said: A voice of one crying out in the desert, Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths. John wore clothing made of camel’s hair and had a
leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. At that time
Jerusalem, all Judea, and the whole region around the Jordan were going out to
him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged
their sins. When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his
baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the
coming wrath? Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance. And do not
presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you,
God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones. Even now the ax lies at
the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will
be cut down and thrown into the fire. I am baptizing you with water, for
repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy
to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His
winnowing fan is in his hand. He will clear his threshing floor and gather his
wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
–Matthew 3:1-12
Reflection:
John the Baptist
is known as the last great prophet of ancient Israel who prepared the way for
the Messiah. The preparation he called forth was one of true repentance and a
real change of heart. John was no pushover. He was direct, unafraid, and spoke
the truth. John challenged the religious leaders of his day not to presume all
is well without true repentance and concrete actions that follow. Similarly one
can see the same attitude in today’s world. The Catechism of the Catholic
Church refers to it as a sin of presumption. It reads: “There are two kinds of
presumption. Either man presumes upon his own capacities, (hoping to be able to
save himself without help from on high), or he presumes upon God's almighty
power or his mercy (hoping to obtain his forgiveness without conversion and
glory without merit)” (#2092). Both are equally sinful, but the latter seems to
be an attitude that is all too common today and a cause for great concern. Fr.
Vincent Serpa sums it up well, “One wonders how sincere a person’s love for God
is when he is so readily willing to sin simply because God is forgiving. God
cannot be fooled. He reads hearts and knows our sincerity. To decide to sin is
to offend God. To decide to sin because one knows that he can be forgiven is to
sin twice. It is to use God, reducing him to a utility at the service of our
whim. It is to laugh at his passion and death.” The passion, death and
resurrection of Jesus is a great gift of grace that opens for us the doors of
salvation. Never take for granted the gift nor presume without conversion, but
let us use each day to be a modern day John the Baptist, preparing others and
ourselves for the coming of the Messiah, both at Christmas and for His Second
Coming.
Action:
Spend some quiet
moments to reflect on the sin of presumption. Does it apply to you? Do you try
to save yourself without help from God? Do you presume on God’s mercy by
seeking forgiveness without true conversion and concrete actions?
December 9, 2013
Gospel Reading:
The angel
Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin
betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name
was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with
you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of
greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and
bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. 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, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom
there will be no end.” But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I
have no relations with a man?” 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. 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; for nothing will be impossible
for God.” 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. -Luke 1:26-38
Reflection:
Depending on
where you are in the world you may be celebrating the Immaculate Conception
today. Normally, the Immaculate Conception of Mary is celebrated on December
8th. However, since yesterday was the 2nd Sunday of Advent, the Solemnity may
have transferred. With all that being said, today is one of the two
opportunities in the month of December to celebrate Mary, the Mother of God.
The other will be in a few days when we celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe. Mary is
a perfect example for disciples of Jesus. From the very beginning of Mary’s
life she was the perfect vessel. She grew up in the Jewish faith and always
discerned the will of the Father in her life. This is what enabled her at a
young age to say the words we read in the Gospel, “Behold, I am the handmaid of
the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” None of us know exactly
what we are getting into when we say yes to the Lord and neither did Mary. Yet,
she didn’t allow the obstacles and challenges to deter her from the will of the
Father. All too often in some circles, the Blessed Mother, is not respected in
the manner that she deserves. In some ways, I do not believe this is a concern
of Mary. Her concern is always the same “listen to him” as she said of Jesus at
the Wedding Feast of Cana. There is no doubt Mary has a special place in
Heaven, but her desire is for all of us to join her in the Kingdom of Heaven.
She is a model of the faith. She shows us to always trust in God. She reminds
us to always say yes to the Lord. She teaches us to listen to her Son. Pope
Francis when speaking of Mary says, “Mary wishes to bring all of us to the
great gift that is Jesus with his love, his peace and his joy.” Mary will not
rest until the Second Coming of Jesus. Until then, she will do all she can to
bring us closer to her Son and so inherit the Kingdom of Heaven.
Action:
Pray three Hail
Mary prayers for someone who is in need of knowing the love, peace and joy of
Jesus.
December 10, 2013
Gospel Reading:
Jesus said to
his disciples: “What is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of
them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in
search of the stray? And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more
over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. In just the
same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these
little ones be lost.” –Matthew 18:12-14
Reflection:
What is your
opinion? This is the question posed by Jesus in the Gospel today. What is your
response to the lost sheep? One possible response could be, “Forget the one
sheep, after all it is the sheep’s fault that it went astray!” This is a belief
held by many, “it’s his or her fault, let it be!” Although this is a shared
position, this is not the perspective of Jesus. Jesus’ concern is that of the
will of the Father, “that not one of these little ones be lost.” Jesus, the
Good Shepherd, highlights the lost sheep, not in neglect of the ninety-nine
others, but out of special concern for the one who is missing. This is the love
of Jesus to search out the lost and to rejoice over their return. It is evident
that in many cases an individual's imprudent choices and actions are often the
cause of their going astray, but this isn’t the sole concern for Jesus. For
Jesus, finding the lost and bringing them back is the focus. So it should be
with us! We cannot spend our time obsessed with the reasons why one departed.
Certainly, the Lord does not rejoice when we stray. However, for whatever reason
we do, it is never stronger and more important than His love and mercy, which
can bring us back! And so, as Jesus, we must proclaim His love and mercy while
using our energy to seek, restore, and rejoice over the return of our brother
or sister who is lost.
