The Word Among Us Advent 2017

Complete Catholic Mass and Daily Meditations DECEMBER 3-31 WAU.ORG

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DAILY MEDITATIONS FOR ADVENT 2017

Do You See What I See?

Advent 2017 | Volume 37, Number 1

Inside this issue. . .

Do You See What I See? Do You See What God Sees?

Looking at the Christmas story through our Father’s eyes.

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Do You See What Mary Sees?

We can treasure and ponder the Christmas mysteries with our Blessed Mother.

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Praying with Mary and the Angel

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What Do You See? God is offering us the gifts of hope, peace, and mercy.

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Daily Meditations December 3–31

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This Issue’s Special Features

The

Spirit of Catholic Living

A Daily Approach to Prayer & Scripture

An Apostle of Peace How Pope John XXIII invited the whole world to come to the manger.

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Resting in My Mother’s Arms How Mary comforted me during my pilgrimage to Bethlehem.

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Surprised by Brotherhood A Baptist minister helped me to be a better navy priest.

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Online at wau.org, or call us at 1-800-775-WORD (9673). www.facebook.com/wordamongus

Pray for Peace, People Everywhere

T

he Christmas song “Do You Hear What I Hear?” was written by Noël Regney and Gloria Shayne Baker in 1962. The song has sold tens of millions of copies. What most people do not know is that Regney and Baker wrote this song in response to the Cuban Missile Crisis and the looming threat of a nuclear war. The song is less about celebrating the birth of Jesus and more about a call to “pray for peace” and to ask this child who “shivers in the night” to “bring us goodness and light.”

In this special Advent issue, we want to look at the question “Do you see what I see?” We want to ask this question from the viewpoint of God the Father, the Virgin Mary, and the Holy Spirit. “When I look at the manger, do I see what God sees? Do I see what Mary sees? Do I see what the Holy Spirit sees?” It’s our hope that by looking at the Christmas manger through their eyes, we can come to appreciate the gift of Jesus’ birth in a new way.

to Mass at least twice a week. I tried hard to be a good person. I had been an altar boy. I wanted God’s help, and I did not want to go to hell. But at the root of it all, my life was all about me: my school, my sports, my food, my girlfriend, my money, my car, my fun—me, me, me.

All that changed in a moment, when I went to my first prayer meeting. One of the leaders of the group gave a talk on the disciples’ question about the woman who anointed Jesus with expensive perfume: “Why this waste?” (Matthew 26:8). “It’s not a waste for us to give ourselves to Jesus,” the leader said, “because he wasted himself on us.” When I heard these words, I felt as if I began to see what God sees. I began to see Jesus in a whole new light. That experience changed my life; it made me want to spend my life serving him, not myself.

Pray for Peace. The season of

Advent is the perfect time for us to come see Jesus in a new way. It’s the perfect time to look at the baby in the manger and see the depth of his love for us. It’s the perfect time to say, It’s Not About Me. Forty-six “Jesus, I give you my life. Lord, I want years ago, I was what you might to be an instrument of your peace in call a “good Catholic boy.” I went the world.”

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There is so much selfishness, anger, and division in the world.

Now, more than ever, we need to “pray for peace,” as the song implores us. Now, more than ever, we need to sow peace wherever we can. Now, more than ever, we need to try to see what God sees, not only when we look at the manger, but

The

Joe Difato Publisher (joe@wau.org)

Spirit of Catholic Living

Publisher: Joseph Difato, PhD Editor: Leo Zanchettin Associate Editor: Susan Heuver Features Editor: Kathryn Elliott Assistant Editor for International Editions: Lynne May Assistant Editor for Meditations: Hallie Riedel Contributing Writers: Ann Bottenhorn, Jill Boughton, Bob French, P.M. Graham, Theresa Keller, Christine Laton, Joel Laton, Laurie Magill, Lisa Sharafinski, Patty Whelpley Art Direction: David Crosson Design: Suzanne Earl Theological Advisors: Fr. Joseph A. Mindling, OFM Cap, Fr. Joseph F. Wimmer, OSA Proofreader: Ginger Roché TWAU Partners: Orlando Barros, Angela Burrin For questions about your subscription or to contact our editor, write to The Word Among Us, 7115 Guilford Dr. STE 100 Frederick, Maryland 21704.

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when we look at each and every person.

On behalf of all of us at The Word Among Us, I want to wish you a blessed and merry Christmas.

