Daily Bread Archive 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 Patricia Russell graduated from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Mich., with degrees in English and secondary education. Paige Byrne Shortal earned a bachelor’s degree in theology at Saint Louis University and a master’s degree in pastoral studies at Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis. Mary E. Waldron received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in theology from Marquette University in Milwaukee.  She later earned a doctorate in American studies from Saint Louis University. Elizabeth C. Williams has a bachelor’s degree in education from Southeast Missouri State University and a master’s degree in theology from Aquinas Institute of Theology. ● For 36 years, Celebration, the homiletic resource of The National Catholic Reporter, has promoted worship and preaching tied to justice.  Celebration is now fully electronic. ● Click below to learn more. http://www.celebrationpublications.org/FreeOffer/

Daily Bread - December 2008

First Week of Advent

 

Mon., Dec. 1: Isa 2:1-5; Matt 8:5-11

They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. In Isaiah’s idyllic vision — a world where nations no longer wage or even train for war — the peoples of the world are resourceful participants in its transformation, refashioning weapons into farm implements. But how can we dismantle the modern war machine, bound as it is to our economy and mindset? We should not be put off by the enormity and complexity of this task; rather, the scale of the challenge highlights our necessary participation in it. Let us begin by imagining our world retooled for peace. As we walk in the light of the Lord, let us see clearly our role as ambassadors of peace. For willingness to be agents of God’s love and justice, we pray. Ecw

But he shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the lands afflicted. We await the return of Christ. In the meantime, we are called to do his bidding, to be champions of the poor and the needy. Let us be mindful, then, as we choose nice gifts for our loved ones that other families are choosing between hunger and housing. As we donate to charity to alleviate the suffering of the poor, let us be generous. Let us find ways to be present to those who are isolated and welcoming to those who feel excluded. Through the gifts of his Spirit, may we be ever more effective instruments of God’s justice and love. For wisdom, understanding, counsel, strength, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord, we pray. Ecw

On this mountain the Lord of hosts will provide for all peoples a feast. A Russian immigrant to the United States held stubbornly to her conviction that life would not be better in this new place. The apartment she and her husband could afford was no nicer than their former home; while they had known great hardship in their homeland, life here was full of new vexations, among which was the language they did not know. Finally, though, one sight prompted the woman to a change of heart: the produce aisle at the local grocery. When she saw it overflowing with fresh fruits and vegetables, she wept. We enjoy the Lord’s feast now. May God’s goodness impel us to see that none go hungry? For the eradication of hunger, we pray. Ecw

And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. Many homeowners can testify that what once seemed to be a good foundation can in time prove otherwise. The settling of a house may leave cracks in its foundation. Damage may be negligible, or it can signal a major threat to the home’s structural integrity. Prudence demands that we periodically inspect our homes and our practices of faith. How might we attend more closely to Jesus’ exhortation to listen to his words and act on them? Do we need to shore up our spiritual lives by setting aside more time for prayer or study of the sacred scriptures? For lives grounded in Christ, we pray. Ecw

Jesus warned them sternly, ‘See that no one knows about this.’ Broadcaster Paul Harvey has built a popular radio program on the premise that our view of a person or a situation is lacking and perhaps even skewed until we know "the rest of the story." We can hardly blame the once-blind men in today’s Gospel for disregarding Jesus’ command. Who could contain the joy of such a wonderful restoration? But they’d had only a glimpse of Jesus. They knew nothing of what lay ahead for him and the extraordinary means through which he would bring salvation to the world. Whether we find ourselves today filled with joy and wonder or heavily burdened by our own cross, let us humbly seek fuller understanding of our God. For a deepening relationship with Jesus, we pray. Ecw

Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give. Most of us could make a long list of all God has given us. What would happen if we took just one gift — the gift of peace — and gave it special attention this Advent, cultivating it in our hearts each day? What if the power of that peace in us helped defuse anxiety everywhere we went? What if it eased the burdens of everyone we encountered? Jesus gave his disciples extraordinary powers: authority over unclean spirits, the power to heal the sick. His healing power flows forth through us, too. For Christ’s peace … in our hearts, in our families, in our world, we pray. Ecw

