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The Lectionary provides a kind of spiritual script for the universal church that keeps us, literally, all on the same page as we journey through the liturgical seasons. These short reflections, written by four authors who meet weekly to share the readings, are intended to help daily preachers and others who pray from the assigned scriptures each day to orient themselves to the Living Word addressed to the church in the world. Authors are identified by their initials, with short bios provided. Daily Bread Authors
Paige Byrne Shortal Mary E. Waldron Elizabeth C. Williams
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Daily Bread December 2007
Thirty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time (continued)
Sat., Dec. 1: Dan 7:15-27; Luke 21: 34-36
Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy … Be vigilant at all times. Today we are warned to keep our eyes open and focused on the only thing that really matters — the loving care of our God and his fidelity to his promises of salvation. Advent will tell us: “Awake! Be ready to greet the Lord when he comes.” Let us ask God to cleanse us of selfishness and sin and prepare us to love all people, even as God does. As we prepare for the great feast of the Incarnation, may our hearts open to include the stranger, the immigrant, the refugee, the hungry and the homeless, and may we remember always who it is who comes and whom we welcome. Lord, may we welcome you in whatever guise you appear. mew
First Week of Advent
Mon., Dec. 3: Isa 4:2-6; Matt 8:5-11
St. Francis Xavier, priest
Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed. The centurion who asked Jesus to heal his servant has become our model of humility for approaching Jesus in the Eucharist. Yet, we should note in this passage that this man’s worthiness is not an issue for Jesus; Jesus is immediately ready to go cure the servant. The jaw-dropper for Jesus is the centurion’s clarity about Jesus’ authority and power. It challenges us to consider the faith and trust with which we approach Jesus — the One who pitches his tent right in our midst and chooses, especially, to be close to the needy. For faith to believe mightily in Jesus’ desire and power to heal us of every ill, we pray. ecw
Tues., Dec. 4: Isa 11:1-10; Luke 10: 21-24
There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD, as water covers the sea. Isaiah imparts his hope-filled vision of the messianic age with beautiful imagery: the root of Jesse blossoming; the spirit-filled LORD, adorned in justice and faithfulness, easily setting things right; then — most extraordinary — unfathomable peace extending to all creation. We long for peace. We can hardly imagine a peaceful world, yet this is precisely the task Isaiah sets before us. We await the coming of the Prince of Peace. Let us hasten the day of his coming by envisioning the kingdom, a harmonious, just world permeated by God. For a vision of peace — peace in our hearts, peace in our families, peace in our world, we pray. ecw
Wed., Dec. 5: Isa 25:6-10a; Matt 15:29-37
This is the LORD for whom we looked; let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us! Imagine preparing for Christmas this year by spurning extravagance and overspending, and, instead, pouring our time, energy, and resources into helping those who struggle for basic necessities. Jesus was born into poverty and uncertainty in the austerity of a stable. The Lord for whom we look still comes today in the guise of the poor. Do we recognize him? Do we discern the face of Christ in the little ones of the world? In our compassionate response to those who live in poverty or on the margins of life, may we also find the perfect balm for our own afflicted souls. For the grace to respond with gratitude, generosity and joy to the plight of the poor, we pray. ecw
Thurs., Dec. 6: Isa 26:1-6; Matt 7:21, 24-27
St. Nicholas, bishop
Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. How big a bin would we need to hold all of the holy inspirations upon which we have failed to act? We readily agree with Jesus that it is foolish to build on sand. But it is equally foolish to pour a good foundation, assemble the needed materials and then leave them in a pile out in the weather. A good foundation is basic, but it is not is enough. We are called to the ongoing work of building the kingdom: to listen and to act; to trust the inspirations God sends us each day, not chew on them endlessly. For trust, energy and spontaneity in responding to God, we pray. ecw
Fri., Dec. 7: Isa 29:17-24; Matt 9:27-31
St. Ambrose, bishop and doctor
For the tyrant will be no more and the arrogant will have gone. Isaiah describes a time when God has dealt with evildoers. The consequences are marvelous. The earth grows lush and wondrous reversals take place: The deaf hear, the blind see, the poor and lowly find joy. The faithful respond with reverence and awe. Of course, this is a far cry from our current reality, for today we are generally more tuned in to blow-by-blow accounts of terrorism, tragedy and political intrigue than to God acting in the world. Advent calls us away from all that. Let us act with God to disempower the wicked by turning our attention away from them. Let us, rather, keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. For single-hearted devotion to God, we pray. ecw
