MEDITATIO

“The bridegroom is coming” (Mt 25,6). Christ our Bridegroom speaks this word in Latin: “venit”. This word could be in either the present or the perfect tense and so contains within itself two different times: the time which is past and that which is present. In addition, Christ means the time which is still to come. For this reason we shall have· to consider three comings of our Bridegroom Jesus Christ. In the first of these comings he became a human being out of love for us. The second coming takes place daily in many and various ways in every loving heart, for he comes with new gifts and new graces according to the measure in which each person is able to receive them. The third coming is that on the Day of Judgment or at the hour of death… The reason God created angels and human beings was his fathomless goodness and nobility. He wished the blessedness and richness that he is in himself to be revealed to rational creatures so that they might savor him in this temporal world and enjoy him beyond the temporal order in eternity. The reason God became a human being was his incomprehensible love and the need of all persons, for they had been corrupted through original sin and could do nothing of themselves to change their condition. But there were four reasons why Christ, according to both his divinity and his humanity, performed all his works on earth: first, his divine love, which is immeasurable; secondly, that created love which is called charity and which he had in his soul through his union with the eternal Word and through the perfect gifts which he received from his Father; thirdly, the great need of human nature; and fourthly, the honor of his Father. These are the reason for the coming of Christ our Bridegroom and for all that he did.

maronite readings – rosary,team

Concerning John the Baptist, we read in Luke: “He will be great in the sight of the Lord. He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah to prepare a people fit for the Lord,” (Lk 1,15.17). For whom, then, did he prepare a people and in the sight of which Lord was he great? Without any doubt, before him who said that John had something about him that was “more than a prophet” and that “among those born of women, none has arisen greater than John the Baptist,” (Mt 11,9.11). For John prepared a people by announcing beforehand to his companions in servitude the coming of the Lord and by preaching repentance to them, so that, when the Lord came, they would be ready to receive his forgiveness and might return to him from whom they had been estranged by their sins and transgressions… This is why, by drawing them back to their Lord, John prepared for the Lord a people who were ready and willing, in the spirit and power of Elijah… John the Evangelist tells us: “A man named John was sent by God. He came for testimony, to testify to the Light. He was not the Light but came to testify to the Light,” (Jn 1,6-8). This man John the Baptist, the Forerunner, who gave testimony to the light, had undoubtedly been sent by God who… had promised by the prophets to send his messenger before the face of his Son to prepare his way, (Mal 3,1; Mk 1,2), that is to say, to give testimony to the Light in the spirit and power of Elijah… It was precisely because John was a witness that the Lord said he was more than a prophet. All the other prophets had announced the coming of the Father’s light and had longed to be accounted worthy of seeing the one they were preaching about. John prophesied as they did but saw him present; he made him known and persuaded many to believe in him, so that, at one and the same time, he filled the place of both prophet and apostle. That is why Christ said of him that he was “more than a prophet.”

maronite readings – rosary,team

“Who humbles himself shall be exalted.” Christ not only told his disciples not to let themselves be called masters and not to love the places of honor at table or any other honor, but in his person, he himself gave the example and model of humility. Whereas the name of master is given him not through kindness but by his natural right, for “in him everything continues in being” (Col 1:17), by taking on flesh, he communicated a teaching to us, which leads us all to true life, and because he is greater than we, he “reconciled us with God.” (Rom 5:10) As if he were telling us: Do not love the highest honors, do not desire to be called masters, just as “I seek no glory for myself; there is one who seeks it.” (Jn 8:50) Keep your eyes fixed on me, “for the Son of Man has come, not to be served by others, but to serve, to give his own life as a ransom for the many.” (Mt 20:28) Most certainly, in this passage of the gospel, the Lord is not only teaching his disciples, but also the heads of the Churches, commanding everyone not to allow themselves to be driven by greed in seeking honors. On the contrary, may “anyone who aspires to greatness” be the first to become like him, “serving the needs of all.” (Mt 20:26-27)

maronite readings – rosary,team