Joseph Kenny OP: Readings 19 December

READINGS ADVENT 19 DECEMBER
הַרְאֵנוּ יְהוָה חַסְדֶּךָ — וְיֶשְׁעֲךָ תִּתֶּן־לָנוּ
Even Years: Isaiah 47:1-15
1 רְדִי וּשְׁבִי עַל־עָפָר בְּתוּלַת בַּת־בָּבֶל שְׁבִי־לָאָרֶץ אֵין־כִּסֵּא בַּת־כַּשְׂדִּים כִּי לֹא תוֹסִיפִי יִקְרְאוּ־לָךְ רַכָּה וַעֲנֻגָּה׃
2 קְחִי רֵחַיִם וְטַחֲנִי קָמַח גַּלִּי צַמָּתֵךְ חֶשְׂפִּי־שֹׁבֶל גַּלִּי־שׁוֹק עִבְרִי נְהָרוֹת׃
3 תִּגָּל עֶרְוָתֵךְ גַּם תֵּרָאֶה חֶרְפָּתֵךְ נָקָם אֶקָּח וְלֹא אֶפְגַּע אָדָם׃ ס
4 גֹּאֲלֵנוּ יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת שְׁמוֹ קְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל׃
5 שְׁבִי דוּמָם וּבֹאִי בַחֹשֶׁךְ בַּת־כַּשְׂדִּים כִּי לֹא תוֹסִיפִי יִקְרְאוּ־לָךְ גְּבֶרֶת מַמְלָכוֹת׃
6 קָצַפְתִּי עַל־עַמִּי חִלַּלְתִּי נַחֲלָתִי וָאֶתְּנֵם בְּיָדֵךְ לֹא־שַׂמְתְּ לָהֶם רַחֲמִים עַל־זָקֵן הִכְבַּדְתְּ עֻלֵּךְ מְאֹד׃
7 וַתֹּאמְרִי לְעוֹלָם אֶהְיֶה גְבָרֶת עַד לֹא־שַׂמְתְּ אֵלֶּה עַל־לִבֵּךְ לֹא זָכַרְתְּ אַחֲרִיתָהּ׃ ס
8 וְעַתָּה שִׁמְעִי־זֹאת עֲדִינָה הַיּוֹשֶׁבֶת לָבֶטַח הָאֹמְרָה בִּלְבָבָהּ אֲנִי וְאַפְסִי עוֹד לֹא אֵשֵׁב אַלְמָנָה וְלֹא אֵדַע שְׁכוֹל׃
9 וְתָבֹאנָה לָּךְ שְׁתֵּי־אֵלֶּה רֶגַע בְּיוֹם אֶחָד שְׁכוֹל וְאַלְמֹן כְּתֻמָּם בָּאוּ עָלַיִךְ בְּרֹב כְּשָׁפַיִךְ בְּעָצְמַת חֲבָרַיִךְ מְאֹד׃
10 וַתִּבְטְחִי בְרָעָתֵךְ אָמַרְתְּ אֵין רֹאָנִי חָכְמָתֵךְ וְדַעְתֵּךְ הִיא שׁוֹבְבָתֶךְ וַתֹּאמְרִי בְלִבֵּךְ אֲנִי וְאַפְסִי עוֹד׃
11 וּבָא עָלַיִךְ רָעָה לֹא תֵדְעִי שַׁחְרָהּ וְתִפֹּל עָלַיִךְ הוָֹה לֹא תוּכְלִי כַּפְּרָהּ וְתָבֹא עָלַיִךְ פִּתְאֹם שׁוֹאָה לֹא תֵדָעִי׃
12 עִמְדִי־נָא בַחֲבָרַיִךְ וּבְרֹב כְּשָׁפַיִךְ בַּאֲשֶׁר יָגַעַתְּ מִנְּעוּרָיִךְ אוּלַי תּוּכְלִי הוֹעִיל אוּלַי תַּעֲרוֹצִי׃
13 נִלְאֵית בְּרֹב עֲצָתָיִךְ יַעַמְדוּ־נָא וְיוֹשִׁיעֻךְ הָבְרוּ שָׁמַיִם הַחֹזִים בַּכּוֹכָבִים מוֹדִיעִם לֶחֳדָשִׁים מֵאֲשֶׁר יָבֹאוּ עָלָיִךְ׃
14 הִנֵּה הָיוּ כְקַשׁ אֵשׁ שְׂרָפָתַם לֹא־יַצִּילוּ אֶת־נַפְשָׁם מִיַּד לֶהָבָה אֵין־גַּחֶלֶת לַחְמָם אוּר לָשֶׁבֶת נֶגְדּוֹ׃
