- IMMANUEL - GOD IS WITH US - EMMANUEL - GOD WITH US -
"WISHING YOU A BLESSED CHRISTMAS"
The Divine Artist did come to restore the original and He came on Christmas Day.
Such is the meaning of Christmas. The Son of the living God became man that man/woman might become the adopted son and daughter of God. This is Christmas Eve. Kind of sad, isn't it?Sons and daughters in the service: To conquer, you must first make a landing in enemy territory. That was Bethlehem - God's beachhead in a land of sin. And how we must fight to keep it!
Anyone who gives freedom to another assumes great risks, whether it be a parent to a child or a Creator to a creature. In a certain sense, even God took a great risk when He made man/woman free, for the very freedom to become a child of God implied the possibility of becoming a rebel.
Since God made us to choose what is right, we are also free to choose the wrong. We too often interpret freedom as the right to break God's commandments. When you buy an automobile, the manufacture will give you a set of instructions. They will tell you the pressure to which you ought to inflate your tires, the kind of oil you ought to use in the crankcase, and the proper fuel to put in the gas tank. Really, he/she has nothing against you because he gives you these instructions, as God had nothing against you in giving you His commandments. The manufacturer wants to be helpful: he is anxious that you get the maximum utility out of the car. And God is more anxious that you get the maximum happiness out of life. That is why He gives you commandments.
But of course you are free. You can do as you please. You ought to use gasoline in the tank, but you can put in Chanel 5. Now there is no doubt that it is nicer for your nostrils if you fill the tank with perfume rather than with gasoline. But the car simply will not run on Smell / Chanel 5. In like manner we were made to run on the fuel of God's love and commandments, and we simply will not run on anything else. We just bog down. And that is what happened to human nature in the Fall.
God did not give man the frightening responsibilities of freedom without at the same time offering him/her incentives to choose right rather than wrong. God would not force His happiness on anyone. In almost so many words, God said to Adam and Eve at the very beginning of history: As an inducement to choose what is best, I shall give you certain gifts. If you use your freedom in the direction of what is best for you, that is, for your perfection, I shall give you permanently the supernatural gift of sharing in my Divine Nature, that is, of being a child of God and an heir of heaven. To this I add permanently some lesser gifts: You will never die, your passions will never rebel against your reason, and your mind will be free from error.
But to preserve these gifts for themselves and posterity, one condition was imposed on Adam and Eve by God, and it was very easy. They merely had to love God who is their perfection. We must not think that this condition was equivalent to saying to a child: "If you eat a woolly worm, I will give you a dollar" because a woolly worm is not the perfection of a child. Rather, it was like saying to the child: "If you drink milk and eat good food you will be healthy." As obeying the laws of health is the perfection of the child, so too obeying the will of God is our perfection.
We said that the one condition imposed was that they love God. But how could man prove his love of God? How do you know anyone loves you? Because he/she tells you? Most certainly not! Love is proved only one way: by an act of choice, by choosing the one we love over something or somebody else. Love is not love unless it is free; it is only because of the possibility of saying "No" that there is so much harm in the "Yes."
Hence the choice presented to our first parents was between a fruit and a garden, the part and the whole. God said they could eat of all fruits in the garden of Paradise, save the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
Was there anything unreasonable about the trail? Is not life filled with abundant instances of receiving rewards on the condition of love? Imagine a wealthy man going away for the summer and telling the chauffeur and his wife that they may live in his house, eat his food, drink his wine, use his cars, and ride his horses, but on one condition: That they must not eat the artificial apple he has on the dinning room table. The owner well knows the artificial apple will give them indigestion. He does not tell them that. They ought to trust him in the light of all he has done for them. Now if the wife persuades her husband to eat the apple, she would not be a lady; and if he eats it, he would not be a gentleman. By doing the one thing forbidden they would lose all the good things provided and have indigestion besides - and they even lose the opportunity of passing these things on to their children.
To make light of the fruit in the story of the Fall is to miss the point that it was the test of love. Not to shake hands with a passerby on the street is of no importance, but not to shake hands as a sign of contempt is very serious. Eating of the forbidden fruit was a sign of contempt; the symbol of rebellion. Like Pandora, man opened the forbidden box and lost all his treasures.
But you ask: Well! Granted that Adam sinned! What have I to do with Adam? Why should I be punished because of him? When President Roosevelt declared war on December 8, 1941, you declared war without any explicit declaration on your part. What the Chief of the Nation did, we did. Now Adam is the head of the human race. What he did, we did. "Through one man, sin entered the world." - Rom. 5:12 -
But you say: "It was very unjust of God to deprive me of friendship with Him, and these other gifts, simply because Adam sinned." There would have been injustice if God deprived you of your due. But you are no more entitled to be a child of God than a razor has a right to bloom, or a rose has the right to bark, or a dog has the right to quote Dante. What Adam lost was gifts, not a right.
On Christmas Day when you distribute gifts to your friends, would I have a right to say to you: "Why do you not give me a gift?" You would answer: "I am not doing you an injustice, because I owe you nothing. I am not even obliged to give these gifts to my friends. And if I had not given them gifts, I would not have deprived them of anything I owed them." So neither did God owe us anything beyond our nature as a creature of His handiwork.
But the loss of the supernatural gift of being a child of God weakened our will and darkened our intellect without corrupting our nature. The Fall disorganized our normal human faculties, making us just as we are now, with a bias toward evil, with a will reluctant to do good, with a tendency to rationalize evil. But each of us is still human - not a depraved human, totally corrupt, as those who ridicule the doctrine of the Fall say, but still a person capable of becoming what each once was. The disorder in us is like getting dirt in our eye: we still have the eye as an organ of sight, but it sees through tears. It is right here that Christianity begins. In all other religions you have to be good to come to God. In Christianity you do not. Because there is evil in the world, we need God. Christianity begins with the recognition that there is something in your life and in the world that ought not to be, that need not be, and that could be otherwise were it not for evil choices. If you are ever to be good, you must first believe you are bad.
If you know that you could be better than you are; if you feel like the master painting of a great artist that has become somewhat defaced and stained; if you know that though you are too good for the rubbish heap, you are nevertheless too spoiled to hang in the Metropolitan Gallery; if you know that you cannot restore yourself to your pristine beauty; if you know that no one could restore you better than the Divine Artist who made you - then you have already taken the first step toward peace. The Divine Artist did come to restore the original and He came on Christmas Day.
Such is the meaning of Christmas. The Son of God became man that man might become the adopted son of God.
This is Christmas Eve. Kind of sad, isn't it?
Fathers! are not your sons away because there is something wrong with the world? Then maybe God is out of His Heaven because there is something wrong with man. That star blazing in Bethlehem's sky is the Heavenly Father's service flag. His Son too has gone to war.
Mothers! You shrink in terror and fear from what might happen to your boy amidst whistling steel and whining shell. Then understand how another Mother drew a Babe to her breast in fear of the thundering hoofs and drawn swords of those who would take away His life before He had scarcely begun to live.
Sons and daughters in the service: To conquer, you must first make a landing in enemy territory. That was Bethlehem - God's beachhead in a land of sin. And how we must fight to keep it!
You dead on the far-thrown battlefields of the war! You died that others might live. You were the human expendables. This Babe is the Divine Expendable who came not to live but to die, that we might die to sin and live to love!
But you ask: how to find Christmas peace in a world at war? You cannot find peace on the outside but you can find peace on the inside, by letting God do to your soul what Mary let Him do to her body, namely, let Christ be formed in you. As she cooked the meals in her Nazarene home, as she nursed her aged cousin, as she drew water at the well, as she prepared the meals of the village carpenter, as she knitted the seamless garment, as she kneaded the dough and swept the floor, she was conscious that Christ was in her; that she was a living ciborium, a monstrance of the Divine Eucharist, a Gate of Heaven through which a Creator would peer upon creation. A Tower of Ivory up whose chaste body He was to climb "to kiss upon her lips a mystic rose."
As He was physically formed in her, so He wills to be spiritually formed in you. If you knew He was seeing through your eyes, you would see in every fellow man a child of God. If you knew that He worked through your hands, they would bless all the day through. If you knew He spoke through your lips, then your speech, like Peter's would betray that you had been with the Galilean. If you knew that He wants to use your mind, your will, your fingers, and your heart, how different you would be. If half the world did this there would be no war!
Why not resolve this year to spend an hour a day in His presence? Do not stay away because you are wicked. Remember that Babe did not come to earth because you are good, but because you are not. He did not come because there was Peace, but because there was none.
Children are so unsuspecting. Taking candy away from a baby is easy - but not as easy as taking happiness from that Child!
Let not your unworthiness keep you back. Remember, love is blind, and no love is as blind as this Child's; otherwise, how could He love you and me? He does love us and that is enough to make us very happy.
That is what I mean when from a devoted heart I say, "Merry Christmas, Friends!"
BY VENERABLE / ARCHBISHOP FULTON J. SHEEN ( 1895 to 1979 )
The Church of the Nativity which marks the birthplace of the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, is one of the best authenticated sites in the Holy Land. The present structure, built over the cave area which served as a stable for the inn, goes back to the time of the Roman emperor Justinian (6th century A.D.) This Church replaces an earlier building, built in A.D. 330 by Helena, the mother of the Roman emperor Constantine.