President: Jeff Smith Chief Operations Officer: Jack Difato General Manager: John Roeder The Word Among Us Press Sales Manager: Don Cooper Editor: Beth McNamara Associate Editor: Patricia Mitchell Production Manager: Nancy Clemens Data Entry Manager: Natalie Cleland Customer Service Manager: Shannan Slovon Parish Service Manager: Mary Callahan Internet Services Manager: Theresa Keller Distribution Manager: Diane Menapace Information Services Managers: Darla Forbes, Melanie Goggin Articles in this booklet may be reproduced with prior approval of the publisher for use in Bible studies, discussion groups, religion classes, and the like. Excerpts from the New American Bible with Revised New Testament and Psalms, Copyright © 1991, 1986, 1970, by the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. Used with permission. All rights reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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do you see what God

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Said the night wind to the little lamb . . .

sees?

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o begins the beloved Christmas song “Do You Hear What I Hear?”

When we hear this song every December, we usually think it’s about hearing, seeing, and knowing what happened the night Jesus was born. But that wasn’t the main intent of the couple who wrote the song.

Noël Regney and his wife, Gloria Shayne Baker, collaborated on this song in October 1962, at the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Regney was walking down a street in New York City thinking about the new Christmas song he had been commissioned to write. With the Soviet Union and the United States on the brink of nuclear war, everyone on the street seemed subdued and nervous. But then he spotted two women walking with their babies in strollers. “The little angels were looking at each other and smiling,” Regney recalled. “All of a sudden, my mood became extraordinary.”

The children reminded Regney of little lambs, and they became the inspiration for his new song. So using Christmas images of a little lamb, a shepherd boy, and a mighty king, he and his wife placed their plea for peace, which came right in the middle of the Cuban Missile Crisis, right in the middle of the manger scene.

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Baker and Regney were right. The theme in their song—seeing and hearing and knowing something new—can be a perfect way for us to find peace during this season of Advent. So let’s do just that. Let’s imagine three different people asking us, “Do you see what I see?”—God the Father, the Virgin Mary, and the Holy Spirit. What did God see as he looked on his people lost in sin?

What did Mary see when she beheld her newborn Son? And what does the Holy Spirit see today—both in our hearts and in the world around us?

As we do, let’s ask God to give new light to the “eyes of our hearts” so that we can be filled with his joy and his peace (Ephesians 1:18).

Through Our Father’s Eyes.

When God asks us, “Do you see what I see?” he is asking us to try to look at this world through his eyes of love and mercy. When he sees the world, he sees a beautiful creation that he still calls “very good” (Genesis 1:31). He enjoys watching the sun rise and hearing the roar of the ocean. He delights in the flowers of the field and the birds of the air. Even landscapes as forbidding as the Arctic’s frozen tundra and the Sahara’s burning sands fill him with joy.

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But nothing gives God greater joy than we do. Loving Father that he is, he rejoices when he sees us trying to care for each other and working to make the world a better place.

He celebrates each of our personal successes and is proud of our every achievement. He sees the good in us, even when we have a hard time seeing it. And when we are hurting, he wants nothing more than to comfort us and help us stand up straight and tall once more.

What else does he see? He sees all the pain and suffering in the world, and he weeps over it. He agonizes over the wars that kill thousands and displace millions.

He suffers over every single person who is alone, living in poverty, starving, or afflicted with painful illnesses. He even feels all the little hurts of life that everyone faces.

He sees it all. He feels it all, and he longs to reach out to all people through his people.

An Unexpected Strategy. While God enjoys all the good he sees, he also suffers over the evil and sadness and loneliness he sees. In fact, it was seeing how his children were suffering under the weight of sin and all its effects that moved him to send his Son into the world.

Let’s ask God to give new light to the “eyes of our hearts” so that we can be filled with his joy and his peace.

But God seemed to follow an unexpected strategy in unfolding his plan.

He could have sent his Son to be born into a wealthy family. He could have given his Son to Israel’s chief priest and his wife—or even to King Herod.

Doesn’t that seem like a good idea?

He could get the attention of the most influential people in Israel, people who could spread the word far more effectively than any ordinary citizen.

While this strategy might make the most sense to us, it didn’t fit into God’s designs. He chose instead to send his Son to a poor family in

Nazareth rather than a royal family in Jerusalem. He chose hay instead of a down mattress for his bed. He chose shepherds and livestock instead of courtiers and servants for his companions. Then he told us, “Look at the manger. Do you see what I see? I wanted my Son to be born into poverty to prove that I am connected to all of you—rich and poor, healthy and sick, strong and weak. I care for all of you, and I want you all to imitate the humility that this Holy Family has.”

