Our Morning Offering – 22 February – The Chair of St Peter at Antioch
O Prince of the Apostolic Senate! Hymn to the Prince of the Apostles By St Peter Damian (1007-1072) Cardinal Bishop of Ostia Doctor of the Church
O Prince of the Apostolic Senate! Herald of our Lord! First Shepherd of the Faithful! watch over the Flock intrusted to thee.
Lead us through verdant pastures, feeding us with the nourishment of the Word and lead us, thus fed, into the heavenly fold, whither thou hast already gone.
To thee, Peter, have been delivered the Keys of heaven’s gate and all things, both in Heaven and on earth, acknowledge thy authority.
Tis thou that choosest the City where is to be established the Rock of the True Faith, the foundation of the building, on which the Catholic Church stands immoveable.
Thy shadow, as thou passest by, heals the sick and Tabitha, who made garments for the poor, was raised to life at thy bidding.
Bound with two chains, thou wast set free by an Angel’s power; he bids thee put on thy garments and thy sandals and lo! the prison door is opened.
To the Father unbegotten and to the Only-Begotten Son and to the co-equal Spirit of them both, be praise and kingly highest power. Amen.
Our Morning Offering – 18 February – St Bernadette Soubirous (1844-1879) Virgin, The Visionary of Lourdes
The Memorare By St Bernard (1090-1153) Father and Mellifluous Doctor
REMEMBER, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known, that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother, to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 16 February – Septuagesima Sunday
Soul of My Saviour, Sanctify My Breast Trans. Attri. to Fr John Hegarty (1752-1834)
Soul of my Saviour, sanctify my breast; Body of Christ, be Thou my saving Guest; Blood of my Saviour, bathe me in Thy tide; Wash me with water flowing from Thy side.
Strength and protection, may Thy Passion be; O Blessed Jesus, hear and answer me; Deep in Thy Wounds, Lord, hide and shelter me; So shall I never, never, part from Thee.
Hear me, Lord Jesus, listen as I pray; “Lead me from night, to never-ending day. Fill all the world, with love and grace Divine, And glory, laud and praise, be ever Thine.”
This Hymn is based on the original Latin text of the Anima Christi. Fr Hegarty is attributed with its translation and/or arrangement. He was born in County Derry, Ireland, educated at Dublin University and was Ordained in June 1890 and spent most of active apostolic years in Brisbane, Australia. He died aged 82 years.
Quote/s of the Day – 15 February – Feast of The Immaculate Heart of Mary, Refuge of Sinners
Heart of Mary, Refuge of Sinners, Pray for Us!
(Indulgence 300 days)
Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation.
(1943 Raccolta – Indulgence 300 days)
“Mary will certainly save repentant sinners who have recourse to her but she cannot pay any attention to hardened sinners, who pray to her with their lips, while their hearts remain steeped in sin. We must have complete confidence in her but, we must also have a sincere intention of raising ourselves under her protection, from the slavery of sin, to the friendship of God.”
“Mary, my merciful Mother, you see how wretched I am and how often I have fallen. I wish to reform and sanctify myself but I am not able without your powerful assistance, the weakness of my nature is an insurmountable obstacle. Come to my aid, O Mother of mercy. Obtain for me, forgiveness f rom your Divine Son. Obtain for me too, the grace of a complete change of heart, so that I may be truly your child here upon the earth and share in your glory in Heaven. Amen.”
Our Morning Offering – 6 February –“The Month of the Blessed Trinity” – St Titus (Died c96) Bishop, Confessor
O Fathers of Our Ancient Faith
O Fathers of our ancient faith, With all the heav’n, we sing your fame Whose sound went forth in all the earth To tell of Christ and bless His Name.
You took the Gospel to the poor, The Word of God alight in you, Which in our day is told again, That timeless Word, forever new.
You told of God, Who died for us And out of death triumphant rose, Who gave the Truth which made us free and changeless through the ages goes.
Praise Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Whose gift is faith that never dies, A light in darkness now, until The Day-Star in our hearts arise.
O Fathers of Our Ancient Faith is written by the Benedictine Nuns of Stanbrook Abbey. In the Divine Office it is sung at Morning Prayer in the Common of Apostles. It is set to the anonymous tune associated with the 7th Century Latin Hymn, Creator Alme Siderum.
