Tuesday of the Second Week of Advent Gospel: Matthew 18:12-14 The Parable of the Lost Sheep
We often have the opportunity to see sheep, which, in our view, are gentle animals that are easily tamed. In rural areas or on vast, boundless grasslands, we often see herders grazing their own flocks. For them, sheep are the entirety of their lives.
Today, through this parable, Jesus intends to tell us that we, too, have been purchased by God at a high price. Because of the disobedience of our first parents, before we believed in the Gospel and were converted to Christ, we lived under the power of the devil. The loving Father sent His only Son into the world, so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but will have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but to save the world through Him. (cf. Jn 3:16-17)
When we lose ourselves on the path of sanctification, the pastors of the Church of God come to seek us, constantly urging us to forsake those people, places, and things that lead us to sin and offend God, so that we can restore our relationship with God and the world that He has personally created. When we restore our relationship with God, the God who loves us will be filled with joy.
Today, let us continually discover in our lives the God who loves us, and fully assist the pastors of the Church in gathering the scattered flock of God from all corners of the earth.
Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Gospel: Luke 1:26-38 Imitate Mary, and Humbly Do the Will of God
The Church celebrates the feast of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception today.
At the beginning of the Gospel for the Mass, Saint Luke specifies that the name of the angel who brought the good news to Mary is the Archangel Gabriel. In his Gospel commentary, Pope St. Gregory the Great teaches us: Gabriel, who is called “the strength of God”, was sent to Mary. He came to announce that the One who humbled Himself to take on human form would put an end to the power of the devil. Therefore, what the strength of God proclaims, the coming heavenly power, is invincible.
Our Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, was troubled and alarmed when she heard the message from the Archangel. For at that time, Mary was betrothed to Joseph, a descendant of David, but had not known him intimately. This was thus something that seemed utterly impossible. From a human perspective, such words might have sounded like a fantasy, even a cause for anxiety—a natural reaction, just as Mary showed today.
Then Saint Luke records the dialogue between Mary and the angel when she heard this greeting: Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know man?” And the angel answered her, “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, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible with God.” (Luke 1:34-37)
It is evident that God always bestows abundant graces upon us in all circumstances and helps us attain salvation. Just as after hearing the angel’s reply, Mary trusted in God completely and, with her most humble answer, initiated the work of Christ’s redemption of humanity: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38) This beautiful response has brought infinite grace to each of us—the grace that through her obedience, we will regain the righteousness of being God’s adopted sons and daughters through the Savior, Jesus Christ, who was conceived in her immaculately conceived and sinless womb. Through Christ’s preaching, we come to know God; through His death on the cross, we are reconciled with the Father; and through receiving His Body and Blood, our body and soul are nourished and preserved from sin.
Today, let us imitate the Blessed Virgin Mary, and in all things, humbly do the will of God, faithfully fulfilling the mission entrusted to us by Him.
Second Sunday of Advent Gospel: Matthew 3:1-12 Prepare properly to welcome the advent of the Savior
Today is the Second Sunday of Advent. Matthew narrates to us the mystery of the baptism of repentance proclaimed by John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus, in the Jordan River.
We often hear various sounds from this world, such as the voices of people conversing, the rustling of fallen leaves, and the noises emitted by public transportation. When our ears encounter these sounds that we consider pleasant, we shift our attention from the task at hand to listening to these sounds and the messages they convey to us.
We often have the opportunity to hear everything about the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven revealed to us by God through His servants, the sacred ministers of the Church. Today, God, through the forerunner of His beloved Son, St. John the Baptist, announces to us the joyful news of the imminent arrival of the Savior, Christ.
Today, St. John the Baptist adopted a method acceptable to the Jews — baptism — to help them, through receiving this baptism, amend their ways, prepare their hearts and minds, and welcome the advent of the Kingdom of Heaven. He also exhorted those who came to receive his baptism, in his own words, to take immediate action, leave their past sinful lives, and live their present lives well. However, he immediately made it clear that the baptism he performed was fundamentally different from the baptism performed by the Messiah, Christ. John’s baptism carried the meaning of repentance. But the baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ is a sacrament that brings salvation to mankind.
In this Advent season, let us prepare our hearts and minds to welcome the Savior, opening ourselves to the Word of God with a spirit of obedience, so that He may transform us from within and without, making us new creatures whom He willingly chooses.
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