Study and Meditations on this Sunday's Scripture Readings: December 5th

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To help us prepare for this coming Sunday, here are the readings and reflections for this coming Sunday’s Scripture readings.** This Sunday is the 2nd Sunday of Advent, Cycle A**. In the Gospel Reading, John the Baptist appears in the Judean wilderness to prepare the way of the Lord.

Here are the Scripture readings from the U.S. Catholic bishops website.

My own weekly study can be found here under “Current Study.”

Here are three audio reflections on the readings by Sister Ann Shields, Dr. Scott Hahn and Fr. Robert Barron.

Here are a trio of Catholic Bible study podcasts on the Gospel Reading, each about an hour long:

–Sunday Gospel Scripture Study
–Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother
–St. Martha’s Adult Faith Formation

The Navarre Bible Commentary for each reading can be viewed here.

Further study resources for the Readings: St. Charles Borromeo Bible Study can be found here, and Catholic Matters can be found here.
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Please consider supporting those who provide these free resources. Discussion, questions and charitable comments are always welcome. Have a blessed week!

http://images.auctionworks.com/hi/47/46577/stjohn_ebay.jpg

 

[melchesidechpio]

From the Haydock Bible commentary

Ver. 1. “In those days,” i.e. at the time of Jesus Christ, whose history this book contains. This expression does not always mean that what is going to be narrated, happened immediately after that which precedes. (Bible de Vence) — 'Tis a way of speaking used by the Hebrews, even when there is no connection of time, as here are passed over 30 years of Christ’s life. John the Baptist was so called from his baptizing the people in water. The Jews took this for some token of their Messias: for they said to him, (John i. 25,) why dost thou baptize if thou art not the Christ? — In the desert, not in the house of his Father Zacharias, as some pretend, but in a true wilderness, as appears by the circumstances of his food, apparel, &c. (Witham) — The Baptist was about 30 years of age. He, as well as our Lord, in conformity with the Jewish law, did not enter upon his public ministry before that age. (Haydock)

 

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1st Reading - Isaiah 11:1-10

To help us prepare for the coming of Christ at Christmas, the Church recalls the prophecies of the great Isaiah on each of the four Sundays of Advent.

The holiness of the one God, creator and master of the world, dominates the message of Isaiah. Yahweh is the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah is intensely aware of his own sinfulness and that of his people. Sin in any form cannot be tolerated in God’s holy presence; consequently Isaiah denounces the kingdom of Judah’s pride, self- indulgence, and callous injustice toward the poor. Isaiah is convinced that Yahweh is about to strike down the nation in judgment. Not only will the land of Palestine be laid waste but all nature will be involved; the sin of man has affected the whole universe. Yet, Judah is still Yahweh’s people, Jerusalem is the holy city whose foundation is secure. To encourage the Chosen People who, because of the bad example of their worldly leaders, were wavering in their loyalty to Yahweh their true God, the prophet reminds them of him who is to come. There will be a remnant, cleansed in the fire of judgment, who will be the inheritors of the promises made to David.

This was 700 years before Christ came, but it was a reminder that God, who had called Abraham and had made him the father and founder of the Chosen People some thousand years previously, had not forgotten his promises. He would fulfill his word. He would one day send them a ruler, a king, who would rule and judge with justice because he would have the true spirit of the Lord. He who was to come would set up a kingdom of peace, not only for the Chosen People but for all men. The kingdom he was to establish would be for Jew and Gentile.

Here is the 1st Reading, as we will hear it this Sunday:

On that day, 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.

 

[melchesidechpio]

excellent. This was the reading used at Penance service at Immaculate Conception Parish a few days ago. Wonderful explaination

 

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From the Haydock Bible commentary…

Thanks for the contribution melchesidechpio . We’ll get to the Haydock commentary on the Gospel Reading eventually. Typically, I do the first and second readings first (see this previous thread for an example). So stick around–we’ll get there!

 

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From the* Navarre Bible Commentary* with RSV-CE text:

The New Descendant of David
---------------------------
[1] There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. [2] And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. [3] And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; [4] but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked. [5] Righteousness shall be the girdle of his waist, and faithfulness the girdle of his loins. [6] The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the lion and the failing together, and a little child shall lead them. [7] The cow and the bear shall feed; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. [8] The sucking child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adders den. [9] They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

The Return of the Exiles
------------------------
[10] In that day the root of Jesse shall stand as an ensign to the peoples; him shall the nations seek, and his dwellings shall be glorious.

Commentary:

11:1-9. This passage, which is regarded as the third Immanuel oracle, has two parts to it. The first (vv.1-5) announces that the shoot will spring from the stump of Jesse (David’s father) at some future date. The second (vv. 6-9) describes the good things associated with his reign, using imagery to do with messianic peace: creation will be restored to its state of original justice.

