Sunday, 09 December 2012
Second Sunday of Advent - Year C
St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin (1474-1548), St. Leocadia, Virgin and Martyr († c. 304)
Commentary of the day
Blessed Guerric of Igny : «Let the desert and dry land exult ; let the steppe rejoice and bloom» (Is 35,1)
Reading
Lk 3:1-6.
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene,
during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert.
He went throughout (the) whole region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,
as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one crying out in the desert: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.
Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The winding roads shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth,
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"
Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB
Commentary of the day
Blessed Guerric of Igny (c.1080-1157), Cistercian abbot
4th sermon of Advent ; SC 166 (trans. ©Cistercian Fathers series, 8)
«Let the desert and dry land exult ; let the steppe rejoice and bloom» (Is 35,1)
"The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord."
Before anything else I think we should consider the grace of the desert,
the blessedness of the desert, which right from the beginning of grace has
deserved to be consecrated to the repose of the saints. The voice of one
crying in the wilderness, John preaching and bestowing the baptism of
repentance in the desert, certainly consecrated for us his dwelling-place
in the wilderness. Yet even before him the solitude had always been dearly
loved by the holiest of the prophets as a place where they could listen to
the Holy Spirit (cf. 1Kgs. 17,2ff.; 19,3ff.). But a far greater and more
divine grace came to the desert to sanctify it when Jesus took the place of
John (Mt 4,1)... For forty days while he was living in the wilderness,
purifying it and dedicating it as a new place for the new life; he
conquered the tyrant who brooded there... not so much for himself as for
those who would be its future inhabitants... Wait there, in the solitude,
for the One who will save you "from pusillanimity of spirit and the storm"
(Ps 55[54],9). However much the storm of battles may assail you, however
much you may feel the lack even of sustenance in the desert, do not because
of pusillanimity of spirit return in mind to Egypt. The desert will feed
you more abundantly with manna... Jesus himself fasted indeed in the
wilderness but the multitude that followed him into the desert he fed often
and in a wonderful manner... When you think Jesus has forgotten you for
rather too long, he himself, not unmindful of his goodness, will console
you and say to you: "I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a
bride, how you followed me in the wilderness" (Jer 2,2). Then will he make
your wilderness like the garden of delight, and you yourself will confess
that “the glory of Lebanon has been given to it, the majesty of Carmel and
Sharon” (Is 35,2)... so that, from the fullness of your heart, you will
sing a hymn of praise, saying: "Let them praise the Lord for his mercy, for
his wonderful works to the sons of men, for he satisfied him who is thirsty
and the hungry he filled with good things” (Ps 107[106],8-9).
Second Sunday of Advent - Year C
St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin (1474-1548), St. Leocadia, Virgin and Martyr († c. 304)
Commentary of the day
Blessed Guerric of Igny : «Let the desert and dry land exult ; let the steppe rejoice and bloom» (Is 35,1)
Reading
Lk 3:1-6.
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene,
during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert.
He went throughout (the) whole region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,
as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one crying out in the desert: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.
Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The winding roads shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth,
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"
Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB
Commentary of the day
Blessed Guerric of Igny (c.1080-1157), Cistercian abbot
4th sermon of Advent ; SC 166 (trans. ©Cistercian Fathers series, 8)
«Let the desert and dry land exult ; let the steppe rejoice and bloom» (Is 35,1)
"The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord."
Before anything else I think we should consider the grace of the desert,
the blessedness of the desert, which right from the beginning of grace has
deserved to be consecrated to the repose of the saints. The voice of one
crying in the wilderness, John preaching and bestowing the baptism of
repentance in the desert, certainly consecrated for us his dwelling-place
in the wilderness. Yet even before him the solitude had always been dearly
loved by the holiest of the prophets as a place where they could listen to
the Holy Spirit (cf. 1Kgs. 17,2ff.; 19,3ff.). But a far greater and more
divine grace came to the desert to sanctify it when Jesus took the place of
John (Mt 4,1)... For forty days while he was living in the wilderness,
purifying it and dedicating it as a new place for the new life; he
conquered the tyrant who brooded there... not so much for himself as for
those who would be its future inhabitants... Wait there, in the solitude,
for the One who will save you "from pusillanimity of spirit and the storm"
(Ps 55[54],9). However much the storm of battles may assail you, however
much you may feel the lack even of sustenance in the desert, do not because
of pusillanimity of spirit return in mind to Egypt. The desert will feed
you more abundantly with manna... Jesus himself fasted indeed in the
wilderness but the multitude that followed him into the desert he fed often
and in a wonderful manner... When you think Jesus has forgotten you for
rather too long, he himself, not unmindful of his goodness, will console
you and say to you: "I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a
bride, how you followed me in the wilderness" (Jer 2,2). Then will he make
your wilderness like the garden of delight, and you yourself will confess
that “the glory of Lebanon has been given to it, the majesty of Carmel and
Sharon” (Is 35,2)... so that, from the fullness of your heart, you will
sing a hymn of praise, saying: "Let them praise the Lord for his mercy, for
his wonderful works to the sons of men, for he satisfied him who is thirsty
and the hungry he filled with good things” (Ps 107[106],8-9).
0 comments:
Post a Comment