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| “The Nativity” by Federico Fiori Barocci, 1597 |
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading 1: Isaiah 7:10-14
The Lord spoke to Ahaz:
Ask for a sign from the Lord,
your God;
let it be deep as the nether
world, or high as the sky!
But Ahaz answered,
“I will not ask! I will not
tempt the Lord!”
Then Isaiah said:
Listen, O house of David!
Is it not enough for you to
weary men,
must you also weary my God?
Therefore the Lord himself
will give you this sign:
the virgin shall conceive and
bear a son,
and shall name him Emmanuel.
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Commentary on Is 7:10-14
Jerusalem is being attacked by two
neighboring kings when Isaiah is commanded by God to go and speak to the Jewish
King, Ahaz, cautioning him to have faith that God will protect Jerusalem. Ahaz
is hypocritical in both his faith and his response, which is interpreted as
cynical when he says: “I will not ask! I will not tempt the Lord!”
Isaiah follows with his prophetic
vision. He does not realize the import of his prediction. Most scholars agree,
he thinks he is merely speaking of the rescue of Judah. “The sign proposed by
Isaiah was concerned with the preservation of Judah in the midst of distress
(cf. Isaiah 7:15, 17), but more
especially with the fulfillment of God's earlier promise to David (2 Samuel 7:12-16) in the
coming of Immanuel (meaning, "With us is God") as the ideal king
(cf. Isaiah 9:5-6; 11:1-5). The
Church has always followed St. Matthew in seeing the transcendent fulfillment
of this verse in Christ and his Virgin Mother.” [4]
"The child, the son, is the most significant part of the
sign. If the prophecy refers to the son of Ahaz, the future King Hezekiah, it
would be indicating that his birth will be a sign of divine protection, because
it will mean that the dynasty will continue. If it refers to another child, not
yet known, the prophet's words would mean that the child's birth could manifest
hope that 'God was going to be with us,' and his reaching the age of discretion
(v. 16) would indicate the advent of peace; the child's birth would, then, be
the sign that 'God is with us.'" [5]
CCC: Is
7:14 497
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 24:1-2,
3-4ab, 5-6
R. (see 7c
and 10b) Let the Lord enter; he is the
king of glory.
The LORD’s are the earth and
its fullness;
the world and those who dwell
in it.
For he founded it upon the
seas
and established it upon the
rivers.
R. Let the Lord enter; he is the king of glory.
Who can ascend the mountain
of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy
place?
He whose hands are sinless,
whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R. Let the Lord enter; he is the king of glory.
He shall receive a blessing
from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks
for him,
that seeks the face of the
God of Jacob.
R. Let the Lord enter; he is the king of glory.
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Commentary on Ps 24:1-2, 3-4ab, 5-6
Psalm 24 is a processional song. It
recalls that God is the great creator and he calls his people to be faithful.
It asks the question: "Who can ascend the mountain of the Lord?"
The psalmist answers, only those who are sinless (completely reconciled to
God). They who achieve that beatified state will receive the reward of eternal
life from the savior. It focuses on the character of the one who worthily seeks
God, and the one who is worthy to come into God’s kingdom and stand before him.
We are answered: “He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who
desires not what is vain.”
This is part of a hymn of entrance,
sung as the Ark of the Covenant was brought into the temple at Jerusalem,
followed by the faithful. Once again in this song, we find a reference borrowed
by St. John’s Revelation (Revelations
14:5), and an image created in the Letter to the Hebrews (Hebrews 10:22). Who are
the ones allowed full access to God?
CCC: Ps 24:6 2582
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Gospel: Luke 1:26-38
In the sixth month,
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.
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Commentary on Lk 1:26-38
This passage, from St. Luke’s
Gospel, is the story of Mary being informed by the archangel Gabriel that she
has been chosen for the great privilege of bearing the Savior of the world. St.
Mary graciously accepts this honor, although with very human fear, indicating
that her free will is at play. This response makes her obedience to God’s will
more powerful. It is proposed that, with this acceptance, Mary entered into a
vow of perpetual virginity because of the demands of Isaiah 7:14: “Therefore
the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall be with child, and
bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel."