The first part is a formal announcement of the accession of a new king in the line of David–humble, because he comes from a tree that has been pruned yet has all the vitality of a tender shoot. It refers to a future king (“there shall come …”) and not the reigning monarch. The new king will be endowed with exceptional qualities that equip him to rule, thanks to the Holy Spirit who will descend upon him. The divine Spirit is an inner strength, a gift that God gives to key figures in salvation history to enable them to accomplish a difficult and dangerous mission–Moses (cf. Num 11:17), the judges (cf. 3:10; 6:34) and David (1 Sam 16:13). The new descendant of David will rule over the people not in a heavy-handed way like the kings of the time, but with a charismatic dynamism that comes from God. Six gifts of the Spirit are mentioned, in pairs–wisdom and understanding, referring to the skill and prudence that ensure that he will judge rightly; counsel and fortitude, the characteristics of an astute strategist like David; knowledge and the fear of the Lord, which have to do with the religious sphere, for the king must not forget that he is God’s representative.

Concluded on the next post…

 

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The second part describes very beautifully the messianic peace that will flower with this new ‘shoot’. It paints a panorama of the harmony that reigned at the dawn of creation, only to be broken by sin. Even among wild beasts violence will disappear. No longer will man in his pride desire to be “like God, knowing good and evil.”(Gen 3:5); instead he will be filled with the divine gift of the “knowledge of the Lord” (v. 9). The “child”, mentioned twice (vv. 6, 8) is not directly connected with the child-king of the oracle found in 9:6 or with the Immanuel (7:14); however, in the mind of the prophet they must have had many points of contact, given the reference to the child having a leadership role (v. 6).

The image of the ‘shoot’ from the royal line who will bring peace has been interpreted in Christian tradition as finding fulfillment in Jesus Christ. St Thomas Aquinas read this passage as referring to Christ, who brought about the restoration of mankind; he points out: “First, the birth of Christ the ‘restorer’, is spoken of (v. 1); then, his holiness (vv. 2-9) and his dignity (v. 10) are described” (“Expositio Super lsaiam”, 11). And John Paul II comments: “Alluding to the coming of a mysterious personage, which the New Testament revelation will identify with Jesus, Isaiah connects his person and mission with a particular action of the Spirit of God–the Spirit of the Lord.These are the words of the prophet ‘There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. And “the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him”, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And his delight shall be the fear of the Lord’ (Is 11:1-3). This text is important for the whole pneumatology of the Old Testament, because it constitutes a kind of bridge between the ancient biblical concept of ‘spirit,’ understood primarily as a 'charismatic breath of wind’, and the ‘Spirit’ as a person and as a gift, a gift for the person. The Messiah of the lineage of David (‘from the stump of Jesse’) is precisely that person upon whom the Spirit of the Lord ‘shall rest’. It is obvious that in this case one cannot yet speak of a revelation of the Paraclete. However, with this veiled reference to the figure of the future Messiah there begins, so to speak, the path towards the full revelation of the Holy Spirit in the unity of the Trinitarian mystery, a mystery which will finally be manifested in the New Covenant” (“Dominum Et Vivificantem”, 15).

A Christian reading of these words finds in them a reference to the action of the Holy Spirit in souls; the ‘spirits’ that repose in the Messiah; are stable ‘gifts’ through which the Holy Spirit acts. There are six of these gifts, according to the Hebrew text (which the New Vulgate and the RSV follow). The Greek translation of the Septuagint and the Vulgate divide the gift of fear into two–piety and fear of the Lord. That is why catechesis and theology speak of there being seven gifts: “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 (cf. Is 11:1-2). They complete and perfect the virtues of those who receive them. They make the faithful docile in readily obeying divine inspirations” (“Catechism of the Catholic Church”, 1831).

 

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From the 1859 Haydock Commentary with Douay Rheims text:

Of the spiritual kingdom of Christ, to which all nations shall repair.

*1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the root of Jesse, and a flower shall rise up out of his root.

Ver. 1. *Root. *Juda shall not be exterminated, like the Assyrians. (Calmet) — Christ shall spring from the blessed Virgin [Mary], (Worthington) for the salvation of mankind. The Jews agree, that this prediction regards the Messias; though some, with Grotius, would explain it literally of Ezechias. They do not reflect that he was now ten years old, and that the prophet speaks of an event which should still take place after he had been a long while upon the throne. If we were to look for any figure of the Messias, to whom this might be applicable, it would be Zorobabel, Zacharias iii. 8. But how disproportionate would be the promises to the execution? Some passages may indeed relate to the return of the captives, (ver. 11.) as the people must have a more immediate object, to insure the accomplishment of the more elevated predictions concerning the Messias: but these also refer ultimately to the propagation of the gospel, which the prophet had also in view. (Calmet)

2 And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: the spirit of wisdom, and of understanding, the spirit of counsel, and of fortitude, the spirit of knowledge, and of godliness.

Ver. 2. Him. In the form of a dove, John i. 32. (Haydock) — “The whole fountain of the Holy Ghost descending.” (Ev. Nazar.) (St. Jerome) — Christ was filled with his seven gifts, and* of his fullness* his servants receive. (Worthington) — Yet all virtues are the gifts of the holy Spirit, and the number seven is not specified in Hebrew, as the same word (Calmet) yirath, is rendered godliness, which (ver. 3.) means, the fear of the Lord. (Haydock) — God enables us to penetrate the difficulties of Scripture, and to act with prudence, &c. (Menochius)

3 And he shall be filled with the spirit of the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge according to the sight of the eyes, nor reprove according to the hearing of the ears.

