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Thursday, December 11, 2008, Pope St. Damasus
Isaiah 41:13-20, Psalm 145, Matthew 11:11-15
Link to Readings --> http://www.usccb.org/nab/121108.shtml
"MARY" CHRISTMAS
"I solemnly assure you, history has not known a man born of woman greater
than John the Baptizer. Yet the least born into the kingdom of God is
greater than he." —Matthew 11:11
In today's reading from Isaiah, God calls us a "worm" and a "maggot" (Is
41:14). On Tuesday, He said we were like "grass" (Is 40:6). This was not a
compliment; it means we're nothing. In today's Gospel, the Lord says we
Christians are greater than John the Baptizer, who was as great a person
as had ever lived up to that time (Mt 11:11). The Lord also calls us holy,
royal, priestly, and precious (1 Pt 2:9). We are even God's children,
temples of the Spirit, and "sharers of the divine nature" (2 Pt 1:4).
Of ourselves, we are nothing. In Jesus, we are greater than great and
"more than conquerors" (Rm 8:37). In Jesus, we can even do greater by far
than He did (Jn 14:12). For example, of herself Mary was an unwed,
pregnant, teenage girl from a nowhere-town called Nazareth. She was a
member of an oppressed people, the Jews. In Jesus, however, Mary is
blessed among women (Lk 1:28), immaculately conceived, spouse of the
Spirit, mother of God, mother of the Church, and queen of heaven and
earth. In Jesus, Mary did even greater things than her Son did (Jn 14:12)
when she appeared near Mexico City in 1531. The Lord used her to lead
eight million people to Him in seven years to bring down the strongholds
of the evil one (2 Cor 10:4), and to convert many more millions even to
the present day.
Prayer: Father, may everything I know about Mary lead me to new
revelations about Jesus.
Promise: "Fear not, I will help you." —Is 41:13
Praise: Pope St. Damasus, in Jesus, was empowered to fight heretics,
commissioned St. Jerome to produce the Vulgate, and honored Roman martyrs
by housing their relics.
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Rescript: In accord with the "Code of Canon Law", I hereby grant my
permission to publish "One Bread, One Body" covering the period from
December 1, 2008 through January 31, 2009
†Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of
Cincinnati, June 17, 2008
The rescript is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be
free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have
granted ecclesial permission agree with the contents, opinions, or
statements expressed.
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