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TRÁI TIM
MẸ: NƠI CON NƯƠNG NÁU - ĐƯỜNG ĐẾN VỚI CHÚA |
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"Chúa Giêsu muốn dùng con để làm
cho Mẹ được nhận biết và yêu mến" |
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December 25, 2008
–
Thursday -
Christmas Day
DAILY LITURGICAL/THEME MEDITATION:
The shepherds praised and glorified
God for all they had heard and seen
UNIVERSAL CHURCH/WORLD EVENT(S):
Bethlehem Opens Its Doors;
Pre-Orders Open for Pope's
3rd Encyclical
SAINT OF THE DAY
Christmas Day
GENERAL
MARIOLOGY
The Incarnation: The
Virgin becomes the Co-redemptrix -
Lk 2:22-38—Simeon's Prophecy of the Co-redemptrix
DIVINE MERCY
On Humility, Humiliation
The
Immortal King
TEACHING/TESTIMONY/CONVICTION:
For Unto Us a Child Is Born
…
Monthly Index
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DAILY LITURGICAL MEDITATION |
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Christmas Dawn (12/25): The shepherds praised
and glorified God for all they had heard and seen
Scripture: Luke 2:15-20 (alternate readings from:
Luke 2:1-14;
John 1:1-5,9-14)
When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said
to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has
happened, which the Lord has made known to us." 16 And they went with
haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. 17 And
when they saw it they made known the saying which had been told them
concerning this child; 18 and all who heard it wondered at what the
shepherds told them. 19 But Mary kept all these things, pondering them
in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God
for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
Meditation: Have you read the news today – the “good news” of
Jesus Christ, the Son of God and son of Mary who was born for us and for
our salvation. The word gospel literally means good news!
Jesus' birth in Bethlehem fulfilled the prophecy that the Messiah would
descend from David and be born in David's city, Bethlehem (Isaiah 9:6-7,
11:1-2; Micah 5:2-4).
The first to hear the good news of the savior's birth were not the
rulers and religious leaders of Israel who were robed in riches and
power. The angels first came to those who were humble and ready to
receive the newborn king who was born in poverty and was now lying in a
manger made for animals. Just as God had chosen and anointed David, a
lowly shepherd of Bethlehem to become the shepherd king of Israel, so
Jesus, likewise chose the path of humility and lowliness in coming to
Israel as the good shepherd king who would lay down his life for their
sake and salvation. After the angels had sung their hymn of glory in the
presence of the shepherds, the shepherds made haste to adore the newborn
king and sing their hymn of glory as well.
Many of the early church fathers have written hymns and homilies in
praise of the Incarnation. John the Monk, an 8th century writer, in his
Hymn of the Nativity, sings of the great exchange in the mystery and
wonder of the Incarnation - God becoming man in order to bring man to
heaven:
Heaven and earth are united today, for Christ is born! Today God
has come upon earth, and humankind gone up to heaven. Today, for the
sake of humankind, the invisible one is seen in the flesh. Therefore
let us glorify him and cry aloud: glory to God in the highest, and
on earth peace bestowed by your coming, Savior: glory to you! Today
in Bethlehem, I hear the angels: glory to God in the highest! Glory
to him whose good pleasure it was that there be peace on earth! The
Virgin is now more spacious than the heavens. Light has shone on
those in darkness, exalting the lowly who sing like the angels:
Glory to God in the highest! Beholding him [Adam] who was in God’s
image and likeness fallen through transgression, Jesus bowed the
heavens and came down, without change taking up his dwelling in a
virgin womb, that he might refashion Adam fallen in corruption, and
crying out: glory to your epiphany, my Savior and my God! [Stichera
of the Nativity of the Lord]
Why was it necessary for the Word of God to become flesh? We needed a
savior who could reconcile us with God. Throughout the ages Christians
have professed the ancient Nicene Creed: "He became man for our sake and
for the sake of our salvation." The eternal Word became flesh for us so
he could offer his life as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of the
world through the shedding of his blood on the cross. The Word became
flesh to show us the infinite love and tender mercy of God for us
sinners. In the feast of Christmas we celebrate present realities –
Jesus Christ our redeemer who reigns in heaven and who also lives and
reigns in our hearts through the gift and working of the Holy Spirit.
