The Second Reading from the Nativity of the Lord--Vigil Mass:
When Paul reached Antioch in Pisidia and entered the synagogue, he stood up, motioned with his hand, and said, “Fellow Israelites and you others who are God-fearing, listen. The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors and exalted the people during their sojourn in the land of Egypt. With uplifted arm he led them out of it. Then he removed Saul and raised up David as king; of him he testified, ‘I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart;that he will carry out my every wish.’ From this man’s descendants God, according to his promise, has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus. John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel; and as John was completing his course, he would say, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. Behold, one is coming after me; I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.’”
Acts 13:16-17, 22-25
As I began to prepare this year's reflection, I looked back on the Readings which I had already used and discovered I have only two choices. (I had used the Gospel Reading from the Mass During the Night as a basis for my 2006 and 2008 reflections.) One is the Gospel from the Mass During the Day--the Prologue of the Gospel of St. John (1:1-18). As I had mentioned before, while I have used the themes of Light and Word in other posts, there is plenty of material upon which to reflect. (Guess what's coming next year, at least?)
The other was this one. By default (or is is my fault?), this is the reading for this year. On first glance, one can see a synopsis of salvation history's promise--a Messiah. Let's apply a little lectio divina and see what is beyond that initial look. (Remember, I am barely qualified to do this, if at all. As to what you discern, your mileage can and should vary.)
"When Paul...entered the synagogue..." Remember, even after his Damascus moment, he still considered himself a Pharisee (cf. Acts 23:6). It was the Pharisees who originated the idea of a synagogue. And as teachers of the Law, my guess is they had preaching rights anywhere they went.
“'Fellow Israelites and you others who are God-fearing,...'" Not only was he addressing the Chosen People, but also those who believed in some divine being who they were getting to know. Recall that Jesus also did this (i.e.--the Samaritan woman at the well). The People of God were not only the Twelve Tribes, they now included the Gentiles, meaning all of humanity shall see the salvation from God.
"...Listen." How often has this word appeared in my posts. It comes from the Latin obaudire (to hear), from which we get our word obey. From Adam and Eve to even today, our degrees of listening and properly responding (obeying) vary. It is the Word made Flesh we hear, grounded in its triune foundation of Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, and Magisterial Teaching. We would do well to be that grounded.
"The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors..." We go back all the way to Abraham. It is God seizing the initiative to bring back humanity to Him. In His immensity, He started with one person; in His omnipotence, He found our Father in Faith. And so salvation history continued.
"...and exalted the people during their sojourn in the land of Egypt." And so their numbers grew until they were a threat to the Egyptians. What followed was then the first attempt at a holocaust of the Jews, albeit by indirect methods. Their captivity is an allegory to our slavery to sin.
"With uplifted arm he led them out of it." We now turn to Moses. God worked through him to liberate the Chosen People via the ten plagues, most notably the Passover event. Then came the Decalogue, the Word for the first time in written form. Then there was the forty years in the desert, the habitation of the Promised Land, and another time of flourishing.
"Then he removed Saul and raised up David as king;..." We now jump ahead to the establishment of the Kingdom of Israel after the rule of the Judges. Like his namesake, the Saul of the New Testament was not a man after God's own heart. It literally took a flash of light for that conversion to begin.
Remember, the Gospel Reading for the Vigil Mass (in its Long Form) begins with St. Matthew's genealogical account of Jesus. The Messianic line had to be reestablished. So God chose the youngest son of Jesse to be that connection.
"'I have found David,... he will carry out my every wish.'" While David was somewhat more successful in obeying God, there were times he didn't. Yet this shepherd-king became an archetype for the true Shepherd-King, who would be a man after God's own heart because He is God. The imperfect passed away so the perfect could come. (Not the same meaning as what Paul wrote to the Corinthians, but I think there is a bit of truth in it.)
"From this man's descendants..." We now skip ahead past the time of the prophets. The four major and twelve minor prophets, throughout more times of captivity and exile, repeated and repeatedly proclaimed the promise of a savior. While they were also men after God's own heart, the imperfect was still passing away.
"...God, according to his promise,..." Ever since the Fall, God has never abandoned us. Throughout all generations, He has made a covenant, first with Himself, then with Abraham and his seed, to send a savior to redeem us from our sins. He would do this in "the fullness of time". That time is now.
" God...has brought to Israel a savior... " Recall the Annunciation. Because nothing is impossible for God, He begins the penultimate chapter of salvation history with an act inconceivable to the human mind (pun intended). Angelic hosts celebrated; demonic legions howled in agony. A woman assisted in the Fall; a woman would assist in the restoration.
"...Jesus." The name above all names. A variation on Joshua, meaning "God saves". The one who comes to deliver us from sin and death, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity who became for us the Lamb of God of the ultimate Passover in the New Covenant, the Body and Blood of the eternal Wedding Feast we experience as the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
With and because of God's grace, I have never lost belief in the Real Presence. In this time of Eucharistic Revival, I gently but firmly challenge and exhort those who have to sincerely face your doubts. He waits for you in tabernacles and monstrances. He still commands us to eat of His Body and drink of His Blood so you may have Life within you. He desires to be one with you.
" John heralded his coming..." That began in Elizabeth's womb and continued throughout his life. The bridge between the Old Testament prophets and Jesus, his was the loudest echo of the Word. But, he knew his role.
"...by proclaiming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel;..." His message was simple and consistent. He even called out those who were hypocrites of this action. His calling out of hypocrisy would cost him his life.
"...as John was completing his course,..." Is this not a foreshadowing of what Paul wrote to Timothy (cf. 2 Timothy 4:7)? John had run his race and ran it well. May we do the same.
"...John...would say, 'What do you suppose that I am? I am not he.'" The Baptist knew who he was. He was a child of God preparing the way of the Lord. Nothing more, but nothing less. This is the foundation of Advent. How well prepared are you?
"'Behold, one is coming after me;..." Here again, the Herald understands what God is asking of him. He has obeyed in humility, the same as the Blessed Virgin Mary. While a martyrs crown washed him, his reward in Heaven was already great.
"...I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.'" In this phrase are the final words we say as a congregation before receiving Holy Communion. They are words best remembered. We never could make ourselves worthy of God after Original Sin, much less our own sins. It is only with the help of His Grace, made possible by the Death and Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, that we are not only made worthy, but also become adopted children of God.
Thus did the Apostle to the Gentiles speak to his own people. But this only happens because of a much earlier event. Buried in this short synopsis is the whole point of what we celebrate now.
Hodie Christie natus est.
For without His Birth on Earth today, there would be no Death and Resurrection.
And, therefore, no Heaven.
Ever.
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