Our Morning Offering – 4 February – “The Month of the Blessed Trinity”
Morning Prayer To Be Conformed to the Divine Will Unknown Author Breviary Prayer
Most Holy Trinity, Godhead IndIvisible, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, our first beginning and our last end, Thou hast made us in accord with Thine Own Image and likeness.
Grant that all the thoughts of our minds, all the words of our tongues, all the affections of our hearts and all the actions of our being may always be conformed to Thine Holy Will.
So may we, having seen Thee veiled in appearance here below, by means of faith, come at last to contemplate Thee face-to-face, in the perfect possession of Thee, forever in Heaven. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 3 February – Resumed Mass of Sunday
O Gloriosa Virginum By St Venantius Fortunatus (c530 – c609)
O Glorious Virgin, ever blest, Sublime above the starry sky, Who nurture from thy spotless breast To thy Creator didst supply.
What we had lost through hapless Eve, The Blossom sprung from these restores, And, granting bliss to souls that grieve, Unbars the everlasting doors.
O Gate, through which hath passed the King. O Hall, whence Light shone through the gloom; The ransomed nations, praise and sing Life given from the Virgin womb.
All honour, laud and glory be, O Jesu, Virgin-born, to Thee; All glory, as is ever meet, To Father and to Paraclete. Amen
O Gloriosa Domina is the second half of the Hymn: Quem Terra, Pontus, Aethera. It was composed by St Venantius Fortunatus (c530 – c609) the Bishop of Poitiers. In 1632, in accordance with revisions made to the hymns of the Divine Office by Pope Urban VIII (1568-1644), it was altered and changed to O Gloriósa Vírginum. It is sung in the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Roman Breviary. It is said that St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) was always singing this Hymn. His mother sang it to him as a baby and even on his death bed, after receiving Extreme Unction, he intoned the Hymn.
Our Morning Offering – 30 January – Feast of St Martina (Died c228) Virgin and Martyr, Patron of Rome
Hear Thou with Joy, O Rome, Martina’s Name Breviary Hymn for Matins By Pope Urban VIII (1568-1644) (Attrib) Papal Reign from 1623-1644
Hear thou with joy, O Rome, Martina’s name, Her praises celebrate with glad accord Martina, high in merit, virgin blest and martyr of the Lord.
Beauty and youth, the joys of happy home, Ancestral palaces and noble birth; All these were hers, all these for Jesu’s sake, She counted nothing worth.
Her wealth she shared among the poor of Christ, Content with seeking better wealth above: Herself she gave to her immortal King, too happy in His love.
The agonising hooks, the rending scourge, Shook not the dauntless spirit in her breast; With torments rack’d, Angels her fainting flesh Recruit with heavenly feast.
In vain they cast her to the ravening beasts; Calm at her feet the lion crouches down, Till smitten by the sword at length she goes To her immortal crown.
Now with the Saints Martina reigns in bliss And. where Idolatry sate throned of yore, From her victorious altar, praise and prayer With odorous incense soar.
Expel false worldly joys and fill us, Lord, With Thine enlightening beam Divine; Who with Thy suffering Martyrs present art, The Godhead, One and Trine. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 29 January – St Francis Salesius, Bishop, Confessor and Doctor of the Church
O Love Eternal! An Act of Love By St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor of the Church (From his “A Treatise on the Love of God”)
O Love Eternal, my soul needs and chooses Thee eternally! Ah, come Holy Ghost and inflame our hearts with Thine Love! To love — or to die! To die — and to love! To die to all other love in order to live in Jesus’ Love, so that we may not die eternally but that we may live in Thine Eternal Love, O Saviour of our souls, we eternally sing, “Live, Jesus! Jesus, I love! Live Jesus, Whom I love! Jesus, I love, Jesus Who lives and reigns forever and ever.” Amen.
Thought for the Day – 25 January – – Meditations on the Hidden Life: From the 1906 Edition of The Heart of Jesus of Nazareth; it has the Imprimatur of Bishop John Baptist Butt, Diocese of Southwark, England, 5 February 1890. Author’s name known simply as Author of “The Voice of the Sacred Heart.” (We return to Fr Clarke for February with his Meditations on The Great Truths.)