Everyone Is Worthy. At the very start of his ministry, Jesus told us Advent 2017 | 7

the same thing that his Father had said. He had come to bring “glad tidings” to prisoners, “sight to the blind,” relief to the poor, and freedom to the oppressed (Luke 4:18).

Prisoners are not only those locked in jail cells. Selfish and sinful mindsets like jealousy and resentment can lock us up. The blind are not only those who have lost their eyesight.

Any of us can be blind to God’s love or to our neighbors’ needs. Being poor is not always about money.

Many people are emotionally broken, lonely, or spiritually dry—they are lacking in the resources they need to live whole and healthy lives. Jesus sees all of these people, and his heart goes out to them. Of course he has come to save them!

The people who know they are “poor” are most open to Jesus’ saving power. By contrast, people who are “rich” in themselves are not as open. They value their views over God’s views. They treasure their priorities over God’s priorities. They don’t see themselves as lowly and needy before the Lord. What’s more, they tend to be unaware of the needs of those who truly are lowly. It’s as if they have no room in the “inn” of their hearts for Jesus.

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needy. He has a special place in his heart for those who are truly poor and on the margins. He has special care for those who are both economically poor and those who feel emotionally or spiritually poor. So don’t disqualify yourself if you can only see the areas of your life that feel trapped in some kind of “poverty.” God sees all of you—every good and holy attribute that brings him delight and every wound and sin that sadden his heart.

He is always close to you. He knows you and he cares for you. He will never reject you or look down on you. If you feel unworthy of such love, remember that it’s not true.

God is saying to us, “Do you see what I see? Everyone is worthy. I lifted up the lowly shepherds and the powerful Magi alike. This is exactly how my Son, Jesus, acted as well. He lifted up lowly people like prostitutes and tax collectors, and he lifted up influential people like Jairus, the synagogue leader, or Chuza, the wife of one of Herod’s most powerful public servants.”

A Rewarding Vision. When the shepherds heard the angels announce the good news of Christ’s birth, they immediately stopped what they were doing, left their sheep, and hurried to Bethlehem. When they arrived at the

The shepherds were able to look at the world with the same love, hope, and mercy that fill God’s heart. manger, all they saw was a little baby.

Outwardly, he didn’t seem special or different from any other newborn.

Still, the shepherds’ efforts were rewarded. Their spiritual eyes were opened, and they were able to see in this baby the fulfillment of God’s love and his promise of salvation.

Luke tells us that the shepherds responded with joyful praise, with amazement, and with an eagerness to tell other people about what they had seen (Luke 2:17-20). That’s because they caught a glimpse of God’s own vision for the world. They were able

to look at the world as God does, with the same love, hope, and mercy that fill his heart.

God wants to reward us in the same way. He wants to give us our own glimpse into his vision and plan. Especially during this holiday season, our days can be so busy that we barely have time to sit back and think, much less to talk with the Lord. But the effort is well worth the reward. If we can spare just a little time each day to be with him, we’ll be blessed. We’ll begin to see what God sees. And that vision will change our hearts as we celebrate the birth of the Lord. n Advent 2017 | 9

MEDITATIONS

DECEMBER 3–9

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Sunday, December 3 Mark 13:33-37 Be watchful! Be alert!

(Mark 13:33) It’s the First Sunday of Advent, and you have just received an invitation: The Most High God requests the honor of your presence at the entry of his Son into the world. This unprecedented event will be followed by a joyous celebration in two locations: heaven and earth. The event will take place on December 25, and you are encouraged to spend the next four weeks preparing for the festivities.

Welcome to Advent—a season of hope and expectation! Over the course of the next month, you may be part of family gatherings. You might reenact time-honored traditions: buying gifts, decorating homes, and preparing special meals.

And to crown all these observances, Jesus himself will come and visit you. As today’s Gospel tells us, we may not know when he is coming, but he promises he will come.

Even now, he is looking for new ways to touch your heart. Right now,

he is preparing special gifts of grace and blessing for you—Advent and Christmas presents that he will give as you open your heart to him.

What kind of gifts will he give?

Reminders of his Father’s love. A sense of hope as you face life’s challenges. New insights and wisdom that you can share with your loved ones. Freedom from guilt as you lay your sins and failings at his feet. And above all, peace and joy as he tells you that he has you in the palm of his hand.

So take up his invitation today!

Do everything you can to be alert and ready to receive Jesus and his gifts. Try to spend a little more time in daily prayer and Scripture reading.

Go to Confession so that you can get rid of anything that blocks you from receiving his love and his gifts.

Jesus wants to celebrate with you.

And he’s given you a whole month to get ready! Step by step, day by day, you can draw closer to the Lord— and feel him draw closer to you!