Ver. 3. Filled. Hebrew, “breath or smell.” So St. Paul says, (2 Corinthians ii. 15.) we are the good odour of Christ. (Calmet) — Protestants, “he shall make him of quick understanding (marginal note, smell) in the fear,” &c. (Haydock) — Ears. Which are often deceived. (Menochius)

*4 But he shall judge the poor with justice, and shall reprove with equity, for the meek of the earth: and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.

Ver. 4. Wicked. Antichrist, (2 Thessalonians ii. 8.) and all impiety, by means of the apostles.

5 And justice shall be the girdle of his loins: and faith the girdle of his reins.

Ver. 5. Reins. He shall possess these virtues, performing his promises with the strictest fidelity. (Calmet)

*6 *The wolf shall dwell with the lamb: and the leopard shall lie down with the kid: the calf, and the lion, and the sheep, shall abide together, and a little child shall lead them.
*
Ver. 6. Wolf. Some explain this of the Millennium. (apud St. Jerome) (Lactantius vii. 24.) — But the more intelligent understand, that the fiercest nations shall embrace the gospel, and kings obey the pastors of the Church. (Calmet) — Lead. Or “drive,” as the word is used by Festus. (Haydock)

*7 The calf, and the bear shall feed: their young ones shall rest together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp: and the weaned child shall thrust his hand into the den of the basilisk.*

Ver. 8.* Basilisk.* Psalm ix. 13. The apostles subdued kings and philosophers, without any human advantages.

9 They shall not hurt, nor shall they kill in all my holy mountain, for the earth is filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the covering waters of the sea.

Ver. 9. Kill. The most inveterate pagans, being once converted, entirely alter their manners, Osee ii. 18.

*10 In that day the root of Jesse, who standeth for an ensign of people, him the Gentiles shall beseech, and his sepulchre shall be glorious.

Ver. 10.* Ensign.* the cross is the standard of Christians. — Sepulchre. Hebrew, Septuagint, &c., “rest.” St. Jerome give the true sense. The holy places have been greatly reverenced, and Christian princes strove for a long time to recover them. (Calmet) — They are respected even by the Turks. Christ’s death was ignominious, but his monument was full of glory. Thus the saints begin to shine, where the glory of the wicked ends. (Worthington)

 

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More thoughts and comments on the 1st Reading:

1 But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom: Jesse was the father of King David, from whom all the kings of Judah descended. The infidelities of the kings who followed David caused that line almost to disappear. The reference to the stump does not necessarily mean that the dynasty has been destroyed, the family tree cut down so to speak, although the Maccabean revolt against the Seleucids (c. 165-161 B.C.) did install rulers (the Hasmoneans) who were not descended from David. It simply means a return to the very source of the dynasty, as covenanted by God.

Only a stump—the remains of an apparently dead tree—would remain, but from that stump a shoot, or sprig, would come forth and become a new tree, far superior to the original one. This shoot was the Messiah, the son of Mary, a descendant of David.
**
2 The spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him:** The ruah, the life-giving breath that comes from Yahweh to men and endows them with extraordinary power, insight, wisdom, etc. as we hear in this verse. The prophet indicates that it is to the expected Messiah that he is referring. He describes the marvelous gifts of God that he will possess in his human nature.

a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, A spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD, 3 **and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD: This is the source of the traditional names of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The Septuagint and Vulgate read “piety” for “fear of the LORD” in its first occurrence; thus listing seven gifts. Fear of the LORD is not dread, but reverential awe; the beginning of wisdom, understanding, and knowledge. That is, veneration and respect, filial obedience, not fear in its English meaning. One who feared the Lord in the Old Testament was a true worshipper of God.
**
Not by appearance shall he judge, nor by hearsay shall he decide, 4 But he shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the land’s afflicted: The gifts he shall have from God will enable him to practice absolute justice towards all, especially towards those who are most in need, the poor and the meek. The land, contaminated by sin, and the wicked, will receive their just punishment also.

He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked: Just as Yahweh’s breath gives life, it can also administer chastisement because when God speaks, it happens.
**
5 Justice shall be the band around his waist:** A loincloth worn next to the body.
**
and faithfulness a belt upon his hips: **Justice and fidelity are to be as close to the king as these two garments. Ephesians 6:13-17 gives a similar usage with soldier’s clothing.

6 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. 7 The cow and the bear shall be neighbors, together their young shall rest; the lion shall eat hay like the ox. 8 The baby shall play by the cobra’s den, and the child lay his hand on the adder’s lair: The images portray a vision of the messianic era as paradise restored; there is universal peace and justice. Perfect peace will reign in his kingdom, not only between men but between irrational creatures. This is a poetic, not a factual, description as far as the animal world is concerned. As far as man is concerned, the conditions for peace are laid down in the teaching of the Messiah, but it is only in his future kingdom in heaven that they will have their complete fulfillment.
**
9 There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain: All of Yahweh’s land, not just Jerusalem alone [not only Zion (and Moriah), God’s mountain, but Horeb (Sinai) as well]. Only the knowledge of God, the observance of His will, can bring about the long sought era of peace. The whole world, not just Israel, will share in the coming salvation
**
for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD, as water covers the sea. 10 On that day, The root of Jesse: The root of Jesse is now an individual rather than an origin.
**
set up as a signal for the nations:** Signal, better translated ensign (as in the DRV). An ensign was a battle flag used in ancient times as a highly visible rallying points for armies forming or reforming for battle. This descendant of Jesse, this new Davidic king, will be a standard around which Jews and Gentiles will gather.
**
The Gentiles shall seek out, for his dwelling shall be glorious:** This root of Jesse, this individual, will be the rallying point for the Gentile nations. Wherever people rally to this standard (the Messiah), honor and glory will follow. He is the source and cause of eternal glory for all who will receive him.