Meditation 3 – The Utility and Consolation Which the Hidden Life of Jesus Christ Affords Us
Notwithstanding the magnitude of the external Work for which our Lord came down upon earth, He led the life of a recluse, up to three short years before He closed His mortal career, exercising the lowly trade of a carpenter in the obscurity of Nazareth. Let us linger longer on this reflection, pregnant with matter for years of meditation and with usefulness and consolation for ourselves.
It discloses to us, in the first place, that no state of life no occupation – no deprivation of those things which the world esteems great and which, the natural man highly values, need form an obstacle to our co-operation with the Divine Mission of Jesus Christ on earth. Had He spent the whole, or the greater part of His Life, in working miracles, in preaching, in bearing testimony to His Divinity, in various ways, during the short time of His Public Ministry, we might indeed have hesitated to associate ourselves with a Work, so far beyond and above us. Had He placed before us but the example of the terrible sufferings of His Passion, we might justly have persuaded ourselves that our frailty could not attain to the imitation of so exalted a model. But, it is Jesus of Nazareth who invites us to contemplate Him, during the long years of His Hidden Life and, to learn of Him the lessons He will so gently teach us. He asks us but to clothe ourselves with His Spirit, to form our hearts on His, in order to enable us to participate in His Mission, whatever may be our state of life.
It is not simply the exterior Life of our Blessed Lord that we are about to consider. It is, above all, the life of His Sacred Heart in the solitude of Nazareth which forms the chief matter for our meditation and, in this lies abundant consolation and instruction.
Our state of life maybe one with which the Actions we behold Jesus performing in Joseph’s workshop, are not compatible but are, for that reason, precluded from the imitation of His virtues, from appropriating to ourselves, the spirit which animated His Sacred Heart, from adopting as our own, the intentions for which He lived and laboured? Not so. The Heart of Jesus was the same in every phase of His Life and, the object of that Heart’s devotedness never changed. Whether He planed wood at Nazareth, or wrought miracles in Judea, the glory of His Father and the salvation of the world, were the One Aim ever kept in view. What an immense source of consolation for countless hearts, would this thought be, if only they could be made to grasp it: “I, too, can live and act for the same great end, regardless of the sphere of life in which Providence has placed me and of the exterior actions which my state of life requires of me.”
We know, it is the spirit which animates our works which renders them precious in the Sight of God, or otherwise. He asks not from us those which are beyond our reach. He does not desire any which would oblige us to do violence to the circumstances with which He has Himself surrounded us. He would fain possess our hearts, He yearns to be the Final End of all their aspirations, of all their intentions, so that His interests may be the main-spring of all our outward acts. This He seeks throughout the world, amongst rich and poor, learned and ignorant, secular and religious alike and the souls, in whom He finds the closest union of sentiment with the Heart of the Great Solitary of Nazareth, will be found best disposed for receiving His choicest benedictions! And they will not deem it the least of these benedictions that they are enabled to sanctify the duties of their state, whatever it may be?
Yes, dear lovers of the Heart of Jesus, many of whom are perhaps weighed down with the fear that you have it not within your power to do anything great for God, go to Nazareth and learn of the Heart of Jesus, how to render your lives holy, not only with a view to your own sanctification but also, to their fruitfulness, for God’s glory. Your actions, even the most indifferent in themselves, will thus become ennobled, made almost Divine because,, by reason of your union with the Heart of Jesus, the sap of true spiritual life, will be infused into the spirit which animates them.
All praise, honour and glory to the Divine Heart of Jesus! (Indulgence 50 Days. Once a day, Pope Leo XIII. 14 June 1901).
Our Morning Offering – 24 January – Feast of Saint Timothy, Bishop and Martyr
O Fathers of Our Ancient Faith
O Fathers of our ancient faith, With all the heav’n, we sing your fame Whose sound went forth in all the earth To tell of Christ and bless His Name.
You took the Gospel to the poor, The Word of God alight in you, Which in our day is told again, That timeless Word, forever new.
You told of God, Who died for us And out of death triumphant rose, Who gave the Truth which made us free and changeless through the ages goes.
Praise Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Whose gift is faith that never dies, A light in darkness now, until The Day-Star in our hearts arise.
O Fathers of Our Ancient Faith is written by the Benedictine Nuns of Stanbrook Abbey. In the Divine Office it is sung at Morning Prayer in the Common of Apostles. It is set to the anonymous tune associated with the 7th century Latin hymn, Creator Alme Siderum.
