"O sacred Lord of ancient Israel, who showed yourself to Moses in the burning bush, who gave him the holy law on Sinai mountain: come, stretch out your mighty hand to set us free." - Magnificat Antiphon for December 18
I begin this meditation with fear and trembling, because I am forced to critique the translation of the O Antiphon given us in the Liturgy of the Hours, which are the translations I am using for these meditations. The antiphon itself is wonderful, but the translation of this one especially seems to fall sort of conveying the message contained in the Latin. The antiphon in Latin begins with the Lord's title of, "O Adonai," which is the title used in and throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, when being proclaimed, in place of the Divine name given to Moses in the burning bush, YHWH.
It was for fear of the Hebrews become too familiar with the Name, and consequently putting It to profane use, as well as for fear of the other nations taking It and assigning Him to be one of their gods, that the Hebrews eventually forbid the use of God's Name to one day a year, the Day of Atonement, which was only spoken once by the high priest as he offered the sacrifice. While it would still be written in their Scriptures, they had signs placed their so that they would read off the word for, "Lord," instead.
Now, this name of God is normally translated as I AM WHO AM, but an alternative translation, which in a sense probably bears more of the original Hebrew understanding of the Name, is I WILL BE WHAT I WILL BE. It is a way of God saying, "You will know Me by My works."
We can see then, how this applies to the deeds spoken of in our O Antiphon. God showed Himself to Moses in the burning bush, He gave the Law on Mt. Sinai, we beg Him to free us from the domain of sin and death. Just as we learn the character of a person through their actions in addition to their words, so we can learn Who God is not only through the words He reveals about Himself, but in what He does for us. For example, we know Jesus Christ loves us, not only because He tells us, but ultimately because He dies for our sins upon the Cross.
The same goes for all of God's other attributes. We come to understand His Power through what He does. For example, we see He is able to take on a human nature in the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. In giving the Law, He displays His power over nature through thunder and lightning. We come to know His providence by looking at history.
Now the main ways the Hebrews knew God is through His saving act of the Exodus. Everything He did was for their salvation, albeit at first they may have been limited to this life. However, Christ as the fulfillment and final and definitive Revelation, completes this concept of God as Savior. In the Old Testament, we see God's saving power in regards to the world. He has full dominion over the world. All creation is subject to Him.
At first sight it may appear to us that God's works in the Old Testament were greater than His works of the New Testament. Even Jesus makes reference to this when He heals the paralytic and says, "Which is easier, to say, 'Rise and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins . . . I say to you, rise, take up your bed and go home (Luke 5:23-24)." But Jesus is not here saying that the bodily healing was greater than the forgiveness of sins; He was speaking to the blindness of the hearts of the Pharisees and Scribes. The forgiveness of sins is part of the greatest works of God! Our Redemption is an even greater work than the Creation of the World!
We know God best through the Person of Jesus Christ, then, not because of the marvelous miracles He preformed, but because of the great Mysteries of the Incarnation and the Redemption for they allow us to gaze best on God as He is, i.e. as Love. In love, He created us, and in love, He redeemed us. Let us then, contemplate the mysteries of the life of Jesus Christ above all, because they will show us most clearly Who God is. Through the life of Christ, from His Incarnation to His Resurrection, we see the face of Love.
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
O Wisdom: Meditation for December 17
"O Wisdom, O holy Word of God, you govern all creation with your strong yet tender care. Come and show your people the way to salvation." - Magnificat Antiphon for December 17
In the philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas, based off of the Greek philosopher, Aristotle, there is an important distinction made in the order of knowledge. There are things which are, "more knowable in themselves," meaning there is more to be known about them, and then there are things, "more knowable to us." Obviously the greatest thing to be known is God, for no created intelligence can ever fully comprehend Him, for there is always something more to know. Nevertheless, God is not the most knowable thing to us. Rather, to come to knowledge of Him through human reason is very difficult, albeit possible. For this reason He has deigned it providential to reveal Himself to us, so that all may come to know the great Mystery of the Triune God.
However, let us quickly hearken back to the distinction just made between things knowable in themselves and things more knowable to us. A similar distinction exists in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. There is the greatest of all gifts, which is the gift of wisdom, yet there is the gift which is most necessary for us, as the foundation for all the other gifts and that is the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 1:7)
It is somewhat interesting then, that as we begin the yearly recitation of the "O Antiphons" at Mass, Evening Prayer, and the Christmas Novena, we start with acknowledging Christ as, "Wisdom." But this makes the most sense, because not only is wisdom the greatest gift bestowed on us, but it is the greatest gift of God the Father for us, since the Son is referred to in the Scriptures and in the interpretation of the Church Fathers and St. Thomas Aquinas as the Wisdom of the Father. Wisdom, then, in different senses, is the greatest gift of the Triune God.
The Father gives His Son to us for our salvation. The Son gives Himself to us through the Sacraments. The Holy Spirit gives wisdom to us as we come to know God in an intimate way, a foretaste of the knowledge which will be ours in the Beatific Vision and at the end of time when Christ comes again. And the Triune God does all this in order to bring us to Himself in eternal life!
Today, the Gospel reading is the genealogy of Jesus Christ according to Matthew's Gospel. Many often wonder why we have to have this reading of a list of names. It sounds long and boring. The names are strange to us. Plus, the reading will occur again at the Vigil Mass for the Nativity of the Lord, and then Luke's genealogy is read to us during the Christmas season. Why?
I have always felt it is in order to remind us that God has a plan and that plan will not be prevented by man. When we read Matthew's genealogy, we see some people in that line who did terrible things. Abijah led the people into idolatry; Manasseh sacrificed children to the gods. Even among the righteous there are sins. Jacob deceived his father Isaac into giving him his blessing; David had Uriah killed and committed adultery with Bathsheba. Yet the Messiah still comes.
There is an interpretation of all this that God works with broken instruments. While a valid interpretation, I prefer to see as an overall theme the idea that nothing will thwart God. Pharaoh in Egypt learned it when the Israelites crossed the Red Sea and all the Egyptians were drowned. Constantly Israel's Pagan neighbors learned it because they were not able to conquer Israel, as long as Israel was faithful to the Lord God. Nevertheless, Israel was not able to grasp this truth. How often we see them turning away from God! They kill the prophets! They fall into every sort of sin, and then, when the Messiah comes, they do not recognize Him.
Why were they not able to have the wisdom to recognize Jesus? It was because they did not have the foundational gift, fear of the Lord. Let us not be like them. Let us, in these final days of Advent, foster humility. Let us realize that God is God, and we are not. Let us realize that we cannot thwart his plans, nor is there any reason we would want to. His plan is ultimately to bring us to salvation. If we learn humility and are able to see God as He is, then we will be able to have the wisdom to see His plan and to come to our salvation.
In the philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas, based off of the Greek philosopher, Aristotle, there is an important distinction made in the order of knowledge. There are things which are, "more knowable in themselves," meaning there is more to be known about them, and then there are things, "more knowable to us." Obviously the greatest thing to be known is God, for no created intelligence can ever fully comprehend Him, for there is always something more to know. Nevertheless, God is not the most knowable thing to us. Rather, to come to knowledge of Him through human reason is very difficult, albeit possible. For this reason He has deigned it providential to reveal Himself to us, so that all may come to know the great Mystery of the Triune God.
However, let us quickly hearken back to the distinction just made between things knowable in themselves and things more knowable to us. A similar distinction exists in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. There is the greatest of all gifts, which is the gift of wisdom, yet there is the gift which is most necessary for us, as the foundation for all the other gifts and that is the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 1:7)
It is somewhat interesting then, that as we begin the yearly recitation of the "O Antiphons" at Mass, Evening Prayer, and the Christmas Novena, we start with acknowledging Christ as, "Wisdom." But this makes the most sense, because not only is wisdom the greatest gift bestowed on us, but it is the greatest gift of God the Father for us, since the Son is referred to in the Scriptures and in the interpretation of the Church Fathers and St. Thomas Aquinas as the Wisdom of the Father. Wisdom, then, in different senses, is the greatest gift of the Triune God.
The Father gives His Son to us for our salvation. The Son gives Himself to us through the Sacraments. The Holy Spirit gives wisdom to us as we come to know God in an intimate way, a foretaste of the knowledge which will be ours in the Beatific Vision and at the end of time when Christ comes again. And the Triune God does all this in order to bring us to Himself in eternal life!
Today, the Gospel reading is the genealogy of Jesus Christ according to Matthew's Gospel. Many often wonder why we have to have this reading of a list of names. It sounds long and boring. The names are strange to us. Plus, the reading will occur again at the Vigil Mass for the Nativity of the Lord, and then Luke's genealogy is read to us during the Christmas season. Why?
I have always felt it is in order to remind us that God has a plan and that plan will not be prevented by man. When we read Matthew's genealogy, we see some people in that line who did terrible things. Abijah led the people into idolatry; Manasseh sacrificed children to the gods. Even among the righteous there are sins. Jacob deceived his father Isaac into giving him his blessing; David had Uriah killed and committed adultery with Bathsheba. Yet the Messiah still comes.
There is an interpretation of all this that God works with broken instruments. While a valid interpretation, I prefer to see as an overall theme the idea that nothing will thwart God. Pharaoh in Egypt learned it when the Israelites crossed the Red Sea and all the Egyptians were drowned. Constantly Israel's Pagan neighbors learned it because they were not able to conquer Israel, as long as Israel was faithful to the Lord God. Nevertheless, Israel was not able to grasp this truth. How often we see them turning away from God! They kill the prophets! They fall into every sort of sin, and then, when the Messiah comes, they do not recognize Him.
Why were they not able to have the wisdom to recognize Jesus? It was because they did not have the foundational gift, fear of the Lord. Let us not be like them. Let us, in these final days of Advent, foster humility. Let us realize that God is God, and we are not. Let us realize that we cannot thwart his plans, nor is there any reason we would want to. His plan is ultimately to bring us to salvation. If we learn humility and are able to see God as He is, then we will be able to have the wisdom to see His plan and to come to our salvation.
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Explanation of Christmas Novena
Popular piety has developed three great novenas which are publicly prayed during the Ecclesiastical Year in preparation for some of the major feasts. These three are naturally connected to the three greatest feasts of the Church year. There is the Divine Mercy Novena, begun on Good Friday and completed on Divine Mercy Sunday, the Octave Day of Easter. Then, there is the first novena, which is based completely on Scripture, and this one is the Novena in preparation for Pentecost. Then, lastly, there is the novena in preparation for Christmas, which we are beginning throughout the Church.
The Christmas Novena is a wonderful gem of the Advent season. The Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy says, in regards to the Christmas novena:
"The Christmas novena began as a means of communicating the riches of the Liturgy to the faithful who were unable easily to grasp it. It has played a very effective role and can continue to play such a role. At the same time, in current conditions where the faithful have easier access to the Liturgy, it would seem desirable that vespers from the 17-23 of December should be more solemn by adopting the use of the "major antiphons", and by inviting the faithful to participate at the celebration. Such a celebration, held either before of after which the popular devotions to which the faithful are particularly attached, would be an ideal "Christmas novena", in full conformity with the Liturgy and mindful of the needs of the faithful. Some elements, such as the homily, the use of incense, and the intercessions, could also be expanded within the celebration of Vespers (103)."
I want to make very clear that I am in no way attempting to place this novena above, against, or even on the same plane as the Liturgy of the Hours, particularly the celebration of Vespers, i.e. Evening Prayer. The Liturgy of the Hours is part of the public prayer of the Church and is therefore, meant for all. However, I do believe one of the beauties of the Christmas novena is that it greatly supplements the Liturgy, as all authentic forms of popular piety will ultimately do.
In order to make this relationship clearer, I have slightly modified certain parts of the novena. Which can be found here. The general setup follows a liturgical format, which is part of the original format for it.
The novena begins with a plea that God may give us the grace so that we may praise Him with our voices and that He may make our prayers effective. The introduction then ends with the doxology. After begging God for His assistance, we instantly praise Him for His glory, for in all things it is right to give Him praise and glory for His love and goodness to us (1 Thessalonians 5:18). These formulas are taken directly from the Liturgy of the Hours, although I have modified the Glory Be so that it fits the popular form, instead of the liturgical format, to make easier reading for those not familiar with the Liturgy of the Hours.
The novena then moves into a responsorial text, designed to set the mysteries of Advent before us. This is the way it is found in Fr. Vachetta's original novena (obviously translated of course). The mysteries of Christ's coming we are called to consider are His Second Coming when He will renew all creation and create a new Heaven and a new earth, His being a descendent of David and thus in line to reign over Israel, how He is King of kings and Lord of lords and King of the Universe, the imminence of His coming, the fact that all will be subject to Him and every person will bow down to Him, and His birth as a little child in His first coming in Bethlehem.
The next part is a modification I made, in order to include the the Rorate Caeli, a traditional Advent text. The words come from the Book of Isaiah, and part of it was used and is used as the Introit and Introductory Antiphons for the Fourth Sunday of Advent, respectively. It was also used during Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. Parts of it also find their place in various Advent texts. Its inclusion has been chosen to give a more liturgical overtone to the novena, as it connects us intimately to Christ's Second Coming. It includes a plea for His coming, so that the salvation of the world may be completed, but it also brings forth a sense of trust in our belief that He will come at the proper hour, appointed by God the Father from the dawn of time.
