Joseph Kenny OP: Readings 18 December

READINGS ADVENT 18 DECEMBER
ἀνακύψατε καὶ ἐπάρατε τὰς κεφαλὰς ὑμῶν — διότι ἐγγίζει ἡ ἀπολύτρωσις ὑμῶν.
Even Years: Isaiah 46:1-13
1 כָּרַע בֵּל קֹרֵס נְבוֹ הָיוּ עֲצַבֵּיהֶם לַחַיָּה וְלַבְּהֵמָה נְשֻׂאֹתֵיכֶם עֲמוּסוֹת מַשָּׂא לַעֲיֵפָה׃
2 קָרְסוּ כָרְעוּ יַחְדָּו לֹא יָכְלוּ מַלֵּט מַשָּׂא וְנַפְשָׁם בַּשְּׁבִי הָלָכָה׃ ס
3 שִׁמְעוּ אֵלַי בֵּית יַעֲקֹב וְכָל־שְׁאֵרִית בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל הַעֲמֻסִים מִנִּי־בֶטֶן הַנְּשֻׂאִים מִנִּי־רָחַם׃
4 וְעַד־זִקְנָה אֲנִי הוּא וְעַד־שֵיבָה אֲנִי אֶסְבֹּל אֲנִי עָשִׂיתִי וַאֲנִי אֶשָּׂא וַאֲנִי אֶסְבֹּל וַאֲמַלֵּט׃ ס
5 לְמִי תְדַמְיוּנִי וְתַשְׁווּ וְתַמְשִׁלוּנִי וְנִדְמֶה׃
6 הַזָּלִים זָהָב מִכִּיס וְכֶסֶף בַּקָּנֶה יִשְׁקֹלוּ יִשְׂכְּרוּ צוֹרֵף וְיַעֲשֵׂהוּ אֵל יִסְגְּדוּ אַף־יִשְׁתַּחֲוּוּ׃
7 יִשָּׂאֻהוּ עַל־כָּתֵף יִסְבְּלֻהוּ וְיַנִּיחֻהוּ תַחְתָּיו וְיַעֲמֹד מִמְּקוֹמוֹ לֹא יָמִישׁ אַף־יִצְעַק אֵלָיו וְלֹא יַעֲנֶה מִצָּרָתוֹ לֹא יוֹשִׁיעֶנּוּ׃
8 ס זִכְרוּ־זֹאת וְהִתְאֹשָׁשׁוּ הָשִׁיבוּ פוֹשְׁעִים עַל־לֵב׃
9 זִכְרוּ רִאשֹׁנוֹת מֵעוֹלָם כִּי אָנֹכִי אֵל וְאֵין עוֹד אֱלֹהִים וְאֶפֶס כָּמוֹנִי׃
10 מַגִּיד מֵרֵאשִׁית אַחֲרִית וּמִקֶּדֶם אֲשֶׁר לֹא־נַעֲשׂוּ אֹמֵר עֲצָתִי תָקוּם וְכָל־חֶפְצִי אֶעֱשֶׂה׃
11 קֹרֵא מִמִּזְרָח עַיִט מֵאֶרֶץ מֶרְחָק אִישׁ עֲצָתוֹ אַף־דִּבַּרְתִּי אַף־אֲבִיאֶנָּה יָצַרְתִּי אַף־אֶעֱשֶׂנָּה׃ ס
12 שִׁמְעוּ אֵלַי אַבִּירֵי לֵב הָרְחוֹקִים מִצְּדָקָה׃
13 קֵרַבְתִּי צִדְקָתִי לֹא תִרְחָק וּתְשׁוּעָתִי לֹא תְאַחֵר וְנָתַתִּי בְצִיּוֹן תְּשׁוּעָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל תִּפְאַרְתִּי׃
Odd Years: Isaiah 40:12-18,21-31
12 מִי־מָדַד בְּשָׁעֳלוֹ מַיִם וְשָׁמַיִם בַּזֶּרֶת תִּכֵּן וְכָל בַּשָּׁלִשׁ עֲפַר הָאָרֶץ וְשָׁקַל בַּפֶּלֶס הָרִים וּגְבָעוֹת בְּמֹאזְנָיִם׃
13 מִי־תִכֵּן אֶת־רוּחַ יְהוָה וְאִישׁ עֲצָתוֹ יוֹדִיעֶנּוּ׃
14 אֶת־מִי נוֹעָץ וַיְבִינֵהוּ וַיְלַמְּדֵהוּ בְּאֹרַח מִשְׁפָּט וַיְלַמְּדֵהוּ דַעַת וְדֶרֶךְ תְּבוּנוֹת יוֹדִיעֶנּוּ׃
15 הֵן גּוֹיִם כְּמַר מִדְּלִי וּכְשַׁחַק מֹאזְנַיִם נֶחְשָׁבוּ הֵן אִיִּים כַּדַּק יִטּוֹל׃
16 וּלְבָנוֹן אֵין דֵּי בָּעֵר וְחַיָּתוֹ אֵין דֵּי עוֹלָה׃ ס
17 כָּל־הַגּוֹיִם כְּאַיִן נֶגְדּוֹ מֵאֶפֶס וָתֹהוּ נֶחְשְׁבוּ־לוֹ׃
18 וְאֶל־מִי תְּדַמְּיוּן אֵל וּמַה־דְּמוּת תַּעַרְכוּ לוֹ׃...