 

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The 1st Reading is cited in The Catechism of the Catholic Church in the following sections:

CHRIST

436 The word “Christ” comes from the Greek translation of the Hebrew Messiah, which means “anointed”. It became the name proper to Jesus only because he accomplished perfectly the divine mission that “Christ” signifies. In effect, in Israel those consecrated to God for a mission that he gave were anointed in his name. This was the case for kings, for priests and, in rare instances, for prophets.29 This had to be the case all the more so for the Messiah whom God would send to inaugurate his kingdom definitively.30 It was necessary that the Messiah be anointed by the Spirit of the Lord at once as king and priest, and also as prophet.**31 **Jesus fulfilled the messianic hope of Israel in his threefold office of priest, prophet and king.

29. Cf. Ex 29:7; Lev 8:12; 1 Sam 9:16; 10:1; 16:1,12-13; 1 Kings 1:39; 19:16.

30. Cf. Ps 2:2; Acts 4:26-27.

** 31. Cf. Isa 11:2**; 61:1; Zech 4:14; 6:13; Lk 4:16-21.

536 The baptism of Jesus is on his part the acceptance and inauguration of his mission as God’s suffering Servant. He allows himself to be numbered among sinners; he is already “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world”.232 Already he is anticipating the “baptism” of his bloody death.233 Already he is coming to “fulfill all righteousness”, that is, he is submitting himself entirely to his Father’s will: out of love he consents to this baptism of death for the remission of our sins.234 The Father’s voice responds to the Son’s acceptance, proclaiming his entire delight in his Son.235 The Spirit whom Jesus possessed in fullness from his conception comes to “rest on him”.236 Jesus will be the source of the Spirit for all mankind. At his baptism "the heavens were opened"237 - the heavens that Adam’s sin had closed - and the waters were sanctified by the descent of Jesus and the Spirit, a prelude to the new creation.

232. Jn 1:29; cf. Isa 53:12.

233. Cf. Mk 10:38; Lk 12:50.

234. Mt 3:15; cf. 26:39.

235. Cf. Lk 3:22; Isa 42:1.

**236.** Jn 1:32-33; **cf. Isa 11:2.**

237. Mt 3:16.

672 Before his Ascension Christ affirmed that the hour had not yet come for the glorious establishment of the messianic kingdom awaited by Israel562 which, according to the prophets, was to bring all men the definitive order of justice, love and peace.563 According to the Lord, the present time is the time of the Spirit and of witness, but also a time still marked by “distress” and the trial of evil which does not spare the Church564 and ushers in the struggles of the last days. It is a time of waiting and watching.565

562. Cf. Acts 1:6-7.

**563. Cf. Isa 11:1-9.**

564. Cf. Acts 1:8; 1 Cor 7:26; Eph 5:16; 1 Pet 4:17.

565. Cf. Mt 25:1, 13; Mk 13:33-37; 1 Jn 2:18; 4:3; 1 Tim 4:1.

712 The characteristics of the awaited Messiah begin to appear in the “Book of Emmanuel” ("Isaiah said this when he saw his glory,"80 speaking of Christ), especially in the first two verses of Isaiah 11:

    *There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,
    and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
    And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him,
    the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
    the spirit of counsel and might,
    the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.***81**

80. Jn 12:41; cf. Isa 6-12.

**81. Isa 11:1-2.**

CONFIRMATION IN THE ECONOMY OF SALVATION

1286 In the Old Testament the prophets announced that the Spirit of the Lord would rest on the hoped-for Messiah for his saving mission.91 The descent of the Holy Spirit on Jesus at his baptism by John was the sign that this was he who was to come, the Messiah, the Son of God.92 He was conceived of the Holy Spirit; his whole life and his whole mission are carried out in total communion with the Holy Spirit whom the Father gives him "without measure."93

**91. Cf. Isa 11:2**; 61:1; Lk 4:16-22.

92. Cf. Mt 3:13-17; Jn 1:33-34.

93. Jn 3:34.

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.109 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*.110

    *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.*111

**109. Cf. Isa 11:1-2.**

110. Ps 143:10.

111. Rom 8:14,17.

 

[Fidelis]

A meditation for practical application from Catholic Matters:

APPLICATION: In the eighth century B.C., when Isaiah spoke these prophetic words, many of his contemporaries were in the depths of despair. Because of the sad state of the true religion and the return to idolatry and paganism then so prevalent among them, many of Yahweh’s loyal followers were afraid that Yahweh had forgotten his promises to the Patriarchs, their ancestors. Isaiah dispels their fears and their despair, by his definite promise that a new Davidic King would come who would establish peace and a glorious kingdom of justice on earth. His kingdom would be a return to the peace of Paradise, before sin entered the world.