There is a short verse then, which leads us into the readings. This is a joyful antiphon which proclaims our joy at Christ to save us and calls for a proclamation to the entire world.
We then move into the readings, all taken directly from the liturgical texts of the Mass. There is a a reading from the Old Testament and then the Gospel reading for the day, with the exception of the first day. I chose the Old Testament readings for a relation they bore to the Gospel reading. These provide us the opportunity to further reflect on the Word of God, which the Church presents us with for the day. It would be appropriate to take a brief pause for reflection during the readings, if time allows. The Gospels over these days will present us with the accounts of how the birth of Christ came about, as given us by Matthew and Luke, allowing us to prepare just as those in the Gospel did for the Nativity of the Lord.
The Gospel reading is followed by the Magnificat with the O Antiphon for the day. These O Antiphons are Scriptural titles of our Lord and are constantly presented to us throughout these days. Those who do not pray the Liturgy of the Hours, will probably know them mostly from the hymn O Come, O Come Emmanuel, but they have been used for centuries now as the antiphon as Vespers. They have been written to rich chants, unfortunately not included in the novena. However, they are also presented in the Mass of the day, as the Alleluia verse. The inclusion of them in the novena possibly provides for the greatest connection it bears to the Liturgy.
It is worth noting that I will also include a daily meditation from December 17 through December 23, on the day's antiphon. These may be used in conjunction with the novena.
The antiphon is followed by the recitation of the Magnificat, Mary's great hymn of praise of God. Within it we are able to proclaim, with Mary, the wonders God has done throughout the ages, culminating in the mystery of Jesus Christ. In it, we also praise and thank God specifically for all the graces He has bestowed upon us. The antiphon used at the beginning of the Magnificat is then used to conclude it.
The novena concludes with a prayer that God will, by grace, allow us to always remain faithful to Him and live in expectation of Christ's coming, so that the Paraousia will be our salvation. The blessing used at the end is the one used at the end of Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer when it is not presided over by an ordained minister. Then, the final prayer is one for the Faithful Departed, that they may soon share in the vision of God, not through the intermediary of the Word made flesh, but face to face.
May you all pray well!
The Christmas Novena is a wonderful gem of the Advent season. The Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy says, in regards to the Christmas novena:
"The Christmas novena began as a means of communicating the riches of the Liturgy to the faithful who were unable easily to grasp it. It has played a very effective role and can continue to play such a role. At the same time, in current conditions where the faithful have easier access to the Liturgy, it would seem desirable that vespers from the 17-23 of December should be more solemn by adopting the use of the "major antiphons", and by inviting the faithful to participate at the celebration. Such a celebration, held either before of after which the popular devotions to which the faithful are particularly attached, would be an ideal "Christmas novena", in full conformity with the Liturgy and mindful of the needs of the faithful. Some elements, such as the homily, the use of incense, and the intercessions, could also be expanded within the celebration of Vespers (103)."
I want to make very clear that I am in no way attempting to place this novena above, against, or even on the same plane as the Liturgy of the Hours, particularly the celebration of Vespers, i.e. Evening Prayer. The Liturgy of the Hours is part of the public prayer of the Church and is therefore, meant for all. However, I do believe one of the beauties of the Christmas novena is that it greatly supplements the Liturgy, as all authentic forms of popular piety will ultimately do.
In order to make this relationship clearer, I have slightly modified certain parts of the novena. Which can be found here. The general setup follows a liturgical format, which is part of the original format for it.
The novena begins with a plea that God may give us the grace so that we may praise Him with our voices and that He may make our prayers effective. The introduction then ends with the doxology. After begging God for His assistance, we instantly praise Him for His glory, for in all things it is right to give Him praise and glory for His love and goodness to us (1 Thessalonians 5:18). These formulas are taken directly from the Liturgy of the Hours, although I have modified the Glory Be so that it fits the popular form, instead of the liturgical format, to make easier reading for those not familiar with the Liturgy of the Hours.
The novena then moves into a responsorial text, designed to set the mysteries of Advent before us. This is the way it is found in Fr. Vachetta's original novena (obviously translated of course). The mysteries of Christ's coming we are called to consider are His Second Coming when He will renew all creation and create a new Heaven and a new earth, His being a descendent of David and thus in line to reign over Israel, how He is King of kings and Lord of lords and King of the Universe, the imminence of His coming, the fact that all will be subject to Him and every person will bow down to Him, and His birth as a little child in His first coming in Bethlehem.
The next part is a modification I made, in order to include the the Rorate Caeli, a traditional Advent text. The words come from the Book of Isaiah, and part of it was used and is used as the Introit and Introductory Antiphons for the Fourth Sunday of Advent, respectively. It was also used during Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. Parts of it also find their place in various Advent texts. Its inclusion has been chosen to give a more liturgical overtone to the novena, as it connects us intimately to Christ's Second Coming. It includes a plea for His coming, so that the salvation of the world may be completed, but it also brings forth a sense of trust in our belief that He will come at the proper hour, appointed by God the Father from the dawn of time.
There is a short verse then, which leads us into the readings. This is a joyful antiphon which proclaims our joy at Christ to save us and calls for a proclamation to the entire world.
We then move into the readings, all taken directly from the liturgical texts of the Mass. There is a a reading from the Old Testament and then the Gospel reading for the day, with the exception of the first day. I chose the Old Testament readings for a relation they bore to the Gospel reading. These provide us the opportunity to further reflect on the Word of God, which the Church presents us with for the day. It would be appropriate to take a brief pause for reflection during the readings, if time allows. The Gospels over these days will present us with the accounts of how the birth of Christ came about, as given us by Matthew and Luke, allowing us to prepare just as those in the Gospel did for the Nativity of the Lord.
The Gospel reading is followed by the Magnificat with the O Antiphon for the day. These O Antiphons are Scriptural titles of our Lord and are constantly presented to us throughout these days. Those who do not pray the Liturgy of the Hours, will probably know them mostly from the hymn O Come, O Come Emmanuel, but they have been used for centuries now as the antiphon as Vespers. They have been written to rich chants, unfortunately not included in the novena. However, they are also presented in the Mass of the day, as the Alleluia verse. The inclusion of them in the novena possibly provides for the greatest connection it bears to the Liturgy.
It is worth noting that I will also include a daily meditation from December 17 through December 23, on the day's antiphon. These may be used in conjunction with the novena.
The antiphon is followed by the recitation of the Magnificat, Mary's great hymn of praise of God. Within it we are able to proclaim, with Mary, the wonders God has done throughout the ages, culminating in the mystery of Jesus Christ. In it, we also praise and thank God specifically for all the graces He has bestowed upon us. The antiphon used at the beginning of the Magnificat is then used to conclude it.
The novena concludes with a prayer that God will, by grace, allow us to always remain faithful to Him and live in expectation of Christ's coming, so that the Paraousia will be our salvation. The blessing used at the end is the one used at the end of Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer when it is not presided over by an ordained minister. Then, the final prayer is one for the Faithful Departed, that they may soon share in the vision of God, not through the intermediary of the Word made flesh, but face to face.
May you all pray well!
Sunday, December 14, 2014
The Joy of Suffering and Penance
"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near." - Introductory Antiphon for the Gaudete Sunday, The Third Sunday of Advent
It was formally customary to refer to the Sundays by the first words of the Introit at Mass, in Latin. For example, the First Sunday of Advent was referred to as Ad te levavi Sunday due to the first words of the introit, "To you I lift." The Third Sunday of Advent is one of the two Sundays in the Church year, which have retained that tradition, the other being the Fourth Sunday of Lent, which bears a strong resemblance to this Sunday.
The first word today's Introductory Antiphon is, "gaudete," meaning "You all rejoice" (as in a command), and thus we get the name Gaudete Sunday. There is a lightheartedness to this day, in contradiction to the penitential aspect of Advent. Instead of the penitential violet color, the sacred ministers may be vested in the color rose, the altar may be decorated with flowers and other festive items (although still not as fully as it will be at Christmastime), and the organ may be played as usual. The Church can no longer contain Her joy of expectation at the coming of the Christ.
We should take a moment to look at the entire Scripture passage from which this antiphon is taken. It is Paul's letter to the Philippians, and in it he says:
"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let all men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (4:4-7)."
These words may hearken us back to the meditations of the past two Sundays in which we placed our trust in our Lord, Who came for our salvation, Who comes to us now to perfect that salvation, and Who will come at the end of time to complete our salvation. We have no reason to be afraid on this earth, for if Christ had wanted us to fear His coming, He would have come first as He will at the end of time, in glory and majesty. Instead He came first as a newborn babe, so that we cannot help but look on Him with love.
If our trust in Jesus Christ, then, is perfect, we will have no need to be anxious for anything. As our Lord said, "Your Father knows what you need before you ask him (Matthew 6:8)," God will provide us with what we need in order to serve Him. We may be sure that God will never assign us with an impossible task, though it may be impossible without His grace, for it is through the task He wishes to draw us to Himself.
It is true that Christ came to earth as a newborn babe so that we may be drawn to love Him. Nevertheless, throughout His earthly life and even now, as He reigns in our hearts, He challenges us. It is said of the Lord:
"He is like a refiner's fire and like the fullers' soap; he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, till they present right offerings to the LORD. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years. Then I will draw near to you for judgment (Malachi 3:2-5)."
These challenges that Christ gives us throughout our earthly life should be the very cause for our great joy. They have been allotted to us for our salvation! Through these trials, these penances which we embrace in a special way during Advent, we are offered a method for working out our salvation. We might even say, in a sense, our penance offers us another means through which Christ comes to us.
The suffering which God allots to us throughout our earthly life is given to us for two reasons. First, to purify us of our sins, imperfections, and inordinate affections, for self-discipline and suffering (when embraced as a penance), reorders the soul and the body to its proper orientation towards love of God and neighbor in all things. Secondly, through suffering we encounter Christ, for He came among us as one Who suffered, so that we may recognize Him in our own sufferings, and gain the grace to bear our trials through His Spirit.
We rejoice in this present age, this vale of tears, then, because Christ is near to us! Whenever we suffer we are able to be drawn closer to Christ. True, suffering is unpleasant, but it is not the unpleasantness we rejoice in, but we find joy in the effect. St. Paul told the Philippians to, "Let all men know your forbearance." It is our duty to show Christ to the world, and we can only encounter Him fully if we take up our Cross. To think otherwise is to present the world with a Christ without the Cross, and this is not the Christ of the Gospel. This is not the Christ of Whom John the Baptist preached. This is not a Christ Who can save us, and thus, this is not a Christ we should rejoice in.
This is the reason so many of the saints despised all the pleasures of this world, and loved penance. Not only did it purify them of their faults, but it drew them closer to Christ! It then makes sense why they were so joyous in their suffering. It now makes sense to us why the martyrs could go to their deaths singing Alleluia and Hosanna! It makes sense why St. Irenaeus of Antioch forbid his people to attempt to save him from his death in the Colosseum. They were all experiencing Christ, and feared above all to be drawn away from Him.
As the last days of Advent draw near, when we will prepare for the coming of Christ with a renewed and an extra fervor, let us consider this joy of the Cross. It is not too late to open our hearts more fully to the Lord! It is not too late to begin an Advent penance if we have not already done so! It does not have to be large, but this penance will draw us closer to Christ; it will allow Him to come to us in a more profound way.
And lastly, though I have said it many times already, it is always worth repeating. As we encounter Christ is our suffering and trials, we are awakened to the truth of what miserable creatures we are without the grace of God. We see just how low we may sink when Christ is not with us. As we do penance, then, this reality should become more and more realized in us. This is not a cause for sorrow though, for we should not fall into despair. Jesus Christ has left us a means whereby we may gain the grace to be raised above our miserable state, and these are the Sacraments, especially the Sacrament of Confession.
In this season of Advent, as we have a special recourse to this Sacrament, let us truly beg the Lord that it may be not only a special source of joy to us, but that through it, and the penances we are assigned through it, we may be given special and unique graces that will prevent us from ever falling back into sin again. As one priest recently told me at the end of my Confession, "Christ has given you back your peace." And this is so true! In the Sacrament of Penance, Jesus restores us to the life of grace and He gives us the grace so that we may have, "the peace of God, which passes all understanding," and, which will keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, so that we can receive Him in a special way at Christmas, so that we may rejoice in Him as He comes among us now, and so that we will be ready to welcome Him at the end of time when He inaugurates His triumphant reign.
It was formally customary to refer to the Sundays by the first words of the Introit at Mass, in Latin. For example, the First Sunday of Advent was referred to as Ad te levavi Sunday due to the first words of the introit, "To you I lift." The Third Sunday of Advent is one of the two Sundays in the Church year, which have retained that tradition, the other being the Fourth Sunday of Lent, which bears a strong resemblance to this Sunday.
The first word today's Introductory Antiphon is, "gaudete," meaning "You all rejoice" (as in a command), and thus we get the name Gaudete Sunday. There is a lightheartedness to this day, in contradiction to the penitential aspect of Advent. Instead of the penitential violet color, the sacred ministers may be vested in the color rose, the altar may be decorated with flowers and other festive items (although still not as fully as it will be at Christmastime), and the organ may be played as usual. The Church can no longer contain Her joy of expectation at the coming of the Christ.
We should take a moment to look at the entire Scripture passage from which this antiphon is taken. It is Paul's letter to the Philippians, and in it he says:
"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let all men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (4:4-7)."