The prophet Micah predicted that Bethlehem would be the birthplace of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. - Micah 5:2 - a prophecy quoted in Matthew 2:6. It is significant that the King of kings who was of the house of king David, was born in David's ancestral home. According to Luke 2:11, Jesus was born in the "City of David" Bethlehem. Christ Jesus who is the "Bread of Life." was cradled in a town whose name means "House of Breads."
Bethlehem is the birthplace of Jesus Christ. It was situated south of Jerusalem in the district known as Ephrath, a region known for its fertile hills and valleys. Bethlehem was the burial place of Rachel, the wife of Jacob/Israel. - Genesis 35:19 - The original home of Naomi and her family, it was also the setting for much of the Book of Ruth. Bethlehem also was the ancestral home of king David - 1 Samuel 17:12 - and was rebuilt and fortified by king Rehoboam - 2 Chronicle 11:6 -
Since Jesus birth in Bethlehem by the miracle of the 'Incarnation.' (in Christian theology, the embodiment of God, the begotten Son in human flesh) Indeed, Jesus Christ had lived physically on earth. But 40 days after the resurrection, His earthly ministry ceased with His 'Ascension' into heaven.
THE ANNUNCIATION - Luke 1:26-38 - N. T. -
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. He went in and said to her, 'Rejoice, so highly favoured! The Lord is with you.' She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, 'Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God's favour. Listen! You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.'
Mary said to the angel, 'But how can this come about, since I am a virgin?' 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you' the angel answered 'and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God. Know this too: your kinswoman Elizabeth has, in her own age, herself conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God.' 'I am the handmaid of the Lord,' said Mary 'let what you have said be done to me.' And the angel left her.
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. He went in and said to her, 'Rejoice, so highly favoured! The Lord is with you.' She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, 'Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God's favour. Listen! You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.'
Mary said to the angel, 'But how can this come about, since I am a virgin?' 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you' the angel answered 'and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God. Know this too: your kinswoman Elizabeth has, in her own age, herself conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God.' 'I am the handmaid of the Lord,' said Mary 'let what you have said be done to me.' And the angel left her.
The Annunciation [ Luke makes the birth and infancy narratives of John parallel to those of Jesus, and gives these latter from Mary's point of view; Matthew tells them from Joseph's.]
In the sixth month [ That is, of John's conception.] the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. He went in and said to her, 'Rejoice, so highly favoured! [ The translation 'Rejoice' may be preferred to 'Hail' and regarded as containing a messianic reference. cf. Zec. 9:9. 'so highly favoured.' that is, as to become the mother of the Messiah. Add. 'Of all women you are the most blessed' cf. 1:42 .] The Lord is with you.' - Luke 1:26-28 -
She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, 'Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God's favour. Listen! You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his rein will have no end.' [The angel's words recall several O.T. passages referring to the Messiah.] - Luke 1:29-33 -
Mary said to the angel, 'But how can this come about, since I am a virgin?' [ Lit. 'since I do not know man'; this phrase means that Mary is in fact a virgin and perhaps expresses also she intention to remain so.] 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you' the angel answered 'and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. [In the O.T. this expression is used of the bright cloud which is the sign of God's presence. cf. Ex. 13:22+; 19:16+; 24:16+. Cf. Luke 9:34p. The conception of Jesus is effected only by God and his Spirit. ] And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God.
Know this too: your kinswoman Elizabeth has, in her old age, herself conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God.' 'I am the handmaid of the Lord' said Mary 'let what you have said be done to me.' And the angel left her. - Luke 1:34-38 -
Cf. - Daniel 8:15-16 - O. T. - As I, Daniel, gazed at the vision and tried to understand it, I saw someone standing before me looked like a man. I heard a man's voice cry over the Ulai, 'Gabriel, tell me the meaning of the vision!'
Cf. - Hebrews 2:14-16 - N. T. - Since all the children share the same blood and flesh, he too shared equally in it, so that by his death he could take away all the power of the devil, who had power over death, and set free all those who had been held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death. For it was not the angels that he took to himself; he took to himself descent from Abraham.
Cf. - Matthew 1:18 - N. T. - This is how Jesus Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to live together she found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.
Cf. - Judges 6:12 - O. T. - When the angel of Yahweh appeared to him and said, 'Yahweh is with you, valiant warrior!'
Cf. - Ruth 2:4 - O. T. - Now Boaz, as it happened, had just come from Bethlehem. 'Yahweh be with you!' he said to the reapers. 'Yahweh bless you!' they replied.
Cf. - Judith 13:18 - O. T. - Then Judith raised her voice and said, 'Praise God! Praise him! Praise the God who has not withdrawn his mercy from the House of Israel, but has shattered our enemies by my hand tonight!'
Cf. - Isaiah 7:14 - O. T. - The Lord himself, therefore, will give you a sign. It is this: the maiden is with child and will soon give birth to a son whom she call Immanuel.
Cf. - Luke 2:21; Matthew 1:21 - N. T. - She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins.
Cf. - 2 Samuel 7:1-3 - O. T. - Once David had settled into his house and Yahweh had given him rest from all the enemies surrounding him, the king said to the prophet Nathan, 'Look, I am living in a house of cedar while the ark of God dwells in a tent'. Nathan said to the king, 'Go and do all that is in your mind, for Yahweh is with you'.
Cf. - Isaiah 9:6 - O. T. - For there is a child born for us, a son given to us and domain is laid on his shoulders; and this is the name they give him: Wonder-Counsellor, Mighty-God, Eternal-Father, Prince-of-Peace.
Cf. - Matthew 9:27 - N. T. - As Jesus went on his way two blind men followed him shouting, 'Take pity on us, Son of David'.
Cf. - Daniel 2:44; 7:14 - O. T. - In the time of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, and this kingdom will not pass into the hands of another race: it will shatter and absorb all the previous kingdoms, and itself last for ever. - On him was conferred sovereignty, glory and kingship, and men of all peoples, nations and languages became his servants. His sovereignty is an eternal sovereignty which shall never pass away, nor will his empire ever be destroyed.
Cf. - Matthew 1:19-20 - N. T. - Mary husband Joseph, being a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her informally. He had made up his mind to do this when the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit.
Cf. - Mark 1:24 - N. T. - 'What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God.'
Cf. - Matthew 4:3-4 - N. T. - 'If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to turn into loaves'. But Jesus replied, 'Sacred Scripture says: Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God'.
Cf. - Acts 3:14 - N. T. - It was you who accused the Holy One, the Just one, you who demanded the reprieve of a murderer while you killed the prince of life.
Cf. - Genesis 18:13-14 - O. T. - Yahweh asked Abraham, 'Why did Sarah laugh and say, "Am I really going to have a child now that I am old?" Is anything too wonderful for Yahweh? At the same time next year I shall visit you again and Sarah will have a son.'
Cf. - Jeremiah 32:26-27 - O. T. - The word of Yahweh was addressed to me as follows, "See, I am Yahweh, the God of all mankind: is anything impossible to me?"
Cf. - Matthew 19:25-26 - N. T. - When the disciples heard this they were astonished. 'Who can be saved, then?' they said. Jesus gazed at them. 'For men' he told them ' this is impossible; for God everything is possible.'
Cf. - Romans 4:20-21 - N. T. - Since God had promised it, Abraham refused either to deny it or even to doubt it, but drew strength from faith and gave glory to God, convinced that God had power to do what he had promised.
THE VISITATION - Luke 1:39-45 - N. T.
Mary set out at that time and went as quickly as she could to a town in the hill country of Judah. She went into Zechariah's house and greeted Elizabeth. Now as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and said, 'Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of the Lord? For the moment of your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.'
Mary set out at that time and went as quickly as she could to a town in the hill country of Judah. She went into Zechariah's house and greeted Elizabeth. Now as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and said, 'Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of the Lord? For the moment of your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.'
The Visitation
Mary set out at that time and went as quickly as she could to a town in the hill country of Judah. [ Commonly identified with Ain Karim. about 5m. W. of Jerusalem.] She went into Zechariah's house and greeted Elizabeth. Now as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and said, 'Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? [ 'my Lord' that is, the Messiah.] For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.' [ 'the Lord' that is, God. Or 'And blessed are you who have believed, because what has been promised to you by the Lord will be fulfilled.'] - Luke 1:39-45 -
Cf. - Luke 1:15 - Judges 5:24 - O. T. - Blessed be Jael among women (the wife of Heber the Kenite); among all women that dwell in tents may she be blessed.
Cf. - Judith 13:17-18 - O. T. - Overcome with emotion, the people all fell on their knees and worshipped God, exclaiming as one man, 'Blessings on you, O our God, for confounding your people's enemies today!
Cf. - John 20:29 - N. T. - Jesus said to him: 'You believe because you can see me. Happy are those who have not seen yet believe.'
THE MAGNIFICAT - Luke 1:46-56 - N. T.
