† Quote of the Day "And I saw that truly nothing happens by accident or luck, but everything by God's wise providence ... for matters that have been in God's foreseeing wisdom, since before time began, befall us suddenly, all unawares; and so in our blindness and ignorance we say that this is accident or luck, but to our Lord God it is not so." — St. Juliana of Norwich Today's Meditation "Love, by its essence, involves a leap into the unknown, a death to oneself, because genuine love is a love that loves to the end. And to love to the end means to die for those whom you love. It also means to forgive them. This involves the experience, one day or another, of the Cross and, therefore of sacrifice, which will seal the spouses' unity definitively." —Robert Cardinal Sarah, p.25
An excerpt from Couples, Awaken Your Love Daily Verse "The end of all things is at hand. Therefore, be serious and sober for prayers. Above all, let your love for one another be intense, because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining." — 1 Peter 4:7-9 | Pope St. Anastasius I Pope St. Anastasius I (d. 401 A.D.) was a 4th century Bishop of Rome. The writings of the Church Fathers tell us that he was a distinguished Roman Christian known for his charity and holiness. He was elevated to the Chair of St. Peter in 399 A.D., succeeding Pope Siricius, and his pontificate lasted not quite four years. St. Paulinus of Nola, St. Augustine, and St. Jerome were among his friends. St. Jerome called Pope St. Anastasius "a man of very rich poverty and apostolic zeal." He fought against heresies and heretics that threatened the doctrine of the Church, most notably a popular theologian at the time, Origen, whom he soundly condemned. Pope St. Anastasius I was known as a great Holy Father who governed the Church "with purity of life, abundance of doctrine, and perfect strictness of ecclesiastical authority." His feast day is December 19. | Thursday of the Third Week of Advent Reading 1 Jgs 13:2-7, 24-25a There was a certain man from Zorah, of the clan of the Danites,
whose name was Manoah.
His wife was barren and had borne no children.
An angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her,
"Though you are barren and have had no children,
yet you will conceive and bear a son.
Now, then, be careful to take no wine or strong drink
and to eat nothing unclean.
As for the son you will conceive and bear,
no razor shall touch his head,
for this boy is to be consecrated to God from the womb.
It is he who will begin the deliverance of Israel
from the power of the Philistines." The woman went and told her husband,
"A man of God came to me;
he had the appearance of an angel of God, terrible indeed.
I did not ask him where he came from, nor did he tell me his name.
But he said to me,
'You will be with child and will bear a son.
So take neither wine nor strong drink, and eat nothing unclean.
For the boy shall be consecrated to God from the womb,
until the day of his death.'" The woman bore a son and named him Samson.
The boy grew up and the LORD blessed him;
the Spirit of the LORD stirred him. Responsorial Psalm Ps 71:3-4a, 5-6ab, 16-17 R. (see 8) My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!
Be my rock of refuge,
a stronghold to give me safety,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked.
R. My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!
For you are my hope, O LORD;
my trust, O God, from my youth.
On you I depend from birth;
from my mother's womb you are my strength.
R. My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!
I will treat of the mighty works of the LORD;
O God, I will tell of your singular justice.
O God, you have taught me from my youth,
and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.
R. My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory! Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
O Root of Jesse's stem,
sign of God's love for all his people:
come to save us without delay!
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 1:5-25 In the days of Herod, King of Judea,
there was a priest named Zechariah
of the priestly division of Abijah;
his wife was from the daughters of Aaron,
and her name was Elizabeth.
Both were righteous in the eyes of God,
observing all the commandments
and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly.
But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren
and both were advanced in years. Once when he was serving as priest
in his division's turn before God,
according to the practice of the priestly service,
he was chosen by lot
to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to burn incense.
Then, when the whole assembly of the people was praying outside
at the hour of the incense offering,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him,
standing at the right of the altar of incense.
Zechariah was troubled by what he saw, and fear came upon him. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah,
because your prayer has been heard.
Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son,
and you shall name him John.
And you will have joy and gladness,
and many will rejoice at his birth,
for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.
He will drink neither wine nor strong drink.
He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb,
and he will turn many of the children of Israel
to the Lord their God.
He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah
to turn the hearts of fathers toward children
and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous,
to prepare a people fit for the Lord." Then Zechariah said to the angel,
"How shall I know this?
For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years."
And the angel said to him in reply,
"I am Gabriel, who stand before God.
I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news.
But now you will be speechless and unable to talk
until the day these things take place,
because you did not believe my words,
which will be fulfilled at their proper time."
Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah
and were amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary.
But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them,
and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary.