In St. Luke’s story of the
Annunciation, the archangel Gabriel comes to Mary and tells her she will bear a
son and name him Jesus (the eternal implication of this statement is made clear
in the greeting which presupposes knowledge of Mary’s entire existence). Mary
confirms the title “Virgin” given by the author as she questions Gabriel
saying: “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” Even
though she does not understand, Mary accepts her role and is told that the Holy
Spirit will be the agent of the life within her. She then utters those amazing
words: "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me
according to your word."
This announcement is parallel to
Zechariah’s news about John the Baptist (Luke 1:5-23), which is
also delivered by the archangel Gabriel. This passage clearly identifies Jesus
as Son of David and Son of God, thus linking it with the messianic predictions
from the Old Testament.
CCC: Lk 1:26-38 497, 706, 723, 2571; Lk 1:26-27 488; Lk 1:26 332; Lk 1:28-37 494; Lk 1:28 490, 491; Lk 1:31 430, 2812; Lk 1:32-33 709; Lk 1:32 559; Lk 1:34 484, 497, 505; Lk 1:35 437, 484, 486, 697; Lk 1:37-38 494; Lk 1:37 148, 269, 273, 276; Lk 1:38 64, 148, 510, 2617, 2677, 2827, 2856
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Reflection:
We
near the end of our spiritual preparation for the great feast of the Lord’s
Nativity. We have heard the Baptist’s
cry, and have been called to look to our hearts to see the place we have made
for the Lord. As the starter of a race
says, we have already been told: “On your mark.” With the proclamation once more of St. Luke’s
story of the Annunciation, we find ourselves poised as the second warning, “get
set,” brings us to a barely contained state of expectation. (Hold steady, it
will be four more days before we hear: “Go.”
No false starts now.)
Even
as we hold ourselves at readiness, we take one last look at our
preparations.
Have
we cleaned our old hurts and hates in the Sacrament of Reconciliation?
Have
we established a prayer regimen that includes an attitudinal reflection? (By
this we are referring to that portion of our prayer that not only gives thanks
to God for all he has done, but also expresses our joy in those gifts.)
Have
we aligned our actions and planned actions with our prayer, and our Lord’s
commandments to us?
Have
we adjusted our own desires to better conform ourselves to what God would want
for us and from us?
We
could not help but be very moved by the psalm this morning. Look at what it
says. First it asks the rhetorical questions: “Who can ascend the mountain of the Lord, or who may stand in his holy
place?” Then in the very next strophe we are given the answer: “He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is
clean, who desires not what is vain.” That’s where the questions asked
above came from.
We
know that on our own, we cannot become worthy to stand in the physical presence
of the Lord. But, we can make a real effort to so transform our lives that we
minimize our period of purification following this life, so we can stand
sinless before him for eternity. That is our object this Advent season, and we
don’t have much time left, a few short days more.
Pax
O Antiphon for this date:[6]
O Key of David, O royal Power
of Israel,
controlling at your will the
gate of heaven: Come,
break down the prison walls
of death for those
who dwell in darkness and the
shadow of death;
and lead your captive people
into freedom.
O Clavis David, et sceptrum domus Israel,
qui aperis, et nemo claudit; claudis, et nemo aperuit:
veni, et educ vinctum de domo carceris,
sedentem in tenebris, et umbra mortis.
[1]
The picture used today is “The Nativity” by Federico Fiori Barocci, 1597.
[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 republication is not authorized by USCCB and is
for private use only.
[4]
See NAB footnote on Isaiah 7:10ff.
[5]
The Navarre Bible: “Major Prophets”, Scepter
Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p.73.
[6]
The Roman Church has been singing the "O" Antiphons since at least
the eighth century. They are the antiphons that accompany the Magnificat canticle
of Evening Prayer from December 17-23. They are a magnificent theology that
uses ancient biblical imagery drawn from the messianic hopes of the Old
Testament to proclaim the coming Christ as the fulfillment not only of Old
Testament hopes, but present ones as well. Their repeated use of the imperative
"Come!" embodies the longing of all for the Divine Messiah. (USCCB)
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