Cf. - 1 Samuel 2:1-10 - O. T. - 'My heart exults in Yahweh, my horn is exalted in my God, my mouth derides my foes, for I rejoice in your power of saving. There is none as holy as Yahweh, (indeed, there is no one but you) no rock like our God. Do not speak and speak with haughty words, let not arrogance come from your mouth. For Yahweh is an all-knowing God and his is the weighing deeds. The bow of the mighty is broken but the feeble have girded themselves with strength. The sated hire themselves out for bread but the famished cease from labour; the barren women bears seven-fold, but the mother of many is desolate.
Yahweh gives death and life, brings down to Sheol and draws up; Yahweh makes poor and rich, he humbles and also exalts. he raises the poor from the dust, he lifts the needy from the dunghill to give them a place with princes, and to assign them a seat of honour; for to Yahweh the props of the earth belong, on these he has poised the world. He safeguards the steps of his faithful but the wicked vanish in darkness (for it is not by strength that man triumphs). The enemies of Yahweh are shattered, the Most High thunders in the heavens. Yahweh judges the ends of the earth, he endows his king with power, he exalts the horn of his Anointed.'
Cf. - Isaiah 29:19 - O. T. - But the lowly will rejoice in Yahweh even more and the poorest exult in the Holy One of Israel.
And Mary said: 'My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit exults in God my saviour; because he has looked upon his lowly handmaid. Yes, from this day forward all generations will call me blessed, for the Almighty has done great thing for me. Holy is his name, and his mercy reaches from age to age for those who fear him. He has shown the power of his arm, he has routed the proud of heart. He has pulled down princes from their thrones and exalted the lowly. The hungry he has filled with good things, the rich sent empty away. He has come to the help of Israel his servant, mindful of his mercy - according to the promise he made to our ancestors - of his mercy to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.'
Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back home.
Cf. - Judith 13:17-18 - O. T. - Overcome with emotion, the people all fell on their knees and worshipped God, exclaiming as one man, 'Blessings on you, O our God, for confounding your people's enemies today!
Cf. - John 20:29 - N. T. - Jesus said to him: 'You believe because you can see me. Happy are those who have not seen yet believe.'
THE MAGNIFICAT - Luke 1:46-56 - N. T.
Cf. - 1 Samuel 2:1-10 - O. T. - 'My heart exults in Yahweh, my horn is exalted in my God, my mouth derides my foes, for I rejoice in your power of saving. There is none as holy as Yahweh, (indeed, there is no one but you) no rock like our God. Do not speak and speak with haughty words, let not arrogance come from your mouth. For Yahweh is an all-knowing God and his is the weighing deeds. The bow of the mighty is broken but the feeble have girded themselves with strength. The sated hire themselves out for bread but the famished cease from labour; the barren women bears seven-fold, but the mother of many is desolate.
Yahweh gives death and life, brings down to Sheol and draws up; Yahweh makes poor and rich, he humbles and also exalts. he raises the poor from the dust, he lifts the needy from the dunghill to give them a place with princes, and to assign them a seat of honour; for to Yahweh the props of the earth belong, on these he has poised the world. He safeguards the steps of his faithful but the wicked vanish in darkness (for it is not by strength that man triumphs). The enemies of Yahweh are shattered, the Most High thunders in the heavens. Yahweh judges the ends of the earth, he endows his king with power, he exalts the horn of his Anointed.'
Cf. - Isaiah 29:19 - O. T. - But the lowly will rejoice in Yahweh even more and the poorest exult in the Holy One of Israel.
And Mary said: 'My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit exults in God my saviour; because he has looked upon his lowly handmaid. Yes, from this day forward all generations will call me blessed, for the Almighty has done great thing for me. Holy is his name, and his mercy reaches from age to age for those who fear him. He has shown the power of his arm, he has routed the proud of heart. He has pulled down princes from their thrones and exalted the lowly. The hungry he has filled with good things, the rich sent empty away. He has come to the help of Israel his servant, mindful of his mercy - according to the promise he made to our ancestors - of his mercy to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.'
Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back home.
The Magnificat
And Mary [ Not 'Elizabeth'. a var. with only slight MS support. Mary's canticle is reminiscent of Hannah's 1 Sam. 2:1-10 and of many other O.T. passages. Apart from the main textual similarities noted in the margin there are two characteristic O.T. ideas: -1- God comes to the help not of the rich and powerful but of the poor and the simple, Zep. 2:3+, cf. Matt. 5:3+.- 2- Ever since Abraham received the promises, Gen. 15:1+; 17:1+, Israel has been God's favoured one., cf. Deut. 7:6+, etc.] said:
'My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord
and my spirit exults in God my saviour;
because he has looked upon his lowly handmaid.
Yes, from this day forward all generations will call me blessed,
for the Almighty has done great things for me.
Holy is his name,
and his mercy reaches from age to age for those who fear him.
He has shown the power of his arm,
he has routed the proud of heart.
He has pulled down princes from their thrones and exalted the lowly.
The hungry he has filled with good things, the rich sent empty away.
He has come to the help of Israel his servant, mindful of his mercy
- according to the promise he made to our ancestors -
of his mercy to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.'
Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back home. [ It is probable that Mary stayed with Elizabeth until John's birth and circumcision but Luke's habit is to round off one episode before passing to the next, cf. 1:64, 67; 3:19-20; 8:37-38.] - Luke 1:46-56 -
Cf. - Isaiah 61:10 - O. T. - I exult for joy in Yahweh, my soul rejoices in my God, for he has clothed me in the garments of salvation, he has wrapped me in the cloak of integrity, like a bridegroom wearing his wreath, like a bride adorned in her jewels.
Cf. - 1 Samuel 2:1 - O. T. - My heart exults in Yahweh, my horn is exalted in my God, my mouth derides my foes, for I rejoice in your power of saving.
Cf. - Habakkuk 3:18 - O. T. - But But I rejoice in Yahweh, I will exult in God my saviour.
Cf. - 1 Samuel 1:11 - O. T. - 'Yahweh Sabaoth! If you will take notice of the distress of your servant, and bear me in mind and not forget your servant and give her a man-child, I will give him to Yahweh for the whole of his life and no razor shall ever touch his head.'
Cf. - Luke 11:27 - Genesis 30:12-13 - O. T. - Leah's slave girl Zilpah gave birth to a second son by Jacob. Then Leah said, 'What happiness! Women will call me happy!'
Cf. - Psalms 126:3 - O. T. - What marvels indeed he did it for us, and how overjoyed we were!
Cf. - Psalms 111:9 - O. T. - Quickly he comes to his people's rescue, imposing his covenant once and for all; so holy his name, commanding our dread.
Cf. - Psalms 103:17 - O. T. - yet Yahweh's love love for those who fear him, lasts from all eternity and for ever, like his goodness to their children's children, as long as they keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.
Cf. - Psalms 89:10 - O. T. - You split Rahab in two like a carcase and scattered your enemies with your mighty arms.
Cf. - Psalms 138:6 - O. T. From far above, Yahweh sees the humble, from far away he marks down the arrogant.
Cf. - Sirach / Ecclesiasticus 33:12 - O. T. - Some he has blessed and made more important, some he has hallowed and set near him; others he has cursed and humiliated by degrading them from their positions.
Cf. - Ezekiel 17:24 - O. T. - And every tree of the field will learn that I, Yahweh, am the one who stunts tall trees and makes the low ones grow, who withers green trees and makes the withered green. I, Yahweh, have spoken, and I will do it.
Cf. - John 5:11 - Luke 12:19 - N. T. - He replied, 'But the man who cured me told me, "Pick up your mat and walk".
Cf. - Psalms 98:2-3 - O. T. - Yahweh has displayed his power; has revealed his righteousness to the nations, mindful of his love and faithfulness to the House of Israel.
Cf. - Isaiah 41:8-9 - O. T. -You, Israel, my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, descendant of Abraham my friend. You whom I brought from the confines of the earth and called from the ends of the world; you to whom I said, 'You are my servant, I have chosen you, not rejected you'.
Cf. - Genesis 12:3 - O. T. - 'I will bless those who bless you: I will curse those who slight you. All the tribes of the earth shall bless themselves by you.'
Cf. - Genesis 13:15 - O. T. - All the land within sight I will give to you and your descendants for ever.
Cf. - Genesis 22:18 - O. T. - All the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by your descendants, as a reward for your obedience.
'My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord
and my spirit exults in God my saviour;
because he has looked upon his lowly handmaid.
Yes, from this day forward all generations will call me blessed,
for the Almighty has done great things for me.
Holy is his name,
and his mercy reaches from age to age for those who fear him.
He has shown the power of his arm,
he has routed the proud of heart.
He has pulled down princes from their thrones and exalted the lowly.
The hungry he has filled with good things, the rich sent empty away.
He has come to the help of Israel his servant, mindful of his mercy
- according to the promise he made to our ancestors -
of his mercy to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.'
Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back home. [ It is probable that Mary stayed with Elizabeth until John's birth and circumcision but Luke's habit is to round off one episode before passing to the next, cf. 1:64, 67; 3:19-20; 8:37-38.] - Luke 1:46-56 -
Cf. - Isaiah 61:10 - O. T. - I exult for joy in Yahweh, my soul rejoices in my God, for he has clothed me in the garments of salvation, he has wrapped me in the cloak of integrity, like a bridegroom wearing his wreath, like a bride adorned in her jewels.