These words may hearken us back to the meditations of the past two Sundays in which we placed our trust in our Lord, Who came for our salvation, Who comes to us now to perfect that salvation, and Who will come at the end of time to complete our salvation. We have no reason to be afraid on this earth, for if Christ had wanted us to fear His coming, He would have come first as He will at the end of time, in glory and majesty. Instead He came first as a newborn babe, so that we cannot help but look on Him with love.
If our trust in Jesus Christ, then, is perfect, we will have no need to be anxious for anything. As our Lord said, "Your Father knows what you need before you ask him (Matthew 6:8)," God will provide us with what we need in order to serve Him. We may be sure that God will never assign us with an impossible task, though it may be impossible without His grace, for it is through the task He wishes to draw us to Himself.
It is true that Christ came to earth as a newborn babe so that we may be drawn to love Him. Nevertheless, throughout His earthly life and even now, as He reigns in our hearts, He challenges us. It is said of the Lord:
"He is like a refiner's fire and like the fullers' soap; he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, till they present right offerings to the LORD. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years. Then I will draw near to you for judgment (Malachi 3:2-5)."
These challenges that Christ gives us throughout our earthly life should be the very cause for our great joy. They have been allotted to us for our salvation! Through these trials, these penances which we embrace in a special way during Advent, we are offered a method for working out our salvation. We might even say, in a sense, our penance offers us another means through which Christ comes to us.
The suffering which God allots to us throughout our earthly life is given to us for two reasons. First, to purify us of our sins, imperfections, and inordinate affections, for self-discipline and suffering (when embraced as a penance), reorders the soul and the body to its proper orientation towards love of God and neighbor in all things. Secondly, through suffering we encounter Christ, for He came among us as one Who suffered, so that we may recognize Him in our own sufferings, and gain the grace to bear our trials through His Spirit.
We rejoice in this present age, this vale of tears, then, because Christ is near to us! Whenever we suffer we are able to be drawn closer to Christ. True, suffering is unpleasant, but it is not the unpleasantness we rejoice in, but we find joy in the effect. St. Paul told the Philippians to, "Let all men know your forbearance." It is our duty to show Christ to the world, and we can only encounter Him fully if we take up our Cross. To think otherwise is to present the world with a Christ without the Cross, and this is not the Christ of the Gospel. This is not the Christ of Whom John the Baptist preached. This is not a Christ Who can save us, and thus, this is not a Christ we should rejoice in.
This is the reason so many of the saints despised all the pleasures of this world, and loved penance. Not only did it purify them of their faults, but it drew them closer to Christ! It then makes sense why they were so joyous in their suffering. It now makes sense to us why the martyrs could go to their deaths singing Alleluia and Hosanna! It makes sense why St. Irenaeus of Antioch forbid his people to attempt to save him from his death in the Colosseum. They were all experiencing Christ, and feared above all to be drawn away from Him.
As the last days of Advent draw near, when we will prepare for the coming of Christ with a renewed and an extra fervor, let us consider this joy of the Cross. It is not too late to open our hearts more fully to the Lord! It is not too late to begin an Advent penance if we have not already done so! It does not have to be large, but this penance will draw us closer to Christ; it will allow Him to come to us in a more profound way.
And lastly, though I have said it many times already, it is always worth repeating. As we encounter Christ is our suffering and trials, we are awakened to the truth of what miserable creatures we are without the grace of God. We see just how low we may sink when Christ is not with us. As we do penance, then, this reality should become more and more realized in us. This is not a cause for sorrow though, for we should not fall into despair. Jesus Christ has left us a means whereby we may gain the grace to be raised above our miserable state, and these are the Sacraments, especially the Sacrament of Confession.
In this season of Advent, as we have a special recourse to this Sacrament, let us truly beg the Lord that it may be not only a special source of joy to us, but that through it, and the penances we are assigned through it, we may be given special and unique graces that will prevent us from ever falling back into sin again. As one priest recently told me at the end of my Confession, "Christ has given you back your peace." And this is so true! In the Sacrament of Penance, Jesus restores us to the life of grace and He gives us the grace so that we may have, "the peace of God, which passes all understanding," and, which will keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, so that we can receive Him in a special way at Christmas, so that we may rejoice in Him as He comes among us now, and so that we will be ready to welcome Him at the end of time when He inaugurates His triumphant reign.
Friday, December 12, 2014
Mary Immaculate, Clothed in the Jeweled Dress of Love
"I rejoice heartily in the Lord, in my God is the joy of my soul; for he has clothed me with a robe of salvation, and wrapped me in a mantle of justice, like a bride adorned with her jewels." - Introductory Antiphon for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
These words, taken from the Prophet Isaiah, are most appropriately applied to our Lady, who, "was redeemed from the moment of her conception (Catechism of the Catholic Church 491)." Her Divine Son, Jesus Christ, in the creation of her soul, endowed her with every blessing, so that she may possess, "The 'splendor of an entirely unique holiness (CCC 492).'" Of all God's creation, Mary is the most glorious work. In the order of nature, she is lower than the angels, yet by the supernatural grace of God, she has been exalted above them to the pinnacle of the glory which a creature can attain.
For this reason, the words of the Psalm of the Prophet Isaiah, used for the Introductory Antiphon of the Mass of the Immaculate Conception may be most appropriately applied to our Lady. God is truly the joy of her soul, for He dwells in her most perfectly. Mary, throughout her life, by a singular grace of God, perfectly reflected the image of God present in humans. From the first moment of her existence she was clothed with, "a robe of salvation," namely the grace of being preserved from the taint of Original Sin, through the Redemption won by Christ her Divine Son on the Cross. The, "mantle of justice," she wears is the perfection of virtues within her; within her soul there is no vice presence. Rather, she was always whole in her virtue and, thus, she was completely righteous and just before God.
For the above mentioned reasons, Mary is compared to, "a bride adorned with her jewels." There is no day that a woman wishes to be more beautiful than on her wedding day. However, it is not just through makeup and a white dress that she looks for this beauty, but she wishes to compliment her natural beauty and the beauty of the dress through the accessories of jewelry. Mary may be likened unto this, even though as a poor Israelite it is unlikely she was ever decked in jewels in her natural life. However, in regard to her soul, it was decked with the finest jewels God could provide, i.e. supernatural virtues.
We must now, in this regard make differentiation between grace and nature, something St. Thomas Aquinas was always most careful in doing, for our correct understanding of the Faith can rest upon these distinctions. Nature is what a creature possesses in itself and can do on its own power, given it by God at creation. Thus, to exercise prudence, temperance, justice, and fortitude do not necessarily require a supernatural grace for God, for men possess this ability in themselves, by the nature God has given to them. To contemplate God is something man can do on his own power, but to believe in the Triune God and contemplate God in His Inner Nature may only come through a supernatural gift of the Holy Spirit, and therefore surpasses nature. The great axiom in regards to this is, "Gratia non destruit naturam sed perficit - Grace does not destroy nature, it perfects it."
Through this principle we must see that Mary was not in any way less human because of God's working in her; she was not made something higher than a human, rather her humanity was perfected through the supernatural grace of God. She was raised to a supreme dignity through grace, second only to the dignity of God Himself.
In this manner, then, Mary is said to be decked with jewels, for while on earth she possessed, from the first moment of her conception, the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity to the fullest degree she was capable, and now in Heaven possesses the virtue of love of God, and consequently, participates in the Divine Life of the Trinity, in a way surpassing all others of God's creation. Her possession of faith, hope, and charity truly complemented the beauty of her soul. Let us consider this briefly.
In regards to faith, Mary was never hesitating in her belief in God, nor His ability to accomplish His word. When we are first presented with the woman, who is hailed as, "full of grace (Luke 1:28)," she does not doubt for an instant that God will make her mother, without in any way violating the purity of her virginity. Mary already knew and believed the truth spoken by the angel Gabriel, "With God nothing will be impossible (Luke 1:37)," and was thus able to commit herself fully to God with the words, "Ecce ancilla Domini, fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum. - Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word (Luke 1:38)."
But our contemplation of Mary's faith cannot be limited to the Annunciation, for it is presented to us throughout her earthly life. She did not hesitate to flee with Joseph and the child Jesus into Egypt when Herod killed all the Holy Innocents of Bethlehem (Matthew 2:13-15), nor did she hesitate to implore her Son to work His first miracle at the wedding feast in Cana, and she did not doubt He would grant her request (John 2:1-5). Even when it came to His Passion, she did not implore Him to end His, and her, sufferings, but instead trusted in the Divine plan. Indeed she stood at the foot of the Cross (John 19:25)! By Tradition we are also told that from His death until His Resurrection, the Church was kept alive solely in the heart of Mary, who alone kept faith in the salvation promised by God. Finally, it was Mary who nourished the faith of the early Church (Acts 1:14), until she was assumed into Heaven, where she now sees God face to face.
Now in regards to hope, Mary is no less beautiful. Why did she willingly suffer all that she did, especially in the participation with the Passion of her Divine Son? The answer is simple: she believed it would bring about the salvation of the world, but also her salvation, even though she was conceived without sin. We must not forget, it was only on account of the saving death of her Son that she was able to be cleansed from sin from the first moment of her conception. Her hope was entirely placed in God, as she sings in her Magnificat, "My spirit rejoices in God my Savior (Luke 1:47, emphasis added)." She trusted fully that nothing, not even death, would thwart the promise that her Son, Jesus, was, "set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against," and that a sword would pierce her soul as well (Luke 2:34-35), i.e. that He was the, "horn of salvation," for Israel (Luke 1:69).
In her hope Mary also offers us a model since it was on account of the virtue of hope, which she was so magnificently graced with, that she was able to suffer perfectly in accord with Jesus. As I said, she was united completely with the suffering of Christ, which was the means through which our salvation came about. To the extent that her sufferings were united to the suffering of Christ, she was graced with the fruits of the Redemption. Of course, Mary was perfectly united, and was consequently perfectly graced with the highest graces of Redemption. This applies to us as well; to the extent that we unite our sufferings to Christ, we will share in the fruits of redemption, as our Lady does.
The crowing jewel of Mary's soul, however, was her charity. Attestations to this are found throughout the Gospels and the Tradition of the Church. Immediately after the Annunciation, we have the relation of her going to assist Elizabeth in her pregnancy (Luke 1:39-40, 56). Even though she had just been informed that she was to be the mother of God, her thoughts went to charity towards another. The same can be said for her attention at the Wedding Feast of Cana, where she feared the spouses would be embarrassed by the lack of wine, and therefore requested Jesus' intervention (John 2:1-11).
Her love of God continued throughout her life. She was always near her Son in his travels (John 2:12; Luke 8:19). When she was separated from Him she was greatly distressed (Luke 2:48); spiritual union was not enough for her. Nevertheless, her love for Jesus, induced her to consent to spend years with St. John the Apostle after the Ascension of Jesus to care for the infant Church.
This love has not ceased now that she is in eternal glory, for charity remains (1 Corinthians 13:13). Faith and hope are not in Heaven, for we see face to face and have achieved our rest, but love for God is perfect there and without end. And through this love for the Trinity, we love all God's creation. Thus, because Mary possesses the greatest love for God of all creation, she also possesses the greatest love for all creation. Let us take refuge in under the mantle of Immaculate Mary then, for of all the advocates we have before God, none can equal the splendid glory of Mary in the jeweled dress of her love.
These words, taken from the Prophet Isaiah, are most appropriately applied to our Lady, who, "was redeemed from the moment of her conception (Catechism of the Catholic Church 491)." Her Divine Son, Jesus Christ, in the creation of her soul, endowed her with every blessing, so that she may possess, "The 'splendor of an entirely unique holiness (CCC 492).'" Of all God's creation, Mary is the most glorious work. In the order of nature, she is lower than the angels, yet by the supernatural grace of God, she has been exalted above them to the pinnacle of the glory which a creature can attain.
For this reason, the words of the Psalm of the Prophet Isaiah, used for the Introductory Antiphon of the Mass of the Immaculate Conception may be most appropriately applied to our Lady. God is truly the joy of her soul, for He dwells in her most perfectly. Mary, throughout her life, by a singular grace of God, perfectly reflected the image of God present in humans. From the first moment of her existence she was clothed with, "a robe of salvation," namely the grace of being preserved from the taint of Original Sin, through the Redemption won by Christ her Divine Son on the Cross. The, "mantle of justice," she wears is the perfection of virtues within her; within her soul there is no vice presence. Rather, she was always whole in her virtue and, thus, she was completely righteous and just before God.
For the above mentioned reasons, Mary is compared to, "a bride adorned with her jewels." There is no day that a woman wishes to be more beautiful than on her wedding day. However, it is not just through makeup and a white dress that she looks for this beauty, but she wishes to compliment her natural beauty and the beauty of the dress through the accessories of jewelry. Mary may be likened unto this, even though as a poor Israelite it is unlikely she was ever decked in jewels in her natural life. However, in regard to her soul, it was decked with the finest jewels God could provide, i.e. supernatural virtues.
We must now, in this regard make differentiation between grace and nature, something St. Thomas Aquinas was always most careful in doing, for our correct understanding of the Faith can rest upon these distinctions. Nature is what a creature possesses in itself and can do on its own power, given it by God at creation. Thus, to exercise prudence, temperance, justice, and fortitude do not necessarily require a supernatural grace for God, for men possess this ability in themselves, by the nature God has given to them. To contemplate God is something man can do on his own power, but to believe in the Triune God and contemplate God in His Inner Nature may only come through a supernatural gift of the Holy Spirit, and therefore surpasses nature. The great axiom in regards to this is, "Gratia non destruit naturam sed perficit - Grace does not destroy nature, it perfects it."
