Gospel Reflection

December 12, 2012

Wednesday – Advent – Year of Faith

Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

by Rev.  Fr. Matthieu Dauchez

6:30 AM Mass at Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace (Our Lady of EDSA)

Reading 1 Zec 2:14-17

Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion! See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the LORD. Many nations shall join themselves to the LORD on that day, and they shall be his people, and he will dwell among you, and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you. The LORD will possess Judah as his portion in the holy land, and he will again choose Jerusalem. Silence, all mankind, in the presence of the LORD! For he stirs forth from his holy dwelling.

or Ps 1:1Rv 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab

God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple. A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth. Then another sign appeared in the sky; it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadems. Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky and hurled them down to the earth. Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth, to devour her child when she gave birth. She gave birth to a son, a male child, destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was caught up to God and his throne. The woman herself fled into the desert where she had a place prepared by God. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have salvation and power come, and the Kingdom of our God and the authority of his Anointed."

Responsorial Psalm Jdt 13:18bcde, 19

R. (15:9d) You are the highest honor of our race.
Blessed are you, daughter, by the Most High God,
above all the women on earth;
and blessed be the LORD God,
the creator of heaven and earth.
R. You are the highest honor of our race.
Your deed of hope will never be forgotten
by those who tell of the might of God.
R. You are the highest honor of our race.

Gospel Lk 1:26-38

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.

or Lk 1:39-47

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."

HOMILY

My dear brothers and sisters, after listening to the Gospel today, we are reminded of the Visitation, on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. As you know, the Visitation is one of the mysteries that we pray in the Holy Rosary. What fruits are attached to the dedication of this mystery? It is the fruit of charity. When you meditate on the Visitation, you are asking for charity. We are also asking Jesus to let charity grow in our hearts, to let us love more and more perfectly, which means to love more and more according to the heart of Jesus. 

Do you think that the mystery of the Visitation is just one detail of a prayer? No. It is because all our prayers must be fruitful. If not, such prayer only becomes a litany of words. All prayers should bear fruit in our life. 

So my dear brothers and sisters, especially on this day of the Visitation, I would like to invite you to make the fruits of the Holy Rosary alive, when we pray this beautiful prayer. Let us pray the Holy Rosary today, especially in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe, not only as words, but asking deep within our heart of the fruits that God will give us in our life. Amen.

Our Lady of Guadalupe – Pray for us

You may also want to see: A Holy Life - Our Lady of Guadalupe

A Holy Life

Our Lady of Guadalupe

Patroness of Latin America

Feast day – December 12

One of the most beautiful series of apparitions of the Queen of Heaven occurred on the American continent on a December day of 1531, only ten years after the Spanish conquest. A fervent Christian Indian in his fifties, Juan Diego, a widower, was on his way to Mass in Mexico City from his home eight miles distant, a practice he and his wife had followed since their conversion, in honor of Our Lady on Her day, Saturday. He had to pass near the hill of Tepeyac, and was struck there by the joyous song of birds, rising up in the most melodious of concerts; he stopped to listen. Looking up to the hilltop, he perceived a brilliant cloud, surrounded by a light brighter than a fiery sun, and a gentle voice called him by name, saying, “Juan, come.” His first fear was transformed into a sweet happiness by this voice, and he mounted the slope. There he beheld the One he had intended to honor by hearing Her Mass. She was surrounded by a radiance so brilliant it sent out rays that seemed to transform the very rocks into scintillating jewels.

“Where are you going, My child?” She asked him. “To Saint James to hear the Mass sung by the minister of the Most High in honor of the Mother of the Saviour.” “That is good, My son; your devotion is agreeable to Me, as is also the humility of your heart. Know then that I am that Virgin Mother of God, Author of Life and Protector of the weak. I desire that a temple be built here, where I will show Myself to be your tender Mother, the Mother of your fellow citizens and of all who invoke My name with confidence. Go to the bishop and tell him faithfully all you have seen and heard.”

Juan continued on his way, and the bishop, Monsignor Juan de Zumarraga, a Franciscan of great piety and enlightened prudence, heard him kindly and asked questions, but sent him home without any promises. Juan was disappointed, but on his way past the hill, he once again found the Lady, who seemed to be waiting for him as though to console him. He excused himself for the failure of his mission, but She only repeated Her desire to have a temple built at this site, and told him to return again to the bishop. This he did on the following day, begging the bishop to accomplish the desires of the Virgin. Monsignor said to him: “If it is the Most Holy Virgin who sends you, She must prove it; if She wants a church, She must give me a sign of Her will.” On his way home, Juan Diego found Her again, waiting, and She said to him, “Come back tomorrow and I will give you a certain mark of the truthfulness of your words.”

