06.24.08

The Birth of St. John the Baptist (Solemnity)

Posted in Daily Mass Readings, Forerunner of the Messiah at 6:45 am by Brian Schuettler

Isaiah 49: 1 - 6
1 Listen to me, O coastlands, and hearken, you peoples from afar. The LORD called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name.
2 He made my mouth like a sharp sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me away.
3 And he said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”
4 But I said, “I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely my right is with the LORD, and my recompense with my God.”
5 And now the LORD says, who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him, and that Israel might be gathered to him, for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD, and my God has become my strength —
6 he says: “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved of Israel; I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
Psalms 139: 1 - 3, 13 - 15
1 O LORD, thou hast searched me and known me!
2 Thou knowest when I sit down and when I rise up; thou discernest my thoughts from afar.
3 Thou searchest out my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
13 For thou didst form my inward parts, thou didst knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise thee, for thou art fearful and wonderful. Wonderful are thy works! Thou knowest me right well;
15 my frame was not hidden from thee, when I was being made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth.
Acts 13: 22 - 26
22 And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king; of whom he testified and said, `I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’
23 Of this man’s posterity God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised.
24 Before his coming John had preached a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.
25 And as John was finishing his course, he said, `What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but after me one is coming, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’
26 “Brethren, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you that fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation.
Luke 1: 57 - 66, 80
57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to be delivered, and she gave birth to a son.
58 And her neighbors and kinsfolk heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.
59 And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they would have named him Zechari’ah after his father,
60 but his mother said, “Not so; he shall be called John.”
61 And they said to her, “None of your kindred is called by this name.”
62 And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he would have him called.
63 And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all marveled.
64 And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God.
65 And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea;
66 and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him.
80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness till the day of his manifestation to Israel.

This is the difference between us and those who do not know God: they, in adversity, complain and grumble; we , on the other hand, are not drawn away from virtue by the things that go against us but are strengthened in it, for we know even the hairs of our head are numbered.

— St Cyprian

09.18.07

What did you go out to the desert to see…?

Posted in Forerunner of the Messiah at 7:02 am by Brian Schuettler

                                            
                                   
                               The Forerunner of Christ

LUKE 7

When the messengers of John had left, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John. “What did you go out to the desert to see–a reed swayed by the wind?
25
Then what did you go out to see? Someone dressed in fine garments? Those who dress luxuriously and live sumptuously are found in royal palaces.
26
Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.
27
This is the one about whom scripture says: ‘Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, he will prepare your way before you.’
28
I tell you, among those born of women, no one is greater than John; yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”
29
(All the people who listened, including the tax collectors, and who were baptized with the baptism of John, acknowledged the righteousness of God;
30
but the Pharisees and scholars of the law, who were not baptized by him, rejected the plan of God for themselves.)
31
9 “Then to what shall I compare the people of this generation? What are they like?
32
They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another, ‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance. We sang a dirge, but you did not weep.’
33
For John the Baptist came neither eating food nor drinking wine, and you said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’
34
The Son of Man came eating and drinking and you said, ‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’
35
But wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”

Blogged with Flock

08.29.07

To Kill A Prophet

Posted in Forerunner of the Messiah at 3:17 pm by Brian Schuettler

Flavius Josephus - Jewish Historian

Antiquities 18.5.2 116-119

Now some of the Jews thought that the destruction of Herod’s army came from God, and was a very just punishment for what he did against John called the baptist [the dipper]. For Herod had him killed, although he was a good man and had urged the Jews to exert themselves to virtue, both as to justice toward one another and reverence towards God, and having done so join together in washing. For immersion in water, it was clear to him, could not be used for the forgiveness of sins, but as a sanctification of the body, and only if the soul was already thoroughly purified by right actions. And when others massed about him, for they were very greatly moved by his words, Herod, who feared that such strong influence over the people might carry to a revolt — for they seemed ready to do any thing he should advise — believed it much better to move now than later have it raise a rebellion and engage him in actions he would regret.
And so John, out of Herod’s suspiciousness, was sent in chains to Machaerus, the fort previously mentioned, and there put to death; but it was the opinion of the Jews that out of retribution for John God willed the destruction of the army so as to afflict Herod.

St. John the Baptist, last of the Old Testament prophets, is also known, especially among the Orthodox, as St. John the Forerunner. Of his birth, the Bible tells us that, during the days of King Herod of Judaea, Zechariah, a priest of the Abijah section of the priesthood, was burning incense in the Lord’s sanctuary in the Temple when the Archangel St. Gabriel appeared to him, telling him that a son would soon be born to his wife Elizabeth whom they must call John who would lead many of the Israelites back to God. When Zechariah doubted the angel’s words due to his wife’s barrenness, St. Gabriel struck him dumb, telling him that, as he did not believe the archangel’s words, he would remain mute himself until these things had come to pass. When the priest’s time of service had ended, he went back home where his wife concieved (Luke 1:5-25).

« Previous entries ·