READING OF THE DAY Fist reading from the Book of Zephaniah Zep 3:14-18a
Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! Sing joyfully, O Israel! Be glad and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! The LORD has removed the judgment against you he has turned away your enemies; the King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst, you have no further misfortune to fear. On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem: Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged! The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior; he will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love, he will sing joyfully because of you, as one sings at festivals.
ISAIAH 12, 1-6
“I will praise you, Lord. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. 2 Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense[a]; he has become my salvation.” 3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
4 In that day you will say:
“Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. 5 Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. 6 Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.”
Second reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Philippians Phil 4:4-7
Brothers and sisters: Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY From the Gospel according to Luke Lk 3:10-18
The crowds asked John the Baptist, “What should we do?” He said to them in reply, “Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise.” Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?” He answered them, “Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.” Soldiers also asked him, “And what is it that we should do?” He told them, “Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages.”
Now the people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Christ. John answered them all, saying, “I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” Exhorting them in many other ways, he preached good news to the people.
WORDS OF THE HOLY FATHER Today is the Third Sunday of Advent, which is called Gaudete Sunday; that is, the Sunday of joy. In the Liturgy the invitation rings out several times to rejoice, why? Because the Lord is near. Christmas is near. The Christian message is called the ‘Gospel’; i.e. ‘good news’, an announcement of joy for all people; the Church is not a haven for sad people, the Church is a joyful home! And those who are sad find joy in her, they find in her true joy! (Angelus, 15 December 2013)
Ioannes Paulus PP. II DOMINUM ET VIVIFICANTEM On the Holy Spirit in the Life of the Church and the World 5 - The Church professes her faith in the Holy Spirit as "the Lord, the giver of life...Even though in his hometown of Nazareth Jesus is not accepted as the Messiah, nonetheless, at the beginning of his public activity, his messianic mission in the Holy Spirit is revealed to the people by John the Baptist. The latter, the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth, foretells at the Jordan the coming of the Messiah and administers the baptism of repentance. He says: "I baptize you with water; he who is mightier than I is coming, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire."65 John the Baptist foretells the Messiah-Christ not only as the one who "is coming" in the Holy Spirit but also as the one who "brings" the Holy Spirit, as Jesus will reveal more clearly in the Upper Room. Here John faithfully echoes the words of Isaiah, words which in the ancient Prophet concerned the future, while in John's teaching on the banks of the Jordan they are the immediate introduction to the new messianic reality. John is not only a prophet but also a messenger: he is the precursor of Christ. What he foretells is accomplished before the eyes of all. Jesus of Nazareth too comes to the Jordan to receive the baptism of repentance. At the sight of him arriving, John proclaims: "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world."66 He says this through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit,67 bearing witness to the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah. At the same time he confesses his faith in the redeeming mission of Jesus of Nazareth. On the lips of John the Baptist, "Lamb of God" is an expression of truth about the Redeemer no less significant than the one used by Isaiah: "Servant of the Lord."
Without the Holy Spirit God is far away, Christ remains in the past, the Gospel is a dead letter, the Church as a simple organization, The authority a domination, the mission a publicity, the cult an evocation, the Christian way of acting is a slave morality.
But with the Holy Spirit: the cosmos is lifted and groans in the birth of the Kingdom, the man struggles against the flesh, Christ is present, the Gospel is the power of Life, the Church is a sign of Trinitarian Communion, the authority a liberating service, the mission a Pentecost, the Liturgy the Memorial and Anticipation, the human action is divinized
FAUSTI - "He will baptize you in Holy Spirit and fire." the promise of God is not to be diminished. It is above every expectation of man. This must continually become greater, to be "God's expectation". The function of the Baptist is to keep it always open, so as not to reduce the gift and glory of God to the level of a simple human hope, even if it is one of solidarity and justice. How many false messianisms in all times! How difficult is that faith which keeps man open to the surprise of God 'semper maior'! John explains that he does not elevate man to God. He simply immerses him in his truth, in the water of his limit and of his death, in his creatureliness, waiting for "the strongest" to come. This one will immerse him in the "Holy Spirit", in the very life of God. This and no other is the salvation of man: to participate in the life of God, in the fire of His Light. "I am not able to untie the lace of His sandals," John tells us of Jesus. The two are not on the same level. Jesus will say: "I tell you, no one is greater than him. The difference between A T and N T is emphasized, which is that between promise and fulfillment.
READING OF THE DAY
RispondiEliminaFist reading from the Book of Zephaniah
Zep 3:14-18a
Shout for joy, O daughter Zion!
Sing joyfully, O Israel!
Be glad and exult with all your heart,
O daughter Jerusalem!
The LORD has removed the judgment against you
he has turned away your enemies;
the King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst,
you have no further misfortune to fear.
On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem:
Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged!
The LORD, your God, is in your midst,
a mighty savior;
he will rejoice over you with gladness,
and renew you in his love,
he will sing joyfully because of you,
as one sings at festivals.
ISAIAH 12, 1-6
“I will praise you, Lord.