The next day Juan was desolate to find his uncle, with whom he lived, fallen grievously sick; the old gentleman was clearly on the brink of death. Juan had to go and find a priest in the city. As he was passing the hill, Our Lady again appeared to him, saying, “Do not be anxious, Diego, because of your uncle’s illness. Don’t you know that I am your Mother and that you are under My protection? At this moment your uncle is cured.” “Then please give me the sign you told me of,” replied Juan. Mary told him to come up to the hilltop and cut the flowers he would find there, place them under his cloak, and bring them to Her. “I will tell you then what to do next.” Juan found the most beautiful of roses and lilies, and chose the most fragrant ones for Mary. She made a bouquet of them and placed it in a fold of his cloak or tilma — a large square of coarse cloth resembling burlap. “Take these lilies and roses on My behalf to the bishop,” She said. “This is the certain sign of My will. Let there be no delay in raising here a temple in My honor.” With joy Juan continued on to the city and the bishop’s residence, where he had to wait nearly all day in the antechamber. Other visitors noted the fragrance of his flowers, and went so far as to open his mantle to see what he was carefully holding in it, but found only flowers pictured on the cloth. When finally he was admitted to the presence of the prelate, he opened his cloak and the fresh flowers fell on the floor. That was not the only sign; on his cloak there was imprinted a beautiful image of the Virgin. It remains today still visible in the Cathedral of Mexico City, conserved under glass and in its original state, having undergone no degeneration in 470 years.

Juan found his uncle entirely cured that evening; he heard him relate that Our Lady had cured him, and had said to him also: “May a sanctuary be raised for Me under the name of Our Lady of Guadalupe.” The bishop lost no time in having a small church built at the hill of Tepeyac, and Juan Diego himself dwelt near there to answer the inquiries of the pilgrims who came in great numbers. In effect, nearly all of the land became Catholic in a few years’ time, having learned to love the gentle Lady who like God their Father showed Herself to be the ever-watchful friend of the poor. In 1737 the pestilence ceased immediately in Mexico city after the inhabitants made a vow to proclaim Our Lady of Guadalupe the principal Patroness of New Spain. In 1910 She was proclaimed by Saint Pius X “Celestial Patroness of all Latin America.” Recent studies of the image of Our Lady on the tilma have discovered in one of Her eyes the portrait of Juan Diego, the son She chose to favor by this triduum of heavenly apparitions and conversations.

 

Sources for this article were taken from:  http://magnificat.ca

 

Prayer

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary of Guadalupe, that in thy celestial apparitions on the mount of Tepeyac, thou didst promise to show thy compassion and pity towards all who, loving and trusting thee, seek thy help and call upon thee in their necessities and afflictions.
Thou didst promise to hearken to our supplications, to dry our tears and to give us consolation and relief. Never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession, either for the common welfare, or in personal anxieties, was left unaided.
Inspired with this confidence, we fly unto thee, O Mary, ever Virgin Mother of the True God! Though grieving under the weight of our sins, we come to prostrate ourselves in thy august presence, certain that thou wilt deign to fulfill thy merciful promises. We are full of hope that, standing beneath thy shadow and protection, nothing will trouble or afflict us, nor need we fear illness, or misfortune, or any other sorrow.
Thou hast decided to remain with us through thy admirable image, thou who art our Mother, our health and our life. Placing ourselves beneath thy maternal gaze and having recourse to thee in all our necessities we need do nothing more. O Holy Mother of God, despise not our petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer us. (Here mention your petition.)

Five Hail Marys...in gratitude for the four apparitions to Juan Diego and the one to Juan Bernardino.

Our Lady of Guadalupe – Pray for us

 

Gospel Reflection

December 11, 2012

Tuesday – Advent – Year of Faith

Memorial of St. Damasus I, Pope

by Rev.  Fr. Joel Jason (Dean, Graduate School of Theology San Carlos Seminary)

12:15 PM Mass at Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace (Our Lady of EDSA)

Reading 1 Is 40:1-11

Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her service is at an end, her guilt is expiated; Indeed, she has received from the hand of the LORD double for all her sins.

A voice cries out: In the desert prepare the way of the LORD! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God! Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill shall be made low; The rugged land shall be made a plain, the rough country, a broad valley. Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

A voice says, "Cry out!" I answer, "What shall I cry out?" "All flesh is grass, and all their glory like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower wilts, when the breath of the LORD blows upon it. So then, the people is the grass. Though the grass withers and the flower wilts, the word of our God stands forever."

