THE BAPTISM OF JESUS - C- 2022

Ø  The Lord goes with other men from his village and from other villages to be baptized.   

Ø  We are going to see something wonderful.   

Ø  Let us enter, as always, with reverence in our inner sanctuary where the Lord dwells and let us listen to what he says to us.   

Ø  This Sunday participates of the Epiphany meaning, Word which means manifestation, and it participates also of the ordinary time which begins the day after the baptism.   

FIRST READING  Is 40:1-5.9-11

ü  This reading is taken from the Second Isaiah or Book of Consolation.   

ü  The prophet calls someone to console Jerusalem, to tell her that her service, her exile is over.  During this exile Israel has acknowledge her smallness, her sinfulness, and the unconditional love of her God.   

ü  One voice is heard what does it say? “in the desert prepare a way for the Lord”

o   What desert is the prophet talking about?   

o   Could it be the desert that they will have to cross to reach their homeland?   

o   Can it be our inner desert, where we are invited to prepare a way, straightening what is crooked in our life; to pave the irregular path so that it is passable, so that our life is welcoming and pacifying.

o   The prophet says that this way is so that our God can come to us, I would rather say for us to discover His silent and patient presence waiting for us, to realize that He is at the door and knocking.

ü  When we had prepared the way, the Lord will reveal his glory to us and all being of flesh will realize that God has spoken.

o   What is this glory of the Lord? Jesus is the glory of the Father.  

ü  Again, the prophet invites us, now it is to proclaim from all the high places the good news, yes, we are all invited to proclaim the good news.  

o   What is this good news?   That God has become flesh and dwells among us.

ü  How is our God? The prophet by means of images taken from the shepherd’s life describes the tenderness with which God takes care of us.  

ü  He takes care of the deportees on their return; he takes care of us on the path of life in which we return to Him as well.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM:  Ps. 103(104)

R. (1)  O bless the Lord, my soul.
O LORD, my God, you are great indeed!
     you are clothed with majesty and glory,
robed in light as with a cloak.
     You have spread out the heavens like a tent-cloth;
R. O bless the Lord, my soul.
You have constructed your palace upon the waters.
     You make the clouds your chariot;
you travel on the wings of the wind.
     You make the winds your messengers,
and flaming fire your ministers.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul.
How manifold are your works, O LORD!
     In wisdom you have wrought them all
the earth is full of your creatures;
     the sea also, great and wide,
in which are schools without number
     of living things both small and great.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul.
They look to you to give them food in due time.
     When you give it to them, they gather it;
when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul.
If you take away their breath, they perish and return to the dust.
     When you send forth your spirit, they are created,
and you renew the face of the earth.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul.

v  The author of the psalm praises God, sings to God and he pictures Him   

o   As king, he says “you are clothed with majesty and glory.” 

o   He continues describing what God is   using the elements of nature in a very beautiful way.  

v  Then he tells God how all creatures are waiting for him for their food and,  if He does not look at us we return to dust, but God gives us new life with his breath of life. 

v  God renews the face of the earth. Now that we want to repair the damage we have done to the earth, maybe it would be good to look at the way God takes care of creation, to imitate Him. 

SECOND READING – Paul to Titus 2:11-14:3-47

§  The grace of God has appeared for the salvation of every human being. 

§  This grace teaches us to renounce to what is evil and to live the present time in justice and truth.  

§  Until we see the fulfillment of our hope the glorious manifestation of our God and Savior Jesus Crist; He has offered himself for our wellbeing. 

§  God our Savior has manifested his kindness, his love for all. 

§  Paul speaks of the work accomplished in us by our baptism  

§  Paul says that the grace that has been given to us makes of us heirs in hope of eternal life.  

§  Let us meditate on these words “heirs of eternal life.”   

§  How does that affect our life, if we take seriously what Paul says of our baptism?    

GOSPEL– Lc.3:15-16.21-22

      The people that went to be baptized by John wonder whether John was the Christ, the Messiah, they expected.   

      John tells the truth, he who comes after me is so great that I am not even worthy to untie the strap of its sandals.   

      He announces to them that he will baptize them not only in water as John, but in the Spirit and fire.   

