DEC 11 THU -Feast, ST. DAMASUS I, POPE Todays Gospel: MATTHEW 11:11-15 HE IS ELIJAH WHO IS TO COME Jesus said to the crowds: “Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent are taking it by force. All the prophets and the law prophesied up to the time of John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah, the one who is to come. Whoever has ears ought to hear.” Old Testament: ISAIAH 41:13-20 I am the Lord, your God, who grasp your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I will help you.” Fear not, O worm Jacob, O maggot Israel; I will help you, says the Lord; your redeemer is the Holy One of Israel. I will make of you a threshing sledge, sharp, new, and double-edged, to thresh the mountains and crush them, to make the hills like chaff. When you winnow them, the wind shall carry them off and the storm shall scatter them. But you shall rejoice in the Lord, and glory in the Holy One of Israel. The afflicted and the needy seek water in vain, their tongues are parched with thirst. I, the Lord, will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will open up rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the broad valleys; I will turn the desert into a marshland, and the dry ground into springs of water. I will plant in the desert the cedar, acacia, myrtle, and olive; I will set in the wasteland the cypress, together with the plane tree and the pine, that all may see and know, observe and understand, that the hand of the Lord has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it. Pause to reflect.. Who is the greatest in the kingdom of God? Jesus praised John the Baptist as the greatest person born. Who can top that as a compliment? But in the same breath Jesus says that the least in the kingdom of God is even greater than John! That sounds like a contradiction, right? Unless you understand that what Jesus was about to accomplish for our sake would supersede all that the prophets had done and foreseen. YOUR REDEEMER IS THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL The prophet Isaiah proclaimed to the forsaken and dispersed people of Israel some 700 years before the birth of Christ that your Redeemer - the Holy One of Israel would come to restore his people and to make all things new (Isaiah 41:14ff). When the Messiah and Redeemer of Israel did appear John the Baptist announced his arrival. He fulfilled the essential task of all the prophets - to be fingers pointing to Jesus Christ, Gods Annointed Son and Messiah. John proclaimed Jesus mission at the Jordan River when he exclaimed, Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29). John saw from a distance what Jesus would accomplish through his death on the cross - our redemption from bondage to sin and death and our adoption as sons and daughters of God and citizens of the kingdom of heaven. THE SPIRIT OF ELIJAH IS SENT IN ADVANCE THROUGH JOHNS WORDS John the Baptist bridges the Old and New Testaments. He is the last of the Old Testament prophets who point the way to the Messiah. He is the first of the New Testament witnesses and martyrs. He is the herald who prepares the way for Jesus the Messiah. Jesus confirms that John has fulfilled the promise that Elijah would return to herald the coming of the Messiah (Malachi 4:5). Jesus declares that John is nothing less that the great herald whose privilege it was to announce the coming of the Redeemer - the Holy One of Israel. Jesus equates the coming of the kingdom of heaven with violence (Matthew 11:12). John himself suffered violence for announcing that the kingdom of God was near. He was thrown into prison and then beheaded. Since Johns martyrdom to the present times the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence and persecution at the hands of violent men. The blood of the martyrs throughout the ages bear witness to this fact. The martyrs witness to the truth - the truth and love of Jesus Christ who shed his blood to redeem us from slavery to sin and Satan and the fear of death. The Lord Jesus gives us the power of his Holy Spirit to overcome fear with faith, despair with hope, and every form of hatred, violence, jealousy, and prejudice with love and charity towards all - even those who seek to destroy and kill. WE PROCLAIM THE JOY OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST EVEN IN THE MIDST OF SUFFERING AND VIOLENCE God may call some of us to be martyrs for our faith in Jesus Christ. But for most of us our call is to be dry martyrs who bear testimony to the joy of the Gospel in the midst of daily challenges, contradictions, temptations and adversities which come our way as we follow the Lord Jesus. What attracts others to the Gospel of Jesus Christ? When they see Christians loving their enemies, being joyful in suffering, patient in adversity, pardoning injuries, and showing comfort and compassion to the hopeless and the helpless. Jesus tells us that we do not need to fear our adversaries. He will fill us with the power of his Holy Spirit and give us sufficient grace, strength, and wisdom to face any trial and to answer any challenge to our faith. Are you eager to witness to the joy and freedom of the Gospel? Let us pray: Lord Jesus, by your cross you have redeemed the world. Fill me with joy and confidence and make me a bold witness of your saving truth that others may know the joy and freedom of the Gospel of your kingdom of peace and righteousness. __________________________________ P S A L M 145:1, 9, 10-11, 12-13 I will extol you, O my God and King, and I will bless your name forever and ever. The Lord is good to all and compassionate toward all his works. Let all your works give you thanks, O Lord, and let your faithful ones bless you. Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom and speak of your might. Let them make known to men your might and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom. Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages, and your dominion endures through all generations. __________________________________ DAILY QUOTE from the early church fathers: The Kingdom of Heaven, by Hilary of Poitiers (315-367 AD) What violence (Matthew 11:12)? People did not believe in John the Baptist. The works of Christ were held to be of no importance. His torment on the cross was a stumbling block. Until now prophecy has been dormant. But now the law is fulfilled. Every prediction is finished. The spirit of Elijah is sent in advance through Johns words. Christ is proclaimed to some and acknowledged by others. He is born for some and loved by others. The violent irony is that his own people rejected him, while strangers accepted him. His own people speak ill of him, while his enemies embrace him. The act of adoption offers an inheritance, while the family rejects it. Sons refuse to accept their fathers last will, while the slaves of the household receive it. This is what is meant by the phrase the kingdom of heaven suffers violence (Matthew 11:12). Earlier expectations are being torn apart. The glory that was pledged to Israel by the patriarchs, which was announced by the prophets and which was offered by Christ, is now being seized and carried off by the Gentiles, through their faith. (excerpt from the commentary ON MATTHEW 11.7) _________________________________ PRAYERS and INTERCESSIONS Let the heavens open, and the skies rain down the just one; let the earth bring forth Christ, who is the wisdom and power of God. --Be near us, Lord, today. Lord Jesus Christ, you have called us into your kingdom: may we enter in, and live according to your call. --Be near us, Lord, today. The world does not know you: show yourself, in our midst, to all our brothers. --Be near us, Lord, today. We thank you, Lord, for all that we have: move us to give of our plenty to those who have little. --Be near us, Lord, today. We look for your coming, Lord Jesus: when you knock. may we be found watching in prayer and rejoicing in praise. --Be near us, Lord, today. Our Father... Clear a pathway, Lord, in our hearts to make ready for your only Son, so that when he comes we may serve you in sincerity of heart. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. The Lord bless us, and keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life. AMEN. ___________________________________________ https://youtube/watch?v=3CzJV983kHs
Posted on: Wed, 10 Dec 2014 14:09:42 +0000
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