Today, twenty-seven centuries later, we too need to listen to this prophet of hope. We are living in a world where disloyalty to God among those who believe in him, and the denial of his very existence by many more, are prevalent. The natural and logical result of these two positions is that justice and peace among men do not and cannot exist. If men deny that God has any rights or claims over them or act as if he has not, then they cannot admit that their fellowman has any claims on them, or any right to demand justice from them. There can be no true love of neighbor, and no true respect for his rights, where there is no love for God and respect for his rights.

This explains the chaotic state of out world today. But an explanation is not a solution. Diagnosis of a disease is not its cure. We must strive to give God his rightful place in our daily lives, and follow the only path that leads to justice and peace on earth. This is the path laid down by Christ, the true son of God, who came on earth, as man, to teach us that we should love God, and love our neighbor because God loves us. Through the coming of Christ he has made us all his own adopted children.

Many will shrug their shoulders and say : what can I do about this, what effect can any action of mine have in bringing sanity (i.e. true religion), back to this mad world of ours? Yet, you can do a lot, and far more than you could expect. If you put your own conscience straight with God and with your neighbor, God has one more loyal son on earth, one more channel through which he can send his grace to men, one more ray of light, which will help dispel the darkness of despair which surrounds us.

To prepare yourself to welcome Christ at Christmas take an honest look at yourself. How do you stand in relation to God and your neighbor? Are you doing your part to keep peace and love in the home and in your neighborhood? In your place of work are you an example of justice, of peace, of respect for the things of God? Are your language and your conduct truly Christian? Can your fellow-workers say of you: “that man’s religion really means something to him, I wish I were like him”? If you can say “yes,” to these soul-questions, then thank God for it and strive to do even more. If your honest answer is “No,” then begin today to change your life. Your true happiness on earth, and the guarantee of your eternal happiness after death, will depend on this change. Not only that, but the true happiness of many others on earth, and the chance of their eternal happiness hereafter, will depend on it too. Is this too much to ask of any sensible man, who knows where he came from and knows where he is going?

 

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2nd Reading - Romans 15:4-9

The Letter to the Romans was probably written in Corinth, toward the end of Paul’s third missionary journey, shortly before he returned to Jerusalem in the spring of AD 58.

Romans is not a summary of Christian doctrine, nor is it Paul’s last will and testament-- it isn’t even a full sketch of Paul’s view of Christianity. Some of Paul’s most significant teaching (the Church, the Eucharist, the resurrection, for example) are missing from it. Rather, it is a presentation of his missionary reflections on the historic possibility of salvation now offered to all men in the good news of Jesus the Christ. Paul knows that man=s justification and salvation depend not on the “deeds of the law,” but on faith in Christ Jesus, the Son whom the Father’s love did not spare. Through faith man shares in the effects of the plan of salvation conceived by the Father and brought to realization in the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Our reading today comes from a section of the letter that discusses the demands of living the Christian life and our motivation for doing so.St. Paul is telling the newly-converted Christians of Rome, many of whom were Jews, that the sacred Scriptures of the Old Testament are still a source of instruction, encouragement, and hope. The call of Abraham and the promises made to him, and to his descendants, were fulfilled in the coming of Christ. Christ was the glory of the Chosen People—the fruit of centuries of preparation and expectation—but he brought the knowledge and blessings of the true God to the Gentile pagans also. Henceforth, all men are brothers of Christ.

Here is the 2nd Reading as we will hear it this Sunday:

Brothers and sisters:
Whatever was written previously was written for our instruction,
that by endurance and by the encouragement of the Scriptures
we might have hope.
May the God of endurance and encouragement
grant you to think in harmony with one another,
in keeping with Christ Jesus,
that with one accord you may with one voice
glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Welcome one another, then, as Christ welcomed you,
for the glory of God.
For I say that Christ became a minister of the circumcised
to show God’s truthfulness,
to confirm the promises to the patriarchs,
but so that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy.
As it is written:
Therefore, I will praise you among the Gentiles
and sing praises to your name.

 

[Fidelis]

From the* Navarre Bible Commentary *with RSV-CE text:

The Example of Christ (Continuation)
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*[4] For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. *

**4. **The excellence of Scripture and its sacred character derive from the fact that God is its author. This means that there is a consistency and unity running right through Sacred Scripture, a coherence which integrates both Testaments, Old and New: the Old Testament contains–prophetically and by way of prefigurement–what happens in the New; and in the New the prophecy and prefigurement of the Old are fulfilled. Since Scripture is the word of God, it is of the highest order: “All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:16). This strength and authority of Scripture is useful not only for instruction in the faith but also for enlivening our hope and consoling us in every kind of trial, interior and exterior: the examples which we find in Scripture encourage us to be patient and also spur us on to fight. By reflecting on those examples we become convinced that if God asks sacrifice of “his own”, he does so because he has a greater reward in store for them.

These truths led the Second Vatican Council to teach that in “the sacred books the Father who is in heaven comes lovingly to meet his children, and talks with them. And such is the force and power of the word of God that it can serve the Church as her support and vigor, and the children of the Church as strength for their faith, food for the soul, and a pure and lasting fount of spiritual life” (“Dei Verbum”, 21).