Through this principle we must see that Mary was not in any way less human because of God's working in her; she was not made something higher than a human, rather her humanity was perfected through the supernatural grace of God. She was raised to a supreme dignity through grace, second only to the dignity of God Himself.
In this manner, then, Mary is said to be decked with jewels, for while on earth she possessed, from the first moment of her conception, the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity to the fullest degree she was capable, and now in Heaven possesses the virtue of love of God, and consequently, participates in the Divine Life of the Trinity, in a way surpassing all others of God's creation. Her possession of faith, hope, and charity truly complemented the beauty of her soul. Let us consider this briefly.
In regards to faith, Mary was never hesitating in her belief in God, nor His ability to accomplish His word. When we are first presented with the woman, who is hailed as, "full of grace (Luke 1:28)," she does not doubt for an instant that God will make her mother, without in any way violating the purity of her virginity. Mary already knew and believed the truth spoken by the angel Gabriel, "With God nothing will be impossible (Luke 1:37)," and was thus able to commit herself fully to God with the words, "Ecce ancilla Domini, fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum. - Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word (Luke 1:38)."
But our contemplation of Mary's faith cannot be limited to the Annunciation, for it is presented to us throughout her earthly life. She did not hesitate to flee with Joseph and the child Jesus into Egypt when Herod killed all the Holy Innocents of Bethlehem (Matthew 2:13-15), nor did she hesitate to implore her Son to work His first miracle at the wedding feast in Cana, and she did not doubt He would grant her request (John 2:1-5). Even when it came to His Passion, she did not implore Him to end His, and her, sufferings, but instead trusted in the Divine plan. Indeed she stood at the foot of the Cross (John 19:25)! By Tradition we are also told that from His death until His Resurrection, the Church was kept alive solely in the heart of Mary, who alone kept faith in the salvation promised by God. Finally, it was Mary who nourished the faith of the early Church (Acts 1:14), until she was assumed into Heaven, where she now sees God face to face.
Now in regards to hope, Mary is no less beautiful. Why did she willingly suffer all that she did, especially in the participation with the Passion of her Divine Son? The answer is simple: she believed it would bring about the salvation of the world, but also her salvation, even though she was conceived without sin. We must not forget, it was only on account of the saving death of her Son that she was able to be cleansed from sin from the first moment of her conception. Her hope was entirely placed in God, as she sings in her Magnificat, "My spirit rejoices in God my Savior (Luke 1:47, emphasis added)." She trusted fully that nothing, not even death, would thwart the promise that her Son, Jesus, was, "set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against," and that a sword would pierce her soul as well (Luke 2:34-35), i.e. that He was the, "horn of salvation," for Israel (Luke 1:69).
In her hope Mary also offers us a model since it was on account of the virtue of hope, which she was so magnificently graced with, that she was able to suffer perfectly in accord with Jesus. As I said, she was united completely with the suffering of Christ, which was the means through which our salvation came about. To the extent that her sufferings were united to the suffering of Christ, she was graced with the fruits of the Redemption. Of course, Mary was perfectly united, and was consequently perfectly graced with the highest graces of Redemption. This applies to us as well; to the extent that we unite our sufferings to Christ, we will share in the fruits of redemption, as our Lady does.
The crowing jewel of Mary's soul, however, was her charity. Attestations to this are found throughout the Gospels and the Tradition of the Church. Immediately after the Annunciation, we have the relation of her going to assist Elizabeth in her pregnancy (Luke 1:39-40, 56). Even though she had just been informed that she was to be the mother of God, her thoughts went to charity towards another. The same can be said for her attention at the Wedding Feast of Cana, where she feared the spouses would be embarrassed by the lack of wine, and therefore requested Jesus' intervention (John 2:1-11).
Her love of God continued throughout her life. She was always near her Son in his travels (John 2:12; Luke 8:19). When she was separated from Him she was greatly distressed (Luke 2:48); spiritual union was not enough for her. Nevertheless, her love for Jesus, induced her to consent to spend years with St. John the Apostle after the Ascension of Jesus to care for the infant Church.
This love has not ceased now that she is in eternal glory, for charity remains (1 Corinthians 13:13). Faith and hope are not in Heaven, for we see face to face and have achieved our rest, but love for God is perfect there and without end. And through this love for the Trinity, we love all God's creation. Thus, because Mary possesses the greatest love for God of all creation, she also possesses the greatest love for all creation. Let us take refuge in under the mantle of Immaculate Mary then, for of all the advocates we have before God, none can equal the splendid glory of Mary in the jeweled dress of her love.
Thursday, December 11, 2014
The Lord's Coming to a Repentant Heart
"O people of Sion, behold, the Lord will come to save the nations, and the Lord will make the glory of his voice heard in the joy of your heart." - Introductory Antiphon for the Second Sunday of Advent
The Liturgy for the Second Sunday of Advent is all about the announcement of the coming of the Savior! Again and again, we are told the Savior is coming. Indeed, as we look at the Introductory Antiphon for the Mass we see these are the very first words of the Mass. We are the people of Sion, the New Jerusalem, and we are told the Lord is coming to save not only us, but all mankind!
Due to the fact this Sunday is all about the announcement of the Messiah's approach, the Gospel for it is always the preaching of John the Baptist. In the various Gospel accounts there are the phrases such as:
"Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight . . . . Bear fruit that befits repentance, and do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father . . . .' Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire . . . . His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire (Matthew 3:3, 8-9, 10, 12)."
Then, in Luke we have John saying:
"The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God . . . . He who has two coats, let him share with him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise (Luke 3:4-6, 11)."
It is well to note the two themes present here. The Lord is coming to save us, but we are also called to repentance and conversion of heart. Indeed it is in our hearts themselves that the Lord will make His salvation to us known! Notice that the glory of the Lord is not being made to us in the normal course of nature, for in that case His glory would be present to our eyes and we would hear His voice with our ears. This is the manner in which it will take place at the end of time, when the Savior comes again in glory. "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and the works that are upon it will be burned up (2 Peter 3:10)." There will indeed be mighty works in nature, "When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all his angels with him," and He sits, "on His glorious throne (Matthew 25:31)," but if that was the manner in which He came to us now, we would fear Him, and not love Him as He desires. Thus, He comes to us in love, to appeal to our hearts.
How then, do we turn our hearts to the Messiah, Who came, Who comes, and Who is coming? The first thing we must do is to repent of our sins. No matter how much we advance along the path of holiness, we shall never have completed the course in this life. There will always be more purification we can undergo; there will always be faults which must be purged away. This brings us to a great danger in the spiritual life and which was addressed by St. John the Baptist in his preaching; there is always the fear we will grow presumptuous of our salvation and believe ourselves to have achieved perfection. Granted, this is rarely explicit in those who have advanced far in the spiritual life. That idea is much more a sign the person is just beginning. However, it is not uncommon for one to believe oneself to have gone far enough and to be doing very well as they advance in the spiritual life. However, this is a great danger!
St. Augustine wisely said, "Pray as if your salvation depends entirely on God, work as if your salvation depends entirely on you." This is the balance we must ever maintain in the spiritual life. We must always remember that our salvation is a completely gratuitous gift of God, and therefore we never deserve it, but God has called us to work to grow in His love, i.e. His salvation, which requires us to seek our perfection. We cannot grow slothful in the spiritual life and simply believe God will save us purely because He loves us regardless of what we do, nor can we go so far even to say that God will save us out of love as long as we do not break His laws. We must recall that the New Covenant in Christ, and even the Old Covenant of the Law were not simply prohibitions. They are and were also a series of commands, things that must be done. But it goes even further still. The Law and the Covenant in Christ were both not only external, but they are and were also internal.
This is the part in which the Pharisees failed. They were faithful to the prohibitions of the Law. They did not eat the forbidden animals or make graven images of God. They were even faithful to the commands. They followed the appointed fasts and sacrifices to the perfect letter of the law. But their observance was only external. The Law also applied to the heart. Isaiah, who speaks to us so often in Advent, spoke of this when he spoke on behalf of God saying:
"'What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?' says the LORD; 'I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts . . . . Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and sabbath and the calling of assemblies - I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly. . . . Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow (Isaiah 1:11, 13, 16-17).'"
The external observance of the Law meant nothing to God if it did not open the hearts of His people to Him. The Law was meant to ensure they did not fall into the way of their neighbors and make their relationship with God a cosmic chess game. God does not require sacrifice, nor does he require us to observe certain fasts and ritual washings, as the pagans believed the gods literally needed from them. Instead, God appointed these things to be observed so that we may remember Him and open our hearts to His salvation so that He could enter into them and cleanse them.
This is what we are called to in an even higher way in Christ Jesus. He has fulfilled the Law in that we do not follow the Mosaic Law any longer, but we still follow the principles that were behind those laws, but we do so now in spirit and in truth. We may ask how this plays out, and Christ has told us. Right after He speaks of His coming in glory with the angels, he says:
"Then the King [Jesus] will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' . . . 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me (Matthew 25:34-36, 40).'"
As we know, this is followed by the opposite being said of the reprobate, they did not do those things. Their sin was one of omission. Our love and devotion to the Lord manifests itself in charity, which is the heart of repentance. In fact, when a man possesses charity, he possesses the joy of the Lord in his heart and the glory of God, who is Love (1 John 4:8), will speak to Him there, as the Introductory antiphon says.
Let us, lastly, consider the means through which the Lord comes to us. We know He comes to us in our hearts, but how does He enter in there? The answer is in many ways, for He comes to us whenever we do an action that gives grace, but this means that the preeminent way in which He comes to us is through the Sacraments, which are the main channels of grace in the Christian Life.
In this season of Advent, then, let us further develop a devotion to the Sacraments of the Church, especially the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the highest means through which Christ comes to dwell in us and conform us to Him. As the antiphon, O Sacrum Convivium of St. Thomas Aquinas says of the Blessed Sacrament, "Mens impletur gratia: et futurae gloriae nobis pignus datur. - The mind is filled with grace, and the pledge of future glory is given to us."
However, we cannot neglect the Sacrament of Confession, for it is the Sacrament through which we are more properly disposed to receive Christ in the Eucharist and are given further strength to resist temptation and to further our resolve to avoid sin and grow in our repentance. But it is also another means in which Christ comes to us. And He comes, not as the Just Judge, or even as little babe, but as the God Who is Love and as our Brother. In the words of Pope Francis, "Every time we go to Confession, God embraces us."
The Liturgy for the Second Sunday of Advent is all about the announcement of the coming of the Savior! Again and again, we are told the Savior is coming. Indeed, as we look at the Introductory Antiphon for the Mass we see these are the very first words of the Mass. We are the people of Sion, the New Jerusalem, and we are told the Lord is coming to save not only us, but all mankind!
Due to the fact this Sunday is all about the announcement of the Messiah's approach, the Gospel for it is always the preaching of John the Baptist. In the various Gospel accounts there are the phrases such as:
"Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight . . . . Bear fruit that befits repentance, and do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father . . . .' Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire . . . . His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire (Matthew 3:3, 8-9, 10, 12)."
Then, in Luke we have John saying:
"The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God . . . . He who has two coats, let him share with him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise (Luke 3:4-6, 11)."
It is well to note the two themes present here. The Lord is coming to save us, but we are also called to repentance and conversion of heart. Indeed it is in our hearts themselves that the Lord will make His salvation to us known! Notice that the glory of the Lord is not being made to us in the normal course of nature, for in that case His glory would be present to our eyes and we would hear His voice with our ears. This is the manner in which it will take place at the end of time, when the Savior comes again in glory. "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and the works that are upon it will be burned up (2 Peter 3:10)." There will indeed be mighty works in nature, "When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all his angels with him," and He sits, "on His glorious throne (Matthew 25:31)," but if that was the manner in which He came to us now, we would fear Him, and not love Him as He desires. Thus, He comes to us in love, to appeal to our hearts.
How then, do we turn our hearts to the Messiah, Who came, Who comes, and Who is coming? The first thing we must do is to repent of our sins. No matter how much we advance along the path of holiness, we shall never have completed the course in this life. There will always be more purification we can undergo; there will always be faults which must be purged away. This brings us to a great danger in the spiritual life and which was addressed by St. John the Baptist in his preaching; there is always the fear we will grow presumptuous of our salvation and believe ourselves to have achieved perfection. Granted, this is rarely explicit in those who have advanced far in the spiritual life. That idea is much more a sign the person is just beginning. However, it is not uncommon for one to believe oneself to have gone far enough and to be doing very well as they advance in the spiritual life. However, this is a great danger!
St. Augustine wisely said, "Pray as if your salvation depends entirely on God, work as if your salvation depends entirely on you." This is the balance we must ever maintain in the spiritual life. We must always remember that our salvation is a completely gratuitous gift of God, and therefore we never deserve it, but God has called us to work to grow in His love, i.e. His salvation, which requires us to seek our perfection. We cannot grow slothful in the spiritual life and simply believe God will save us purely because He loves us regardless of what we do, nor can we go so far even to say that God will save us out of love as long as we do not break His laws. We must recall that the New Covenant in Christ, and even the Old Covenant of the Law were not simply prohibitions. They are and were also a series of commands, things that must be done. But it goes even further still. The Law and the Covenant in Christ were both not only external, but they are and were also internal.
