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November 21, 2008 –  Friday of 33rd Week in Ordinary Time       DAILY LITURGICAL/THEME MEDITATION: "All the people hung upon his words " UNIVERSAL CHURCH/WORLD EVENT(S): Italian Jews Back Out of Dialogue Day; Lutheran Welcomes Papal Comments on Justification; SAINT OF THE DAY Feast of the Presentation of Mary  GENERAL MARIOLOGY The Virgin Mary in the New Testament, Part I: The Adoration of the Magi (Mt 2:1-12) DIVINE MERCY On The Present Moment Make Use Of The Present Moment  TEACHING/TESTIMONY/CONVICTION: Will Spring Peek Through After US Election?   Monthly Index

DAILY LITURGICAL MEDITATION

Friday (11/21):  "All the people hung upon his words " Scripture:  Luke 19:45-48 45 And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, 46 saying to them, "It is written, `My house shall be a house of prayer'; but you have made it a den of robbers." 47 And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people sought to destroy him; 48 but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people hung upon his words. Meditation: Why did Jesus drive out the money changers in the temple at Jerusalem? Was he upset with their greediness? This is the only incident in the Gospels where we see Jesus using physical force. Jesus went to Jerusalem, knowing he would meet certain death on the cross, but victory as well for our sake. His act of judgment in the temple is meant to be a prophetic sign and warning to the people that God takes our worship very seriously. In this incident we see Jesus' startling and swift action in cleansing the temple of those who were using it to exploit the worshipers of God. The money changers took advantage of the poor and forced them to pay many times more than was right – in the house of God no less! Their robbery of the poor was not only dishonoring to God but unjust toward their neighbor. In justification for his audacious action Jesus quotes from the prophets Isaiah (Isaiah 56:7) and Jeremiah (Jeremiah 7:11). His act of judgment aims to purify the worship of God's people and to discipline their erring ways. Despite the objections of the religious leaders, no doubt because Jesus was usurping their authority in the house of God, the people who listened to Jesus teaching daily in the temple regarded him with great awe and respect. Luke tells us that "they hung upon Jesus' words" (Luke 19:48). How hungry are you for God's word? If we approach God's word with a humble attentive heart and with a willingness to be taught by the Lord, then we are in a good place to allow God's word to change and transform us in the likeness of Christ. The Lord wants to teach us his ways so that we may grow in holiness. The Lord both instructs and disciplines us in love to lead us from the error of our sinful ways to his truth and justice. "God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness" (Hebrews 12:10). The Lord calls us to be a holy people who worship him with reverence and gratitude for his great mercy and kindness towards us. Do you allow God's word to transform you in his way of love and holiness? "Lord Jesus, you open wide the door of your house and you bid us to enter confidently that we may worship you in spirit and truth. Help me to draw near to you with gratitude and joy for your great mercy. May I always revere your word and give you acceptable praise and worship." Psalm 1 1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2 but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither.  In all that he does, he prospers. 4 The wicked are not so, but are like chaff which the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; 6 for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.   RETURN TO TOP