“Jesus, I accept your invitation.

By your Spirit and your grace, help me to get ready for your coming on Christmas Day.” !

Isaiah 63:16-17, 19; 64:2-7 Psalm 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19 1 Corinthians 1:3-9

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Monday, December 4 Isaiah 2:1-5 They shall beat their swords into plowshares. (Isaiah 2:4) Sparks fly with each strike of the hammer. Heat billows from the furnace. The sound of metal against metal clangs in the air. A blacksmith, applying the tools of his trade, takes a sword and slowly, painstakingly reshapes it into a plow blade.

Is this what Advent looks like to you? It’s the image Isaiah used when he prophesied about the coming Messiah. He described a kingdom where swords were no longer necessary. Instead, these obsolete tools of war and instruments of death would be turned into instruments of life and peace.

This is how God asks us to prepare for the coming of Jesus at Christmas; it’s what Advent is all about. We all have swords in our lives, “tools” that we use to hurt one another. Maybe we have a short temper. We might be moody and hold grudges, or maybe we’re quick to insult or condemn. The Lord wants to take those biting words and teach us how to speak with compassion and understanding. He wants to take our anger and re-form it into mercy. He wants to help us take steps toward making peace in our relationships.

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This image of swords turning into plowshares is one way to explain exactly why Jesus became man—to turn us from the destruction of sin so that each of us can become a tool for peace. This is what the Messianic Age looks like—an age when people are more concerned about building each other up than tearing them down.

Experience tells us that this beating of swords into plowshares doesn’t happen automatically. We need to cooperate with the divine Blacksmith.

We need to surrender our swords to him so that he can help us reshape them. That’s why the Sacrament of Reconciliation is so vital.

So take the time to examine your conscience before Christmas. Don’t be afraid to look for those swords, the ways you have injured yourself or the people around you. Then go to Confession. God is ready to forgive, heal, and strengthen you. He is ready to make you an expert in the art of peace, not war. He can take every act of repentance, every bit of time spent in prayer, every sacrifice or act of generosity, and fill it with his grace.

“Father, thank you for this season of Advent. Lord, I surrender my swords to you.” !

Psalm 122:1-9 Matthew 8:5-11

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Tuesday, December 5 Isaiah 11:1-10 The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him. (Isaiah 11:2) Wisdom, understanding, counsel, strength, knowledge, fear of the Lord: the list probably sounds familiar. You likely memorized it at your Confirmation. But these gifts are more than abstract virtues that you hope will materialize in your life.

They are practical tools that God has given you to help you live a Spiritfilled, victorious life. He has placed them in your spiritual tool belt, hoping that you will take them out and learn how to use them.

One thing you’ll discover is that as you take out a tool or try to exercise a spiritual gift, God will come alongside and help you. He will give you the strength to turn from temptation. He will bring to your mind a “word of wisdom” to use when a friend or loved one is anxious and doesn’t know what to do next. He will give you the courage to say no to temptation.

Far from being abstractions, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are meant to be very practical. Try dusting them off and experimenting with different ways you can use them in your everyday life.

Here’s one way: let’s say your child is going through a rebellious

or anxious phase in life, and it’s making you feel like tearing your hair out. Take out the tool of understanding. Pray about what life is like for that child right now.

Try to anticipate a situation that may be difficult for the two of you and decide ahead of time how to approach it. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you find the right balance between correction and encouragement. At the end of the day, look back at that situation, and see how God helped you use this gift. Perhaps you surprised your child by connecting in a new way.

Perhaps you need to ask your child’s forgiveness for something you said or failed to do. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you what to build on or work on tomorrow.

The more you practice, the more you’ll find the giver of these good gifts working right with you.

“Thank you, Holy Spirit, for the gifts you have given me. Help me learn how to put them to better use in building your kingdom.” !

Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17 Luke 10:21-24

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Wednesday, December 6 Matthew 15:29-37 How many loaves do you have?

(Matthew 15:34) While it tells the story of a wondrous miracle—the multiplication of the loaves and fishes—today’s Gospel reading also shows that we are not passive recipients at the banquet of life. Yes, Jesus performed the miracle. Yes, he fed a large crowd with very little food; no one else could have done that. But everyone there that day had a role to play.

The people in the crowd did their part. They actively sought Jesus, bringing their sick friends and relatives to him. Then, when they saw him heal, they “glorified” God (Matthew 15:31). When they grew hungry, rather than rushing off to find food or turning into a restless mob, they listened to the disciples and sat down quietly, waiting to see what Jesus would do. They were amazed at the miracle he performed and ate their fill.