… as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him. A growing trend in Hollywood after a successful movie is the development of a prequel giving the "backstory" — what led up to the action in the first film. We know that Mary was chosen to bear the Christ. She witnessed the Paschal Mystery in the most profound and personal way. Today, as we reflect on Mary’s backstory and view how Mary’s obedience to the will of God unfolds, we learn an aspect of our own story. We share Mary’s call. While Mary was conceived without sin to bear our Salvation, we too, long before our births, were chosen by God and for God to bring forth the Word. Grant us, O Lord, the grace to know and to do your will, we pray. PR

Cry out at the top of your voice, Jerusalem, herald of good news! Advent calls us to join the ancient voices heralding the Lord’s coming. It is a profound time of grace and opportunity to take up the mantle of the prophet. We are not called to be spoilsports, but our voices proclaiming the wonder of God must be louder than the ringing of cash registers and sleigh bells. The holidays hold a palpable enthusiasm. Good cheer abounds. Celebrations amplify. Generosity swells — for a while. We tire of the pace; our zeal dampens. If our joy is to be genuine and lasting, it must be rooted in the Good News that outlasts the office party and the gift wrap. May we continually be heralds of glad tidings, we pray. PR

… for I am meek and humble of heart. It seems counterintuitive that our Salvation arrives in a stable. It seems too ordinary, too simple. The confusion lies within our perception. Salvation, grace, love, the divine — all of these are simple, just like their herald and source. We are the ones who complicate things and try to be showy. God reveals his grace and glory to us in many ways, but few are what we expect. The most profound is also the lowliest. In this holy season, let’s look at the modest and unassuming ways in which we encounter our gentle Savior. That our hearts may be light and at rest in the Lord, we pray. PR

I, the Lord, will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. We all have prayed for patience and have become frustrated when neither patience nor that which tests our patience arrives immediately. We wish away the minutes in secret fear that what we long for will never come. As if our patience is not already rare, Advent by its very nature intensifies our longings. There’s grace in our anticipation, an opportunity to grow in faith and trust. The Lord will answer. Rest assured the Holy One of Israel approaches. At long last, our Redeemer comes. "That all may see and know, observe and understand," we pray. PR

And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. We would be remiss this Advent if we did not take every chance for quiet reflection. It’s not the time to try to analyze the mystery of the Christ child; rather, we need to allow the mystery to fill our hearts and hold its precious possibility deep within us — inexplicable in its wonder. Mary certainly could not fathom what it all meant, but she didn’t waste this time of grace looking past its magnificent presence. Yes, we yearn for Christmas and race toward it, but we need to stop and reflect before we squander this opportunity to rest in awe and to be stilled with wonder. Let us open our hearts to that which God has made known to us, we pray. PR

… and they did not recognize him. If we see the face of Christ in the world today, how do we respond? Do we imitate his love and compassion? During the holidays we’re bombarded with requests to help the needy. We cannot help but become acutely aware of the deprivation around us. We can prepare for Christ’s coming by looking for his face in each plea. The semblance of Christ is everywhere — in each bell ringer, care package, giving-tree ornament or food drive. May we be Christ for one another, we pray. PR

Show us, Lord, your love, and grant us your salvation. The Gospel Acclamation verse for today indicates the ideal attitude of the good disciple or student. I’ve found that there are three kinds of students: the Challenger, whose goal is to win the argument; the Questioner, whose goal is knowledge; and the Seeker, whose goal is wisdom. These correspond to the stages of life — adolescence, the middle years and older age. The Pharisees were not looking for wisdom or even answers. They were trying to trap Jesus, to win. Notice how deftly Jesus avoids the trap. Lord Jesus, make us seekers after you and fill our hearts with your wisdom so that we may be like your holy mother — Christ-bearers to this needy world. Pbs

Tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the Kingdom of God before you. If you’ve not read Flannery O’Connor’s short story "Revelation," promise yourself to do so before Christmas comes. She takes her inspiration from today’s Gospel. It’s a must-read for ministers, especially those preparing their Christmas homily, especially those who find themselves irritated by the C&E Catholics who will make an appearance at Christmas, especially all of us who are … well … righteous. Jesus seems to prefer the company of the not-so-righteous. Is there any hope at all for those of us who make our living inside the church? Of course: Because we all have those not so-righteous parts of ourselves and if we are brave enough and humble enough, we have only to look there for Jesus. He seems to avoid the parlors and hang out in the stables of our lives. We can meet him there. Jesus, be born in us and help us find you where we most need you. Pbs

Fourteen generations … times three: My Irish friend says that we Americans have little sense of history. This American must confess, "Guilty as charged." We, who are still in early childhood as nations go, cannot begin to understand people who are engaged in turf wars that go back thousands of years. Jesus came from such people, as did Matthew, and he is determined to show that Jesus is the culmination of human history and the fulfillment of all that God had promised. As we engage with nations throughout the world, let us pray today’s O Antiphon: Come, O Wisdom from on high, and make us wise. Pbs

Joseph … righteous … yet unwilling to expose [Mary] to shame … Joseph, the central character of Matthew’s nativity narrative, is caught between the desire to do what is lawful (his righteousness) and the desire to do what is loving. His solution is to divorce Mary quietly. A vision from God persuades him to do what he is longing to do and bear the consequences. There are within us these conflicting desires — to protect ourselves and to do the loving thing; to get what is coming to us and to give generously. Joseph is our model of generosity and humility as we also are called to listen for God’s word in our hearts and obey the most important command: Love one another. Come, O Giver of the Law, and lead us along your path. Pbs

Now you will be speechless … because you did not believe my words. Failing to believe, we are rendered mute. It is not so much a punishment, but an inevitable consequence. For what have we to say if we do not believe? It is my lack of faith that keeps me from telling the truth, from speaking out against injustice, particularly the injustice that lives in my backyard — in my family or parish or school or business. No one likes to have folks mad at them or laugh at them. So we play down the prophetic and talk up the easy-to-swallow parts of the Christmas story. We can talk about both, can’t we? The cuddly baby resting on sweet-smelling straw, and the Herods of the world who march on without regard for every mother’s child? Preachers, tell the whole truth this Christmas. Our world needs you. O sign of God’s love for all people come and save us. Pbs

Nothing will be impossible for God. Who will be at daily Mass today? On this last Saturday before Christmas, many folks are making their final preparations for Christmas at home — cleaning, decorating, cooking, shopping, wrapping. Some are taking little children to see Santa. Some are celebrating early with grandparents or other relatives. With the faithful few who are in the pews this morning, pray for the rest of the community. Pray that all of us together will be led to the light and will be a glimmer of light to the world. O Key of David, come and free the prisoners of darkness. Pbs

The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. Hannah and Mary, two humble women, thanking and praising God for the great gift of a child. For months we have been bombarded with variations on the theme "Christmas is for children." It is, but not within the commercial boundaries of Santa, toys and candy. Let us be truly, humbly grateful not only for the Child who comes, but for all the children in our lives and in our world, each of them somehow showing God’s likeness and giving us a precious and unique view of God’s face that we might not otherwise see in this life. O King of Nations, keystone of the church, come and save humankind, whom you fashioned from the dust. Mew

But who will endure the day of his coming? And who can stand when he appears? In this season we celebrate the coming of God’s Word as a tiny child. Our spirituality at this time tends to be tender and a bit sentimental. But the scriptures tell us that now we are to repent and "clean house," because this helpless little baby in the manger is the Messiah. His public ministry will be preceded by the last and greatest prophet, John the Baptist, who will preach repentance from what is sinful, imperfect, or just plain lazy, so that we may receive the Lord with open hearts. O Emmanuel, our King and Lawgiver, come to save us, Lord our God. Mew

