29 November/Monday First Week of Advent     

Isa 2:1-5 (or Isa 4:2-6 in Year A)/Psa 122:1-9/Matt 8:5-11

By Most Rev. Emmanuel Kofi Fianu, SVD

First Reading  Isaiah 2:1-5

The Lord gathers all nations together into the eternal peace of God's kingdom

The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz, concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

In the days to come

the mountain of the Temple of the Lord

shall tower above the mountains

and be lifted higher than the hills.

All the nations will stream to it,

peoples without number will come to it; and they will say:

    ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,

    to the Temple of the God of Jacob

    that he may teach us his ways

    so that we may walk in his paths;

    since the Law will go out from Zion,

    and the oracle of the Lord from Jerusalem.’

He will wield authority over the nations

and adjudicate between many peoples;

these will hammer their swords into ploughshares,

their spears into sickles.

Nation will not lift sword against nation,

there will be no more training for war.

O House of Jacob, come,

let us walk in the light of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm    Psalm 121(122):1-2,4-5,6-9

I rejoiced when I heard them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house.’

I rejoiced when I heard them say:

    ‘Let us go to God’s house.’

And now our feet are standing

    within your gates, O Jerusalem.

It is there that the tribes go up,

    the tribes of the Lord.

For Israel’s law it is,

    there to praise the Lord’s name.

There were set the thrones of judgement

    of the house of David.

For the peace of Jerusalem pray:

    ‘Peace be to your homes!

May peace reign in your walls,

    in your palaces, peace!’

For love of my brethren and friends

    I say: ‘Peace upon you!’

For love of the house of the Lord

    I will ask for your good.

Gospel Acclamation   cf. Psa 79:4

Alleluia, alleluia!

God of hosts, bring us back:

let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.

Alleluia!

Gospel   Matthew 8:5-11

'I am not worthy to have you under my roof: give the word, and my servant will be healed'

When Jesus went into Capernaum a centurion came up and pleaded with him. ‘Sir,’ he said ‘my servant is lying at home paralysed, and in great pain.’ ‘I will come myself and cure him’ said Jesus. The centurion replied, ‘Sir, I am not worthy to have you under my roof; just give the word and my servant will be cured. For I am under authority myself, and have soldiers under me; and I say to one man: Go, and he goes; to another: Come here, and he comes; to my servant: Do this, and he does it.’ When Jesus heard this he was astonished and said to those following him, ‘I tell you solemnly, nowhere in Israel have I found faith like this. And I tell you that many will come from east and west to take their places with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob at the feast in the kingdom of heaven.’

Reflection

Most people are usually delighted to host a renowned or famous person in their homes. They see such visits as an honour and narrate it to others with pride. For example, if the Pope or the President of the nation was a host to a family, they may preserve the seat on which he sat or the glass from which he drank as a souvenir. Some people would hang pictures of the occasion at conspicuous places in the house or produce other forms of memorial of the occasion.

The Gospel Reading presents a contrary experience as we read about the reluctance of the centurion to allow Jesus into his house. The centurion is in need of Jesus to heal his servant but he thinks Jesus can do so without having to go to his house. He was convinced that the word of Jesus was enough to accomplish his request. Hearing the reasons of the objection of the centurion, Jesus commended him for his faith saying: “nowhere in Israel have I found faith like this”. Jesus focused on the faith of the centurion which derived from the humility of the latter.

The humility of the centurion made him feel unworthy to welcome Jesus under his roof. He knew he was not a Jew and so he was not entitled to the request he was making from a Jewish prophet or teacher of the Law. However, his faith in Jesus that he could heal the servant is an indication of his personal faith journey. The centurion could be likened to one of those people of whom Isaiah speaks in the First Reading. Indeed, many are those who are humble of heart and believe in God without fully professing it. In this Advent season, we are invited to reflect on our own faith and how we can lead others to the knowledge of the truth so that together we may worship the one true God, Father of Jesus Christ.

27 November/Saturday/34th Week in Ordinary Time, 

Dan 7,15-27/Dan 3,82.83.84.85.86.87/Luke 21,34-36

By Most Rev. Emmanuel Kofi Fianu, SVD

First Reading   Daniel 7:15-27

His sovereignty will be an eternal sovereignty

I, Daniel, was deeply disturbed and the visions that passed through my head alarmed me. So I approached one of those who were standing by and asked him to tell me the truth about all this. And in reply he revealed to me what these things meant. “These four great beasts are four kings who will rise from the earth. Those who are granted sovereignty are the saints of the Most High, and the kingdom will be theirs for ever, for ever and ever.” Then I asked to know the truth about the fourth beast, different from all the rest, very terrifying, with iron teeth and bronze claws, eating, crushing and trampling underfoot what remained; and the truth about the ten horns on its head – and why the other horn sprouted and the three original horns fell, and why this horn had eyes and a mouth that was full of boasts, and why it made a greater show than the other horns. This was the horn I had watched making war on the saints and proving the stronger, until the coming of the one of great age who gave judgement in favour of the saints of the Most High, when the time came for the saints to take over the kingdom. This is what he said:

‘The fourth beast

is to be a fourth kingdom on earth,

different from all other kingdoms.