The Twelve also played a vital part in this miracle. First, Jesus shared his concern with them: “My heart is moved with pity for the crowd” (Matthew 15:32). Then they gathered their resources and brought them to him. After Jesus gave thanks for these gifts and the food was multiplied, it was the disciples who

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passed it around to all the people sitting in amazement.

Just as the people in today’s Gospel were not spectators, God doesn’t want us to be spectators either—especially not at Mass! Just as the people did in his time, we can come to Mass hungry for his word and thirsty for his touch. We can participate actively in the worship and bring our gifts and our needs to him during the offertory. Then, after Jesus has transformed the gifts, we can come to the altar and receive more than enough to satisfy us.

Our God is a generous God. He gives us much more than we ask for. He asks us how many “loaves” we have, even though he knows the answer. Then he takes the little that we offer him and multiplies it a hundredfold so that we are filled up to overflowing with his grace. He never stops giving, over and over again, every time we celebrate Mass!

“Jesus, I offer you my heart, my mind, my will. Take all my desires.

Bless them and multiply them for the good of your kingdom.” !

Isaiah 25:6-10 Psalm 23:1-6

Friday, December 3

Daily Mass Readings December 3– December 31, 2017

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Sunday, December 3 1st Sunday of Advent

See the Lord coming from afar; his splendor fills the earth.—Advent Antiphon, Liturgy of the Hours Entrance To you, I lift up my soul, O my God. Antiphon In you, I have trusted; let me not be put to shame.

Nor let my enemies exult over me; and let none who hope in you be put to shame.

Cf. Ps 25 (24):1-3 Collect Grant your faithful, we pray, almighty God,

the resolve to run forth to meet your Christ with righteous deeds at his coming, so that, gathered at his right hand, they may be worthy to possess the heavenly Kingdom.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

First Isaiah 63:16b-17, 19b; 64:2-7 Reading You, LORD, are our father,

our redeemer you are named forever.

Why do you let us wander, O LORD, from your ways, and harden our hearts so that we fear you not?

Return for the sake of your servants, the tribes of your heritage.

Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, with the mountains quaking before you, while you wrought awesome deeds we could not hope for, such as they had not heard of from of old.

No ear has ever heard, no eye ever seen, any God but you doing such deeds for those who wait for him.

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Sunday, December 3 Would that you might meet us doing right, that we were mindful of you in our ways!

Behold, you are angry, and we are sinful; all of us have become like unclean people, all our good deeds are like polluted rags; we have all withered like leaves, and our guilt carries us away like the wind.

There is none who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to cling to you; for you have hidden your face from us and have delivered us up to our guilt.

Yet, O LORD, you are our father; we are the clay and you the potter: we are all the work of your hands.

Responsorial Psalm 80 Psalm R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we

shall be saved.

O shepherd of Israel, hearken, from your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth.

Rouse your power, and come to save us. R. Once again, O LORD of hosts, look down from heaven, and see; take care of this vine, and protect what your right hand has planted, the son of man whom you yourself made strong. R. May your help be with the man of your right hand, with the son of man whom you yourself made strong.

Then we will no more withdraw from you; give us new life, and we will call upon your name. R. Second 1 Corinthians 1:3-9 Reading Brothers and sisters: Grace to you and peace from God our

Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I give thanks to my God always on your account for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus, that in him you were enriched in every way, with all discourse and all knowledge, as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you, so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revelation M2 | MASS READINGS SUPPLEMENT

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Sunday, December 3 of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will keep you firm to the end, irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Gospel Alleluia, alleluia.

Acclamation Show us, Lord, your love;

and grant us your salvation. Ps 85:8 Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mark 13:33-37 Reading JESUS SAID TO HIS DISCIPLES: “Be watchful! Be alert! You do not

know when the time will come. It is like a man traveling abroad.

He leaves home and places his servants in charge, each with his own work, and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch.

Watch, therefore; you do not know when the Lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning. May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’”

Profession (See Liturgy, page L3) of Faith Prayer Accept, we pray, O Lord, these offerings we make, over the gathered from among your gifts to us, Offerings and may what you grant us to celebrate devoutly here below

gain for us the prize of eternal redemption.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Communion The Lord will bestow his bounty, and our earth shall yield Antiphon its increase. Ps 85 (84):13 Prayer after May these mysteries, O Lord, Communion in which we have participated,

profit us, we pray, for even now, as we walk amid passing things, you teach us by them to love the things of heaven and hold fast to what endures.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Monday, December 4

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Monday, December 4 Saint John Damascene, Priest and Doctor of the Church (Optional Memorial)

Lord, do not let my heart lean either to the right or to the left, but let your good Spirit guide me along the straight path.