Action:
Pray for someone
who is considered a lost sheep. Instead of turning to judgment regarding their
absence, be like Jesus, who with love goes out to search, restore and rejoice.
If you are the one who is lost, spend time in prayer. Surrender yourself to
Jesus. He desires in love to restore and rejoice over you!
December 11, 2013
Gospel Reading:
Jesus said to
the crowds: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give
you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of
heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my
burden light.” –Matthew 11:28-30
Reflection:
Come to me all
who are burdened and labored and I will give you rest. Hearing this passage
provides great relief and consolation. How many feel so burdened and labored
with all that must be done? Being created in the image and likeness of God, our
souls and bodies yearn for a Sabbath: a time to rest, reflect, and renew. Jesus
wants to be the source of that rest, reflection, and renewal. Do we allow Him?
Do we take advantage of His invitation “to be” in His presence throughout the
course of our day? This is accomplished in quiet moments of prayer surrendering
to the Lord all that weighs one down. The invitation is to willingly lay at the
feet of the Lord all those expectations, demands, responsibilities and
challenges that burden. If you surrender to Him in moments throughout the day,
you will find rest. At the same time you will be given the grace to carry on
with renewed strength and direction. Remember Jesus does not intend to take
away your cross. Nevertheless, in that mere moment of surrender, Jesus provides
a gentle and loving reminder that He is with you! He will help you carry your
cross and He will most definitely lead you to victory.
Action:
Surrender one of
the heaviest burdens you have to the Lord today and in gratitude offer one Our
Father.
December 12, 2013
Gospel Reading:
Mary set out and
traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the
house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and
blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the
mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your
greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you
who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” And
Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in
God my savior.” –Luke 1:39-47
Reflection:
Mary, the mother
of Jesus, always represents much more than herself. Mary brings with her the
love of God and the presence of her son, Jesus. In the Gospel, Mary, after
receiving the news from the Angel Gabriel, sets out and travels to the home of
Elizabeth and Zechariah. Upon Mary’s arrival, Elizabeth speaks about the infant
in her womb leaping for joy. The infant in the womb of Elizabeth not only leaps
with joy at the voice of Mary, but more significantly leaps with joy for the
one who Mary brings within her. This presence of Jesus is the cause of joy! Our
Lady of Guadalupe, whom we celebrate today in the Church, is the story of Mary,
which we hear in the Gospel. Until this day, Mary continues to set out and
travel into the homes of people throughout the entire world bringing with her
the love of God and the presence of Jesus. When we encounter Mary, it is also
an encounter with Jesus. The source of our joy is Jesus and Mary would not have
it any other way! For this reason, our hearts are full of gratitude for Mary
who never relents in bringing to us the love of God and the presence of her son
Jesus.
Action:
Pray the joyful
mysteries of the Holy Rosary for the intentions of a loved one or someone in
need.
December 13, 2013
Gospel Reading:
Jesus said to
the crowds: “To what shall I compare this generation? It is like children who
sit in marketplaces and call to one another, ‘We played the flute for you, but
you did not dance, we sang a dirge but you did not mourn.’ For John came
neither eating nor drinking, and they said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’ The
Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said, ‘Look, he is a glutton and a
drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is vindicated by
her works.” –Matthew 11:16-19
Reflection:
Affirmation is a
positive experience. When we are blessed to receive it, we should be grateful.
However, there will be times in our lives when the affirmation will not be
there. In fact, not only will there be time with no affirmation, there may be
moments when we are criticized or ostracized. What then? Do we give up? Today
the Gospel hints at the fact that life is not defined by the affirmation or
criticism we receive, but by the way we live our lives. In the end, the only
person we should strive to please is the Almighty Father. We are pleasing to
the Father by simply being our authentic self. When we live authentically and
strive to live the will of the Father, this is where we are vindicated. This is
where we find meaning and true joy in our lives.
Action:
Pray for those
who persecute you.
December 14, 2013
Gospel Reading:
As they were
coming down from the mountain, the disciples asked Jesus, “Why do the scribes
say that Elijah must come first?” He said in reply, “Elijah will indeed come
and restore all things; but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they
did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased. So also will the
Son of Man suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he was
speaking to them of John the Baptist. –Matthew 17:9-13
Reflection:
God will never
cease from reaching out to His wonderful creation. The perfect example was when
God sent His only begotten Son into the world to save us from our sins. In the
incarnation of Jesus we see the fullness of God’s love enter the world in the
form of an innocent baby boy. Through the life, death, and resurrection of
Jesus, the doors to salvation were open wide to humanity. It is a gift in which
we should be eternally grateful. Today in the Gospel we hear Jesus speak of
expectations. We all have expectations. We wait for the day to see those
expectations come to reality. The danger, while we are waiting, is being so
fixated to the results of our own expectations that we close our eyes to the
element of surprise. The God we serve is definitely a God of surprises! And so,
as we await the fulfillment of the promises of God, we are invited to stay
alert! Never close the door to the element of surprise by God because when you
leave it open, you will be amazed at the unexpected ways God is at work in your
life!
Action:
Be open and alert
to surprises from God. Later this evening, reflect and be grateful for God’s
surprise for you today. Likewise, don’t forget that you too can share in God’s
surprise for another! You can do this by doing an unexpected act of goodness
for someone else today.
No comments:
Post a Comment