Today's reading from the Gospel of John has always been one of my favorite chapters in the Bible. Its like reading the book of Genesis from a New Testament viewpoint.
We read how Jesus, the Word, the Logos,existed from before our Beginning. He is the Word, and that Word spoke into being all that we see and know and touch. He is the Logos, the Divine System, how God does things. He, the Word, was God and was also with God. This speaks to me of relationship. The relationship of the Trinity is the blueprint for every family on the earth.
John 1 is the story of the new Beginning. God the Son, the Word, came down to bring light into darkness. Grace and Truth came to us to heal us and show us the way. To show us the Logos, God's way of doing things.
The Second Adam came to us to undo what the first Adam began. The Second Eve, who we first see in the story of the Wedding at Cana, said to the servants "Do whatever He tells you", showing us the way to humility and obedience. She, by her Fiat, when the Archangel Gabriel brought her God's Announcement, said "do unto me according to your word" undid the disobedience of the first Eve. She opened the door to the possibility that we could all be made new.
Reading John with this perspective of the New Beginning for mankind will open up even more treasures in this Gospel.
enjoy!!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
and the Word Became Flesh...
Gospel
Jn 1:1-18
In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things came to be through him,
and without him nothing came to be.
What came to be through him was life,
and this life was the light of the human race;
the light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it.
A man named John was sent from God.
He came for testimony, to testify to the light,
so that all might believe through him.
He was not the light,
but came to testify to the light.
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
He was in the world,
and the world came to be through him,
but the world did not know him.
He came to what was his own,
but his own people did not accept him.
But to those who did accept him
he gave power to become children of God,
to those who believe in his name,
who were born not by natural generation
nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision
but of God.
And the Word became flesh
and made his dwelling among us,
and we saw his glory,
the glory as of the Father’s only-begotten Son,
full of grace and truth.
John testified to him and cried out, saying,
“This was he of whom I said,
‘The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me
because he existed before me.’”
From his fullness we have all received,
grace in place of grace,
because while the law was given through Moses,
grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
No one has ever seen God.
The only-begotten Son, God, who is at the Father’s side,
has revealed him.
Office of Readings
Reading
A sermon of Pope St Leo the Great
The birthday of the Lord is the birthday of peace
God’s Son did not disdain to become a baby. Although with the passing of the years he moved from infancy to maturity, and although with the triumph of his passion and resurrection all the actions of humility which he undertook for us were finished, still today’s festival renews for us the holy childhood of Jesus born of the Virgin Mary. In adoring the birth of our Saviour, we find we are celebrating the commencement of our own life, for the birth of Christ is the source of life for Christian folk, and the birthday of the Head is the birthday of the body.
Every individual that is called has his own place, and all the sons of the Church are separated from one another by intervals of time. Nevertheless, just as the entire body of the faithful is born in the font of baptism, crucified with Christ in his passion, raised again in his resurrection, and placed at the Father’s right hand in his ascension, so with Him are they born in this nativity.For this is true of any believer in whatever part of the world, that once he is reborn in Christ he abandons the old paths of his original nature and passes into a new man by being reborn. He is no longer counted as part of his earthly father’s stock but among the seed of the Saviour, who became the Son of man in order that we might have the power to be the sons of God.
For unless He came down to us in this humiliation, no one could reach his presence by any merits of his own. The very greatness of the gift conferred demands of us reverence worthy of its splendour. For, as the blessed Apostle teaches, We have received not the spirit of this world but the Spirit which is of God, that we may know the things which are given us by God. That Spirit can in no other way be rightly worshipped, except by offering him that which we received from him. But in the treasures of the Lord’s bounty what can we find so suitable to the honour of the present feast as the peace which at the Lord’s nativity was first proclaimed by the angel-choir?
For it is that peace which brings forth the sons of God. That peace is the nurse of love and the mother of unity, the rest of the blessed and our eternal home. That peace has the special task of joining to God those whom it removes from the world.
So those who are born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God must offer to the Father the unanimity of peace-loving sons, and all of them, adopted parts of the mystical Body of Christ, must meet in the First-begotten of the new creation. He came to do not his own will but the will of the one who sent him; and so too the Father in his gracious favour has adopted as his heirs not those that are discordant nor those that are unlike him, but those that are one with him in feeling and in affection. Those who are re-modelled after one pattern must have a spirit like the model.
The birthday of the Lord is the birthday of peace: for thus says the Apostle, He is our peace, who made both one; because whether we are Jew or Gentile, through Him we have access in one Spirit to the Father
Jn 1:1-18
In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things came to be through him,
and without him nothing came to be.
What came to be through him was life,
and this life was the light of the human race;
the light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it.
A man named John was sent from God.
He came for testimony, to testify to the light,
so that all might believe through him.
He was not the light,
but came to testify to the light.
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
He was in the world,
and the world came to be through him,
but the world did not know him.
He came to what was his own,
but his own people did not accept him.
But to those who did accept him
he gave power to become children of God,
to those who believe in his name,
who were born not by natural generation
nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision
but of God.
And the Word became flesh
and made his dwelling among us,
and we saw his glory,
the glory as of the Father’s only-begotten Son,
full of grace and truth.
John testified to him and cried out, saying,
“This was he of whom I said,
‘The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me
because he existed before me.’”
From his fullness we have all received,
grace in place of grace,
because while the law was given through Moses,
grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
No one has ever seen God.
The only-begotten Son, God, who is at the Father’s side,
has revealed him.
Office of Readings
Reading
A sermon of Pope St Leo the Great
The birthday of the Lord is the birthday of peace
God’s Son did not disdain to become a baby. Although with the passing of the years he moved from infancy to maturity, and although with the triumph of his passion and resurrection all the actions of humility which he undertook for us were finished, still today’s festival renews for us the holy childhood of Jesus born of the Virgin Mary. In adoring the birth of our Saviour, we find we are celebrating the commencement of our own life, for the birth of Christ is the source of life for Christian folk, and the birthday of the Head is the birthday of the body.
Every individual that is called has his own place, and all the sons of the Church are separated from one another by intervals of time. Nevertheless, just as the entire body of the faithful is born in the font of baptism, crucified with Christ in his passion, raised again in his resurrection, and placed at the Father’s right hand in his ascension, so with Him are they born in this nativity.For this is true of any believer in whatever part of the world, that once he is reborn in Christ he abandons the old paths of his original nature and passes into a new man by being reborn. He is no longer counted as part of his earthly father’s stock but among the seed of the Saviour, who became the Son of man in order that we might have the power to be the sons of God.
For unless He came down to us in this humiliation, no one could reach his presence by any merits of his own. The very greatness of the gift conferred demands of us reverence worthy of its splendour. For, as the blessed Apostle teaches, We have received not the spirit of this world but the Spirit which is of God, that we may know the things which are given us by God. That Spirit can in no other way be rightly worshipped, except by offering him that which we received from him. But in the treasures of the Lord’s bounty what can we find so suitable to the honour of the present feast as the peace which at the Lord’s nativity was first proclaimed by the angel-choir?
For it is that peace which brings forth the sons of God. That peace is the nurse of love and the mother of unity, the rest of the blessed and our eternal home. That peace has the special task of joining to God those whom it removes from the world.
So those who are born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God must offer to the Father the unanimity of peace-loving sons, and all of them, adopted parts of the mystical Body of Christ, must meet in the First-begotten of the new creation. He came to do not his own will but the will of the one who sent him; and so too the Father in his gracious favour has adopted as his heirs not those that are discordant nor those that are unlike him, but those that are one with him in feeling and in affection. Those who are re-modelled after one pattern must have a spirit like the model.
The birthday of the Lord is the birthday of peace: for thus says the Apostle, He is our peace, who made both one; because whether we are Jew or Gentile, through Him we have access in one Spirit to the Father
Saturday, December 27, 2008
The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
Office of Readings
An address given at Nazareth by Pope Paul VI
The example of Nazareth
Nazareth is a kind of school where we may begin to discover what Christ’s life was like and even to understand his Gospel. Here we can observe and ponder the simple appeal of the way God’s Son came to be known, profound yet full of hidden meaning. And gradually we may even learn to imitate him.
Here we can learn to realise who Christ really is. And here we can sense and take account of the conditions and circumstances that surrounded and affected his life on earth: the places, the tenor of the times, the culture, the language, religious customs, in brief, everything which Jesus used to make himself known to the world. Here everything speaks to us, everything has meaning. Here we can learn the importance of spiritual discipline for all who wish to follow Christ and to live by the teachings of his Gospel.
How I would like to return to my childhood and attend the simple yet profound school that is Nazareth! How wonderful to be close to Mary, learning again the lesson of the true meaning of life, learning again God’s truths. But here we are only on pilgrimage. Time presses and I must set aside my desire to stay and carry on my education in the Gospel, for that education is never finished. But I cannot leave without recalling, briefly and in passing; some thoughts I take with me from Nazareth.First, we learn from its silence. If only we could once again appreciate its great value.
We need this wonderful state of mind, beset as we are by the cacophony of strident protests and conflicting claims so characteristic of these turbulent times. The silence of Nazareth should teach us how to meditate in peace and quiet, to reflect on the deeply spiritual, and to be open to the voice of God’s inner wisdom and the counsel of his true teachers. Nazareth can teach us the value of study and preparation, of meditation, of a well-ordered personal spiritual life, and of silent prayer that is known only to God.
Second, we learn about family life. May Nazareth serve as a model of what the family should be. May it show us the family’s holy and enduring character and exemplify its basic function in society: a community of love and sharing, beautiful for the problems it poses and the rewards it brings, in sum, the perfect setting for rearing children – and for this there is no substitute. Finally, in Nazareth, the home of a craftsman’s son, we learn about work and the discipline it entails. I would especially like to recognise its value – demanding yet redeeming – and to give it proper respect. I would remind everyone that work has its own dignity. On the other hand, it is not an end in itself. Its value and free character, however, derive not only from its place in the economic system, as they say, but rather from the purpose it serves.
In closing, may I express my deep regard for people everywhere who work for a living. To them I would point out their great model, Christ their brother, our Lord and God, who is their prophet in every cause that promotes their well being.
Hymn
Te Deum
God, we praise you; Lord, we proclaim you!
You, the Father, the eternal –
all the earth venerates you.