Our Morning Offering – 20 January – “The Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and of the Holy Family”
O My God, I Thank Thee An Act of Abandonment to the Divine Will By St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor Caritas
O my God, I thank Thee and I praise Thee for accomplishing Thy Holy and all-lovable Will without any regard for mine. With my whole heart, in spite of my heart, do I receive this cross I feared so much! It is the cross of Thy choice, the cross of Thy Love. I venerate it; nor for anything in the world would I wish it had not come, since Thou hast willed it. I keep it with gratitude and with joy, as I do everything which comes from Thy Hand and I shall strive to carry it without letting it drag, with all the respect and all the affection which Thy works deserve. Amen.
Our Morning Offering – 18 January – Feast of the Chair of the Apostle, St Peter at Rome
O Peter, Who was Named by Christ! By Stanbrook Abbey For the Feast of the Chair of St Peter
O Peter who was named by Christ! The guardian-shepherd of His flock, Protect the Church He built on thee To stand unyielding, firm on rock.
Thy weakness, Christ exchanged for strength, Thou faltered but He made thee true. He knew the greatness of thy love And gave the keys of heav’n to thee.
Unseen, eternal Trinity, We give Thee glory, praise Thy Name, Thy love keeps faith, with faithless men, Through change and stress, Thou art the same. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 13 January – “The Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and of the Holy Family” – The Eighth Day, The Octave of the Epiphany
Jesus Refulsit Omnium Jesus, Light of All the Nations By St Hilary (315-368) Father & Doctor of the Church Doctor of the Divinity of Christ
Jesus, the merciful Redeemer of all nations, shone forth on this day; let the faithful of every race celebrate Him in their songs of praise.
A Star, shining in the heavens, announces His Birth; it leads the way and guides them to His Crib.
Prostrating, they adore the Infant wrapped in swaddling clothes; they confess Him to be the true God, offering Him their mystic gifts.
Thirty years of His life had passed and He, the infinitely pure God, seeks the laver of baptism.
John, the favoured Baptist trembles as he bends the head of Jesus beneath the waters–that Jesus whose Blood was to purify the whole earth from its sins.
The Divine Voice of the Father is heard from Heaven, bearing testimony to His Son and the Holy Ghost, too, is present, the Giver of holy grace.
We beseech Thee in humble supplication, O Jesus! protect Thy people; we ask it of Thee by the power Thou didst show when Thou didst command the water to be changed into wine.
May praise, honour and all power be to the Trinity forever and forever. Amen
(Verses 4-6 omitted on the image). I could not find the name of the Translator of this version of this Hymn, often referred to as “the oldest” Christmas Hymn.
Our Morning Offering – 11 January – “The Month of the Holy Name of Jesus and the Holy Family”
Consecration to the Holy Family Approved by Pope Leo XIII 20 June 1892
O Most Loving Jesus, Who by Thy ineffable virtues and by the example of Thy domestic life, didst Consecrate the family which Thou didst choose on earth. In Thy clemency, look down upon this household, humbly prostrate before Thee and imploring Thy mercy. Remember that this family belongs to Thee, for to Thee we have, in a special way, dedicated and devoted ourselves. Look upon us in Thy loving kindness, preserve us from every danger, give us help in the time of need and grant us the grace to persevere to the end, in the imitation of Thy Holy Family that having revered Thee and loved Thee faithfully upon earth, we may bless and praise Thee eternally in Heaven.
O Mary, most sweet Mother, to thy intercession we have recourse, knowing that thy Divine Son will hear thy prayers.
And do thee, O glorious Patriarch, Saint Joseph, assist us by thy powerful mediation and offer, by the hands of Mary, our prayers to Jesus. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 8 January – “The Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and of the Holy Family” – Within the Octave of The Epiphany
The Eastern Kings the Star Have Seen! Unknown Author
The Eastern Kings the Star have seen, They hasten on their way; Long time they’ve watched and waiting been The dawning of that Day: The dawning of the Day of grace, The gleam of Jacob’s Star, The Virgin’s Child of Jesse’s race Whom Prophets saw afar.
Glory give to God on high!
