FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT
Jesus said to His disciples: “Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come. It is like a man traveling abroad. He leaves home and places his servants in charge, each with his own work, and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch. Watch, therefore; you do not know when the lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning.May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’” (Mk 13:33-37).
Jesus said to His disciples: “Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come. It is like a man traveling abroad. He leaves home and places his servants in charge, each with his own work, and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch. Watch, therefore; you do not know when the lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning.May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’” (Mk 13:33-37).
⚜️Hope pervaded with the desire for holiness
More than simply recalling the historical fact of Christmas, the Church wants us to participate in the graces pertaining to the festivity, just as they were enjoyed by the Blessed Virgin, St. Joseph, the Magi, and the shepherds. Amidst these events, the chosen people were sustained by a great hope, pervaded with the desire for holiness and for a penitential life. We should imitate their example and follow in their footsteps, as regards not only Christmas, but also the plenitude of our Redemption: the glorious resurrection of the children of God.
Msgr. João Scognamiglio Clá Dias, EP
New Insights on the Gospels
Volume III, pp 14-15
More than simply recalling the historical fact of Christmas, the Church wants us to participate in the graces pertaining to the festivity, just as they were enjoyed by the Blessed Virgin, St. Joseph, the Magi, and the shepherds. Amidst these events, the chosen people were sustained by a great hope, pervaded with the desire for holiness and for a penitential life. We should imitate their example and follow in their footsteps, as regards not only Christmas, but also the plenitude of our Redemption: the glorious resurrection of the children of God.
Msgr. João Scognamiglio Clá Dias, EP
New Insights on the Gospels
Volume III, pp 14-15
⚜️He came to be judged, but will return as Judge
He will appear in all His glory, for in His first coming, as He came to be judged, He clothed Himself in humility. Therefore, upon returning as Judge, He will clothe Himself in splendour. St.Thomas goes on to say that, for His birth in Bethlehem, the Son took on flesh to represent our humanity before the Father; however,at the end of the world, He will come to mete out the Father’s justice to us; He should, therefore, manifest the glory befitting the emissary of God’s eternal power.
Msgr. João Scognamiglio Clá Dias, EP
New Insights on the Gospels
Volume III, pp 16-17
He will appear in all His glory, for in His first coming, as He came to be judged, He clothed Himself in humility. Therefore, upon returning as Judge, He will clothe Himself in splendour. St.Thomas goes on to say that, for His birth in Bethlehem, the Son took on flesh to represent our humanity before the Father; however,at the end of the world, He will come to mete out the Father’s justice to us; He should, therefore, manifest the glory befitting the emissary of God’s eternal power.
Msgr. João Scognamiglio Clá Dias, EP
New Insights on the Gospels
Volume III, pp 16-17
♦️Harmful influence of the mass media
No less noteworthy is the warning of Pius XII, proffered in the mid past century: “The world is being corrupted by a press and by shows that extinguish chastity in young men and women, destroy the love between spouses, and inculcate a nationalism that leads to war.”
Msgr. João Scognamiglio Clá Dias, EP
New Insights on the Gospels
Volume III, pp 20-21
No less noteworthy is the warning of Pius XII, proffered in the mid past century: “The world is being corrupted by a press and by shows that extinguish chastity in young men and women, destroy the love between spouses, and inculcate a nationalism that leads to war.”
Msgr. João Scognamiglio Clá Dias, EP
New Insights on the Gospels
Volume III, pp 20-21
♦️Battlefield for teachers and confessors
It is like a man traveling abroad. He leaves home and places his servants in charge, each with his own work, and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch.
According to the Fathers of the Church, it is Jesus Who “leaves home” to ascend into Heaven, and it is us whom He orders to be on the watch. Our foremost obligation is toward ourselves. Prayer will avail us nothing if we do not avoid the occasions that can lead us to evil. Additionally, each of us, in our occupations, is responsible for others: employers for employees, parents for children, teachers for pupils,etc.
Pastors are represented in the figure of the gatekeeper, which also symbolizes our duty to keep custody of our hearts.
Msgr. João Scognamiglio Clá Dias, EP
New Insights on the Gospels
Volume III, pp 24-25
It is like a man traveling abroad. He leaves home and places his servants in charge, each with his own work, and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch.
According to the Fathers of the Church, it is Jesus Who “leaves home” to ascend into Heaven, and it is us whom He orders to be on the watch. Our foremost obligation is toward ourselves. Prayer will avail us nothing if we do not avoid the occasions that can lead us to evil. Additionally, each of us, in our occupations, is responsible for others: employers for employees, parents for children, teachers for pupils,etc.
Pastors are represented in the figure of the gatekeeper, which also symbolizes our duty to keep custody of our hearts.