—St. John Damascene Entrance Your priests, O Lord, shall be clothed with justice; Antiphon your holy ones shall ring out their joy. Cf. Ps 132 (131):9 Collect Grant, we pray, O Lord,

that we may be helped by the prayers of the Priest Saint John Damascene, so that the true faith, which he excelled in teaching, may always be our light and our strength.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

First Isaiah 2:1-5 Reading This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz, saw concerning Judah and

Jerusalem.

In days to come, The mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established as the highest mountain and raised above the hills.

All nations shall stream toward it; many peoples shall come and say: “Come, let us climb the LORD’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, That he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths.”

For from Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

He shall judge between the nations, and impose terms on many peoples.

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Monday, December 4 They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; One nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again.

O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD! Responsorial Psalm 122 Psalm R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

I rejoiced because they said to me, “We will go up to the house of the LORD.” And now we have set foot within your gates, O Jerusalem. R. Jerusalem, built as a city with compact unity.

To it the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD. R. According to the decree for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD. In it are set up judgment seats, seats for the house of David. R. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!

May those who love you prosper!

May peace be within your walls, prosperity in your buildings. R. Because of my relatives and friends I will say, “Peace be within you!”

Because of the house of the LORD, our God, I will pray for your good. R. Gospel Alleluia, alleluia.

Acclamation Come and save us, Lord our God;

let your face shine upon us, that we may be saved. Cf.. Ps 80:4 Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Matthew 8:5-11 Reading WHEN JESUS ENTERED CAPERNAUM, a centurion approached him

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Monday, December 4 paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.” He said to him, “I will come and cure him.” The centurion said in reply, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I say to you, many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven.”

Prayer Receive, O Lord, we pray, over the the offerings placed on your altar Offerings in commemoration of blessed Saint John Damascene,

so that, as you brought him glory, you may, through these sacred mysteries, grant to us your pardon.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Communion Blessed is the servant whom the Lord finds watching Antiphon when he comes. Amen, I say to you:

He will put that servant in charge of all his property.

Cf. Mt 24:46-47

OR This is the steward, faithful and prudent, whom the Lord set over his household, to give them their allowance of food at the proper time. Lk 12:42 Prayer after May partaking at the heavenly table, almighty God, Communion confirm and increase strength from on high

in all who celebrate the feast day of blessed Saint John Damascene, that we may preserve in integrity the gift of faith and walk in the path of salvation you trace for us.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

M6 | MASS READINGS SUPPLEMENT

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The Order of Mass INTRODUCTORY RITES Entrance Antiphon

(See each day.)

Greeting

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

And with your spirit.

(Other forms of the Greeting may be used.)

Penitential Act

Brethren (brothers and sisters), let us acknowledge our sins, and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries.

I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned, in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do, (The people strike their breast, saying:) through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault;

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therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin, all the Angels and Saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God. May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.

Amen.

(Other forms of the Penitential Act may be used.)

Kyrie

(The Kyrie is omitted if it has already been used in one of the forms of the Penitential Act.) V. Lord, have mercy.

V. Christ, have mercy.

V. Lord, have mercy.

Or: V. Kyrie, eleison.

V. Christe, eleison.

V. Kyrie, eleison.

Gloria

R. Lord, have mercy.

R. Christ, have mercy.

R. Lord, have mercy.

R. Kyrie, eleison.

R. Christe, eleison.

R. Kyrie, eleison.

(When it is prescribed, this hymn is either said or sung:) Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will.

We praise you, we bless you, we adore you, we glorify you, we give you thanks for your great glory, Lord God, heavenly King, O God, almighty Father.

L2 | LITURGY

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Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son, Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us; you take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer; you are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us.

For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father.

Amen.

Collect

(See each day.)

LITURGY OF THE WORD Readings Profession of Faith

(See each day.)

I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages.

God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; ADVENT 2017 | L3

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through him all things were made.

For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, (At the words that follow, up to and including and became man, all bow.) and * by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. * (At Mass on Christmas, kneel at the words and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate) For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.

He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.

I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.

I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.

(The Apostles’ Creed may be used instead of the Nicene Creed.)

L4 | LITURGY

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Prayer of the Faithful

LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST Presentation and Preparation of the Gifts

Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, for through your goodness we have received this bread we offer you: fruit of the earth and work of human hands, it will become for us the bread of life.

Blessed be God for ever.

Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, for through your goodness we have received the wine we offer you: fruit of the vine and work of human hands, it will become our spiritual drink.

Blessed be God for ever.

