First reading from the Book of Isaiah IS 35:1-6A, 10 The desert and the parched land will exult; the steppe will rejoice and bloom. They will bloom with abundant flowers, and rejoice with joyful song. The glory of Lebanon will be given to them, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God. Strengthen the hands that are feeble, make firm the knees that are weak, say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not! Here is your God, he comes with vindication; with divine recompense he comes to save you. Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared; then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the mute will sing. Those whom the LORD has ransomed will return and enter Zion singing, crowned with everlasting joy; they will meet with joy and gladness, sorrow and mourning will flee.
Second reading from the Letter of James JAS 5:7-10 Be patient, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You too must be patient. Make your hearts firm, because the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not complain, brothers and sisters, about one another, that you may not be judged. Behold, the Judge is standing before the gates. Take as an example of hardship and patience, brothers and sisters, the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Gospel of the day From the Gospel according to Matthew MT 11:2-11 When John the Baptist heard in prison of the works of the Christ, he sent his disciples to Jesus with this question, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?" Jesus said to them in reply, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me." As they were going off, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, "What did you go out to the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? Then what did you go out to see? Someone dressed in fine clothing? Those who wear fine clothing are in royal palaces. Then why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written: Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way before you. Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." Words of the Holy Father Let us ask from John the grace of apostolic courage to always say things with truth, from pastoral love, to receive the people with the little that they can give, the first step. God will do the rest. And also the grace of doubting. Often times, maybe at the end of life, one can ask, “But is all that I believed true or are they fantasies?” the temptation against the faith, against the Lord. May the great John, who is the least in the kingdom of Heaven, and for this reason is great, help us along this path in the footsteps of the Lord. (Santa Marta, 15 December 2016)
FAUSTI - " Are you?" is the fundamental question of man to recognize his Lord. Jesus responds referring to His works, as if He were saying . "I am the One you see through what I do. Salvation is to welcome Him who comes as He reveals Himself, not as we would otherwise Him to be. After what Jesus said and did and the disciples continue in the mission, we must pronounce on Him: to accept Him is the Kingdom. Chapter 11 begins with the question of the Baptist and the response of Jesus, continues by the eulogy of the Baptist on the part of Jesus... concluding with a Beatitude that contains the nine preceding ones: "Blessed is he who is not scandalized by me! In fact, He incarnates the Word said on the mountain. John's question in prison constitutes the point of arrival of the prophecy, as a questioning of one's own expectations in order to be open to listening to what the other says. John is the man who asks himself to receive the answer by the Lord. "What have you gone to see?" Jesus asked the crowds on the Baptist. He tries to make them understand the importance of his figure: he represents the mystery of man before the mystery of God. The life of the Precursor is inseparably intertwined with that of the Saviour, like the voice to the Word, the expectation to the Expected, the water to the Spirit, the question to the answer. Not a master of certainties, but a seeker of truth, John questions himself and listens. Jesus praises him as an authentic man, so different from the half-busts that appear on display. He is the greatest of the born of women, even more so than the patriarchs and prophets. In fact, his asking himself the question "Are you?" places him on the threshold of the Coming, ready to accept His answer.John is not a weather vane, an opportunist who bends over all situations to turn them to his advantage. No wind moves him except the Spirit of God. In fact, like every prophet, he "stands" before the Lord (Jn 1:35). Whoever does not stand before Him, is agitated and acted upon his own idols and interests. The prophet denounces sin, calls for conversion and announces forgiveness. John is more than a prophet: he is the threshold between promise and fulfillment, the culmination of prophecy. But the smallest in the Kingdom is greater than him. If he is the point of arrival of the promise, the smallest in the kingdom is the beginning of fulfillment. And this beginning is violent, as the labor pains of childbirth. Jesus is the Lord who comes for "His" judgment. John is the messenger before the Face, the living Elijah who prepares the reception (Ml 3,23...) The Church is made up of the little ones who find their patriarch in the greatest of all those born of women. They are generated by his question, the summit of that expectation to which the Awaited can and wishes to respond.
First reading from the Book of Isaiah
RispondiEliminaIS 35:1-6A, 10
The desert and the parched land will exult;
the steppe will rejoice and bloom.
They will bloom with abundant flowers,
and rejoice with joyful song.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to them,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the LORD,
the splendor of our God.
Strengthen the hands that are feeble,
make firm the knees that are weak,
say to those whose hearts are frightened:
Be strong, fear not!
Here is your God,
he comes with vindication;
with divine recompense
he comes to save you.