And now they open treasures rare Which Indian silks enfold, Of Myrrh which sweetly scents the air, Of Frankincense and gold. Their kingly heads they meekly bow The cradled Babe before, Their God confess, and kneeling low In humble faith adore.
Glory give to God on high!
With them I come to greet my King, Yet not with them to part; No Gold, no Frankincense I bring, I offer Him my heart. With Him to live, with Him to die, Who by His lowly birth, Gave glory to our God on high And peace to men on earth.
Quote/s of the Day – 7 January – “The Month of the Holy Name of Jesus and the Holy Family”and the Feast of the Holy Family
Indulgenced Holy Family Aspiration
“Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I give Thee my heart and my soul; Jesus, Mary and Joseph, assist me in my last agony; Jesus, Mary and Joseph, may I breathe forth my soul in peace with Thee.”
(Indulgence of 300 days, Each Time. Pope Pius VII, 26 August 1814)
“When husband and wife are united in marriage they no longer seem like something earthly but rather, like the image of God Himself!”
St John Chrysostom (347-407) Father & Doctor of the Church
“The One Who is the Wisdom of the Father, put His arms around her neck, the One Who is the strength, that gives movement to everything, sat in her arms. He Who is the rest of souls, (Mt 11:29) rested on her motherly breast. … Filled with the Holy Spirit, she held Him close to her heart … She never had enough of seeing Him or of hearing Him, ,,, Thus Mary grew evermore in love and her mind was unceasingly attached to Divine contemplation.”
St Amadeus of Lausanne (1108-1159)
“Since God could choose for the Guardian of His Son, the man in the world, the most accomplished in all sorts of perfections, according to the dignity and excellence of his Charge, Who was His most Glorious Son, the universal Prince of Heaven and earth, how could it be that being able, He did not will it and did not do it? There is, then, NO DOUBT that St Joseph was endowed with all the graces and all the gifts that were required for the care which the Eternal Father willed to give him, of the temporal and domestic economy of our Lord and of the guidance of his family … ”
Our Morning Offering – 25 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Our Saviour and Redeemer – Its Christmas Day!
Afar from Where the Sun Doth Rise A Solis Ortus Cardine By Coelius Sedulius (Died c450) Trans Msgr Ronald A Knox (1888-1957)
Afar from where the sun doth rise To lands beneath the western skies, Homage to Christ our King we pay, Born of a Virgin’s womb this day
Blessed Creator, Thou didst take__ A servant’s likeness for our sake, And didst in flesh our flesh restore To bid Thy creature live once more.
Chaste was the womb where Thou didst dwell, Of heavenly grace the hidden cell; Nor might the blessed Maid proclaim Whence her dread Guest in secret came.
Down from on high God came to rest__ His glory in a sinless breast; Obedience at His word believed, And virgin innocence conceived.
Ere long, that holy child she bore By Gabriel’s message named before, Whom yet unborn, with eager pride, The swift forerunner prophesied.
Fast doth He sleep, where straw doth spread, A humble manger for His bed. A Mother’s milk that strength renewed, Which gives the birds of heaven their food.
Glory to God, the angels cry; Earth hears the echo from on high; Mankind’s true Shepherd and it’s Lord By shepherd hearts is first adored.
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.
Our Morning Offering – 21 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The Feast of St Thomas, Apostle
Exsultet Orbis! Let the World Rejoice! Unknown Author
Now let the earth with joy resound, And Heaven the chant re-echo round; Nor Heaven nor earth too high can raise The great Apostles’ glorious praise.
O ye who, throned in glory dread, Shall judge the living and the dead, Lights of the world forever more! To you the suppliant prayer we pour.
Ye close the Sacred Gates on high. At your command apart they fly. O loose for us the guilty chain We strive to break and strive in vain.
Sickness and health your voice obey, At your command they go or stay. From sin’s disease our souls restore; In good confirm us more and more.
So when the world is at its end. And Christ to Judgment shall descend, May we be called, those joys to see Prepared from all eternity.
Praise to the Father, with the Son, And Holy Spirit, Three in One; As ever was in ages past And so shall be while ages last. Amen
(Roman Breviary for the Common of Apostles) An Office Hymn that was traditionally prescribed for Vespers and Lauds on the Feasts of Apostles and Evangelists outside Easter time. The Hymn is found as early as the tenth century in a hymnal of Moissac Abbey.
