The Lord Is Here to Set Us Free

December 24, Friday

Fourth Week of Advent

 

The promise made by the Lord was finally fulfilled with the birth of Jesus… God would set his people free by no less than his own Son. Was the promise finally fulfilled? It was the beginning of the fulfillment. Everything was there to make it real and effective, except the people who would have to put it into practice. For God created us free, and that means he relies on us, on our acceptance and cooperation, on our love. We have to let God make his peace and love come true among us. With and through Jesus. That’s why he came among us as one of us. Here I am, human like you. Look at me and see how it is to be done. Do it with me. I am with you and stay with you to give you the strength. Come, let’s begin. Now.

 

First Reading: 2 Samuel 7:1-5,8b-12,14a,16

Before long, the king made himself at home and God gave him peace from all his enemies. Then one day King David said to Nathan the prophet, “Look at this: Here I am, comfortable in a luxurious house of cedar, and the Chest of God sits in a plain tent.”

Nathan told the king, “Whatever is on your heart, go and do it. God is with you.”

But that night, the word of God came to Nathan saying, “Go and tell my servant David: This is God’s word on the matter: You’re going to build a ‘house’ for me to live in?

The God-of-the-Angel-Armies has this word for you: I took you from the pasture, tagging along after sheep, and made you prince over my people Israel. I was with you everywhere you went and mowed your enemies down before you. Now I’m making you famous, to be ranked with the great names on earth. And I’m going to set aside a place for my people Israel and plant them there so they’ll have their own home and not be knocked around any more. Nor will evil men afflict you as they always have, even during the days I set judges over my people Israel. Finally, I’m going to give you peace from all your enemies.

“Furthermore, God has this message for you: God himself will build you a house! When your life is complete and you’re buried with your ancestors, then I’ll raise up your child, your own flesh and blood, to succeed you, and I’ll firmly establish his rule. He will build a house to honor me, and I will guarantee his kingdom’s rule permanently. I’ll be a father to him, and he’ll be a son to me. When he does wrong, I’ll discipline him in the usual ways, the pitfalls and obstacles of this mortal life. But I’ll never remove my gracious love from him, as I removed it from Saul, who preceded you and whom I most certainly did remove. Your family and your kingdom are permanently secured. I’m keeping my eye on them! And your royal throne will always be there, rock solid.”

 

Gospel: Luke 1:67-79

Zachariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied,

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
    he came and set his people free.
He set the power of salvation in the center of our lives,
    and in the very house of David his servant,
Just as he promised long ago
    through the preaching of his holy prophets:
Deliverance from our enemies
    and every hateful hand;
Mercy to our fathers,
    as he remembers to do what he said he’d do,
What he swore to our father Abraham—
    a clean rescue from the enemy camp,
So we can worship him without a care in the world,
    made holy before him as long as we live.
And you, my child, “Prophet of the Highest,”
    will go ahead of the Master to prepare his ways,
Present the offer of salvation to his people,
    the forgiveness of their sins.
Through the heartfelt mercies of our God,
    God’s Sunrise will break in upon us,
Shining on those in the darkness,
    those sitting in the shadow of death,
Then showing us the way, one foot at a time,
    down the path of peace.

 

Prayer

Lord, loving and mighty God,
you fulfilled your promise to save us
when Jesus, your Son, became one of us.
We are no longer in the dark,
for you let your light shine on us.
Bring us your salvation now,
set us really free from our sins,
let us become fully human with Jesus
and go with him in your way of peace and love.
Let him be our strength,
our constant companion on the road,
that through him and growing in his humanity,
we may be your beloved sons and daughters.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

Reflection:

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel

“And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed and he spoke, blessing God.”…


“The Benedictus, or “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel…” is prayed every morning in the Breviary, the Church’s morning prayer and so, the Church remembers this “forerunner of Jesus” at the beginning of every day. The day before yesterday we reflected on the Magnificat of Mary. Today is the turn of Zachariah, the Father of John the Baptist, to thank God for visiting his people to redeem them. God wants to redeem His people, all people. He weeps over the lost. He uses us to seek out the lost sheep.

But today, let’s reflect on what does it mean for Catholics, that we sing this song about John the Baptists at the start of every new day, and now on the eve of the Christmas? After having been “silenced” by sleep throughout the night, God opens our mouths and one of the first things we do, is to sing this blessing of God, whose dawn breaks forth to shine on us and guide our way to peace.
In the Benedictus, we join ourselves to the mission of St John the Baptist, who came to prepare a way for the Lord by being a witness of God’s salvation, living a simple and penitential life. Our work each day, then, is to use our voice – like Zechariah and his son – John the Baptist, to make God’s presence known wherever we go and whomever we meet up.”

In the song of Zachariah he foresees that : “the sun that rises from above will visit us …”. God continues to be with his people – visit his people. And each faithful receives the call to be the prophet to prepare the ways of God.

Would you dare to make a song to the Lord for the mercies you have received in abundance from your God? Are you joining this beautiful mission, to which the Lord invites you to? Do you have a beautiful wish, at the gates of Christmas?

 

Video available on Youtube: Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel