Daily Reflection | Gospel Reading | RVA

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THE WORD

FIRST READING: Is 7,10-14

Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz: Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God; let it be deep as Sheol, or high as the sky! But Ahaz answered, “I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!” Then he said: Listen, house of David! Is it not enough that you weary human beings? Must you also weary my God? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign; the young woman, pregnant and about to bear a son, shall name him Emmanuel.

SECOND READING: Rm 1,1-7

Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised previously through his prophets in the holy scriptures, the gospel about his Son, descended from David according to the flesh, but established as Son of God in power according to the spirit of holiness through resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord. Through him we have received the grace of apostleship, to bring about the obedience of faith, for the sake of his name, among all the Gentiles, among whom are you also, who are called to belong to Jesus Christ; to all the beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

GOSPEL: Mt 1,18-24

Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the holy Spirit.  Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly.

Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him ‘Emmanuel,’ which means ‘God is with us.’”

When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.

IN OTHER WORDS

St. Joseph is many things. He’s been labeled as the quintessential “silent man” by virtue of the fact that he never speaks in the Bible; He is also said to have been a hard-working person, one who lets his hands do the talking rather than his mouth; also he’s been hailed as the “chaste” spouse of the most Holy Virgin Mary.

The Gospel today could add to the wealth of reflections that we already have about the kind of person that Joseph was.

As I read the Gospel account and picture Joseph in there I remember something written in some wall which says, “I am cool, I am calm and I have a plan”. I think St. Joseph could very well have written those about himself. COOL.

The angel appeared to him in a dream. I would like to believe that this means Joseph was sleeping.

I remember one professor sharing a story in class where he said that one of the most outstanding traits of Alexander the Great was that even at the height of a “red alert” he could sleep, therefore he was always rested and fresh for action. When I have problems and tasks to do, I get so nervous that sleeping is impossible. Joseph had a big problem; that he could sleep speaks volume about him. CALM.

He was about to get married. He must have prepared for it already…then he found out that his lady love was pregnant and that he had absolutely nothing to do with it! I don’t think anybody would have blamed him if he reported Mary to the authorities or at least spit out something nasty against her. Instead in all calmness he tried to figure out a win-win situation for everybody! HE HAD A PLAN.

Because he was cool and calm he was able to come out with a plan. Many people when faced with extreme difficulties would say they blacked out, lost all reason, and just “swung and hoped they would hit something”.

Coolness, calmness and planning are marks of greatness. And one who surrenders them in favor of a “higher plan” is a fool, “a fool for Christ”, a saint. St. Joseph, Pray for us.

  • Fr. Dante Barril, SVD | Rome Italy

The Word in other words 2016

An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.

 

THE WORD

Gen 49,2.8-10 / Mt 1,1-17

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Abraham became the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.

Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse, Jesse the father of David the king. David became the father of Solomon, whose mother had been the wife of Uriah.

Solomon became the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asaph. Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram the father of Uzziah.

Uzziah became the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah. Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amos, Amos the father of Josiah. Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the Babylonian exile.

After the Babylonian exile, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud, Eliud the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Messiah.

Thus the total number of generations from Abraham to David is fourteen generations; from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen generations; from the Babylonian exile to the Messiah, fourteen generations.

IN OTHER WORDS

Today starts the rst of nine misas de gallo stirring Filipino popular piety to Advent excitement for Christmas Eve. Oddly, the gospel reading happens to be just a long boring list of tongue-twisting Jewish names. Yet, for devout Jewish listeners, the genealogy of Jesus takes their collective memory for a rollercoaster ride through saddening and gladdening events in their biblical past. It presents

Jesus as a descendant of Abraham –the Son of God born not as some ethereal human being, but “en- eshed” as a male Jew in rst-century Palestine. In short, he was truly and fully human “like us except in sin” (Hebrews 2:17, 4:15).

Surprisingly, before mentioning Mary, this patriarchal genealogy highlights a few other women:

Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Uriah’s wife. What these four have in common is their non-Hebrew lineage with whom the Israelites had love-hate bonds in the course of biblical history. The gospel reading then hints at how Jesus’s ancestry was not at all some“pure” Jewish blood-line –but one resulting from inter-ethnic marriages. With this as a start, Matthew’s gospel will later end with Jesus’ mandate to create an intercultural spiritual family: “Go into the whole world… preach and baptize people from all nations…” (Matthew 28:28).

