Who am I that the mother of my Lord will visit me?

"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, “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.” (Luke 1: 39.... 45).

Sunday 19th December 2021, 4th Sunday of Advent.

The Gospel of today from Luke 1 will be familiar to many people. This is the scene of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to her cousin Elizabeth. We contemplate this mystery in the 2nd Joyful Mystery of the Rosary. Elizabeth is the host and filled with the Holy Spirit made three important prophetic utterances:

#1. “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb."

#2. "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."

#3. "Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”

The Sacred Text elevated Elizabeth's utterance here to highly inspired by saying: "Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb."

God called Abraham and David righteous not because of works but because they believed the promises God made to them. (Cf Romans 4: 3, 6).
Mary said to the Angel:  "Behold the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done for me according to your word." Elizabeth said "Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”

The word of God through Isaiah is fulfilled through Mary.
"Behold, a Virgin shall conceive and bear a son; and his name will be called Emmanuel." (Isaiah 7: 14).

"Here I answer prayers and I will continue to do so, for this house is founded upon a great love and rooted in a profound faith. It is My desire that hope, too, should flourish within these sacred walls. My Eucharistic Heart has a special love for this house and for the souls who dwell within it, loving Me, serving Me, living to be so many living flames of adoration before My Eucharist Face. Comfort them with My words." (IN SINU JESU, Friday, February 8, 2008).

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Who is St Joseph?

"Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her."  (Matthew 1: 20).

Saturday 18th December 2021, of the 3rd Week of Advent.

Here comes Joseph! The three members of the Holy Family are named in our Gospel of today: Mary, Joseph and Jesus-Emmanuel.
Who is Joseph?

St Joseph is the man chosen by God to be the foster father and guardian of Jesus.

God communicates with us through a variety of ways, viz:
#1. Inspiration
#2. Locution
#3. Sacred Scripture
#4.  Prophetic person /message
#5.  Dream

St Joseph is a man of dreams.  Matthew recorded 4 Dreams of Joseph in the Infancy Narrative:
1. Matthew 1: 24
2. Matthew 2: 13
3. Matthew 2: 19
4. Matthew 2:  22

"When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home."  (Matthew 1: 24).
Joseph is a very docile and obedient man.

Joseph is a just and considerate man.  Consider what he did faced with the evidence that Mary was carrying a child not his own:
"Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly."  (Matthew 1:  19).

Joseph is a man of high purity and chastity. God chose him to be the husband of Mary because God had fitted him with the appropriate graces to protect the perpetual virginity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Joseph the humble carpenter is the patron saint of workers.  He understands that genuine labor is collaborating with God where, what and when you are assigned.

The Church considers St Joseph the greatest Saint after the Blessed Virgin Mary. Joseph is so fittingly named the Patron of the Universal Church.  Remember that he was the Guardian of Jesus and in his intercessory role, you can believe that Jesus will deny nothing to Joseph.

One week today is the end of Waiting. The Glorious Christmas!

"O Leader of the House of Israel, giver of the Law to Moses on Sinai: come to rescue us with your mighty power!"

"Such a man was Saint Joseph. He was the living image of My Father, and he was chosen by My Father to be a father to Me in My sacred humanity. Let My priests go to Saint Joseph. He will obtain for them this priceless gift of spiritual fatherhood, and he will guide them in the delicate and difficult work of being true fathers to souls." (IN SINU JESU, Friday, November 15, 2013).

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The true picture of the family of Jesus.

"The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham........Eleazar became the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Messiah."  (Matthew 1: 1 - 2 & 15 - 16).

Friday 17th December 2021, 3rd Week of Advent. From 17th December, we are one week to the Eve of Christmas Day. Pay attention to the readings at Mass.

Do you consider the Genealogy of Jesus Christ boring? Not when you understand the purpose for its inclusion in Sacred Scriptures. The Holy Spirit, the Author of the Sacred Text does not waste words as human authors do. Here are a few reasons for the Genealogy or Family History of Jesus Christ:

#1 Jesus Christ is truly God and truly Man. He descended from the lines of Abraham and David.
#2 His human family is not perfect (like His Church is not perfect). It contains saints and sinners. Jesus was not ashamed of His family nor was He ever tempted to deny them.
#3 His family lineage was planned by God from the foundation of the ages. So do not be scandalized by what you see.
#4 By the time Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, gone were the days of the great patriarchs like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and great kings like David and Solomon. What we have are common folks like Joseph and Mary. God has a plan that will lead us to the humble stable in Bethlehem where Jesus will be born, the King of the Jews. He will be born the poor son of the Virgin of Nazareth.

