Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 12-12-12, Feast, Our Lady of Guadalupe

USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 12-12-12 | Revised New American Bible

[Salvation]

December 12, 2012

Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

 

Reading 1 Zec 2:14-17

Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion!
See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the LORD.
Many nations shall join themselves to the LORD on that day,
and they shall be his people,
and he will dwell among you,
and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you.
The LORD will possess Judah as his portion in the holy land,
and he will again choose Jerusalem.
Silence, all mankind, in the presence of the LORD!
For he stirs forth from his holy dwelling.

or Ps 1:1Rv 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab

God's temple in heaven was opened,
and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple.

A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun,
with the moon under her feet,
and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth.
Then another sign appeared in the sky;
it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns,
and on its heads were seven diadems.
Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky
and hurled them down to the earth.
Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth,
to devour her child when she gave birth.
She gave birth to a son, a male child,
destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod.
Her child was caught up to God and his throne.
The woman herself fled into the desert
where she had a place prepared by God.

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
"Now have salvation and power come,
and the Kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Anointed."

Responsorial Psalm Jdt 13:18bcde, 19

R. (15:9d) You are the highest honor of our race.
Blessed are you, daughter, by the Most High God,
above all the women on earth;
and blessed be the LORD God,
the creator of heaven and earth.
R. You are the highest honor of our race.
Your deed of hope will never be forgotten
by those who tell of the might of God.
R. You are the highest honor of our race.

Gospel Lk 1:26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin's name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
"Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you."
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
"Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end."
But Mary said to the angel,
"How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?"
And the angel said to her in reply,
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God."
Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word."
Then the angel departed from her.

or Lk 1:39-47

Mary set out
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
"Most blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled."

And Mary said:

"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior."

[annalex]

Madonna of the Magnificat (Madonna del Magnificat)

Sandro Botticelli

1480-81
Tempera on panel, diameter 118 cm
Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence

[Salvation]

 

Marriage = One Man and One Woman

Til' Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for December 12, 2012:

This feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is especially celebrated in Mexico. You don’t have to be Mexican, however, to appreciate that Mary appeared in the skin and dress of the common people. What image of Mary appeals to you? Your spouse?

[Salvation]

Regnum Christi

“God Is with You”

| SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Father Robert DeCesare, LC

Luke 1:26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

“Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,

has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.” Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

Introductory Prayer: Lord, I know by faith that these are some of the most important moments of my day. I freely open my mind, heart and will for you to do as you please, because I know you can desire and do only what is good for me. I know that you will give me the grace to do whatever you ask of me and that you will always accompany me. That is enough for me.

Petition: Lord, give me the grace to do your holy will.

1. Pleasing God through the Small, Daily Tasks: The angel Gabriel finds Mary doing nothing extraordinary, but rather doing ordinary tasks like washing clothes, sweeping, getting water, doing the same daily prayer as every devout Jew. But in doing the ordinary she is doing what is pleasing to God. Her example should be our guide. Work can be an ordinary means of holiness. Man, as Pope John Paul II said, “not only transforms nature, adapting it to his own needs, but he also achieves fulfillment as a human being and indeed, in a sense, becomes ‘more a human being’” (Laborem Exercens, no. 9). We please God when we do our duties, fulfill our responsibilities, work to meet our basic needs. While we may not be doing something extraordinary at every moment, we still praise and glorify God when we undertake the ordinary with love. If an angel were to come looking for me, would he find me doing my daily tasks lovingly?

2. “Do Not Be Afraid!” Mary “was greatly troubled and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.” When God presents us with his plan, we too might be afraid. We may not fully understand what he has in mind. It can seem that his plan is too great for us. But when God wants something from us, he shows us that it is not beyond our reach. As with Mary at the Incarnation, God will make it happen and will provide all the grace necessary for its completion.

3. “May It Be Done to Me According to Your Word” When Gabriel clarifies Mary’s mission and illustrates that with God all things are possible, Mary makes an act of faith. Her act of faith is what the Second Vatican Council terms the ‘obedience of faith’. The obedience of faith “is to be given to God who reveals, an obedience by which man commits his whole self freely to God, offering the full submission of intellect and will to God who reveals, and freely assenting to the truth revealed by Him” (Dei Verbum, 5). God supplied Mary with his grace and did not abandon her; nor will he abandon us. When we do what God wants and cooperate with his plan, he will support us. He will accompany us as we carry out his will and bring his plan to fulfillment. God’s will is our holiness, and when we do his will we help God to make us saints.

