Saturday, Advent III

"Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. 
Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ."

Matthew 1

To the shepherds, the angel announced the birth of Jesus as the Messiah promised to Israel: "To you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord."³²From the beginning he was "the one whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world",conceived as "holy" in Mary's virginal womb.³³ God called Joseph to "take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit", so that Jesus, "who is calledChrist", should be born of Joseph's spouse into the messianic lineage of David.³⁴

CCC 437

Friday, Advent III

"Thus says the Lord:

Observe what is right, do what is just,

for my salvation is about to come"

Is 56

Jesus means in Hebrew: "God saves." At the annunciation, the angel Gabriel gave him the name  as his proper name, which exprersses both his identity and his mission.¹⁸Since God alone can forgive sins, it is God who, in Jesus his eternal Son made man, "will save his people from their sins".¹⁹ in Jesus, God recapitulates all of his history of salvation on behalf of men.

CCC 430

Sunday II, Advent A "Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance."

“Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance.” Matthew 3, 1-12

Repentance

“Repentance (also called contrition) must be inspired by motives that arise from faith. If repentance arises from love of charity for God, it is called "perfect" contrition; if it is founded on other motives, it is called ‘imperfect.’" (CCC 1492)

Fruit

Jesus says: "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." The fruit referred to in this saying is the holiness of a life made fruitful by union with Christ. When we believe in Jesus Christ, partake of his mysteries, and keep his commandments, the Savior himself comes to love, in us, his Father and his brethren, our Father and our brethren. His person becomes, through the Spirit, the living and interior rule of our activity. "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." CCC 2074

“Fruit that will last.”

Jesus says: "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."³³