*[5] May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, [6] that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

[7] Welcome one another, therefore, as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. [8] For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, [9] and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise thee among the Gentiles, and sing to thy name”.*

8-13. “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us” (Acts 13:46-47): this is what Paul and Barnabas said to Jews who opposed their preaching. Christ himself said that he had been sent only to seek out the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and that was the scope of the Apostles’ first mission (cf. Mt 15:24; 10:5). However, God’s plans never discriminated in favor of the Jews: they, once converted, were to preach the Good News to the Gentiles. After the Resurrection, Jesus sent his disciples to all nations (cf. Mt 28:18ff). Those who proclaimed the Gospel were Jews who had accepted Christ, and they addressed their preaching first to Jews and then to Gentiles.

This present passage refers to the fulfillment of God’s designs through Christ. By becoming man God made good his promises to the Jews, kept faith with them. By the entry of the Gentiles into the Church his mercy towards all men is revealed, for his blessings are thereby extended to those who do not belong to Israel according to the flesh. Our Lord explained this very graphically in the parable of the two sons (Mt 21 :28- 32). He first calls the older son (the Gentiles), who refuses to obey him and afterwards repents and accepts his father’s invitation and goes to work in the vineyard. The younger son (most of the Jewish people), on the other hand, seems to be ready to do his father’s bidding but in fact does not. Many Jews were so hard of heart that not even the repentance and conversion of the Gentiles moved them to repent.

 

[Fidelis]

From the 1859 Haydock Commentary with DRV text:

*4 For what things soever were written, were written for our instruction: that, through patience, and the comfort of the Scriptures, we might have hope.

5 Now the God of patience, and of comfort, *grant you to be of one mind one towards another, according to Jesus Christ:

6 That with one mind, and with one mouth, you may glorify God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

7 Wherefore receive one another, as Christ also hath received you to the honour of God.*

Ver. 7. Receive one another, in the spirit of charity, peace, patience, as Christ also hath received you, and bore with your infirmities. (Witham) — Mutually support each other for the glory of God: learn to practise a grand lesson of Christian morality, to bear and to forbear. (Haydock)

8 For I say that Christ Jesus was minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers.

**Ver. 8. **Christ Jesus was minister of the circumcision, who came both for the salvation of the Jews, and of the Gentiles, who preached and would have his gospel first preached to the Jews, for the truth of God to confirm the promises made to the fathers, that he, the Messias, should be sent for their salvation; but at the same time also for the salvation and conversion of the Gentiles, which he confirms by divers evident testimonies of the holy Scriptures. (Witham) — He calls our Saviour the minister of circumcision, that is, of the Jews, because he appeared amongst them, dwelt amongst them, and himself preached amongst them. This was a privilege which the Gentiles did no enjoy, having never seen, nor heard Jesus Christ, since he confined his preaching to the strayed sheep of the house of Israel; and this, to accomplish the promises made to their fathers. (Calmet)
*
9 But that the Gentiles are to glorify God for his mercy, as it is written: Therefore will I confess to thee, O Lord, among the Gentiles, and will sing to thy name.

 

[Fidelis]

Other thoughts and comments on the 2nd Reading:

4 For whatever was written previously was written for our instruction: What was “written previously” was the Old Testament. The Old Testament is our book—it doesn’t belong to a people long gone, but to us. Romans 4:23-24 makes the same point “But the words, ‘it was reckoned to him,’ were written not for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him that raised from the dead Jesus our Lord.” The Old Testament was not only a preparation for the New. It will remain for all time a source of encouragement and hope for Christians.

**that by endurance and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope: **When Jesus’ suffering is viewed against mankind’s sacred history, it takes on a deeper meaning. Seen in this larger perspective, it gives the Christian a basis for their hope.

5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to think in harmony with one another, in keeping with Christ Jesus: The Jewish converts were inclined to look down on the Gentile converts because, until then, they alone knew the true God, they alone had this revelation in their Scriptures. But St. Paul tells them that Jew and Gentile are now one in Christ, who has broken down the wall which separated Jew from Gentile.

**6 that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ: **This is St. Paul’s prayer for unity and harmony. They must together give glory and thanks to God the Father who sent his divine Son on earth to make all men his adopted sons. Note how the true divinity and the true humanity of Christ are the basis of the Christian religion.

“Here Paul is blessing the Romans in the manner of the patriarchs and prophets. … It is a great blessing that they should all understand and think alike. If you want to know just how great it is, look at what the Savior said in the Gospel: If two or three of you agree, whatever they ask will be done for them by God (Matthew 18:18).” [Origen (after A.D. 244), *Commentaries on Romans

]

7 Welcome one another, then, as Christ welcomed you: Christ’s command in John 13:34 is to “Love one another as I have loved you”. They must all be one therefore as Christ has made them all one.

**for the glory of God: **The motive behind all of Christ’s redemptive activity, and the purpose of the Incarnation: Christ, the Son of God, became man so that men could become sons of God by adoption and be capable of giving external glory to God for all eternity.
**
8 For I say that Christ became a minister of the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, to confirm the promises to the patriarchs: **As St. Paul understands these promises, both Jews and Gentiles are to share in them. Jesus had to be a Jew and minister (or “servant”) to the Jews, in order to confirm God’s promises to the patriarchs, but the effects of this act of love, and self-humiliation were intended not only for Abraham’s descendants but for all peoples: “All the communities of the earth shall find blessings in you” was part of God’s promise to Abraham (Gen. 12: 3).

