FEAST OF ST JOHN DAMASCENE, PRIEST AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH.
THE FEAST OF ST JOHN DAMASCENE, PRIEST AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH.
"At that time: Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, went up on the mountain, and sat down there.
"Great crowds came to him, having with them the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute, and many others. They placed them at his feet, and he cured them.
"The crowds were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the deformed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind able to see, and they glorified the God of Israel.
"Jesus summoned his disciples and said, “My heart is moved with pity for the crowd, for they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, for fear they may collapse on the way.”
"The disciples said to him, “Where could we ever get enough bread in this deserted place to satisfy such a crowd?”
"Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?”
“Seven,” they replied, “and a few fish.”
"He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, gave thanks, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds.
"They all ate and were satisfied. They picked up the fragments left over—seven baskets full." (Matthew 15: 29 - 37).
Wednesday 4th December 2024, First Week in Advent is the feast of St John Damascene. (675 - 749). Religious Priest and Doctor of the Church. Born in Damascus. Before his ordination to the priesthood in 726, St John was the finance minister to the Caliph of Damasus.
His work of life was mostly study and writing. He produced books in dogmatic theology. St John Damascene wrote a significant book on the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. But his defense of the use of images is his striking contribution to the Church. Without John Damascene, we may not be able to use icons in worship or in our devotions. For example: Images of the Sacred Heart, Divine Mercy, Mary and the Saints. Thank you St John Damascene.
Our key Scripture for today is the background to the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves. The entire Liturgy of the word today centers on food, banquet and celebrations. Let us capture them one by one.
#1. Collect (Opening Prayer).
"Prepare our hearts, we pray, O Lord our God, by your divine power,
so that at the coming of Christ your Son we may be found worthy of the banquet of eternal life and merit to receive heavenly nourishment from his hands."
How do we prepare our hearts for the eternal banquet? The 7-Way Plan:
1. Daily Prayer.
2. Daily Word of God.
3. Frequent Eucharist.
4. Frequent Confession.
5. Regular Examination of Conscience.
6. Daily Spiritual Reading.
7. Sharing your faith every day.
#2. First Reading (Isaiah 25: 6 - 10).
"On this mountain the Lord of hosts will provide for all peoples a feast of rich food and choice wines, juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines." (Isaiah 25: 6).
This mountain is type and shadow of the Sanctuary where the Lord God prepares for us a banquet of the word of God and the holy Eucharist.
#3 Responsorial Psalm:
"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." (Psalm 23: 1).
Do you find yourself in constant want or need? A new car, shoe, job, suit, whatever?
If the Lord is truly your Good Shepherd, you will be pretty content most of the time. The restless spirit harbors the spirit of the world. We are warned not to compromise with the spirit of the world but to allow the word of God to shape our vision of the world. (Cf Romans 12: 2).
#4 The Gospel:
"They all ate and were satisfied." (Cf Matthew 15: 29 - 37).
How do you feel when your Good Shepherd feeds you?
To feed a multitude of people, Jesus multiplied a few loaves of bread and fish.
The Eucharist is a multiplication of a few loaves to feed millions daily all over the world. Remember that seven baskets of leftovers were collected after seven thousand people ate and were satisfied.
Never forget this miracle. Understand the significance and you will trust God in your necessities.
"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want."
Happy Advent!
December is the Month the Church honors the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
"Mary was conceived without original sin. This grace and privilege are fitting in view of the birth and death of her Son Jesus Christ, who is the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity.
"O God, who by the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, did prepare a worthy dwelling place for Your Son, we beseech You that, as by the foreseen death of this, Your Son, You did preserve Her from all stain, so too You would permit us, purified through Her intercession, to come unto You."
For the Immaculate Conception Devotions and Prayers and Prayer intentions click the link below:
No comments:
Post a Comment
23-Psalm1to2