December 12, 2015

Ntra. Sra. de Guadalupe

December 12, 2015:  Our Lady of Guadalupe

On today's guest dresser:
Bought as key fob from the
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels
Gift Shop

See 12 connections with today?
Legend below
Listen
For Mary

For gospel
Magnificat settings (since end of gospel is the start of the Magnificat)
Pope Francis homily
“The Lord is in your midst, a mighty savior; he'll rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love, he'll sing joyfully because of you.”  These words to Israel also refer to Mary, the Church, and every person.  God loves us so much that he rejoices and takes pleasure in us.  He loves us without limits and without expecting anything in return.
The word 'mercy,' miseri-cordia, is composed of two words: 'misery' and 'heart.'  The heart indicates the capacity to love; mercy is that love, embracing our misery, feeling our poverty, and freeing us.  “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us....”  “The Word became flesh” to share our frailties,  to experience our human condition, even to take upon himself the Cross.  Such is the depth of compassion and mercy:  a fusion to place himself in service of a wounded humanity.  No sin can cancel his merciful closeness or prevent him from unleashing grace, if we invoke it.  God's mercy comes to us with the Spirit in Baptism, enabling and nourishing the life of his disciples.  The Spirit makes possible the miracle of a more human, joy- and hope-filled life.
“The Lord is near”; nothing should make us anguished.  The greatest mercy lies in his being with us, walking with us, showing us the path of love, lifting us when we fall, always accompanying us, opening us to see the world's miseries, and filling us with hope.  He's the source of our peace and happiness.  Cultivate this experience of mercy, peace, and hope.  Announcing the Good News to the poor and performing works of mercy are good ways to look for Jesus' coming at Christmas. 
Mary “mother of mercy,” has experienced God's mercy and hosted its source, Jesus, in her womb.  She knows he wants everyone to be saved, that God’s tenderness and consolation reach everyone.  To her we entrust the people throughout the Americas, who love her as a mother and recognize her as Patroness, Our Lady of Guadalupe.  May her sweet gaze be with us, so we rediscover God's tenderness.  May this jubilee year be a planting of merciful love in individuals, families, and nations.  May we become merciful people, and may all Christian communities be oases of mercy, witnesses to a charity that doesn't allow exclusions.  May she guide the American people....
The Gifts and Calling of God are Irrevocable:  On theological questions about Catholic-Jewish relations, continued from yesterday
Revelation in history as ‘Word of God’ in Judaism and Christianity


The Old Testament presents God’s plan of salvation, expressed in the call to Abraham.  To reveal himself and speak to us, redeem us from sin, and gather us as one, God chose Israel through Abraham and set them apart.  God revealed himself gradually through prophets as the one, true, living, redeeming God.  Only after God freed Israel from slavery in Egypt and established the covenant at Sinai did the tribes truly become a nation conscious of being his people, bearers of his message and promises, and witnesses of his merciful favor.  To instruct his people on how to fulfill their mission, God gave Israel the law defining how to live.

Like the Church today, Israel bears the treasure of its election in fragile vessels.  Its relationship with the Lord is the story of faithfulness and unfaithfulness.  To fulfil his saving work despite his instruments' smallness and weakness, he showed his mercy and gracious gifts, as well as his faithfulness to his promises.  At every step, God set apart a ‘small number,’ a ‘remnant,’ a handful of the faithful who ‘have not bowed to Baal.’  Through this remnant, God realized his saving plan.  The object of his election and love remained the chosen people as through them all humanity is gathered and led to him.  The Church is the new people of God, but “the Jews should not be presented as rejected or accursed by God.”

God revealed himself in his Word; this Word invites all people to respond.  If they respond in accord with God's Word, they stand in right relationship with him.  Jews can learn this Word through the Torah and the traditions based on it.  Whoever observes the Torah has fullness of life and communion with God.  “The Christian confessions find their unity in Christ; Judaism finds its unity in the Torah.  Christians believe Jesus Christ is the Word made flesh; for Jews the Word of God is present above all in the Torah.  Both faiths find their foundation in the One God of the Covenant, who reveals himself through his Word.  Christians turn to Christ as fount of new life, and Jews to the Torah” (Pope Francis).  Judaism and Christianity are two ways by which God’s people can make the Hebrew Scriptures their own.  A response to God’s saving word that accords with one or the other tradition can thus open up access to God.  Scripture testifies to his will that all be saved; there are not two paths to salvation.  Christians proclaim Christ’s saving work  is universal, involving everyone.  God’s word is one reality that  takes concrete form in each historical context.