And we commemorate past events – the birth of the newborn Messiah King
and his manifestation to Israel and to the gentile nations. We thank and
bless God for the way in which he has saved us from the power of sin and
the curse of death and destruction by sending his son to ransom us and
give us pardon and abundant life through the gift and working of the
Holy Spirit. Today we celebrate the birthday of our King and Savior, the
Lord Jesus Christ.
God wants to fill our hearts anew with joy and gratitude for the
greatest gift he could possibly give us – his beloved son Jesus. What
can we give thanks for in this great feast of the Incarnation? We can
praise and thank God our Father for the fact that the Son of God freely
and joyfully assumed a human nature in order to accomplish our salvation
in it. Jesus came to release the captives from slavery to sin and to
open the gates of paradise once again. This day the Holy Spirit invites
us to make haste – as the shepherds of Bethlem did – to adore Jesus our
King and Messiah. The Lord Lord Jesus Christ is our eternal good
shepherd who guides and cares for us unceasingly and who gives us
abundant everlasting life and union with the triune God – Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit. This day the whole community of heaven joins with all
believers of good will on earth in a jubilant song of praise for the
good news proclaimed by the angels on Christmas eve: Behold, I bring
you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people, for to
you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the
Lord (Luke 2:10-11).
The joy of Christmas is not for a day or a season. It is an eternal
joy, a joy that no one can take from us because it is the joy of Jesus
Christ himself made present in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who
dwells within us (see Romans 5:2-5). The Lord gives us a supernatural
joy which no pain nor sorrow can diminish, and which neither life nor
death can take away. Do you know the joy of your salvation in Jesus
Christ?
"Lord our God, with the birth of your Son, your glory breaks on the
world. As we celebrate his first coming, give us a foretaste of the joy
that you will grant us when the fulness of his glory has filled the
earth."
Psalm 97:1-6, 11-12
1 The LORD reigns; let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be
glad!
2 Clouds and thick darkness are round about him; righteousness and
justice are the foundation of his throne.
3 Fire goes before him, and burns up his adversaries round about.
4 His lightnings lighten the world; the earth sees and trembles.
5 The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all
the earth.
6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness; and all the peoples behold his
glory.
11 Light dawns for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart.
12 Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy
name!
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UNIVERSAL CHURCH/WORLD EVENTS |
Bethlehem
Opens Its
Doors
BETHLEHEM,
DEC. 24,
2008 ( Zenit.org).-
The city
where
Jesus
was born
recovered
some
Christmas
joy this
year,
rebounding
from
seven
seasons
when few
pilgrims
arrived
to
celebrate
Christmas
there.
Some
250,000
pilgrims
arrived
in
Bethlehem
this
week,
compared
to only
65,000
last
year,
the
mayor of
the city
reported.
The
whole
year
showed a
marked
improvement,
with
some 1.2
million
tourists,
the
greatest
number
since
2000 and
the
second
Intifada.
The
new
patriarch
of
Jerusalem,
Archbishop
Fouad
Twal,
made a
solemn
entry
into the
city
today at
3 p.m.,
local
time.
Twenty-three
groups
of Boy
Scouts
preceded
him,
marching
through
the
city's
narrow,
ancient
streets.
According
to a
report
from the
Custody
of the
Holy
Land,
"The
pilgrims
gather
in
silent
prayer
in the
Grotto
[where
Jesus
was
born] at
all
times of
the day,
and this
gives
the day
its
atmosphere
of
intense
prayer."
Pre-Orders Open for Pope's 3rd Encyclical
NEW YORK, DEC. 24, 2008 ( Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI's third encyclical -- rumored to have the title "Caritas in Veritate" -- is already on pre-sale at various online book stores, including Amazon and Ignatius Press.
Though vendors are previewing an April '09 publication date, when Cardinal Renato Martino, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, spoke of the encyclical this month, he was no more specific than "the beginning of next year."
The encyclical is expected to treat issues of social doctrine. And the Holy Father's message for the World Day of Peace on Jan. 1 was said to preview some of the main points the Pope will develop in the encyclical.
