A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday Liturgy
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (Series 8, n. 4)
4th Sunday in Advent, Year C – December 20, 2009 *
“ADVENT: To Live Our Calling”
BIBLE READINGS
Mi 5:1-4a // Heb 10:5-10 // Lk 1:39-45
(N.B. Series 8 of BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD: A LECTIO DIVINA APPROACH TO THE SUNDAY LITURGY includes a prayerful study of the Sunday liturgy of Year C from the perspective of the Second Reading. For reflections on the Sunday liturgy of Year C based on the Gospel reading, please scroll up to the “ARCHIVES” above and open Series 2. For reflections based on the Old Testament reading, open Series 5.)
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS
Micah’s comforting words about the ruler of Israel that is to come from Bethlehem-Ephrathah is fulfilled in Jesus, the Son of Mary. The prophecy (Mi 5:1-4a) is deeply evocative in its use of childbirth as a sign of new age. The future king is conceived as a good shepherd who guides the flock in the name of the Lord God and by his strength. The messianic ruler from Bethlehem, the city of King David, is totally faithful to his vocation as the instrument of God’s saving will.
In the beautiful account of Mary’s visit to her cousin Elizabeth (Lk 1:39-45), the mother of the Lord is presented as the supreme exemplar of believers. Mary is the first and perfect disciple of the Son-Savior who is in her womb. She received in total humble obedience the word of God, spoken to her through the angel Gabriel. She allowed the incarnate Word of God to grow in her womb. She was fully receptive to the energetic force of love animating her from within. True to her vocation as the mother of life, she was quick to obey the winged impulse of Christ’s love. Mary went with haste to Elizabeth in a surge of kindness and in an impelling urgency of charity. The presence of the long-expected Messiah in Mary’s womb evoked the words of blessing from Elizabeth’s mouth. Moreover, the advent of Christ the Messiah generated the leap of joy of John the Baptist in his mother Elizabeth’s womb.
This Sunday’s Second Reading (Heb 10:5-10) gives us a profound insight into the “why” of the Lord’s incarnation. The Son of God became man so that through his “body” he could offer a sacrifice of perfect obedience to the Father’s saving will. The effect of Christ’s perfect sacrifice is our salvation and redemption. Through the offering of the body of Christ for all, we have been sanctified and consecrated to the loving, merciful God the Father.
The authors of the Days of the Lord, vol. 1, comment: “Christ was near to God … He handed over his body on the cross, consecrating his heart to the fulfillment of the Father’s plan: I have come to do your will, O God (…) Like the Son of God who made to the Father an offering of his body, we are able to offer a sacrifice that is pleasing to God, being truly consecrated and united to the Father: through him, with him, and in him . Real worship in spirit and truth is that of a holy life, which the liturgy, the source and summit of all the activity of the Church, brings together and transforms into the praise of his glory.”
When I was reading the following story by Poverello House Founder Mike McGarvin, I felt something vaguely familiar in it (cf. POVERELLO NEWS, November 2009, p.1-20. Now I know! The meeting of Campbell and “Papa Mike” is like the visit of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth. Mary, the first disciple and “Christofora” (Christ bearer), stirred the life within Elizabeth’s womb. In the same way, the visit of Campbell brought renewed hope and inspiration into the life of the charity worker “Papa Mike”. It strengthened his fraternal charity and renewed his commitment to life again. What a beautiful story for the Advent-Christmas season when we are deeply challenged to live our calling: to allow the word of God to dwell in our hearts … to let Christ grow within us … to be “Christoforas” or Christ bearers to others! In imitation of Mary’s discipleship and charity, we too need to live out our vocation to be like Christ who said to the heavenly Father at his incarnation: “Behold, I come to do your will, O God” (Heb 10:7).
It’s strange thing to know someone for ten years, but never actually meet him. That describes my friendship with a young man, up until last summer. One Christmas season ten years ago, I received a letter from a six-year old child whose name was Campbell. It was charming. The boy wrote as if he knew me, and told me all about the things in his life that interested him. Accompanying the letter was some money he had earned to help the homeless. I sent a letter to thank him. The next year, he sent another little missive with yet another donation. Again, the tone was familiar and conversational, as if we had been pals for decades. I shared these letters with the Poverello staff, who were as delighted as I was.
The letters came every year about the same time, with one exception. One Christmas rolled by a few years ago with no letter from Campbell. I was disappointed, and, to tell the truth, a little depressed. I figured he had grown tired of Poverello House, and had moved on to new things. However, much to my relief, the letter came in January. He apologized, and said his life had been so busy that he was a little late. And busy he was. Each year, he would describe the joys and anxieties of entering a new grade in school. I learned about his martial art lessons, his school wrestling, and the academic subjects that excited or bored him the most. Each letter was a glimpse into the life of a thoughtful, engaging, and very involved youngster. Every letter also contained a school picture of him, so I could see him grow from a cute little boy into a handsome teenager.
