|
 |
Birth of Christ child: Fulfilling God's kingdom
I have a friend who burns with the desire to proclaim Jesus, come in the flesh, born of the Virgin, walking among us, teaching and sanctifying, crucified, died, buried, and raised from the dead.
He's an imperfect guy like the rest of us, but he loves Jesus and wants everyone else to love him too.
But he gets frustrated. I think he sees the ideas and the scenes in today's readings and wants them to happen now.
Fourth Sunday
of Advent
(Sunday, Dec. 24, 2006)
Micah 5:1-4a
Psalm 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19
Hebrews 10:5-10
Luke 1:39-45
|
|
|
He sees the Micah reading that points to the coming Messiah as one who "shall stand firm and shepherd his flock by the strength of the Lord" and whose "greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth," and he wants it to happen now.
He looks at Luke in which Elizabeth's baby, John the Baptist in the womb, leaps for joy in the presence of Jesus inside Mary, and he leaps himself, aware of his Lord's presence in our world.
His is a holy impatience. He wants the coming kingdom to be the present kingdom. He wants to have the moment happen now when all the kingdoms of the earth bow down to worship the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
His is a model of holy impatience for the rest of us as we strain toward not only the birth of the Christ Child at this holy season, but toward the fulfillment of his kingdom: swords beat into plowshares; the lion lying down with the lamb; the poor and humble lifted up and the rich and haughty pulled down.
|
Reflection questions
• Have you contemplated the coming kingdom of our Lord and how it proceeds from the small and humble beginning of the birth of a child?
• How can you personally hasten its coming?
|
|
And I seem to hear a refrain that will carry us forward from the stable in Bethlehem all the way to the throne room of the Lamb: "O come let us adore him. O come let us adore him. O come let us adore him, Christ the Lord."
This column is presented in cooperation with the North Texas Catholic of Fort Worth, Texas.
This week's readings
Week of December 24 - 30, 2006
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Fourth Sunday of Advent
Reading I: Mi 5:1-4a
Reading II: Heb 10:5-10
Gospel: Lk 1:39-45
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Vigil of Christmas
Reading I: Is 62:1-5
Reading II: Acts 13:16-17, 22-25
Gospel: Mt 1:1-25 or 1:18-25
Monday, December 25, 2006
The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) Mass at Midnight
Reading I: Is 9:1-6
Reading II: Ti 2:11-14
Gospel: Lk 2:1-14
Monday, December 25, 2006
Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) Mass at Dawn
Reading I: Is 62:11-12
Reading II: Ti 3:4-7
Gospel: Lk 2:15-20
|
Monday, December 25, 2006
Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) Mass During the Day
Reading I: Is 52:7-10
Reading II: Heb 1:1-6
Gospel: Jn 1:1-18 or 1:1-5, 9-14
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Feast of Saint Stephen, first martyr
Reading I: Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59
Gospel: Mt 10:17-22
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Feast of Saint John, Apostle and evangelist
Reading I: 1 Jn 1:1-4
Gospel: Jn 20:1a and 2-8
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Feast of the Holy Innocents, martyrs
Reading I: 1 Jn 1:5--2:2
Gospel: Mt 2:13-18
Friday, December 29, 2006
The Fifth Day in the Octave of Christmas
Reading I: 1 Jn 2:3-11
Gospel: Lk 2:22-35
Saturday, December 30, 2006
The Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas
Reading I: 1 Jn 2:12-17
Gospel: Lk 2:36-40
|
Pope's Prayer Intentions
December General Intention
Wise use of power: That Christ, meek and humble of heart, may inspire leaders of nations to use power wisely and responsibly.
|
December Mission Intention
Missionaries: That in every part of the world missionaries may live out their vocation with joy and enthusiasm, faithfully following in Christ's footsteps.
|
Prayer for St. Raphael Cathedral
O God,
Whose word is like fire,
who spoke to Your servant Moses in the burning bush;
who led Your people Israel out of bondage
with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night:
hear Your people as we call upon You
in both need and gratitude.
May the Cathedral fire purify Your Church
in the Diocese of Madison
so that our hearts may burn with the knowledge
that Your Church is built upon the bedrock
of Your Son, Jesus Christ.
Through the intercession of Saint Raphael,
Your messenger of healing,
in union with our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI,
and with our Bishop, Robert C. Morlino,
may we find comfort in our affliction
and the courage to proclaim
the Good News of Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God forever and ever.
Amen.
For more prayer resources visit the Office of Worship's Web page at www.straphael.org/~office_of_worship/
(Click on the link on the main page.)
|
|
