Monday, December 9, 2024

10-DEC-'24, Tuesday of the Second Week of Advent


Tuesday of the Second Week of Advent
Lectionary: 182

Reading 1
Isaiah 40:1-11
Comfort, give comfort to my people,
says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her
that her service is at an end,
her guilt is expiated;
Indeed, she has received from the hand of the LORD
double for all her sins.

A voice cries out:
In the desert prepare the way of the LORD!
Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!
Every valley shall be filled in,
every mountain and hill shall be made low;
The rugged land shall be made a plain,
the rough country, a broad valley.
Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
and all people shall see it together;
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

A voice says, "Cry out!"
I answer, "What shall I cry out?"
"All flesh is grass,
and all their glory like the flower of the field.
The grass withers, the flower wilts,
when the breath of the LORD blows upon it.
So then, the people is the grass.
Though the grass withers and the flower wilts,
the word of our God stands forever."

Go up onto a high mountain,
Zion, herald of glad tidings;
Cry out at the top of your voice,
Jerusalem, herald of good news!
Fear not to cry out
and say to the cities of Judah:
Here is your God!
Here comes with power
the Lord GOD,
who rules by his strong arm;
Here is his reward with him,
his recompense before him.
Like a shepherd he feeds his flock;
in his arms he gathers the lambs,
Carrying them in his bosom,
and leading the ewes with care.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 96:1-2, 3 and 10ac, 11-12, 13
R.(see Isaiah 40:10ab)  The Lord our God comes with power.

Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Sing to the LORD; bless his name;
announce his salvation, day after day.
R. The Lord our God comes with power.

Tell his glory among the nations;
among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.
Say among the nations: The LORD is king;
he governs the peoples with equity.
R. The Lord our God comes with power.

Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
let the sea and what fills it resound;
let the plains be joyful and all that is in them!
Then let all the trees of the forest rejoice.
R. The Lord our God comes with power.

They shall exult before the LORD, for he comes;
for he comes to rule the earth.
He shall rule the world with justice
and the peoples with his constancy.
R. The Lord our God comes with power.

Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The day of the Lord is near;
Behold, he comes to save us.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Matthew 18:12-14
Jesus said to his disciples:
"What is your opinion?
If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray,
will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills
and go in search of the stray?
And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it
than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.
In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father
that one of these little ones be lost.”

Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections 

The Joy of Our Lord

“Jesus said to his disciples: “What is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray?”  Matthew 18:12

This Gospel passage goes on to say that the man who finds that one stray sheep “rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.” At first, this might seem unfair. Why not primarily rejoice over the ninety-nine who did not stray? Saint Hillary, in commenting on this passage, interprets the man who sought out the one stray sheep as the Son of God. He left the “ninety-nine,” meaning the glory of the hosts of Heaven, to descend to earth to seek out straying humanity. Humanity as a whole is that one lost sheep. That includes us all.

The first thing this interpretation reveals to us is that the Son of God was clearly sent on a mission to seek out each and every one of us after we strayed far from the Father in Heaven. The Father did not sit back and wait for us to return. Rather, He sent the Son on a diligent mission of seeking us out to bring us back into His divine fold.

As we reflect upon this passage, it is important to see the zeal and determination of our Lord as He seeks us out. Do you see this in your own life? Sometimes we can fall into the trap of thinking that it is primarily our responsibility to seek out God. And though we certainly have this responsibility, our duty is made much easier when we understand how passionately our Lord seeks us out and desires to find us when we stray. Only in Heaven will we fully understand all that our Lord has done to seek us out, day in and day out. But for now, we must strive to understand this spiritual truth so that we will be more open to Jesus’ diligent search for us.

A second thing this passage reveals is the joy in the Heart of the Son of God every time He finds us and carries us away from our sin. Too often we can fall into the trap of seeing God as a judgmental God who is angry at us and condemning. But if we understand the extent to which the Son of God went, so as to find us when we stray, and if we can understand the joy in His heart upon finding us and carrying us away from sin, then we will more readily open ourselves to Him, to His gentle invitations, and to His merciful Heart every time He comes to us by grace.