In July, Benedict XVI's secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, said the encyclical "comes and goes from the Pope's desk, because he doesn't want to repeat common concepts of the Church's social doctrine, but wants to offer something original, according to the challenges of today."
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DAILY LITURGICAL SAINT |
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December 25, 2008
Christmas Day
On this day the Church focuses especially on the newborn Child, God
become human, who embodies for us all the hope and peace we seek. We
need no other special saint today to lead us to Christ in the manger,
although his mother Mary and Joseph, caring for his foster-Son, help
round out the scene.
But if we were to select a patron for today, perhaps it might be
appropriate for us to imagine an anonymous shepherd, summoned to the
birthplace by a wondrous and even disturbing vision in the night, a
summons from an angelic choir, promising peace and goodwill. A shepherd
willing to seek out something that might just be too unbelievable to
chase after, and yet compelling enough to leave behind the flocks in the
field and search for a mystery.
On the day of the Lord’s birth, let’s let an unnamed, “un-celebrity” at
the edge of the crowd model for us the way to discover Christ in our own
hearts—somewhere between skepticism and wonder, between mystery and
faith. And, like Mary and the shepherds, let us treasure that discovery
in our hearts.
Comment:
The precise dating in this passage sounds like a textbook on
creationism. If we focus on the time frame, however, we miss the point.
It lays out the story of a love affair: creation, the deliveranceof the
Hebrews from slavery in Egypt, the rise of Israel under David. It
climaxes with the birth of Jesus. From the beginning, some scholars
insist, God intended to enter the world as one of us, the beloved
people. Praise God!
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GENERAL
MARIOLOGY |
The
Incarnation: The Virgin becomes the Co-redemptrix
By
Mark Miravalle
(continued)
Lk
2:22-38—Simeon's Prophecy of the Co-redemptrix
The
role of the Co-redemptrix is soon after confirmed in prophecy by the
power of the Spirit of Truth.
The
Virgin Mother, though not truly bound under a law given for an expiation
of sin, nevertheless obediently subjected herself to the Mosaic Law. In
the Temple she fulfills the duties of ritual purification, offering the
"poor offering" of one young pigeon for a holocaust and another for a
sin offering. There, too, she offers her male-child to the Lord (12).
In
this great paradox, the Mother and Son, who will offer themselves as the
"sin offering" for all humanity at Calvary, enter the Temple humbly and
offer a sacrifice for the son who is the redemptive Sacrifice itself. In
truth the Mother is offering the "rich offering" of the Lamb, the
Paschal Lamb whom the Eternal Father will accept when his "hour" has
come; the Lamb who is both Victim and High Priest (13).
Simeon is most likely not a priest, but rather one of the "anawim," a
blessed poor one, faithful to Yahweh and His covenant. Simeon is an old
man of prayer and expectation, a simple member of the faithful, a humble
voice of the vox populi, awaiting the Messiah in order that he
may journey to his eternal home in peace.
The
Temple is first and foremost a place of sacrifice. All that takes place
during the event of the Presentation is a real and mysterious
foreshadowing of Calvary, with the same two public persons, Jesus and
Mary. Mary offers the child in perfect obedience to the redemptive
decrees of God—at the Temple and at Golgotha—effecting a historical
sharing in humanity's liberation. She performs the offering of the Child
to the Eternal Father, joined by the co-offering of herself for the
unified goal of Redemption.
Simeon recognizes the child as the "salvation" (Lk 2:30) prepared in the
presence of all peoples, as "a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and
for the glory to thy people Israel" (v. 32). But then the holy Simeon
turns his gaze to the Mother of salvation, and prophesies that she too,
in virtue of her motherly relation to the sign of contradiction, will
experience a life and mission of suffering "with Jesus": "Behold, this
child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign
that is rejected—and a sword shall pierce through your own soul,
too—that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed" (Lk 2:34-35).