Cf. - 1 Samuel 2:1 - O. T. - My heart exults in Yahweh, my horn is exalted in my God, my mouth derides my foes, for I rejoice in your power of saving.
Cf. - Habakkuk 3:18 - O. T. - But But I rejoice in Yahweh, I will exult in God my saviour.
Cf. - 1 Samuel 1:11 - O. T. - 'Yahweh Sabaoth! If you will take notice of the distress of your servant, and bear me in mind and not forget your servant and give her a man-child, I will give him to Yahweh for the whole of his life and no razor shall ever touch his head.'
Cf. - Luke 11:27 - Genesis 30:12-13 - O. T. - Leah's slave girl Zilpah gave birth to a second son by Jacob. Then Leah said, 'What happiness! Women will call me happy!'
Cf. - Psalms 126:3 - O. T. - What marvels indeed he did it for us, and how overjoyed we were!
Cf. - Psalms 111:9 - O. T. - Quickly he comes to his people's rescue, imposing his covenant once and for all; so holy his name, commanding our dread.
Cf. - Psalms 103:17 - O. T. - yet Yahweh's love love for those who fear him, lasts from all eternity and for ever, like his goodness to their children's children, as long as they keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.
Cf. - Psalms 89:10 - O. T. - You split Rahab in two like a carcase and scattered your enemies with your mighty arms.
Cf. - Psalms 138:6 - O. T. From far above, Yahweh sees the humble, from far away he marks down the arrogant.
Cf. - Sirach / Ecclesiasticus 33:12 - O. T. - Some he has blessed and made more important, some he has hallowed and set near him; others he has cursed and humiliated by degrading them from their positions.
Cf. - Ezekiel 17:24 - O. T. - And every tree of the field will learn that I, Yahweh, am the one who stunts tall trees and makes the low ones grow, who withers green trees and makes the withered green. I, Yahweh, have spoken, and I will do it.
Cf. - John 5:11 - Luke 12:19 - N. T. - He replied, 'But the man who cured me told me, "Pick up your mat and walk".
Cf. - Psalms 98:2-3 - O. T. - Yahweh has displayed his power; has revealed his righteousness to the nations, mindful of his love and faithfulness to the House of Israel.
Cf. - Isaiah 41:8-9 - O. T. -You, Israel, my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, descendant of Abraham my friend. You whom I brought from the confines of the earth and called from the ends of the world; you to whom I said, 'You are my servant, I have chosen you, not rejected you'.
Cf. - Genesis 12:3 - O. T. - 'I will bless those who bless you: I will curse those who slight you. All the tribes of the earth shall bless themselves by you.'
Cf. - Genesis 13:15 - O. T. - All the land within sight I will give to you and your descendants for ever.
Cf. - Genesis 22:18 - O. T. - All the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by your descendants, as a reward for your obedience.
THE BENEDICTUS - Luke 1:67-79 - N. T.
His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke this prophecy: 'Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has visited his people, he has come to their rescue and he has raised up for us a power for salvation in the House of his servant David, even as he proclaimed, by mouth of his holy prophets from ancient times, that he would save us from our enemies and from the hands of all who hate us, Thus, he shows mercy to our ancestors, thus, he remembers his holy covenant, the oath he swore to our father Abraham that he would grants us, free from fear, to be delivered from the hands of our enemies, to serve him in holiness and virtue in his presence, all our days. And you, little child, you shall be called Prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare the way for him. To give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins; this by the tender mercy of our God who from on high will bring the rising Sun to give light to those who live in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.'
His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke this prophecy: 'Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has visited his people, he has come to their rescue and he has raised up for us a power for salvation in the House of his servant David, even as he proclaimed, by mouth of his holy prophets from ancient times, that he would save us from our enemies and from the hands of all who hate us, Thus, he shows mercy to our ancestors, thus, he remembers his holy covenant, the oath he swore to our father Abraham that he would grants us, free from fear, to be delivered from the hands of our enemies, to serve him in holiness and virtue in his presence, all our days. And you, little child, you shall be called Prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare the way for him. To give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins; this by the tender mercy of our God who from on high will bring the rising Sun to give light to those who live in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.'
The Benedictus
His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke this prophecy:[ In the full sense of the term, because Zechariah not only utters a hymn of thanksgiving (vv. 68-75) but also foresees the future (vv. 76-79)]
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
for he has visited [ God is said to 'visit' when he intervenes notably in history, Ex. 3:16+] his people, he has come to their rescue.
and raised up for us a power for [ Lit. 'a horn of' cf. Ps. 75:4+] salvation
in the House of his servant David,
even as he proclaimed,
by the mouth of his holy prophets from ancient times,
that he would save us from our enemies
and from the hands of all who hate us.
Thus, he shows mercy to our ancestors,
thus he remembers his holy covenant.
the oath he swore
to our father Abraham
that he would grant us, free from fear,
to be delivered from the hands of our enemies,
to serve him in holiness and virtue
in his presence, all our days.
And you, little child,
you shall be called Prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord [ That is, God, as in 1:16-17, not the Messiah.]
to prepare the way for him.
To give his people knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins;
this by the tender mercy [ 'tender mercy' lit. 'bowels of mercy', 'will bring'; var. 'has brought.'] of our God who from on high will bring the rising Sun [ That is, either the messianic era or the Messiah himself.] to visit us,
to give light to those who live
in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet
into the way of peace.' - Luke 1:67-79 -
Cf. - Psalms 41:13 - O. T. - Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, from all eternity and for ever! Amen. Amen!
Cf. - Psalms 72:18 - O. T. - Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, who alone performs these marvel!
Cf. - Psalms 106:48 - O. T. - Blessed be Yahweh the God of Israel, from all eternity and for ever! Here, all the people are to say, 'Amen'.
Cf. - Psalms 111:9 - O. T. - How can a youth remain pure? By behaving as your word prescribes.
Cf. - Psalms 132:17 - O. T. 'Here, I will make a horn sprout for David, here, I will trim a lamp for my anointed.
Cf. - Psalms 136:24 - O. T. - And snatched us from our oppressors, his love is everlasting!
Cf. - Leviticus 26:42 - O. T. - I shall remember my Covenant with Jacob, and my Covenant with Isaac and my Covenant with Abraham; and I shall remember the land.
Cf. - Psalms 106:45 - O. T. For their sake, he remembered his covenant, he relented in his great love.
Cf. - Psalms 105:8-9 - O. T. - Remember his covenant for ever, his word of command for a thousand generations, the pact he made with Abraham, his oath to Isaac.
Cf. - Matthew 7:19-20 - N. T. - Any tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown on the fire. I repeat, you will be able to tell them by their fruits.
Cf. - Genesis 22:16-18 - O. T. - The angel of Yahweh called Abraham a second time from heaven, 'I swear by my own self - it is Yahweh who speaks - because you have done this, because you have not refused me your son, your only son. i will shower blessings on you, I will make you descendants as many as the stars of heaven and the grains of sand on the seashore. Your descendants shall gain possession of the gates of their enemies. All the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by your descendants, as a reward for your obedience.'
Cf. - Matthew 11:10 - N. T. - To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet: he is the one of whom Sacred Scripture says: Look, I am going to send my messenger before you; he will prepare your way before you.
Cf. - Matthew 16:14 - N. T. - 'Who do people say the Son of Man is?' And they said, 'Some say he is John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets'. 'But you,' he said 'who do you say I am?' Then Simon Peter spoke up, 'You are the Christ,' he said 'the Son of the living God'.
Cf. - Luke 1:16-17 -
Cf. - Isaiah 40:3 - O. T. - A voice cries, 'Prepare in the wilderness a way for Yahweh. Make a straight highway for our God across the desert.
Cf. - Micah 3:1 - O. T. - Then I said: Listen now, you princes of the House of Jacob, rulers of the House of Israel.
Cf. - Acts 13:25 - N. T. - Before John ended his career he said, "I am not the one you imagine me to be; that one is coming after me and I am not fit to undo his sandal."
Cf. - 2 Peter 1:19 - N. T. - So we have confirmation of what was said in prophecies; and you will be right to depend on prophecy and take it as a lamp for lighting a way through the dark until the dawn comes and the morning star rises in your minds.
Cf. - Isaiah 9:1 - O. T. - The people that walked in darkness has seen a great light; on those who live in a land of deep shadow a light has shone.
Cf. - Isaiah 42:6-7 - O. T. - I, Yahweh, have called you to serve the cause of right; I have taken you by the hand and formed you; I have appointed you as covenant of the people and light of the nations, to open the eyes of the blind, to free captives from prison, and those who live in darkness from the dungeon.
Cf. - John 8:12 - N. T. - When Jesus spoke to the people again, he said: 'I am the light of the world; anyone who follows me will not be walking in the dark; he will have the light of life'.
Cf. - Isaiah 11:6 - O. T. - The wolf lives with the lamb, the panther lies down with the kid, calf and lion cub feed together with a little boy to lead them.
