EVANGELIO DEL DÍA

sábado, 15 de enero de 2011

"Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world"

DAILY GOSPEL: 16/01/2011
«Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.» John 6,68


Second Sunday in Ordinary Time


Book of Isaiah 49:3.5-6.
You are my servant, he said to me, Israel, through whom I show my glory.
For now the LORD has spoken who formed me as his servant from the womb, That Jacob may be brought back to him and Israel gathered to him; And I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD, and my God is now my strength!
It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and restore the survivors of Israel; I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.

Psalms 40:2.4.7-8.9.10.
I waited, waited for the LORD; who bent down and heard my cry,
And put a new song in my mouth, a hymn to our God. Many shall look on in awe and they shall trust in the LORD.
sacrifice and offering you do not want; but ears open to obedience you gave me. Holocausts and sin-offerings you do not require;
so I said, "Here I am; your commands for me are written in the scroll.
To do your will is my delight; my God, your law is in my heart!"
I announced your deed to a great assembly; I did not restrain my lips; you, LORD, are my witness.

First Letter to the Corinthians 1:1-3.
Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,
to the church of God that is in Corinth, to you who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy, with all those everywhere who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 1:29-34.
The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
He is the one of whom I said, 'A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.'
I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel."
John testified further, saying, "I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon him.
I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the holy Spirit.'
Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God."
 Jn 1,29-34
Commentary of the day 
Saint Cyril of Alexandria (380-444), Bishop, Doctor of the Church
On Isaiah, IV, 2
"Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world"
«Raise a glad cry, you heavens: the Lord has shown mercy to Israel. Sound the trumpet, earth's foundations!... For the Lord has redeemed Jacob» (Is 44,23 LXX). From this passage of Isaiah we can easily determine that remission of sins, conversion and the redemption of humankind proclaimed by the prophets is to be fulfilled by Christ in the last days. Indeed, when God, the Lord, appeared to us and when he, the true Lamb who takes away the sins of the world, the victim who is wholly pure, lived as man amongst earth's inhabitants, then what reason was there not for rejoicing among the heavenly powers and celestial spirits and for all the orders of angels! How they sang his birth according to the flesh: «Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace; favor to men!» (Lk 2,14).

If the Lord's word is true – and it is absolutely true – that there is «more joy in heaven among the holy angels over one sinner who repents» (cf. Lk 15,7), how could we doubt there to be joy and gladness among the spirits on high when Christ brings the whole earth back to knowledge of the truth, calls to conversion, justifies by faith, and causes light to shine out in holiness? ««Raise a glad cry, you heavens: the Lord has shown mercy» not only to Israel according to the flesh, but to an Israel understood according to the spirit. «Earth's foundations», that is to say, ministers consecrated to the preaching of the Gospel, have «sounded the trumpet». Their piercing voices have extended everywhere; like sacred trumpets, they have resounded far and wide. They have proclaimed our Savior's glory in every place; they have called to the knowledge of Christ among both Jews and pagans.

                    

Sunday, 16 January 2011

St. Marcellus, Pope and Martyr (+ 309)



SAINT MARCELLUS I
Pope and Martyr
(+309)
        St. Marcellus was elected Pope in 307, the last years of the persecution of the Church by Diocletian. He undertook the ecclesiastical reorganization of the Church and was most merciful to those who repented after having denied their Faith.
        In 309, under the tyrant Emperor Maxentius, he was banished from Rome and sent into exile where he died the same year.

No hay comentarios: