Category: CHRISTMASTIDE!

Posted in CHRISTMASTIDE!, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY

Our Morning Offering – 25 December – The Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 25 December – The Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord

Christmas Prayer
By St Pope John XXIII (1881-1963)

O sweet Child of Bethlehem,
grant that we may share with all our hearts
in this profound mystery of Christmas.
Put into the hearts of men and women this peace
for which they sometimes seek so desperately
and which You alone can give to them.
Help them to know one another better,
and to live as brothers and sisters,
children of the same Father.
Reveal to them also,
Your beauty, holiness and purity.
Awaken in their hearts
love and gratitude for Your infinite goodness.
Join them all together in Your love.
And give us Your heavenly peace, amen.christmas prayer of st pope john XXIII - 2017

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25 December – The Solemnity of the Birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ

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25 December – The Solemnity of the Birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Today the Church celebrates the Birth of Jesus Christ, the first day in the octave of Christmas.   Throughout Advent the Church longed ardently for the coming of our Saviour.   Today she celebrates His birth with unrestrained joy.   “The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.”   The Son of God became man to give us a share in that divine life which is eternally His in the Blessed Trinity.   Christmas time begins on 24 December with the first Vespers of the feast and ends on the feast of the Baptism of Christ.   White vestments reappear in our churches as a sign of joy.The Nativity of the Lordthe nativity of the lord.cropped

The Christmas feast is a festival full of joy.   The Eternal Word has become Man and dwells among us.   The longings of the patriarchs and prophets are fulfilled.   With the shepherds we hurry to the manger and adore the Incarnate Son of God, who for us and for our salvation descended upon earth.   The purpose of the Christmas feast is beautifully expressed in the Preface of the Nativity:   “For by the mystery of the Word made flesh the light of Thy glory hath shone anew upon the eyes of our mind;  so that while we acknowledge Him a God seen by men, we may be drawn by Him to the love of things unseen.”

Christmas says to us – alone we can’t profoundly change the world to remedy it.   Alone, we can make the world better or worse but we can’t save it.   Christ came therefore, because left to ourselves; we couldn’t escape the ‘mortal disease’ that has enveloped us from the first moment of conception in our mother’s womb.   This gives us hope, true hope and true Christian optimism:   I can’t do it but He is there!   This is the mystery of grace synthesised in the human figure of God incarnate.

Christmas Eve and Christmas day are moments of contemplation.   We consider, in many dimensions, the mystery of love that was incarnated for us.   First of all, we contemplate the light and joy, without forgetting Jesus and Mary’s sorrows and sufferings and the many difficulties that had surrounded them:  the cold, the uncomfortable place, the dangers….. It would be good to accompany these thoughts by reciting and meditating slowly on the Holy Rosary, preferably in front of a crib.  ‘Blessed grotto of Bethlehem that testified to the wonders!   Who, in this hour would not turn our hearts?   Who would not prefer the opulent palace of the King?’   (Abbot Guéranger, L’Anno Liturgico, Alba 1959 [orig. franc. 1841], I, p122).da vinci

Listen to the way that St Bonaventure, the seraphic doctor, invites us to contemplate this scene in his ‘Meditation on the life of Jesus Christ’:   ‘You have also lingered, bent your knee, adored the Lord God, venerated His Mother and greeted Joseph, the holy old man, with reverence.  Therefore, kiss the feet of the baby Jesus, who lies in the manger, and pray that the Holy Virgin will allow you to hold Him.   Take Him between your arms, hold Him and see His lovable face, kiss it with reverence and rejoice with Him.  You can do this because He has come to bring salvation to sinners and He has humbly conversed with them, finally giving Himself as food’. (cit. in Guéranger, pp 136-137)

Christmas also reminds us of the great mystery of God’s people, of the Church acquired through Christ’s blood, animated by the life giving Spirit, governed by the legitimate shepherds in communion with the successor of Peter.   On this day in which the Word came to earth, assuming human nature, body, and soul, how can we not think about His Mystical Body that is animated by the Holy Spirit?   ‘For this reason, by no weak analogy, [the Church] is compared to the mystery of the incarnate Word.   As the assumed nature inseparably united to Him, serves the divine Word as a living organ of salvation, so, in a similar way, does the visible social structure of the Church serve the Spirit of Christ, who vivifies it, in the building up of the body’ (Vatican II, Lumen Gentium, n.8).Jacob_de_Backer_-_The_Nativity_-_WGA1127

Holy Christmas also reminds us of the mystery of Mary as Mother of God, mother of the Incarnated Word and mother of His mystical body, the Church.   Christmas encourages us to contemplate Jesus together with Mary, reflecting on Jesus with ‘His mother’, as recounted many times in the Gospels.   If our faith must be fully evangelical, it can not neglect a sane and profound devotion to the Mother of God, as she shows us the easiest way to reach Jesus.madonna and child - christmas day post

Happy Birthday Jesus, our Lord and our God!

