Thursday of the First Week of Advent

“The House Upon the Rock
and The House Upon the Sand”
by William James Webb, c. 1860

Readings for Thursday of the First Week of Advent[1][2]

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Isaiah 26:1-6

On that day they will sing this song in the land of Judah:

“A strong city have we;

he sets up walls and ramparts to protect us.

Open up the gates

to let in a nation that is just,

one that keeps faith.

A nation of firm purpose you keep in peace;

in peace, for its trust in you.”

Trust in the LORD forever!

For the LORD is an eternal Rock.

He humbles those in high places,

and the lofty city he brings down;

He tumbles it to the ground,

levels it with the dust.

It is trampled underfoot by the needy,

by the footsteps of the poor.

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Commentary on Is 26:1-6

This selection from the book of Isaiah is part of a longer psalm of thanksgiving (Isaiah 25:1-27:1).  It celebrates the victory of God as if it had already taken place.  The vision of the secure and indomitable fortress, protected by faith in God is portrayed.  That foundation of faith is like a rock which will endure forever.  The warning is there as well as the prophet sees cities not founded on that same rock being destroyed, trampled by the poor for whom God has special care.

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 118:1 and 8-9, 19-21, 25-27a

R. (26a) Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

or:

R. Alleluia.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,

for his mercy endures forever.

It is better to take refuge in the LORD

than to trust in man.

It is better to take refuge in the LORD

than to trust in princes.

R. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

or:

R. Alleluia.

Open to me the gates of justice;

 I will enter them and give thanks to the LORD.

This gate is the LORD’s;

 the just shall enter it.

I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me

 and have been my savior.

R. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

or:

R. Alleluia.

O LORD, grant salvation!

O LORD, grant prosperity!

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD;

we bless you from the house of the LORD.

The LORD is God, and he has given us light.

R. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

or:

R. Alleluia.

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Commentary on Ps 118:1 and 8-9, 19-21, 25-27a

Psalm 118 is a song of thanksgiving.  In these strophes, praise is given to God who is our refuge and protection.  The heavenly city is envisioned with “gates of justice” into which the faithful enter to receive mercy and salvation from God. It was used as a processional psalm by pilgrims coming to Jerusalem, anticipating the great temple of their faith.

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Gospel: Matthew 7:21, 24-27

Jesus said to his disciples:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’

will enter the Kingdom of heaven,

but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.

“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them

will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.

The rain fell, the floods came,

and the winds blew and buffeted the house.

But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.

And everyone who listens to these words of mine

but does not act on them

will be like a fool who built his house on sand.

The rain fell, the floods came,

and the winds blew and buffeted the house.

And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”

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Commentary on Mt 7:21, 24-27

This reading from St. Matthew’s Gospel continues an attack on “false prophets” that began in verse 15.  Here the Lord makes a distinction between saying and doing.  The familiar metaphor of the “house built upon rock” refers to those who hear the word of the Lord from an authentic source and act upon it.  The house built on sand is a metaphor for those who either are not taught authentically (by false prophets) or who do not act upon what they have been given.

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Reflection:

We consider for a moment the analogy of the house built upon sand and the house built upon rock.  When Jesus was teaching the disciples, his intent was to warn them that there were others around at the time who claimed to be teaching God’s word.  They lead people down false paths, like the Jews who taught that there was no resurrection.  Think of it; what if they had followed one of those who stole the hope of the life Christ promised?  Only when it was too late and they were on their death bed would they realize how bleak and empty those teachings had been.  Truly, the foundations of those false teachings were built upon sand.

The same thing is going on today.  How often do we hear the New Age philosophers proposing old arguments that they have tried to make new with different words.  They spout the same rhetoric that has been proposed by atheists and hedonists from the earliest of the Greek Philosophers.  In the end, all of that talk comes from arrogance and greed; misguided enthusiasm that, when challenged by the real world, crumbles like sand in water, washed away unable to support even the weight of itself.

For us, we place our faith in Jesus who gives us strength to endure all that life might throw at us.  While the storms of life might not shake our foundation of faith, those storms are relentless.  Like any structure the only way to keep the faith, that is our foundation, strong is through constant maintenance.  Even the great pyramids may erode in the face of constant wind and sand.