      Jesus has arrived at the Jordan to be baptized like the rest, after his baptism he prays, while He is praying the heavens open and the Spirit descends on Him in the appearance of a dove and a voice, the voice of the Father says to Him “You are my beloved Son, You are my joy.”   

      The Father wants to say the same about us, you are my beloved son, my beloved daughter.  

      Do I feel that this is so in my life? Do I feel that I am the Father’s beloved daughter, beloved son?  

     

CLARETIAN CORNER

Do I find my joy in my God?   

  

 

To Sister Antonia París

Puerto Príncipe, October 8  1853

My dear Sister, I have received your letter together with the letter from the Bishop of Urgel;  in reply, I say, that he wrote the same to me regarding the Rules; and I already answered what I judged prudent, that both for the Government that had to give permission for the foundation, and to satisfy you, the Rules were indispensable, these and not those of St. Benedict. Once your Foundation is approved by the Government, it is at the prelate's prerogative to approve everything that is wanted. With this answer I gave to him and to you it seems to me that you will all understand me. In the rest there is no novelty. Entrust me to God and give expressions to all the Sisters and Girls.                                 

Antonio María Archbishop of Cuba

P D - I had already written the letter when I received your letter and in response I say to you, continue acting  as you see fit. I will   entrust you to God so that he will let you know what you have to do. 

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

RR. de María Inmaculada Misioneras Claretianas. Cartas de los Orígenes. Madrid 2009.

 SOLEMNITY OF THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD   - C - 2022 

INTRODUCTION

·         The liturgy of this first Sunday of the   new  year 2022 presents the narration of the Magi, the wise men who came from the East to adore the new born King of the Jews. 

·         The intrigues that will surround the life of Jesus, the Son of God made man, already began.  

·         There is a sort of irony in this account:  

o   Pagan men, but also wise men, know how to read the signs that creation offers, they discover the King of the Jews.

o   His people, the king and the scribes, who supposedly knew the Scriptures, reject him. Because they know the Scriptures, they fear that this king will come to upset their security, the best way to deal with him is to eliminate him.   

o   Does anything similar happen in our life?

 

FIRST READING  – Is 60:1-6

«  This reading is taken from the book of the Third Isaiah. Everything in it breathes optimism, joy, light.   

«  The dominant theme is the light, the glory of God is the light that illumines the city of Jerusalem. 

«  The earth is covered with darkness, but upon you will shine the glory of the Lord.  

«  This light as a lighthouse will lead the nations toward you.  

«  Look with joy, with joy they come from all the nations, the foreigners but most of all your children who were scattered, those who left in tears now they come back singing with joy. 

«  We can understand this joy, many among us, almost all of us, live far from our homeland, if one day the return is made possible, we will experience this same overwhelming joy, and over all those who stayed in the country will be filled with joy. 

«  They will bring to you the riches of the nations, caravans of camels will come bringing gold, frankincense, and myrrh, proclaiming the praises of God. 

 

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Ps 72 

 

R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts;
the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute.
All kings shall pay him homage,
all nations shall serve him.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

 

      This psalm is a prayer for a King or for the heir to the Crown.  

      We find in it the theme of justice which we ask for the king, so that he will be able to govern with equity.  

      We have again the theme of the kings from foreign lands coming bringing their gifts to the king.  

      This king in his justice will do good to the poor and marginalized, in this he will be like God whose justice is manifested as compassion and mercy.

 

Letter to the Ephesians

Ø  This letter is one of the letters called “letters from the captivity”, because they mention the prison, other letters from this group are Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon

Ø  About the date of its composition the authors have different opinions. Those who consider that this letter had been written by Paul have a date prior to 67 when Paul died.    

Ø  However those who think that the letter was written by a disciple of Paul have a later date, around the 80’s.  

Ø  The letter has many themes that are like those in the letter to the Colossians.  

Ø  We perceive in this letter a great concern for doctrine and theology.  

Ø  In the first part (cc. 1-3) the church is considered prepared by God from eternity, being revealed progressively until the Incarnation.

  

EPHESIANS  3:2-3ª.5-6

Ø  Paul (or the author) says that the mystery hidden in God has been revealed to him, and he in turn makes it known, he announces it in his preaching.     

Ø  This hidden mystery has been revealed to the apostles by the Spirit.   

