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Advent this year is only twenty-one days long - the shortest it can ever be. This is because Christmas comes on a Monday, so the fourth 'week' of Advent has only one day. This beautiful week has three parts: in the first, the central figure is Isaiah, the prophet of the Messiah's coming. In the second, which is quite short this year, the central figure is John the Baptist, the herald of the Messiah's coming. In this third part, leading up to Christmas day, the gospels are taken from the prologues of Matthew and Luke, the "infancy narratives". Here the central figures are the Holy Family: Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Today, as we near the end of this final part, we hear Mary's song of joy, the "Magnificat", proclaimed in response to Elizabeth's exultant greeting of "the mother of my Lord". Luke has modelled Mary's magnificat on the song of Hannah, when she presented Samuel in the Temple and offered him to the Lord. This is Luke's masterful way of telling us that all the messianic hopes of the Old Testament, all that Hannah and the other great Old Testament women hoped for, has now been fulfilled in Mary's Son, Jesus! This is truly a day of joy. Do we in our lives echo the happiness of Hannah, of Elizabeth, and especially of Mary? The Lord has to deal with many complainers. What warms His heart is people who despite their difficulties, "rejoice always in the Lord" (Phil. 4:4). Lord, like Mary we rejoice in Your blessings of love. |
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P R A Y I N G W I T H T H E C H U R C H
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That the celebration of the Jubilee may become the source of a new commitment in men and women of good will to protect and promote human life.
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In the threshold of the year 2001, it is our duty to renew our commitment to safeguarding the dignity of the poor and marginalised and to recognise in a practical way the rights of those who have no rights. This is the spirit of the new millennium which presupposes the following: The basic right to life which is inviolable which involves a positive choice for life. The development of a culture of this kind embraces all the circumstances of life and ensures the promotion of human dignity in every situation. Recent developments in the field of genetic engineering present a profoundly disquieting challenge. In order that scientific research in this area may be at the service of the person, it must be accompanied at every stage by careful ethical reflection, which will bring about adequate legal norms safeguarding the integrity of human life. Life can never be downgraded to the level of a thing. To choose life involves rejecting every form of violence. In every circumstance, the right to life must be promoted and safeguarded with appropriate legal and political guarantees. Let us raise our voices on their behalf. | |
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