If
the Sign is rejected, then the Mother of the Sign will be rejected. What
mother does not share in the suffering of her son when her son is
contradicted? But if her son is the prophesied sign of contradiction,
(in relation to which all hearts will be "revealed," either for or
against the true Redeemer), then she experiences not merely a moment of
pain at the Temple, but a lifetime of pain as the Mother united to the
Sign, a mother suffering "with Salvation." No greater sacrifice will
ever be asked by the Father of all mankind than the one asked of this
Son and Mother, with its defining moment at the tree of Calvary. Yet
this sacrifice begins long before. Indeed, the sufferings of the Mother
begin before the sufferings of the Son.
From
the moment of the Presentation, for a period of over thirty years, the
Immaculate Heart painfully ponders the prophecy of Simeon, back and
forth on different levels of consciousness and concurrent sorrow. From
this moment on, her heart is pierced in anticipation due to the
knowledge of the suffering awaiting her innocent Child. She will
ultimately share the piercing of his Heart, to which hers is
indissolubly united. "They shall look on him whom they have pierced" (Jn
19:37), and the pierced Heart of Mary will "suffer with" the Pierced
Heart of Jesus, from which the blood and water of Redemption is destined
to flow.
The
above article is from the third chapter of
"With Jesus": The Story of Mary Co-redemptrix, Queenship
Publications, 2003. The book is available from Queenship for the price
of $3.00 U.S.
Notes
(1)
St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Hom. 4, 8-9; Opera Omnia, ed.
Cisterc. 4, 1966, 53-54.
(2)
John Paul II, Redemptoris Mater, 39.
(3)
I. de La Potterie, Maria nel mistero dell'Alleanza, Genoa, 1988,
p. 195 (Eng. trans., Mary in the Mystery of the Covenant, 1992).
(4)
Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, Personal Interview, Calcutta, August 14,
1993.
(5)
St. Irenaeus, Adversus Haereses, vol. 3, ch. 22, n. 4; PG
7, 959.
(6)
St. Ephraem, Opera Omnia, ed. Assemani, Rome, 1832, vol. 3, p.
546.
(7)
St. Ambrose, Ep. 49, n. 2; PL 16, 1154 A.
(8)
St. Augustine, De Sancta Virgin. iii.
(9)
St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, III, Q. 30, a. 1.
(10)
The patristic tradition which maintains that the original date of the
Annunciation and the original date of Good Friday is the same March 25,
seems to confirm the inseparability of the Incarnation from the
Redemption. Cf. Tertullian, Adversus Judaeos, 8; PL, 2,
656 in J. Saward, The Mysteries of March, Catholic University of
America Press, 1990, p. xv.
(11)
F. Ceuppens, De Mariologia Biblica, Rome, 1951, p. 201; cf.
Manelli, "Mary Coredemptrix In Sacred Scripture," Mary Coredemptrix,
Mediatrix, Advocate: Theological Foundations II, Queenship, 1996, p.
86.
(12)
Cf. Lev 12:2, 8.
(13)
Cf. Rt. Rev. Aloys Schaefer, The Mother of Jesus in Holy Scripture
(trans. from the German by Rt. Rev. Ferdinand Brossart), Frederick
Pustet, 1913, p. 186.
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DIVINE MERCY
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On Humility, Humiliation
Thursday, December 25
The Immortal King
How can this be; You are God and I —
I am Your creature. You, the Immortal King and I, a beggar and misery
itself! But now all is clear to me; Your grace and Your love, O Lord,
will fill the gulf between You, Jesus, and me (Diary, 199).
† I will thank the Lord Jesus for every humiliation and will pray
specially for the person who has given me the chance to be humiliated (Diary,
243).
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CATHOLIC TEACHING/CONVICTION/TESTIMONY |
For Unto Us a Child Is Born …
Biblical Reflections for Hanukkah and the
Birth of the Lord
By Father Thomas Rosica, CSB
TORONTO, DEC. 24, 2008 (Zenit.org).-
One of my personal Advent and Christmas
traditions each year has been to attend (or
at least listen to) Handel's Messiah. My
"Messiah night" took place this past week,
not in a concert hall or church, but in my
residence.
The choral section from the Nativity
cycle of Handel's work never ceases to move
me each time I listen to Isaiah's prophecy
set to glorious music: "For unto us a Child
is born, unto us a Son is given, and the
government shall be upon his shoulder; and
his name shall be called Wonderful,
Counselor, the Mighty God, the everlasting
Father, the Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6)
Those marvelous words are taken from the
prophet Isaiah and the first reading that we
hear proclaimed each year at Midnight Mass
on Christmas Eve.