Cf. - Jeremiah 6:14-15 - O. T. - They dress my people's wound without concern: "Peace! Peace!" they say, but there is no peace. They should be ashamed of their abominable deeds. But not they! They feel no shame, they have forgotten how to blush. And so as others fall, they too shall fall; they shall be thrown down when I come to deal with them - says Yahweh.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
for he has visited [ God is said to 'visit' when he intervenes notably in history, Ex. 3:16+] his people, he has come to their rescue.
and raised up for us a power for [ Lit. 'a horn of' cf. Ps. 75:4+] salvation
in the House of his servant David,
even as he proclaimed,
by the mouth of his holy prophets from ancient times,
that he would save us from our enemies
and from the hands of all who hate us.
Thus, he shows mercy to our ancestors,
thus he remembers his holy covenant.
the oath he swore
to our father Abraham
that he would grant us, free from fear,
to be delivered from the hands of our enemies,
to serve him in holiness and virtue
in his presence, all our days.
And you, little child,
you shall be called Prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord [ That is, God, as in 1:16-17, not the Messiah.]
to prepare the way for him.
To give his people knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins;
this by the tender mercy [ 'tender mercy' lit. 'bowels of mercy', 'will bring'; var. 'has brought.'] of our God who from on high will bring the rising Sun [ That is, either the messianic era or the Messiah himself.] to visit us,
to give light to those who live
in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet
into the way of peace.' - Luke 1:67-79 -
Cf. - Psalms 41:13 - O. T. - Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, from all eternity and for ever! Amen. Amen!
Cf. - Psalms 72:18 - O. T. - Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, who alone performs these marvel!
Cf. - Psalms 106:48 - O. T. - Blessed be Yahweh the God of Israel, from all eternity and for ever! Here, all the people are to say, 'Amen'.
Cf. - Psalms 111:9 - O. T. - How can a youth remain pure? By behaving as your word prescribes.
Cf. - Psalms 132:17 - O. T. 'Here, I will make a horn sprout for David, here, I will trim a lamp for my anointed.
Cf. - Psalms 136:24 - O. T. - And snatched us from our oppressors, his love is everlasting!
Cf. - Leviticus 26:42 - O. T. - I shall remember my Covenant with Jacob, and my Covenant with Isaac and my Covenant with Abraham; and I shall remember the land.
Cf. - Psalms 106:45 - O. T. For their sake, he remembered his covenant, he relented in his great love.
Cf. - Psalms 105:8-9 - O. T. - Remember his covenant for ever, his word of command for a thousand generations, the pact he made with Abraham, his oath to Isaac.
Cf. - Matthew 7:19-20 - N. T. - Any tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown on the fire. I repeat, you will be able to tell them by their fruits.
Cf. - Genesis 22:16-18 - O. T. - The angel of Yahweh called Abraham a second time from heaven, 'I swear by my own self - it is Yahweh who speaks - because you have done this, because you have not refused me your son, your only son. i will shower blessings on you, I will make you descendants as many as the stars of heaven and the grains of sand on the seashore. Your descendants shall gain possession of the gates of their enemies. All the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by your descendants, as a reward for your obedience.'
Cf. - Matthew 11:10 - N. T. - To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet: he is the one of whom Sacred Scripture says: Look, I am going to send my messenger before you; he will prepare your way before you.
Cf. - Matthew 16:14 - N. T. - 'Who do people say the Son of Man is?' And they said, 'Some say he is John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets'. 'But you,' he said 'who do you say I am?' Then Simon Peter spoke up, 'You are the Christ,' he said 'the Son of the living God'.
Cf. - Luke 1:16-17 -
Cf. - Isaiah 40:3 - O. T. - A voice cries, 'Prepare in the wilderness a way for Yahweh. Make a straight highway for our God across the desert.
Cf. - Micah 3:1 - O. T. - Then I said: Listen now, you princes of the House of Jacob, rulers of the House of Israel.
Cf. - Acts 13:25 - N. T. - Before John ended his career he said, "I am not the one you imagine me to be; that one is coming after me and I am not fit to undo his sandal."
Cf. - 2 Peter 1:19 - N. T. - So we have confirmation of what was said in prophecies; and you will be right to depend on prophecy and take it as a lamp for lighting a way through the dark until the dawn comes and the morning star rises in your minds.
Cf. - Isaiah 9:1 - O. T. - The people that walked in darkness has seen a great light; on those who live in a land of deep shadow a light has shone.
Cf. - Isaiah 42:6-7 - O. T. - I, Yahweh, have called you to serve the cause of right; I have taken you by the hand and formed you; I have appointed you as covenant of the people and light of the nations, to open the eyes of the blind, to free captives from prison, and those who live in darkness from the dungeon.
Cf. - John 8:12 - N. T. - When Jesus spoke to the people again, he said: 'I am the light of the world; anyone who follows me will not be walking in the dark; he will have the light of life'.
Cf. - Isaiah 11:6 - O. T. - The wolf lives with the lamb, the panther lies down with the kid, calf and lion cub feed together with a little boy to lead them.
Cf. - Jeremiah 6:14-15 - O. T. - They dress my people's wound without concern: "Peace! Peace!" they say, but there is no peace. They should be ashamed of their abominable deeds. But not they! They feel no shame, they have forgotten how to blush. And so as others fall, they too shall fall; they shall be thrown down when I come to deal with them - says Yahweh.
THE BIRTH OF JESUS AND VISIT OF THE SHEPHERDS - Luke 2:1-21 - N. T. -
Now at this time Caesar Augustus issued a decree for a census of the whole world to be taken. This census - the first - took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria, and everyone went to his own town to be registered. So Joseph set out from the town of Nazareth in Galilee and travelled up to Judaea, to the town of David called Bethlehem, since he was of David's House and line, in order to be registered together with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
While they were there the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to a son, her first-born. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them at the inn. In the countryside close by there were shepherds who lived in the fields and took it in turns to watch their flocks during the night. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone round them. They were terrified, but the angel said, 'Do not be afraid. Listen, I bring you news of great joy, a joy to be shared by the whole people.
Today in the town of David a saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. And here is a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. And suddenly with the angel there was a great throng of the heavenly host, praising God and singing:
'Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and peace to men who enjoy his favour'.
Now when the angels had gone from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let us go to Bethlehem, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us'. So they hurried away and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. When they saw the child they repeated what they had been told about him, and everyone who heard it was astonished at what the shepherds had to say. As for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds went back glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen; it was exactly as they had been told.
The Birth Of Jesus And Visit Of The Shepherds
Now at this time Caesar Augustus [ Roman emperor from 30 B.C. to 14 A.D.] issued a decree for a census of the whole world to be taken. This census - the first [ The first of a series. The translation sometimes given. 'This census preceded that which was held when Quirinius was governor of Syria', is difficult to justify grammatically. The historical circumstances are little known. Most scholars put the census of Quirinius in 6 A.D. but the only authority for this is Josephus who is doubtfully reliable in this matter, cf. Acts 5:37+. The most probable explanation is that the census, which was made with a view to taxation, took place about 8-6 B.C. as part of a general census of the empire, and that it was organised in Palestine by Quirinius might have been governor of Syria, between 4 and 1 B.C. and if so Luke's expression would then be a rough approximation. Jesus was born certainly before Herod's death (4 B.C.) possibly in 8-6 B.C. The 'Christian era' established by Dionysius Exiguus (6th century) is the result of a false calculation, cf. note to Luke 3:1.] - took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria, and everyone went to his own town to be registered.
So Joseph set out from the town of Nazareth in Galilee and travelled up to Judaea, to the town of David called Bethlehem, since he was of David's House and line, in order to be registered together with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
While they were there the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to a son, her first-born.[ In scriptural/biblical Greek, the term does not necessarily imply younger brothers but emphasises the dignity and rights of the child.] She wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them at the inn. In the countryside close by there were shepherds who lived in the fields and took it in turns to watch their flocks during the night. - Luke 2:1-8 -
The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone round them. They were terrified, but the angel said, 'Do not be afraid. Listen, I bring you news of great joy, a joy to be shared by the whole people. Today in the town of David a saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.[ He is, therefore, the expected Messiah; but he is also called 'Lord' a title the O.T. reserves for God. A new era is beginning.] And here is a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.'
And suddenly with the angel there was a great throng of the heavenly host, praising God and singing:
'Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and peace to men who enjoy his favour.'[ Lit. to men (who are the object) of (God's) benevolence.' the current translation, 'peace to men of good will' based on the Vulgate does not render the usual sense of the Greek term. Another, less certain, reading is 'peace on earth, and among men divine benevolence.']
Now when the angels had gone from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another. 'Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.' So they hurried away and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. When they saw the child they repeated what they had been told about him, and everyone who heard it was astonished at what the shepherds had to say. As for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds went back glorifying and praising God [ A favourite theme of Luke 1:64, 2:28, 5:25-26, 7:16, 13:13, 17:15,18, 18:43, 19:37, 23:47, 24:53, Cf. Acts 2:47+] for all they had heard and seen it; it was exactly as they had been told. - Luke 2:1-21 -
Cf. - Matthew 2:1 - N. T. - After Jesus had been born at Bethlehem in Judaea during the reign of king Herod, some wise men came to Jerusalem from the east.
Cf. - 1 Samuel 16:1-13 - O. T. - Yahweh said to Samuel, 'How long will you go on mourning over Saul when I have rejected him as king of Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have chosen myself a king among his sons.' Samuel replied, 'How can I go? When Saul hears of it he will kill me'. Then Yahweh said, 'Take a heifer with you and say, "I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh". Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and then I myself will tell you what you must do; you must anoint to me the one I point out to you.'