All the angels, all the heavens, every power –
The cherubim, the seraphim –
unceasingly, they cry:
“Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts:
heaven and earth are full of the majesty of your glory!”
The glorious choir of Apostles –
The noble ranks of prophets –
The shining army of martyrs –
all praise you.
Throughout the world your holy Church proclaims you.–
Father of immeasurable majesty,–
True Son, only-begotten, worthy of worship,–
Holy Spirit, our Advocate.
You, Christ:–
You are the king of glory.–
You are the Father’s eternal Son.–
You, to free mankind, did not disdain a Virgin’s womb.–
You defeated the sharp spear of Death,
and opened the kingdom of heaven to those who believe in you.–
You sit at God’s right hand, in the glory of the Father.–
You will come, so we believe, as our Judge.
And so we ask of you:
give help to your servants,
whom you set free at the price of your precious blood.
Number them among your chosen ones in eternal glory.
Bring your people to safety, Lord,
and bless those who are your inheritance.
Rule them and lift them high for ever.
Day by day we bless you, Lord:
we praise you for ever and for ever.
Of your goodness, Lord, keep us without sin for today.
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us.
Let your pity, Lord, be upon us,
as much as we trust in you.
In you, Lord, I trust:
let me never be put to shame.
Concluding Prayer
God, you chose to give us the Holy Family as an example to be followed:
grant that we may follow that example,
binding ourselves in virtue and mutual love,
so that we may come to your house at the last
and receive our eternal reward.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
Amen.
Office of Readings
An address given at Nazareth by Pope Paul VI
The example of Nazareth
Nazareth is a kind of school where we may begin to discover what Christ’s life was like and even to understand his Gospel. Here we can observe and ponder the simple appeal of the way God’s Son came to be known, profound yet full of hidden meaning. And gradually we may even learn to imitate him.
Here we can learn to realise who Christ really is. And here we can sense and take account of the conditions and circumstances that surrounded and affected his life on earth: the places, the tenor of the times, the culture, the language, religious customs, in brief, everything which Jesus used to make himself known to the world. Here everything speaks to us, everything has meaning. Here we can learn the importance of spiritual discipline for all who wish to follow Christ and to live by the teachings of his Gospel.
How I would like to return to my childhood and attend the simple yet profound school that is Nazareth! How wonderful to be close to Mary, learning again the lesson of the true meaning of life, learning again God’s truths. But here we are only on pilgrimage. Time presses and I must set aside my desire to stay and carry on my education in the Gospel, for that education is never finished. But I cannot leave without recalling, briefly and in passing; some thoughts I take with me from Nazareth.First, we learn from its silence. If only we could once again appreciate its great value.
We need this wonderful state of mind, beset as we are by the cacophony of strident protests and conflicting claims so characteristic of these turbulent times. The silence of Nazareth should teach us how to meditate in peace and quiet, to reflect on the deeply spiritual, and to be open to the voice of God’s inner wisdom and the counsel of his true teachers. Nazareth can teach us the value of study and preparation, of meditation, of a well-ordered personal spiritual life, and of silent prayer that is known only to God.
Second, we learn about family life. May Nazareth serve as a model of what the family should be. May it show us the family’s holy and enduring character and exemplify its basic function in society: a community of love and sharing, beautiful for the problems it poses and the rewards it brings, in sum, the perfect setting for rearing children – and for this there is no substitute. Finally, in Nazareth, the home of a craftsman’s son, we learn about work and the discipline it entails. I would especially like to recognise its value – demanding yet redeeming – and to give it proper respect. I would remind everyone that work has its own dignity. On the other hand, it is not an end in itself. Its value and free character, however, derive not only from its place in the economic system, as they say, but rather from the purpose it serves.
In closing, may I express my deep regard for people everywhere who work for a living. To them I would point out their great model, Christ their brother, our Lord and God, who is their prophet in every cause that promotes their well being.
Hymn
Te Deum
God, we praise you; Lord, we proclaim you!
You, the Father, the eternal –
all the earth venerates you.
All the angels, all the heavens, every power –
The cherubim, the seraphim –
unceasingly, they cry:
“Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts:
heaven and earth are full of the majesty of your glory!”
The glorious choir of Apostles –
The noble ranks of prophets –
The shining army of martyrs –
all praise you.
Throughout the world your holy Church proclaims you.–
Father of immeasurable majesty,–
True Son, only-begotten, worthy of worship,–
Holy Spirit, our Advocate.
You, Christ:–
You are the king of glory.–
You are the Father’s eternal Son.–
You, to free mankind, did not disdain a Virgin’s womb.–
You defeated the sharp spear of Death,
and opened the kingdom of heaven to those who believe in you.–
You sit at God’s right hand, in the glory of the Father.–
You will come, so we believe, as our Judge.
And so we ask of you:
give help to your servants,
whom you set free at the price of your precious blood.
Number them among your chosen ones in eternal glory.
Bring your people to safety, Lord,
and bless those who are your inheritance.
Rule them and lift them high for ever.
Day by day we bless you, Lord:
we praise you for ever and for ever.
Of your goodness, Lord, keep us without sin for today.
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us.
Let your pity, Lord, be upon us,
as much as we trust in you.
In you, Lord, I trust:
let me never be put to shame.
Concluding Prayer
God, you chose to give us the Holy Family as an example to be followed:
grant that we may follow that example,
binding ourselves in virtue and mutual love,
so that we may come to your house at the last
and receive our eternal reward.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
Amen.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Christmas Morn
December 25, 2008
The Nativity of the Lord
Christmas
Mass at Dawn
Reading 1
Is 62:11-12
See, the LORD proclaims to the ends of the earth:
say to daughter Zion,your savior comes!
Here is his reward with him,
his recompense before him.
They shall be called the holy people,
the redeemed of the LORD,
and you shall be called “Frequented,”
a city that is not forsaken.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 97:1, 6, 11-12
R. A light will shine on us this day: the Lord is born for us.
The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice;
let the many isles be glad.
The heavens proclaim his justice,
and all peoples see his glory.
R. A light will shine on us this day: the Lord is born for us.
Light dawns for the just;
and gladness, for the upright of heart.
Be glad in the LORD, you just,
and give thanks to his holy name.
R. A light will shine on us this day: the Lord is born for us.
Reading II
Ti 3:4-7
Beloved: When the kindness and generous love of God our savior appeared,
not because of any righteous deeds we had done but because of his mercy,
He saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
whom he richly poured out on us through Jesus Christ our savior,
so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life.
Gospel
Lk 2:15-20
When the angels went away from them to heaven, the shepherds said to one another,
“Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.
Office of Readings
O Lord, open my lips.And my mouth will proclaim your praise.
Christ has been born for us: come, let us worship him.
Come, let us rejoice in the Lord, let us acclaim God our salvation.
Let us come before him proclaiming our thanks,
let us acclaim him with songs.
Christ has been born for us:
come, let us worship him.
For the Lord is a great God,
a king above all gods.
For he holds the depths of the earth in his hands,
and the peaks of the mountains are his.
For the sea is his: he made it;
and his hands formed the dry land.
Christ has been born for us: come, let us worship him.
Come, let us worship and bow down,
bend the knee before the Lord who made us;
for he himself is our God and we are his flock,
the sheep that follow his hand.
Christ has been born for us: come,
let us worship him.
If only, today, you would listen to his voice:
“Do not harden your heartsas you did at Meribah,
on the day of Massah in the desert,
when your fathers tested me –
they put me to the test,
although they had seen my works.”
Christ has been born for us: come, let us worship him.
“For forty years they wearied me, that generation.
I said: their hearts are wandering, they do not know my paths.
I swore in my anger: they will never enter my place of rest.”
Christ has been born for us: come, let us worship him.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.
Psalm 2
The Messiah, king and victor
Why are the nations in a ferment? Why do the people make their vain plans?
The kings of the earth have risen up;
the leaders have united against the Lord, against his anointed.
“Let us break their chains, that bind us; let us throw off their yoke from our shoulders!”
The Lord laughs at them, he who lives in the heavens derides them.
Then he speaks to them in his anger; in his fury he throws them into confusion:
“But I – I have set up my king on Sion, my holy mountain.”
I will proclaim the Lord’s decrees.
The Lord has said to me: “You are my son: today I have begotten you.
Ask me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance,
the ends of the earth for you to possess. You will rule them with a rod of iron,
break them in pieces like an earthen pot.”
So now, kings, listen: understand, you who rule the land.
Serve the Lord in fear, tremble even as you praise him.
Learn his teaching, lest he take anger, lest you perish when his anger bursts into flame.
Blessed are all who put their trust in the Lord.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.
Psalm 18 (19)
Praise of God the creator
The skies tell the story of the glory of God,
the firmament proclaims the work of his hands;
day pours out the news to day,
night passes to night the knowledge.
Not a speech, not a word,
not a voice goes unheard.
Their sound is spread throughout the earth,
their message to all the corners of the world.
At the ends of the earth he has set up
a dwelling place for the sun.
Like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
it rejoices like an athlete at the race to be run.
It appears at the edge of the sky,
runs its course to the sky’s furthest edge.
Nothing can hide from its heat.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.
Psalm 44 (45)
The wedding of the King
My heart cries out on a joyful theme:
I will tell my poem to the king,
my tongue like the pen of the swiftest scribe.
You have been given more than human beauty,
and grace is poured out upon your lips,
so that God has blessed you for ever.
Strap your sword to your side, mighty one,
in all your greatness and splendour.
In your splendour go forth, mount your chariot,
on behalf of truth, kindness and justice.
Let your right hand show you marvels,
let your arrows be sharp against the hearts of the king’s enemies –
the peoples will fall before you.
Your throne is firm, O God, from age to age,
your royal sceptre is a sceptre of justice.
You love uprightness, hate injustice –
for God, your God has anointed you
with the oil of gladness, above all your companions.
Myrrh and aloes and cassia anoint your garments.
From ivory palaces the sound of harps delights you.
In your retinue go the daughters of kings.
At your right hand, the queen is adorned with gold of Ophir.
Listen, my daughter, and understand;
turn your ears to what I have to say.
Forget your people, forget your father’s house,
and the king will desire you for your beauty.
He is your lord, so worship him.
