Friday, December 23, 2005
FRIDAY 4TH WEEK OF ADVENT
DECEMBER 24, 2005
SATURDAY 4TH WEEK OF ADVENT - YEAR I
2 SAMUEL 7:1-5, 8B-12, 14A, 16
When King David was settled in his palace, and the Lord had given
him rest from his enemies on every side, he said to Nathan the
prophet, "Here I am living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God
dwells in a tent!" Nathan answered the king, "Go, do whatever you
have in mind, for the Lord is with you." But that night the Lord
spoke to Nathan and said: "Go, tell my servant David, `Thus says the
Lord: Should you build me a house to dwell in? "`It was I who took
you from the pasture and from the care of the flock to be commander
of my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you went, and I
have destroyed all your enemies before you. And I will make you
famous like the great ones of the earth. I will fix a place for my
people Israel; I will plant them so that they may dwell in their
place without further disturbance. Neither shall the wicked continue
to afflict them as they did of old, since the time I first appointed
judges over my people Israel. I will give you rest from all your
enemies. The Lord also reveals to you that he will establish a
house for you. And when your time comes and you rest with your
ancestors, I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your
loins, and I will make his Kingdom firm. I will be a father to him,
and he shall be a son to me. Your house and your Kingdom shall
endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever.'"
LUKE 1:67-79
Zechariah his father, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied,
saying: "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; for he has come to
his people and set them free. He has raised up for us a mighty
Savior, born of the house of his servant David. Through his prophets
he promised of old that he would save us from our enemies, from the
hands of all who hate us. He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant. This was the oath he swore to our
father Abraham: to set us free from the hand of our enemies, free to
worship him without fear, holy and righteous in his sight all the
days of our life. You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the
Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, to
give his people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their
sins. In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high
shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the
shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace."
REFLECTION
All during Advent we have been speaking of prophecy and promise and
fulfillment. On the eve of Christmas it's the same. In the first
reading, through the prophet Nathan, God promises David that he will
establish a house for him, that is, a royal dynasty that will last
forever. Another prophecy promised that one from the royal line
would come who would be a greater than David. During the next 700
years, the Jewish people clung to these prophecies, yearned for
their fulfillment. This gave them hope. They must have
wondered, "how long must we wait?"
The song of Zechariah is a jubilant cry of celebration because these
promises have been fulfilled. Fulfillment however is only partial.
It has not been fully accomplished. This child, John, is to prepare
a straight path for the one to come, the one who will bring the
promises to complete fulfillment.
This brings us to our own part in the journey of salvation. We, too,
are to prepare a straight path for the Lord. Salvation is now but
not yet. The Lord has come and will come again. People still dwell
in darkness and the shadow of death. The Lord guides their feet
into the way of peace. He invites us to help prepare that path.
The Lord who comes makes us holy. He delivers his people from all
our enemies. But coupled with this gift is a task, a mission. We
have been gifted with God's peace. Therefore we are called to make
peace in our world.
On this Christmas eve, we join with one another to celebrate anew
the kindness of our God who visits us in his mercy. We seek to
experience afresh his gifts of freedom from fear and from our modern
enemies, consumerism, racism, militarism, sexism, pride and
hopelessness. We seek to renew our dedication to the mission we
have received, to share life, love and liberty with all who dwell in
the shadow of death, to be guided ourselves and to guide others into
the way of peace.
PRAYER
"Lord, you have been gracious and merciful towards your people. Fill
me with your Holy Spirit that I may bear witness to the joy of the
gospel to those around me."
PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray ...
- for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
- in thanksgiving: all those who passed the recent nursing board
exams in Manila.
- for the speedy recovery of Ram Ronquillo.
- for the personal intentions, forgiveness, peace, reconciliation
and harmony of Charles Conrad H.C and Cheryl P.C.
- for the eternal repose of the soul of Bert Pascual. Eternal rest
grant unto him and may perpetual light shine upon him. May he and
all the souls of the dearly departed rest in peace.
- for the continued & speedy recovery of Mike Torres.
- for the enlightenment and conversion of Armando.
- for the continued good health of Elsa & Paolo.
- in thanksgiving: Domingo Alfonso & family
- for the special intentions of Bro. Nanding
- In thanksgiving of Anthony B.
- for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Birthday: Acero, Alandel Cu
- In Memoriam: Dee K-Chiong Rosa Uy Dee
- In Memoriam: Simeon Leecho
- for world peace and reconciliation.
Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our
prayers and for those who need our prayers the most.
Have a good day!
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