Welcome to unpacking the mass with Keith Nester on this podcast we dig into the week’s readings for the upcoming Sunday for the Catholic church so that when you go to mass you are ready to hear what God has to say to you through the scriptures so grab your Bibles and let’s get Digging hey everybody Welcome to unpacking the mass my name is Keith Nester I’m so thankful that you’ve joined us here for our weekly study through the upcoming week’s readings for the Catholic church today we’re looking at the readings for the fourth Sunday in Advent which is interesting today
Because it also happens to be Christmas Eve so when you’re going to mass you have to remember you need to go to mass for the fourth Sunday of Advent and for Christmas which even though you might technically go to those on the same day they don’t apply for the same type of
Thing so I know that might sound strange especially if you’re not a Catholic and you’re like don’t we just go to church whenever we feel like it well no in the Catholic Church Sunday is a holy day of obligation uh but so is Christmas and you can fulfill that by going the night
Before that’s called a vig Mass but in cases where that happens to line on a Sunday The Vig mass for the next day does not mean the same thing as the mass for that day so if you’re going to go to the vigil mass that’s great but you also
Need to make sure you’re going to mass for the fourth Sunday and Advent so the way that’s going to look like in my house for example is we’re going to go to mass on Sunday morning for the fourth Sunday of Advent and then we’re going to go to the midnight mass um which
Technically is Christmas morning but you can do what works best for you as long as you are making sure that you um are fulfilling your obligation for both of those things let’s look at our first reading from the book of 2 Samuel chapter 7 and the King that we’re
Reading about here is King David kind of important that we understand that it reads this way now when the king dwelt in his house and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies round about the king said to Nathan the prophet see
Now I dwell in a house of Cedar but the Ark of God dwells in a tent and Nathan said to the king go do all that is in your heart for the Lord is with you but that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan go and tell my servant
David thus says the Lord would you build me a house to dwell in I took you from the pasture from following the sheep that you should be Prince over my My People Israel and I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all
Your enemies from before you and I will make for you a great name like the name of the great ones of the earth and I will appoint a place for My People Israel and will plant them that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more and Violent Men shall
Afflict them no more as formerly from the time that I appointed judges Over My People Israel and I will give you rest from all your enemies moreover the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house when your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers I
Will raise up your Offspring after you who shall come forth from your body and I will establish his kingdom I will be his father and he shall be my son and your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me your throne shall be established for ever all right
My friends this is pretty awesome now we’re talking about a place for God here that’s what King David wanted to build he had brought the ark to Jerusalem if you read 2 Samuel chapter 6 and there’s a really cool passage there that is of course lining up with what Luke does
When Mary goes to visit Elizabeth it’s incredible but in chapter 7 he’s now kind of looking at himself and saying why do I dwell in this incredible house but the the Ark of the Covenant is in a tent I want to build God a house he’s
Wanting to build a house for the Lord you know the temple which the Lord told him he would not build but rather his son Soloman so we see David wants to build a house for God and God promising to build a house for him so what is this
House and there’s going to be multiple layers here as you can imagine but I think it’s interesting that God talks to David about how he brought him out from being a shepherd and he has done all these incredible things and he is going to from his house from David’s Kingdom
Bring apart or bring about his son which of course this is a prophecy that’s going to be fulfilled in the near and in the far of course the near fulfillment will be Solomon who’s going to build this house and that’s the promise that is given to David you know Solomon built
The first temple but it’s also a prophecy about Jesus who is called the son of David because he is the ultimate fulfillment of this Kingdom so even back in the Old Testament we see this this plan of God being being brought out but we also see within David this
Realization that he wants to prepare a place for the Lord to dwell now what does God say he says where is the house that you can build for me heaven is my throne and Earth is my footstool you know God doesn’t need us to build a
House for him because he doesn’t want us to think that we can contain him physically yet he comes to us physically in the Incarnation it’s so amazing isn’t it on one hand God is always saying to us look look I’m beyond anything that you can do anything that you are but yet