21 הֲלוֹא תֵדְעוּ הֲלוֹא תִשְׁמָעוּ הֲלוֹא הֻגַּד מֵרֹאשׁ לָכֶם הֲלוֹא הֲבִינֹתֶם מוֹסְדוֹת הָאָרֶץ׃
22 הַיֹּשֵׁב עַל־חוּג הָאָרֶץ וְיֹשְׁבֶיהָ כַּחֲגָבִים הַנּוֹטֶה כַדֹּק שָׁמַיִם וַיִּמְתָּחֵם כָּאֹהֶל לָשָׁבֶת׃
23 הַנּוֹתֵן רוֹזְנִים לְאָיִן שֹׁפְטֵי אֶרֶץ כַּתֹּהוּ עָשָׂה׃
24 אַף בַּל־נִטָּעוּ אַף בַּל־זֹרָעוּ אַף בַּל־שֹׁרֵשׁ בָּאָרֶץ גִּזְעָם וְגַם־נָשַׁף בָּהֶם וַיִּבָשׁוּ וּסְעָרָה כַּקַּשׁ תִּשָּׂאֵם׃ ס
25 וְאֶל־מִי תְדַמְּיוּנִי וְאֶשְׁוֶה יֹאמַר קָדוֹשׁ׃
26 שְׂאוּ־מָרוֹם עֵינֵיכֶם וּרְאוּ מִי־בָרָא אֵלֶּה הַמּוֹצִיא בְמִסְפָּר צְבָאָם לְכֻלָּם בְּשֵׁם יִקְרָא מֵרֹב אוֹנִים וְאַמִּיץ כֹּחַ אִישׁ לֹא נֶעְדָּר׃ ס
27 לָמָּה תֹאמַר יַעֲקֹב וּתְדַבֵּר יִשְׂרָאֵל נִסְתְּרָה דַרְכִּי מֵיְהוָה וּמֵאֱלֹהַי מִשְׁפָּטִי יַעֲבוֹר׃
28 הֲלוֹא יָדַעְתָּ אִם־לֹא שָׁמַעְתָּ אֱלֹהֵי עוֹלָם יְהוָה בּוֹרֵא קְצוֹת הָאָרֶץ לֹא יִיעַף וְלֹא יִיגָע אֵין חֵקֶר לִתְבוּנָתוֹ׃
29 נֹתֵן לַיָּעֵף כֹּחַ וּלְאֵין אוֹנִים עָצְמָה יַרְבֶּה׃
30 וְיִעֲפוּ נְעָרִים וְיִגָעוּ וּבַחוּרִים כָּשׁוֹל יִכָּשֵׁלוּ׃
31 וְקוֹיֵ יְהוָה יַחֲלִיפוּ כֹחַ יַעֲלוּ אֵבֶר כַּנְּשָׁרִים יָרוּצוּ וְלֹא יִיגָעוּ יֵלְכוּ וְלֹא יִיעָפוּ׃

Even Years: A letter to Diognetus, PG 2
Ἀνθρώπων δὲ οὐδεὶς οὔτε εἶδεν οὔτε ἐγνώρισεν, αὐτὸς δὲ ἑαυτὸν ἐπέδειξεν. ἐπέδειξε δὲ διὰ πίστεως, ᾗ μόνῃ Θεὸν ἰδεῖν συγκεχώρηται. ὁ γὰρ δεσπότης καὶ δημιουργὸς τῶν ὅλων Θεός, ὁ ποιήσας τὰ πάντα καὶ κατὰ τάξιν διακρίνας, οὐ μόνον φιλάνθρωπος ἐγένετο, ἀλλὰ καὶ μακρόθυμος. ἀλλ᾽ οὗτος ἦν μὲν ἀεὶ τοιοῦτος καὶ ἔστι καὶ ἔσται, χρηστὸς καὶ ἀγαθὸς καὶ ἀόργητος καὶ ἀληθής, καὶ μόνος ἀγαθὸς ἐστιν· ἐννοήσας δὲ μεγάλην καὶ ἄφραστον ἔννοιαν ἀνεκοινώσατο μόνῳ τῷ παιδί. No man has ever seen God or known him. He himself has given us the revelation of himself. But he has only revealed himself to faith, by which alone are we permitted to know God. For God, though Lord and architect of the whole world, who made and set in order each single thing that is, was something more than loving towards mankind, he was long-suffering as well. So he has always been, and is, and shall be: merciful, kind, slow to anger, and true. There is none so good as he. He conceived a design, great and beyond all telling, and he imparted it to none but his son alone.
