TUESDAY OF THE FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT - 2020

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Behold, our Lord will come with power
and will enlighten the eyes of his servants.

ISAIAH 11:1-10

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

Isaiah's prophecies about the one who is to come make no sense unless one is familiar with the New Testament. Only in the light of the Gospels can the veil be removed and we see clearly how You fulfill in every aspect that which the prophet spoke concerning the shoot that springs from the stock of Jesse.

In You, wisdom is at home. Your breath is the breath of the Spirit of  God. You possess the power of the Most High. You are God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God. In You, we find the fullness of mercy, kindness, compassion, tenderness, and overwhelming love for the poor and humble of heart. Unlike the world and its corrupt rulers, You judge with fairness and the power of Your Word destroys the wicked.

You are clothed in Truth and You keep all Your promises. You are God's revelation of Himself to the world and all who love God and keep His commands, from the greatest to the least, find a dwelling place in You.

PSALM 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

In a corrupt world where the poor are ignored, the weak are powerless and those who get in the way of those with power and influence are bulldozed and bullied; we are comforted by the knowledge that we can trust God to vindicate the innocent.

At Your birth, angels pronounced peace among people of goodwill. You are the Prince of Peace and in a world that is painfully and viciously divided, You are our only hope. Your passion, death, and glorious resurrection have made You victorious and triumphant and Your reign of peace is established forever.  

No longer are the poor helpless, no longer are the innocent condemned, no longer are the powerless victims of the ruthless and the wicked for they have the might of God on their side.

Because You entered our world clothed in flesh, because You are the Word of God incarnate of the Virgin Mary, we can call upon Your Name, Jesus, which is higher than any other Name. It is a Name at which demons tremble and flee and is a blessing to all who call upon it, for anyone who calls upon Your Name is saved. 

LUKE 10:21-24

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

You are God's revelation of Himself to the world. All who believe in You share in the joy of the Holy Spirit for You did not abandon us when You returned to the Father, in the glory of the Ascencion but sent Your Holy Spirit to abide in us and direct us who are members of Your Church, in the Way of Truth and Life. 

The joyful prayer You made to Your Father after the 72 returned from their triumphant, Spirit-filled mission is one that is true of all the members of Your Church who are faithful to Your call. You withhold nothing from Your Bride but have entrusted to her rich and inexhaustible treasures of graces that she can dispose of as she will and she will never run out, for all that is Yours is hers as well for You are her beloved Bridegroom who delights in giving Yourself wholly to her.  

Thank You, Lord, for what You said to Your disciples You say to every member of the faithful in Your Church, ‘Happy the eyes that see what you see, for I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it.’ For it is in the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church that the fullness of Truth is found.