Daily Homilies: Advent 3A
Weekday homilies and reflections with links to DivineOffice.org and other popular websites
Weekday homilies and reflections with links to DivineOffice.org and other popular websites
DECEMBER
MONDAY
At the heart of it all is the silent image of Our Lady. She has her head bowed in prayer, acknowledging her humble position before the Almighty God. She does not gaze on the viewer as if to demand obedience or submission. Behind her is the glory, shining in beams of light. She does not so much block the sun as shield the supplicant’s eyes from its burning rays.
The sash around her waist indicates her pregnancy; she is bringing to North America a revelation of mercy in the person of her Son. The Spanish empire was not known for clemency, but neither was the Aztec empire it supplanted. The conquistadors brought a message of peace with their Catholic missionaries, despite their hunger for gold. They brought the story of a God born in a manger and his poor peasant mother, of a homeless Messiah and a crucified redeemer, raised up not by human strength but by God’s mercy.
Prayer: Father, "I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be done to me as You say" (Lk 1:38).
Promise: "Your deed of hope will never be forgotten by those who tell of the might of God." —Jdt 13:19
Praise: The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe contains many symbols, colors, and meanings that showed the Mexican Indians just how sovereign God was compared to their pagan gods. Many of them converted to the Catholic Church after merely looking at the image.
Father Joseph Raeke preaches about the blessings we receive from the Blessed Virgin Mary and tells the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
DECEMBER
TUESDAY
Prayer: Father, prepare me for the best Christmas ever.
Promise: "When John came preaching a way of holiness, you put no faith in him." —Mt 21:32
Praise: St. Lucy refused to renounce Jesus, and was condemned to die in a house of prostitution. Jesus made her immovable, such that even a team of oxen was unable to drag her to the brothel.
Father Paul Ring preaches about how to avoid being trapped by spiritual blind spots, using the example of the martyr Saint Lucy.
DECEMBER
WEDNESDAY
Prayer: Father, open my eyes to Your love, truth, and holiness. Open my eyes to the evil of sin and the hope of repentance.
Promise: “Turn to Me and be safe, all you ends of the earth, for I am God; there is no other!” —Is 45:22
Praise: St. John worked to enlighten his fellow monks to their need to reform. He endured brutality and intense persecution because he would not compromise the ideal that priests should be completely abandoned to Jesus.
Father Frank Silva preaches about recognizing that Jesus is the Messiah and being a constant witness to this. December 14, 2016 | Memorial of Saint John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church
DECEMBER
THURSDAY
Prayer: Father, may I look to You for love, not to the world.
Promise: “I assure you, there is no man born of woman greater than John. Yet the least born into the kingdom of God is greater than he.” —Lk 7:28
Praise: Counting a friendship as worth more than money, Thomas forgave the loan his friend had promised to repay.
Father Brian Clary preaches about not rejecting Jesus, but accepting Him. December 15, 2016 | Thursday of the Third Week in Advent
DECEMBER
FRIDAY
Father Carlos Suarez preaches about speaking the truth, even when it is challenging, to welcome others to the Faith. December 16, 2016 | Friday of the Third Week in Advent
DECEMBER
SATURDAY
Prayer: Lord Jesus, may the ornament of my life bring a smile to Your lips, fruit for Your kingdom, and joy to Your heart.
Promise: “In Him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed; all the nations shall proclaim His happiness.” —Ps 72:17
Praise: “O Wisdom, O holy Word of God, You govern all creation with Your strong yet tender care.”