In that regard we may think of this Advent season as “Winter Maintenance” (spring maintenance for our brothers and sisters in the southern hemisphere).  Let us take this season of anticipation to renew our foundation through prayer, strengthen it with sacramental grace, and redecorate it with acts of charity.  When the Lord comes, may he find that foundation strong, without cracks, ready to bear up through an eternal life which he promised.

Pax

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[1] ALTRE

[2] The picture is “The House Upon the Rock and The House Upon the Sand” by William James Webb, c. 1860

[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL).  This re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.

Saint Andrew, Apostle Feast

“St Andrew”
by Jusepe de Ribera, 1616-18

Biographical Information about St. Andrew

Readings for the Feast of Saint Andrew[1][2]

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Romans 10:9-18

Brothers and sisters:

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord

and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,

you will be saved.

For one believes with the heart and so is justified,

and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.

The Scripture says,

No one who believes in him will be put to shame.

There is no distinction between Jew and Greek;

the same Lord is Lord of all,

enriching all who call upon him.

For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

But how can they call on him in whom they have not believed?

And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard?

And how can they hear without someone to preach?

And how can people preach unless they are sent?

As it is written,

How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news!

But not everyone has heeded the good news;

for Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed what was heard from us?

Thus faith comes from what is heard,

and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.

But I ask, did they not hear?

Certainly they did; for

Their voice has gone forth to all the earth,

and their words to the ends of the world.

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Commentary on Rom 10:9-18

As part of his dialogue regarding why the Jews had failed in their mission, St. Paul calls upon the Roman Christians to profess their belief that Jesus is the Son of God, divine in his own person.  The Jewish converts could not say the name of God but referred instead to Yahweh as “Lord”.  By asking the Christians to “…confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord“, they professed their belief in his divinity and what flowed from that profession was justification (to be made just as if one had not sinned).  In justification is salvation since the physical act of confessing with the lips must come from an interior faith from the heart.

The Evangelist continues his call to faith explaining that this path to salvation is open to all peoples (“There is no distinction between Jew and Greek.”).  This invitation does not have any prerequisites (i.e. one does not have to have come to belief through Judaism) to be unified in Christ paraphrasing Isaiah 28:16.

In the next section (v. 14-21) St. Paul poses questions as to why the Jewish people forfeited their status as favorites in the eyes of God.  Perhaps there were reasons which he rhetorically proposes and then rejects; did they not hear; did they not understand?  To the question; have they not heard?  St. Paul responds quoting Psalm 19:5, which concludes this passage.

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 11

R. (10) The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.

or:

R. (John 6:63) Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

The law of the LORD is perfect,

refreshing the soul;

The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,

giving wisdom to the simple.

R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.

or:

R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

The precepts of the LORD are right,

rejoicing the heart;

The command of the LORD is clear,

enlightening the eye.

R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.

or:

R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

The fear of the LORD is pure,

enduring forever;

The ordinances of the LORD are true,

all of them just.

R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.

or:

R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

They are more precious than gold,

than a heap of purest gold;

Sweeter also than syrup

or honey from the comb.

R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.

or:

R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

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Commentary on Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11

Psalm 19 is a hymn of praise.  In this passage we give praise to God’s gift of the Law which guides us in our daily lives.  The hymn also extols the virtue of obedience and steadfastness to the Law and its precepts.

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Gospel: Matthew 4:18-22

As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers,

Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew,

casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen.

He said to them,

“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

At once they left their nets and followed him.

He walked along from there and saw two other brothers,

James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.

They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets.

He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father

and followed him.

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Commentary on Mt 4:18-22

This passage is the account in St. Matthew’s Gospel of the call of the first disciples.  Ironically the notes on this section point out that three of the four called, Peter, James, and John, are distinguished by a particular closeness to Jesus.  The reason that Matthew’s account indicates the disciples left work and family immediately without any explanation may be due in part to Andrew’s earlier encounter with Jesus as a disciple of John the Baptist (John 1:40)

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Reflection:

What would the world be like if St. Andrew had not become a disciple of St. John the Baptist?  We don’t know what called him to follow the Voice, to become a member of that close circle of devout followers.  But we do know that if the Apostle had not heeded that call, he would never have been sent, as tradition holds, with his companion to ask Jesus if he was the one to come or if they should expect someone else.