Samuel did what Yahweh ordered and went to Bethlehem. The elders oft he town came trembling to meet him and asked, 'Seer, have you come with good intentions towards us? 'Yes,' he replied 'I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh. Purify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.' He purified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
When they arrived, he caught sight of Eliab and thought, 'Surely Yahweh's anointed one stands there before him', but Yahweh said to Samuel. 'Take no notice of his appearance or his height for I have rejected him; God does not see as man sees; man looks at appearances but Yahweh looks at the heart'.
Jesse then called Abinadab and presented him to Samuel, who said, 'Yahweh has not chosen this one either'. Jesse then presented Shammah, but Samuel said, 'Yahweh has not chosen this one either'. Jesse presented his seven sons to Samuel, but Samuel said to Jesse, 'Yahweh has not chosen these'. He then asked Jesse, 'Are these all the sons you have?' He answered. 'There is still one left, the youngest; he is out looking after the sheep'. Then Samuel said to Jesse, 'Send for him; we will not sit down to eat until he comes'. Jesse had him sent for, a boy of fresh complexion, with fine eyes and pleasant bearing. Yahweh said, 'Come, anoint him, for this is the one'. At this, Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him where he stood with his brothers; and the spirit of Yahweh seized on David and stayed with him from that day on. As for Samuel, he rose and went to Ramah.
Cf. - John 7:42 - N. T. - Does not Sacred Scripture say that the Christ must be descended from David and come from the town of Bethlehem?
Cf. - Matthew 1:18 - N. T. - This is how Jesus Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to live together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.
Cf. - Matthew 1:25 - N. T. - Joseph took his wife to his home and, though he had not had intercourse with her, she gave birth to a son; and he named him Jesus.
Cf. - Exodus 24:16-18 - O. T. - The cloud covered the mountain, and the glory of Yahweh settled on the mountain of Sinai; for six days the cloud covered it, and on the seventh day Yahweh called to Moses from inside the cloud. to the eyes of the sons of Israel the glory of Yahweh seemed like a devouring fire on the mountain top. Moses went right into the cloud. He went up the mountain, and stayed there for forty days and forty nights.
Cf. - Tobit 5:4-5 - O. T. - And now, my child, find some trustworthy man to travel with you - we will pay him for his time until you arrive back - and then go and collect the money from Gabael. Tobias went out to look for a man who knew the way to go with him to Media. Outside he found Raphael the angel standing facing him (though he did not guess he was an angel of God).
Cf. - Matthew 1:19-20 - N. T. - After Herod's death, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said. 'Get up, take the child and his mother with you and go back to the land of Israel, for those who wanted to kill the child are dead.
Cf. - Luke 1:12-16 -
Cf. - Matthew 1:18-22 - N. T. - This is how Jesus Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to live together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. her husband Joseph, being a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her informally. He had made up his mind to do this when the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins.' Now all this took place to fulfill the words spoken by the Lord through the prophet.
Cf. - Isaiah 9:5-6 - O. T. - For there is a child born for us, and dominion is laid on his shoulders; and this is the name they give him: Wonder-Counsellor, Mighty-God, Eternal-Father, Prince-of-Peace.
Cf. - Luke 19:38 -
Cf. - Ezekiel 3:12 - O. T. - The spirit lifted me up, and behind me I could hear a tumultuous shouting, 'Blessed be the glory of Yahweh in his dwelling place.'
Cf. - Isaiah 1:3 - O. T. - The ox knows its owner and the ass its master's crib, Israel knows nothing, my people understands nothing.
Cf. - Luke 2:51 -
Cf. - Genesis 37:11 - O. T. - His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the thing in mind.
Cf. - Luke 1:64; 2:28, 38; 5:26; 7:16; 13:13 -
THE CIRCUMCISION OF JESUS - Luke 2:21 - N. T. -
When the eighth day came and the child was to be circumcised, they gave him the name Jesus, the name the angel had given him before his conception.
Cf. - Luke 1:59 -
Cf. - Leviticus 12:3 - O. T. - On the eighth day the child's foreskin must be circumcised.
Cf. - Luke 1:31 -
Cf. - Matthew 1:21-23 - N. T. - She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins. Now all this took place to fulfill the words spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and they will call him Immanuel,
a name which means 'God-is-with-us'.
So Joseph set out from the town of Nazareth in Galilee and travelled up to Judaea, to the town of David called Bethlehem, since he was of David's House and line, in order to be registered together with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
While they were there the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to a son, her first-born.[ In scriptural/biblical Greek, the term does not necessarily imply younger brothers but emphasises the dignity and rights of the child.] She wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them at the inn. In the countryside close by there were shepherds who lived in the fields and took it in turns to watch their flocks during the night. - Luke 2:1-8 -
The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone round them. They were terrified, but the angel said, 'Do not be afraid. Listen, I bring you news of great joy, a joy to be shared by the whole people. Today in the town of David a saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.[ He is, therefore, the expected Messiah; but he is also called 'Lord' a title the O.T. reserves for God. A new era is beginning.] And here is a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.'
And suddenly with the angel there was a great throng of the heavenly host, praising God and singing:
'Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and peace to men who enjoy his favour.'[ Lit. to men (who are the object) of (God's) benevolence.' the current translation, 'peace to men of good will' based on the Vulgate does not render the usual sense of the Greek term. Another, less certain, reading is 'peace on earth, and among men divine benevolence.']
Now when the angels had gone from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another. 'Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.' So they hurried away and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. When they saw the child they repeated what they had been told about him, and everyone who heard it was astonished at what the shepherds had to say. As for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds went back glorifying and praising God [ A favourite theme of Luke 1:64, 2:28, 5:25-26, 7:16, 13:13, 17:15,18, 18:43, 19:37, 23:47, 24:53, Cf. Acts 2:47+] for all they had heard and seen it; it was exactly as they had been told. - Luke 2:1-21 -
Cf. - Matthew 2:1 - N. T. - After Jesus had been born at Bethlehem in Judaea during the reign of king Herod, some wise men came to Jerusalem from the east.
Cf. - 1 Samuel 16:1-13 - O. T. - Yahweh said to Samuel, 'How long will you go on mourning over Saul when I have rejected him as king of Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have chosen myself a king among his sons.' Samuel replied, 'How can I go? When Saul hears of it he will kill me'. Then Yahweh said, 'Take a heifer with you and say, "I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh". Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and then I myself will tell you what you must do; you must anoint to me the one I point out to you.'
Samuel did what Yahweh ordered and went to Bethlehem. The elders oft he town came trembling to meet him and asked, 'Seer, have you come with good intentions towards us? 'Yes,' he replied 'I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh. Purify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.' He purified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
When they arrived, he caught sight of Eliab and thought, 'Surely Yahweh's anointed one stands there before him', but Yahweh said to Samuel. 'Take no notice of his appearance or his height for I have rejected him; God does not see as man sees; man looks at appearances but Yahweh looks at the heart'.
Jesse then called Abinadab and presented him to Samuel, who said, 'Yahweh has not chosen this one either'. Jesse then presented Shammah, but Samuel said, 'Yahweh has not chosen this one either'. Jesse presented his seven sons to Samuel, but Samuel said to Jesse, 'Yahweh has not chosen these'. He then asked Jesse, 'Are these all the sons you have?' He answered. 'There is still one left, the youngest; he is out looking after the sheep'. Then Samuel said to Jesse, 'Send for him; we will not sit down to eat until he comes'. Jesse had him sent for, a boy of fresh complexion, with fine eyes and pleasant bearing. Yahweh said, 'Come, anoint him, for this is the one'. At this, Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him where he stood with his brothers; and the spirit of Yahweh seized on David and stayed with him from that day on. As for Samuel, he rose and went to Ramah.
Cf. - John 7:42 - N. T. - Does not Sacred Scripture say that the Christ must be descended from David and come from the town of Bethlehem?
Cf. - Matthew 1:18 - N. T. - This is how Jesus Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to live together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.
Cf. - Matthew 1:25 - N. T. - Joseph took his wife to his home and, though he had not had intercourse with her, she gave birth to a son; and he named him Jesus.
Cf. - Exodus 24:16-18 - O. T. - The cloud covered the mountain, and the glory of Yahweh settled on the mountain of Sinai; for six days the cloud covered it, and on the seventh day Yahweh called to Moses from inside the cloud. to the eyes of the sons of Israel the glory of Yahweh seemed like a devouring fire on the mountain top. Moses went right into the cloud. He went up the mountain, and stayed there for forty days and forty nights.
Cf. - Tobit 5:4-5 - O. T. - And now, my child, find some trustworthy man to travel with you - we will pay him for his time until you arrive back - and then go and collect the money from Gabael. Tobias went out to look for a man who knew the way to go with him to Media. Outside he found Raphael the angel standing facing him (though he did not guess he was an angel of God).
Cf. - Matthew 1:19-20 - N. T. - After Herod's death, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said. 'Get up, take the child and his mother with you and go back to the land of Israel, for those who wanted to kill the child are dead.