ἐν ὅσῳ μὲν οὖν κατεῖχεν ἐν μυστηρίῳ καὶ διετήρει τὴν σοφὴν αὐτοῦ βουλήν, ἀμελεῖν ἡμῶν καὶ ἀφροντιστεῖν ἐδόκει· ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀπεκάλυψε διὰ τοῦ ἀγαπητοῦ παιδὸς καὶ ἐφανέρωσε τὰ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἡτοιμασμένα, πάνθ᾽ παρέσχεν ἡμῖν καὶ μετασχεῖν τῶν εὐεργεσιῶν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἰδεῖν καὶ νοῆσαι, ἅ τίς ἄν πώποτε προσεδόκησεν ἡμῶν; So long as he maintained this secrecy, and kept his own wise counsel, it seemed as though he had no care for us and had put us out of his mind. But as soon as he disclosed it, through his beloved Son, and revealed what had been planned from the beginning, then straightaway he poured out all the fullness of his bounty upon us, permitting us to share his benefactions and to see and know such blessings as none of us could ever have looked for.
Πάντ᾽ οὖν ἤδη παρ᾽ ἑαυτῷ σὺν τῷ παιδὶ οἰκονομηκώς, μέχρι μὲν τοῦ πρόσθεν χρόνου εἴασεν ἡμᾶς, ὡς ἐβουλόμεθα, ἀτάκτοις φοραῖς φέρεσθαι, ἡδοναῖς καὶ ἐπιθυμίαις ἀπαγομένους. οὐ πάντως ἐφηδόμενος τοῖς ἁμαρτήμασιν ἡμῶν, ἀλλ᾽ ἀνεχόμενος, οὐδὲ τῷ τότε τῆς ἀδικίας καιρῷ συνευδοκῶν, ἀλλὰ τὸν νῦν τῆς δικαιοσύνης δημιουργῶν, ἵνα ἐν τῷ τότε χρόνῳ ἐλεγχθέντες ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων ἔργων ἀνάξιοι ζωῆς νῦν ὑπὸ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ χρηστότητος ἀξιωθῶμεν, καὶ τὸ καθ᾽ ἑαυτοὺς φανερώσαντες ἀδύνατον εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ Θεῦ δυνατοὶ γενηθῶμεν. Next, after making these dispositions in his mind with the Son, he left us to live for the meanwhile as we pleased, giving free rein to our unruly instincts and being at the mercy of sensuality and lust. This was not because he took any pleasure in those sins of ours; all he was doing was to put up with them. It was not that he was sanctioning that former era of lawlessness. Rather, he was preparing this present ere of righteousness. His purpose was that we, who had been proved by our own works unworthy to achieve life, might in these days be made worthy of it by the goodness of God. After clearly showing our inability to enter into the kingdom of God by our own power, we might now by God's power be made able.