If he had not gone to the Lord and heard those words; “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the good news proclaimed to them” (Luke 7:22), what would have happened?  Those words had meaning beyond the obvious.  While indeed the blind, the lame, and deaf were healed. Those events were a direct reference to the prophesy of Isaiah (Isaiah 61:1).

And what did St. Andrew do?  He returned to the Baptist and then, perhaps taking St. John’s own mission to the next level, went immediately to his brother, Peter (John 1:37-40).  The words he spoke to St. Peter echo through the thousands of years that have passed.  They are graven in the heart of every Christian who has ever come to faith; "We have found the Messiah"

From that point forward the profession of faith made by St. Andrew to St. Peter, who would be given the Keys to the Kingdom, would shape the whole world.  To St. Peter and those first four disciples would be added eight more, including the one who betrayed him.  From them the Gospel of the Lord would travel to every part of the world, and it began with a simple statement of faith - "We have found the Messiah"

Today as we celebrate the feast day of St. Andrew, we thank God for the gift of faith; the faith he gave St. Andrew and all the Apostles and the faith he gives us.  We ask on this day that St. Andrew will intercede for us and the one he found will bless us with an abundance of faith so that we in our turn may announce it to the world - "We have found the Messiah"

Pax

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[1] ALTRE

[2] The picture is “St Andrew” by Jusepe de Ribera, 1616-18

[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL).  This re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.

Tuesday of the First Week of Advent

“Tree of Jesse”
by Jan Mostaert, c. 1500

Readings for Tuesday of the First Week of Advent[1][2]

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Isaiah 11:1-10

But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,

and from his roots a bud shall blossom.

The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him:

a Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,

A Spirit of counsel and of strength,

a Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD,

and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD.

Not by appearance shall he judge,

nor by hearsay shall he decide,

But he shall judge the poor with justice,

and decide aright for the land’s afflicted.

He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth,

and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.

Justice shall be the band around his waist,

and faithfulness a belt upon his hips.

Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb,

and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;

The calf and the young lion shall browse together,

with a little child to guide them.

The cow and the bear shall be neighbors,

together their young shall rest;

the lion shall eat hay like the ox.

The baby shall play by the cobra’s den,

and the child lay his hand on the adder’s lair.

There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain;

for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD,

as water covers the sea.

On that day,

The root of Jesse,

set up as a signal for the nations,

The Gentiles shall seek out,

for his dwelling shall be glorious.

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Commentary on Is 11:1-10

Isaiah predicts that the line of David will produce the Messiah with the first verse; “stump of Jesse”, Kind David’s father. The stump refers to the line of David being cut back during the Babylonian Exile. He follows with, for the first time in scripture, the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit[4] (note also, the reference to fullness, in Hebrew numerology the number “7” is the perfect number.). In the Septuagint and the Vulgate the word "piety" is coupled with “fear of the Lord”.

He follows the description of the gifts of the Holy Spirit with a list of the just and compassionate characteristics of the messianic rule and then a picture of universal peace under the messiah’s rule. . Isaiah sees the return of the messianic King, predicting that the messiah will come from King David’s line and will ultimately bring great peace. The term used “…on all my holy mountain;” indicates this peace is for all the faithful, not just those in Jerusalem.

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17

R. (see 7) Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.

O God, with your judgment endow the king,

and with your justice, the king’s son;

He shall govern your people with justice

and your afflicted ones with judgment.

R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.

Justice shall flower in his days,

and profound peace, till the moon be no more.

May he rule from sea to sea,

and from the River to the ends of the earth.

R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.

He shall rescue the poor when he cries out,

and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.

He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;

the lives of the poor he shall save.

R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.

May his name be blessed forever;

as long as the sun his name shall remain.

In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed;

all the nations shall proclaim his happiness.

R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.

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Commentary on Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17

This Royal Psalm extols the virtuous characteristics of justice and compassion. In this selection we hear an echo of the justice and peace of the King’s rule that is reiterated in Isaiah’s prophecy (Isaiah 11:1-10).