Sat., Dec. 8: Gen 3:9-15, 20; Eph 1:3-6, 11-12; Luke 1: 26-38
Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary
Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you. Today we honor Mary, the mother of Jesus, and we ponder the blessedness bestowed upon her as the one called to be theotokos, Mother of God. We recognize Mary as full of grace, the model of motherhood, humble, willing to do whatever God asks of her. We also ponder today how we are blessed through Mary, for in giving herself to be the mother of Jesus, Mary becomes the mother of us all. May we seek her intercession often and come more and more to know the mother of the Word incarnate as our own tender mother and gracious advocate before our God. For the grace to grow closer to Jesus through his Blessed Mother, we pray. ecw
Second Week of Advent
Mon., Dec. 10: Isa 35:1-10; Luke 5:17-26
Who but God alone can forgive sins? The scribes and Pharisees pose this question to accuse Jesus of blasphemy. These same words, however, attest to how God alone can heal us from the devastating effects of our sinful nature. Who but God can mend our brokenness? Who but God approaches us in our frailty and failure? Who but God, indeed, can offer true mercy and reconciliation? Like the paralytic released from the debilitating weight of his sin, when we receive forgiveness, we too can walk to the Lord. It is truly God’s gift of reconciliation that keeps us going and frees us from despair; it is the greatest gift we can offer one another. For forgiveness and the peace and hope it brings, we pray. PR
Tues., Dec. 11: Isa 40:1-11; Matt 18:12-14
Damasus I, pope
In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost. The Father always calls us back. Whether we wander away or run off, God desires reconciliation with us. Even with loving and devoted parents, children can lose their way. When we sin or stray from God, we are like a defenseless little one in need of a parent’s fierce love and vigilant protection. During this most sacred season, we await the birth of the Christ child — small and vulnerable, yet always sheltered under the Father’s watchful gaze and within reach of the Father’s loving hand. So are we. The Father cares. Like any parent searching for a lost child, the Father desires our well-being and tirelessly seeks us when we go off course. For God’s loving protection for all who wander in darkness and despair, we pray. PR
Wed., Dec. 12: Zech 2:14-17; Luke 1:26-38 or 1:39-47
Our Lady of Guadalupe
And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? Elizabeth, despite being kin to Mary, marvels and questions that one so blessed should visit her. No wonder Juan Diego questioned asked for a sign that the one revealed to him was truly the mother of God. God reveals his grace and glory to us in many ways. Through the prophets, through his most holy mother and through many seemingly humble faces we encounter every day, God visits us. He even lived among us. In this holy season, we reflect on the many voices, mighty and lowly, that herald the Lord’s coming and announce the truth of the arrival of the kingdom. May we like Elizabeth recognize how grace-filled these encounters are and revel in the wonder of God. That we continually marvel at the glory of the Lord, we pray. PR
Thurs., Dec. 13: Isa 41:13-20; Matt 11:11-15
From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence. Jesus’ opponents violently tried to keep believers from the kingdom. But the faithful held on to what had been prophesied. Fourth-century virgin and martyr Lucy is known for her bravery and fierce faith. Her name means “light,” but she endured dark persecution and violence like many Christians of her day. Lucy had a clear vision of a life of service to Christ. She not only heard the call of the kingdom but also saw the necessary path to its attainment. She courageously stood in the light of God’s truth and withstood the futile attempts to steal it from her. In joyful anticipation of Christ, our Light, we pray. PR
Fri., Dec. 14: Isa 48:17-19; Matt 11:16-19
The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said, ‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ Advent offers us a chance to anticipate the glory of the kingdom that is to come, but in our haste to welcome the Christ child, we need to slow down and acknowledge the presence of God already among us. We must cast aside our narrow notions of what the kingdom will look like and focus on recognizing the Living God in signs and situations that differ from our limited image of who and what Christ is. John of the Cross wrote, “How wretched is the blindness of Adam’s children ...” Let us open our eyes to the endless possibilities of God, we pray. PR
Sat., Dec. 15: Sir 48:1-4, 9-11; Matt 17:9a, 10-13