ἐπεὶ δὲ πεπλήρωτο μὲν ἡ ἡμετέρα ἀδικία καὶ τελείως πεφανέρωτο, ὅτι ὁ μισθὸς αὐτῆς κόλασις καὶ θάνατος προσεδοκᾶτο, ἦλθε δὲ ὁ καιρός, ὃν Θεὸς προέθετο λοιπὸν φανερῶσαι τὴν ἑαυτοῦ χρηστότητα καὶ δύναμιν (ὢ τῆς ὑπερβαλλούσης φιλανθρωπίας καὶ ἀγάπης τοῦ Θεοῦ), οὐκ εμίσησεν ἡμᾶς οὐ δὲ ἀπώσατο οὐδὲ ἐμνησικάκησεν, ἀλλὰ ἐμακροθύμησεν, ἠνέσχετο, ἐλεῶν αὐτὸς τὰς ἡμετέρας ἁμαρτίας ἀνεδέξατο, αὐτὸς τὸν ἴδιον υἱὸν ἀπέδοτο λύτρον ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, τὸν ἅγιον ὑπὲρ ἀνόμων, τὸν ἄκακον ὑπὲρ τῶν κακῶν, τὸν δίκαιον ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀδίκων, τὸν ἄφθαρτον ὑπὲρ τῶν φθαρτῶν, τὸν ἀθάνατον ὑπὲρ τῶν θνητῶν. Τί γὰρ ἄλλο τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν ἠδυνήθη καλύψαι ἢ ἐκείνου δικαιοσύνη; ἐν τίνι δικαιωθῆναι δυνατὸν τοὺς ἀνόμους ἡμᾶς καὶ ἀσεβεῖς ἤ ἐν μόνῳ τῷ υἱῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ; Accordingly, when our iniquity had come to its full height, and it was clear beyond all mistaking that retribution in the form of punishment and death must be looked for, the hour arrived in which God had determined to make known from then onwards his loving-kindness and his power. How surpassing is the love and tenderness of God! In that hour, instead of hating us and rejecting us and remembering our wickedness against us, he showed how longsuffering he is. He bore with us, and in pity he took our sins upon himself. He gave his own Son as a ransom for us - the holy for the wicked, the sinless for sinners, the just for the unjust, the incorrupt for the corrupt, the immortal for the mortal. For was there, indeed, anything except his righteousness that could have availed to cover our sins? In whom could we, in our lawlessness and ungodliness, have been made holy, but in the Son of God alone?
ὢ τῆς γλυκείας ἀνταλλαγῆς, ὢ τῆς ἀνεξιχνιάστου δημιουργίας, ὢ τῶν ἀπροσδοκήτων εὐεργεσιῶν· ἵνα ἀνομία μὲν πολλῶν ἐν δικαιῳ ἑνὶ κρυβῇ, δικαιοσύνη δὲ ἑνὸς πολλοὺς ἀνόμους δικαιώσῃ. O sweet exchange! O unsearchable working! O benefits unhoped for! - that the wickedness of multitudes should thus be hidden in the One who is holy, and the holiness of One should sanctify the countless wicked!

Odd Years: Cyril of Alexandria, On Isaiah, Lib 3:4 (PG 70, 806-807)
Ὡς ποιμὴν ποιμανεῖ τὸ ποίμνιον αὐτοῦ, καὶ τῷ βραχίονι αὐτοῦ συνάξει ἄρνας, καὶ ἐν γαστρὶ ἐχούσας παρακαλέσει. Τοῖς τὸ θεῖον καὶ σωτήριον ἱερουργοῦσι κήρυγμα, φημὶ δὴ τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀποστόλοις καὶ εὐαγγελισταῖς, ἢ καὶ ἁπαξαπλῶς τοῖς κατὰ καιροὺς τῶν λογικῶν ποιμνίων προεστηκόσι, καὶ μυσταγωγικὸν ἔχουσι τὸ ἐπιτήδευμα, τίνα δὴ τρόπον εἶεν φιλόθεοί τε, καὶ διαβόητοι, καὶ τῆς