The daughters of Tyre will bring you gifts;
the richest of your subjects will beg you to look on them.
How great is the king’s daughter, within the palace!
She is clothed in woven gold.
She will be taken to the king in coloured garments,
her maidens will escort her to your presence.
In gladness and rejoicing they are brought
and led to the house of the king.
Instead of your fathers you will have sons:
you will make them rulers over all the world.
I will remember your name
from generation to generation.
And so your people will do you honour for ever and for ever.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.
Reading
Isaiah 11:1-10
A shoot springs from the stock of Jesse,
a scion thrusts from his roots:
on him the spirit of the Lord rests,
a spirit of wisdom and insight,
a spirit of counsel and power,
a spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.
(The fear of the Lord is his breath.)
He does not judge by appearances,
he gives no verdict on hearsay,
but judges the wretched with integrity,
and with equity gives a verdict for the poor of the land.
His word is a rod that strikes the ruthless,
his sentences bring death to the wicked.
Integrity is the loincloth round his waist,
faithfulness the belt about his hips.
The wolf lives with the lamb,
the panther lies down with the kid,
calf and lion feed together,
with a little boy to lead them.
The cow and the bear make friends,
their young lie down together.
The lion eats straw like the ox.
The infant plays over the cobra’s hole;
into the viper’s lair
the young child puts his hand.
They do no hurt,
no harm,on all my holy mountain,
for the country is filled with the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters swell the sea.
That day, the root of Jesse
shall stand as a signal to the peoples.
It will be sought out by the nations
and its home will be glorious.
Reading
A sermon of Pope St Leo the Great
Christian, remember your dignity
Dearly beloved, today our Saviour is born; let us rejoice. Sadness should have no place on the birthday of life. The fear of death has been swallowed up; life brings us joy with the promise of eternal happiness.
No one is shut out from this joy; all share the same reason for rejoicing. Our Lord, victor over sin and death, finding no man free from sin, came to free us all. Let the saint rejoice as he sees the palm of victory at hand. Let the sinner be glad as he receives the offer of forgiveness. Let the pagan take courage as he is summoned to life. In the fullness of time, chosen in the unfathomable depths of God’s wisdom, the Son of God took for himself our common humanity in order to reconcile it with its creator. He came to overthrow the devil, the origin of death, in that very nature by which he had overthrown mankind.
And so at the birth of our Lord the angels sing in joy: Glory to God in the highest, and they proclaim peace to men of good will as they see the heavenly Jerusalem being built from all the nations of the world. When the angels on high are so exultant at this marvellous work of God’s goodness, what joy should it not bring to the lowly hearts of men? Beloved, let us give thanks to God the Father, through his Son, in the Holy Spirit, because in his great love for us he took pity on us, and when we were dead in our sins he brought us to life with Christ, so that in him we might be a new creation. Let us throw off our old nature and all its ways and, as we have come to birth in Christ, let us renounce the works of the flesh.
Christian, remember your dignity, and now that you share in God’s own nature, do not return by sin to your former base condition. Bear in mind who is your head and of whose body you are a member. Do not forget that you have been rescued from the power of darkness and brought into the light of God’s kingdom. Through the sacrament of baptism you have become a temple of the Holy Spirit. Do not drive away so great a guest by evil conduct and become again a slave to the devil, for your liberty was bought by the blood of Christ.
Hymn
Te Deum
God, we praise you; Lord, we proclaim you!
You, the Father, the eternal –
all the earth venerates you.
All the angels, all the heavens, every power –
The cherubim, the seraphim –
unceasingly, they cry:“Holy, Holy, Holy,
Lord God of Hosts:heaven and earth are full of the majesty of your glory!”
The glorious choir of Apostles –
The noble ranks of prophets –
The shining army of martyrs –
all praise you.
Throughout the world your holy Church proclaims you.–
Father of immeasurable majesty,–
True Son, only-begotten, worthy of worship,–
Holy Spirit, our Advocate.
You, Christ:–
You are the king of glory.–
You are the Father’s eternal Son.–
You, to free mankind, did not disdain a Virgin’s womb.–
You defeated the sharp spear of Death,
and opened the kingdom of heaven to those who believe in you.–
You sit at God’s right hand, in the glory of the Father.–
You will come, so we believe, as our Judge.
And so we ask of you: give help to your servants,
whom you set free at the price of your precious blood.
Number them among your chosen ones in eternal glory.
Bring your people to safety, Lord,
and bless those who are your inheritance.
Rule them and lift them high for ever.
Day by day we bless you, Lord:
we praise you for ever and for ever.
Of your goodness, Lord, keep us without sin for today.
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us.
Let your pity, Lord, be upon us, as much as we trust in you.
In you, Lord, I trust:
let me never be put to shame.
Concluding Prayer
O God, human nature is the wonderful work of your hands;
still more wonderful, the way you redeemed it.
We ask you to make us sharers in the divinity of Christ,
who deigned to share in our humanity.
He lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
Amen.
The Nativity of the Lord
Christmas
Mass at Dawn
Reading 1
Is 62:11-12
See, the LORD proclaims to the ends of the earth:
say to daughter Zion,your savior comes!
Here is his reward with him,
his recompense before him.
They shall be called the holy people,
the redeemed of the LORD,
and you shall be called “Frequented,”
a city that is not forsaken.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 97:1, 6, 11-12
R. A light will shine on us this day: the Lord is born for us.
The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice;
let the many isles be glad.
The heavens proclaim his justice,
and all peoples see his glory.
R. A light will shine on us this day: the Lord is born for us.
Light dawns for the just;
and gladness, for the upright of heart.
Be glad in the LORD, you just,
and give thanks to his holy name.
R. A light will shine on us this day: the Lord is born for us.
Reading II
Ti 3:4-7
Beloved: When the kindness and generous love of God our savior appeared,
not because of any righteous deeds we had done but because of his mercy,
He saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
whom he richly poured out on us through Jesus Christ our savior,
so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life.
Gospel
Lk 2:15-20
When the angels went away from them to heaven, the shepherds said to one another,
“Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.
Office of Readings
O Lord, open my lips.And my mouth will proclaim your praise.
Christ has been born for us: come, let us worship him.
Come, let us rejoice in the Lord, let us acclaim God our salvation.
Let us come before him proclaiming our thanks,
let us acclaim him with songs.
Christ has been born for us:
come, let us worship him.
For the Lord is a great God,
a king above all gods.
For he holds the depths of the earth in his hands,
and the peaks of the mountains are his.
For the sea is his: he made it;
and his hands formed the dry land.
Christ has been born for us: come, let us worship him.
Come, let us worship and bow down,
bend the knee before the Lord who made us;
for he himself is our God and we are his flock,
the sheep that follow his hand.
Christ has been born for us: come,
let us worship him.
If only, today, you would listen to his voice:
“Do not harden your heartsas you did at Meribah,
on the day of Massah in the desert,
when your fathers tested me –
they put me to the test,
although they had seen my works.”
Christ has been born for us: come, let us worship him.
“For forty years they wearied me, that generation.
I said: their hearts are wandering, they do not know my paths.
I swore in my anger: they will never enter my place of rest.”
Christ has been born for us: come, let us worship him.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.
Psalm 2
The Messiah, king and victor
Why are the nations in a ferment? Why do the people make their vain plans?
The kings of the earth have risen up;
the leaders have united against the Lord, against his anointed.
“Let us break their chains, that bind us; let us throw off their yoke from our shoulders!”
The Lord laughs at them, he who lives in the heavens derides them.
Then he speaks to them in his anger; in his fury he throws them into confusion:
“But I – I have set up my king on Sion, my holy mountain.”
I will proclaim the Lord’s decrees.
The Lord has said to me: “You are my son: today I have begotten you.
Ask me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance,
the ends of the earth for you to possess. You will rule them with a rod of iron,
break them in pieces like an earthen pot.”
So now, kings, listen: understand, you who rule the land.
Serve the Lord in fear, tremble even as you praise him.
Learn his teaching, lest he take anger, lest you perish when his anger bursts into flame.
Blessed are all who put their trust in the Lord.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.
Psalm 18 (19)
Praise of God the creator
The skies tell the story of the glory of God,
the firmament proclaims the work of his hands;
day pours out the news to day,
night passes to night the knowledge.
Not a speech, not a word,
not a voice goes unheard.
Their sound is spread throughout the earth,
their message to all the corners of the world.
At the ends of the earth he has set up
a dwelling place for the sun.
Like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
it rejoices like an athlete at the race to be run.
It appears at the edge of the sky,
runs its course to the sky’s furthest edge.
Nothing can hide from its heat.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.
Psalm 44 (45)
The wedding of the King
My heart cries out on a joyful theme:
I will tell my poem to the king,
my tongue like the pen of the swiftest scribe.
You have been given more than human beauty,
and grace is poured out upon your lips,
so that God has blessed you for ever.
Strap your sword to your side, mighty one,
in all your greatness and splendour.
In your splendour go forth, mount your chariot,
on behalf of truth, kindness and justice.
Let your right hand show you marvels,
let your arrows be sharp against the hearts of the king’s enemies –
the peoples will fall before you.
Your throne is firm, O God, from age to age,
your royal sceptre is a sceptre of justice.
You love uprightness, hate injustice –
for God, your God has anointed you
with the oil of gladness, above all your companions.
Myrrh and aloes and cassia anoint your garments.
From ivory palaces the sound of harps delights you.
In your retinue go the daughters of kings.
At your right hand, the queen is adorned with gold of Ophir.
Listen, my daughter, and understand;
turn your ears to what I have to say.
Forget your people, forget your father’s house,
and the king will desire you for your beauty.
He is your lord, so worship him.
The daughters of Tyre will bring you gifts;
the richest of your subjects will beg you to look on them.
How great is the king’s daughter, within the palace!
She is clothed in woven gold.
She will be taken to the king in coloured garments,
her maidens will escort her to your presence.
In gladness and rejoicing they are brought
and led to the house of the king.
Instead of your fathers you will have sons:
you will make them rulers over all the world.
I will remember your name
from generation to generation.
And so your people will do you honour for ever and for ever.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.
Reading
Isaiah 11:1-10
A shoot springs from the stock of Jesse,
a scion thrusts from his roots:
on him the spirit of the Lord rests,
a spirit of wisdom and insight,
a spirit of counsel and power,
a spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.