15 כֵּן הָיוּ־לָךְ אֲשֶׁר יָגָעַתְּ סֹחֲרַיִךְ מִנְּעוּרַיִךְ אִישׁ לְעֶבְרוֹ תָּעוּ אֵין מוֹשִׁיעֵךְ׃
Odd Years: Isaiah 41:8-20
8 וְאַתָּה יִשְׂרָאֵל עַבְדִּי יַעֲקֹב אֲשֶׁר בְּחַרְתִּיךָ זֶרַע אַבְרָהָם אֹהֲבִי׃
9 אֲשֶׁר הֶחֱזַקְתִּיךָ מִקְצוֹת הָאָרֶץ וּמֵאֲצִילֶיהָ קְרָאתִיךָ וָאֹמַר לְךָ עַבְדִּי־אַתָּה בְּחַרְתִּיךָ וְלֹא מְאַסְתִּיךָ׃
10 אַל־תִּירָא כִּי עִמְּךָ־אָנִי אַל־תִּשְׁתָּע כִּי־אֲנִי אֱלֹהֶיךָ אִמַּצְתִּיךָ אַף־עֲזַרְתִּיךָ אַף־תְּמַכְתִּיךָ בִּימִין צִדְקִי׃
11 הֵן יֵבֹשׁוּ וְיִכָּלְמוּ כֹּל הַנֶּחֱרִים בָּךְ יִהְיוּ כְאַיִן וְיֹאבְדוּ אַנְשֵׁי רִיבֶךָ׃
12 תְּבַקְשֵׁם וְלֹא תִמְצָאֵם אַנְשֵׁי מַצֻּתֶךָ יִהְיוּ כְאַיִן וּכְאֶפֶס אַנְשֵׁי מִלְחַמְתֶּךָ׃
13 כִּי אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ מַחֲזִיק יְמִינֶךָ הָאֹמֵר לְךָ אַל־תִּירָא אֲנִי עֲזַרְתִּיךָ׃ ס
14 אַל־תִּירְאִי תּוֹלַעַת יַעֲקֹב מְתֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲנִי עֲזַרְתִּיךְ נְאֻם־יְהוָה וְגֹאֲלֵךְ קְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל׃
15 הִנֵּה שַׂמְתִּיךְ לְמוֹרַג חָרוּץ חָדָשׁ בַּעַל פִּיפִיּוֹת תָּדוּשׁ הָרִים וְתָדֹק וּגְבָעוֹת כַּמֹּץ תָּשִׂים׃
16 תִּזְרֵם וְרוּחַ תִּשָּׂאֵם וּסְעָרָה תָּפִיץ אוֹתָם וְאַתָּה תָּגִיל בַּיהוָה בִּקְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל תִּתְהַלָּל׃ פ
17 הָעֲנִיִּים וְהָאֶבְיוֹנִים מְבַקְשִׁים מַיִם וָאַיִן לְשׁוֹנָם בַּצָּמָא נָשָׁתָּה אֲנִי יְהוָה אֶעֱנֵם אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא אֶעֶזְבֵם׃
18 אֶפְתַּח עַל־שְׁפָיִים נְהָרוֹת וּבְתוֹךְ בְּקָעוֹת מַעְיָנוֹת אָשִׂים מִדְבָּר לַאֲגַם־מַיִם וְאֶרֶץ צִיָּה לְמוֹצָאֵי מָיִם׃
19 אֶתֵּן בַּמִּדְבָּר אֶרֶז שִׁטָּה וַהֲדַס וְעֵץ שָׁמֶן אָשִׂים בָּעֲרָבָה בְּרוֹשׁ תִּדְהָר וּתְאַשּׁוּר יַחְדָּו׃
20 לְמַעַן יִרְאוּ וְיֵדְעוּ וְיָשִׂימוּ וְיַשְׂכִּילוּ יַחְדָּו כִּי יַד־יְהוָה עָשְׂתָה זֹּאת וּקְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּרָאָהּ׃

Even Years: St. Irenaeus, Against the heretics, Book 3, ch. 20, #2-3