I will come to you through those things it’s so amazing when we think about how this plays itself out in our faith and in our lives a lot of people look at Jesus in the Eucharist they say come on man can God really be contained in this
This bread that becomes his body and blood as the Catholic Church teaches why would God do such a thing and it’s true that God cannot be in a grandest in the grandest sense contained by anything physical but yet he comes to us in the physical and it’s a beautiful thing and
When people start to throw up these objections like that I always remind them that this prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus Jesus who is God and man it’s what we celebrate in the Incarnation isn’t it in Advent that God took on human flesh he in a real sense took the infinite and
Made it finite from the standpoint of his flesh now you might say wait a minute is that kind of heretical what I mean by that is this the Flesh of Jesus is not pre-existent the Flesh of Jesus comes from Mary who is a creation of God yet the infinite God takes on finite
Flesh now where is the Flesh of Jesus now of course ascended into heaven where he’s seated at the right hand so in that sense you could say like all of us ultimately our flesh which has been resurrected will live forever now you got to remember if that sounds crazy
This is going to be the reality for all of us right our mortal bodies will take on the immortal we will be resurrected by the same power that resurrected Jesus from the grave this flesh will be transformed but for Jesus remember he is begotten not made okay consubstantial
With the father what this means it’s hard to understand but what this means is that and the Book of Philippians talks about this that Jesus although equal with God did not count equality with God as a thing to be grasped but took on the form of human flesh jesus
Takes on human flesh the infinite in a sense becomes finite in that his flesh has not always existed so we can’t contain him inside a human house or a house built by humans but yet he wants to dwell with us and that’s the beauty of the Incarnation that’s the beauty of
How God lives in us we’re going to get to all that as we move through these readings but when you think about how David processed this and he thought to himself man I live in a pretty nice place but the Ark of the Lord lives in a
Simple tent we got to do something about that so he sets out to say I want to do something amazing for God and God says I’m going to do something amazing for you okay let’s look at our responsorial Psalm today Psalm 89 forever I will sing the goodness of
The Lord I will sing of thy steadfast love oh Lord forever with my mouth I will Proclaim Thy Faithfulness to all generations for thy steadfast love was established forever thy faithfulness is firm as the heavens forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord thou Hast said
I have made a covenant with my chosen one I have sworn to David my servant I will establish your descendants forever and build your throne for all generations forever I will sing the the goodness of the Lord he shall cry to me thou art my father my God and the rock
Of my salvation my steadfast love I will keep for him forever and my Covenant will stand firm for him pretty awesome stuff in this Psalm you know we remember that Jesus is the son of God and he’s also the son of David this plan of God to bring the Messiah into the world
Through the lineage of David through the House of David so to speak is what we celebrate here in Advent and it’s because of the goodness of the Lord the Covenant that God makes with his people to be their God and to deliver them from their sin my friends that’s why we
Worship the Lord that’s why we celebrate Advent that’s why we celebrate Christmas because God has come to his people and even though the people have been unfaithful God remains faithful my friends that’s so important all right let’s look at our second reading this comes to us from Romans chapter 16 St
Paul writes these words now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery which was Kept Secret for long ages but is now disclosed and through the prophetic writings is made known to All Nations according to the
Command of the Eternal God to bring about The Obedience of Faith to the only wise God be glory forever more through Jesus Christ amen God’s kingdom has been revealed it has been fulfilled in Christ and my friends we see this fulfillment here in the anunciation and
As a part of his kingdom my friends we in the church participate in that Kingdom the Lord’s glory is greater than we can possibly imagine and it’s not just something of long ago it’s something for us now my friends and it’s been revealed to us in the gospel which
Brings about the command of the Eternal God to bring about The Obedience of Faith friends that’s the purpose of all this that our faith would be put in Christ that’s how we enter in to this Covenant relationship with the Lord through baptism of course and through faith in Christ friends that’s how we
Partake in this it’s not a kingdom that we’re born into because of our lineage physically it’s a kingdom that we’re adopted into through baptism and through the grace of Christ that we participate in but yet we still have to own that we still have to walk in obedience and
Faith and friends when we do we are assured that this Kingdom has power so my friends as it’s been revealed to us we celebrate and that goes to this idea of the place that God’s created for us his kingdom and also at the same time the place that we’re called to create for