(The fear of the Lord is his breath.)
He does not judge by appearances,
he gives no verdict on hearsay,
but judges the wretched with integrity,
and with equity gives a verdict for the poor of the land.
His word is a rod that strikes the ruthless,
his sentences bring death to the wicked.
Integrity is the loincloth round his waist,
faithfulness the belt about his hips.
The wolf lives with the lamb,
the panther lies down with the kid,
calf and lion feed together,
with a little boy to lead them.
The cow and the bear make friends,
their young lie down together.
The lion eats straw like the ox.
The infant plays over the cobra’s hole;
into the viper’s lair
the young child puts his hand.
They do no hurt,
no harm,on all my holy mountain,
for the country is filled with the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters swell the sea.
That day, the root of Jesse
shall stand as a signal to the peoples.
It will be sought out by the nations
and its home will be glorious.
Reading
A sermon of Pope St Leo the Great
Christian, remember your dignity
Dearly beloved, today our Saviour is born; let us rejoice. Sadness should have no place on the birthday of life. The fear of death has been swallowed up; life brings us joy with the promise of eternal happiness.
No one is shut out from this joy; all share the same reason for rejoicing. Our Lord, victor over sin and death, finding no man free from sin, came to free us all. Let the saint rejoice as he sees the palm of victory at hand. Let the sinner be glad as he receives the offer of forgiveness. Let the pagan take courage as he is summoned to life. In the fullness of time, chosen in the unfathomable depths of God’s wisdom, the Son of God took for himself our common humanity in order to reconcile it with its creator. He came to overthrow the devil, the origin of death, in that very nature by which he had overthrown mankind.
And so at the birth of our Lord the angels sing in joy: Glory to God in the highest, and they proclaim peace to men of good will as they see the heavenly Jerusalem being built from all the nations of the world. When the angels on high are so exultant at this marvellous work of God’s goodness, what joy should it not bring to the lowly hearts of men? Beloved, let us give thanks to God the Father, through his Son, in the Holy Spirit, because in his great love for us he took pity on us, and when we were dead in our sins he brought us to life with Christ, so that in him we might be a new creation. Let us throw off our old nature and all its ways and, as we have come to birth in Christ, let us renounce the works of the flesh.
Christian, remember your dignity, and now that you share in God’s own nature, do not return by sin to your former base condition. Bear in mind who is your head and of whose body you are a member. Do not forget that you have been rescued from the power of darkness and brought into the light of God’s kingdom. Through the sacrament of baptism you have become a temple of the Holy Spirit. Do not drive away so great a guest by evil conduct and become again a slave to the devil, for your liberty was bought by the blood of Christ.
Hymn
Te Deum
God, we praise you; Lord, we proclaim you!
You, the Father, the eternal –
all the earth venerates you.
All the angels, all the heavens, every power –
The cherubim, the seraphim –
unceasingly, they cry:“Holy, Holy, Holy,
Lord God of Hosts:heaven and earth are full of the majesty of your glory!”
The glorious choir of Apostles –
The noble ranks of prophets –
The shining army of martyrs –
all praise you.
Throughout the world your holy Church proclaims you.–
Father of immeasurable majesty,–
True Son, only-begotten, worthy of worship,–
Holy Spirit, our Advocate.
You, Christ:–
You are the king of glory.–
You are the Father’s eternal Son.–
You, to free mankind, did not disdain a Virgin’s womb.–
You defeated the sharp spear of Death,
and opened the kingdom of heaven to those who believe in you.–
You sit at God’s right hand, in the glory of the Father.–
You will come, so we believe, as our Judge.
And so we ask of you: give help to your servants,
whom you set free at the price of your precious blood.
Number them among your chosen ones in eternal glory.
Bring your people to safety, Lord,
and bless those who are your inheritance.
Rule them and lift them high for ever.
Day by day we bless you, Lord:
we praise you for ever and for ever.
Of your goodness, Lord, keep us without sin for today.
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us.
Let your pity, Lord, be upon us, as much as we trust in you.
In you, Lord, I trust:
let me never be put to shame.
Concluding Prayer
O God, human nature is the wonderful work of your hands;
still more wonderful, the way you redeemed it.
We ask you to make us sharers in the divinity of Christ,
who deigned to share in our humanity.
He lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
Amen.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Contemplation on the Gospel -4th Sunday of Advent
The Gospel for today is the story of the Annunciation which is the meditation for the first Joyful mystery. I love that particular mystery because every Monday and Saturday, I am reminded of Christmas.
The gospel story also reminded me of a couple of parables that our Lord taught us that were recorded in Matthew chapter 13:
44 ... the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
The announcement from God Almighty, delivered by an Archangel of Heaven to a poor Jewish girl living in an obscure little village in Galilee, was nothing less than the news that God was going to save us all!
And what was the response from the young girl whom the angel called "full of grace"? The young girl, who was prepared from the moment of her conception for this very time. She, who came to be the Mother of the Living, the new Eve. She , who by her obedience undid the disobedience of Eve, said quietly "may it be done unto me according to your word".
This girl, who undoubtedly had plans of her own for her life, "sold all that she had" to accept her vocation, knowing it could bring shame to her family and even stoning. She "bought the field" to bring the Savior to the world.
She did this for the kingdom of heaven, for the pearl of great price, for the treasure hidden in a field. The result was that the King of the Universe was born, hidden among us, and became one of us in order to save us.
Let nothing hinder us from following Mary's example. Let us learn to say simply "may it be done unto me according to your word".
The gospel story also reminded me of a couple of parables that our Lord taught us that were recorded in Matthew chapter 13:
44 ... the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
The announcement from God Almighty, delivered by an Archangel of Heaven to a poor Jewish girl living in an obscure little village in Galilee, was nothing less than the news that God was going to save us all!
And what was the response from the young girl whom the angel called "full of grace"? The young girl, who was prepared from the moment of her conception for this very time. She, who came to be the Mother of the Living, the new Eve. She , who by her obedience undid the disobedience of Eve, said quietly "may it be done unto me according to your word".
This girl, who undoubtedly had plans of her own for her life, "sold all that she had" to accept her vocation, knowing it could bring shame to her family and even stoning. She "bought the field" to bring the Savior to the world.
She did this for the kingdom of heaven, for the pearl of great price, for the treasure hidden in a field. The result was that the King of the Universe was born, hidden among us, and became one of us in order to save us.
Let nothing hinder us from following Mary's example. Let us learn to say simply "may it be done unto me according to your word".
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Readings for the Fourth Sunday of Advent
Fourth Sunday of Advent Reading 1
Reading 1
2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16
When King David was settled in his palace,
and the LORD had given him rest from his enemies on every side,
he said to Nathan the prophet,
“Here I am living in a house of cedar,
while the ark of God dwells in a tent!”
Nathan answered the king,
“Go, do whatever you have in mind,
for the LORD is with you.”
But that night the LORD spoke to Nathan and said:
“Go, tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD:
Should you build me a house to dwell in?’
“It was I who took you from the pasture
and from the care of the flock
to be commander of my people Israel.
I have been with you wherever you went,
and I have destroyed all your enemies before you.
And I will make you famous like the great ones of the earth.
I will fix a place for my people Israel;
I will plant them so that they may dwell in their place
without further disturbance.
Neither shall the wicked continue to afflict them as they did of old,
since the time I first appointed judges over my people Israel.
I will give you rest from all your enemies.
The LORD also reveals to you
that he will establish a house for you.
And when your time comes and you rest with your ancestors,
I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins,
and I will make his kingdom firm.
I will be a father to him,
and he shall be a son to me.
Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me;
your throne shall stand firm forever.”
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 89:2-3, 4-5, 27, 29
R. (2a) For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
The promises of the LORD I will sing forever;
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness.
For you have said, “My kindness is established forever”;
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
“I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant:
Forever will I confirm your posterity
and establish your throne for all generations.”
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
“He shall say of me, ‘You are my father,
my God, the Rock, my savior.’
Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him,
and my covenant with him stands firm.”
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
Reading II
Rom 16:25-27
Brothers and sisters:
To him who can strengthen you,
according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ,
according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret for long ages
but now manifested through the prophetic writings and,
according to the command of the eternal God,
made known to all nations to bring about the obedience of faith,
to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ
be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Gospel
Lk 1:26-38
The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
“Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“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, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.
Office of Readings
O Lord, open my lips.And my mouth will proclaim your praise.
Come, let us worship the Lord, for he is already close at hand.
Come, let us rejoice in the Lord, let us acclaim God our salvation.Let us come before him proclaiming our thanks, let us acclaim him with songs.
Come, let us worship the Lord, for he is already close at hand.
For the Lord is a great God, a king above all gods.For he holds the depths of the earth in his hands, and the peaks of the mountains are his.For the sea is his: he made it; and his hands formed the dry land.
Come, let us worship the Lord, for he is already close at hand.
Come, let us worship and bow down, bend the knee before the Lord who made us;for he himself is our God and we are his flock, the sheep that follow his hand.
Come, let us worship the Lord, for he is already close at hand.
If only, today, you would listen to his voice: “Do not harden your heartsas you did at Meribah, on the day of Massah in the desert, when your fathers tested me –they put me to the test, although they had seen my works.”
Come, let us worship the Lord, for he is already close at hand.
“For forty years they wearied me, that generation.I said: their hearts are wandering, they do not know my paths.I swore in my anger: they will never enter my place of rest.��
Come, let us worship the Lord, for he is already close at hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.Amen.
Psalm 23 (24)
The Lord comes to his temple
The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness, the world and all who live in it.
He himself founded it upon the seas and set it firm over the waters.
Who will climb the mountain of the Lord?
Who will stand in his holy place?
The one who is innocent of wrongdoing and pure of heart,
who has not given himself to vanities or sworn falsely.
He will receive the blessing of the Lord and be justified by God his saviour.
This is the way of those who seek him, seek the face of the God of Jacob.
Gates, raise your heads. Stand up, eternal doors, and let the king of glory enter.
Who is the king of glory?The Lord of might and power.
The Lord, strong in battle.Gates, raise your heads.
Stand up, eternal doors, and let the king of glory enter.
Who is the king of glory?The Lord of hosts – he is the king of glory.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.