It will devour the whole earth,

trample it underfoot and crush it.

As for the ten horns: from this kingdom

will rise ten kings, and another after them;

this one will be different from the previous ones

and will bring down three kings;

he is going to speak words against the Most High,

and harass the saints of the Most High.

He will consider changing seasons and the Law,

and the saints will be put into his power

for a time, two times, and half a time.

But a court will be held and his power will be stripped from him,

consumed, and utterly destroyed.

And sovereignty and kingship,

and the splendours of all the kingdoms under heaven

will be given to the people of the saints of the Most High.

His sovereignty is an eternal sovereignty

and every empire will serve and obey him.’

Responsorial Psalm  Daniel 3:82-87

Sons of men! bless the Lord.

    Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Israel! bless the Lord.

    Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Priests! bless the Lord.

    Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Servants of the Lord! bless the Lord.

    Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Spirits and souls of the virtuous! bless the Lord.

    Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Devout and humble-hearted men! bless the Lord.

    Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Gospel Acclamation    Matt 24:42,44

Alleluia, alleluia!

Stay awake and stand ready,

because you do not know the hour

when the Son of Man is coming.

Alleluia!

Gospel    Luke 21:34-36

That day will be sprung on you suddenly, like a trap

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Watch yourselves, or your hearts will be coarsened with debauchery and drunkenness and the cares of life, and that day will be sprung on you suddenly, like a trap. For it will come down on every living man on the face of the earth. Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to survive all that is going to happen, and to stand with confidence before the Son of Man.’

Reflection

A significant aspect of the explanation of the vision of Daniel as given by the angel is the mention of the saints of the Most High to whom the kingdom is entrusted forever. It is significant that there is no mention of a succession of the kingdom that is entrusted to the saints of the Most High. The absence of such a succession is indicated by saying that the kingdom entrusted to them was to last forever. The interpretation of the vision places emphasis on a heavenly kingdom that would succeed the earthly ones. Suspense in the narration of the vision and its interpretation is increased as the author leaves unexplained some elements of the vision.

It is also important to note that the saints of the Most High are to take over the same kinship that was held by the preceding empires. This confirms the conviction that there is only one kingship which is entrusted to different people by the Most High who is the ultimate ruler. It is a rule that derives from heaven and not from human persons. If God does not give the kingship, in vain do people struggle to establish it all by themselves.

We are not too clear about those designated as saints of the Most High. We can however say that the term applies to people who are faithful to God. The Scriptures point out that Jesus Christ is the one who would establish the kingdom of God. This would be an everlasting kingdom since no one can snatch victory from him. He receives his power from God, not as a subject but as a Son, begotten from all ages. Christ is the only one who can save people because of faith in him and his sacrifice on the cross. His cross is the means of salvation and sanctification of all people. He is the lamb that was slain and who takes away the sins of the world. Christ himself says he is the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through him. Thus, the saints of the Most High are those saved by Christ. If we want to be counted among the saints of the Most High at the end time, we should endeavour to live a life of faith at all times. Let us keep in mind the words of Jesus in the Gospel Reading: “Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to survive all that is going to happen, and to stand with confidence before the Son of Man.” This is what will save us.

28 November/Sunday/1st Sunday of Advent – C

Jer 33:14-16/Psa 25:4-5,8-10,14/1Thess 3:12-4:2/Luke 21:25-28,34-36

By Most Rev. Emmanuel Kofi Fianu, SVD

First Reading  Jeremiah 33:14-16

I will make a virtuous Branch grow for David

See, the days are coming – it is the Lord who speaks – when I am going to fulfil the promise I made to the House of Israel and the House of Judah:

‘In those days and at that time,

I will make a virtuous Branch grow for David,

who shall practise honesty and integrity in the land.

In those days Judah shall be saved

and Israel shall dwell in confidence.

And this is the name the city will be called:

The-Lord-our-integrity.’

Responsorial Psalm  Psalm 24(25):4-5,8-9,10,14

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

Lord, make me know your ways.

    Lord, teach me your paths.

Make me walk in your truth, and teach me:

    for you are God my saviour.