Then will the eyes of the blind be opened,
the ears of the deaf be cleared;
then will the lame leap like a stag,
then the tongue of the mute will sing.
Those whom the LORD has ransomed will return
and enter Zion singing,
crowned with everlasting joy;
they will meet with joy and gladness,
sorrow and mourning will flee.
Second reading from the Letter of James
JAS 5:7-10
Be patient, brothers and sisters,
until the coming of the Lord.
See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth,
being patient with it
until it receives the early and the late rains.
You too must be patient.
Make your hearts firm,
because the coming of the Lord is at hand.
Do not complain, brothers and sisters, about one another,
that you may not be judged.
Behold, the Judge is standing before the gates.
Take as an example of hardship and patience, brothers and sisters,
the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
Gospel of the day
From the Gospel according to Matthew
MT 11:2-11
When John the Baptist
heard in prison of the works of the Christ,
he sent his disciples to Jesus with this question,
"Are you the one who is to come,
or should we look for another?"
Jesus said to them in reply,
"Go and tell John what you hear and see:
the blind regain their sight,
the lame walk,
lepers are cleansed,
the deaf hear,
the dead are raised,
and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.
And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me."
As they were going off,
Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John,
"What did you go out to the desert to see?
A reed swayed by the wind?
Then what did you go out to see?
Someone dressed in fine clothing?
Those who wear fine clothing are in royal palaces.
Then why did you go out? To see a prophet?
Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.
This is the one about whom it is written:
Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you;
he will prepare your way before you.
Amen, I say to you,
among those born of women
there has been none greater than John the Baptist;
yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."
Words of the Holy Father
Let us ask from John the grace of apostolic courage to always say things with truth, from pastoral love, to receive the people with the little that they can give, the first step. God will do the rest. And also the grace of doubting. Often times, maybe at the end of life, one can ask, “But is all that I believed true or are they fantasies?” the temptation against the faith, against the Lord. May the great John, who is the least in the kingdom of Heaven, and for this reason is great, help us along this path in the footsteps of the Lord. (Santa Marta, 15 December 2016)
FAUSTI - " Are you?" is the fundamental question of man to recognize his Lord.
RispondiEliminaJesus responds referring to His works, as if He were saying . "I am the One you see through what I do.
Salvation is to welcome Him who comes as He reveals Himself, not as we would otherwise Him to be.
After what Jesus said and did and the disciples continue in the mission, we must pronounce on Him: to accept Him is the Kingdom.
Chapter 11 begins with the question of the Baptist and the response of Jesus, continues by the eulogy of the
Baptist on the part of Jesus... concluding with a Beatitude that contains the nine preceding ones: "Blessed is he who is not scandalized by me!
In fact, He incarnates the Word said on the mountain.
John's question in prison constitutes the point of arrival of the prophecy, as a questioning of one's own expectations in order to be open to listening to what the other says.
John is the man who asks himself to receive the answer by the Lord.
"What have you gone to see?" Jesus asked the crowds on the Baptist. He tries to make them understand the importance of his figure: he represents the mystery of man before the mystery of God.
The life of the Precursor is inseparably intertwined with that of the Saviour, like the voice to the Word, the expectation to the Expected, the water to the Spirit, the question to the answer.
Not a master of certainties, but a seeker of truth, John questions himself and listens.
Jesus praises him as an authentic man, so different from the half-busts that appear on display.
He is the greatest of the born of women, even more so than the patriarchs and prophets.
In fact, his asking himself the question "Are you?" places him on the threshold of the Coming, ready to accept His answer.John is not a weather vane, an opportunist who bends over all situations to turn them to his advantage. No wind moves him except the Spirit of God. In fact, like every prophet, he "stands" before the Lord (Jn 1:35). Whoever does not stand before Him, is agitated and acted upon his own idols and interests. The prophet denounces sin, calls for conversion and announces forgiveness. John is more than a prophet: he is the threshold between promise and fulfillment, the culmination of prophecy.
But the smallest in the Kingdom is greater than him. If he is the point of arrival of the promise, the smallest in the kingdom is the beginning of fulfillment. And this beginning is violent, as the labor pains of childbirth.
Jesus is the Lord who comes for "His" judgment.
John is the messenger before the Face, the living Elijah who prepares the reception (Ml 3,23...)
The Church is made up of the little ones who find their patriarch in the greatest of all those born of women. They are generated by his question, the summit of that expectation to which the Awaited can and wishes to respond.