UNIVERSAL CHURCH/WORLD EVENTS

Italian Jews Back Out of Dialogue Day   Cite Concern Over Good Friday Prayer for Extraordinary Rite   ROME, NOV. 20, 2008 (Zenit.org).- A representative of the Church in Italy is expressing his sadness that the Jewish community will not join in Jan. 17's day of dialogue between Jews and Catholics. Giuseppe Laras, president of the Italian Rabbinic Assembly, announced the community's cancellation. The rabbi explained that the decision was based on concern over the Good Friday prayer in use after Benedict XVI's 2007 letter issued "motu proprio" opened the way to a broader use of the 1962 Missal. The Pope subsequently made changes to the Good Friday prayer for the Jews for that form of the liturgy. Those changes were released in February. The new formula, used only by those communities celebrating Mass according to the 1962 Missal, "speaks of Jesus as the Christ and the salvation of all men, therefore, also of the Jews," Cardinal Walter Kasper said shortly after the changes were released. Cardinal Kasper oversees the Vatican's relations with Jews. "Many have interpreted this affirmation as new, and not friendly in relation to the Jews. But it is based on the New Testament as a whole -- cf. 1 Timothy 2:4 -- and indicates the fundamental difference, which everyone knows, that exists between Christians and Jews," the cardinal explained on that occasion. Bishop Vincenzo Paglia of Terni-Narni-Amelia, president of the Italian bishops' Commission for Ecumenism and Dialogue, confessed that the Jewish decision to not participate in the January dialogue day "has pained us." The prelate told Vatican Radio that he had been in contact with Laras for months to try to overcome misunderstandings. Though the bishop said the issue was resolved from his point of view, he said he could "understand the perplexity. This decision [not to participate] is sorrowful, but we will not give it more importance than necessary. The rabbi, in fact, in the note expresses the desire that obviously dialogue restarts and continues. "We will continue celebrating this day of Judeo-Christian reflection on Jan. 17. It is a day that this year has been rather wounded, but we hope this wound serves to better deepen the indispensable relationship between Christians and Jews." The prelate acknowledged that worrying pockets of anti-Semitism still arise, and "this requires attentive vigilance: We have to make our relationship more intense to nip in the bud any seed that could favor these attitudes." Lutheran Welcomes Papal Comments on Justification   ROME, NOV. 20, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI's catechesis on justification at the general audience and his comments regarding Martin Luther were welcomed by a Lutheran leader in Rome. The dean of the Lutheran Church of Italy, Holger Milkau, said that "it's always a pleasure to hear the Pope speak of Luther, above all if he considers arguments they share." The Holy Father said Wednesday that Luther's expression "by faith alone" is true "if faith is not opposed to charity, to love. Faith is to look at Christ, to entrust oneself to Christ, to be united to Christ, to be conformed to Christ, to his life. And the form, the life of Christ, is love; hence, to believe is to be conformed to Christ and to enter into his love." Lutherans and Catholics have officially professed a common faith on the doctrine of justification, signing a joint statement Oct. 31, 1999. The statement states "that on the basis of their dialogue the subscribing Lutheran churches and the Roman Catholic Church are now able to articulate a common understanding of our justification by God's grace through faith in Christ. It does not cover all that either church teaches about justification; it does encompass a consensus on basic truths of the doctrine of justification and shows that the remaining differences in its explication are no longer the occasion for doctrinal condemnations."     RETURN TO TOP

DAILY LITURGICAL SAINT

November 21, 2008 Feast of the Presentation of Mary Mary’s presentation was celebrated in Jerusalem in the sixth century. A church was built there in honor of this mystery. The Eastern Church was more interested in the feast, but it does appear in the West in the 11th century. Although the feast at times disappeared from the calendar, in the 16th century it became a feast of the universal Church. As with Mary’s birth, we read of Mary’s presentation in the temple only in apocryphal literature. In what is recognized as an unhistorical account, the Protoevangelium of James tells us that Anna and Joachim offered Mary to God in the Temple when she was three years old. This was to carry out a promise made to God when Anna was still childless. Though it cannot be proven historically, Mary’s presentation has an important theological purpose. It continues the impact of the feasts of the Immaculate Conception and of the birth of Mary. It emphasizes that the holiness conferred on Mary from the beginning of her life on earth continued through her early childhood and beyond. Comment: It is sometimes difficult for modern Westerners to appreciate a feast like this. The Eastern Church, however, was quite open to this feast and even somewhat insistent about celebrating it. Even though the feast has no basis in history, it stresses an important truth about Mary: From the beginning of her life, she was dedicated to God. She herself became a greater temple than any made by hands. God came to dwell in her in a marvelous manner and sanctified her for her unique role in God's saving work. At the same time, the magnificence of Mary redounds upon her children. They, too, are temples of God and sanctified in order that they might enjoy and share in God's saving work. Quote: "Hail, holy throne of God, divine sanctuary, house of glory, jewel most fair, chosen treasure house, and mercy seat for the whole world, heaven showing forth the glory of God. Purest Virgin, worthy of all praise, sanctuary dedicated to God and raised above all human condition, virgin soil, unplowed field, flourishing vine, fountain pouring out waters, virgin bearing a child, mother without knowing man, hidden treasure of innocence, ornament of sanctity, by your most acceptable prayers, strong with the authority of motherhood, to our Lord and God, Creator of all, your Son who was born of you without a father, steer the ship of the Church and bring it to a quiet harbor" (adapted from a homily by St. Germanus on the Presentation of the Mother of God).   RETURN TO TOP