Msgr. João Scognamiglio Clá Dias, EP
New Insights on the Gospels
Volume III, pp 24-25
⚜️Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
– December 8 –
Some considerations on the formula of the dogma
The beauty and precision of the terms used in the dogmatic formula are worthy of admiration. For example, the expression “in the first instance of her conception” indicates that Mary was free from sin from the moment that God, so to speak, pronounced the fiat for her creation and she began to exist in time, just as she had been idealized from all eternity. The words “by a singular grace and privilege granted by Almighty God” make it clear that it would have been normal for Our Lady to have been conceived with the stain of sin like any descendant of Adam and Eve; but since nothing is impossible with God, He wanted to waive this inheritance of death for His Mother.
Msgr. João Scognamiglio Clá Dias, EP
New Insights on the Gospels
Volume VII, pp 290-291
– December 8 –
Some considerations on the formula of the dogma
The beauty and precision of the terms used in the dogmatic formula are worthy of admiration. For example, the expression “in the first instance of her conception” indicates that Mary was free from sin from the moment that God, so to speak, pronounced the fiat for her creation and she began to exist in time, just as she had been idealized from all eternity. The words “by a singular grace and privilege granted by Almighty God” make it clear that it would have been normal for Our Lady to have been conceived with the stain of sin like any descendant of Adam and Eve; but since nothing is impossible with God, He wanted to waive this inheritance of death for His Mother.
Msgr. João Scognamiglio Clá Dias, EP
New Insights on the Gospels
Volume VII, pp 290-291
Second Sunday of Advent
♦️Do Penance!
The attire and the habits of St. John the Baptist strongly clashed with the customs of his time. Consciences were deeply shaken by the contrast between impure and avaricious men, and this honest, simple, and eloquent figure, who cried out: “Do penance!”
Msgr. João Scognamiglio Clá Dias, EP
New Insights on the Gospels
Volume III, pp 29-31
♦️Do Penance!
The attire and the habits of St. John the Baptist strongly clashed with the customs of his time. Consciences were deeply shaken by the contrast between impure and avaricious men, and this honest, simple, and eloquent figure, who cried out: “Do penance!”
Msgr. João Scognamiglio Clá Dias, EP
New Insights on the Gospels
Volume III, pp 29-31
⚜️The liberation announced by Isaiah
This is symbolic language, signifying spiritual realities. In effect, the prophet was inviting his people to subdue the pride that makes man think himself a god; to act uprightly, rooting out wrong ideas, and smoothing the roughness of soul caused by self-love and egoism. In this way, they were to create conditions for the Creator to manifest His goodness and power.
However, the liberation prophesied by Isaiah goes beyond the confines of the Old Testament, and was to be taken primarily in its Messianic sense: “Here comes with power the Lord God, Who rules by His strong arm; here is His reward with Him, His recompense before Him. Like a shepherd He feeds His flock; in His arms He gathers the lambs, carrying them in His bosom, and leading the ewes with care”
Msgr. João Scognamiglio Clá Dias, EP
New Insights on the Gospels
Volume III, pp 31-32
This is symbolic language, signifying spiritual realities. In effect, the prophet was inviting his people to subdue the pride that makes man think himself a god; to act uprightly, rooting out wrong ideas, and smoothing the roughness of soul caused by self-love and egoism. In this way, they were to create conditions for the Creator to manifest His goodness and power.
However, the liberation prophesied by Isaiah goes beyond the confines of the Old Testament, and was to be taken primarily in its Messianic sense: “Here comes with power the Lord God, Who rules by His strong arm; here is His reward with Him, His recompense before Him. Like a shepherd He feeds His flock; in His arms He gathers the lambs, carrying them in His bosom, and leading the ewes with care”
Msgr. João Scognamiglio Clá Dias, EP
New Insights on the Gospels
Volume III, pp 31-32
⚜️The doors of Revelation begin to open
With the beginning of Jesus’ public life, the Precursor begins gradually to fade away: “This joy of mine is now full. He must increase, but I must decrease” he would affirm. Immediately afterwards, he leaves as a final teaching, one of the most beautiful acknowledgements of Christ’s divinity:
“He Who comes from above is above all; He Who is of the earth belongs to the earth, and of the earth He speaks; He Who comes from Heaven is above all. He bears witness to what He has seen and heard, yet no one receives His testimony; he who receives His testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. For He Whom God has sent utters the words of God, for it is not by measure that He gives the Spirit; the Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.
Msgr. João Scognamiglio Clá Dias, EP
New Insights on the Gospels
Volume III, pp 38-39
With the beginning of Jesus’ public life, the Precursor begins gradually to fade away: “This joy of mine is now full. He must increase, but I must decrease” he would affirm. Immediately afterwards, he leaves as a final teaching, one of the most beautiful acknowledgements of Christ’s divinity:
“He Who comes from above is above all; He Who is of the earth belongs to the earth, and of the earth He speaks; He Who comes from Heaven is above all. He bears witness to what He has seen and heard, yet no one receives His testimony; he who receives His testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. For He Whom God has sent utters the words of God, for it is not by measure that He gives the Spirit; the Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.
Msgr. João Scognamiglio Clá Dias, EP
New Insights on the Gospels
Volume III, pp 38-39