Δόξα γὰρ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ὁ Θεός, τῆς δὲ ἐνεργείας τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ πάσης τῆς σοφίας αὐτοῦ καὶ τῆς δυνάμεως ἐκδοχεῖον ὁ ἄνθρωπος. God is man's glory, but it is man who receives the effect of God's activity, who is the recipient of all God's wisdom and power.
Ὡς γὰρ ὁ ἰατρὸς ἐν τοῖς νοσοῦσι δοκιμάζεται, οὕτως καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ἐν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις φανεροῦται. Διὸ καὶ ὁ Παῦλός φησιν· Συνέκλεισεν γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς τὰ πάντα εἰς ἀπείθειαν, ἵνα τοὺς πάντας ἐλεήσῃ, οὐ περὶ πνευματικῶν Αἰώνων λέγων τοῦτο, ἀλλὰ περὶ τοῦ παρακούσαντος τῷ Θεῷ ἀνθρώπου καὶ ἐκβληθέντος ἐκ τῆς ἀθανασίας, ἔπειτα ἐλεηθέντος διὰ τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ, τὴν δι᾽ αὐτοῦ ἀπολαβόντος υἱοθεσίαν. Just as a doctor proves himself in his patients, so God reveals himself in men. That is why Paul states: God has imprisoned all in unbelief that he may have mercy on all. He is speaking here of man, who was excluded from immortality as a result of his disobedience to God, but then obtained mercy through the Son of God by receiving adoption in him.
Οὗτος γὰρ, κρατῶν ἄνευ τύφου καὶ ἀλαζονείας τῆν ἀληθῆν περί τε τῶν γενηθέντων καὶ περῖ τοῦ ποιήσαντος δόξαν —ὅς ἐστιν ὁ δυνατώτατος πάντων Θεός, ὅς καὶ τοῖς πᾶσι τὸ εἶναι παρέσχηκεν —καὶ μένων ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ αὐτοῦ καὶ ὑποταγῇ καὶ εὐχαριστίᾳ, μείζονος παρ᾽ αὐτοῦ δόξης τεύξεται, προκοπὰς λαμβάνων ἄχρις οὗ συνεξομοιωθῇ τῷ ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ τεθνηκότι, Without pride or boastfulness, man should have a true evaluation of created things and of their creator, that is, of God, the supremely powerful, who gave existence to all things. He should abide in love of God, in submission, in thanksgiving. If he does, he will receive a greater glory from God and will go on until he becomes like the one who died for him.