The Lord is good and upright.

    He shows the path to those who stray,

He guides the humble in the right path,

    He teaches his way to the poor.

His ways are faithfulness and love

    for those who keep his covenant and law.

The Lord’s friendship is for those who revere him;

    to them he reveals his covenant.

Second Reading     1 Thessalonians 3:12-4:2

May you be blameless when our Lord Jesus Christ comes again

May the Lord be generous in increasing your love and make you love one another and the whole human race as much as we love you. And may he so confirm your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless in the sight of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus Christ comes with all his saints.

Finally, brothers, we urge you and appeal to you in the Lord Jesus to make more and more progress in the kind of life that you are meant to live: the life that God wants, as you learnt from us, and as you are already living it. You have not forgotten the instructions we gave you on the authority of the Lord Jesus.

Gospel Acclamation   Psa 84:8

Alleluia, alleluia!

Let us see, O Lord, your mercy

and give us your saving help.

Alleluia!

Gospel  Luke 21:25-28,34-36

That day will be sprung on you suddenly, like a trap

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars; on earth nations in agony, bewildered by the clamour of the ocean and its waves; men dying of fear as they await what menaces the world, for the powers of heaven will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand erect, hold your heads high, because your liberation is near at hand.

‘Watch yourselves, or your hearts will be coarsened with debauchery and drunkenness and the cares of life, and that day will be sprung on you suddenly, like a trap. For it will come down on every living man on the face of the earth. Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to survive all that is going to happen, and to stand with confidence before the Son of Man.’

Reflection

A careful reflection on the readings of the last Sundays of the liturgical calendar and this first Sunday of Advent shows that there is continuity in thought. The themes that ended the liturgical year are the same that initiate the season of Advent. This reveals to us that the coming of the Lord at the end time is the same as our preparation for his coming in his birth. The Gospel Reading is primarily addressed to the contemporaries of Luke who had to live their faith in the world of their time. The world situation was full of cosmic disorders and upheavals so the Gospel served as a consolation for the Christians.

In the concrete situation of the addressees of Luke, some biblical scholars hold that he was referring to the overthrow of the Gentile powers of the time, particularly the Romans. With such overthrow of power, the Son of Man would be fulfilling the prophecy of Daniel 7.13-14. In this prophecy the coming of the Son of Man is associated with the Day of Judgment and the establishment of the reign of God. Others think it is in fulfilment of the prophecy of Jeremiah that we read in the First Reading today. Whichever opinion one holds, it is clear that the teaching of Jesus in the Gospel Reading was meant to assure the people of his time that all was not negative. For those who believe in the Lord, there is hope of new life. Luke points out that the same events that are experienced by both Christians and non-Christians convey different messages to each group. For the Christians of his time, those events are meant to be signs that the hour of salvation is close at hand.

The second part of the Gospel Reading warns us about what can happen to us if we do not read well the signs of the time indicated in the first part of the reading. It is very easy for us to be caught up in speculations or give way to despair. If we abandon ourselves to the cares and pleasures of this world, they would blind us and prevent us from seeing the coming of the Son of Man. Jesus exhorts us to be vigilant and prayerful in such a way that we can make our way safely through the cosmic disorders. It is necessary to be disciplined in our behaviour so that we can remain on the right path as we await the coming of the Lord. There should be no moment when we rest on our oars for that can be the decisive moment of our salvation. It would be a great pity that after all the toils of life, we fail to reach the goal to which the Lord calls us.

Advent is precisely the time that the Church offers us to train ourselves to wait on the Lord. The Lord invites us in this season to raise our eyes and open our hearts to welcome him. We all desire a new world especially when we observe what is happening in many parts of the world today. We all desire that the peace of Christ may reign in our world instead of wars, poverty and injustice. The Advent season helps us to focus on the journey toward the birth of Jesus who is the peace of the world and the manifestation of the love of God for all humanity. Just as his coming more than two thousand years ago changed human history, our hope is that each time we celebrate his birth, the earth would be renewed. This would only happen when we all cooperate in the peace efforts initiated in different parts of the world. Our participation in these efforts may be spiritual as we accompany the agents of peace with our prayers. It can also be through our personal efforts as we promote peace in our personal spheres of life. May the Advent season be for each one of us a true journey to encounter the Lord our Redeemer.