Him which we’re going to check this out um in a really cool way in Our Gospel today which comes from Luke 1: 26-38 the enunciation and again for me this was a huge part of my conversion to the Catholic faith if you ever want to read
More about that or hear more about that you can look at my conversion story um on YouTube or um you can read my book The converts guy to Roman Catholicism your first year in the church I go into a little bit of this but really this text
And seeing how God had prepared a house for himself in the Blessed Virgin Mary and how we’re invited into this relationship with him that he’s brought to the world through her it really just blew my mind and continues to blow my mind so let’s take a look at
It in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth to a virgin betro to a man whose name was Joseph of the House of David and the virgin’s name was Mary and he came to her and said hail full of
Grace the Lord is with you but she was greatly troubled at the saying and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be and the angel said to her do not be afraid Mary for you have found favor with God and behold you will conceive in
Your womb and bear a son and you shall call his name Jesus he will be great and will be called the son of the most high and the glory of God will give to him the Throne of his father David and he will reign over the house of Jacob
Forever and of his kingdom there will be no end and Mary said to the angel how can this be since I have no husband and the angel said to her the holy spirit will come upon you and the power of the most high will overshadow you therefore the
Child to be born will be called holy the Son of God and behold your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son and this is the sixth month with her who was called baren for with the Lord nothing will be impossible and Mary said
Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord let it be to me according to your word and the angel departed from her God is preparing a house for himself in the Blessed Virgin Mary think about this in relation to what David said and what God said to him
I will prepare a house right you what you can’t make a house for me he’s basically saying I’m going to make a house for you I’m going to prepare a house and and he also prepares a house for himself here in the Blessed Virgin Mary she is literally where he dwells
And of course when we see how this prophecy that we read about in 2 Samuel is fulfilled in the Blessed Virgin Mary and in Jesus who is the son of David and also the son of God we recognize the significance of this now what was David’s idea right to build a house for
What how was he practically going to build a house for God he was going to build a house for the Ark of the Covenant which was the place on Earth where the presence of God literally dwelt that’s how it was understood that was the reality that they lived in
That’s why Mary is called the new ark of the covenant and I remember when I first heard this back in the days of exploring Catholicism it really like blew my mind because when you think about it it’s not even necessarily like this thing that has to be so Catholic right it’s just
The reality of what the scripture says and that should be the recognition for Catholics and Protestants Mary had God dwelling inside her she literally is the new ark of the covenant and this wasn’t just something that was dreamed up by some Catholic Theologian in the Middle
Ages or by you know some guy in in modern times this goes all all the way back my friends to the earliest days of the church I check out this quote from St athenus of Alexandria writing in the 3r century he says this oh Noble virgin truly you are greater than any other
Greatness for who is your equal in greatness oh Dwelling Place of God the word to whom among all creatures shall I compare you oh virgin you are greater than them all oh Ark of the Covenant clothed with Purity instead of gold you are The Ark in which is found the golden
Vessel containing the true Mana that is the Flesh in which Divinity resides pretty amazing stuff the ark was made out of out of wood that was meant to not be corruptible friends it was it was decorated in fine gold and it was the most revered object on the face of
The Earth and St athanasius is recognizing that Mary is the new ark of the covenant and this is where the church’s understanding of things like the Immaculate Conception come from and ultimately the Assumption of Mary her sinlessness her Perpetual V virginity these things are all the result of church fathers contemplating the reality
Of God preparing this place for himself to dwell in her that’s why we believe what we do about her that she is full of grace now you might have noticed when I read that I use that translation that says hail full of grace but sometimes you read hail favorite one there there’s
Different things that you can look at that talk about the difference between the translations around this word and I’m going to leave a couple links in the description of this video so you can see how that plays out either way the meaning is the same now the Greek word
That is used uh is K kerto and that is a word there there’s a really good article about this uh by Catholic answers uh contributor Father Charles gr and I’ll put that in the description too and he talks about this Greek word word and how it’s only used in the New Testament