Cf. - Luke 1:12-16 -
Cf. - Matthew 1:18-22 - N. T. - This is how Jesus Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to live together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. her husband Joseph, being a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her informally. He had made up his mind to do this when the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins.' Now all this took place to fulfill the words spoken by the Lord through the prophet.
Cf. - Isaiah 9:5-6 - O. T. - For there is a child born for us, and dominion is laid on his shoulders; and this is the name they give him: Wonder-Counsellor, Mighty-God, Eternal-Father, Prince-of-Peace.
Cf. - Luke 19:38 -
Cf. - Ezekiel 3:12 - O. T. - The spirit lifted me up, and behind me I could hear a tumultuous shouting, 'Blessed be the glory of Yahweh in his dwelling place.'
Cf. - Isaiah 1:3 - O. T. - The ox knows its owner and the ass its master's crib, Israel knows nothing, my people understands nothing.
Cf. - Luke 2:51 -
Cf. - Genesis 37:11 - O. T. - His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the thing in mind.
Cf. - Luke 1:64; 2:28, 38; 5:26; 7:16; 13:13 -
THE CIRCUMCISION OF JESUS - Luke 2:21 - N. T. -
When the eighth day came and the child was to be circumcised, they gave him the name Jesus, the name the angel had given him before his conception.
Cf. - Luke 1:59 -
Cf. - Leviticus 12:3 - O. T. - On the eighth day the child's foreskin must be circumcised.
Cf. - Luke 1:31 -
Cf. - Matthew 1:21-23 - N. T. - She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins. Now all this took place to fulfill the words spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and they will call him Immanuel,
a name which means 'God-is-with-us'.
JESUS IS PRESENTED IN THE TEMPLE - Luke 2:22:28 - N. T. -
And when the day came for them to be purified as laid down by the Law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord - observing what stands written in the Law of the Lord: Every first-born male must be consecrated to the Lord - and also to offer in sacrifice, in accordance with what is said in the Law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.
Now in Jerusalem there was a man named Simeon. He was an upright and devout man; he looked forward to Israel's comforting and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he had set eyes on the Christ of the Lord. Prompted by the Spirit he came to the Temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the Law required, he took him into his arms and blessed God; and he said:
Jesus Is Presented In The Temple
And when the day came for them to be purified [ Only the mother needed to be purified; the child, however, had to be 'redeemed.' Luke is careful to note that the parents of Jesus, like the Baptist's, observed all that the Law required.] as laid down by the Law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord - observing what stands written in the Law of the Lord: Every first-born must be consecrated to the Lord - and also to offer sacrifice, in accordance with what is said in the Law of the Lord, a pair of turtledovers or two young pigeons. [ Offering of the poor.]
Now in Jerusalem there was a man named Simeon. He was an upright and devout man; he looked forward to Israel's comforting and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he had set eyes on the Christ of the Lord. [ 'the Christ of the Lord' is the one whom the Lord anoints, cf. Ex. 30:22+, that is, consecrates for a saving mission; the king of Israel, God's chosen prince, is thus consecrated and thus, pre-eminently, the Messiah who is to establish the kingdom of God.] Prompted by the Spirit he came to the Temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the Law required, he took him into his arms and blessed God; and he said: - Luke 2:22-28 -
Cf. - Leviticus 12:1-6 - O. T. - Yahweh spoke to Moses; he said, Speak to the sons of Israel and say: "If a woman conceives and gives birth to a boy, she is to be unclean for seven days, just as she is unclean during her monthly periods. On the eighth day the child's foreskin must be circumcised, and she must wait another thirty-three days for her blood to be purified. She must not touch anything consecrated nor go to the sanctuary until the time of her purification is over. "If she gives birth to a girl, she is to be unclean for two weeks, as during her monthly periods; and she must wait another sixty-six days for her blood to be purified." "When the period of her purification is over, for either boy or girl, she is to bring to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting a lamb one year old for a holocaust, and a young pigeon or turtledove as a sacrifice for sin."
Cf. - Exodus 13:1-2 - O. T. - Yahweh spoke to Moses and said, 'Consecrate all the first-born to me, the first issue of every womb, among the sons of Israel.
Cf. - Exodus 13:11-12 - O. T. - When Yahweh brings you to the land of the Canaanites - as he swore to you and your fathers he would do - and gives it to you, you are to make over to Yahweh all that first issues from the womb, and every first-born cast by your animals: these males belong to Yahweh.
Cf. - Leviticus 5:7 - O. T. - If he cannot afford an animal of the flock, he is to bring to Yahweh, as a sacrifice of reparation for the sin he has committed, two turtledoves or two young pigeons - one for a sacrifice for sin and the other for a holocaust.
Cf. - Leviticus 12:8 - O. T. - If she cannot afford a lamb, she is to take two turtledoves or two young pigeons, one for holocaust and the other for the sacrifice for sin. The priest is to perform the rite of atonement over her and she will be purified.
Cf. - Isaiah 41:1 - O. T. - Islands, keep silence before me, let the people renew their strength. Let them come forward and speak, let us appear together for judgement.
Cf. - Isaiah 42:1 - O. T. - Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom my soul delights. I have endowed him with my spirit that he may bring true justice to the nations.
Cf. - Luke 9:29; 23:35 -
Cf. - Exodus 30:22-33 - O. T. - Yahweh spoke to Moses and said, 'Take the choicest spices: of liquid myrrh five hundred shekels, half this weight of fragrant cinnamon - that is, two hundred and fifty shekels - and of scented cane two hundred and fifty shekels; of cassia five hundred shekels (reckoning by the sanctuary shekel) and one hin of olive oil. These you are to compound into a holy chrism, such a blend as the perfumer might make; it is to be a holy chrism. With it you are to anoint the Tent of Meeting and the ark of the Testimony, the table and all its furnishings, the lamp-stand and all its accessories, the altar of incense, the altar of holocaust with all its furnishings, and the basin with its stand. These you are to consecrate.
Thus, they will excel in holiness, and whatever touches them will be holy. You must also anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them, so that they may be priests in my service. Then you are to say this to the sons of Israel. 'You must hold this chrism holy from generation to generation. It is not to be poured on the bodies of common men, nor are you to make any other of the same mixture. It is a holy thing; you must consider it holy. Whoever copies the composition of it or uses it on a layman shall be outlawed from his people'.
Cf. - Luke 2:20 -
THE NUNC DIMITTIS - Luke 2:29-32 - N. T. -
'Now, Master, you can let your servant go in peace, just as you promised; because my eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared for all the nations to see, a light to enlighten the pagans and the glory of your people Israel'.
Cf. - Isaiah 52:10 - O. T. - Yahweh bares his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
Cf. - Isaiah 42:6 - O. T. - I, Yahweh, have called you to serve the cause of right; I have taken you by the hand and formed you; I have appointed you as covenant of the people and light of the nations.
Cf. - Isaiah 46:13 - O. T. - I bring my victory near, already it is close, my salvation will not be late. I will give salvation to Zion, my glory shall be for Israel.
Cf. - Isaiah 49:6 - O. T. - 'It is not enough for you to be my servant, to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back the survivors of Israel; I will make you the light of the nations so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth'.
Cf. - John 8:12 - N. T. - When Jesus spoke to the people again, he said: 'I am the light of the world; anyone who follows me will not be walking in the dark; he will have the light of life'.
THE PROPHECY OF SIMEON - Luke 2:33-35 - N. T. -
As the child's father and mother stood there wondering at the things that were being said about him, Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, 'You see this child: he is destined for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is rejected - and a sword will pierce your own soul too - so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare'.
Now in Jerusalem there was a man named Simeon. He was an upright and devout man; he looked forward to Israel's comforting and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he had set eyes on the Christ of the Lord. [ 'the Christ of the Lord' is the one whom the Lord anoints, cf. Ex. 30:22+, that is, consecrates for a saving mission; the king of Israel, God's chosen prince, is thus consecrated and thus, pre-eminently, the Messiah who is to establish the kingdom of God.] Prompted by the Spirit he came to the Temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the Law required, he took him into his arms and blessed God; and he said: - Luke 2:22-28 -
Cf. - Leviticus 12:1-6 - O. T. - Yahweh spoke to Moses; he said, Speak to the sons of Israel and say: "If a woman conceives and gives birth to a boy, she is to be unclean for seven days, just as she is unclean during her monthly periods. On the eighth day the child's foreskin must be circumcised, and she must wait another thirty-three days for her blood to be purified. She must not touch anything consecrated nor go to the sanctuary until the time of her purification is over. "If she gives birth to a girl, she is to be unclean for two weeks, as during her monthly periods; and she must wait another sixty-six days for her blood to be purified." "When the period of her purification is over, for either boy or girl, she is to bring to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting a lamb one year old for a holocaust, and a young pigeon or turtledove as a sacrifice for sin."
Cf. - Exodus 13:1-2 - O. T. - Yahweh spoke to Moses and said, 'Consecrate all the first-born to me, the first issue of every womb, among the sons of Israel.
Cf. - Exodus 13:11-12 - O. T. - When Yahweh brings you to the land of the Canaanites - as he swore to you and your fathers he would do - and gives it to you, you are to make over to Yahweh all that first issues from the womb, and every first-born cast by your animals: these males belong to Yahweh.