They did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased. So also will the Son of Man suffer at their hands. We await Christ’s coming as a lowly child. His arrival has been prophesied, and we make ready our hearts and our homes for his humble arrival. Let us pray for the ability to know him and to receive him in all his modest guises — in the poor, suffering, needy and despairing. To see the face of God in each other, we pray. PR
Third Week of Advent
Mon., Dec. 17: Gen 49:2, 8-10; Matt 1:1-17
O Wisdom of our God Most High, guiding creation with power and love .... Today we begin that intense period of preparation — the octave before Christmas. While throughout Advent we sing the hymn “O Come, O Come Emmanuel,” the O Antiphons are specific to the octave, assigned one each day to precede the Magnificat at Vespers. They are also used as the Gospel Acclamation verse each day at Mass, so perhaps we might reflect upon their rich heritage and meaning as we prepare ourselves for the Nativity. Each antiphon calls on the Lord by a title suggested in the Book of Isaiah. Wisdom refers to Isaiah 11: “The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom ...” Today’s Gospel is Matthew’s account of the genealogy of Jesus. Wisdom is rooted in history. and we are poor in wisdom if we consider the old and traditional as passé. O Wisdom, come to teach us the path of knowledge! pbs
Tues., Dec. 18: Jer 23:5-8; Matt 1:18-25
O Lord and leader of the house of Israel, giver of the law to Moses on Sinai … The Jewish people longed for the coming of the Messiah with an intensity that escapes most modern people. Recall the poignant scene from “Fiddler on the Roof” when the people of the village Anatevka are forced from their homes. One villager asks, “Rabbi, we’ve been waiting for the Messiah all our lives. Wouldn’t this be a good time for him to come?” To which the Rabbi replies, “We’ll have to wait for him someplace else. Meanwhile, let’s start packing.” We believe that the Messiah has come, but we pray for him to come again. Do we long for this day? Do we realize that we need the Lord to rescue us? O Lord, come to rescue us with your mighty power! pbs
Wed., Dec. 19: Judg 13:2-7, 24-25a; Luke 1:5-25
O Root of Jesse’s stem, sign of God’s love for all people … From Isaiah 11: “A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse …” Jesse is the father of King David, whose city is Bethlehem. How ironic it is that the birthplace of the Prince of Peace is today a battle zone. The fighting in the Middle East hits us close to home as we read the headlines and pray for loved ones. And we remember that this conflict between the powers of light and darkness is the same one fought in the soul of every human being. O Root of Jesse, come to save us without delay! pbs
Thurs., Dec. 20: Isa 7:10-14; Luke 1:26-38
O Key of David, opening the gates of God’s eternal Kingdom … When the infant Jesus, the little Key of David, opened the womb of Mary, he opened the Kingdom of Heaven. The prisoners of darkness saw glimpses of heaven — angels in the sky, a mysterious star. We are a people of artificial light. The night is never dark and the darkness within is assuaged by the lights of our televisions and computer monitors. Ultimately these artificial lights will not lead us to peace, to the light that is never dark, to freedom. Perhaps the Christmas lights on our tree in a darkened room may remind us of the power of Light over darkness. O Key of David, come and free the prisoners of darkness! pbs
Fri., Dec. 21: Song 2:8-14 or Zeph 3:14-18a; Luke 1:39-45
O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light, sun of justice … A rabbi asked his students, “When is it dawn?” One student answered, “When you can tell a horse from a donkey.” A second student answered, “When you can tell a fig tree from an olive tree.” The rabbi gently corrected them and said, “Dawn is when you can look a stranger in the face and see your brother or sister.” In the Gospel today, dawn is when the child of Elizabeth’s womb recognizes the Savior in Mary’s womb. Isaiah prophesied: “The people who walk in darkness have seen a great light.” Can we people of artificial light dare to face the darkness within so that we can pray with urgency, O Radiant Dawn, come and shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death! pbs
Sat., Dec. 22: 1 Sam 1:24-28; Luke 1:46-56
O King of all nations and keystone of the church … Professor Robert Greenberg suggests that eighth-century Benedictine monks arranged the antiphons in a particular order so that the first letter of each — Emmanuel, Rex, Oriens, Clavis, Radix, Adonai, Sapentia —forms the Latin words eros cras: “Tomorrow, I will come.” Come quickly, King of Kings. Tomorrow is almost here. O King, come and save us, whom you formed from the dust! pbs
Fourth Week of Advent/Christmas/Octave of Christmas
Mon., Dec. 24: 2 Sam 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16; Luke 1:67-79
O Emmanuel, our King and giver of law … We have repented and prayed. We have provided food and warmth for those who lack them. We have cleaned and decorated our homes, wrapped our gifts, made ready a feast for family and friends. Yet our greatest efforts are nothing compared to what the Lord God wills to do for us, and through us for our world and its people. We are inadequate to the task and must humbly admit this to the tiny Lord swaddled in the manger, and we invite him into our hearts and lives to destroy our sin, establish his reign in us, extend our generosity beyond anything we can imagine and work through us to bring healing and peace to our wounded world. O come, O come Emmanuel. mew