GENERAL MARIOLOGY

The Virgin Mary in the New Testament, Part I By Fr. Settimio M. Manelli, F.I.   The Adoration of the Magi (Mt 2:1-12) The profound meaning of the adoration of the Magi is the call of all people to the salvation brought by Christ. This perspective of salvation is different from that of the Old Testament, where salvation is limited to the Chosen People. There is no serious reason for calling into doubt the historicity of the fact narrated by Matthew. Whatever the similarities between this account and Psalm 72, they do not justify the position of those who claim, instead, that the words of the Psalm constitute the bases for the construction of this gospel episode. Rather, Laurentin is correct when he writes that "it was the event to suggest the biblical allusions, not extrapolations and not megalomania. … The account derives normally from the event, from the fact and not from an imaginary projection" (96). The Magi remain mysterious persons. They come from the East, perhaps from Persia, or from Babylonia, Arabia, the Syrian desert. They probably belonged to a noble priestly or royal caste, experts in astrology, engaged in divinization and other sacred sciences (97). In Matthew, however, it is certain that the description of the Magi is entirely positive, so excluding the immoral. They represent pagan peoples who under the guidance of the star, arrive in Bethlehem and there meet the King-Messiah (98). Before discovering the place where the King of the Jews was born, so as to adore him, they arrived under the guidance of the star in Jerusalem. There they inquired of Herod the Great about that King. Herod, on consulting his advisors and the scribes, learned on the basis of the ancient prophecies, that the Messiah King would be born in Bethlehem of Judah. The Magi went there and still guided by the star found the place where the Child was. From the gospel text we know that Herod, even if diplomatically respectful to the Magi, was not a little perturbed to learn a king of Judah had been born. From Herod’s perspective birth of such a king threatened the stability of his political power. Hence, he told the Magi to return to him after they had found the Child, so that he also might know the place where he was and so go "to adore him." St. Matthew takes note of the strong contrast between the terror gripping King Herod and all Jerusalem at learning of the birth of the "King of the Jews" (2:3), and the overwhelming joy of the Magi: "When they had heard the king they went their way; and lo, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy" (2:9-10). In regard to this joy F. Manns observes: "The abundance of joy at the birth of kings (cf. 1 Kings 1:40) is deliberately underlined [by St. Matthew >, because here we are dealing with the birth of the King-Messiah" (99). "And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh." The attention of the Magi, one should note, is focused on the Child, whom they find in the arms of the Mother. St. Joseph is not mentioned. In a country and in a society where the father’s role is strongly felt, this silence about him in favor of Mary demonstrates "a systematic intention of setting this woman in relief to distinguish her from all others" (100). F. Manns adds that in this silence one may also see another implicit reference to the virginal conception of Jesus (101). Earlier the Magi had asked Herod: "Where is he who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East and have come to worship him" (2:2). In this account the Child is called "King of the Jews," a title he will be given again during the days of his Passion. On finding the Child the Magi express their homage to the newly born King with a prostration and the presentation of precious gifts, gold, incense and myrrh, symbols of royalty, divinity, and redemptive suffering (102). Various authors note the connection of this episode with the oracle of the pagan prophet Balaam (103). Like the Magi, he, too, was a pagan and came from the East. Called by the king of Moab, Balak, to curse the army of Israel, he was able only to pronounce blessings. Among these is the famous messianic prophecy, in which Balaam, on the part of God, announces the coming of a glorious leader in Israel who will conquer all his enemies. This oracle had already been interpreted by the Jews as Messianic: "The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor, the oracle of the man whose eye is opened, the oracle of him who hears the words of God, and knows the knowledge of the Most High, who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down, but having his eyes uncovered: I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not nigh: a star shall come forth out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel" (Num 24:15-17). The Magi seem to have been aware of this oracle which announced the rising of a star in Jacob/Israel. In Matthew the star guided the Magi, as in Luke the angels guide the shepherds to the child Jesus. Noteworthy is the fact that in St. Matthew’s gospel Mary is addressed with the title "Mother" of the King-Messiah, described in this episode as Redeemer and as salvation and light to the pagans as well as to Israel. Mary is his mother, now shown as closely united with her son. The Magi "found the child with Mary his mother." For this reason Stefano Manelli can rightly comment: "This encounter is very significant. Where is Jesus to be found if not in the arms of his Mother? The inseparability of the Mother from the Son in the universal saving mission is here recorded as something logical and permanent" (104). And a bit further on, commenting on an affirmation of G. Segalla, he adds: "In the context of the Church Mary is the one who gathers the peoples of East and West, giving them Jesus, their Redeemer. Mary participates, as Mother, in the dignity of her divine Son, sharing in his sorrows and glories" (105). All told, this episode demonstrates that the pagans enjoy rights of citizenship in the Church. Nor does St. Matthew hesitate to legitimate this universal opening by describing how the Magi had access to Jesus from his birth. It is Jesus himself who gathers the pagan nations. Jesus himself becomes the Light of the nations; in Jesus is God himself who reveals himself (106). (to be continued)  RETURN TO TOP

DIVINE MERCY

Dairy from St. Faustina On The Present Moment Friday, November 21 Make Use Of The Present Moment The past does not belong to me; the future is not mine; with all my soul I try to make use of the present moment (Diary, 351). † O Jesus, I want to live in the present moment, to live as if this were the last day of my life. I want to use every moment scrupulously for the greater glory of God, to use every circumstance for the benefit of my soul. I want to look upon everything, from the point of view that nothing happens without the will of God (Diary, 1183). May You be blessed, O God, for everything You send me. Nothing under the sun happens without Your will. I cannot penetrate Your secrets with regard to myself, but I press my lips to the chalice You offer me (Diary, 1208). RETURN TO TOP