This is the part in which the Pharisees failed. They were faithful to the prohibitions of the Law. They did not eat the forbidden animals or make graven images of God. They were even faithful to the commands. They followed the appointed fasts and sacrifices to the perfect letter of the law. But their observance was only external. The Law also applied to the heart. Isaiah, who speaks to us so often in Advent, spoke of this when he spoke on behalf of God saying:
"'What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?' says the LORD; 'I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts . . . . Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and sabbath and the calling of assemblies - I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly. . . . Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow (Isaiah 1:11, 13, 16-17).'"
The external observance of the Law meant nothing to God if it did not open the hearts of His people to Him. The Law was meant to ensure they did not fall into the way of their neighbors and make their relationship with God a cosmic chess game. God does not require sacrifice, nor does he require us to observe certain fasts and ritual washings, as the pagans believed the gods literally needed from them. Instead, God appointed these things to be observed so that we may remember Him and open our hearts to His salvation so that He could enter into them and cleanse them.
This is what we are called to in an even higher way in Christ Jesus. He has fulfilled the Law in that we do not follow the Mosaic Law any longer, but we still follow the principles that were behind those laws, but we do so now in spirit and in truth. We may ask how this plays out, and Christ has told us. Right after He speaks of His coming in glory with the angels, he says:
"Then the King [Jesus] will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' . . . 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me (Matthew 25:34-36, 40).'"
As we know, this is followed by the opposite being said of the reprobate, they did not do those things. Their sin was one of omission. Our love and devotion to the Lord manifests itself in charity, which is the heart of repentance. In fact, when a man possesses charity, he possesses the joy of the Lord in his heart and the glory of God, who is Love (1 John 4:8), will speak to Him there, as the Introductory antiphon says.
Let us, lastly, consider the means through which the Lord comes to us. We know He comes to us in our hearts, but how does He enter in there? The answer is in many ways, for He comes to us whenever we do an action that gives grace, but this means that the preeminent way in which He comes to us is through the Sacraments, which are the main channels of grace in the Christian Life.
In this season of Advent, then, let us further develop a devotion to the Sacraments of the Church, especially the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the highest means through which Christ comes to dwell in us and conform us to Him. As the antiphon, O Sacrum Convivium of St. Thomas Aquinas says of the Blessed Sacrament, "Mens impletur gratia: et futurae gloriae nobis pignus datur. - The mind is filled with grace, and the pledge of future glory is given to us."
However, we cannot neglect the Sacrament of Confession, for it is the Sacrament through which we are more properly disposed to receive Christ in the Eucharist and are given further strength to resist temptation and to further our resolve to avoid sin and grow in our repentance. But it is also another means in which Christ comes to us. And He comes, not as the Just Judge, or even as little babe, but as the God Who is Love and as our Brother. In the words of Pope Francis, "Every time we go to Confession, God embraces us."
Friday, December 5, 2014
Living the Liturgy: Advent
It turns out Rome is just as bad at starting Christmas early as the United States is. The trees are up, the lights are on, the churches have their Nativity scenes out (though in fairness these are up year round). It's like I'm still in America.
Now I don't want to really enter into the debate of whether or not you should put up the Christmas tree before Midnight Mass. I have no problem with the tree going up early and the decorations coming out December 1. As a matter of fact, the Vatican lights their tree in the Piazza of St. Peter's on December 17. There are some who think turning on a Christmas light before December 25 is the worst thing to happen to the Church since the Arian Heresy. And, of course, there are those on the other side who love Christmas so much they're singing "O Come All Ye Faithful" in June!
These two extremes don't really address the heart of the matter though, and that is how to properly live the spirit of Advent. The first group I spoke of seems to have the mistaken idea that Advent is exactly the same as the season of Lent. This is quite false; there are similarities, but Advent is a season in its own right with its own proper liturgical spirit. Then, the other extreme only sees Advent as somewhat of an extension of Christmas, which also degrades the nature of Advent.
There are really two questions that should be addressed then. First, what exactly is Advent about, at least liturgically (as this is a liturgical blog), and secondly, how can we live Advent in accordance with the Liturgy?
In a logical manner, let's begin with the first question, "What is Advent about?" Let's start with the name, Advent. It comes from the Latin word adventus, which means "coming." We all know that Advent's liturgical focus is on the Two Coming of Christ, i.e. His birth in Bethlehem and His Second Coming in Judgment at the end of time. For this reason, the Church gives special precedence in Her liturgical readings to Isaiah, which can be applied to both Comings. Additionally, in the Gospels, we will read texts dealing with the Second Coming at the end of time and John the Baptist's call to prepare for the coming of the Lord. Then, in the final days leading up to Christmas, the Church will read the Gospel readings from Luke and Matthew which address how the birth of Christ came about.
However, the saints often refer to a "third coming" of Christ which we may consider in Advent. In the Office of Readings for Wednesday of the First Week of Advent St. Bernard says, "The intermediate coming [i.e. this 'third coming'] is a hidden one; in it only the elect see the Lord within their own selves, and they are saved." It is through this third coming that we are best able to "live the season of Advent."
This third coming is the opening of our hearts to Christ. It is well to note that the liturgical color for the season is violet, which is the color the Church uses for penance. Additionally, the Gloria is not used on Sundays, which is another sign of penance. In these ways, Advent is similar to Lent. The Church is calling us to do penance, since it is through the denial of ourselves that our hearts are opened to Christ. When John the Baptist quoted Isaiah and said, "Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth (Luke 3:4-5)," he was speaking of all this metaphorically in that it will take place in our hearts.
The valley which will be filled is the eternal longing we feel in this life and the mountains and hills that must be brought low are those of our pride. Pride can only be brought down through humiliation; for this reason we are called to reexamine our lives and do penance.
However, if we stop here, Advent really is no different than Lent. Thus, let us further examine some of the features that distinguish the two. In Advent, the Alleluia and the Te Deum are both retained in the Liturgy, whereas they are not in Lent. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal, additionally, states, "In Advent the organ and other musical instruments should be used with a moderation that is consistent with the season's character and does not anticipate the full joy of the Nativity of the Lord (313)," whereas the same paragraph continues, "In Lent the playing of the organ and musical instruments is allowed only in order to support the singing." Therefore, we may see a retained moderation in our expressions of joy which is completely lacking in Lent.
This, of course, combats the other idea that Advent is an extension of Christmas. Indeed it is not; it is a preparation for it. In Christmas, we especially rejoice in the fact Christ has come to dwell in our hearts; during Advent we continue invite Him to enter more deeply.
We need, then, to address the second question, which is, "How can we live the spirit of Advent?" I have already mentioned penance. This is a great time of year to prepare for the coming Feast of Christmas, by fasting now. We all know how easy it is to gain a little weight around the holidays, so why not anticipate that weight gain by losing a few pounds so you end up balancing it out? Not only is fasting good for the soul in that you'll be better disciplined, it serves as a practical defense against excessive weight gain!
Penance, of course, doesn't have to include giving things up. Instead, as an extra discipline, perhaps consider taking up daily Mass if you do not do so already, especially from December 17 until Christmas, as the liturgies of those days are very connected to each other. Plus, with all the stresses the holidays can bring, there are many opportunities to use those as your penance. Instead of dreading and looking distastefully at all the work the holiday season requires, enter into it joyfully realizing that it's for the good of others and your own soul that you are doing all these things. If it's not for the good of others or your own soul, it probably shouldn't be done.
Thus, shopping for and wrapping presents, and sending out those Christmas cards, and all the baking are all opportunities for prayer. You can pray for the people you are doing those actions for as you do them. In this way you will exit out of yourself, and Christ can then enter in. As a visible reminder of this, consider a personal Advent wreath in the home.
Lastly, we can never forget prayer. There is a wonderful tradition of the Christmas Novena, which is prayed from December 16 through December 24, to prepare for Christmas. It is a wonderful mixture of joy at Christ's imminent coming and sorrow for our sins. It can be found on this blog, here.
There are many daily reflections available to be used as well during Advent. These can be found by a simple Google search, if your parish does not already provide them. These serve as wonderful supplements to the daily Rosary, which is especially useful in this season as Mary is such a central part of it.
Finally, let us not forget that ultimate prayer of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Have special recourse to the Sacrament at this time of the year. Undertake a thorough examination of conscience, so that you may discover all the ways in which you are preventing Christ from entering your soul. Additionally if the frequent reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation is already part of your spiritual life (and if it's not, it should be), make sure you haven't fallen simply into a routine. Every Confession should be a new and unique encounter with Christ, the merciful Savior! He is coming soon (Revelation 22:20), may we already possess him spiritually so that His coming will be reason for us to fall down in love of Him, as we fall down in love before His crib!
Now I don't want to really enter into the debate of whether or not you should put up the Christmas tree before Midnight Mass. I have no problem with the tree going up early and the decorations coming out December 1. As a matter of fact, the Vatican lights their tree in the Piazza of St. Peter's on December 17. There are some who think turning on a Christmas light before December 25 is the worst thing to happen to the Church since the Arian Heresy. And, of course, there are those on the other side who love Christmas so much they're singing "O Come All Ye Faithful" in June!
These two extremes don't really address the heart of the matter though, and that is how to properly live the spirit of Advent. The first group I spoke of seems to have the mistaken idea that Advent is exactly the same as the season of Lent. This is quite false; there are similarities, but Advent is a season in its own right with its own proper liturgical spirit. Then, the other extreme only sees Advent as somewhat of an extension of Christmas, which also degrades the nature of Advent.
There are really two questions that should be addressed then. First, what exactly is Advent about, at least liturgically (as this is a liturgical blog), and secondly, how can we live Advent in accordance with the Liturgy?
In a logical manner, let's begin with the first question, "What is Advent about?" Let's start with the name, Advent. It comes from the Latin word adventus, which means "coming." We all know that Advent's liturgical focus is on the Two Coming of Christ, i.e. His birth in Bethlehem and His Second Coming in Judgment at the end of time. For this reason, the Church gives special precedence in Her liturgical readings to Isaiah, which can be applied to both Comings. Additionally, in the Gospels, we will read texts dealing with the Second Coming at the end of time and John the Baptist's call to prepare for the coming of the Lord. Then, in the final days leading up to Christmas, the Church will read the Gospel readings from Luke and Matthew which address how the birth of Christ came about.
However, the saints often refer to a "third coming" of Christ which we may consider in Advent. In the Office of Readings for Wednesday of the First Week of Advent St. Bernard says, "The intermediate coming [i.e. this 'third coming'] is a hidden one; in it only the elect see the Lord within their own selves, and they are saved." It is through this third coming that we are best able to "live the season of Advent."
This third coming is the opening of our hearts to Christ. It is well to note that the liturgical color for the season is violet, which is the color the Church uses for penance. Additionally, the Gloria is not used on Sundays, which is another sign of penance. In these ways, Advent is similar to Lent. The Church is calling us to do penance, since it is through the denial of ourselves that our hearts are opened to Christ. When John the Baptist quoted Isaiah and said, "Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth (Luke 3:4-5)," he was speaking of all this metaphorically in that it will take place in our hearts.
The valley which will be filled is the eternal longing we feel in this life and the mountains and hills that must be brought low are those of our pride. Pride can only be brought down through humiliation; for this reason we are called to reexamine our lives and do penance.
However, if we stop here, Advent really is no different than Lent. Thus, let us further examine some of the features that distinguish the two. In Advent, the Alleluia and the Te Deum are both retained in the Liturgy, whereas they are not in Lent. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal, additionally, states, "In Advent the organ and other musical instruments should be used with a moderation that is consistent with the season's character and does not anticipate the full joy of the Nativity of the Lord (313)," whereas the same paragraph continues, "In Lent the playing of the organ and musical instruments is allowed only in order to support the singing." Therefore, we may see a retained moderation in our expressions of joy which is completely lacking in Lent.
This, of course, combats the other idea that Advent is an extension of Christmas. Indeed it is not; it is a preparation for it. In Christmas, we especially rejoice in the fact Christ has come to dwell in our hearts; during Advent we continue invite Him to enter more deeply.
We need, then, to address the second question, which is, "How can we live the spirit of Advent?" I have already mentioned penance. This is a great time of year to prepare for the coming Feast of Christmas, by fasting now. We all know how easy it is to gain a little weight around the holidays, so why not anticipate that weight gain by losing a few pounds so you end up balancing it out? Not only is fasting good for the soul in that you'll be better disciplined, it serves as a practical defense against excessive weight gain!
Penance, of course, doesn't have to include giving things up. Instead, as an extra discipline, perhaps consider taking up daily Mass if you do not do so already, especially from December 17 until Christmas, as the liturgies of those days are very connected to each other. Plus, with all the stresses the holidays can bring, there are many opportunities to use those as your penance. Instead of dreading and looking distastefully at all the work the holiday season requires, enter into it joyfully realizing that it's for the good of others and your own soul that you are doing all these things. If it's not for the good of others or your own soul, it probably shouldn't be done.
Thus, shopping for and wrapping presents, and sending out those Christmas cards, and all the baking are all opportunities for prayer. You can pray for the people you are doing those actions for as you do them. In this way you will exit out of yourself, and Christ can then enter in. As a visible reminder of this, consider a personal Advent wreath in the home.
Lastly, we can never forget prayer. There is a wonderful tradition of the Christmas Novena, which is prayed from December 16 through December 24, to prepare for Christmas. It is a wonderful mixture of joy at Christ's imminent coming and sorrow for our sins. It can be found on this blog, here.