Ø  The mystery is  

o   Through the Good News, the Gospel, the gentiles partake in the inheritance and the promises of Christ Jesus.  

o   And are members of the same body.    

 

GOSPEL-  Matthew 2:1-12

ü  Chapters 1 and 2 from Matthew and also from Luke are called “the Gospel of the Infancy  or the infancy narratives”  

ü  These two chapters are according to an author, as the synthesis of the life of Jesus, and of the theology of the evangelist.   

ü  The verses which we will read this Sunday offer to us the synthesis of the theology of Matthew: there is a conflict between two royalties, Herod, and Jesus, between evil and good, between wealth and poverty.  

ü  Who is Herod? He is from Idumea, he is a bloodthirsty and ambitious man. 

ü  In this Gospel we discover several scenes: 

o   In the first one the Magi begin their journey following the star and arrive to Jerusalem. They are sure that someone in the city will guide them to the King they are seeking.

o   In the second scene the main characters are Herod, the high priests, and the scribes. They know because they investigated the Scriptures, that the Messiah will come from Bethlehem.  

o   In the third scene Herod speaks to the Magi, he questions them about the date in which the star appeared, and sends them to Bethlehem, and he asks them to let him know where is the new born king, so that he will be able to go and worship him.   

o   In the fourth scene the Magi resume their journey and see again the star, that was hidden when they arrived at Jerusalem.  

o   In the fifth scene the Magi arrive at the place and find the mother with the child, and they are filled with joy. They offer him his gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  Afterwards they go back through another way. 

ü  There are many contrasts; if we would make a movie the scenes of Herod would be dark, on the contrary those of the Magi would be full of color and light.    

o   The Magi do not know the prophecies, but they know how to read the message of the stars and they seek with an open heart not conditioned by ambition or by power. 

o   Herod and the priests know the prophecies thus they fear, because they believe that this King will take away their power, their comfortable way of life. Herod is not sincere in his heart. 

o   The Magi find their God without knowing him. The people of Jerusalem do not find him despite knowing theoreticaly the Scriptures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT – C – 2021  

Ø  It is already the third Sunday of Advent   

Ø  The Church invites us to rejoice, invites us to the joy because the Lord is near. 

Ø  The liturgical color is pink. 

Ø  John the Baptist will invite us to repentance 

Ø  Let us enter in our heart with naked feet because we will be walking on sacred ground, on the holy temple where our Lord and God, Father, Creator, Redeemer dwells.    

PROPHET ZZEPHANIAH

ü   The ministry of Zephaniah took place probably during the reign of Josiah not long before the fall of Jerusalem in 587.B.C.

ü  The condemnation of the pagan worship may indicate that this prophet preached during the time when Assyria had a great influence on the land of Judah.

ü  Josiah launched a religious reform.

ü  If this is as we think the prophet Zephaniah would have been contemporary of the prophet Jeremiah in his early ministry.

ü  Both prophets share the same language and ideas.

ü  The content of Zephaniah’s prophecy: The Day of the Lord; the salvation of the humble; the fall of the wicked.

FIRST READING  - Zep. 3, 14-18

v  The prophet invites us to shout for joy, to sing, to exult. 

v  He calls Jerusalem “Daughter Jerusalem” and “Daughter Sion”   

v  The Church calls Mary Daughter Sion, this Oracle which invites us to rejoice, is also addressed to Mary although the prophet does not know it. Mary the young girl from Nazareth who is with child, this child is the Son of God. 

v  The reason for the holy city to rejoice is that God has raised his judgment against her, and has come to live in her.

v  Thus, she does not have to fear any evil. The angel says to Mary “do not fear because you have found favor with God.”  

v  But the prophet says something stronger. Jerusalem rejoices because of the presence of the Lord, but something astonishing for us, I copy the last verses of this beautiful reading: 

he will rejoice over you with gladness,

and renew you in his love,

he will sing joyfully because of you,

as one sings at festivals.

v  Yes, God sings for joy because He loves me, and despite my lowliness and my sins, I am cause of joy for Him 

RESPONSORIAL PSAM  -Is 12, 2-3. 4bcd. 5-6

R. (6)  Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
God indeed is my savior;
    I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
    and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water
    at the fountain of salvation.
R. Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;
    among the nations make known his deeds,
proclaim how exalted is his name.
R. Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;
    let this be known throughout all the earth.
Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,
    for great in your midst
    is the Holy One of Israel!
R. Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.