CATHOLIC  TEACHING/CONVICTION/TESTIMONY

Will Spring Peek Through After US Election? Analyst Says There Are Signs Aplenty   By Elizabeth Lev ROME, NOV. 20, 2008 (Zenit.org).- A rainy November morning seemed like a funny time to start talking about spring. But last weekend the Springtime for Faith foundation held its third annual summit here in Rome. Inspired by Pope John Paul II's words, "The Spirit will truly bring about a new Springtime of Faith, if Christian hearts are filled with new attitudes of humility, generosity and openness to his purifying grace," the Springtime Foundation tries to galvanize lay leaders to be witnesses to their faith not only in their homes, but in every aspect of their lives. Despite the chilly, shorter days, and the bare trees in the normally lush Borghese park, business executives, authors and television celebrities gathered to listen to a series of lectures on signs of a new springtime in the Catholic world. The lineup of speakers was as brilliant and variegated as the fall foliage: Cardinal Francis Arinze; Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa, preacher of the pontifical household; Legionary of Christ Father Thomas Williams, author and CBS News analyst; and Joan Lewis, bureau chief for EWTN -- all pointed out various signs of spring in what seems to be a cold, hard winter in the Catholic world. This distinguished display, the cream of the Roman speaker crop, was well worth dodging the wildcat traffic strikes that are typical of Italian fall, but one participant, a newcomer to the speaker scene in the Eternal City, brought rays of warmth from a new and surprising direction. Kellyanne Conway, founder of "The Polling Company," gave a riveting keynote address searching for signs of a springtime of faith in the wake of the U.S. elections. With an overwhelming victory going to the most pro-abortion presidential candidate in the history of the United States, and the Freedom of Choice Act looming on the horizon, who would ever think to look for signs of hope in what appears to be a deep freeze? Conway navigated her audience though the torturous world of polls and statistics, illustrating the pitfalls and misrepresentations used to manipulate public opinion, particularly on issues such as abortion, gay marriage and the "Catholic vote." First, she warned of the dangers of "feel good phraseology." "Pro-choice" sounds forward-looking and positive, as opposed to "pro-infant massacre," for example. Pro-lifers, on the other hand, have been so vilified by a hostile press that they are at best accused of rigid intransigence, and at worst are associated with jihadism as they regularly bomb abortion clinics. "People like to feel good about themselves, so phrasing the question in a way that makes ideas sound palatable will provoke a certain type of answer," noted Conway. The result is that when asked if they are pro-life or pro-choice, 42% of Americans fall into the first category while 48% claim to belong to the second. But upon a more careful breakdown, Conway showed that the situation changes. Rest of the story Dividing up limitations on abortion into six categories, Conway explained that 9% support a complete ban on abortion for whatever reason, while 12% think it should be banned except in the case of saving the life of the mother. Thirty-two percent think that the only exception to an abortion ban should be rape, incest or life of the mother (which Conway pointed out comprises 0.3% of abortions). In the more permissive categories, 28% say abortion should be allowed within the first trimester, 7% until the sixth month, and 6% think that abortion should be anytime for any reason. In this light, people taking a more restrictive view of abortion make up 53% of the population while the more permissive group is 41%. Conway pondered why if "the economy is in full meltdown, and international tensions at fever pitch, is the president's No. 1 priority a law that is supported by the smallest minority?" Conway told an enlightening story about how statistics are used to drive public opinion. Confident that most people didn't think aborting a fetus was murder, the Los Angeles Times commissioned a poll asking people whether they considered abortion murder. Fifty-pour percent of those polled answered yes. Full disclosure required the publication of that data, but instead of making headlines, it was buried on the newspaper's Web site. Conway emphasized that these seedlings of springtime need to be protected and nurtured. She said Christians needed to hail their heroes as much as Americans rallied around Joe the Plumber. For example, registered nurse Jill Stanek, the courageous nurse who testified about the horrific deaths of children born alive after botched abortions, has been relegated to obscurity, instead of being celebrated as a hero. Conway held up the battle to ban gay marriage as an example of successful communication. Using no talk of laws or science, bishops simply explained what gay marriage is, what it entails and how it would affect people's lives, and despite the incredible amount of money and celebrity faces thrown at the ban, it passed. Echoing the Council of Trent 400 years ago, Kellyanne Conway spoke of a need for clarity on the issues, intelligibility to understand what the questions are about and a stimulus to piety. The new springtime will bear fruit by appealing to what is best in people and their innate desire to do the right thing. * * * Elizabeth Lev teaches Christian art and architecture at Duquesne University's Italian campus. She can be reached at lizlev@zenit.org.   RETURN TO TOP

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