Although you were angry with me,
your anger has turned away
and you have comforted me.
2 Surely God is my salvation;
I will trust and not be afraid.
The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense[a];
he has become my salvation.”
3 With joy you will draw water
from the wells of salvation.
4 In that day you will say:
“Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;
make known among the nations what he has done,
and proclaim that his name is exalted.
5 Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things;
let this be known to all the world.
6 Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion,
for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.”
Second reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Philippians
Phil 4:4-7
Brothers and sisters:
Rejoice in the Lord always.
I shall say it again: rejoice!
Your kindness should be known to all.
The Lord is near.
Have no anxiety at all, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God.
Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding
will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY
From the Gospel according to Luke
Lk 3:10-18
The crowds asked John the Baptist,
“What should we do?”
He said to them in reply,
“Whoever has two cloaks
should share with the person who has none.
And whoever has food should do likewise.”
Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him,
“Teacher, what should we do?”
He answered them,
“Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.”
Soldiers also asked him,
“And what is it that we should do?”
He told them,
“Do not practice extortion,
do not falsely accuse anyone,
and be satisfied with your wages.”
Now the people were filled with expectation,
and all were asking in their hearts
whether John might be the Christ.
John answered them all, saying,
“I am baptizing you with water,
but one mightier than I is coming.
I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor
and to gather the wheat into his barn,
but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
Exhorting them in many other ways,
he preached good news to the people.
WORDS OF THE HOLY FATHER
Today is the Third Sunday of Advent, which is called Gaudete Sunday; that is, the Sunday of joy. In the Liturgy the invitation rings out several times to rejoice, why? Because the Lord is near. Christmas is near. The Christian message is called the ‘Gospel’; i.e. ‘good news’, an announcement of joy for all people; the Church is not a haven for sad people, the Church is a joyful home! And those who are sad find joy in her, they find in her true joy! (Angelus, 15 December 2013)
Ioannes Paulus PP. II DOMINUM ET VIVIFICANTEM
RispondiEliminaOn the Holy Spirit in the Life of the Church
and the World 5 - The Church professes her faith in the Holy Spirit as "the Lord, the giver of life...Even though in his hometown of Nazareth Jesus is not accepted as the Messiah, nonetheless, at the beginning of his public activity, his messianic mission in the Holy Spirit is revealed to the people by John the Baptist. The latter, the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth, foretells at the Jordan the coming of the Messiah and administers the baptism of repentance. He says: "I baptize you with water; he who is mightier than I is coming, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire."65 John the Baptist foretells the Messiah-Christ not only as the one who "is coming" in the Holy Spirit but also as the one who "brings" the Holy Spirit, as Jesus will reveal more clearly in the Upper Room. Here John faithfully echoes the words of Isaiah, words which in the ancient Prophet concerned the future, while in John's teaching on the banks of the Jordan they are the immediate introduction to the new messianic reality. John is not only a prophet but also a messenger: he is the precursor of Christ. What he foretells is accomplished before the eyes of all. Jesus of Nazareth too comes to the Jordan to receive the baptism of repentance. At the sight of him arriving, John proclaims: "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world."66 He says this through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit,67 bearing witness to the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah. At the same time he confesses his faith in the redeeming mission of Jesus of Nazareth. On the lips of John the Baptist, "Lamb of God" is an expression of truth about the Redeemer no less significant than the one used by Isaiah: "Servant of the Lord."
RispondiEliminaLATAKIA IGNACY (Dis. 3 Ass, World Churches)
Without the Holy Spirit
God is far away,
Christ remains in the past,
the Gospel is a dead letter,
the Church as a simple organization,
The authority a domination,
the mission a publicity,
the cult an evocation,
the Christian way of acting is a slave morality.
But with the Holy Spirit:
the cosmos is lifted and groans in the birth of the Kingdom,
the man struggles against the flesh,
Christ is present,
the Gospel is the power of Life,
the Church is a sign of Trinitarian Communion,
the authority a liberating service,
the mission a Pentecost,
the Liturgy the Memorial and Anticipation,
the human action is divinized
FAUSTI - "He will baptize you in Holy Spirit and fire." the promise of God is not to be diminished. It is above every expectation of man. This must continually become greater, to be "God's expectation".
RispondiEliminaThe function of the Baptist is to keep it always open, so as not to reduce the gift and glory of God to the level of a simple human hope, even if it is one of solidarity and justice. How many false messianisms in all times!
How difficult is that faith which keeps man open to the surprise of God 'semper maior'! John explains that he does not elevate man to God.
He simply immerses him in his truth, in the water of his limit and of his death, in his creatureliness, waiting for "the strongest" to come.
This one will immerse him in the "Holy Spirit", in the very life of God. This and no other is the salvation of man: to participate in the life of God, in the fire of His Light.
"I am not able to untie the lace of His sandals," John tells us of Jesus. The two are not on the same level. Jesus will say: "I tell you, no one is greater than him. The difference between A T and N T is emphasized, which is that between promise and fulfillment.