He was gesturing to them but remained mute. Then, when his days of ministry were completed, he went home. After this time his wife Elizabeth conceived,
and she went into seclusion for five months, saying,
"So has the Lord done for me at a time when he has seen fit
to take away my disgrace before others."
| Daily Meditation: Luke 1:5-25 You will be speechless . . . until the day these things take place. (Luke 1:20) If Zechariah and Elizabeth could somehow be transported to a modern Christmas carol concert, what do you imagine their favorite song might be? Perhaps "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" would remind them of their son's message of preparation for the Messiah. Perhaps other hymns would remind them of the stories Joseph and Mary had told them about that marvelous night in Bethlehem. But considering today's Gospel reading, Elizabeth might raise an eyebrow and give Zechariah a playful nudge when the choir began singing "Silent Night"! We know the story. Zechariah had spent years praying for a child, and now an angel appears to him in the Temple and tells him "Your prayer has been heard" (Luke 1:13). Elizabeth would finally conceive! But his demand for proof—"How shall I know this?" (1:18)—betrays a lack of trust. So Zechariah is made speechless until the child is born. You might say that he enters an extended "silent night." It's easy to see this as a punishment, but it could also be God's way of teaching Zechariah something about faith. Zechariah's demand for a sign suggests he was not ready to yield control of the situation to the Lord. After his many years of fervent praying for a child, he now has to listen more than he speaks. And during those months of enforced silence, he could finally hear God telling him, "You've prayed long enough. Now it's my turn to act." Speaking to God is wonderful. But it is equally important to listen in silence and accept what we hear. Silence is a way that you can confess that God's plans and purposes far surpass your own—and that he will do what's best for you! It's a way of showing God that you trust him as a loving Father, even when life seems chaotic. In your prayer today, try to put yourself in Zechariah's shoes. Try not to "say" too much in prayer. Instead, silently offer yourself to God, silently surrender to his will, or sit in wordless, astonished gratitude for his love and mercy. "Here I am, Lord." Judges 13:2-7, 24-25
Psalm 71:3-6, 16-17 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Click to hear Audio | In the Holy Scripture we hear today: "And the angel said to him in reply,
"I am Gabriel, who stand before God.
I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news.
But now you will be speechless and unable to talk
until the day these things take place,
because you did not believe my words,
which will be fulfilled at their proper time."
Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah
and were amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary.
But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them,
and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary.
He was gesturing to them but remained mute.
Then, when his days of ministry were completed, he went home.
After this time his wife Elizabeth conceived,
and she went into seclusion for five months, saying,
"So has the Lord done for me at a time when he has seen fit
to take away my disgrace before others."
....." end Gospel quote, word of the Lord. | From Bishop Barron:
"We see with utter clarity that John is a priestly figure. Zechariah, his father, is a temple priest, and Elizabeth, his mother, is a descendant of Aaron, the very first priest.
Now flash forward thirty years and see John emerging in the desert. The first question is, "Why is this son of a priest not working in the temple?" And the second is, "Why are the people going out from Jerusalem to commune with him?" The answer to the first is that he is engaging in a prophetic critique of a temple that has gone bad. And the answer to the second is that he is performing the acts of a purified temple priest out in the desert. His baptism was a ritual cleansing and a spur to repent, precisely what a pious Jew would have sought in the temple.
And the picture becomes complete when Jesus arrives to be baptized, and John says, "Behold, the Lamb of God." This is explicitly temple talk. He is saying that the one who is to be sacrificed has arrived. He is the fulfillment of priesthood, temple, and sacrifice. The priestly figure has done his work, and now he fades away.
......" End quote from Bishop Barron.
From a Spanish Reflection today:
"But it is a contemplation full of joy. Like Elizabeth, we feel liberated from a destiny that seems to always lead to sterility, death, and meaninglessness. The birth of this child, and in the depths of any child, is always an open door to hope. Life goes on, life grows, and optimism and faith are reborn in us. Despite everything that the prophets of doom may tell us, God is with us." end quote from Fernando Torres.
And from another Spanish reflection today:
"The story reminds us that faith in God and in his promises is essential to be able to experience his grace and blessings in our lives. It challenges us to trust in God despite seemingly impossible circumstances, knowing that his power is unlimited and that his faithfulness never fails. Just as Zechariah experienced a miracle by believing in God's word, we too can experience his wonderful work in our lives if we trust in him with all our hearts." end quote from Roberto Juárez.
The Archangel Gabriel appears, to Zechariah. And about 6 months later, appears to Mother Mary, if my memory serves correctly. He appears, and when He appears, a powerhouses is going to be born. The trumpet and the horn have appeared. The announcement of God's word has been accomplished, and the world would not be the same...especially for God's chosen people. And on that note, we are to take that message to the ends of the earth as God's people, to make more of God's people.
How can you do this in your neck of the woods? The child to be born would be named "John". John means "God is Gracious". It is the explanation of true love. Be gracious. Be John. Be that one that is strong, and announcing the coming of the King, our Lord Jesus.
How can you be made strong? To be made strong, you will have to endure pain like no other. And then, strength makes for endurance. And endurance makes for headway in the goal to be achieved...oneness with the Father, creator, the love of all loves.
May our Gracious Lord bestow now, grace upon grace upon our hearts, at the coming of our Lord into our temple. |  audio | Random Bible Verse for you and me today: 1 John 4:18 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