There are many daily reflections available to be used as well during Advent. These can be found by a simple Google search, if your parish does not already provide them. These serve as wonderful supplements to the daily Rosary, which is especially useful in this season as Mary is such a central part of it.
Finally, let us not forget that ultimate prayer of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Have special recourse to the Sacrament at this time of the year. Undertake a thorough examination of conscience, so that you may discover all the ways in which you are preventing Christ from entering your soul. Additionally if the frequent reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation is already part of your spiritual life (and if it's not, it should be), make sure you haven't fallen simply into a routine. Every Confession should be a new and unique encounter with Christ, the merciful Savior! He is coming soon (Revelation 22:20), may we already possess him spiritually so that His coming will be reason for us to fall down in love of Him, as we fall down in love before His crib!
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Hope in the Two Comings
"To you, I lift up my soul, O my God. In you, I have trusted; let me not be put to shame. Nor let my enemies exult over me; and let none who hope in you be put to shame."
Introductory Antiphon for Mass of the First Sunday of Advent
With these words the first Mass of the this new Year of Grace, the 2015th Year of our Lord, begin, and how appropriate they are. It speaks of all that has gone before in our lives, and all that we look forward to, both in this life and in the next, with all of the focus on the Lord.
It would be well to look at the original Latin of this text in the Liturgy. The first words are, "Ad te levavi," which translates to, "To you, I lift up." This preposition "ad" in Latin implies movement in the subject. There is a movement "into" the destination. We may think of it in the sense that there is a mixing between the subject and the object of the preposition. How incredibly then the use of this preposition "ad" applies to God then! When our souls are lifted up to Him, it does not possess Him only through an intellectual knowledge, but our souls rest in Him.
The very first words of our Introductory Antiphon, then, point us in the direction the Liturgy will always tend us towards throughout this new Liturgical Year; we are called to lift our souls to God, through the Liturgy, so that they may rest in Him and be refreshed.
Through our participation in the Liturgical Prayers of the Church we lift up our souls to God, for by their very nature they are meant to lift up the mind and heart to God, which in turn assists us in lifting our soul to Him, assuming our souls are properly disposed to do so. If they are not so properly disposed, however, then the Liturgy once again by nature will call us back to Him, when celebrated reverently and participated in with one's spirit.
As long as we keep God as our aim we are sure to dwell securely in this world, at least spiritually. Although this world, the devil, and our rebellious passions will attempt to disturb our peace of soul, if we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus Christ, as the very center of both the Liturgy and our lives, we shall not fall into distress, but shall dwell securely in hope.
Let us call to mind the teaching presented us in the Gospels. When Jesus bade Peter to walk across the water to Him in the midst of the storm, Peter was able to do so until He focused on the wind, instead of keeping his eyes and soul firmly fixed on the Lord (Matthew 14:22-33). Jesus says to Peter, in this event, "'O man of little faith, why did you doubt (31)?'" We may draw a parallel between this Gospel passage and the Psalm verse used as our Introductory Antiphon.
As stated, there are many things which attempt to disturb us and cause us great anxiety while on this earth. There are the many temptations which threaten to ultimately destroy the Divine life within us. The demons do everything within their power to cause us to fall from grace so that we will be condemned to eternal misery with them. Indeed, our very bodies themselves are attracted inordinately to so many things in this world which distract us from God. Nevertheless, we should allow none of these things to disturb us, for we have lifted our souls up to God, Who is above the world, and the devils, and us. When our souls rest in Him, therefore, nothing can touch them. However, when we turn our attention from Him, thus losing trust in Him, and instead worry about all the various things which can harm us, we risk being destroyed by those very things which up until then had no power to hurt us in the end.
Our faith in Jesus Christ, must be great then! We should know from both teaching and personal experience that by God's grace we can overcome all things. For this reason, we have no excuse not to say, "Jesus, I trust in you." Rather, we should be able, with full confidence to say the lines of the Introductory Antiphon, "In you have I trusted." This statement is a firm affirmation of our belief in a provident God, a truth often denied in our day and age. But this idea of a disinterested God is not a new idea, for it has been ever pervasive in society as a whole since the mechanistic worldview proposed by Isaac Newton. Those who wish to fully subscribe to his theories were forced to relegate God to basically, the father who gives his children a push on their swing, but from there they are able to keep going on their own.
Yet how untrue this idea is! We are wholly dependent upon God for every action. The very reading of these words depends on the grace of our gracious Lord, for in this moment He is causing you to exist and to be able to read. God is involved in every action of our lives. For this reason, then, we can most profoundly say the next words of the Introductory Antiphon, "let me not be put to shame."
As a provident Father, God is watching over us, He has created us and He sustains us every day of our lives. Let us recall the words of our Lord, "Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; . . . . Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father's will. But even the hairs of your head are numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows (Matthew 10:28-31)." God has promised us that we will not be defeated by these many things, if only we hope in Him. Our enemies of the world, the flesh, and the devil will not be able to rejoice in the end, if we keep our hope and faith in God, for they instead will be put to shame!
And it is this virtue of hope which is so central to the season of Advent which we have just begun. We place our hope in Jesus Christ, Who became man once for us and died for our sins. However, we continue to place our hope in Him because our salvation is not yet complete. St. Paul writes, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure (Philippians 2:12)." Through the Sacrificial death of Christ on the Cross, He defeated the power of sin and death; nevertheless, this salvation brought about through the Cross has yet to be completed in us, and this is the deep focus of Advent.
Advent is about waiting for the coming of the Lord, both at Christmas, where we remember how He became man to save us, and at the end of time, when He will come to inaugurate His visible reign over Heaven and earth. Through the first, we hope in the second. Through the first we have been taught what we must do to inherit salvation. Through the first we have been offered the means to salvation. This salvation, however, will not be completed in us until the Second Coming of Christ, when we our bodies will be raised from the sleep of death and reunited to our souls so that we may share fully in the Kingdom of God. This may only come about though if we are faithful to the first coming of Christ.
For this reason, we hope in God, for we realize it is only through His grace that we are able to attain salvation, for it is only through His grace that we can do any good. Without a firm trust in Him, we will undoubtably fall back into the former darkness of sin. Our Baptism, however, has given us a sure source of hope, for it was the first means whereby the Spirit imparted the supernatural gift of hope into our hearts. Our purification from sin in Baptism allows us to hope, for from that moment it was possible for us to enter Heaven, and to the greater or lesser degree that we allow God to work within us, we either grow or decrease in that original hope.
This Advent, then, let us give ourselves wholeheartedly to God. Let us commit ourselves fully to Him. Let us follow all the dictates of His first coming among men, but more especially let us love Him, for He came to us as a child so that we might love Him. By this means, we will be perfect in hope that on the day of the Lord's Parousia, we will be numbered at His right hand and enter into the eternal glory of life!
Introductory Antiphon for Mass of the First Sunday of Advent
With these words the first Mass of the this new Year of Grace, the 2015th Year of our Lord, begin, and how appropriate they are. It speaks of all that has gone before in our lives, and all that we look forward to, both in this life and in the next, with all of the focus on the Lord.
It would be well to look at the original Latin of this text in the Liturgy. The first words are, "Ad te levavi," which translates to, "To you, I lift up." This preposition "ad" in Latin implies movement in the subject. There is a movement "into" the destination. We may think of it in the sense that there is a mixing between the subject and the object of the preposition. How incredibly then the use of this preposition "ad" applies to God then! When our souls are lifted up to Him, it does not possess Him only through an intellectual knowledge, but our souls rest in Him.
The very first words of our Introductory Antiphon, then, point us in the direction the Liturgy will always tend us towards throughout this new Liturgical Year; we are called to lift our souls to God, through the Liturgy, so that they may rest in Him and be refreshed.
Through our participation in the Liturgical Prayers of the Church we lift up our souls to God, for by their very nature they are meant to lift up the mind and heart to God, which in turn assists us in lifting our soul to Him, assuming our souls are properly disposed to do so. If they are not so properly disposed, however, then the Liturgy once again by nature will call us back to Him, when celebrated reverently and participated in with one's spirit.
As long as we keep God as our aim we are sure to dwell securely in this world, at least spiritually. Although this world, the devil, and our rebellious passions will attempt to disturb our peace of soul, if we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus Christ, as the very center of both the Liturgy and our lives, we shall not fall into distress, but shall dwell securely in hope.
Let us call to mind the teaching presented us in the Gospels. When Jesus bade Peter to walk across the water to Him in the midst of the storm, Peter was able to do so until He focused on the wind, instead of keeping his eyes and soul firmly fixed on the Lord (Matthew 14:22-33). Jesus says to Peter, in this event, "'O man of little faith, why did you doubt (31)?'" We may draw a parallel between this Gospel passage and the Psalm verse used as our Introductory Antiphon.
As stated, there are many things which attempt to disturb us and cause us great anxiety while on this earth. There are the many temptations which threaten to ultimately destroy the Divine life within us. The demons do everything within their power to cause us to fall from grace so that we will be condemned to eternal misery with them. Indeed, our very bodies themselves are attracted inordinately to so many things in this world which distract us from God. Nevertheless, we should allow none of these things to disturb us, for we have lifted our souls up to God, Who is above the world, and the devils, and us. When our souls rest in Him, therefore, nothing can touch them. However, when we turn our attention from Him, thus losing trust in Him, and instead worry about all the various things which can harm us, we risk being destroyed by those very things which up until then had no power to hurt us in the end.
Our faith in Jesus Christ, must be great then! We should know from both teaching and personal experience that by God's grace we can overcome all things. For this reason, we have no excuse not to say, "Jesus, I trust in you." Rather, we should be able, with full confidence to say the lines of the Introductory Antiphon, "In you have I trusted." This statement is a firm affirmation of our belief in a provident God, a truth often denied in our day and age. But this idea of a disinterested God is not a new idea, for it has been ever pervasive in society as a whole since the mechanistic worldview proposed by Isaac Newton. Those who wish to fully subscribe to his theories were forced to relegate God to basically, the father who gives his children a push on their swing, but from there they are able to keep going on their own.
Yet how untrue this idea is! We are wholly dependent upon God for every action. The very reading of these words depends on the grace of our gracious Lord, for in this moment He is causing you to exist and to be able to read. God is involved in every action of our lives. For this reason, then, we can most profoundly say the next words of the Introductory Antiphon, "let me not be put to shame."
As a provident Father, God is watching over us, He has created us and He sustains us every day of our lives. Let us recall the words of our Lord, "Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; . . . . Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father's will. But even the hairs of your head are numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows (Matthew 10:28-31)." God has promised us that we will not be defeated by these many things, if only we hope in Him. Our enemies of the world, the flesh, and the devil will not be able to rejoice in the end, if we keep our hope and faith in God, for they instead will be put to shame!
And it is this virtue of hope which is so central to the season of Advent which we have just begun. We place our hope in Jesus Christ, Who became man once for us and died for our sins. However, we continue to place our hope in Him because our salvation is not yet complete. St. Paul writes, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure (Philippians 2:12)." Through the Sacrificial death of Christ on the Cross, He defeated the power of sin and death; nevertheless, this salvation brought about through the Cross has yet to be completed in us, and this is the deep focus of Advent.
Advent is about waiting for the coming of the Lord, both at Christmas, where we remember how He became man to save us, and at the end of time, when He will come to inaugurate His visible reign over Heaven and earth. Through the first, we hope in the second. Through the first we have been taught what we must do to inherit salvation. Through the first we have been offered the means to salvation. This salvation, however, will not be completed in us until the Second Coming of Christ, when we our bodies will be raised from the sleep of death and reunited to our souls so that we may share fully in the Kingdom of God. This may only come about though if we are faithful to the first coming of Christ.
For this reason, we hope in God, for we realize it is only through His grace that we are able to attain salvation, for it is only through His grace that we can do any good. Without a firm trust in Him, we will undoubtably fall back into the former darkness of sin. Our Baptism, however, has given us a sure source of hope, for it was the first means whereby the Spirit imparted the supernatural gift of hope into our hearts. Our purification from sin in Baptism allows us to hope, for from that moment it was possible for us to enter Heaven, and to the greater or lesser degree that we allow God to work within us, we either grow or decrease in that original hope.
This Advent, then, let us give ourselves wholeheartedly to God. Let us commit ourselves fully to Him. Let us follow all the dictates of His first coming among men, but more especially let us love Him, for He came to us as a child so that we might love Him. By this means, we will be perfect in hope that on the day of the Lord's Parousia, we will be numbered at His right hand and enter into the eternal glory of life!
Monday, December 1, 2014
Novena in Preparation for Christmas
The following novena is adapted from the version composed by the Italian priest Rev. Charles Vachetta, C.M. in 1721. It is begun on December 16 and concludes on December 24.
Opening Prayers:
Leader: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, + and of the Holy Spirit.
All: Amen.
Said while making the sign of the cross on your lips with the thumb:
Leader: O Lord, open my lips.
All: And my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Leader: O God, come to my assistance.
All: O Lord, make haste to help me. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Alleluia.
Leader: Our Lord and King is drawing near. O come, let us adore Him.
All: Our Lord and King is drawing near. O come, let us adore Him.
Leader: Rejoice, O you daughter of Sion and exult fully, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold The Lord and Master comes, and there shall be a brilliant light in that day, and the mountains shall drop down sweetness, and hills flow with milk and honey, for in that day the Great Prophet will come, and He Himself will renew Jerusalem.
