Day: December 24, 2025

Posted in GOD ALONE!, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, The HOLY FAMILY

Thought for the Day – 24 December – The Holy Family – Joseph

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 24 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

A Christmas Novena IX
The Holy Family – Joseph

“The third member of the Holy Family is St Joseph, the most just of men, faithful to his vocation as the foster-father of the Child Jesus and chaste spouse o the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Let us imitate his purity, his utter dedication to the service of God and his burning love for Jesus, Whom he was privileged to clasp to his breast before any other man.
Let us ask him to obtain for us the grace to be able to imitate him in his life so that we may also imitate him in his holy death.
May he, who died with Jesus and Mary by his side, obtain peace for us in our final agony, so that we may expire with the names of Jesus and Mary on our lips and in our hearts.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/12/24/thought-for-the-day-24-december-the-holy-family-jesus-2/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/12/24/thought-for-the-day-24-december-the-holy-family-mary/

Posted in ADVENT QUOTES, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, The DIVINE INFANT, The O ANTIPHONS, The REDEMPTION

Quote/s of the Day – 24 December – “O Adonai”

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 24 December – The Vigil of the Nativity oL Our Lord Jesus Christ

“O Adonai”

“O Lord and Leader of the house of Israel,
Who didst appear to Moses in a flame of fire in the bush
and didst give to him the law on Mount Sinai,
Come to Redeem us with Thine outstretched Arm.”

“ The flame of fire in the burning bush, was a figure of Jesus in Mary’s Sacred womb.
Holy indeed was the place where God was present and whence He promised to His people their deliverance from Egypt. So He still speaks, as if concealed in Mary’s womb and reminds us that He has made her holy with a holiness second only to His own and, when we draw nigh to her, we hear His Voice announcing to us that He has heard our prayers offered through her and will come to deliver us from our enemies .”

Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on WISDOM, St Francis de Sales, St JOSEPH, The NATIVITY of JESUS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 24 December – ‘… God gave him His most glorious Son to care for …’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 24 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The Vigil of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ – Romans 1:1-6 Matthew 1:18-21 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Behold, the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in his sleep …” – Matthew 1:20

REFLECTION – “How faithful in humility was the great Saint we are celebrating! That cannot be said in all its perfection for, in spite of what he was, in what poverty and lowliness he lived, all the days of his life – a poverty and lowliness beneath which. he kept hidden and concealed, his great virtues and dignity! … Truly, I am free of doubt that the Angels came, beside themselves with admiration, rank upon rank, to behold and wonder at his humility, while he sheltered that dearest Child in the poor workshop where he worked at his employment, so as to feed the little Boy and the mother entrusted to him.

There is no doubt at all that St Joseph was braver than David and wiser that Solomon [who were his ancestors]. Nevertheless, seeing him reduced to the exercise of carpentry, who could have discerned this, unless they were enlightened by a heavenly Light, so hidden did he keep the remarkable gifts with which God had favoured him? And what wisdom did he not have? For God gave him His most glorious Son to care for … the universal Prince of Heaven and earth … Nevertheless, you can see how low and humbled he was brought, more than can be said or imagined … he went to his own Country and Town of Bethlehem and none but he was turned away from all those inns … Notice how the Angel turns him about with both hands. He tells him he has to go to Egypt and he goes; he orders him to return and he returns. God wants him to be always poor … and he submits to it with love and, not only for a while, for he was poor his whole life long!” – St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Bishop of Geneva and Doctor of the Church (Conferences No 20)

PRAYER – O God, Thou Who gladden us, year after year, with the expectation of our redemption, grant that we, who now welcome with joy Thy Only-begotten Son as our Redeemer, may also gaze upon Him without fear when He comes as our Judge, our Lord Jesus Christ. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in ADVENT PRAYERS, BREVIARY Prayers, CHRISTMAS Prayers & Hymns, HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, The SECOND COMING

Our Morning Offering – 24 December – Magnis Prophetæ Vocibus, With Mighty Voice the Prophets Cry

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 24 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The Vigil of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Magnis Prophetæ Vocibus
With Mighty Voice the Prophets Cry
Unknown Author

With mighty voice the prophets cry
that Christ the Lord is drawing nigh;
rejoicing, they foresee the grace
by which He saves us and redeems.

And so our morning sun shines forth,
our hearts ablaze with radiant joy;
we hear the faithful voice resound,
precursor of God’s glorious gift.

At that first Advent, Christ our God
came forth not to condemn the world,
but came to cleanse our gaping wound,
to seek and save what had been lost.

Christ’s Second Coming warns us all
that He is standing at the gates,
to give to saints their glorious crowns
and open wide the heav’nly realm.

Eternal light is now foretold,
the saving star is shining forth,
its radiant splendour summons us
and calls us to the heav’nly court.