Lastly, Jesus’s genealogy enumerates 3 sets of 14 generations: from Abraham to David who rose to kingship, from David to Josiah who fell into exile in Babylon, and from Josiah to Joseph who virtuously assumed fatherhood over the long awaited Messiah. That lengthy list mixes names of unknown commoners with famous rulers –some of whom are remembered for having been noble and valiant, others for having been corrupt and cowardly. In this then consists the most salient “good news” of today’s gospel: that, although from good parents can come bad children, good children can also come from bad parents. Finally, it is not human progeny that determines what and who we become in life as persons. Rather, it is our openness to divine providence that prods and prompts our personal freedom toward an ever brighter tomorrow.

  • Fr. Pio Estepa, SVD | U.S.A.

The Word in other words 2016

An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.

 

THE WORD

Is 56,1-3.6-8 / Jn 5,33-36

Jesus said: “You (Jewish leaders) sent emissaries to John, and he testified to the truth. I do not accept testimony from a human being, but I say this so that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light. But I have testimony greater than John’s. The works that the Father gave me to accomplish, these works that I perform testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me.”

IN OTHER WORDS

Today marks the happy start of one of our very dear and very Filipino tradition: the “Simbang- gabi,” or “Misa de Gallo.” This nine-day novena of Thanksgiving Masses is observed wherever there are Filipino communities worldwide; the Masses are even made available to all Filipinos in the diaspora via the internet.

This said, what do the readings (God’s messages to us) tell and teach us? In the first reading we are instructed to “observe what is right, do what is just.” If we do this we are blessed. Furthermore the Lord reminds us that His house is a “house of prayer for all people.” A timely reminder for our Simbang-gabi. Being in God’s house of prayer we are to behave accordingly, with reverence and proper devotion. Let no one forget to focus on the Word of God and the Eucharist. Socializing with friends and checking text and facebook messages can be done after the “main event.”

In the Gospel, Jesus sets the record straight concerning the role of John the Baptist. As the “burning and shining” forerunner of the Messiah, John gives a testimony to the arrival of the Christ.  But when Jesus comes on the scene, John’s testimony ends, and a greater testimony to the Father’s works in His Son Jesus begins. The attention is now on Christ, and our task is to follow His light, so we may no longer walk in the darkness of sin and the night of unbelief. Believing that Jesus was sent by the Father to be our Savior becomes a reality when we follow what the Lord says through the prophet Isaiah: “Observe what is right, do what is just.” Then we become blessed, for God’s salvation has arrived in our lives.

  • Fr. Lino Evora Nicasio, SVD | National Shrine of Saint Jude  addeus

The Word in other words 2016

An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.

 

 

THE WORD

Is 54,1-10 / Lk 7,24-30

When John’s messengers had gone Jesus began to talk to the people about John. ‘What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the breeze? No?  Then what did you go out to see?  A man dressed in fine clothes? Oh no, those who go in for fine clothes and live luxuriously are to be found at court! Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet: he is the one of whom scripture says: See, I am going to send my messenger before you; he will prepare the way before you. I tell you, of all the children born of women, there is no greater that John; yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he is. All the people who heard him, and the tax collectors too, acknowledged God’s plan by accepting baptism from John; but by refusing baptism from him the Pharisees and the lawyers had thwarted what God had in mind for them.

IN OTHER WORDS

April 11, 2009. Britain’s Got Talent. Susan Boyle. I was watching her video on You Tube for the nth time just now. Most of us would remember her touching story. On the day of her audition, she spoke of her dream to be a professional singer, like Elaine Paige. Everyone started laughing. Where was this coming from? She didn’t have the “professional singer” look. But when she started singing “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Miserables, those who initially laughed at her began applauding and cheering - not only because she was sang really well, but that she had a message to tell from the heart that pierced the hearts of all.

How often do we judge others by how they appear? Have we been cynical about some people?

Have we even paid attention to the message being revealed to us, or have we simply ignored it because the one who stands before us is not a pleasant sight? But a moment comes when we have “the biggest wake up call.” Since we are confined to our own image of what a prophet is like, we fail to grasp the deeper meaning of what is revealed by present-day prophets. However, once we have given time and eff ort to listen, we are amazed, inspired and moved. Susan Boyle ended up winning second place but her story remains and continues to inspire people. In fact, we may already have heard similar stories in our daily life. Let us not be deaf to their message. Let us open our eyes to the goodness of people around us and not be misled by our prejudice, especially brought about by our judgment of their physical appearance. Let us listen carefully to the message of the Lord!

  • Fr. Dindo Santiago, SVD | Japan Province

The Word in other words 2016

An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.

 

 

More Articles ...

  1. December 14, 2016 Wednesday
  2. December 13, 2016 Tuesday
  3. December 12, 2016 Monday
  4. December 11, 2016 Sunday
  5. December 10, 2016 Saturday
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