In the decade that passed, Campbell talked about visiting Poverello, but never seemed to get the time. Then, one day in August, I got a surprising call: he and his grandfather were going to come down and see the Pov. After all this time, I thought I knew what to expect. I was a little shocked to meet the face in the pictures attached to a body that was as tall as me. At sixteen years old, Campbell was well over six feet tall. He towered over his grandpa. I gave them both a tour, which they seemed to enjoy. When we paused at the POW/MIA table in our dayroom, the grandfather got a little emotional. It turns out that he had spent many years in the military and had fought in World War II.
Sometimes, working at Poverello and living down here is a little like being in a bubble. Most of what I see is negative, and I don’t get away enough to see much else. I meet many young people on the streets, most of whom are going nowhere in life, and who are pretty well ruined before they turn twenty. It’s easy to lose hope.
Now and then, however, a vibrant, compassionate young person like Campbell crosses my path, and I start to think more positively. If there’s someone like Campbell, who, since the age of six, has thought about the poor and done what he could to help, then maybe, just maybe, there are a lot more like him. What a blessing it was to finally meet him face to face and to see the good work that God started in him. Maybe there’s hope for humanity, after all, if somehow we can help to produce a few more Campbells.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART
How does the heartwarming prophecy of Micah about the future ruler of Israel impinge on you? In your life, do you welcome positive visions with joy and allow them to transform you?
What insights do you derive from Luke’s account of Mary’s visitation to her cousin Elizabeth? How does the figure of Mary as the first and perfect Christian disciple and as the “Christofora” or Christ bearer par excellence inspire you? How does the advent of the Messiah affect your life personally?
Do you bless and thank God for the Lord’s incarnation and its marvelous consequences? Do you imitate Christ in his total submission to the Father’s saving will? Do you declare “through Christ, with Christ and in Christ” with receptive heart: Behold, I come to do your will, O God?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD
Leader: Loving Father,
we thank you for giving us visions of hope
and the promise of a redeemed and fruitful tomorrow.
We thank you for the birth of the Messiah from the tribe of David.
We thank you for Mary,
who became the mother of your Son, the incarnate Word.
Help us to be open to grace.
Make us obedient to your saving will in imitation of Jesus and Mary.
The humble maiden of Nazareth house
declared at the angel Gabriel’s annunciation of the Lord,
I am the handmaid of the Lord;
let it be done to me according to your word.
At his incarnation, your divine Son avowed,
Behold, I come to do your will, O God.
His perfect life-giving sacrifice on the cross
resulted in our redemption and sanctification.
For this wondrous mystery of love,
we thank you, God our Father.
Give us the grace to live our Christian vocation to the full:
to be united intimately with your Son Jesus Christ in his paschal mystery
and to collaborate fully in your plan of salvation.
Let the example of the Blessed Mother Mary
inspire us to obey the winged impulse of Christ’s love.
May we respond to the challenge of the Advent-Christmas season:
to allow the word of God to dwell in our hearts…
to let Christ grow within us and experience his “birthing”.
Help us to be “Christoforas” or Christ bearers to others.
Gracious God, teach us to act on your word.
Grant us the grace to follow our vocation to holiness
and to live out our calling to perfect charity.
We adore you and praise you;
we give you thanks and serve you,
now and forever.
Assembly: Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the week. Please memorize it.
“Behold, I come to do your will, O God!” (Heb 10:7)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION
ACTION PLAN: In this period of Advent expectation and immediate preparation for the birthday of our Lord Jesus, let your acts of charity and deeds of kindness generate “new life” and strengthen the hope of the people around you. In any way you can, inspire people to experience and share the joy and blessings of the forthcoming Christmas season.
ACTION PLAN: That we may truly be people who live out faithfully our Christian calling, make an effort to spend an hour in Eucharistic Adoration. Visit the PDDM WEB site (www.pddm.us) for the EUCHARISTIC ADORATION THROUGH THE LITURGICAL YEAR: A Weekly Pastoral Tool (Year C, vol. 6, #4).
Prepared by Sr. Mary Margaret Tapang PDDM
PIAE DISCIPULAE DIVINI MAGISTRI
SISTER DISCIPLES OF THE DIVINE MASTER
60 Sunset Ave., Staten Island, NY 10314
Tel. (718) 494-8597 // (718) 761-2323
Website: WWW.PDDM.US