Daily Bible Reflections

[evolution8]

December 1, 2007

St. Eligius
Saturday of the 34th Week
Dn 7:15-27 • Dn 3
Lk 21:34-36

Exhortation to be Vigilant

[Jesus said to his disciples,] 34“Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise 35like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. 36Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.â€

[evolution8]

December 2, 2007

First Sunday of Advent
Is 2:1-5 • Ps 122 • Rom 13:11-14
Mt 24:37-44

The Unknown Day and Hour

[Jesus said to his disciples,] 37“For as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38In [those] days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day that Noah entered the ark. 39They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away. So will it be [also] at the coming of the Son of Man. 40Two men will be out in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. 41Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left. 42Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. 43Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. 44So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.â€

[evolution8]

December 3, 2007

St. Francis Xavier, priest
Is 2:1-5 • Ps 122

The Centurion’s Servant

5When [Jesus] entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him and appealed to him, 6saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.â€

[evolution8]

December 4, 2007

St. John of Damascus,
priest and doctor
Tuesday of the First Week
of Advent
Is 11:1-10 • Ps 72
Lk 10:21-24

Praise of the Father

21[Jesus] rejoiced [in] the holy Spirit and said, “I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. 22All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.â€

[evolution8]

December 5, 2007

St. Sabas
Wednesday of the First Week of Advent
Is 25:6-10a • Ps 23
Mt 15:29-37

The Healing of Many People

29[At that time,] Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, went up on the mountain, and sat down there. 30Great crowds came to him, having with them the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute, and many others. They placed them at his feet, and he cured them. 31The crowds were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the deformed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind able to see, and they glorified the God of Israel.
32Jesus summoned his disciples and said, “My heart is moved with pity for the crowd, for they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, for fear they may collapse on the way.â€

[evolution8]

December 6, 2007

St. Nicholas, bishop
Thursday of the First Week of Advent
Is 26:1-6 • Ps 118
Mt 7:21, 24-27

The True Disciple

[Jesus said to his disciples,] 21“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
24“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. 25The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. 26And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. 27The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined.â€

[evolution8]

December 7, 2007

St. Ambrose,
bishop and doctor
Is 29:17-24 • Ps 27
Mt 9:27-31

The Healing of Two Blind Men

27As Jesus passed [by], two blind men followed [him], crying out, “Son of David, have pity on us!â€

[evolution8]

December 8, 2007

Immaculate Conception
of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Gn 3:9-15, 20 • Ps 98 • Eph 1:3-6, 11-12
Lk 1:26-38

Announcement of the Birth of Jesus

26The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, 27to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28And coming to her, he said, “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.â€

[evolution8]

December 9, 2007

Second Sunday of Advent
Is 11:1-10 • Ps 72 • Rom 15:4-9
Mt 3:1-12

The Preaching of John the Baptist

1In those days John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea 2[and] saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!â€

[evolution8]

December 10, 2007

St. Miltiades
Monday of the Second Week of Advent
Is 35:1-10 • Ps 85
Lk 5:17-26

The Healing of a Paralytic

17One day as Jesus was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem, and the power of the Lord was with him for healing. 18And some men brought on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed; they were trying to bring him in and set [him] in his presence. 19But not finding a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on the stretcher through the tiles into the middle in front of Jesus. 20When he saw their faith, he said, “As for you, your sins are forgiven.â€

[evolution8]

December 11, 2007

St. Damasus I, pope
Tuesday of the Second Week of Advent
Is 40:1-11 • Ps 96
Mt 18:12-14

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

[Jesus said to his disciples,] 12“What is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the astray? 13And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. 14In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost.â€

[evolution8]

December 12, 2007

Our Lady of Guadalupe
Is 40:25-31 • Ps 103
Mt 11:28-30
[or Zec 2:14-17 • Jdt 13
• Lk 1:26-38]

The Gentle Mastery of Christ

[Jesus said,] 28“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your selves. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.â€

[evolution8]

December 13, 2007

St. Lucy, virgin and martyr
Is 41:13-20 • Ps 145
Mt 11:11-15

Jesus’ Testimony to John

[Jesus said to the crowds,] 11“Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent are taking it by force. 13All the prophets and the law prophesied up to the time of John. 14And if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah, the one who is to come. 15Whoever has ears ought to hear.â€

[evolution8]

December 14, 2007

St. John of the Cross,
priest and doctor
Is 48:17-19 • Ps 1
Mt 11:16-19

Jesus Laments

[Jesus said to the crowds,] 16“To what shall I compare this generation? It is like children who sit in marketplaces and call to one another, 17‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance, we sang a dirge but you did not mourn.’ 18For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’ 19The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said, ‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is vindicated by her works.â€

[evolution8]

December 15, 2007

St. Mary di Rosa
Saturday of the Second Week of Advent
Sir 48:1-4, 9-11 • Ps 80
Mt 17:9a, 10-13

The Coming of Elijah

9As they were coming down from the mountain, 10the disciples asked Jesus, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?â€