For a post on the Tradition  Bible Time From the Creation to The Birth of Jesus go here: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2016/12/25/25-december-the-solemnity-of-the-birth-of-our-lord-jesus-christ/

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The Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord and Memorials of the Saints – 25 December

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Nativity of the Lord (Solemnity)
—
St Adalsindis of Hamay
St Alburga of Wilton
St Anastasia of Sirmium
Bl Artale
St Basilée of the Via Latina
Bl Bentivoglio de Bonis
Bl Diego de Aro
St Eugenia of Rome
St Fulk of Toulouse
Bl Jacopone da Todi
St Jovin of the Via Latina
Bl Maria Therese von Wüllenweber
Bl Matthew of Albano
Bl Michael Nakashima Saburoemon
Bl Nera
St Peter Nolasco
St Romulus of Berry
—
Martyrs of Nicomedia: 20,000 Christians martyred by order of Diocletian. They were reported to have all been in the single basilica to celebrate Christmas. While there unquestionably was an endless series of martyrs under Diocletian, it’s likely the ancient sources exaggerated the numbers of this incident. And as the Christmas holy day was not celebrated in the East in 303, they were probably gathered for another feast. They were burned alive in 303 in the basilica of Nicomedia.

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Christmas Novena to the Christ Child – Day Nine – 24 December

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Christmas Novena to the Christ Child – Day Nine – 24 December

Day Nine

The Birth of Jesus in the Stable of Bethlehem

Reflection:
When the edict was issued by the emperor of Rome
that everyone should go to his own city to be enrolled,
Joseph and Mary went to be enrolled in Bethlehem.
How much the Holy Virgin must have suffered on this journey of four days,
over mountainous road and in the wintertime, with its cold rain and wind!
When they arrived in Bethlehem, the time of Mary’s delivery was near.
Joseph, therefore, sought some lodging where she might give birth to her Child.
But because they were so poor, they were driven away from the houses
and even from the public inn, where other poor people had found shelter.
So in that night they went a short way out of the town
and there found a cave that was used as a stable and here Mary entered.
But Joseph said to his virgin wife, “Mary, how can you spend the night in this cold, damp cave and here give birth to your Child?” Mary however replied, “Dear Joseph, this cave is the royal palace in which the King of kings, the Son of God, wishes to be born.”

When the hour of her delivery had arrived, the holy Virgin,
as she knelt in prayer, all at once saw the cave illumined with a dazzling light.
She lowered her eyes to the ground and there saw before her the Son of God now born on earth, a poor little Babe, crying and shivering in the cold.
Adoring Him as her God, she took Him to her breast and fondled Him.
Then she wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and liad Him on the straw of the manger that stood in the cave.
Thus did the Son of God choose to be born among us to prove His infinite love for us.

Prayer:
O Adorable Infant Jesus!
I should not have the boldness to cast myself at Your feet,
if I did not know that You Yourself invite me to draw near You.
It is I who by my sins have made You shed so many tears in the stable of Bethlehem.
But since You have come on earth to pardon repentant sinners,
forgive me also, now that I am heartily sorry for having spurned You,
my Saviour and my God, who art so good and who have loved me so much.
In this night, in which You bestow great graces on so many souls,
grant Your heavenly consolation to this poor soul of mine also.
All that I ask of You is the grace to love You always, more and more,
from this day forward, with all my heart.
Set me all on fire with Your holy love.
I love You, O my God, who have become a Babe for love of me.
Never let me cease loving You evermore.
O Mary, Mother of Jesus and my Mother,
you can obtain everything from your Son by your prayers.
This is the only favour I ask of you, that I might love Him more and more.
Please pray to Jesus for me, I beg you. Amen.DAY NINE - CHRISTMAS NOVENA TO THE CHRIST CHILD - 24 DEC 2017- NO 2

Posted in ADVENT, CHRISTMASTIDE!, MORNING Prayers, PAPAL MESSAGES, PAPAL SERMONS, The INCARNATION

Thought for the Day – 24 December – Christmas Eve!

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Thought for the Day – 24 December – Christmas Eve!

Christmas is the feast of faith in the Son of God who became man in order to restore us to our filial dignity, lost through sin and disobedience.   Christmas is the feast of faith in hearts that become a manger to receive him and souls that allow God to make a shoot of hope, charity and faith sprout from the stump of their poverty.

Today is once again a moment for exchanging Christmas greetings and for wishing a holy and joyful Christmas and a happy New Year to you … and to all your dear ones. May this Christmas open our eyes so that we can abandon what is superfluous, false, malicious and sham and to see what is essential, true, good and authentic.   My best wishes indeed!