ἐπεὶ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν ὁμοιώματι σαρκὸς ἁμαρτίας γεγονεν, ἵνα κατακρίνῃ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν καὶ λοιπὸν ὡς κατακεκριμένην ἐκβάλῃ ἔξω τῆς σαρκὸς προσκαλέσηταί τε εἰς ὁμοίωσιν αὐτοῦ τὸν ἄνθρωπον, μιμητὴν αὐτὸν προσνείμας τῷ θεῷ καὶ εἰς τὴν πατρῴαν ἀναγαγὼν βασιλείαν καὶ τὸ ὁρᾶν Θεὸν χωρεῖν τε τὸν Πατέρα χαρισάμενος, ὁ Λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁ σκηνώσας ἐν ἀνθρώπῳ καὶ Υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου γενόμενος, ἵνα ἐθίσῃ τὸν ἄνθρωπον χωρεῖν Θεόν, ἐθίσῃ δὲ καὶ τὸν Θεὸν σκηνοῦν ἐν ἀνθρώπῳ κατὰ τὴν εὐδοκίαν τοῦ Πατρός. He too was made in the likeness of sinful flesh, in order to condemn sin and, as something now condemned, to expel it from the flesh. He came to invite man to become himself, commissioning him to imitate God, placing him under obedience to the Father so as to see God, giving him the power to apprehend the Father. He who did this is the Word of God, who dwelt in man and became Son of man in order to accustom man to receive God and accustom God to dwell in man, in accordance with the Father's will.
Διὰ τοῦτο οὖν σημεῖον τῆς σωτηρίας ἡμῶν τὸν ἐκ τῆς παρθένου Ἐμμανουὴλ αὐτὸς ἔδωκεν ὁ Κύριος, ὅτι αὐτὸς ὁ Κύριος ἦν ὁ σῴζων τοὺς καθ᾽ ἑαυτοὺς μὴ ἔχοντας σωθῆναι. Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ὁ Παῦλος τὴν ἀσθένειαν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου μηνύων φησίν· Οἶδα γὰρ ὅτι οὐκ οἰκεῖ ἐν τῇ σαρκί μου ἀγαθόν, σημαίνων ὅτι οὐκ ἀφ᾽ ἡμῶν ἀλλ᾽ ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ ἀγαθὸν τῆς σωτηρίας ἡμῶν. Καὶ πάλιν· Ταλαίπωρος ἐγὼ ἄνθρωπος· τίς με ῥύσεται ἐκ τοῦ σώματος τοῦ θανάτου τούτοῦ; Ἔπειτα ἐπιφέρει τὸν ῥυόμενον· Ἡ χάρις Ἰησοῦ Χρστοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν. That is why he is a sign of our salvation, Immanuel, born of the Virgin, a sign given us by the Lord himself. It was the Lord who saved men, because they were incapable of saving themselves. When Paul says: I know that nothing good dwells in my flesh, he is affirming this weakness of man, and he is indicating that the 'good' which is our salvation comes not from ourselves but from God. In another passage he says: Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?, and then he introduces the rescuer: the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ Ἠσαΐας· Ἰσχύσατε, φησίν, χεῖρες ἀνειμέναι καὶ γόνατα παραλελυμένα· παρακαλέσατε, οἱ ὀλιγόψυχοι τῇ διανοίᾳ· ἰσχύσατε, μὴ φοβεῖσθε· ἰδοὺ ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν κρίσιν ἀνταποδίδωσιν καὶ ἀνταποδώσει, αὐτὸς ἥξει καὶ σώσει ἡμᾶς. Τοῦθ᾽ ὅτι οὐκ ἀφ᾽ ἡμῶν, ἀλλ᾽ ἀπὸ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ βοηθείας εἴχομεν σωθῆναι. Isaiah too makes the same point: Be strong, weak hands and feeble knees; pluck up your courage, faint-hearted. Be strong, do not be afraid. See, our God is coming with justice and with retribution; he is coming himself to save us—it is not by ourselves but by the help of God that we are saved.

Odd Years: Maximus of Turin, Sermon 61a, 1-3 (CCL 23, 249,250-251)
Etiamsi ego taceam, fratres, tempus nos admonet quod domini christi natalis in proximo est; nam praedicationem meam praeuenit dierum extrema conclusio. Ipsis enim angustiis suis mundus loquitur inminere aliquid quo in melius reparetur, et expectatione festina desiderat, ut tenebras suas splendidioris solis candor inluminet. Even if I were to keep silence, my friends, the season would warn us that the birthday of Christ our Lord is at hand. The year is coming to an end and forestalls the subject of my sermon. The depressing shortness of the days itself testifies to the imminence of some event which will bring about the betterment of a world urgently longing for a brighter sun to dispel its darkness.