The Genealogy teaches us that God is merciful and faithful. God did not choose the best and filtered humanity. He chose whom He pleases, a mixed bag.
"God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure." (Ephesians I: 5 NLT)

"Such a man was Saint Joseph. He was the living image of My Father, and he was chosen by My Father to be a father to Me in My sacred humanity. Let My priests go to Saint Joseph. He will obtain for them this priceless gift of spiritual fatherhood, and he will guide them in the delicate and difficult work of being true fathers to souls." (IN SINU JESU, Friday, November 15, 2013).

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St John the Baptist, exceptional prophet and messenger.

"When the messengers of John the Baptist had left, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John. “What did you go out to the desert to see—a reed swayed by the wind? Then what did you go out to see? Someone dressed in fine garments? Those who dress luxuriously and live sumptuously are found in royal palaces. Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet." (Luke 7: 24..... 30).

Thursday 16th December 2021, of the 3rd Week of Advent.

Jesus has more to say about John the Baptist. When the ancient Romans consider a man exceptional, they proclaim him a god. Hence the Divine Augustus, Divine Julius, Divine Tiberius, etc.
When Christians consider one of their brethren exceptional, they proclaim him a Saint after his death, hence St Teresa of Kolkata.

But Jesus canonized John the Baptist while he was still in the flesh. "This is the one about whom Scripture says:
"Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, he will prepare your way before you."

St John the Baptist is an exceptional prophet in more than a couple of ways.
"I tell you, among those born of women, no one is greater than John; yet the least in the Kingdom of God is greater than he.”

John was sanctified in the womb of his mother. His path in life was ordained before his birth. Hence he did not succeed his father, Zachary as a Temple priest but rather was carried to the desert by the Holy Spirit as a young man to be prepared and trained as a prophet. John the Baptist's ministry was radical even by the standard of Elijah. He knew martyrdom was facing him. Just as Jesus did not come down from the Cross, John the Baptist did not run for cover.

"This is the hiddenness into which I drew My most holy Mother, beginning with her Presentation in the temple and perfected in her glorious Assumption. This is the hiddenness into which I drew the friend of the Bridegroom, Saint John the Baptist, and Saint John, the disciple beloved of My Heart. This is the hiddenness into which I still draw souls who consent to renounce appearances and enter into a state of apparent death, of silence, of uselessness, of nothingness in the eyes of the world." (IN SINU JESU, Thursday, December 10, 2015).

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You can also know who I am by what I do.

“John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?’”......
And Jesus said to them in reply, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.” (Luke 7: 18.... 23).

Wednesday 15th December 2021, of the 3rd Week of Advent.

In today's Gospel, the disciples of the Baptist asked Jesus:
Are you Jesus the Messiah or who are you in fact?
The way Jesus answers the question gives us an insight on how to think about our destiny as disciples of Jesus.
Jesus queried the disciples of John the Baptist:
What have you noticed about Me?
What do I do from day to day?
What do you hear me say?
What type of people hang out around Me?

Let us put the answer of Jesus in a little lullaby:
If you bark, you are a dog.
If you sing, you are a mockingbird.
If you fly, you are an eagle.

Jesus told His adversaries: If you do not believe that I am the Messiah, check out what I do and say and be honest and believe that I am the Genuine Article. By your fruits, you shall be known.

Friends, what do you do to show that you are a follower of Jesus? How would your non-Christian neighbor suspect that you are a Christian? By the fruits you manifest, you will show who you are. The fruits are the fruits the Holy Spirit produces in us:
Charity, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Generosity, Gentleness, Faithfulness, Modesty, Self-control and Chastity.

Before you think this is impossible, note well that it is the work of the indwelling Holy Spirit to produce these fruits in us. Jesus said: Without Me, you can do absolutely nothing.

Go back and tell John what you have seen and heard.

