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| Mosaic-St.-Mark-Evangelist- Basilica-Saint-Peter-Vatican-Rome-Italy |
The Mass Introduction had the illuminating commentary on the Gospel. Mark 6:45-52, "And having seen that they were troubled and tormented in [their] rowing, for the wind was against them, about the fourth watch of the night [between 3:00-6:00 a.m.]" Verse 48, AMP. Mark had his writing of the Gospel in Rome and was aware of the persecution of Christians at the time. He recalled the occasion of Jesus coming to his disciples, 'troubled and tormented' in the boat out in the middle of the lake.
A Two Year Patristic Lectionary for the Divine Office
Edited by Stephen Mark Holmes
University of Edinburgh School of Divinity
For Pluscarden Abbey, Scotland
Oops! The wrong horse. This is the 1981 Edition of 'A WORD IN SEASON'.
What I am looking forward is the Night Office Reading by Thomas Merton, obviously the 2001 Edition of the Patristic Lectionary, before.
A Word in Season
Advent to Christmas
Edition 2001
Epiphany to Baptism
Wednesday 08 January 2014
First Reading Isaiah 56: 1-8
Second Reading
From the writings of Thomas Merton, O.CS.O.
(Seasons of Celebration 111-112)
(Seasons of Celebration 111-112)
Answer to the prayers of all
If we wish to see Christ in his glory, we must recognize him now
in his humility. If we wish his light to shine on our darkness and his immortality
ty to clothe our mortality, we must suffer with him on earth in order to be crowned
with him in paradise. If we desire his love to transform us from glory to glory
into his perfect likeness, we must love one another as he has loved us, and we must
take our places at that blessed table where he himself becomes our food, setting
before us the living bread, the manna which is sent to us from heaven, this
day, to be the life of the world.
Jesus, who has come to nourish our spirit with his own body and
blood, does so not to be transformed into us, but in order to transform us into
himself. He has given himself to us in order that we may belong to him. For the
centre of this great mystery is the eternal Father's design to re-establish all
things in Christ. This, says Saint Paul, is the mystery of his will ... in
the dispensation of the fullness of time, to reestablish all things in Christ that
are in heaven and on earth.
This child and redeemer who comes amid the songs 'of angels to answer
the prayers of all the patriarchs and prophets, and to satisfy the unrecognized
longings of the whole lineage of Adam exiled from paradise, comes also to quiet
the groanings of all creation. For the whole world has been in labour and in
mourning since the fall of the human race. The whole created universe, with all
its manifold beauty and splendour, has travailed in disorder, longing for the birth
of a saviour. Every creature groans and travails in pain even until now ...
for the expectation of the creature waits for the revelation of the children
of God.
The patriarchs and prophets prayed for the coming of Christ in Bethlehem,
bu t this first coming did not silence the groanings of creation. For, according
to the words of the apostle which we have just heard, while men and women waited
for the birth of Jesus in Judea, the
rest of the universe still waits for the revelation of Christ in his Church.
The mystery of Christmas therefore lays upon us all a debt and
an obligation to the rest of the human race and to the whole created universe. We
who have seen the light of Christ are obliged by the greatness of the grace that
has been given us to make known the presence of the Savior to the ends of the earth.
This we will do not only by preaching the glad tidings of his coming, but above
all by revealing him in our lives. Christ is born to us in order that he may appear
to the whole world through us. This one day is the day of his birth, but every day
of our mortal lives must be his manifestation, his divine epiphany, in the world
which he has created and redeemed.
Responsory Is 66:18-19; In 17:6.18
Behold I come to bring together all nations and tongues. + They
shall come and see my glory and proclaim it to the far-off lands.
V. I have revealed your name to those you have given me out of the
world. As you have sent me, so now I send them.+ They shall come ...
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