Our Morning Offering – 19 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary”
Creator Alme Siderum Creator of the Starry Frame 7th Century Advent Hymn
Creator of the starry frame; Eternal Light of all who live; Jesu, Redeemer of mankind, An ear to Thy poor suppliants give.
When man was sunk in sin and death, Lost in the depth of Satan’s snare, Love brought Thee down to cure our ills, By taking of those ills a share.
Thou for the sake of guilty men, Causing Thine own pure blood to flow, Didst issue from Thy Virgin-shrine, And to the Cross a Victim go.
So great the glory of Thy might, If we but chance Thy Name to sound, At once all Heaven and Hell unite In bending low with awe profound.
Great Judge of all, in that last day, When friends shall fail and foes combine, Be present then with us, we pray, To guard us with Thy arm divine.
To God the Father and the Son, All praise and power and glory be, With Thee, O holy Comforter, Henceforth through all eternity.
Also known as Advent Hymn, this translation of the Latin hymn Creator Alme Siderum (Pope Urban VIII’s 1632 revision of the 7th Century Hymn Conditor alme siderum) was first published in Fr Edward Caswall’s Lyra Catholica,
Our Morning Offering – 18 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The Feast of Our Lady of Expectation
Awaiting Baby Jesus Traditional Catholic Advent Prayer
My heart is beating, filled with joy, awaiting Mary’s Baby Boy. For with this Child, we embrace the birth of God’s most precious grace. Baby Jesus, soon to come! For us comes the Promised One. Baby Jesus, God’s own Son, Thou will be the Chosen One to lead Thy flock unto salvation. Our eternal life awaits. The birth of Jesus brings us nearer Heaven’s Holy Gates. Sing with joy and count the days, for soon to come, the Lord we’ll praise. Rejoice that Jesus will soon arrive, the Messiah and our faith alive. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 12 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Within the Octave
O Gloriosa Femina O Glorious Maid, Exalted Far By St Venantius Fortunatus (c530 – c609) Bishop, Father o the Church
O Glorious Maid, exalted far Beyond the light of burning star, From Him who made thee, thou hast won Grace to be Mother of His Son.
That which was lost in hapless Eve Thy holy Scion did retrieve: The tear-worn sons of Adam’s race Through thee have seen the heavenly place.
Thou wast the gate of Heaven’s high Lord, The door through which the Light hath poured. Christians rejoice, for through a Maid To all mankind is life conveyed!
All honour, laud and glory be, O Jesu, Virgin-born, to Thee; All glory, as is ever meet, To Father and to Paraclete. Amen.
This Hymn was used for Lauds in the Sarum Breviary for the Feasts of the Immaculate Conception, the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Annunciation, the Assumption and the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The above is the original text of this Hymn as it appears in The English Hymnal (1906), where it is listed as a Morning Office Hymn for Feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Chant Tone: “O Gloriosa Domina” Gregorian Chant, Mode II, traditional.
Quote/s of the Day – 7 December – St Ambrose (340-397) Confessor, Bishop, Father and Doctor of the Church
Nunc, Sancte, nobis Spiritus Come, Holy Ghost, Who ever One By St Ambrose (340-397) Trans John Henry Newman (1801-1890) Trans 1836
Come, Holy Ghost, Who ever One Art with the Father and the Son. Come, Holy Ghost, our souls possess With Thy full flood of holiness.
In will and deed, by heart and tongue, With all our powers, Thy praise be sung. And love, light up our mortal frame, Till others catch the living flame.
Almighty Father, hear our cry Through Jesus Christ our Lord most high, Who with the Holy Ghost and Thee Doth live and reign eternally.
“So Peter wept and wept bitterly; he wept so fiercly he washed away his offence with his tears. And you, too, if you would win pardon, wipe out your guilt with tears. At that very moment, in that same hour, Christ will look at you. If some kind of fall happens to you, then He, the ever-present Witness of your intimate life, looks at you to call you back and cause you to confess your lapse. Then do as Peter did, who thrice said: “Lord, Thou knowest that I love Thee” (Jn 21:15). He denied three times and three times he also confessed. But he denied by night; he confessed in broad daylight!”