The dawn from on high shall … guide our feet into the way of peace. We know that God’s light has conquered humanity’s long night. Yet we still wait for the Light’s conquest of the darkness to be fully manifested in our hearts and in our world. God has entrusted us with the work of letting the divine light be seen and the peace of God established through us. As we make our final few hours of preparation, let us earnestly pray to be made worthy to bear the light and spread the peace of Christ to everyone on our path. O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light, sun of justice, come and shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death. Mew

His dominion is vast and forever peaceful. The Prince of Peace is born to us! Yet our world is torn by wars, great and small, each spreading terror, privation, hunger and death, each an outrage to the God who is love. Every war between nations begins with bitterness, jealousy, hatred and greed in the hearts of individuals. What is it in my attitude toward the grace, the talent, the material goods with which my life has been gifted that predisposes me to be an agent of conflict, rather than peace and love? Do I make peace and justice among people a priority and convey this priority to my leaders? Come, Prince of Peace, reign in our lives and lead us to ways of peace. Mew

You will be given at that moment what you are to say. We probably all know that the word "martyr" simply means "witness," and that we are all called, by virtue of our baptism, to be martyrs in that sense. There are always social issues and individual persons calling for our attention. Perhaps we can respond by contacting local or national leaders, or perhaps by visiting and comforting neighbors in need. Let us remember to be men and women of prayer and action and also remember that sometimes we do our very best testifying to the Lord not by what we say, but by what we do and how we live. Lord, grant us courage to speak, wisdom to keep silent, and charity and courtesy in all things. Mew

What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked upon and touched with our hands concerns the Word of life — for the life was made visible. These words should sum up the life of every Christian. We did not live when Jesus walked the earth. Still, we have heard him in scripture and sacrament; we have seen him in the faces of our brothers and sisters; we have touched him with each act of loving kindness we have done for another. We are called to unite so completely with our risen Lord that each moment of our lives makes him present to all. Lord, make me so like you that all may see you in me. Mew

Whoever says he is in the light, yet hates his brother, is still in the darkness. Each year we bring out lights to celebrate the birth of Jesus. But our bright, shining celebration needs to find a counterpart in our hearts. Has that happened this time around? Have we allowed Jesus, the light of the world, to lighten our spirits and brighten our mood? Has his Incarnation softened our hearts? Do we see God in others, perhaps where before we could not? The lights will soon come down and be packed away for another year. While they still shine, let us commit to keeping the light of Christ’s love in us burning brightly throughout the coming year. For an end to the darkness of hatred, we pray. Ecw

She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. Anna lived by faith, waiting in hope. We know people like her — elderly folk whose faithfulness in prayer has filled them with wonder, expectation and trust. They are not bitter about the infirmities of old age because their focus is on the Lord. For them, life has become prayer, and their steadfast devotion draws all of us to greater piety. Let us pray especially for the elderly today, whether they are exemplars of holiness like Anna, or whether, like so many others, they find each day a painful struggle. Better yet, let us give them a call or look in on them, knowing that our visit will be one of mutual blessings. For the elderly, we pray. Ecw

From his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace. As this year draws to its close, we might find resolutions for the new one arising from our gratitude for these past 12 months. Our gratitude list might include new friends we have made or old ones with whom we have reconnected; bad habits we have broken and new, healthy disciplines we have adopted; trials we have endured and lessons we have learned; our homes, our jobs, our health and our families. As we count our blessings, may we envision the further good God wants us to accomplish in us. As we recall how God has led us, may we be guided into new ways of grace. For a grace-filled new year, we pray. Ecw

• Patricia Russell graduated from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Mich., with degrees in English and secondary education.

• Paige Byrne Shortal earned a bachelor’s degree in theology at Saint Louis University and a master’s degree in pastoral studies at Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis.

• Mary E. Waldron received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in theology from Marquette University in Milwaukee. She later earned a doctorate in American studies from Saint Louis University.

• Elizabeth C. Williams has a bachelor’s degree in education from Southeast Missouri State University and a master’s degree in theology from Aquinas Institute of Theology.