Psalm 65 (66)
Hymn for a sacrifice of thanksgiving
Cry out to God, all the earth, sing psalms to the glory of his name,
give him all glory and praise.
Say to God, “How tremendous your works!
Faced with the greatness of your power your enemies dwindle away.
Let all the earth worship you and sing your praises,
sing psalms to your name.
”Come and see the works of God,
be awed by what he has done for the children of men.
He turned the sea into dry land,
and they crossed the waters on foot:
therefore will we rejoice in him.
In his might he will rule for all time,
his eyes keep watch on the nations:
no rebellion will ever succeed.
Bless our God, you nations,
and let the sound of your praises be heard.
Praise him who brought us to life,
and saved us from stumbling.
For you have tested us, O Lord, you have tried us by fire, as silver is tried.
You led us into the trap,
heaped tribulations upon us.
You set other men to rule over us –
but we passed through fire and water, and you led us out to our rest.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.
Psalm 65 (66)
I shall enter your house with burnt-offerings.
I shall fulfil my vows to you,
the vows that I made with my lips,
the vows that I uttered in my troubles.
I shall offer you rich burnt-offerings,
the smoke of the flesh of rams;
I shall offer you cattle and goats.
Draw near and listen, you who fear the Lord,
and I will tell all that he has done for me.
I cried out aloud to him, and his praise was on my tongue.
If I looked upon sin in the depths of my heart,
the Lord would not hear me –
but the Lord has listened,
he has heard the cry of my appeal.
Blessed be God, who has not spurned my prayer,
who has not kept his mercy from me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.
Reading
Isaiah 48:12-21,49:9-13
Listen to me,
Jacob,Israel whom I have called:
I am the first,
I am also the last.
My hand laid the foundations of earth
and my right hand spread out the heavens.
I summon themand they all come forward together.
Assemble, all of you, and listen;
which of them has foretold this?
‘My beloved will perform my pleasurewith Babylon and the offspring of the Chaldaeans.’
I, yes I myself, have spoken and summoned him,
brought him and prospered his plans.
Come near and listen to this:
from the beginning I have never spoken to you obscurely,
and all the time these things have been happening,
I have been present.–
And now the Lord, with his spirit,sends me.
Thus says the Lord, your redeemer,
the Holy One of Israel:
I, the Lord, your God, teach you what is good for you,
I lead you in the way that you must go.
If only you had been alert to my commandments,
your happiness would have been like a river,
your integrity like the waves of the sea.
Your children would have been numbered like the sand,
your descendants as many as its grains.
Never would your name have been cut off or blotted out before me.
Go away from Babylon!
Flee from the Chaldaeans!
Declare this with cries of joy and proclaim it,
send it out to the ends of the earth.
Say, ‘The Lord has redeemed his servant Jacob.
’Those he led through the deserts never went thirsty;
he made water spring for them from the rock,
he split the rock and water flowed.
On every roadway they will graze,and each bare height shall be their pasture.
They will never hunger or thirst,
scorching wind and sun shall never plague them;
for he who pities them will lead them and guide them to springs of water.
I will make a highway of all the mountains,
and the high roads shall be banked up.
Some are on their way from afar,
others from the north and the west,
others from the land of Sinim.Shout for joy,
you heavens; exult, you earth!
You mountains, break into happy cries!
For the Lord consoles his people and takes pity on those who are afflicted.
Reading
St Ambrose's commentary on St Luke's Gospel
The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The angel Gabriel had announced the news of something that was as yet hidden and so, to buttress the Virgin Mary’s faith by means of a real example, he told her also that an old and sterile woman had conceived, showing that everything that God willed was possible to God. When Mary heard this she did not disbelieve the prophecy, she was not uncertain of the message, she did not doubt the example: but happy because of the promise that had been given, eager to fulfil her duty as a cousin, hurried by her joy, she went up into the hill country.Where could she hurry to except to the hills, filled with God as she was? The grace of the Holy Spirit does not admit of delays. And Mary’s arrival and the presence of her Son quickly show their effects: As soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting her child leapt in her womb and she was filled with the Holy Spirit.
See the careful distinction in the choice of words. Elizabeth was the first to hear the voice but her son John was the first to feel the effects of grace. She heard as one hears in the natural course of things; he leapt because of the mystery that was there. She sensed the coming of Mary, he the coming of the Lord — the woman knew the woman, the child knew the child. The women speak of grace while inside them grace works on their babies. And by a double miracle the women prophesy under the inspiration of their unborn children. The infant leapt and the mother was filled with the Spirit. The mother was not filled before her son: her son was filled with the Holy Spirit and in turn filled his mother. John leapt and so did Mary’s spirit. John leapt and filled Elizabeth with the Spirit; but we know that Mary was not filled but her spirit rejoiced.
For the Incomprehensible was working incomprehensibly within his mother. Elizabeth had been filled with the Spirit after she conceived, but Mary before, at the moment the angel had come. “Blessed are you,” said Elizabeth, “who believed”. You too, my people, are blessed, you who have heard and who believe. Every soul that believes — that soul both conceives and gives birth to the Word of God and recognises his works.Let the soul of Mary be in each one of you, to proclaim the greatness of the Lord. Let the spirit of Mary be in each one of you, to rejoice in God. According to the flesh only one woman can be the mother of Christ but in the world of faith Christ is the fruit of all of us. For every soul can receive the Word of God if only it is pure and preserves itself in chastity and modesty.The soul that has been able to reach this state proclaims the greatness of the Lord just as Mary did and rejoices in God its saviour just like her.The Lord’s greatness is proclaimed, as you have read elsewhere, where it says Join me in magnifying the Lord. This does not mean that anything can be added to the Lord’s greatness by human words, but that he is magnified in us. Christ is the image of God and so any good or religious act that a soul performs magnifies that image of God in that soul, the God in whose likeness the soul itself was made. And thus the soul itself has some share in his greatness and is ennobled.
Hymn
Te Deum
God, we praise you; Lord, we proclaim you!
You, the Father, the eternal –
all the earth venerates you.
All the angels, all the heavens,
every power –
The cherubim, the seraphim –
unceasingly, they cry:
“Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts:
heaven and earth are full of the majesty of your glory!
”The glorious choir of Apostles –
The noble ranks of prophets –
The shining army of martyrs –
all praise you.
Throughout the world your holy Church proclaims you.–
Father of immeasurable majesty,–
True Son, only-begotten, worthy of worship,–
Holy Spirit, our Advocate.
You, Christ:–
You are the king of glory.–
You are the Father’s eternal Son.–
You, to free mankind, did not disdain a Virgin’s womb.–
You defeated the sharp spear of Death,
and opened the kingdom of heaven to those who believe in you.–
You sit at God’s right hand, in the glory of the Father.–
You will come, so we believe, as our Judge.
And so we ask of you: give help to your servants,
whom you set free at the price of your precious blood.
Number them among your chosen ones in eternal glory.
Bring your people to safety,
Lord, and bless those who are your inheritance.
Rule them and lift them high for ever.
Day by day we bless you,
Lord: we praise you for ever and for ever.
Of your goodness, Lord, keep us without sin for today.
Have mercy on us,
Lord, have mercy on us.
Let your pity, Lord, be upon us, as much as we trust in you.
In you, Lord, I trust:
let me never be put to shame.
Concluding Prayer
Lord, we ask you to pour your grace into our minds. May we who learned from an angel of the coming of your Son come through his passion and cross to the glory of the Resurrection.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever.
Amen.
Reading 1
2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16
When King David was settled in his palace,
and the LORD had given him rest from his enemies on every side,
he said to Nathan the prophet,
“Here I am living in a house of cedar,
while the ark of God dwells in a tent!”
Nathan answered the king,
“Go, do whatever you have in mind,
for the LORD is with you.”
But that night the LORD spoke to Nathan and said:
“Go, tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD:
Should you build me a house to dwell in?’
“It was I who took you from the pasture
and from the care of the flock
to be commander of my people Israel.
I have been with you wherever you went,
and I have destroyed all your enemies before you.
And I will make you famous like the great ones of the earth.
I will fix a place for my people Israel;
I will plant them so that they may dwell in their place
without further disturbance.
Neither shall the wicked continue to afflict them as they did of old,
since the time I first appointed judges over my people Israel.
I will give you rest from all your enemies.
The LORD also reveals to you
that he will establish a house for you.
And when your time comes and you rest with your ancestors,
I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins,
and I will make his kingdom firm.
I will be a father to him,
and he shall be a son to me.
Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me;
your throne shall stand firm forever.”
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 89:2-3, 4-5, 27, 29
R. (2a) For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
The promises of the LORD I will sing forever;
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness.
For you have said, “My kindness is established forever”;
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
“I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant:
Forever will I confirm your posterity
and establish your throne for all generations.”
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
“He shall say of me, ‘You are my father,
my God, the Rock, my savior.’
Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him,
and my covenant with him stands firm.”
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
Reading II
Rom 16:25-27
Brothers and sisters:
To him who can strengthen you,
according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ,
according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret for long ages
but now manifested through the prophetic writings and,
according to the command of the eternal God,
made known to all nations to bring about the obedience of faith,
to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ
be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Gospel
Lk 1:26-38
The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
“Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“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, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.
Office of Readings
O Lord, open my lips.And my mouth will proclaim your praise.
Come, let us worship the Lord, for he is already close at hand.
Come, let us rejoice in the Lord, let us acclaim God our salvation.Let us come before him proclaiming our thanks, let us acclaim him with songs.
Come, let us worship the Lord, for he is already close at hand.
For the Lord is a great God, a king above all gods.For he holds the depths of the earth in his hands, and the peaks of the mountains are his.For the sea is his: he made it; and his hands formed the dry land.
Come, let us worship the Lord, for he is already close at hand.
Come, let us worship and bow down, bend the knee before the Lord who made us;for he himself is our God and we are his flock, the sheep that follow his hand.
Come, let us worship the Lord, for he is already close at hand.
If only, today, you would listen to his voice: “Do not harden your heartsas you did at Meribah, on the day of Massah in the desert, when your fathers tested me –they put me to the test, although they had seen my works.”
Come, let us worship the Lord, for he is already close at hand.