Conversation with Mary: Mary, teach me how to do God’s will as you did, so that I can remain in his company. I want to do his will, even though at times I know that it may seem difficult or impossible. Ask your son for the grace of perseverance for me so that I, too, may cooperate with the Lord, whether he is asking something of me that is ordinary or extraordinary.

Resolution: In a difficult situation, I will pray a “Hail Mary,” asking Mary for help in being faithful.

[Salvation]

God Seeks

 

by Food For Thought on December 12, 2012 ·

 

One of the distinguishing traits of the Judeo-Christian religious tradition is: Jews and Christians need not seek God, it is God who seeks them. The opposite seems to be true in other religions. The efforts made to find God by devotees of non-Judeo-Christian religions, give the impression that they must make almost superhuman efforts to find him.

In the first reading Isaiah paints the marvelously joyful picture of Yahweh seeking out his people in exile and leading them back to their homeland.

In the Gospel Jesus tells the parable of the shepherd who leaves the rest of his flock to search for the lone stray-and the joy when he finds it! In the parable the shepherd is a God-figure, a metaphor for God, the Father. Furthermore Jesus in his own life on earth reflects his Father’s vision. The apostle John experienced the Father’s compassionate vision in his dealings with Jesus. This prompted John to write: “In this is love, not that we love God, but that he has first loved us.” In Advent we prepare our-selves to celebrate the feast of God’s love for us, which was so great that he sent his own Son to be God-with-us, to be God-in-pursuit of us.

[Salvation]

One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

 

<< Wednesday, December 12, 2012 >>

Our Lady of Guadalupe

Zechariah 2:14-17
View Readings

Judith 13:18-19

Luke 1:39-47

THE STAR OF EVANGELIZATION

 

"Many nations shall join themselves to the Lord on that day." —Zechariah 2:15

 

Pope Paul VI called Mary the "star of evangelization." Immediately after conceiving Jesus, she took Jesus to Elizabeth and the baby in her womb (Lk 1:39-41). Both Elizabeth and John accepted Jesus as their Lord and received the Holy Spirit (Lk 1:41-42).

Throughout history, Mary has done whatever her Son has told her (see Jn 2:5) and made disciples of all nations (Mt 28:19). Probably her most fruitful evangelization took place from 1531 to 1538 at the hill of Tepeyac, near what is now called Mexico City. During those seven years, Mary, under the title of Our Lady of Guadalupe, led eight million people to give their lives to Christ. Over three thousand people each day for seven years were baptized into Christ. In effect, Mary, who prayed in the upper room before the first Christian Pentecost (Acts 1:14; 2:1ff), was used by the Lord to bring about new Pentecosts each day for seven years.

Mary, the star of evangelization, will make us stars of evangelization. If we also are "docile to the action of the Holy Spirit" (Toward the Third Millennium, Pope John Paul II, 18), we will see a new springtime of Christian life. Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us.

 

Prayer: Father, make these next two years the most fruitful years of my life.

Promise: "Blest is she who trusted that the Lord's words to her would be fulfilled." —Lk 1:45

Praise: The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe contains many symbols, colors, and meanings that showed the Mexican Indians just how sovereign God was compared to their pagan gods. Many of them converted to the Catholic Church after merely looking at the image.

[Salvation]

Parents' Prayer

Jesus Christ, Son of God, Son of Man, and Son of Mary, I thank you for the gift of life you have entrusted to my care. Help me be a parent both tender and wise, both loving and forgiving.

Mary, Holy Mother of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Christ, and our Motherly Queen of Heaven, nourish our family with your heavenly grace. Help us to remain faithful to The Most Holy Trinity, in all our sorrows and joys. Joseph, Earthly father to our Lord God, guardian and spouse of Mary, keep our family safe from harm. Help us in all times of discouragement or anxiety.

Holy Family of Nazareth, help our family to walk in your footsteps. May we be peace-loving and peace-giving.
Amen.

[Varda]

First of all thank you for these threads. They are beautiful devotionals.

Not only does marriage equal one man and one woman but marriage creates a family out of them. What was two becomes one.

“Mary appeared in the skin and dress of the common people”

This isn't accurate. The Virgin of Guadalupe doesn't look or dress like any native peoples of Mexico. If you believe the tilma to have been actually painted by God then that has to be a true image of Mary.