Invitation to Prayer

Pray, brethren (brothers and sisters), that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father.

May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands for the praise and glory of his name, for our good and the good of all his holy Church.

Prayer over the Offerings

(See each day.)

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EUCHARISTIC PRAYER I Preface Dialogue

V. The Lord be with you.

R. And with your spirit.

V. Lift up your hearts.

R. We lift them up to the Lord.

V. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. R. It is right and just.

Preface

(Then follows the Preface to be used in accord with the rubrics, which concludes:)

Preface Acclamation

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts.

Heaven and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest.

(Words within brackets may be omitted.)

To you, therefore, most merciful Father, we make humble prayer and petition through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord: that you accept and bless these gifts, these offerings, these holy and unblemished sacrifices, which we offer you firstly for your holy catholic Church.

Be pleased to grant her peace, to guard, unite and govern her throughout the whole world, together with your servant N. our Pope and N. our Bishop, and all those who, holding to the truth, hand on the catholic and apostolic faith.

L6 | LITURGY

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An Apostle of Peace

How Pope John XXIII Invited the Whole World to Come to the Manger

C

by Kathryn Elliott

lear, bright stars sparkled outside Angelo Roncalli’s window on Christmas Eve of 1902. As merrymakers reveled in the streets of Rome, his fellow seminarians lay asleep in their beds. The future pope, however, sat at his desk pondering the birth of Jesus. At age twentyone, he had just completed a grueling year of military service in the Italian National Army, and now he wanted nothing more than to pray and get back into the rhythm of seminary life.

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As he pictured himself in the scene at Bethlehem, he was filled with a sense of unworthiness. “I am a poor shepherd,” he wrote. “I have only a wretched stable, a small manger. . . .

The straws of so many imperfections will prick you and make you weep— but O my Lord, what can you expect?

This little is all I have.”

It was the beginning of a lifelong contemplation of the infant Christ—a contemplation that would transform the “little” he had and form him into a beloved leader of the whole Church.

An Expanding Vision. A couple of weeks later, at a Mass concluding the Octave of Epiphany, Roncalli once again pondered a Nativity scene, this one displayed on the altar: What thoughts filled my mind, what emotions filled my heart at the sight of Jesus being worshipped by the shepherds and the three kings! I thought of the Gospel preached to the Gentiles, of the Christian missions scattered throughout the world, of the truly Catholic, that is, universal Church. O Lord Jesus, your star

has appeared in every sky and yet so many have not recognized it. . . . May all the peoples serve you, love you, and acclaim you as their Savior.

The son of poor Italian tenant farmers could not escape the idea that Jesus had come for the whole world: East and West, rich and poor, baptized and unbaptized. He wanted the whole world to experience the light of the gospel that felt so near to him that Christmas.

Nearly sixty years later, as Pope John XXIII, he would be in a unique position to bring this vision to life.

Early Growing Pains. Ordained in 1904, Roncalli spent the next twenty years in Italy, honing the skills of a pastor and church administrator. He had no diplomatic training, however, so he was surprised when Pope Pius XI appointed him to serve as his representative to Bulgaria—the first diplomatic representative from Rome to that country in five centuries.

This would be the first of many opportunities for him to stretch out Advent 2017 | 53

a hand of welcome to Christians and non-Christians alike. To strengthen Roncalli’s credibility, the pope consecrated him a bishop before he left. Other prelates assured him the faraway posting would be brief.

He left for Sofia in 1925, with two principal tasks before him.

The first task was to assure Bulgaria’s small Eastern Catholic population that they had not been forgotten. On the ground, this meant getting permission from Rome for them to open a local seminary for priests.

Roncalli’s other main priority was to get to know the large Orthodox population in Bulgaria. He accomplished this by taking trips to remote villages on mules or jolting carts.

Before long, he had forged strong personal relationships with Bulgarians of all denominations.

From Disquiet to Peace. By 1930, however, five years had passed, and Roncalli felt like the Lord was testing his patience. For one thing, arrangements for the seminary were barely inching forward—because of delays in Rome. On top of that, even after all those years, Roncalli was uncertain about the scope of his mission in Bulgaria to the diverse religious groups. With these and other 54 | The Word Among Us

anxieties weighing heavily on his mind, he was in need of divine help as the time approached for his annual personal retreat. He left for a retreat house on the Danube to meditate on St. Ignatius of Loyola’s Spiritual Exercises.

That retreat was a special turning point. As he prayed and meditated, he felt that God gave him the grace of detachment, along with new and tangible acceptance of his assignment.

Concluding the retreat, he asked God to help him continue to embrace his responsibilities, however uncertain and new they were.