Dum enim cursum suum breuitate horarum concludi metuit, spe quadam annum suum indicat reformari. Haec igitur expectatio creaturae etiam nos expectare persuadet, ut peccatorum nostrorum tenebras nouus sol christus ortus inluminet, et longam in nobis caliginem delictorum iustitiae sol natiuitatis suae uigore discutiat; nec patiatur cursum uitae nostrae tetra breuitate concludi, sed uirtutis suae gratia dilatari. In spite of fearing that its course may be terminated within a few brief hours, the world still shows signs of hope that its yearly cycle will once more be renewed. And if creation feels this hope, it persuades us also to hope that Christ will come like a new sunrise to shed light on the darkness of our sins, and that the Sun of Justice, in the vigour of his new birth, will dispel the long night of guilt from our hearts. Rather than allow the course of our life to come to an end with such appalling brevity, we are confident that he will extend it by his powerful grace.
Igitur quia natalem domini etiam mundo indicante cognoscimus, faciamus et nos quod mundus facere consueuit, hoc est sicut in illa die mundus spatia suae lucis extendit, ita et nos nostram iustitiam protendamus; et sicut diei illius claritas pauperibus diuitibus que conmunis est, ita et nostra liberalitas peregrinis et indigentibus sit conmunis; et sicut tunc mundus noctium suarum reiecit caliginem, ita et nos auaritiae nostrae tenebras amputemus... Since even the physical world informs us that our Lord's birthday is at hand, let us follow the earth's example. I mean that as from Christmas Day onward the earth enjoys lengthening periods of daylight, so we too should imitate it by growing in holiness. And as rich and poor alike share the same light of Christmas, so we should share what we have with the needy and with strangers. From Christmas Day onward the earth begins to throw off its nocturnal gloom, and we in our turn should curtail the darkness of our greed.
Ergo, fratres, natalem domini suscepturi exornemus nos puris et nitidis indumentis! animae autem loquor indumenta non carnis... accuremus nos non sericis uestibus sed operibus praetiosis! vestimenta enim nitida membra operire possunt, conscientiam ornare non possunt, nisi quod maioris est uerecundiae nitidum membris incedere et pollutum sensibus ambulare. Interioris igitur prius hominis ornemus affectum, ut exterioris quoque hominis sit amictus ornatus; spiritales maculas abluamus, ut carnalia in nobis fulgeant uestimenta! nihil autem prodest fulgere uestibus et sordere flagitiis; ubi enim conscientia tenebrosa est, totum corpus obscurum est. Habemus autem quo conscientiae maculas abluamus; scriptum est enim: date elemosinam et omnia munda sunt uobis. Bonum elemosinae mandatum, per quod manibus operamur et corde mundamur. So, my brothers, let us array ourselves in clear and shining garments to welcome the Lord's birthday. The garments I speak of are for the soul, not the body. Our care must be lavished on the precious works of love, not on robes of silk. Beautiful clothes may cover our limbs, but they leave our conscience unadorned. In fact, to parade about with one's body splendidly attired brings a person even greater disgrace if, in so doing, his heart is inwardly defiled. We must first ennoble our inward desires, then our outward apparel will be beautiful. We must cleanse ourselves of spiritual stains if our bodily raiment is to appear bright and shining. It is useless to wear dazzling clothes while our souls are squalid with sin; a darkened conscience means that the whole body is plunged in gloom. However, we have in our possession the means of washing away the stains from our conscience. Scripture tells us: give alms, and then everything will be clean for you. How precious an injunction this is! By giving alms with our hands, we are cleansed in our inmost hearts.

ON SUNDAY 4: GOSPELS FOR THE THREE CYCLES
*A* , *B* , *C*
Te Deum - if Sunday [English]

Prayer