“… Behold, now is the acceptable time. behold, now is the day of salvation (2 Cor 6). And so, you must be more earnest in prayer and in alms-giving, in fasting and in watching. He who until now has given alms, in these days, let him give more – for as water quencheth a flaming fire, so does almsgiving wipe out sin (Eccles 3:3). He that, until now, fasted and prayed, let him fast and pray still more – for there are certain sins which are not cast out, except by prayer and fasting (Mc 27:20).”
“Fasting is the death of sin, the destruction of our crimes and the remedy of our salvation.”
Our Morning Offering – 1 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The First Sunday of Advent
O Come, O come, Emmanuel
O Come, O come, Emmanuel And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appear. Refrain: Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel!
O come, Thou Wisdom, from on high And order all things far and nigh, To us the path of knowledge show And teach us in her ways to go. Refrain
O come, o come, Thou Lord of might, Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height In ancient times did give the law, In cloud and majesty and awe. Refrain
O come, Thou Rod of Jesse’s stem, From ev’ry foe deliver them That trust Thy mighty power to save And give them vict’ry o’er the grave. Refrain
O come, Thou Key of David, come And open wide our heav’nly home, Make safe the way that leads on high, That we no more have cause to sigh. Refrain
O come, Thou Dayspring from on high And cheer us by Thy drawing nigh. Disperse the gloomy clouds of night And death’s dark shadow put to flight. Refrain
O come, Desire of nations, bind In one the hearts of all mankind. Bid every strife and quarrel cease And fill the world with heaven’s peace. Refrain
The favourite O Come, O Come Emmanuel carol was originally written in Latin text in the 12th Century. The author of the words and composer to the music of O Come, O Come Emmanuel is unknown. It is, however, believed that the melody was of French origin and added to the text a hundred years later. The Latin was translated into English by John Mason Neale in 1851.
Our Morning Offering – 30 November – Feast of St Andrew Apostle and Martyr
Exsultet Orbis! Let the World Rejoice! Unknown Author
Now let the earth with joy resound, And Heaven the chant re-echo round; Nor Heaven nor earth too high can raise The great Apostles’ glorious praise.
O ye who, throned in glory dread, Shall judge the living and the dead, Lights of the world forever more! To you the suppliant prayer we pour.
Ye close the Sacred Gates on high. At your command apart they fly. O loose for us the guilty chain We strive to break and strive in vain.
Sickness and health your voice obey, At your command they go or stay. From sin’s disease our souls restore; In good confirm us more and more.
So when the world is at its end. And Christ to Judgment shall descend, May we be called, those joys to see Prepared from all eternity.
Praise to the Father, with the Son, And Holy Spirit, Three in One; As ever was in ages past And so shall be while ages last. Amen
(Roman Breviary for the Common of Apostles) An Office Hymn that was traditionally prescribed for Vespers and Lauds on the Feasts of Apostles and Evangelists outside Easter time. The Hymn is found as early as the tenth century in a hymnal of Moissac Abbey.
Thought for the Day –28 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971) [Revisiting our old friend, Cardinal Bacci , until Advent begins on Sunday.]
How to Remain Aware of the Presence of God
“It is useful to consider the ways in which we can develop a constant and effective awareness of the Presence of God. The first way in which we can do this, is by cultivating a lively faith, which will help us to see God everywhere. “Do not I fill heaven and earth, saith the Lord?” (Jer 23:24).
This kind of faith should deepen our sense of God’s Presence and inspire in us sentiments of love and gratitude, which will guide us in all our actions. We cannot expect that we shall be able to remain in a state of constant contemplation of God, for this is the privilege enjoyed by the blessed in Heaven, for whom faith has been replaced by the Beatific Vision. We must be satisfied with exciting in ourselves, as often as possible, the active awareness of God’s Presence. This should be a quiet and peaceful process, not involving undue mental effort or anxiety.
We should be able to attend quite naturally to our work and other obligations and, we should be helped and consoled in this, by directing our thoughts to God from time to time, in order to offer ourselves to Him. This can easily be done by means of frequent ejaculatory prayer, by renewing, at regular intervals, our intention of doing everything for the love of God and by being prepared to endure, in complete acceptance of the Divine Will, all the hardships and trials of the day. Whenever it is possible, moreover, we should escape from the care and confusion of the world into a quiet Church. Here we can kneel in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Eucharist and express, in intimate prayer, our love for Him and our desire to serve Him.”
AnaStpaul 
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