ἀνωτάτω δόξης ἐπίμεστοι διαδείκνυσιν ἐν τούτοις. Οὐ γάρ τοι προσήκει, φησὶν, εὐαγγελιζόμενον τοῖς ἁπανταχοῦ τὴν δόξαν καὶ τὸ σωτήριον τοῦ Θεοῦ περιδεῶς, καὶ ὑπεσταλμένως, καὶ λανθάνειν σπουδάζοντα τοῦτο δρᾷν· ἀλλ' οἷον ὑψοῦ γεγονότας, καὶ ἅπασιν ὁρωμένους, καὶ ἐν πολλῇ παῤῥησίᾳ καθάπερ ἐν ὄρει πηδήσαντας διαπρυσίῳ τρόπον τινὰ κεχρῆσθαι φωνῇ, καὶ δείματος ἐλευθέρᾳ. Ὃ δὴ καὶ ὑπάρξαι σφίσιν, αὐτοὶ οἱ θεσπέσιοι μαθηταὶ λιπαροῦντες, ἔφασκον πρὸς τὸν τῶν ὅλων κρατοῦντα Θεόν· Καὶ νῦν, Κύριε, ἐπίδε ἐπὶ τὰς ἀπειλὰς αὐτῶν, δῆλον δὲ ὅτι τῶν Ἰουδαίων, καὶ δὸς τοῖς δούλοις σου μετὰ παῤῥησίας λαλεῖν τὸν λόγον σου. Ὑψώσατε τοίνυν, μὴ φοβεῖσθε, φησίν. Ἀπαγγέλλετε ταῖς πόλεσιν Ἰούδα, Ὁ Θεὸς ὑμῶν, ἰδοὺ Κύριος μετὰ ἰσχύος ἔρχεται, καὶ ὁ βραχίων μετὰ κυρείας. Τὸ δὲ Ἰδοὺ προστιθεὶς, οὐκ εἰς μῆκος ἐᾷ τῆς ἀφίξεως ἀνατείνεσθαι τὴν ἐλπίδα, ἀλλ' ὅσον οὐδέπω, καὶ μετὰ βραχὺ παρεσόμενον, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ ἀγχίθυρον ἤδη πως γεγονότα τὸν Λυτρωτὴν διαδείκνυσι. Χεῖρα γὰρ ὥσπερ προτείνειν αὐτοὺς προστέταχε, καὶ δακτύλῳ φανεροῦν τὸν προηγγελμένον. Ὅτι δὲ οὐ καθ' ἕνα τῶν ἁγίων προφήτων οὔτε μὴν ἐν μέτροις ἔσται τοῖς ἱκέταις, ἀλλ' ἐν ἐξουσίᾳ δεσποτικῇ, καὶ ἐν δυνάμει τε καὶ κυριότητι τῇ θεοπρεπεστάτῃ, διεσάφησεν εἰπὼν, Μετὰ ἰσχύος ἔρχεται, καὶ βραχίων μετὰ κυρείας.
Ὅτι δὲ τῆς οἰκονομίας τὸ μυστήριον οὐκ ἄκαρπον ἔσται τῷ καθ' ἡμᾶς γενομένῳ, καὶ σταυρὸν ὑπομείναντι, καὶ τὸν ἐν αὐτῷ θάνατον, διαδείκνυσι λέγων· Ἰδοὺ ὁ μισθὸς μετ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὸ ἔργον ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ, καὶ μισθὸν ὀνομάζει τὸν ἐκ τοῦ κατὰ σάρκα τεθνάναι καρπόν. Ἔφη γὰρ, ὅτι Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ἐὰν μὴ ὁ κόκκος τοῦ σίτου πεσὼν εἰς τὴν γῆν ἀποθάνῃ, αὐτὸς μόνος μένει. Ἐὰν δὲ ἀποθάνῃ, καρπὸν πλείονα φύει... Οὐκοῦν οὐκ ἄμισθος οὐδὲ ἄκαρπος ἡ οἰκονομία.
Ἠκολούθησε δὲ καὶ γέγονεν ὥσπερ ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτοῦ ποιμαίνοντος τὰ ἑαυτοῦ ποίμνια, καὶ τῷ βραχίονι αὐτοῦ, τοῦτ' ἔστι, τῇ ἰσχύϊ συλλέγοντος ἄρνας. Οἱ γὰρ πιστεύσαντες εἰς αὐτὸν ὡς ἀρτιγενῆ, καὶ νεογνὰ πρόβατα πρὸς καινότητα ζωῆς ἀνεκτίσθησαν, λαχόντα δηλονότι τὴν ἄνωθεν, καὶ διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος ἀναγέννησιν. Τοιγάρτοι τὸ λογικὸν ἐπιποθοῦσι γάλα τρεφόμενα μὲν νηπιοπρεπῶς ἐν ἀρχαῖς, ἀναβαίνοντα δὲ, καὶ εἰς μέτρον ἡλικίας τοῦ πληρώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Οὐκοῦν ἐποιμάνθησαν μὲν οἱ ἄρνες, παρακέκληνται δὲ καὶ κυοφοροῦσαί τινες, ἤτοι ἐν γαστρὶ ἔχουσαι. Ἄρνες μὲν γὰρ ὥσπερ ἀρτιφανεῖς, καὶ ἀρτιτόκοι νοοῖντ' ἂν εἰκότως οἱ ἐξ ἐθνῶν.

ON SUNDAY 4: GOSPELS FOR THE THREE CYCLES
*A* , *B* , *C*
Te Deum - if Sunday [English]

Prayer