9 but so that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy: The Gentiles were included in the Old Testament promises. Even though Christ’s ministry was directed to the Jews, the Gentiles were to be in His kingdom in due time, as the Old Testament promises themselves indicate.
*
“It was by mercy alone that the Gentiles were saved; hence they were bound to glorify God. It is a glory to God when they are blended together and united, when they offer praise with one mind, when they bear the weaker and when they do not neglect the member who has been cut off.” [Saint John Chrysostom (ca. A.D. 391), Homilies on the Epistle to the Romans 28]

As it is written: “Therefore, I will praise you among the Gentiles and sing praises to your name.”: To confirm what he has said regarding the Gentiles’ place in God’s plan of salvation, Paul quotes Psalm 18:49 (18:50 in NAB; see also 2 Samuel 22:50), which foretells that God will be praised and glorified among the Gentiles. The Scriptures Paul quotes in the next few passages also reinforce his theme that God’s plan of salvation as it has developed through history also includes the Gentiles:

10 And again it says: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” (Deut 32:43 following the Greek version).
*11 And again: “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise him.” *(Psalm 117:1)
*12 And again Isaiah says: “The root of Jesse shall come, raised up to rule the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles hope.” *(Isaiah 11:10)

 

[Fidelis]

Catechism of the Catholic Church sections which cite the 2nd Reading include:

**520 In all of his life Jesus presents himself as our model. He is “the perfect man”,191 who invites us to become his disciples and follow him. In humbling himself, he has given us an example to imitate, through his prayer he draws us to pray, and by his poverty he calls us to accept freely the privation and persecutions that may come our way.192
**
191. GS 38; cf. Rom 15:5; Phil 2:5.

1. Cf. Jn 13:15; Lk 11:1; Mt 5:11-12.

**2627 **Two fundamental forms express this movement: our prayer ascends in the Holy Spirit through Christ to the Father - we bless him for having blessed us;97 it implores the grace of the Holy Spirit that descends through Christ from the Father - he blesses us.98

1. Cf. Eph 1:3-14; 2 Cor 1:3-7; 1 Pet 1:3-9.

98. Cf. 2 Cor 13:14; Rom 15:5-6,13; Eph 6:23-24.

 

[Fidelis]

Some questions on the 2nd Reading for further study and personal reflection:

1. Paul’s brief reference to Sacred Scripture (verse 4) seems out of place in some ways. Looking at the context of the passage as a whole, why do you think he intended his readers to take away from this verse?

1. In verses 8 and 9 of the 2nd Reading, St. Paul states that Jesus came in history for two reasons; what are they? How are those fulfilled in the 1st Reading? The 2nd Reading? How well are they being fulfilled in your life when others recognize you as a Catholic Christian?

1. In verses15:9–12, what does the chain of OT verses Paul cites here depict? How are the passages linked? What do they confirm about Paul’s thought?

 

[Fidelis]

A meditation for personal application from Catholic Matters:

APPLICATION: “Whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction.” St. Paul is referring to the inspired books of the Old Testament in this sentence, and how true this statement is. From these books we learn of the existence of the true God, from whom all things came to be. And not only do we learn of the existence of God, who is our Creator, but we learn that he is our Father, that be has a paternal interest in us, that he has put us on earth in order to share his heaven with us later. It was for this purpose that he revealed himself to Abraham, and made him the father of the Chosen People: from him he had planned that his Son would take his human nature and become one of us, in order to make us brothers and sons of the eternal Father.

All God’s dealings with Abraham and his descendants—the Jews—as described in the books of the Old Testament, were part of and preparation for this great central act of God’s love for men—the Incarnation.

In these dealings, we learn of another most consoling fact about God—his infinite mercy and his unbounded gift of forgiveness for sinful, unworthy men. His Chosen People, the Jews, were sinful and stubborn, yet he put up with them for centuries, came to their aid again and again, when their own sins had brought misfortunes and catastrophes upon them. Like a recurring decimal, we have, in their whole history of eighteen hundred years, the following theme : sin and disloyalty to their good God, punishment generally from pagan neighbors, their return to God, when in extreme and dire straits, God’s forgiveness and a new start.

For most of us Christians, who should know better and should love God more sincerely, for we are witnesses of his supreme act of love in the Incarnation, the knowledge that we are dealing with a God of infinite mercy and patience is a source of strength and encouragement. For we too, unfortunately, are too apt to imitate the Jews in our dealings with God. There are few of us who cannot see in our past lives something similar to the recurring decimal of the Jewish history. However, God is still the God of infinite mercy. He does not, and cannot, change. He is ever ready to forgive and pardon; the prodigal will still get the fatted calf, and the newest garment, if he really returns to his Father.

Yes, whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction. Add to this what has been written concerning Christ’s coming among us, with his teaching and promises, and we Christians surely have an inexhaustible source of encouragement and hope. To help us prepare ourselves to welcome Christ at Christmas, the Church brings before our minds sections of the Old and New Testaments, which should inspire us with new faith, hope and charity. Faith in God, who always fulfills his promises, hope for our eventual salvation, and charity, or love for God, who has done, and is still doing, such wonderful things for us unworthy men. This charity and love of God must spill over on our neighbor, if it is sincere, for as St. John tells us, the man who says he loves God and yet hates his neighbor is a liar (2 Jn. 4: 20).