Reflect, today, upon the great anticipation in the Heart of our Lord as He personally seeks you out. The anticipation is that of joy—the joy that He is filled with as He picks you up and gently carries you back to the Father. Allow this joy in the Heart of our Lord to come to fruition so that you will share in this abundance of joy.

Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body 

THE ADVENT DESERT

“In the desert prepare the way of the Lord!” —Isaiah 40:3

The desert and the wasteland are mentioned in both the first reading and the Gospel reading for today’s Mass. Isaiah speaks of a voice crying out in the desert, “Prepare the way of the Lord! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!” (Is 40:3) In the Gospel, a sheep strays from the safety of the shepherd’s care and the shepherd goes off to search for it (Mt 18:12ff). In Luke’s parallel version of this parable, the ninety-nine sheep are left in the “wasteland” (Lk 15:4) while the shepherd searches for the lost sheep.

Advent is more a trip into the desert than “walking in a winter wonderland.” Jesus goes into the desert to bring “comfort” (Is 40:1), to seek the lost, to transform the desert into a place of hope. Just as God was present for forty years with the Israelites in the desert, giving them manna from heaven to eat and miraculous water to drink, so Jesus goes into the desert. Jesus, the Rock, followed His people in the desert (1 Cor 10:4), nourishing and protecting them. He calls us to likewise comfort those in deserted places.

Advent is a time to wait in joyful hope. Possibly you know someone who is wandering in the desert rather than in a place of hope. Jesus, the Good Shepherd (Jn 10:11), has gone into the desert. If Jesus goes into the desert, then as His disciples, we follow Him into the Advent desert. We go where He goes, in search of lost sheep. Jesus transforms the desert and makes it bloom (Is 35:6ff). He makes the “rough country” a “broad valley” (Is 40:4).

Are you in a desert this Advent? Receive the Lord’s comfort (Is 40:1) and give it to others. “Rejoice, for the Lord is near!”

Prayer:  Jesus, I want to prepare Your way. Give me a great desire to straighten Your paths into the lives of all who need You.

Promise:  “It is no part of your heavenly Father’s plan that a single one of these little ones shall ever come to grief.” —Mt 18:14

Praise:  Pope Francis established the feast of Our Lady of Loreto in 2019, writing, “This celebration will help all people…to imitate the virtues of that perfect disciple of the gospel, the Virgin Mother.”

Reflection 3
Shared from Daily Liturgy

In the parable of the Lost Sheep, we see God’s pursuit of His lost children. Sometimes we are more concerned with our own reputation and position than with the needs of the people. Jesus reveals how God feels towards each person, even the weakest of his flock. It is not enough simply not to cause stumbling, but disciples must also actively seek to prevent anyone from stumbling. When shepherds fail to guard their sheep, they get lost. When sheep are not cared for well, they go astray either to escape or in search of food and water. It is not the sheep that has to be blamed or punished, but the shepherd for his/her lack of responsibility. God would not be pleased with the loss of a single soul from His flock.
 
Prayers 
My diligent Lord, You seek me out, day and night, never tiring of calling me to return more fully to Yourself. Please help me to fill Your Heart with joy by always responding to Your gentle invitations of love and mercy. Jesus, I trust in You.

Lord Jesus, nothing escapes your watchful gaze and care. May I always walk in the light of your truth and never stray from your loving presence.

Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy

Reflection 344: Stop Worrying About Sin
That may sound like an unusual heading.  You should be concerned about sin inasmuch as you should diligently seek to avoid it.  But if you were to realize that your understanding of the Mercy of God is but a drop of water compared to the ocean, you would not allow your concerns to turn into worries.  To be concerned is to be conscientious and being conscientious is a grace.  But when you look at your sin, honestly and thoroughly, in the light of the Mercy of God, you will never worry that your sin is too much for God.  His greatest desire is to wipe it away in an instant, forever (See Diary #1665).

Reflect upon whether you are comfortable facing your sins with exceptional honesty.  If you are not then that is a sign that you do not understand His infinite Mercy.  Know that comprehending His Mercy is the best cure for every sin.

Lord, I see my sin but I want to see it more clearly.  Give me the grace of knowing Your perfect Mercy so that I can face my sin without worry and without fear.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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