 

§  Zion responds to this invitation from the Lord.   

§  In the first stanza she says that the Lord is her strength and her courage, her savior.  

§  In the second stanza the psalmist invites us to praise the Lord for his great achievements. 

§  In the third and last one he invites Daughter Zion to shout because the Holy One of Israel is in her midst.   

§  Is the presence of our God in us the cause of our joy?  He says in one of the Gospels and in the Apocalypse “we will go and dwell in him”…

 

SECOND READING  – Phil 4,4-7ª

ü  Paul writes this letter to his preferred community, the community of the city of Philippi. 

ü  The city of Philippi  is located in north eastern Greece (Macedonia). The city was already ancient by the time Paul arrived there around 49 CE (Acts 16:11-40). In fact, its beginnings go back to the fourth century BCE when it was occupied by the Thracians. In 356 BCE, however, Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, took over the city and named it after himself.  In 168 BC Philippi became part of the Roman empire when the latter defeated the Persians at the battle of Pydna and Macedonia was divided into four districts, Philippi belonging to the first.

Today the archaeological site has substantial remains including a theatre and four basilicas. Philippi is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site

ü  Paul invites de Philippians to rejoice in the Lord. 

ü  This joy will be manifested through their kindness and goodness. 

ü  Pope Francis says in one of his writings that no one who is happy will kill anyone.   

ü  Let examine ourselves on our kindness with those close to us, those who live with us. 

ü  The fruit will be the peace of God. 

EVANGELIO – Lucas 3,10-18

      In the message of the reading from the Gospel of Luke we can distinguish two different parts. 

      In the first part John responds to the questions that, those who had come to him asked.    In the second part John says that he is not the Messiah and announces that his coming is imminent.                                       

      Those who came to be baptized wanted to know how they had to behave.  

      John responds to each group and his message is an invitation to share, respect, serve, neither to abuse or mistreat anyone, in a word to fulfill its own duties to the best.   

      People are enthusiastic about John and believe that he is the one they expect, but John denies it. 

      The One, who is to come, will baptize in Spirit and fire

      He comes to clean his field; the weeds will be burned.  

      We can read in that description an invitation for us to repent and to have faith. 

       I have read some place those lasts days: As we bring our sins and our wounded hearts to Jesus in the confessional, we’ll recognize that God himself is rejoicing in us. (“Repent and Believe” in The Word Among Us. Advent 2021, p.13-15)

MARANATHA!  COME LORD JESUS! 

CLARETIAN CORNER

Letter n8.        To M. María Rosa (Gual) de San Juan, prioress of Santiago de Cuba

Before all things try to have much inner recollection, because if you have it, as your charity [1]knows, you will be constant in the practice of all the virtues, and this same reflection on your own life  will help you to remind about all your duties, both spiritual and material,  because this care will make you happy.  

May you be, as much as possible, of one body and one mind with the Sister Sub prioress, and the two of you must be one.   Be very careful in the education of girls, trying by all means to advance them in the different matters; have no particularities with any, esteeming all in Our Lord Jesus Christ...

  I strongly urge you to take care of the church vestments, let them be well ironed and sewn!   

You cannot imagine how much I think and care about all and everyone of the sisters. Tell me how they are. I miss all of you so much that I never can write a letter without tears.  

Countless are the young women from everywhere who apply to join our Institute, but I do not rush to admit them, I discern those applications one by one; Bishop Caixal is of the same opinion.  (This writing is formed by two fragments from two different letters of to M. María Rosa Gual. They are found in the book by the Claretian Missionary Fr. Cepeda, Vida de la Sierva  de Dios María Antonia París.) 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

CONFERENCIA EPISCOPAL ESPAÑOLA. SAGRADA BIBLIA, Versión Oficial, 2012.

PARÍS, María Antonia . Epistolario, 1993

Little Rock, Catholic Study Bible. Litugical Press, Collegeville Minnesota 2011. 

The Word Among Us, Advent 2021.

 

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[1] How the sisters addressed each other