“For forty years they wearied me, that generation.I said: their hearts are wandering, they do not know my paths.I swore in my anger: they will never enter my place of rest.��
Come, let us worship the Lord, for he is already close at hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.Amen.
Psalm 23 (24)
The Lord comes to his temple
The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness, the world and all who live in it.
He himself founded it upon the seas and set it firm over the waters.
Who will climb the mountain of the Lord?
Who will stand in his holy place?
The one who is innocent of wrongdoing and pure of heart,
who has not given himself to vanities or sworn falsely.
He will receive the blessing of the Lord and be justified by God his saviour.
This is the way of those who seek him, seek the face of the God of Jacob.
Gates, raise your heads. Stand up, eternal doors, and let the king of glory enter.
Who is the king of glory?The Lord of might and power.
The Lord, strong in battle.Gates, raise your heads.
Stand up, eternal doors, and let the king of glory enter.
Who is the king of glory?The Lord of hosts – he is the king of glory.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.
Psalm 65 (66)
Hymn for a sacrifice of thanksgiving
Cry out to God, all the earth, sing psalms to the glory of his name,
give him all glory and praise.
Say to God, “How tremendous your works!
Faced with the greatness of your power your enemies dwindle away.
Let all the earth worship you and sing your praises,
sing psalms to your name.
”Come and see the works of God,
be awed by what he has done for the children of men.
He turned the sea into dry land,
and they crossed the waters on foot:
therefore will we rejoice in him.
In his might he will rule for all time,
his eyes keep watch on the nations:
no rebellion will ever succeed.
Bless our God, you nations,
and let the sound of your praises be heard.
Praise him who brought us to life,
and saved us from stumbling.
For you have tested us, O Lord, you have tried us by fire, as silver is tried.
You led us into the trap,
heaped tribulations upon us.
You set other men to rule over us –
but we passed through fire and water, and you led us out to our rest.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.
Psalm 65 (66)
I shall enter your house with burnt-offerings.
I shall fulfil my vows to you,
the vows that I made with my lips,
the vows that I uttered in my troubles.
I shall offer you rich burnt-offerings,
the smoke of the flesh of rams;
I shall offer you cattle and goats.
Draw near and listen, you who fear the Lord,
and I will tell all that he has done for me.
I cried out aloud to him, and his praise was on my tongue.
If I looked upon sin in the depths of my heart,
the Lord would not hear me –
but the Lord has listened,
he has heard the cry of my appeal.
Blessed be God, who has not spurned my prayer,
who has not kept his mercy from me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.
Reading
Isaiah 48:12-21,49:9-13
Listen to me,
Jacob,Israel whom I have called:
I am the first,
I am also the last.
My hand laid the foundations of earth
and my right hand spread out the heavens.
I summon themand they all come forward together.
Assemble, all of you, and listen;
which of them has foretold this?
‘My beloved will perform my pleasurewith Babylon and the offspring of the Chaldaeans.’
I, yes I myself, have spoken and summoned him,
brought him and prospered his plans.
Come near and listen to this:
from the beginning I have never spoken to you obscurely,
and all the time these things have been happening,
I have been present.–
And now the Lord, with his spirit,sends me.
Thus says the Lord, your redeemer,
the Holy One of Israel:
I, the Lord, your God, teach you what is good for you,
I lead you in the way that you must go.
If only you had been alert to my commandments,
your happiness would have been like a river,
your integrity like the waves of the sea.
Your children would have been numbered like the sand,
your descendants as many as its grains.
Never would your name have been cut off or blotted out before me.
Go away from Babylon!
Flee from the Chaldaeans!
Declare this with cries of joy and proclaim it,
send it out to the ends of the earth.
Say, ‘The Lord has redeemed his servant Jacob.
’Those he led through the deserts never went thirsty;
he made water spring for them from the rock,
he split the rock and water flowed.
On every roadway they will graze,and each bare height shall be their pasture.
They will never hunger or thirst,
scorching wind and sun shall never plague them;
for he who pities them will lead them and guide them to springs of water.
I will make a highway of all the mountains,
and the high roads shall be banked up.
Some are on their way from afar,
others from the north and the west,
others from the land of Sinim.Shout for joy,
you heavens; exult, you earth!
You mountains, break into happy cries!
For the Lord consoles his people and takes pity on those who are afflicted.
Reading
St Ambrose's commentary on St Luke's Gospel
The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The angel Gabriel had announced the news of something that was as yet hidden and so, to buttress the Virgin Mary’s faith by means of a real example, he told her also that an old and sterile woman had conceived, showing that everything that God willed was possible to God. When Mary heard this she did not disbelieve the prophecy, she was not uncertain of the message, she did not doubt the example: but happy because of the promise that had been given, eager to fulfil her duty as a cousin, hurried by her joy, she went up into the hill country.Where could she hurry to except to the hills, filled with God as she was? The grace of the Holy Spirit does not admit of delays. And Mary’s arrival and the presence of her Son quickly show their effects: As soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting her child leapt in her womb and she was filled with the Holy Spirit.
See the careful distinction in the choice of words. Elizabeth was the first to hear the voice but her son John was the first to feel the effects of grace. She heard as one hears in the natural course of things; he leapt because of the mystery that was there. She sensed the coming of Mary, he the coming of the Lord — the woman knew the woman, the child knew the child. The women speak of grace while inside them grace works on their babies. And by a double miracle the women prophesy under the inspiration of their unborn children. The infant leapt and the mother was filled with the Spirit. The mother was not filled before her son: her son was filled with the Holy Spirit and in turn filled his mother. John leapt and so did Mary’s spirit. John leapt and filled Elizabeth with the Spirit; but we know that Mary was not filled but her spirit rejoiced.
For the Incomprehensible was working incomprehensibly within his mother. Elizabeth had been filled with the Spirit after she conceived, but Mary before, at the moment the angel had come. “Blessed are you,” said Elizabeth, “who believed”. You too, my people, are blessed, you who have heard and who believe. Every soul that believes — that soul both conceives and gives birth to the Word of God and recognises his works.Let the soul of Mary be in each one of you, to proclaim the greatness of the Lord. Let the spirit of Mary be in each one of you, to rejoice in God. According to the flesh only one woman can be the mother of Christ but in the world of faith Christ is the fruit of all of us. For every soul can receive the Word of God if only it is pure and preserves itself in chastity and modesty.The soul that has been able to reach this state proclaims the greatness of the Lord just as Mary did and rejoices in God its saviour just like her.The Lord’s greatness is proclaimed, as you have read elsewhere, where it says Join me in magnifying the Lord. This does not mean that anything can be added to the Lord’s greatness by human words, but that he is magnified in us. Christ is the image of God and so any good or religious act that a soul performs magnifies that image of God in that soul, the God in whose likeness the soul itself was made. And thus the soul itself has some share in his greatness and is ennobled.
Hymn
Te Deum
God, we praise you; Lord, we proclaim you!
You, the Father, the eternal –
all the earth venerates you.
All the angels, all the heavens,
every power –
The cherubim, the seraphim –
unceasingly, they cry:
“Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts:
heaven and earth are full of the majesty of your glory!
”The glorious choir of Apostles –
The noble ranks of prophets –
The shining army of martyrs –
all praise you.
Throughout the world your holy Church proclaims you.–
Father of immeasurable majesty,–
True Son, only-begotten, worthy of worship,–
Holy Spirit, our Advocate.
You, Christ:–
You are the king of glory.–
You are the Father’s eternal Son.–
You, to free mankind, did not disdain a Virgin’s womb.–
You defeated the sharp spear of Death,
and opened the kingdom of heaven to those who believe in you.–
You sit at God’s right hand, in the glory of the Father.–
You will come, so we believe, as our Judge.
And so we ask of you: give help to your servants,
whom you set free at the price of your precious blood.
Number them among your chosen ones in eternal glory.
Bring your people to safety,
Lord, and bless those who are your inheritance.
Rule them and lift them high for ever.
Day by day we bless you,
Lord: we praise you for ever and for ever.
Of your goodness, Lord, keep us without sin for today.
Have mercy on us,
Lord, have mercy on us.
Let your pity, Lord, be upon us, as much as we trust in you.
In you, Lord, I trust:
let me never be put to shame.
Concluding Prayer
Lord, we ask you to pour your grace into our minds. May we who learned from an angel of the coming of your Son come through his passion and cross to the glory of the Resurrection.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever.