Immediately preceding Chapter 9, Isaiah's
testimony has built up a frightening picture
of the darkness and distress about to
descend upon both Judah and the northern
kingdom of Israel. But that darkness and
distress were not the prophet's final words.
Precisely upon this land has shined a great
light. The opening line of Chapter 9 forms a
transition from the darkness of the previous
chapter. "But there will be no gloom for
those who were in anguish. In the former
time he brought into contempt the land of
Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the
latter time he will make glorious the way of
the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee
of the nations. The people who walked in
darkness have seen a great light; those who
lived in a land of deep darkness -- on them
light has shined" (9:1-2).
The great light that comes decisively
into this profound darkness tears people
away from their confusion and emptiness,
from the violence and tyranny of the
oppressor. On the inhabitants of a country
in the shadow dark as death, light has
blazed forth! The symbols of the Assyrian
oppression: the yoke of their burden, the
bar across their shoulders, the rod of their
oppressor, shall be broken. The garments of
war shall feed the flames. The destruction
of warlike equipment heralds an age of
peace.
The royal child whose birth is so
poetically announced will possess the wisdom
of Solomon, the valor and piety of David,
the great virtue of Moses and the
patriarchs. Presumably the child spoken of
would be King Hezekiah. Contemporary kings
of Judah had been disastrously advised and
were powerless in warfare.
By the title "Wonderful Counselor," the
new king will have no need for advisers such
as those who led King Ahaz astray.
"Everlasting Father" describes the quality
of his rule. The virtues of judgment,
justice and righteousness that sustain the
Davidic throne are summed up in the word
"Shalom," whose Hebrew root means wholeness,
harmony, fulfillment and completion.
As a result of this new king's reign,
people will live in harmony with God, each
other and nature. It is no wonder, then,
that the Church has appropriated Isaiah's
exultation of this brilliant light and royal
birth for our celebration of the birth of
Jesus.
During the past months, who has not felt
deeply the darkness and gloom of our world?
Consider the tragic and violent situations
of the lands we call "holy." Lands that were
once touched by God, the patriarchs and
prophets, and the Messiah himself, are
killing fields. Think of the uncertainty and
despair that has set in because of the
collapse of economic structures. Such strong
feelings of darkness and gloom usually stem
from our attempts to act as isolated beings
or islands, instead of communities of people
genuinely concerned about one another and
about the suffering of so many people in our
world.
During this festival season, Jews
continue to long for the Messiah's coming
and Christians celebrate his birth in human
history. But Jews and Christians are also
invited to go beyond the outward symbols and
ask the deeper questions: How do we continue
to long for and actualize the salvation that
the Messiah will bring? The prophetic texts
read during the Hanukkah, Advent and
Christmas feasts are a new summons to the
synagogue and to the Church to reach out to
one another, to recommit ourselves to
bearing God's light to the nations, and to
recognize each other as partners in building
up the Kingdom of God.
Both Christianity and Judaism seal their
worship with a common hope: "Thy Kingdom
come!" And we must utter this prayer more
loudly and clearly in these days of shadows
and darkness for so many in the world,
especially for the people of Afghanistan,
Iraq, the Holy Land that is torn apart by
warfare, hatred, oppression and sadness, as
well as for those living in other regions
suffering through war, poverty, injustice.
Our common longing for the fruits of the
Messianic Kingdom invites us -- Christians
and Jews -- into a knowledge of our
communion with one another and, a
recognition of the terrible brokenness of
the world. As Pope John Paul II and now Pope
Benedict XVI have taught us through word,
gesture and deed, nothing and no one can
ever wrench us away any longer from that
deep communion that unites us together. The
tikkun ha'olam, the healing of the world,
its repair, restoration and redemption --
including the redemption of Israel,
incarnate in the person of Jesus, now
depends upon us.
* * *
Basilian Father Thomas Rosica is the
chief executive officer of the Salt and
Light Catholic Media Foundation and
Television Network in Canada. He can be
reached at: rosica@saltandlighttv.org.
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