Christians affirm Jesus Christ can be considered ‘the living Torah of God.’  Torah and Christ are the Word of God; his revelation testifies to his boundless love.  Christians believe Christ pre-existed as the Word and Son of the Father, and according to rabbinical tradition the Torah and the name of the Messiah exist before creation.  Jews understand that God interprets the Torah in the Eschaton, while Christians understand that everything is recapitulated in Christ in the end.  Jesus Christ is seen as the ‘new Moses,’ the authoritative interpreter of the Torah.  Rabbinical literature, however, identifies the Torah with Moses.  Christ as the ‘new Moses’ can be connected with the Torah.  Torah and Christ are the locus of God's presence in the world as experienced in the respective worship communities.  Hebrew dabar means both 'word' and 'event,' so one may conclude the word of the Torah may be open for the Christ event.  [to be continued]
Read
  • Zec 2:14-17  Rejoice!  I'm coming to dwell among you.  Many shall join themselves to the Lord and be his people.  Silence!  The Lord stirs forth from his holy dwelling.
  • Jdt 13:18bcde, 19  "You're the highest honor of our race."  Blessed are you, daughter, above all women, and blessed be Creator God.  Those who tell God's might won't forget your deed of hope.
  • Lk 1:26-38  Gabriel / Mary:  “Hail, full of grace!  The Lord is with you.  Don't be afraid; you'll bear a son and name him Jesus; he'll be called Son of the Most High.  God will give him David's throne; he'll rule forever.”  “How?” “The Holy Spirit and God's power.  The child will be God's Son.  'Barren' Elizabeth has also conceived; nothing is impossible for God.”  “I'm the Lord's handmaid; may it be done.”
  • Lk 1:39-47  Mary traveled to Zechariah's house.  When Elizabeth heard Mary, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, Spirit-filled, cried, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.  How can my Lord's mother come to me?  When I heard you, my son leaped.  Blessed are you who believed what God told you.”  Mary:  “My soul proclaims God's greatness.”
Year of Mercy Update


SeekMercy.org:  On Wednesday I pointed you to this site as it was being developed.  Check it out now; it's ready!
Reflect
      • Creighton:  When Mary found out she was pregnant, she rushed to her cousin who was also expecting.  Gaillardetz captures such moments in our own lives:  Embodied presence is vital to authentic interpersonal engagement because our embodiment creates the conditions for both separateness from another and presence to another.  When I am present to another, there's vulnerability.  Out of Mary's encounter with Elizabeth emerges Mary's Magnificat:  "Her song is the oldest Advent hymn, the most passionate, the wildest,... the most revolutionary ever,... a hard, strong, inexorable song about collapsing thrones and humbled lords, God's power, and our powerlessness.  Old Testament women prophets come alive in Mary’s mouth" (Bonhoeffer).  Mary’s solidarity with Elizabeth evoked her passion.  Both were carrying sons who would transform the world.  Their time with one another laid the foundation for generations.  May the encounter of Mary and Elizabeth remind us to be present in all of our relationships and always hear God's voice...
        Our Lady of Guadalupe/ Loyd
      • One Bread, One Body:  "When Mary visits":  When Mary visited Elizabeth, both Elizabeth and baby John were filled with the Spirit, then Mary proclaimed the Lord's greatness and announced a spiritual revolution in which the lowly would replace the mighty.  When Mary visited Mexico, eight million were converted to Jesus in seven years, launching a spiritual revolution ending the sacrifice of thousands of children.  May we accept Mary as our mother and help usher in another spiritual revolution....
      • Passionist:  Our Lady appeared to Juan Diego four times in an area called “de Guadalupe,” meaning “she will crush the server of stone,”  at the time of the Spanish annihilation of the native peoples.  Her message was, “I, your mother, am here.  You're under my shadow and my protection.”  There used to be no national boundaries dividing people of the Americas.  Our Lady promises to be the Mother of all who dwell in the land.  Meet and greet those who are different from you.  We build the Church through inclusion of all.
      • DailyScripture.net:  "Elijah must first come":  God gives signs to show what he is about to do. John the Baptist is one; he pointed to Jesus and prepared the way for him.  John is the last and greatest prophet of the old kingdom, the old covenant.  The Jews expected that when Messiah would come, Elijah would appear to announce him.  John filled Elijah's role and prepared the way for Christ by preaching a baptism of repentance.  We too must prepare for the Lord's coming by turning from everything that would keep us from pursuing his will.
      Today's saints, from Universalis


      Dress legend

      • 'Magnificat' pin (gospel)
      • 'Our Lady of Guadalupe' pin (feast)
      • 'Star' tie pin:  Woman clothed with the sun with crown of 12 stars; dragon's tail swept stars away (1st reading)
      • 'Crown' tie bar:  crown of stars on sun-clothed woman, diadems on dragon's heads
      • 'Angel' pin:  Gabriel came to Mary (gospel)
      • 'Jubilee year' pin:  Mary rejoices in God (gospel); Jubilee of Mercy in progress
      • White shirt:  color of the day
      • Purple in tie and suspenders:  Advent season
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