All: O come, let us adore Him.
Leader: Behold, the God-man of the house of David will come to sit upon the royal throne, and you will see Him and your heart will rejoice.
All: O come, let us adore Him.
Leader: Behold, the Lord our Protector will come to save us, Israel's holy One, wearing the crown of royalty on His noble brow and He will exercise His rule from sea to shining sea, and from the waters of the river to the ends of the earth.
All: O come, let us adore Him.
Leader: Behold, the Lord and King will appear, and He will not deceive; but if He should delay wait for Him to come; He will surely come and will not tarry.
All: O come, let us adore Him.
Leader: The Lord will come down like rain upon the fleece of Gideon; justice will thrive and an abundance of true peace; all the kings of the lands of the earth will adore Him, and every nation will serve Him.
All: O come, let us adore Him.
Leader: A Child will be born to us, and He will be called God the almighty; He will sit upon the royal throne of David His father, and He will hold sway, the sign of His power on His shoulder.
All: O come, let us adore Him.
Leader: Bethlehem, city of the Most High God, from you will come forth the King of Israel, and He will proceed forth from His eternity; and He will be greatly praised in the midst of the entire universe; and there will be peace in our land when He will have come.
All: Our Lord and King is drawing near. O come, let us adore Him.
On December 24 add:
Leader: Tomorrow the wickedness of the whole world will be destroyed, and over us will reign the Savior of the world.
All: O come, let us adore Him.
Leader: Near at last is Christ our King.
All: Our Lord and King is drawing near. O come, let us adore Him.
Rorate Caeli:
Reader: Ye heavens, drop down the dew from above, and let the clouds rain down the Just.
All: Ye heavens, drop down the dew from above, and let the clouds rain down the Just.
Reader: Be not angry, O Lord, remember no more our iniquities. Behold the city of the Holy One is deserted: Sion is laid desolate: Jerusalem is laid wast: the home of Thy sanctification and of Thy glory, where our fathers praised Thee.
All: Ye heavens, drop down the dew from above, and let the clouds rain down the Just.
Reader: We have sinned, and we are become like the unclean; we are fallen like the leaves, and our sins, like the storm, have carried us away. Thou hast hidden Thy face from us, and hast thrown us into the power of our sins.
All: Ye heavens, drop down the dew from above, and let the clouds rain down the Just.
Reader: Behold, O Lord, the affliction of Thy people, and send Him Whom Thou wilt send forth, the Lamb, the ruler of the earth, from the rock of the desert to the mountain of the daughter of Sion, that He may take away the yoke of our captivity.
All: Ye heavens, drop down the dew from above, and let the clouds rain down the Just.
Reader: Be comforted, be comforted, O my people: thy Savior shall come quickly. Why hath grief devoured thee? Why hath sorrow disfigured thee? I will save thee: fear not: for I am The Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Redeemer.
All: Ye heavens, drop down the dew from above, and let the clouds rain down the Just.
Leader: Blow ye the trumpet in Sion, for the day of the Lord is nigh: behold, He will come to save us, alleluia, alleluia!
Scripture Readings
December 16:
A reading from the Book of Genesis:
The LORD God formed man out of the clay of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and so man became a living being.
After the man, Adam, had eaten of the tree, the LORD God called to the man and asked him, "Where are you?" He answered, "I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself." Then he asked, "Who told you that you were naked? You have eaten, then, from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!" The man replied, "The woman whom you put here with me - she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it." The LORD God then asked the woman, "Why did you do such a thin?" The woman answered, "The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it."
Then the LORD God said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, you shall be banned from all the animals and from all the wild creatures; on your belly shall you crawl, and dirt shall you eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel."
The man called his wife Eve, because she became the mother of all the living.
A reading from the beginning of the holy Gospel according to Luke
Jesus was the son, as was thought, of Joseph, the son of Heli, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, the son of Melea, the son of Mena, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon, the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.
December 17:
A reading from the Book of Genesis Genesis 17:1, 9-10, 15-22
When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to him and said: "I am God the Almighty. Walk in my presence and be blameless."
God also said to Abraham: "On your part, you and your descendants after you must keep my covenant throughout the ages. This is my covenant with you and your descendents after you that you must keep: every male among you shall be circumcised."
God further said to Abraham: "As for your wife Sarai, do not call her Sarai; her name shall be Sarah. I will bless her, and I will give you a son by her. Him also will I bless; he shall give rise to nations, and rulers of peoples shall issue from him." Abraham prostrated himself and laughed as he said to himself, "Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Or can Sarah give birth at ninety?" Then Abraham said to God, "Let but Ishmael live on by your favor!" God replied: "Nevertheless, your wife Sarah is to bear you a son, and you shall call him Isaac. I will maintain my covenant with him as an everlasting pact, to be his God and the God of his descendants after him. As for Ishmael, I am heeding you: I hereby bless him. I will make him fertile and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall become the father of twelve chieftans, and I will make of him a great nation. But my covenant I will maintain with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you by this time next year." When he had finished speaking with him, God departed from Abraham.
A reading from the beginning of the holy Gospel according to Matthew
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Abraham became the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse, Jesse the father of David the king.
David became the father of Solomon, whose mother had been the wife of Uriah. Solomon became the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asaph. Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram the father of Uzziah. Uzziah became the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah. Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amos, Amos the father of Josiah. Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the Babylonian exile.
After the Babylonian exile, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud, Eliud the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.
Thus the total number of generations from Abraham to David is fourteen generations; from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen generations; from the Babylonian exile to the Christ, fourteen generations.
December 18:
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah Isaiah 7:10-14; 8:10
The LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying: "Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God; let it be deep as the nether world, or high as the sky!" But Ahaz answered, "I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!" Then Isaiah said: "Listen, O house of David! Is it not enough for you to weary people, must you also weary my God? Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel, which means 'God is with us!'"
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of The Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means "God is with us." When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home. He had no relations with her until she bore a son, and he named him Jesus.
December 19:
A reading from the first Book of Samuel 1 Samuel 1:20-22, 24-28
In those days Hannah conceived, and at the end of her term bore a son whom she called Samuel, since she had asked the LORD for him. The next time her husband Elkanah was going up with the rest of his household to offer the customary sacrifice to the LORD and to fulfill his vows, Hannah did not go, explaining to her husband, "Once the child is weaned, I will take him to appear before the LORD and to remain there forever; I will offer him as a perpetual nazirite."
Once Samuel was weaned, Hannah brought him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and presented him at the temple of the LORD in Shiloh. After the boy's father had sacrificed the young bull, Hannah, his mother, approached Eli and said: "Pardon, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the LORD. I prayed for this child, and the LORD granted my request. Now I, in turn, give him to the LORD; as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the LORD." Hannah left Samuel there.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke
In the days of Herod, King of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah of the priestly division of Abijah; his wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. Both were righteous in the eyes of God, observign all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren and both were advanced in years.
Once when he was serving as priest in his division's turn before God, according to the practice of the priestly service, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to burn incense. Then, when the whole assembly of the people was praying outside at the hour of the incense offering, the angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right of the altar of incense. Zechariah was troubled by what he saw, and fear came upon him.
But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He will drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb, and he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of fathers toward children and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to prepare a people fit for the Lord." Then Zechariah said to the angel, "How shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years." And the angel said to him in reply, "I am Gabriel, who stand before God. I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news. But now you will be speechless and unable to talk until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled at their proper time."
Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah and were amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary. But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He was gesturing to them but remained mute.
Then, when his days of ministry were completed, he went home.
After this time his wife Elizabeth conceived, and she went into seclusion for five months, saying, "So has the Lord done for me at a time when he has seen fit to take away my disgrace before others."
December 20:
A reading from the second Book of Samuel
[The LORD said] "Now then speak thus to my servant David, 'The LORD of hosts has this to say: 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. It is he who shall build a house for my name. And I will make his royal throne firm forever. I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. And if he does wrong, I will correct him with the rod of men and with human chastisements; but I will not withdraw my favor from him as I withdrew it from your predecessor Saul, whom I removed from my presence. Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever.'"
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke
In the sixth month, 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.
December 21:
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Micah Micah 5:1-4a
Thus says the LORD: "You, Bethlehem-Eprathah, too small to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me, one who is to be ruler in Israel; whose origin is from of old, from ancient times. Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time when she who is to give birth has borne, and the rest of his kindred shall return to the children of Israel. He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock by the strength of the LORD, in the majestic name of the LORD, his God; and they shall remain, for now his greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth; he shall be peace."
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke
Mary set out in those days and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, "Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.
December 22:
A reading from the first Book of Samuel 1 Samuel 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8abcd
Hannah also prayed and said: "My heart exults in the LORD, my horn is exalted in my God. I have swallowed up my enemies; I rejoice in my victory. The bows of the mighty are broken, while the tottering gird on strength. The well-fed hire themselves out for bread, while the hungry batten on spoil. The barren wife bears seven sons, while the mother of many languishes. The LORD puts to death and gives life; he casts down to the nether world; he raises up again. The LORD makes poor and makes rich, he humbles, he also exalts. He raises the needy from the dust; from the dung heap he lifts up the poor, to seat them with nobles and make a glorious throne their heritage."
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke
Mary said, "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior. For he has looked upon his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed; the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, and has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children for ever."
Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months and then returned to her home.
December 23:
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Malachi Malachi 3:23-24
Thus says the Lord GOD: "Lo I will send you Elijah, the prophet, before the day of the LORD comes, the great and terrible day, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with doom."
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke
When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her. When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother said in reply, "No. He will be called John." But they answered her, "There is no one among your relatives who has this name." So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. He asked for a tablet and wrote, "John is his name," and all were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God. Then fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea. All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, "What, then, will this child be? For surely the hand of the Lord was with him."
December 24:
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah Isaiah 29:17-24
Thus says the Lord GOD: "But a very little while, and Lebanon shall be changed into an orchard, and the orchard be regarded as a forest! On that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book; and out of gloom and darkness, the eyes of the blind shall see. the lowly will ever find joy in the LORD, and the poor rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. For the tyrant will be no more and the arrogant will have gone; all who are alert to do evil will be cut off, those whose mere word condemns a man, who ensnare his defender at the gate, and leave the just man with an empty claim." Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of the house of Jacob, who redeemed Abraham: "Now Jacob shall have nothing to be ashamed of, nor shall his face grow pale. When his children see the work of my hands in his midst, they shall keep my name holy; they shall reverence the Holy One of Jacob, and be in awe of the God of Israel. Those who err in spirit shall acquire understand, and those who find fault shall receive instruction."
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke
Zechariah his father, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied, saying: "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; for he has come to his people and set them free. He has raised up for us a mighty Savior, born of the house of his servant David. Through his prophets he promised of old that he would save us from our enemies, from the hands of all who hate us. He promised to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant. This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to set us free from the hand of our enemies, free to worship him without fear, holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life. You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, to give his people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins. In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace."
Magnificat
Recite the appropriate day's antiphon before beginning the Magnificat (My soul proclaims...).
December 16: Behold, the King will come, The Lord of the earth, and He will remove from us the yoke of captivity.
December 17: O Wisdom, Which camest out of the mouth of the Most High, reaching from end to end and ordering all things mightily and sweetly: come and teach us the way of prudence.
December 18: O Adonai, and Leader of the house of Israel, Who didst appear to Moses in the flame of the burning bush, and didst give unto him the law on Sinai: come and with an outstretched arm redeem us.
December 19: O Root of Jesse, Which standest for an ensign of the people, before Whom kings shall keep silence, Whom the Gentiles shall beseech: come and deliver us, and tarry not.
December 20: O Key of David, and Scepter of the house of Israel, that openest and no man shutteth, and shuttest and no man openeth: come and bring the prisoner forth from the prison-house, and him that sitteth in darkness and in the shadow of death.
December 21: O Dayspring, Brightness of light eternal, and Sun of Justice, come and enlighten them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.
December 22: O King of the Gentiles and the desire thereof, Thou cornerstone that makest both one, come and deliver mankind, whom Thou didst form out of clay.
December 23: O Emmanuel, our King and Lawgiver, the desire of the nations and the Savior thereof, come to save us, O Lord our God.
December 24: With the rising of the sun, you will soon see the King of kings and Lord of lords, coming froth from His Father, as the bridegroom, from His bridal chamber.
Make the sign of the cross as you recite the first line.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for He has looked with favor on His lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed;
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is His name.
He has mercy on those who fear Him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of His arm,
He has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich He has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of His servant Israel
for He has remembered His promise of mercy,
the promise He made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Glory 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.
Repeat the antiphon for the day.
Closing Prayers:
Leader: O Lord, hear my prayer.
All: And let my cry come to You.
Leader: Let us pray.
Hasten we beseech You, O Lord; do not delay; grant us the help of supernatural virtue, so that Your coming will be a consolation to those who hope in Your mercy. Who lives and reigns with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end.
All: Amen.
Leader: May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life.
All: Amen.
Leader: And may the souls of the Faithful Departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
All: Amen.
Opening Prayers:
Leader: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, + and of the Holy Spirit.
All: Amen.
Said while making the sign of the cross on your lips with the thumb:
Leader: O Lord, open my lips.
All: And my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Leader: O God, come to my assistance.
All: O Lord, make haste to help me. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Alleluia.