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Gospel: Luke 10:21-24

At that very moment he (Jesus) rejoiced (in) the holy Spirit and

“I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,

for although you have hidden these things

from the wise and the learned

you have revealed them to the childlike.

Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.

All things have been handed over to me by my Father.

No one knows who the Son is except the Father,

and who the Father is except the Son

and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”

Turning to the disciples in private he said,

“Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.

For I say to you,

many prophets and kings desired to see what you see,

but did not see it,

and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”

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Commentary on Lk 10:21-24

Jesus rejoices in the Holy Spirit because his disciples have understood his role of Messiah in the kingdom. He restates his relationship as Son of God (“No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.") The inference here is that we must approach that faith with “childlike” faith and trust in order to achieve that level of understanding.

Earlier in this chapter of St. Luke’s Gospel, Jesus sent out the seventy (two). Just prior to this selection, they returned and reported great success in doing what the Lord asked of them. This  passage is his prayer of thanks to the Father The Lord gives thanks that God has seen fit to reveal his identity and pass on his power to these disciples of his. It is reiterated that the Kingdom of God shall be revealed to the childlike (see also Luke 8:10) and turning to his disciples, he tells them that the victory they are witnessing is the Good News hoped for by prophets and kings throughout history.

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Reflection:

The scripture today reveals the role of “Messiah” that will result from the Nativity we anticipate in this, our Advent Season. We see Isaiah predict his lineage once more, the Lord comes from the line of David, whose kingdom ended in 971 BC. He is the Stump of Jesse’s Tree, Jesse being the father of King David. Isaiah gives us today the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit that created in Christ the perfect king and gifts to which we aspire.

In our Gospel, the Lord speaks through St. Luke telling us that; “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.” He has revealed himself to us through his Father’s will that sends him. In childlike faith we are called to accept him; to receive him. This is the lampstand that holds up the candle of hope in our Advent Wreath.

We pause to consider what God has done for us in Christ to bring us such hope.  Through all the generations of the faithful who have gone before us we were called to be God’s adopted children.  In our Baptism that adoption was accomplished and our birth-right secured.  As the baptismal bath cleansed us, the Holy Spirit was infused, changing us forever, giving us those seven gifts (which we all had to memorize at our Confirmation where we were “Sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit”).

Those gifts; wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord open our hearts to hear God’s word and our minds to accept his message – good tidings to all mankind (reiterated in Isaiah – “The root of Jesse, set up as a signal for the nations, the Gentiles shall seek out, for his dwelling shall be glorious.”).

Today once more we give thanks to God for all of his gifts to us; but most especially for the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  We ask for strength to act as God’s adopted children are expected.  We especially ask that hope in the Lord be given to the hopeless, those who do not understand the love of Christ and the salvation he offers must indeed feel hopeless in the shadow of death undefeated.

Pax

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[1] ALTRE

[2] The picture used today is “Tree of Jesse” by Jan Mostaert, c. 1500

[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.

[4] From the Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1831 “The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. They belong in their fullness to Christ, Son of David. They complete and perfect the virtues of those who receive them. They make the faithful docile in readily obeying divine inspirations.

“Let your good spirit lead me on a level path.( Psalm 143:10)

 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God . . . If children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.”( Romans 8:14,17.)

Monday of the First Week of Advent

“Healing the Centurion’s Servant”
by Alexandre Bida, c. 1875

Readings for Monday of the First Week of Advent[1][2]

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Isaiah 2:1-5

This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz,

saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

In days to come,

The mountain of the LORD’s house

shall be established as the highest mountain

and raised above the hills.

All nations shall stream toward it;

many peoples shall come and say:

“Come, let us climb the LORD’s mountain,

to the house of the God of Jacob,

That he may instruct us in his ways,

and we may walk in his paths.”

For from Zion shall go forth instruction,

and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

He shall judge between the nations,

and impose terms on many peoples.

They shall beat their swords into plowshares

and their spears into pruning hooks;

One nation shall not raise the sword against another,

nor shall they train for war again.

O house of Jacob, come,

let us walk in the light of the LORD!