Tues., Dec. 25: Isa 9:1-6; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-14
The Nativity of the Lord
Do not be afraid; I proclaim good news of great joy. We feel winter’s dark cold, the weight of despair and sin — the sin of the world and our own sin. But angels, in a burst of heavenly light, proclaim that a Savior is born who is Christ the Lord! Jesus is the first gift, the gift who gives new meaning to all gifts. Today, whether we bask in the Light or huddle in darkness, Jesus is here for each of us, to forgive our sin, to enfold us into his infinitely loving heart, to embrace us in whatever condition we are and say, “I love you. Trust me. I make all things new.” With the angels, we pray, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth … peace.’ mew
Wed., Dec. 26: Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59; Matt 10:17-22
Stephen, first martyr
Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. We don’t know much about Stephen, but what really matters can be found in Acts 6-7. His last words, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit,” should be our prayer too, not only at death, but every day. If we can accept and act on the grace to surrender ourselves totally to God, then God will do great things for us and through us. You can believe it. But remember that great things sometimes come in small, plainly wrapped packages and that only God sees their far-reaching effects. Finally, let’s all remember that martyrdom, to which we all are called, most often does not involve dying for our faith but always involves living for it. Take me as I am, Lord, and summon forth what I shall be. mew
Thurs., Dec. 27: 1 John 1:1-4; John 20:1a, 2-8
John, apostle, evangelist
Our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. St. John was immersed in the mystery of the Incarnation. The Word was made flesh and made his home in our midst; Divine Love walks among us! Legend has it that toward the end of John’s life, his younger and more sophisticated congregants were impatient with him because in his “obsession” with the love of God for us and the love we should have for one another, he preached of nothing else. What a glorious obsession! Let us pray that God’s love within us may impel us to love and care for everyone God places on our path. Lord, grant that your love burning within me may warm those made cold by hatred, greed and fear. mew
Fri., Dec. 28: 1 John 1:5–2:2; Matt 2:13-18
The Holy Innocents, martyrs
If we say, ‘We have fellowship with him,’ while we continue to walk in darkness, we lie and do not act in truth. As we remember the Holy Innocents, we should remember all the little children of our time murdered by those who fear the message of Jesus. How many parents must flee and hide lest their children be slaughtered? How many obey a culture that teaches that a child should die in the womb rather than live with a disabled mind or body, or even be poor? How many children are counted by those in power as “acceptable losses” when war rips apart their homes and ends their lives? Lord, help us to speak and act on behalf of the innocents who suffer because of the darkness of sin. mew
Sat., Dec. 29: 1 John 2:3-11; Luke 2:22-35
Thomas Becket, bishop, martyr
Whoever claims to abide in him ought to walk just as he walked. The Word became flesh to live a human life of perfect accord with God’s will, to obey and thus fulfill the law of God. Our time on this earth is a term in God’s school of love. We learn slowly, with much forgetting and backsliding, how to walk as Jesus walked, to love as Jesus loved. We cannot follow Jesus and compromise with ways that are not his ways. Today’s saint, Thomas Becket, gradually learned this in his opposition to the king. May we all come to follow Jesus so closely that at the end of our days we will be able to pray with Simeon, ‘Lord, now let your servant go in peace; your word has been fulfilled.’ mew
Mon., Dec. 31: 1 John 2:18-21; John 1:1-18
What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race. Many of us have a list of New Year’s resolutions. Diet and exercise may be on the agenda. We may plan to work on managing our time or our finances better. We may want to kick a bad habit like smoking. All such plans for personal reform are great, but let’s also assess our need to grow spiritually. Jesus came that we might have fullness of life. Are we fully alive? Are we light for the world? What daily disciplines might we adopt to grow closer to God? How might the Lord be calling us to serve others? For resolve to live fully as children of God, bearing the light of Christ to all whom we meet, we pray. ecw
Daily Bread Authors
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Patricia Russell
Paige Byrne Shortal
Mary E. Waldron
Elizabeth C. Williams
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