Twice and I want to talk about what that word means because it’s in our English translation it’s hard to really grasp the significance of this word and here’s something that that Father Charles grandon says about this in his article the word K carom is in the past perfect
Tense meaning that the action of giving Grace has already occurred it was not something that was about to happen to her but something that has already been accomplished the word was also used as a title now notice the angel did not say hail Mary you are K ker tomin but hail K
Ker tomin therefore the word is not simply an action but an identity that’s pretty important to think about he doesn’t say oh you will be full of grace remember she’s not pregnant with Jesus at this time she’s already referred to this way before the Holy Spirit overshadows her so the sense is that
What has happened to her to make her full of grace is in the past and it was a past perfect example it was a past event that carries on into the present and into the future her identity is that she is the house of God it’s not just her function
It’s her identity that’s pretty important to think about God created a house for her and he created her that way from the moment of her conception it wasn’t that he scoured the Earth and found the one person who was really really good and said okay een mey Mo
Mary no my friends this was his plan from the beginning read back to Genesis 3:15 he tells the serpent I will create enmity between the woman and between you and her s and her Offspring will crush your head friends there there it’s powerful to remember that and I know
That there are some who who like to hold on to the older translation that she will crush the head of the serpent you can read all the articles about that too but the the point being that from the beginning God’s design was to prepare a house for himself in the Blessed Virgin
Mary through which the son of David and his son would come into the world to establish his kingdom forever now the one other place that this word k k tomin is used is in Ephesians chapter 1 and I want to read to you from verses
6-7 and here’s what it says and I want you to think about the parallel here St Paul writes these words to the praise of his glorious Grace which he freely bestowed upon us in the Beloved in him we have Redemption through his blood for the Forgiveness of our trespasses
According to the riches of his grace see Paul also uses this word to describe what happens to us as a result of God’s grace for giving and transforming us now for us this happens right as the result of our baptism in Christ work in us that’s when that happens for the Blessed
Virgin Mary this was part of her conception this was part of how she was created so in a sense you could say we are all called to be a house of God we are all called to be in a certain sense new arcs of the Covenant because God’s
Spirit dwells in us I love how St Paul writes this to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 6:19 he says or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you which you have from God and that you are not your own
And of course Jesus also talks about that when we eat his flesh and drink his blood in the Eucharist he abides in us this language is powerful it’s all interesting isn’t it how the Blessed Virgin Mary is the new ark of the covenant but through Christ
The son of David the son of God God who comes to the world through her we are all brought into this participation as building a house for the Lord in our hearts he comes to dwell in US my friends so as we close I I want to think
About um these questions number one you know God has prepared a house for you in his kingdom he is our King and we’ve been invited into it but are you a part of that Kingdom have you received the grace of God and prepared yourself as a house from him as we’re thinking about
Advent it’s easy to look at Mary and be blown away we should be but we also have to think about ourselves and say am I the handmade of the Lord am I saying To God Be it done unto me according to Thy word because God is clear that he wants
To come and dwell with us I think about that verse in Revelation where Jesus says behold I stand at the door and knock If any man would would let me into his heart I will come in and dine with him friends Jesus wants to dwell within
You the Holy Spirit has been given to us to dwell within us we are the Temple of the Holy Spirit and that’s through the grace of God so how do we do this how do we do this my friends in light of what we have seen today in the Gospel reading in
Particular I want to point us to Four Points of imitation with regards to the Blessed Mother the first thing that we must do is we must imitate Mary’s response notice her response isn’t like oh cool no problem I figured this whole thing out no at first she’s like I don’t
Understand this how can this be since I know not man and the angel says to her look this is going to be a miracle that’s going to happen to you it’s going to go beyond the normative way of of procreation the holy spirit will overshadow you and and you will conceive
Without a husband right right so sometimes when we imitate Mary’s response we have to we can sometimes think well Mary’s so amazing she’s like all knowing no she was not all knowing she didn’t understand she’s a human being like us remember that my friends well not entirely like us but in the