Go up onto a high mountain, Zion, herald of glad tidings; Cry out at the top of your voice, Jerusalem, herald of good news! Fear not to cry out and say to the cities of Judah: Here is your God! Here comes with power the Lord GOD, who rules by his strong arm; Here is his reward with him, his recompense before him. Like a shepherd he feeds his flock; in his arms he gathers the lambs, Carrying them in his bosom, and leading the ewes with care.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 96:1-2, 3 and 10ac, 11-12, 13

R. (see Isaiah 40:10ab) The Lord our God comes with power.
Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Sing to the LORD; bless his name;
announce his salvation, day after day.
R. The Lord our God comes with power.
Tell his glory among the nations;
among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.
Say among the nations: The LORD is king;
he governs the peoples with equity.
R. The Lord our God comes with power.
Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
let the sea and what fills it resound;
let the plains be joyful and all that is in them!
Then let all the trees of the forest rejoice.
R. The Lord our God comes with power.
They shall exult before the LORD, for he comes;
for he comes to rule the earth.
He shall rule the world with justice
and the peoples with his constancy.
R. The Lord our God comes with power.

Gospel Mt 18:12-14

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."

HOMILY

We are now on the second week of the season of Advent, the time when we await for the coming of our Lord.

In our Gospel for today, we are given once more the prophesy of Isaiah, which reminds us of what will happen when the Lord comes. But the first line of the First Reading is interesting, when the prophet Isaiah says, "Give comfort to My people.", says your God. Why is Isaiah telling the people that their God wants to give them a consolation of comfort? We have to understand the context when this prophesy was written.

This part of the prophesy of Isaiah was written during the Babylonian exile or the Babylonian captivity, when the Babylonians swept down Israel and took away everything important. Ang lahat ng mga taong itinuturing nilang matataas ay dinala - 'yong mga tinatawag nilang 'intelligencia' - people of the law, religious leaders. They were all taken away from Israel, and therefore the Israelites felt empty, that everything they considered important was taken away from them. That is why God is telling them, "Give comfort to My people."

Siguro kung titignan ninyo itong mga pagbasang ito, parang hindi yata tugma sa panahong ating kinabibilangan ngayon, at the Advent season, when we are so pre-occupied with celebrating Christmas. 'Yong mga pagbasa natin, parang hindi Pasko, lalong lalo na ang unang pagbasa na pinapa-alala 'yong Babylonian captivity, when the Israelites felt that they have lost everything. Eh ang spirit pa naman natin ngayon ay Paskong Pasko na. Siguro marami po sa inyo ngayon ang nakapag-Christmas party na at nagdiwang na ng Pasko.

But our Readings tell us, 'no, not yet'. Let us not yet focus our attention on Christmas. Let us focus ourselves, our attention first, on what is the condition of our heart, that will prepare us for the coming feast of Christmas. 

Why are we being reminded by the prophet Isaiah that Israel lost what they consider to be important in their lives? That is the message of the first two Sundays of Advent. Before we get excited, or before we pay attention to the coming birth of our Lord, the first two Sundays of Advent is asking us to make an inventory of our heart. The first two Sundays of Advent is telling us to clean our hearts of all inordinate attachments, so that if our hearts are already free of these attachments, we can be ready to focus on Him who is to come. 

Pwede kasing mangyari na habang tayo ay padating nang padating sa season of Christmas, our hearts are not in tune to the One who we should welcome. That is why the first weeks of the season of Advent is a kind of purification. Pinapa-alala sa atin ang nangyari sa Israel, when they had to get a glimpse of what is going on in their hearts. Nawala 'yong kino-consider nilang mahalaga, pero 'yong mas tunay na mahalaga ay siya namang darating. And He is the One who will give the true comfort that their hearts are longing for.

At the end of the prophesy of Isaiah, if you keep reading through this section, Isaiah gives a very powerful image. Isaiah would say, "At the coming of the Son of Man, the veil that veils the people will be taken away." This is so, that we may see the coming birth of our Lord. 

And that is what Christmas is all about. When God was incarnated, the veil that separated God from man was taken away. Pero maganda pong tanungin natin ang ating sarili. God has already taken away the veil on His part, but have we, on our part, taken away the veil that prevents us from seeing Him?

Christmas began in the heart of God, but it will only be completed in the heart of man. Unless we purify our hearts, unless we cleanse our hearts of inordinate attachments, we will miss the one whom we are waiting for and anticipating this Christmas season. 

As we continue this Eucharist, let us pray that in the spirit of the prophet Isaiah, we may make an inventory of our hearts. What are the desires of our heart? What are we excited for? So that we may not miss the One whose birth we are truly anticipating. Amen.

Saint Pope Damasus I – Pray for us