Friday - December 16, 2016
We always find that those who walked closest to Christ were those who had to bear the greatest trials.
-- St. Teresa of Avila
TODAY'S READINGS
Friday of the Third Week in Advent
December 16, 2016
Friday of the Third Week in Advent
Lectionary: 191
Reading 1IS 56:1-3A, 6-8
Thus says the LORD:
Observe what is right, do what is just;
for my salvation is about to come,
my justice, about to be revealed.
Blessed is the man who does this,
the son of man who holds to it;
Who keeps the sabbath free from profanation,
and his hand from any evildoing.
Let not the foreigner say,
when he would join himself to the LORD,
“The LORD will surely exclude me from his people.”
The foreigners who join themselves to the LORD,
ministering to him,
Loving the name of the LORD,
and becoming his servants–
All who keep the sabbath free from profanation
and hold to my covenant,
Them I will bring to my holy mountain
and make joyful in my house of prayer;
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices
will be acceptable on my altar,
For my house shall be called
a house of prayer for all peoples.
Thus says the Lord GOD,
who gathers the dispersed of Israel:
Others will I gather to him
besides those already gathered.
Observe what is right, do what is just;
for my salvation is about to come,
my justice, about to be revealed.
Blessed is the man who does this,
the son of man who holds to it;
Who keeps the sabbath free from profanation,
and his hand from any evildoing.
Let not the foreigner say,
when he would join himself to the LORD,
“The LORD will surely exclude me from his people.”
The foreigners who join themselves to the LORD,
ministering to him,
Loving the name of the LORD,
and becoming his servants–
All who keep the sabbath free from profanation
and hold to my covenant,
Them I will bring to my holy mountain
and make joyful in my house of prayer;
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices
will be acceptable on my altar,
For my house shall be called
a house of prayer for all peoples.
Thus says the Lord GOD,
who gathers the dispersed of Israel:
Others will I gather to him
besides those already gathered.
Responsorial PsalmPS 67:2-3, 5, 7-8
R. (4) O God, let all the nations praise you!
May God have pity on us and bless us;
may he let his face shine upon us.
So may your way be known upon earth;
among all nations, your salvation.
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
May the nations be glad and exult
because you rule the peoples in equity;
the nations on the earth you guide.
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
The earth has yielded its fruits;
God, our God, has blessed us.
May God bless us,
and may all the ends of the earth fear him!
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
May God have pity on us and bless us;
may he let his face shine upon us.
So may your way be known upon earth;
among all nations, your salvation.
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
May the nations be glad and exult
because you rule the peoples in equity;
the nations on the earth you guide.
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
The earth has yielded its fruits;
God, our God, has blessed us.
May God bless us,
and may all the ends of the earth fear him!
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Come, Lord, bring us your peace
that we may rejoice before you with a perfect heart.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
“You sent emissaries to John, and he testified to the truth.
I do not accept testimony from a human being,
but I say this so that you may be saved.
John was a burning and shining lamp,
and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light.
But I have testimony greater than John’s.
The works that the Father gave me to accomplish,
these works that I perform testify on my behalf
that the Father has sent me.”
Come, Lord, bring us your peace
that we may rejoice before you with a perfect heart.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelJN 5:33-36
Jesus said to the Jews:“You sent emissaries to John, and he testified to the truth.
I do not accept testimony from a human being,
but I say this so that you may be saved.
John was a burning and shining lamp,
and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light.
But I have testimony greater than John’s.
The works that the Father gave me to accomplish,
these works that I perform testify on my behalf
that the Father has sent me.”
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Testimony Greater than John’s
Introductory Prayer: Father, you turn our weakness into strength. Give us the courage to bear witness to your truth. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Petition: Jesus, let me live this day united to you.
1. John Was a Burning and Shining Lamp: The beauty of creation confesses the beauty of the Creator. The order of the universe shows his wisdom and providence. And the saints reveal God’s holiness in a magnificent way. Such was the case with St John the Baptist. John’s light was not his own. It was God’s grace, with which John collaborated by his sincere effort to seek and serve God in all things. Genuine union with God makes the heart and soul glow with holiness.
2. For a While You Were Content to Rejoice in His Light: The not so distant death of Pope Saint John Paul II demonstrates the attractive force of holiness as lived by the saints. At his funeral, the multitudes came to pay respects to the one they esteemed to be a “man of God.” In the same way, the multitudes came to John the Baptist to hear his message which resonated in their hearts. His message and example stirred their hearts with the hope that he might be the long-awaited Messiah. However, the saints never try to draw us to themselves. Like living signs, they point beyond themselves to a greater reality: Jesus. Souls never come to us to admire the brilliance of our extraordinary human gifts, but only to receive the warmth of holiness and true love for our Lord.
3. But I Have Testimony Greater than John’s: The saints are examples of holiness but Jesus himself is the source and model of all holiness (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 459). As Jesus comes to establish God’s Kingdom in every human heart, even the holiness of the greatest of saints is but a dim reflection of the grandeur of God the Father. Jesus continuously acknowledges that love for his Father is the driving force in his life. He comes to reveal his Father to us, and in so doing he announces and procures our eternal adoption as the Father’s children.
Dialogue with Christ: Jesus, I want to live united to you in prayer so as to live faithfully to you in my actions. You are holy and ask me to be holy. I want to be holy not for my own sake, but as a way of loving you and bringing others to know you. Without your grace I cannot do this. Mother Most Pure, make my heart only for Jesus.
Resolution: Today I will read about prayer from the Catechism of the Catholic Church (hint: the fourth and final section of the Catechism).
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God Bless You.....
KONKANI PRAYER GROUP - Abu Dhabi
"Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone" Mark 16:15
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