Leader: Our Lord and King is drawing near. O come, let us adore Him.
All: Our Lord and King is drawing near. O come, let us adore Him.
Leader: Rejoice, O you daughter of Sion and exult fully, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold The Lord and Master comes, and there shall be a brilliant light in that day, and the mountains shall drop down sweetness, and hills flow with milk and honey, for in that day the Great Prophet will come, and He Himself will renew Jerusalem.
All: O come, let us adore Him.
Leader: Behold, the God-man of the house of David will come to sit upon the royal throne, and you will see Him and your heart will rejoice.
All: O come, let us adore Him.
Leader: Behold, the Lord our Protector will come to save us, Israel's holy One, wearing the crown of royalty on His noble brow and He will exercise His rule from sea to shining sea, and from the waters of the river to the ends of the earth.
All: O come, let us adore Him.
Leader: Behold, the Lord and King will appear, and He will not deceive; but if He should delay wait for Him to come; He will surely come and will not tarry.
All: O come, let us adore Him.
Leader: The Lord will come down like rain upon the fleece of Gideon; justice will thrive and an abundance of true peace; all the kings of the lands of the earth will adore Him, and every nation will serve Him.
All: O come, let us adore Him.
Leader: A Child will be born to us, and He will be called God the almighty; He will sit upon the royal throne of David His father, and He will hold sway, the sign of His power on His shoulder.
All: O come, let us adore Him.
Leader: Bethlehem, city of the Most High God, from you will come forth the King of Israel, and He will proceed forth from His eternity; and He will be greatly praised in the midst of the entire universe; and there will be peace in our land when He will have come.
All: Our Lord and King is drawing near. O come, let us adore Him.
On December 24 add:
Leader: Tomorrow the wickedness of the whole world will be destroyed, and over us will reign the Savior of the world.
All: O come, let us adore Him.
Leader: Near at last is Christ our King.
All: Our Lord and King is drawing near. O come, let us adore Him.
Rorate Caeli:
Reader: Ye heavens, drop down the dew from above, and let the clouds rain down the Just.
All: Ye heavens, drop down the dew from above, and let the clouds rain down the Just.
Reader: Be not angry, O Lord, remember no more our iniquities. Behold the city of the Holy One is deserted: Sion is laid desolate: Jerusalem is laid wast: the home of Thy sanctification and of Thy glory, where our fathers praised Thee.
All: Ye heavens, drop down the dew from above, and let the clouds rain down the Just.
Reader: We have sinned, and we are become like the unclean; we are fallen like the leaves, and our sins, like the storm, have carried us away. Thou hast hidden Thy face from us, and hast thrown us into the power of our sins.
All: Ye heavens, drop down the dew from above, and let the clouds rain down the Just.
Reader: Behold, O Lord, the affliction of Thy people, and send Him Whom Thou wilt send forth, the Lamb, the ruler of the earth, from the rock of the desert to the mountain of the daughter of Sion, that He may take away the yoke of our captivity.
All: Ye heavens, drop down the dew from above, and let the clouds rain down the Just.
Reader: Be comforted, be comforted, O my people: thy Savior shall come quickly. Why hath grief devoured thee? Why hath sorrow disfigured thee? I will save thee: fear not: for I am The Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Redeemer.
All: Ye heavens, drop down the dew from above, and let the clouds rain down the Just.
Leader: Blow ye the trumpet in Sion, for the day of the Lord is nigh: behold, He will come to save us, alleluia, alleluia!
Scripture Readings
December 16:
A reading from the Book of Genesis:
The LORD God formed man out of the clay of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and so man became a living being.
After the man, Adam, had eaten of the tree, the LORD God called to the man and asked him, "Where are you?" He answered, "I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself." Then he asked, "Who told you that you were naked? You have eaten, then, from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!" The man replied, "The woman whom you put here with me - she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it." The LORD God then asked the woman, "Why did you do such a thin?" The woman answered, "The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it."
Then the LORD God said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, you shall be banned from all the animals and from all the wild creatures; on your belly shall you crawl, and dirt shall you eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel."
The man called his wife Eve, because she became the mother of all the living.
A reading from the beginning of the holy Gospel according to Luke
Jesus was the son, as was thought, of Joseph, the son of Heli, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, the son of Melea, the son of Mena, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon, the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.
December 17:
A reading from the Book of Genesis Genesis 17:1, 9-10, 15-22
When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to him and said: "I am God the Almighty. Walk in my presence and be blameless."
God also said to Abraham: "On your part, you and your descendants after you must keep my covenant throughout the ages. This is my covenant with you and your descendents after you that you must keep: every male among you shall be circumcised."
God further said to Abraham: "As for your wife Sarai, do not call her Sarai; her name shall be Sarah. I will bless her, and I will give you a son by her. Him also will I bless; he shall give rise to nations, and rulers of peoples shall issue from him." Abraham prostrated himself and laughed as he said to himself, "Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Or can Sarah give birth at ninety?" Then Abraham said to God, "Let but Ishmael live on by your favor!" God replied: "Nevertheless, your wife Sarah is to bear you a son, and you shall call him Isaac. I will maintain my covenant with him as an everlasting pact, to be his God and the God of his descendants after him. As for Ishmael, I am heeding you: I hereby bless him. I will make him fertile and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall become the father of twelve chieftans, and I will make of him a great nation. But my covenant I will maintain with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you by this time next year." When he had finished speaking with him, God departed from Abraham.
A reading from the beginning of the holy Gospel according to Matthew
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Abraham became the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse, Jesse the father of David the king.
David became the father of Solomon, whose mother had been the wife of Uriah. Solomon became the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asaph. Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram the father of Uzziah. Uzziah became the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah. Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amos, Amos the father of Josiah. Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the Babylonian exile.
After the Babylonian exile, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud, Eliud the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.
Thus the total number of generations from Abraham to David is fourteen generations; from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen generations; from the Babylonian exile to the Christ, fourteen generations.
December 18:
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah Isaiah 7:10-14; 8:10
The LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying: "Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God; let it be deep as the nether world, or high as the sky!" But Ahaz answered, "I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!" Then Isaiah said: "Listen, O house of David! Is it not enough for you to weary people, must you also weary my God? Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel, which means 'God is with us!'"
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of The Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means "God is with us." When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home. He had no relations with her until she bore a son, and he named him Jesus.
December 19:
A reading from the first Book of Samuel 1 Samuel 1:20-22, 24-28
In those days Hannah conceived, and at the end of her term bore a son whom she called Samuel, since she had asked the LORD for him. The next time her husband Elkanah was going up with the rest of his household to offer the customary sacrifice to the LORD and to fulfill his vows, Hannah did not go, explaining to her husband, "Once the child is weaned, I will take him to appear before the LORD and to remain there forever; I will offer him as a perpetual nazirite."
Once Samuel was weaned, Hannah brought him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and presented him at the temple of the LORD in Shiloh. After the boy's father had sacrificed the young bull, Hannah, his mother, approached Eli and said: "Pardon, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the LORD. I prayed for this child, and the LORD granted my request. Now I, in turn, give him to the LORD; as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the LORD." Hannah left Samuel there.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke
In the days of Herod, King of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah of the priestly division of Abijah; his wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. Both were righteous in the eyes of God, observign all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren and both were advanced in years.
Once when he was serving as priest in his division's turn before God, according to the practice of the priestly service, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to burn incense. Then, when the whole assembly of the people was praying outside at the hour of the incense offering, the angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right of the altar of incense. Zechariah was troubled by what he saw, and fear came upon him.
But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He will drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb, and he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of fathers toward children and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to prepare a people fit for the Lord." Then Zechariah said to the angel, "How shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years." And the angel said to him in reply, "I am Gabriel, who stand before God. I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news. But now you will be speechless and unable to talk until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled at their proper time."
Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah and were amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary. But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He was gesturing to them but remained mute.
Then, when his days of ministry were completed, he went home.
After this time his wife Elizabeth conceived, and she went into seclusion for five months, saying, "So has the Lord done for me at a time when he has seen fit to take away my disgrace before others."
December 20:
A reading from the second Book of Samuel
[The LORD said] "Now then speak thus to my servant David, 'The LORD of hosts has this to say: 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. It is he who shall build a house for my name. And I will make his royal throne firm forever. I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. And if he does wrong, I will correct him with the rod of men and with human chastisements; but I will not withdraw my favor from him as I withdrew it from your predecessor Saul, whom I removed from my presence. Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever.'"
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke
In the sixth month, 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.
December 21:
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Micah Micah 5:1-4a
Thus says the LORD: "You, Bethlehem-Eprathah, too small to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me, one who is to be ruler in Israel; whose origin is from of old, from ancient times. Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time when she who is to give birth has borne, and the rest of his kindred shall return to the children of Israel. He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock by the strength of the LORD, in the majestic name of the LORD, his God; and they shall remain, for now his greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth; he shall be peace."
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke
Mary set out in those days and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, "Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.
December 22:
A reading from the first Book of Samuel 1 Samuel 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8abcd
Hannah also prayed and said: "My heart exults in the LORD, my horn is exalted in my God. I have swallowed up my enemies; I rejoice in my victory. The bows of the mighty are broken, while the tottering gird on strength. The well-fed hire themselves out for bread, while the hungry batten on spoil. The barren wife bears seven sons, while the mother of many languishes. The LORD puts to death and gives life; he casts down to the nether world; he raises up again. The LORD makes poor and makes rich, he humbles, he also exalts. He raises the needy from the dust; from the dung heap he lifts up the poor, to seat them with nobles and make a glorious throne their heritage."
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke
Mary said, "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior. For he has looked upon his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed; the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, and has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children for ever."
Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months and then returned to her home.
December 23:
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Malachi Malachi 3:23-24
Thus says the Lord GOD: "Lo I will send you Elijah, the prophet, before the day of the LORD comes, the great and terrible day, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with doom."
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke
When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her. When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother said in reply, "No. He will be called John." But they answered her, "There is no one among your relatives who has this name." So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. He asked for a tablet and wrote, "John is his name," and all were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God. Then fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea. All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, "What, then, will this child be? For surely the hand of the Lord was with him."
December 24:
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah Isaiah 29:17-24
Thus says the Lord GOD: "But a very little while, and Lebanon shall be changed into an orchard, and the orchard be regarded as a forest! On that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book; and out of gloom and darkness, the eyes of the blind shall see. the lowly will ever find joy in the LORD, and the poor rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. For the tyrant will be no more and the arrogant will have gone; all who are alert to do evil will be cut off, those whose mere word condemns a man, who ensnare his defender at the gate, and leave the just man with an empty claim." Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of the house of Jacob, who redeemed Abraham: "Now Jacob shall have nothing to be ashamed of, nor shall his face grow pale. When his children see the work of my hands in his midst, they shall keep my name holy; they shall reverence the Holy One of Jacob, and be in awe of the God of Israel. Those who err in spirit shall acquire understand, and those who find fault shall receive instruction."
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke
Zechariah his father, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied, saying: "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; for he has come to his people and set them free. He has raised up for us a mighty Savior, born of the house of his servant David. Through his prophets he promised of old that he would save us from our enemies, from the hands of all who hate us. He promised to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant. This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to set us free from the hand of our enemies, free to worship him without fear, holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life. You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, to give his people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins. In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace."
Magnificat
Recite the appropriate day's antiphon before beginning the Magnificat (My soul proclaims...).
December 16: Behold, the King will come, The Lord of the earth, and He will remove from us the yoke of captivity.
December 17: O Wisdom, Which camest out of the mouth of the Most High, reaching from end to end and ordering all things mightily and sweetly: come and teach us the way of prudence.
December 18: O Adonai, and Leader of the house of Israel, Who didst appear to Moses in the flame of the burning bush, and didst give unto him the law on Sinai: come and with an outstretched arm redeem us.
December 19: O Root of Jesse, Which standest for an ensign of the people, before Whom kings shall keep silence, Whom the Gentiles shall beseech: come and deliver us, and tarry not.
December 20: O Key of David, and Scepter of the house of Israel, that openest and no man shutteth, and shuttest and no man openeth: come and bring the prisoner forth from the prison-house, and him that sitteth in darkness and in the shadow of death.
December 21: O Dayspring, Brightness of light eternal, and Sun of Justice, come and enlighten them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.
December 22: O King of the Gentiles and the desire thereof, Thou cornerstone that makest both one, come and deliver mankind, whom Thou didst form out of clay.
December 23: O Emmanuel, our King and Lawgiver, the desire of the nations and the Savior thereof, come to save us, O Lord our God.
December 24: With the rising of the sun, you will soon see the King of kings and Lord of lords, coming froth from His Father, as the bridegroom, from His bridal chamber.
Make the sign of the cross as you recite the first line.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for He has looked with favor on His lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed;
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is His name.
He has mercy on those who fear Him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of His arm,
He has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich He has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of His servant Israel
for He has remembered His promise of mercy,
the promise He made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Glory 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.
Repeat the antiphon for the day.
Closing Prayers:
Leader: O Lord, hear my prayer.
All: And let my cry come to You.
Leader: Let us pray.
Hasten we beseech You, O Lord; do not delay; grant us the help of supernatural virtue, so that Your coming will be a consolation to those who hope in Your mercy. Who lives and reigns with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end.
All: Amen.
Leader: May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life.
All: Amen.
Leader: And may the souls of the Faithful Departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
All: Amen.
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