The following year, on his fiftieth birthday, Roncalli was still feeling the effects of that retreat. “Since then,” he wrote, “I have felt, and I still feel, more composed and ready for whatever the future may bring.” It was a peace of mind that would last until his death.

Fraternal Arms and Warm Heart.

Content and at peace, Roncalli spent several more years in Bulgaria. At the end of 1934, he was reassigned to Turkey—a majority Muslim country that was even further afield. Roncalli, who had come into Bulgaria unnoticed, received a grand farewell from his treasured friends. They were sad to see him go: from representatives

Roncalli told the Bulgarians about an Irish custom in which families leave a lighted candle in the window at Christmas to show Jesus and Mary that they await their arrival. of the royal court to newly minted seminarians.

In a homily at Christmas that served as his farewell, Roncalli told the Bulgarians about an Irish custom in which families leave a lighted candle in the window at Christmas to show Jesus and Mary that they await their arrival. He promised to do the same: Nobody knows the paths of the future. Wherever I may go, if a Bulgarian passes by my door, whether it’s night-time or whether he’s poor, he will find that candle lighted at my window. Knock,

knock. You won’t be asked whether you’re a Catholic or not; the title of Bulgarian brother is enough. Come in. Two fraternal arms will welcome you, and the warm heart of a friend will make it a feast day.

Roncalli would carry this attitude of openness and peacemaking with him during twenty-two more years of diplomatic work. In Turkey, he worked tirelessly to build bridges of kindness and understanding with the Muslim majority. In Greece, he reached out in friendship to his Orthodox brothers and sisters. And in France, he worked hard to bring reconciliation between factions that Advent 2017 | 55

had formed as a result of World War II. Everywhere he went, he found opportunities to restore broken relationships and soften people’s hearts toward the Church.

sense of peace that God had given him during that retreat on the Danube—not even when the white smoke arose from the Sistine Chapel in 1958, announcing him pope.

Formed by the Holy Spirit. A Church Shining for the World.

Despite all his good works, Roncalli had been largely off the radar of the Roman Curia. That changed, however, when he was recalled to Italy in 1953 to serve as the cardinal-archbishop of Venice. He was delighted to take up pastoral work in an Italian diocese, and his international resume soon grabbed the attention of many cardinals. Unknown to him, over the past five decades, the Holy Spirit had been quietly forming him into a viable candidate for the papacy.

It was as if his whole life and career were preparation for this final task.

Having dealt with a host of political and interreligious conflicts, he was able to look clearly and calmly at global tensions emanating from the Cold War, as well as conflicts in Asia and Africa. He was able to look at factions within the Catholic Church, as well as between Catholics and Christians of other traditions, and see how few bridges had been built.

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Despite geopolitical unrest, Pope John XXIII saw a significant opportunity for the Church at the time of his election. He perceived the potential for a new era of openness, where the Church could shine as a beacon to the peripheries of the world. This is why, only three months after his election, Pope John made a surprising announcement.

He invited the bishops of the world to meet in Rome for what would be called the “Second Vatican Council.”

John saw the council as a chance for the Church to better meet the needs of its global and diverse members. It was also a chance to promote friendship with other Christian traditions.

Finally, for him, this was an opportunity to invite the Holy Spirit to renew the Church, that the light of the gospel might reach new peoples and new places.

In October 1962, at age eighty, Pope John officially opened the council. He set the tone by condemning the “prophets of doom” who saw only darkness and evil in the world.

As pope, Roncalli brought to life his vision of sharing the gospel with many peoples and tribes.

(Papal Audience with Navajo Indians, May 16, 1961)

He promised instead that the Church would use the “medicine of mercy.”

Then he let the bishops get to work as he followed the proceedings in his apartment on closed circuit television. He stepped in once or twice to ensure that the council stayed true to his evangelistic vision, but for the most part, he entrusted his project to the Holy Spirit and the council fathers.

Illness was slowing John down, but he wanted to stay focused on his vision of the peoples and tribes of the earth paying homage to Jesus in the manger. When he died on June 3, 1963, it seemed as if the whole world mourned him. One newspaper ran

the headline, “A Death in the Family of Mankind.”

Come, Let Us Adore. More than fifty years later, it is just as important that we keep spreading the message of salvation and hope for all people.

So as you look at the crèche this year, ask Pope John, now a saint, to help you to reflect its light, just as he did.

The mission of evangelization starts at the manger—and continues with each of us. n Kathryn Elliott is an editor for The Word Among Us. For help praying about the Nativity, visit wau.org and read Pope John’s own beautiful meditations on the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary.

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