"This is the hiddenness into which I drew My most holy Mother, beginning with her Presentation in the temple and perfected in her glorious Assumption. This is the hiddenness into which I drew the friend of the Bridegroom, Saint John the Baptist, and Saint John, the disciple beloved of My Heart. This is the hiddenness into which I still draw souls who consent to renounce appearances and enter into a state of apparent death, of silence, of uselessness, of nothingness in the eyes of the world." (IN SINU JESU, Thursday, December 10, 2015).

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The Feast of St John of the Cross, Priest, Mystic and Doctor of the Church.

"The Lord hears the cry of the poor." (Psalm 34).

Tuesday 14th December 2021, in the 3rd Week of Advent is the feast of St John of the Cross.  (1542 - 1591). Born in Spain near Avila, he cooperated with St Teresa of Avila, another Carmelite mystic and Doctor of the Church for the reform of the Carmelite Order.  John was a Priest and Doctor of the Church. Called Doctor of Mystical theology because of the depth of his understanding and writings on mysticism.  He was the author of the classic: "The Dark Night of a Soul."

St John of the Cross endured terrible persecutions from his confreres in his religious community of the Carmelites. They imprisoned him for nine months, flogged him publicly and imposed other forms of maltreatment.

Our key Scripture is from the beautiful Psalm 34.
Do you believe that the "Lord hears the cry of the poor?" The poor are not the people whom the economists tell us live with less than $2 a day. Neither are they the majority of the people in the third world countries. Not prisoners or the homeless. Who then are the poor and where can they be found? The poor are the Anawin of the Scriptures.

According to Sister Joan  Roccasalvo, C.S.J, "The anawim of the Old Testament were the poor of every sort: the vulnerable, the marginalized, and socio-economically oppressed, those of lowly status without earthly power. In fact, they depended totally on God for whatever they owned. The Hebrew word anawim (inwetan) means those who are bowed down."

Our Responsorial Psalm 34 are for people who are poor, who depend entirely on God for their provision and protection. Some widows, orphans and immigrants qualify for the Anawin today. Can you imagine their delight when they hear the message from the Responsorial Psalm 34?

I. "Look to him that you may be radiant with joy, and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the Lord heard, and from all his distress he saved him."

II. "When the just cry out, the Lord hears them, and from all their distress he rescues them."

III. "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.
The Lord redeems the lives of his servants; no one incurs guilt who takes refuge in him."

"Those who think that they can succeed by planning and by calculating and by making use of human means as the world makes use of them, these I cannot use for the upbuilding of My Church. I want the little and the poor, those who have nothing apart from an immense trust in My merciful love; I want them to come to Me and to offer themselves to My Eucharistic Heart for My own designs and purposes." (IN SINU JESU, Thursday, April 10, 2008).

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The Feast of St Lucy, Virgin and Martyr.

"When Jesus had come into the temple area, the chief priests and the elders of the people approached him as he was teaching and said, “By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you this authority?” (Matthew 21: 23.... 27).

Monday 13th December 2021, 3rd Week of Advent is the feast of St Lucy, Virgin and Martyr.  (+304). Lucy died a martyr under Emperor Diocletian. Lucy was tortured severely before her death. The last thing the torturers did to her was to gorge out her eyes. Lucy is the patron saint of the blind and all those who have eye trouble. Lucy had been venerated as a saint from antiquity. Her name is included in the Roman Canon.

In today's Gospel, the chief priests and elders confronted Jesus over Authority. Consider the following facts:

The kingdom that Jesus came to set up has some commonalities with earthly kingdoms. For example :
1. King
2. A realm/domain
3. A government
4. Laws
5. Citizens

When Jesus threw out the money changers from the Temple, the Temple authorities were shocked and wanted to know who authorized Jesus.
"Where was John’s baptism from? Was it of heavenly or of human origin?” By this question, Jesus points to the chief priests and elders the existence of a different type of authority.

In the trial of the Apostles Peter and John before the Sanhedrin, we see the Teacher Gamaliel allude to a different authority:
"But if it [the power/authority] comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves fighting against God.” (Acts 5: 38 - 39).

The Kingdom of God is already here and now. The Church is the seed of that Kingdom on earth.
Where does the Pope get his authority?  Jesus answered that question to Pontius Pilate:
"My kingdom is not of this world."
Jesus did not claim any earthly authority.

The critical question for us is:
Does King Jesus reign over our heart and mind and finances? If not, Advent is the Season of grace to place our life under the authority of Jesus Christ.

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