Amen.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Monday of the Third Week of Advent
| From the Office of Readings Reading Isaiah 30:18-26 | |
|---|---|
| The Lord is waiting to be gracious to you, to rise and take pity on you, for the Lord is a just God; happy are all who hope in him. Yes, people of Zion, you will live in Jerusalem and weep no more. He will be gracious to you when he hears your cry; when he hears he will answer. When the Lord has given you the bread of suffering and the water of distress, he who is your teacher will hide no longer, and you will see your teacher with your own eyes. Whether you turn to right or left, your ears will hear these words behind you, ‘This is the way, follow it.’ You will regard your silvered idols and gilded images as unclean. You will throw them away like the polluted things they are, shouting after them, ‘Good riddance!’ He will send rain for the seed you sow in the ground, and the bread that the ground provides will be rich and nourishing. Your cattle will graze, that day, in wide pastures. Oxen and donkeys that till the ground will eat a salted fodder, winnowed with shovel and fork. On every lofty mountain, on every high hill there will be streams and watercourses, on the day of the great slaughter when the strongholds fall. Then moonlight will be bright as sunlight and sunlight itself be seven times brighter – like the light of seven days in one – on the day the Lord dresses the wound of his people and heals the bruises his blows have left. | |
| Reading | |
|---|---|
| A discourse "On the Contemplation of God" by William of Saint-Thierry He loved us first | |
| Truly you alone are the Lord. Your dominion is our salvation, for to serve you is nothing else but to be saved by you! O Lord, salvation is your gift and your blessing is upon your people; what else is your salvation but receiving from you the gift of loving you or being loved by you? That, Lord, is why you willed that the Son at your right hand, the man whom you made strong for yourself, should be called Jesus, that is to say, Saviour, for he will save his people from their sins, and there is no other in whom there is salvation. He taught us to love him by first loving us, even to death on the cross. By loving us and holding us so dear, he stirred us to love him who had first loved us to the end. And this is clearly the reason: you first loved us so that we might love you – not because you needed our love, but because we could not be what you created us to be, except by loving you. In many ways and on various occasions you spoke to our fathers through the prophets. Now in these last days you have spoken to us in the Son, your Word; by him the heavens were established and all their powers came to be by the breath of his mouth. For you to speak thus in your Son was to bring out in the light of day how much and in what way you loved us, for you did not spare your own Son but delivered him up for us all. He also loved us and gave himself up for us. This, Lord, is your Word to us, this is your all-powerful message: while all things were in midnight silence (that is, were in the depths of error), he came from his royal throne, the stern conqueror of error and the gentle apostle of love. Everything he did and everything he said on earth, even enduring the insults, the spitting, the buffetting – the cross and the grave – all of this was actually you speaking to us in your Son, appealing to us by your love and stirring up our love for you. You know that this disposition could not be forced on men’s hearts, my God, since you created them; it must rather be elicited. And this, for the further reason that there is no freedom where there is compulsion, and where freedom is lacking, so too is righteousness. You wanted us to love you, then, we who could not with justice have been saved had we not loved you, nor could we have loved you except by your gift. So, Lord, as the apostle of your love tells us, and as we have already said, you first loved us: you are first to love all those who love you. Thus we hold you dear by the affection you have implanted in us. You are the one supremely good and ultimate goodness. Your love is your goodness, the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son! From the beginning of creation it was he who hovered over the waters – that is, over the wavering minds of men – offering himself to all, drawing all things to himself. By his inspiration and holy breath, by keeping us from harm and providing for our needs, he unites God to us and us to God. | |
| Concluding Prayer |
|---|
| Lord, in your kindness give ear to our prayer. Dispel the shadows in our hearts by the light of the coming of your Son. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen. |
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Feast of St Lucy
Saint Lucy, Virgin, Martyr
Office of Readings
Psalm 105 (106)
The Lord's goodness and his people's infidelity
Give praise to the Lord, for he is good, for his kindness is for ever.Who shall tell of his powerful deeds? Who shall proclaim the praises of the Lord? Blessed are they who keep his decrees, who do right at all times. Remember us, Lord, in your love for your people, and bring us your salvation, so that we may see the good things you have kept for your chosen ones, that we may rejoice in the joys of your people, that we may glory with those whom you have made your heirs. Like our fathers, we too have sinned: we have done wrong, we have transgressed. Our fathers, in Egypt, did not understand your miracles; they did not remember the abundance of your mercies, but rebelled as they approached the Red Sea.Still he saved them, for his own name’s sake, and to make known his mighty power.He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up. He led them through its depths as if through a desert.He saved them from the hands of those who hated them, he set them free from slavery at the hands of their enemies.The water covered their oppressors: not one was left alive.Then they believed his word, and they sang his praises. But soon they forgot what he had done, and refused to submit to his direction. They embraced desire in the desert and put God to the test in the waterless places. He gave them all they requested, he filled their hearts with his abundance. But in the camp, they grew jealous of Moses and Aaron, consecrated to the Lord. The earth opened and swallowed Dathan, covered the party of Abiram. Fire broke out against them, flames burnt up the sinners.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen
Psalm 105 (106)
At Horeb they made a calf and worshipped a statue. They exchanged the glory of their people for the likeness of a bull, that eats grass. They forgot their God, who had saved them, who had done great miracles for them in Egypt, wonders in the land of Ham, terrors at the Red Sea. Then he said that he would destroy them, but Moses, his chosen one, was there: he stood in the breach before him to turn aside his wrath, to prevent the destruction. To them, the Promised Land meant nothing, they did not believe the Lord’s word. They stayed muttering in their tents, they were deaf to the voice of the Lord. So he raised his hand against them to crush them in the desert, to scatter their seed among the nations, to disperse them in foreign lands. They made themselves followers of Baal-Peor, they ate the sacrifices of the dead. They angered the Lord by their actions, and a plague broke out among them. Then Phinehas stood up and gave judgement, and the plague was stopped. For this, he is revered as one of the just, from generation to generation, for all eternity. At the waters of Meribah they so angered the Lord that Moses suffered on their account: they so embittered his spirit that his lips spoke rash words.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen
Psalm 105 (106)
They did not destroy the peoples as the Lord had told them they must. They mingled themselves with the peoples, and learned to do as they did. They served the same idols until it became their undoing. They sacrificed their own sons and their daughters to demons. They poured out innocent blood. The blood of their own sons and daughters was sacrificed to the idols of Canaan. Their blood polluted the land, and their actions defiled them. They devoted themselves to whoring. The Lord blazed out in anger against his own people, he detested his own chosen race. He gave them into the hands of foreigners, they were conquered by those who hated them. Their enemies persecuted them and humbled them beneath their hands. Many times he freed them, but they turned him against themselves by falling back into wickedness. Still he looked upon their distress when he heard their cries. He remembered his covenant, and in his infinite kindness he repented. He made them an object of pity and kindness to all their captors. Save us, O Lord, our God, and gather us from among the nations, so that we may proclaim your holy name, and rejoice as we praise you. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from the beginning and for all time. And all the people shall cry, “Amen!.”
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen
Reading
Isaiah 29:1-8
Woe, Ariel, Ariel,city where David encamped. Let a year or two pass, let the feasts make their full round then I will lay siege to Ariel, and there will be moaning and bemoaning. You will be an Ariel for me, like David I will encamp against you, I will blockade you with palisades, and mount siege-works against you. Thrown down – you will speak from the ground, your words will come muffled by dust. Your voice will rise from the earth like a ghost’s, you will speak from the dust in a whisper. Suddenly, unexpectedly, you will be visited by the Lord of Hosts with thunder, earthquake, mighty din, hurricane, tempest, flame of devouring fire. The horde of your enemies shall be scattered like fine dust, the tyrant horde like flying chaff; the horde of all the nations at war with Ariel shall vanish like a dream, like a vision at night. And all those fighting against her ,the entrenchments besieging her, shall be like the hungry man who dreams he eats, and wakes with an empty belly, like the thirsty man who dreams he drinks and wakes exhausted, his throat parched; so shall it be with the horde of all the nations making war on Mount Zion.
Reading
A book on virginity, by St Ambrose
You light up your grace of body with the radiance of your mind. You are one of God’s people, of God’s family, a virgin among virgins; you light up your grace of body with your splendour of soul. More than others, you can be compared to the Church. When you are in your room, then, at night, think always on Christ, and wait for his coming at every moment. This is the person Christ has loved in loving you, the person he has chosen in choosing you. He enters by the open door; he has promised to come in, and he cannot deceive. Embrace him, the one you have sought; turn to him, and be enlightened; hold him fast, ask him not to go in haste, beg him not to leave you. The Word of God moves swiftly; he is not won by the lukewarm, nor held fast by the negligent. Let your soul be attentive to his word; follow carefully the path God tells you to take, for he is swift in his passing. What does his bride say? I sought him, and did not find him; I called him, and he did not hear me. Do not imagine that you are displeasing to him although you have called him, asked him opened the door to him, and that this is the reason why he has gone so quickly; no, for he allows us to be constantly tested. When the crowds pressed him to stay, what does he say in the Gospel? I must preach the word of God to other cities, because for that I have been sent. But even if it seems to you that he has left you, go out and seek him once more. Who but holy Church is to teach you how to hold Christ fast? Indeed, she has already taught you, if you only understood her words in Scripture: How short a time it was when I left them before I found him whom my soul has loved. I held him fast, and I will not let him go. How do we hold him fast? Not by restraining chains or knotted ropes but by bonds of love, by spiritual reins, by the longing of the soul. If you also, like the bride, wish to hold him fast, seek him and be fearless of suffering. It is often easier to find him in the midst of bodily torments, in the very hands of persecutors. His bride says: How short a time it was after I left them. In a little space, after a brief moment, when you have escaped from the hands of your persecutors without yielding to the powers of this world, Christ will come to you, and he will not allow you to be tested for long. Whoever seeks Christ in this way, and finds him, can say: I held him fast, and I will not let him go before I bring him into my mother’s house, into the room of her who conceived me. What is this “house,” this “room,” but the deep and secret places of your heart? Maintain this house, sweep out its secret recesses until it becomes immaculate and rises as a spiritual temple for a holy priesthood, firmly secured by Christ, the cornerstone, so that the Holy Spirit may dwell in it. Whoever seeks Christ in this way, whoever prays to Christ in this way, is not abandoned by him; on the contrary, Christ comes again and again to visit such a person, for he is with us until the end of the world.
Concluding Prayer
Almighty God, may the splendour of your glory dawn in us and dispel all the darkness of the night so that at the coming of your only-begotten Son we may be seen to be children of the light.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever.
Amen
Contemplation on the Feast of St Lucy
As I read the Psalms and the prophecy of Isaiah, I couldn't help but hear the heart of God that always calls to His people. He reminds us of His loving kindnesses. He also reminds us of our sins and how He dealt with our spiritual ancestors in the Exodus from Egypt. He tells us these stories so that we won't make the same mistakes. He tells us that He will have pity if we but turn to Him. Then He will make war on our enemies.
The reading from St Ambrose on virginity is a deeper calling still than we read in the Psalms.
I am so amazed at the provision of God, in that His Church makes a place for those who hear the call to a life of total devotion to the Lord. The religious life of the Sisters and Brothers and Priests who have answered the call to celibacy, the call to a true marriage to the Lord, is a sign to us that God is always calling all of us to intimacy. No matter what our vocation is, we are all called to prepare our hearts for the Bridegroom.
Peace be with you
About St Lucy - From Wikipedia
Saint Lucy, also known as Saint Lucia or Saint Lukia, (283 – 304) was a wealthy young Christian martyr who is venerated as a saint by both Catholic and Orthodox Christians. Her feast day in the West is 13 December, by the unreformed Julian calendar the longest night of the year; with a name derived from lux, lucis "light", she is the patron saint of those who are blind. Saint Lucy is one of the very few saints celebrated by members of the Lutheran Church among the Scandinavian peoples, who take part in Saint Lucy's Day celebrations that retain many elements of Germanic paganism. Saint Lucy is one of seven women, aside from the Blessed Virgin Mary, commemorated by name in the Canon of the Mass.