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Commentary on Is 2:1-5

Isaiah speaks of his vision of the messianic kingdom to come where Judah and Israel are united and peace abounds in the entire kingdom. The symbolism of the mountain of the Lord – or “High Place” is an ancient reference to the place close to where God dwells.  The “highest mountain” meaning that all other beliefs become subservient to the One God. He sees the unity of all the nations under one God and one Messiah.  In the final verse the prophet implores the faithful of the house of Jacob (the Israelites) to fulfill his vision quickly.

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 122:1-2, 3-4b, 4cd-5, 6-7, 8-9

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

I rejoiced because they said to me,

“We will go up to the house of the LORD."

And now we have set foot

within your gates, O Jerusalem.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Jerusalem, built as a city

with compact unity.

To it the tribes go up,

the tribes of the LORD.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

According to the decree for Israel,

to give thanks to the name of the LORD.

In it are set up judgment seats,

seats for the house of David.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!

May those who love you prosper!

May peace be within your walls,

prosperity in your buildings.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Because of my relatives and friends

I will say, “Peace be within you!"

Because of the house of the LORD, our God,

I will pray for your good.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

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Commentary on Ps 122:1-2, 3-4b, 4cd-5, 6-7, 8-9

Supporting Isaiah’s vision of the messianic kingdom, this psalm of praise points also to Jerusalem as the center and source the Law. It also adds David as the dynasty of this unified kingdom with the Lord our God providing the source of peace.

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Gospel: Matthew 8:5-11

When he (Jesus) entered Capernaum,

a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying,

“Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.”

He said to him, “I will come and cure him.”

The centurion said in reply,

“Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof;

only say the word and my servant will be healed.

For I too am a man subject to authority,

with soldiers subject to me.

And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes;

and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes;

and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him,

“Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.

I say to you, many will come from the east and the west,

and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven.”

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Commentary on Mt 8:5-11

This story of the Centurion is shortened by a couple verses to focus our attention on the authority of Jesus and the role faith can play in accessing that authority. The Centurion’s description of his own understanding of authority translates to his faith that Jesus can command all things without needing to move. In the longer version, Jesus also condemns the Jewish people for their lack of faith and heals the Centurions servant as requested.

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Reflection:

The first candle of the Advent Wreath has been lit. (The first one is traditionally purple and signifies hope.)  In this week we hear Isaiah the great prophet who has a vision of the kingdom that will come.  He sees the beacon of truth that is the Messiah shining out so that all peoples in the world will see the love of God and the promise of eternal salvation.

We feel in the vision of Isaiah his own yearning and hope for the unity and peace of that time.  It is the reason he can – to point to God’s unifying love and call all those he could reach to come and rejoice in the divine revelation of God’s mercy.  But not everyone will share his vision.  Not everyone, even those in seats of authority will understand the message.  He will find this out later and will have his own share in the suffering of the one whose coming he predicts.

Jesus, in the story of the Centurion’s Servant, recognizes the power of faith, founded on hope.  The centurion recognizes in Christ the authority over life (and death).  He calls upon him as a soldier, confident that Christ orders will be obeyed.  In him, however, Christ sees the underlying virtue of faith.  Faith that God’s love will be given when asked, even to one who is not of “the chosen people”.  That is why Jesus is amazed.  He sees one who has already traveled far down the path to salvation, without even understanding the crushing weight of the Law and the Prophets that serve as his foundation and to which he come fulfilling.

The message for us becomes clear as we see the virtue of the Centurion who is filled with hope because of his faith.  Our challenge this Advent Season is to reach out for the same faithful response.  When we begin to worry that this season will be tarnished by an economy that seems determined to spoil things – have hope.  Christ did not come so we could demonstrate the power of wealth to create happiness.  He came so that we might understand that there is more to the season than things.  The centurion did not come to Jesus because, in doing so he would somehow heap accolades upon himself.  He came humbly asking for intercession.

Our prayer for this day is that the hope symbolized by our first candle will fill us with peace and from that radiant warmth; others might be comforted as well.  We pray especially for those who are struggling even to eat and stay warm.  May our generosity and that of our brothers and sisters in Christ demonstrate what hope in the Lord can do.

Pax

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[1] ALTRE

[2] The picture used today is “Healing the Centurion’s Servant” by Alexandre Bida, c. 1875

[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.