Wednesday of the First week of Christmas
Commentary of the day
Blessed Guerric of Igny : "The voice of one crying out in the desert"
Reading
1 Jn 2,22-28.
Who is the liar? Whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Whoever denies the Father and the Son, this is the antichrist. No one who denies the Son has the Father, but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well. Let what you heard from the beginning remain in you. If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, then you will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that he made us: eternal life. I write you these things about those who would deceive you. As for you, the anointing that you received from him remains in you, so that you do not need anyone to teach you. But his anointing teaches you about everything and is true and not false; just as it taught you, remain in him. And now, children, remain in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not be put to shame by him at his coming.
Ps 98,1.2-3.3-4.
Sing a new song to the LORD, who has done marvelous deeds, Whose right hand and holy arm have won the victory.
The LORD has made his victory known; has revealed his triumph for the nations to see, Has remembered faithful love toward the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.
Has remembered faithful love toward the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.
Shout with joy to the LORD, all the earth; break into song; sing praise.
Jn 1,19-28.
And this is the testimony of John. When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites (to him) to ask him, "Who are you?" he admitted and did not deny it, but admitted, "I am not the Messiah." So they asked him, "What are you then? Are you Elijah?" And he said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" He answered, "No." So they said to him, "Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us? What do you have to say for yourself?" He said: "I am 'the voice of one crying out in the desert, "Make straight the way of the Lord,"' as Isaiah the prophet said." Some Pharisees were also sent. They asked him, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet?" John answered them, "I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie." This happened in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB
Commentary of the day
Blessed Guerric of Igny (c.1080-1157), Cistercian abbot
4th Sermon for Advent (SC 166, p.134)
"The voice of one crying out in the desert"
Brethren, before anything else we ought to reflect on the grace of solitude, the blessedness of the desert, which from the beginning of this time of salvation, has deserved to be consecrated to the peacefulness of the saints. Indeed, the desert was made holy for us by the voice of John, he who cried out in the desert, who preached there and administered the baptism of repentance. Even before him, the greatest of the prophets had always made a friend of solitude as being something that assisted the Spirit. However, an incomparably greater grace of holiness became attached to this place when Jesus followed John there. Before preaching to the repentant in his turn, Jesus considered he ought to prepare a place in which to receive them; he went into the desert for forty days so as to consecrate a new life in this renewed location… and this, not so much for his own sake as for those who would dwell in the desert afterwards. So then, if you have decided on the desert, remain there and wait for him who will save you from your feebleness of spirit and the tempest… The Lord will satisfy there you who have followed him even more wonderfully than he satisfied the crowd who followed him into it (Lk 4,42) … At that very moment you imagine him to have long forsaken you, even then, mindful of his goodness, he will come to console you and will say: “I remember you, moved with pity for your youth and your first love, when you followed me in the desert,” (Jer 2,2). The Lord will turn your desert into a paradise of delights, while you will proclaim (like the prophet) that the glory of Lebanon has been given to him, the beauty of Carmel and Sharon (Is Is 35,2)… Then, from the fullness of your heart your hymn of praise will rise: “Let them give thanks to the Lord for his wondrous deeds to the children of men! He has satisfied the longing soul and filled the hungry soul with good things,” (Ps 107 [106],8).
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