Her hagiography tells us that Lucy was a Christian during the Diocletian persecution. She consecrated her virginity to God,[1] refused to marry a pagan, and had her dowry distributed to the poor. Her would-be husband denounced her as a Christian to the governor of Syracuse, Sicily. Miraculously unable to move her or burn her, the guards stabbed and killed her.
The oldest record of her story comes from the fifth-century accounts of saints' lives.[2] By the sixth century, her story was widespread, so that she appears in the Sacramentary of Pope Gregory I.[3] At the opening of the eighth century Aldhelm included a brief account of her life among the virgins praised in De laude virginitatis, and in the following century the Venerable Bede included her in his Martyrology.[4] In medieval accounts, Saint Lucy's eyes are gouged out prior to her execution. In art, her eyes sometimes appear on a plate that she is holding.
Until 1861 relics of Saint Lucy were venerated in a church dedicated to her in Venice; after its demolition, they were translated to the church of San Geremia.
Office of Readings
Psalm 105 (106)
The Lord's goodness and his people's infidelity
Give praise to the Lord, for he is good, for his kindness is for ever.Who shall tell of his powerful deeds? Who shall proclaim the praises of the Lord? Blessed are they who keep his decrees, who do right at all times. Remember us, Lord, in your love for your people, and bring us your salvation, so that we may see the good things you have kept for your chosen ones, that we may rejoice in the joys of your people, that we may glory with those whom you have made your heirs. Like our fathers, we too have sinned: we have done wrong, we have transgressed. Our fathers, in Egypt, did not understand your miracles; they did not remember the abundance of your mercies, but rebelled as they approached the Red Sea.Still he saved them, for his own name’s sake, and to make known his mighty power.He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up. He led them through its depths as if through a desert.He saved them from the hands of those who hated them, he set them free from slavery at the hands of their enemies.The water covered their oppressors: not one was left alive.Then they believed his word, and they sang his praises. But soon they forgot what he had done, and refused to submit to his direction. They embraced desire in the desert and put God to the test in the waterless places. He gave them all they requested, he filled their hearts with his abundance. But in the camp, they grew jealous of Moses and Aaron, consecrated to the Lord. The earth opened and swallowed Dathan, covered the party of Abiram. Fire broke out against them, flames burnt up the sinners.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen
Psalm 105 (106)
At Horeb they made a calf and worshipped a statue. They exchanged the glory of their people for the likeness of a bull, that eats grass. They forgot their God, who had saved them, who had done great miracles for them in Egypt, wonders in the land of Ham, terrors at the Red Sea. Then he said that he would destroy them, but Moses, his chosen one, was there: he stood in the breach before him to turn aside his wrath, to prevent the destruction. To them, the Promised Land meant nothing, they did not believe the Lord’s word. They stayed muttering in their tents, they were deaf to the voice of the Lord. So he raised his hand against them to crush them in the desert, to scatter their seed among the nations, to disperse them in foreign lands. They made themselves followers of Baal-Peor, they ate the sacrifices of the dead. They angered the Lord by their actions, and a plague broke out among them. Then Phinehas stood up and gave judgement, and the plague was stopped. For this, he is revered as one of the just, from generation to generation, for all eternity. At the waters of Meribah they so angered the Lord that Moses suffered on their account: they so embittered his spirit that his lips spoke rash words.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen
Psalm 105 (106)
They did not destroy the peoples as the Lord had told them they must. They mingled themselves with the peoples, and learned to do as they did. They served the same idols until it became their undoing. They sacrificed their own sons and their daughters to demons. They poured out innocent blood. The blood of their own sons and daughters was sacrificed to the idols of Canaan. Their blood polluted the land, and their actions defiled them. They devoted themselves to whoring. The Lord blazed out in anger against his own people, he detested his own chosen race. He gave them into the hands of foreigners, they were conquered by those who hated them. Their enemies persecuted them and humbled them beneath their hands. Many times he freed them, but they turned him against themselves by falling back into wickedness. Still he looked upon their distress when he heard their cries. He remembered his covenant, and in his infinite kindness he repented. He made them an object of pity and kindness to all their captors. Save us, O Lord, our God, and gather us from among the nations, so that we may proclaim your holy name, and rejoice as we praise you. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from the beginning and for all time. And all the people shall cry, “Amen!.”
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen
Reading
Isaiah 29:1-8
Woe, Ariel, Ariel,city where David encamped. Let a year or two pass, let the feasts make their full round then I will lay siege to Ariel, and there will be moaning and bemoaning. You will be an Ariel for me, like David I will encamp against you, I will blockade you with palisades, and mount siege-works against you. Thrown down – you will speak from the ground, your words will come muffled by dust. Your voice will rise from the earth like a ghost’s, you will speak from the dust in a whisper. Suddenly, unexpectedly, you will be visited by the Lord of Hosts with thunder, earthquake, mighty din, hurricane, tempest, flame of devouring fire. The horde of your enemies shall be scattered like fine dust, the tyrant horde like flying chaff; the horde of all the nations at war with Ariel shall vanish like a dream, like a vision at night. And all those fighting against her ,the entrenchments besieging her, shall be like the hungry man who dreams he eats, and wakes with an empty belly, like the thirsty man who dreams he drinks and wakes exhausted, his throat parched; so shall it be with the horde of all the nations making war on Mount Zion.
Reading
A book on virginity, by St Ambrose
You light up your grace of body with the radiance of your mind. You are one of God’s people, of God’s family, a virgin among virgins; you light up your grace of body with your splendour of soul. More than others, you can be compared to the Church. When you are in your room, then, at night, think always on Christ, and wait for his coming at every moment. This is the person Christ has loved in loving you, the person he has chosen in choosing you. He enters by the open door; he has promised to come in, and he cannot deceive. Embrace him, the one you have sought; turn to him, and be enlightened; hold him fast, ask him not to go in haste, beg him not to leave you. The Word of God moves swiftly; he is not won by the lukewarm, nor held fast by the negligent. Let your soul be attentive to his word; follow carefully the path God tells you to take, for he is swift in his passing. What does his bride say? I sought him, and did not find him; I called him, and he did not hear me. Do not imagine that you are displeasing to him although you have called him, asked him opened the door to him, and that this is the reason why he has gone so quickly; no, for he allows us to be constantly tested. When the crowds pressed him to stay, what does he say in the Gospel? I must preach the word of God to other cities, because for that I have been sent. But even if it seems to you that he has left you, go out and seek him once more. Who but holy Church is to teach you how to hold Christ fast? Indeed, she has already taught you, if you only understood her words in Scripture: How short a time it was when I left them before I found him whom my soul has loved. I held him fast, and I will not let him go. How do we hold him fast? Not by restraining chains or knotted ropes but by bonds of love, by spiritual reins, by the longing of the soul. If you also, like the bride, wish to hold him fast, seek him and be fearless of suffering. It is often easier to find him in the midst of bodily torments, in the very hands of persecutors. His bride says: How short a time it was after I left them. In a little space, after a brief moment, when you have escaped from the hands of your persecutors without yielding to the powers of this world, Christ will come to you, and he will not allow you to be tested for long. Whoever seeks Christ in this way, and finds him, can say: I held him fast, and I will not let him go before I bring him into my mother’s house, into the room of her who conceived me. What is this “house,” this “room,” but the deep and secret places of your heart? Maintain this house, sweep out its secret recesses until it becomes immaculate and rises as a spiritual temple for a holy priesthood, firmly secured by Christ, the cornerstone, so that the Holy Spirit may dwell in it. Whoever seeks Christ in this way, whoever prays to Christ in this way, is not abandoned by him; on the contrary, Christ comes again and again to visit such a person, for he is with us until the end of the world.
Concluding Prayer
Almighty God, may the splendour of your glory dawn in us and dispel all the darkness of the night so that at the coming of your only-begotten Son we may be seen to be children of the light.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever.
Amen
Contemplation on the Feast of St Lucy
As I read the Psalms and the prophecy of Isaiah, I couldn't help but hear the heart of God that always calls to His people. He reminds us of His loving kindnesses. He also reminds us of our sins and how He dealt with our spiritual ancestors in the Exodus from Egypt. He tells us these stories so that we won't make the same mistakes. He tells us that He will have pity if we but turn to Him. Then He will make war on our enemies.
The reading from St Ambrose on virginity is a deeper calling still than we read in the Psalms.
I am so amazed at the provision of God, in that His Church makes a place for those who hear the call to a life of total devotion to the Lord. The religious life of the Sisters and Brothers and Priests who have answered the call to celibacy, the call to a true marriage to the Lord, is a sign to us that God is always calling all of us to intimacy. No matter what our vocation is, we are all called to prepare our hearts for the Bridegroom.
Peace be with you
About St Lucy - From Wikipedia
Saint Lucy, also known as Saint Lucia or Saint Lukia, (283 – 304) was a wealthy young Christian martyr who is venerated as a saint by both Catholic and Orthodox Christians. Her feast day in the West is 13 December, by the unreformed Julian calendar the longest night of the year; with a name derived from lux, lucis "light", she is the patron saint of those who are blind. Saint Lucy is one of the very few saints celebrated by members of the Lutheran Church among the Scandinavian peoples, who take part in Saint Lucy's Day celebrations that retain many elements of Germanic paganism. Saint Lucy is one of seven women, aside from the Blessed Virgin Mary, commemorated by name in the Canon of the Mass.
Her hagiography tells us that Lucy was a Christian during the Diocletian persecution. She consecrated her virginity to God,[1] refused to marry a pagan, and had her dowry distributed to the poor. Her would-be husband denounced her as a Christian to the governor of Syracuse, Sicily. Miraculously unable to move her or burn her, the guards stabbed and killed her.
The oldest record of her story comes from the fifth-century accounts of saints' lives.[2] By the sixth century, her story was widespread, so that she appears in the Sacramentary of Pope Gregory I.[3] At the opening of the eighth century Aldhelm included a brief account of her life among the virgins praised in De laude virginitatis, and in the following century the Venerable Bede included her in his Martyrology.[4] In medieval accounts, Saint Lucy's eyes are gouged out prior to her execution. In art, her eyes sometimes appear on a plate that she is holding.
Until 1861 relics of Saint Lucy were venerated in a church dedicated to her in Venice; after its demolition, they were translated to the church of San Geremia.
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