 

[Fidelis]

About 30 years previous to the event described in today’s Gospel, an angel announced to Zechariah, a priest of the temple, that he would have a son (even though his wife Elizabeth was barren and advanced in years). This son was destined to be the Precursor who would announce the proximate arrival of the long-expected Messiah.

John, the name given him by the angel even before his conception, spent his youth and early manhood as a hermit in the desert of Judea, preparing himself for his exalted office. When God revealed to him that the Messiah was soon to begin his public life, John set out for the bank of the Jordan, where he began to preach repentance, in order to prepare the people for “him who was to come.”

Here is the Gospel Reading as we will hear it this Sunday:

John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea
and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”
It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said:
A voice of one crying out in the desert,
Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.
John wore clothing made of camel’s hair
and had a leather belt around his waist.
His food was locusts and wild honey.
At that time Jerusalem, all Judea,
and the whole region around the Jordan
were going out to him
and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River
as they acknowledged their sins.

When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees
coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers!
Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance.
And do not presume to say to yourselves,
‘We have Abraham as our father.’
For I tell you,
God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees.
Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit
will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
I am baptizing you with water, for repentance,
but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I.
I am not worthy to carry his sandals.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
His winnowing fan is in his hand.
He will clear his threshing floor
and gather his wheat into his barn,
but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

 

[Fidelis]

From the Navarre Bible Commentary with RSV-CE text:

*[1] ln those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, *

1. The expression “in those days” does not specify the exact time of the event in question. It is someti mes used merely as an opening phrase to mark the beginning of a new episode. In this case, in fact, it can be calculated that some twenty-five years have elapsed since the Holy Family’s return from Egypt. This is only an estimate, because the exact date of their return has not been established.

On the date of the start of John the Baptist’s preaching, see Luke 3:1-3. The word “wilderness” has a wider meaning here than we give it today. It does not refer to a sandy or rocky desert, but rather to arid regions, low in vegetation.

*[2] “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” *

2. “Repent”: Christ’s redeeming work ushers in a new era in the Kingdom of God. This brings such advance in salvation history, that what is required from now on is a radical change in man’s behavior towards God. The coming of the Kingdom means that God has intervened in a special way to save mankind, but it also implies that we must be open to God’s grace and reform our ways. Christ’s life on earth compels people to take a stand–either for God or against him (“He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters”: Lk 11:23). Given man’s sinful state after original sin, the newly-arrived Kingdom requires that all men repent of their past life. To put it another way, they have to stop going away from God and instead try to get closer to him. Since sin hinders this conversion, it is impossible to turn back to God without performing acts of penance. Conversion is not simply a question of making a good resolution to mend our ways; we have to fulfill that resolution, even if we find it difficult. Penance grows only where there is humility–and everyone should admit sincerely that he is a sinner (cf. 1 Jn 1 :8-10). Obedience also goes hand in hand with penance; everyone ought to obey God and keep his commandments (cf. 1 Jn 2:3-6).

The literal translation of the Greek is “Repent”. But precisely because the very essence of conversion consists in doing penance, as we have said, the New Vulgate has “paenitentiam agite” (“do penance”). This translation conveys the deeper meaning of the text.

Man’s whole life, in fact, consists in constantly correcting his behavior, and therefore implies a continual doing of penance. This turning back to God was preached continually by the prophets in the Old Testament. Now, however, with the coming of Christ, this penance and turning to God are absolutely essential. That Christ took on our sins and suffered for us does not excuse us from making a true conversion; on the contrary, it demands it of us (cf. Col 1:24).

“Kingdom of heaven”: this expression is identical to “Kingdom of God”. The former is the one most used by St Matthew, and is more in line with the Jewish turn of phrase. Out of reverence, the Jews avoided pronouncing the name of God and substituted other words for it, as in this case. “Kingdom of God” o r “Kingdom of heaven” was a concept used already in the Old Testament and in religious circles at the time of Christ. But it occurs particularly frequently in Jesus’ preaching.

The phrase “Kingdom of God” can refer in a general way to God’s dominion over creatures; but normally, as in this text, it refers to God’s sovereign and merciful involvement in the life of his people. Man’s rebellion and sin broke the order originally established in creation. To re-establish it, God’s intervention was needed again; this consisted in the redeeming work of Christ, Messiah and Son of God. It was preceded by a series of preliminary stages in salvation history throughout the Old Testament.

Consequently, the Kingdom of God, announced as imminent by John the Baptist, is brought into being by Jesus. However, this is an entirely spiritual one and does not have the nationalistic dimension expected by Jesus’ contemporaries. He comes to save his people and all mankind from the slavery of sin, from death and from the devil, thereby opening up the way of salvation.

In the period between the first and second comings of Christ, this Kingdom of God (or Kingdom of heaven) is, in fact, the Church. The Church makes Christ (and therefore also God) present among all peoples and calls them to eternal salvation. The Kingdom of God will be brought to completion only at the end of this world, that is, when our Lord comes to judge the living and the dead at the end of time. Then God will reign over the blessed in a perfect way.

In the passage we are considering, John the Baptist, the last of the Old Testament prophets, preaches the imminence of the Kingdom of God, ushered in by the coming of the Messiah.

Continued on the next post…