26 November/Friday/34th Week in Ordinary Time,

Dan 7,2-14/Dan 3,75.76.77.78.79.80.81/Luke 21,29-33

By Most Rev. Emmanuel Kofi Fianu, SVD

First Reading  Daniel 7:2-14

'I saw, coming on the clouds of heaven, one like a son of man'

I, Daniel, have been seeing visions in the night. I saw that the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea; four great beasts emerged from the sea, each different from the other. The first was like a lion with eagle’s wings; and as I looked its wings were torn off, and it was lifted from the ground and set standing on its feet like a man; and it was given a human heart. The second beast I saw was different, like a bear, raised up on one of its sides, with three ribs in its mouth, between its teeth. “Up!” came the command “Eat quantities of flesh!” After this I looked, and saw another beast, like a leopard, and with four bird’s wings on its flanks; it had four heads, and power was given to it. Next I saw another vision in the visions of the night: I saw a fourth beast, fearful, terrifying, very strong; it had great iron teeth, and it ate, crushed and trampled underfoot what remained. It was different from the previous beasts and had ten horns.

While I was looking at these horns, I saw another horn sprouting among them, a little one; three of the original horns were pulled out by the roots to make way for it; and in this horn I saw eyes like human eyes, and a mouth that was full of boasts. As I watched:

Thrones were set in place

and one of great age took his seat.

His robe was white as snow,

the hair of his head as pure as wool.

His throne was a blaze of flames,

its wheels were a burning fire.

A stream of fire poured out,

issuing from his presence.

A thousand thousand waited on him,

ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.

A court was held

and the books were opened.

The great things the horn was saying were still ringing in my ears, and as I watched, the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and committed to the flames. The other beasts were deprived of their power, but received a lease of life for a season and a time.

I gazed into the visions of the night.

And I saw, coming on the clouds of heaven,

one like a son of man.

He came to the one of great age

and was led into his presence.

On him was conferred sovereignty,

glory and kingship,

and men of all peoples, nations and languages became his servants.

His sovereignty is an eternal sovereignty

which shall never pass away,

nor will his empire ever be destroyed.

Responsorial Psalm  Daniel 3:75-81

Mountains and hills! bless the Lord.

    Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Every thing that grows on the earth! bless the Lord.

    Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Springs of water! bless the Lord.

    Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Seas and rivers! bless the Lord.

    Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Sea beasts and everything that lives in water! bless the Lord.

    Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Birds of heaven! all bless the Lord.

    Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Animals wild and tame! all bless the Lord.

    Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Gospel Acclamation  Luke 21:28

Alleluia, alleluia!

Stand erect, hold your heads high,

because your liberation is near at hand.

Alleluia!

Gospel     Luke 21:29-33

My words will never pass away

Jesus told his disciples a parable: ‘Think of the fig tree and indeed every tree. As soon as you see them bud, you know that summer is now near. So with you when you see these things happening: know that the kingdom of God is near. I tell you solemnly, before this generation has passed away all will have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.’

Reflection

Daniel 7 marks a new literary style in the Book of Daniel. The first six chapters were of the historical style, now the author switches to the prophetic or apocalyptic style. Furthermore, in the first six chapters Daniel was interpreting the dreams of other people, now angels would interpret his visions. The vision of Daniel in the First Reading is one of the four visions he was privileged to receive. The one in the First Reading took place during the reign of King Belshazzar. The situation on the ground at the time Daniel received the vision is reflected in what he saw. The Babylonian Empire was on the decline and it was an occasion for God to reveal to his people that he was in control of world history.

Daniel saw the four winds of heaven which represent the four corners of the earth. The winds stirred up the Mediterranean Sea which symbolizes the sea of humanity. There was turmoil as the empire faced instability. This provoked a succession of kingdoms which the author refers to as four great beasts. The lion-like beast represents Nebuchadnezzar but the changes the beast undergoes symbolize his humiliating insanity and eventual salvation which is expressed as the giving of a human heart. The bear symbolizes the Medo-Persian Empire that succeeded the Babylonian Empire. King Cyrus is a key figure of this empire. The leopard symbolized the Grecian Empire that succeeded the Medo-Persian Empire. This empire is represented by Alexander the Great. The four heads of the leopard symbolize the four generals who divided the empire after the death of Alexander the Great. The fourth beast which is without comparison is said to be terrifying, frightening and very powerful. Everything about this beast inspires fear.

This vision of the four beasts portrays the ultimate glory of God on earth. Every empire that comes into power is under the control of God and he decides when that kingdom must give way to another. Usually, such changes become necessary when leaders fail to follow the dictates of God or when the leaders think all depends on them and they control events in the world. Even in our own times, there are leaders who think in these terms. We have to keep in mind that as Christians we have only one Lord to whom we owe allegiance. When we are in leadership, we should look up to him and depend on him for guidance so that all that we do would be according to his will. Let us keep in mind the words of Jesus in the Gospel Reading: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” Let us rest on this assurance and do all we can to remain faithful to the Lord.