Cf. - Leviticus 5:7 - O. T. - If he cannot afford an animal of the flock, he is to bring to Yahweh, as a sacrifice of reparation for the sin he has committed, two turtledoves or two young pigeons - one for a sacrifice for sin and the other for a holocaust.
Cf. - Leviticus 12:8 - O. T. - If she cannot afford a lamb, she is to take two turtledoves or two young pigeons, one for holocaust and the other for the sacrifice for sin. The priest is to perform the rite of atonement over her and she will be purified.
Cf. - Isaiah 41:1 - O. T. - Islands, keep silence before me, let the people renew their strength. Let them come forward and speak, let us appear together for judgement.
Cf. - Isaiah 42:1 - O. T. - Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom my soul delights. I have endowed him with my spirit that he may bring true justice to the nations.
Cf. - Luke 9:29; 23:35 -
Cf. - Exodus 30:22-33 - O. T. - Yahweh spoke to Moses and said, 'Take the choicest spices: of liquid myrrh five hundred shekels, half this weight of fragrant cinnamon - that is, two hundred and fifty shekels - and of scented cane two hundred and fifty shekels; of cassia five hundred shekels (reckoning by the sanctuary shekel) and one hin of olive oil. These you are to compound into a holy chrism, such a blend as the perfumer might make; it is to be a holy chrism. With it you are to anoint the Tent of Meeting and the ark of the Testimony, the table and all its furnishings, the lamp-stand and all its accessories, the altar of incense, the altar of holocaust with all its furnishings, and the basin with its stand. These you are to consecrate.
Thus, they will excel in holiness, and whatever touches them will be holy. You must also anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them, so that they may be priests in my service. Then you are to say this to the sons of Israel. 'You must hold this chrism holy from generation to generation. It is not to be poured on the bodies of common men, nor are you to make any other of the same mixture. It is a holy thing; you must consider it holy. Whoever copies the composition of it or uses it on a layman shall be outlawed from his people'.
Cf. - Luke 2:20 -
THE NUNC DIMITTIS - Luke 2:29-32 - N. T. -
'Now, Master, you can let your servant go in peace, just as you promised; because my eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared for all the nations to see, a light to enlighten the pagans and the glory of your people Israel'.
Cf. - Isaiah 52:10 - O. T. - Yahweh bares his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
Cf. - Isaiah 42:6 - O. T. - I, Yahweh, have called you to serve the cause of right; I have taken you by the hand and formed you; I have appointed you as covenant of the people and light of the nations.
Cf. - Isaiah 46:13 - O. T. - I bring my victory near, already it is close, my salvation will not be late. I will give salvation to Zion, my glory shall be for Israel.
Cf. - Isaiah 49:6 - O. T. - 'It is not enough for you to be my servant, to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back the survivors of Israel; I will make you the light of the nations so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth'.
Cf. - John 8:12 - N. T. - When Jesus spoke to the people again, he said: 'I am the light of the world; anyone who follows me will not be walking in the dark; he will have the light of life'.
THE PROPHECY OF SIMEON - Luke 2:33-35 - N. T. -
As the child's father and mother stood there wondering at the things that were being said about him, Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, 'You see this child: he is destined for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is rejected - and a sword will pierce your own soul too - so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare'.
Cf. - Luke 7:23; 12:51-53 -
Cf. - Jeremiah 15:10 - O. T. - Woe is me, my mother, for you have borne me to be a man of strife and of dissension for all the land. I neither lend or borrow, yet all of them curse me.
Cf. - John 19:25-27 - N. T. - Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. Seeing his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her, Jesus said to his mother, 'Woman, this is your son'. Then to the disciples he said, 'This is your mother'. And from that moment the disciple made a place for her in his home.
Cf. - Hebrews 12:3 - N. T. - Think of the way he stood such opposition from sinners and then you will not give up for want of courage.
Cf. - John 3:19 - N. T. - On this grounds is sentence pronounced: that though the light has come into the world men have shown they prefer darkness to the light because their deeds were evil.
Cf. - John 9:38-39 - N. T. - The man said, 'Lord, I believe', and worshipped him. Jesus said: 'It is for judgement that I have come into this world, so that those without sight may see and those with sight turn blind'.
THE PROPHECY OF ANNA - Luke 2:36-38 - N. T. -
There was a prophetess also, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was well on in years. her days of girlhood over, she had been married for seven years before becoming a widow. She was now eighty-four years old and never left the Temple, serving God night and day with fasting and prayer. She came by just at that moment and began to praise God; and she spoke of the child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem.
The Prophecy Of Anna
There was a prophetess [ A woman dedicated to God and the qualified interpreter of his intentions. Cf. Ex. 15:20; Judg. 4:4; 2 Kin. 22:14.] also , Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was well on in years. Her days of girlhood over, she had been married for seven years before becoming a widow. She was now eighty-four years old and never left the Temple, serving God night and day with fasting and prayer.
She came by just at the moment and began to praise God; and she spoke of the child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem. [The messianic deliverance of the Chosen People, Luke 1:68, 24:21, primarily affected their capital city; cf. Is. 40:2, 52:9 (and see 2 Sam. 5:9+) For Luke, Jerusalem is God's chosen centre from which will spread his salvation: 9:31.51,53, 13:22,33, 17:11, 18:31, 19:11, 24:47-49,52; Acts 1:8+] - Luke 2:33-38 -
She came by just at the moment and began to praise God; and she spoke of the child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem. [The messianic deliverance of the Chosen People, Luke 1:68, 24:21, primarily affected their capital city; cf. Is. 40:2, 52:9 (and see 2 Sam. 5:9+) For Luke, Jerusalem is God's chosen centre from which will spread his salvation: 9:31.51,53, 13:22,33, 17:11, 18:31, 19:11, 24:47-49,52; Acts 1:8+] - Luke 2:33-38 -
Cf. - Judith 8:4-5 - O. T. - As a widow, Judith stayed inside her home for three years and four months. She had an upper room built for herself on the roof.
Cf. - 1 Timothy 5:5 - N. T. - But a woman who is really widowed and left without anybody can give herself up to God and consecrate all her days and nights to petitions and prayer.
Cf. - Luke 2:20; 9:32,51; 13:22,33 -
THE HIDDEN LIFE OF JESUS AT NAZARETH - Luke 2:39-40 - N. T. -
When they had done everything the Law of the Lord required, they went back to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. Meanwhile, the child grew to maturity, and he was filled with wisdom; and God's favour was with him.
Cf. - Luke 4:16 -
Cf. - Matthew 2:23 - N. T. - There Joseph settled in a town called Nazareth. In this way the words spoken through the prophets were to be fulfilled: He will be called a Nazarene.
Cf. - 1 Timothy 5:5 - N. T. - But a woman who is really widowed and left without anybody can give herself up to God and consecrate all her days and nights to petitions and prayer.
Cf. - Luke 2:20; 9:32,51; 13:22,33 -
THE HIDDEN LIFE OF JESUS AT NAZARETH - Luke 2:39-40 - N. T. -
When they had done everything the Law of the Lord required, they went back to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. Meanwhile, the child grew to maturity, and he was filled with wisdom; and God's favour was with him.
Cf. - Luke 4:16 -
Cf. - Matthew 2:23 - N. T. - There Joseph settled in a town called Nazareth. In this way the words spoken through the prophets were to be fulfilled: He will be called a Nazarene.
- WELCOME TO SACRED SCRIPTURE / WORD OF GOD / HOLY BIBLE READER'S COMMUNITY -
Wishing you, 'Happy Reading', and may God, the Father, the Son of the living God, Jesus Christ, fills your heart, mind, thoughts, and grants you: The Holy Spirit, that is, Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Counsel, Piety, Fortitude, Fear of the Lord, and also His fruits of the Holy Spirit, that is, Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Trustfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control. Amen! God blessing be upon you!
Why do you call Me, "Lord, Lord" and not do what I say?' "Everyone who comes to Me and listens to My words and acts on them - I will show you what he/she is like. He/She is like a man/woman who when he/she built his/her house dug, deep, and laid the foundations on rock; when the river was in flood it bore down on that house but could not shake it, it was so well built. But the one who listens and does nothing is like the man/woman who built his/her house on soil, with no foundations: as soon as the river bore down on it, it collapsed; and what a ruin that house became!" - Luke 6:46-49 -
If we live by the truth and in love, we shall grow in all ways into Christ Jesus, who is the head by whom the whole body is fitted and joined together, every joint adding its own strength, for each separate part to work according to it function. So the body grows until it has built itself up, in love." - Ephesians 4:15-16 -
I still have many things to say to you but they would be too much for you now. But when the spirit of truth comes, he will lead you to the complete truth, since he will not be speaking as from himself, but will say only what he has learnt; and he will tell you of the things to come. He/She will glorify me, since all he/she tells you will be taken from what is mine. Everything the Father has is mine; that is why I said: all he/she tells you will be taken from what is mine." - John 16:12-15 -
Your generous contribution and support is profoundly cherish. I sincerely pray that: God blessing be upon you, always. Amen! Bank transfer: Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah - Public Bank Berhad account no. 4076577113 - Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
No comments:
Post a Comment