The dominion of the Lord is boundless in peace that has no end.
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom
a light has shone.
You have brought them abundant joy
and great rejoicing,
as they rejoice before you as at the harvest,
as people make merry when dividing spoils.
For the yoke that burdened them,
the pole on their shoulder,
and the rod of their taskmaster
you have smashed, as on the day of Midian.
For a child is born to us, a son is given us;
upon his shoulder dominion rests.
They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero,
Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.
His dominion is vast
and forever peaceful,
from David’s throne, and over his kingdom,
which he confirms and sustains
by judgment and justice,
both now and forever.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It is presumed by some scholars that this oracle of Isaiah was developed as a liturgical piece, used to celebrate the ascension of a king to the throne of Israel. The Prophet, however, speaks here of the “ideal or ultimate” king, Emmanuel [Immanuel] (see Isaiah 7:14), not a historical person, but a predicted future king (we of course see the Messiah in hindsight). The symbolism describes freedom from enslavement (the image of a yoked beast of burden is commonly used in this context) as the taskmaster (enslaver) is cast off.
The oracle celebrates this future King and Messiah as one who brings wisdom from God and peace for all times. The passage concludes identifying the source or lineage of this Christ as from David’s line and references his promised succession.
CCC: Is 9:5 2305
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RESPONSORIAL PSALM
RESPONSORIAL PSALM
R. (See 9) The Lord speaks of peace to his people.
I will listen for the word of God;
surely the LORD will proclaim peace
to his people, to the faithful,
to those who trust in him.
Near indeed is salvation for the loyal;
prosperity will fill our land.
R. The Lord speaks of peace to his people.
Love and truth will meet;
justice and peace will kiss.
Truth will spring from the earth;
justice will look down from heaven.
R. The Lord speaks of peace to his people.
The LORD will surely grant abundance;
our land will yield its increase.
Prosperity will march before the LORD,
and good fortune will follow behind.
R. The Lord speaks of peace to his people.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Psalm 85 is a communal lament that focuses on the woes of the nation. These strophes reflect the joy of salvation at the restoration of the land following the destruction of the temple and the Diaspora. Those faithful to God see the reward: a land restored, justice returned, and the salvation of God. When used in the context of the Advent season, the theme of preparation for a time of peace is announced. It is a clear tie to the herald of the Messiah, echoing Isaiah’s oracle (Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11).
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GOSPEL
You will conceive and bear a son.
In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This passage, from St. Luke’s Gospel, is the story of Mary being informed by the archangel Gabriel that she has been chosen for the great privilege of bearing the Savior of the world. St. Mary graciously accepts this honor, although with very human fear, indicating that her free will is at play. This response makes her obedience to God’s will more powerful. It is proposed that, with this acceptance, Mary entered into a vow of perpetual virginity because of the demands of Isaiah 7:14: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel."
In St. Luke’s story of the Annunciation, the archangel Gabriel comes to Mary and tells her she will bear a son and name him Jesus (the eternal implication of this statement is made clear in the greeting which presupposes knowledge of Mary’s entire existence). Mary confirms the title “Virgin” as she questions Gabriel saying: “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” Even though she does not understand, Mary accepts her role and is told that the Holy Spirit will be the agent of the life within her. She then utters those amazing words: "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word."
This announcement parallels Zechariah’s news about John the Baptist (Luke 1:5-23), also delivered by the archangel Gabriel. This passage clearly identifies Jesus as Son of David and Son of God, thus linking it with the messianic predictions from the Old Testament.
CCC: Lk 1:26-38 497, 706, 723, 2571; Lk 1:26-27 488; Lk 1:26 332; Lk 1:28-37 494; Lk 1:28 490, 491; Lk 1:31 430, 2812; Lk 1:32-33 709; Lk 1:32 559; Lk 1:34 484, 497, 505; Lk 1:35 437, 484, 486, 697; Lk 1:37-38 494; Lk 1:37 148, 269, 273, 276; Lk 1:38 64, 148, 510, 2617, 2677, 2827, 2856
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reflection:
Pax
(alt.) The Lectionary for Special Masses for the BVM uses a different translation of the psalter than the Lectionary for Mass.
When
we consider the Mother of God, there are times in her life when the title the
Archangel Gabriel gave to the Blessed Mother, “Full of Grace,” demonstrate the
gift of peace Jesus wished for us. In
the Gospel, St. Luke recounts the visit of Gabriel when he announced to Mary
that she had been chosen to bear the salvation of human race in her womb.
There are
many possible reactions Mary could have had to the Annunciation: disbelief, she
could have (as we might) think the incident was a hallucination and been
terrified; she might have rejected the idea, not wishing to cooperate with God’s
plan; or she could accept her role with perfect obedience, as she did. In doing so we see Mary, full of grace, become
to Queen of Peace. In her we see complete contentment that comes with knowing absolutely she is with God, and
God is with her.
Her
inner peace and tranquility spills out of her when she is later greeted by her
cousin Elizabeth. She tells her: “My
soul proclaims (magnifies) the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God
my Savior.” She is the very image of what we, who hope and trust in her son,
Jesus, want to be, full of the peace of Christ, which is beyond all
understanding.
The
Blessed and Ever-Virgin Mary lived to see Simeon’s prophecy validated. Sorrow pierced her heart, yet the peace of
God, sustained by grace, never left her.
She recognized in her great wisdom that we are born of a race capable of
great cruelty and ignorance, which can cause great pain. Yet even in those times, she was at peace,
knowing that God would triumph through his Only Begotten Son.
Even
today she wishes us the grace and peace of her son, whose first words to his
disciples in the locked room were “Peace be with you.” Her example, full of grace, was the absolute
peace of one completely at one with Christ.
It is that oneness that gave the martyrs and saints strength to endure great
tribulation, with complete peace, free from physical torment. It is that peace she wishes for us, the children
of her faith.
Can we
imagine a world in which each person knew Jesus and was infused with his
peace? It would be heaven on earth
indeed. On this day, let us do our part
to accept the sacramental grace we receive, allowing it to fill us up with the love
and peace of Christ so that we can go into the world, spreading the spirit of
peace obedient to Our Lady, Queen of Peace.
Pax
(alt.) The Lectionary for Special Masses for the BVM uses a different translation of the psalter than the Lectionary for Mass.
No comments:
Post a Comment