Sense that she was not granted all knowledge of all things she said I don’t get this but yet in the same way her response was to walk by faith and not by sight and obedience when she didn’t understand and that’s how how we are to be but the greatest thing about her
Response is what she says next be it done unto me I am the handmade of the Lord that’s the response that we all need to have remembering that our identity is that we belong to God and whatever he says to us we do whatever his will is for us our response is like
Hers so imitate her response the second thing is to imitate her purity Mary’s Mary’s will was to do the will of God she wasn’t thinking to herself oh man what’s this going to mean for me what about my dreams what about my Visions what about my goals now you
Might say what does this have to do with Purity everything because Purity is about being completely conformed to the will and likeness of God and when we’re impure it’s because we’re we’re pursuing sin and we’re pursuing self we’re pursuing our own control and Mary was not about any of that she was completely
Submitted to the will of God and that’s what made her pure and and that can play itself out in our own lives because anytime that we asent to sin in our lives that we give into that Temptation or we pursue selfishness or our own will apart from the will of God our Purity
Has been compromised so if we want to truly be a house from the Lord we got to be pure remember to receive the Eucharist you need to be in a state of grace why because if you participate in that kind of relationship with Jesus in an impure Way St Paul says that it’s
You’re eating and drinking condemnation if you’re not recognizing that he’s literally going to dwell in you if you don’t discern the body and blood when you receive the Eucharist then you’re eating and drinking condemnation upon yourself because no pure God can dwell in an impure person now you might go
Wait a minute how can I ever be pure well that’s what being in the State of Grace is all about k k tomin right you you have been graced by God through Christ so when you are in a State of Grace friends you have that ability to
Have Christ abide in you so in a in a in a sense you are imitating the purity of Mary now can you do it perfectly no but that’s why we have been given the sacraments my friends when we receive Absolution uh from our sins we are in
That state of grace we are transformed by the power of God we’ve made ourselves into a fitting Dwelling Place of the Lord number three is we are going to imitate Mary’s obedience this is where it all comes full circle we can read all this stuff and hear all this stuff but if the
Lord’s calling us in our lives to follow his commands and to walk in faith and we don’t obey that then we are not a Fitting Place for the Lord to dwell and the Virgin Mary obeyed him perfectly in everything and then lastly is this we’re called to imitate her
Heart and I I like to think about a little bit later you know we talked about the um some of the the gospel readings before where we are reminded of how she says my spirit rejoices in God my savior you remember from from the weeks before that rejoicing is that
Command of God and we think about Mary’s heart as a heart of rejoicing she Pond all these things in her heart that the Lord is doing which means that her heart is fully set to the Lord friends your heart before God is really what he’s after more than anything
Because if he can capture your heart then then he’s got everything he’s given you everything my friends she’s given him everything and he’s given her everything and guess what my friends we need to give it back we need to unite our hearts with the Blessed Heart of
Jesus the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Beautiful Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary all these hearts beating together remember this is so cool we we talk about this the Flesh in the Heart of Jesus where does it come from it comes from Mary her flesh was given to him
Remember that he has no fleshly father he has a fleshly mother and that’s it so the Heart of Jesus literally comes from the Heart of Mary and yet he created her isn’t that amazing and people freak out and they’re like how does that make sense well remember it’s a mystery how
God has made all these things to come to pass how the infinite God can dwell in finite creatures it’s it’s incredible my friends but yet we’re called to ponder all these things in our heart as well and at the end of the day I hope that that’s what unpacking the mass has
Helped you to do I hope that this Advent season has been fruitful for you and as we move further into this New Liturgical year that you would imitate the Blessed Mother in these things remember in her response her Purity her obedience and her heart and if you do I guarantee you
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In Holiness and Faith thank you guys so much for joining me here on unpacking the mass for your continued support for your continued love and for the continuation of walking through these readings together I believe with all my heart as we continue to let the Lord dwell within us his word richly dwelling
Within us we are making ourselves a house for him and when he dwells in US my friends we will bear fruit fruit that will last God bless all of you my friends and Merry Christmas
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