Christ Jesus, Thou alone we seek
to see Thee face-to-face as God;
may this unending vision be
an everlasting hymn of praise.
Amen.

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 24 December – St Euthymius (Died c303) Martyr

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Saint of the Day – 24 December – St Euthymius (Died c303) Martyr of Nicomedia in Asia Minor.

The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Nicomedia, during the persecution of Diocletian, St Euthymius, Martyr, who encouraged and inspired many before him to hold firmly to their Faith during tortures. Being pierced with a sword, he followed them to share their Crowns.” [The image below is St Ste[hen the 1st Martyr].

During the verocious persecutions of Diocletian, Euthymius encouraged Christians to display firm and courageous witness to their faith in Christ and ensured their holy Christian burial to Martyrs.

For this he was in turn arrested and executed for his enduring and loving faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ.

Posted in MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY, The NATIVITY of JESUS

The Vigil of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, The final day of the Christmas Novenas and Feast Days of the Saints 

Posted on by AnaStpaul

The Vigil of the Nativity oL Our Lord Jesus Christ
Midnight Mass is the first Liturgy of Christmastide which is celebrated on the night of Christmas Eve, traditionally beginning at midnight when Christmas Eve gives way to Christmas Day. This popular Christmas custom is a jubilant celebration of the Mass in honour of the Nativity of Jesus Christ.

Christmas Novena to the Divine Infant Jesus
By St Alphonsus,
THE NINTH DAY

The Miraculous Monthly Novena to the
Infant Jesus of Prague
The Ninth Day

All the Holy Ancestors of Christ – A commemoration of all the holy ancestors of Jesus Christ.
MORE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/12/24/24-december-vigil-of-the-nativity-of-the-lord-mass-at-midnight-and-memorials-of-the-saints-24-december/

St Caran of Scotland

St Delphinus (Died 403) the 2nd Bishop of Bordeaux, Defender of the True Faith, friend of St Ambrose and St Venerius of Milan. He was also instrumental in the conversion of the great St Paulinus of Nola, becoming his spiritual father and teacher.
Holy and Learned St Delphinus:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/12/24/saint-of-the-day-24-december-saint-delphinus-of-bordeaux-died-403-bishop/

St Euthymius (Died c303) Martyr of Nicomedia

St Gregory (Died c304) Priest Martyr. Died in Spoleto, Italy after many tortures.
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Spoleto, the holy Priest, Gregory. In the time of the Emperors Diocletian and Maximian, he was first beaten with rough clubs and then, after being exposed on the gridiron and improised, was struck on the knees with iron carding instrucments, burned on the sides with firebrands and finally, beheaded.”
His Life and Death:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/12/24/saint-of-the-day-24-december-saint-gregory-of-spoleto-died-c304-priest-martyr/

St Hanno OSB (Died 978) Bishop of Worms from 950 until his death.
St Hanno:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/12/24/saint-of-the-day-24-december-saint-hanno-of-worms-osb-died-978/

St Irmina (Died c716) Virgin Princess, Nun, Abbess, Founder and Co-founder of 2 Monasteries, benefactress of St Willibrord, the great Missionary Saint of Germany. The Roman Martyrology states: “In Trier in Austrasia, in Germany, Saint Irmina, Abbess of the Monastery of Öhren, who, a virgin consecrated to God, gave Saint Willibrord a small Monastery she founded in her villa in Echternach and was a generous giver of her goods.”
Her Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/12/24/saint-of-the-day-24-december-saint-irmina-of-oehren-died-c-716/

St Mochua of Timahoe

St Trasilla (6th Century) Virgin, Aunt of Saint Pope Gregory the Great (540-604)
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Rome, the birthday of the holy Virgin, Trasilla, Aunt of St Gregory, Pope, who writs of her that at the hour of her death, she saw Jesus coming to her.”
St Trasilla’s Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/12/24/saint-of-the-day-24-december-st-trasilla-sixth-century-virgin/

Blessed Mercedarian Brother:
Blessed Dionysius Roneo
Blessed Philip Claro
Blessed Giulio Pons
Blessed Peter of Valladolid

Blessed Mercedarian Sisters:
Blessed Anna Maria Prieto
Blessed Anna de Arrano
Blessed Orsola de Larisgoizia
Blessed Maguna Mary
Blessed Margaret
Blessed Mary of the Assumption Sarria

Martyred Maidens of Antioch – 40 Saints: A group of forty Virgins Martyred in the persecutions of Decius. None of their names have come down to us. They were martyred in 250 in Antioch, Syria.

Martyrs of Tripoli – 6 Saints: A group of Christians Martyred together, date unknown. The only details that have survived are six of the names – Drusus, Lucian, Metrobius, Paul, Theotimus and Zenobius. They were martyred in Tripoli, Libya.