I began our meeting by speaking of Christmas as the Feast of Faith.
I would like to conclude, though, by pointing out that Christmas
reminds us that a faith that does not trouble us is a troubled faith.
A faith that does not make us grow is a faith that needs to grow.
A faith that does not raise questions is a faith that has to be questioned.
A faith that does not rouse us is a faith that needs to be roused.
A faith that does not shake us is a faith that needs to be shaken.
Indeed, a faith which is only intellectual or lukewarm is only a notion of faith.
It can become real once it touches our heart, our soul, our spirit and our whole being.
Once it allows God to be born and reborn in the manger of our heart.
Once we let the star of Bethlehem guide us to the place where the Son of God lies,
not among Kings and riches but among the poor and humble.
As Angelus Silesius wrote in The Cherubinic Wanderer:
“It depends solely on you.
Ah, if only your heart could become a manger,
then God would once again become a child on this earth”

Address of His Holiness, Pope Francis – 21 December 2017christmas message - pope francis 2017

Posted in ADVENT, CHRISTMASTIDE!, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The CHRIST CHILD

Quote/s of the Day – 24 December – Christmas Eve!

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Quote/s of the Day – 24 December – Christmas Eve!

“He was created of a mother whom He created.
He was carried by hands that He formed.
He cried in the manger in wordless infancy.
He, the Word,
without whom all human eloquence is mute.”

St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of the Churchhe was created - st augustine - 24 dec 2017

“Christ is the Morning Star,
Who, when the night
of this world is past,
gives to His saints,
the promise of the light of life,
and opens everlasting day.”

St Bede the Venerable (673-735) Father & Doctor of the Churchchrist-is-the-morning-star-st-bede-24-dec-2017

“Once in our world,
a stable had something in it,
that was bigger,
than our whole world.”

C S Lewis (1898-1963) – “The Last Battle” (1956)once-in-our-world-c-s-lewis-24-dec-2017

“I will honour Christmas in my heart
and try to keep it all the year.”

Charles Dickens (1812-1870) – A Christmas Caroli will honour - charles dickens - 24 dec 2017

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One Minute Reflection – 24 December

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One Minute Reflection – 24 December

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us……..John 1:14john 1 - 14

REFLECTION: Indeed, let us rejoice that we are unequal to the task
of giving due praise to so great a sacrament of mercy
(that is, the Nativity);
and if we are unable to express the sublimity
of the manner of our redemption,
let us know that it is good for us to be so helpless.
For none approaches more closely
to the knowledge of the truth than he who realises
that in matters divine there ever remains,
far more to attain,
no matter how far he progresses…St Pope Saint Leo the Great (400-461) Father & Doctor of the Churchindeed let us rejoice - st pope leo the great - 24 dec 2017

PRAYER – Come Lord Jesus, come soon.   In this time of Your coming, support and console us who trust in Your love.   We welcome Him with joy as our Redeemer; year by year renew our joy as we await the fulfilment of our redemption.   The time is now at hand for the Virgin Mary to give birth to her firstborn Son!   Through Jesus Christ our Lord, in union with the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever, amen.the time is now at hand - 24 dec 2017

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Our Morning Offering – 24 December

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Our Morning Offering – 24 December

Nativity Prayer
By St Bernard of Clarivaux (1090-1153) Doctor of the Church

Let Your goodness Lord appear to us,
that we made in Your image,
conform ourselves to it.
In our own strength
we cannot imitate Your majesty,
power, and wonder
nor is it fitting for us to try.
But Your mercy
reaches from the heavens
through the clouds
to the earth below.
You have come to us as a small child,
but you have brought us
the greatest of all gifts,
the gift of eternal love
Caress us with Your tiny hands,
embrace us with Your tiny arms
and pierce our hearts
with Your soft, sweet cries.
Amennativity prayer of st bernard - 24 dec 2017

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The Vigil of the Nativity of the Lord and Memorials of the Saints – 24 December

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The Vigil of the Nativity of the Lord and Memorials of the Saints – 24 December

24 December – Vigil of the Nativity of the Lord

St Adam the Patriarch
St Adela of Pfalzel
Bl Alberic of Gladbach
Bl Brocard of Strasbourg
St Bruno of Ottobeuren
St Caran of Scotland
St Delphinus of Bordeaux
St Emiliana of Rome
St Euthymius of Nicomedia
St Eve the Matriarch
Bl Francesco dei Maleficii
St Gregory of Spoleto
St Hanno of Worms
Bl Ignacio Caselles García
St Irmina of Oehren
St Mochua of Timahoe
Bl Pablo Meléndez Gonzalo
St Paola Elisabetta Cerioli
Bl Peter de Solanes
St Trasilla
Bl Venerandus of Clermont
—
All the Holy Ancestors of Jesus: A commemoration of all the holy ancestors of Jeus Christ.

The New Testament has preserved two different genealogies of Our Lord, in Matthew 1 and Luke 3.
Saint Matthew’s list is divided artificially into three equal parts of 14 names each, with several intentional omissions: from Abraham the father of the chosen people to David the king, to whose family the promise was made (2 Kings 7);  David and the royal line after him to the Babylonian captivity; the descendants of the royal line from the captivity to Joseph, the legal father of Our Lord.

Saint Luke proceeds in reverse order; he starts from Joseph and goes, beyond Abraham, back to Adam the father of the human race, in accord with the character of his Gospel and he merely enumerates the names without grouping them according to a thesis or point, as is the case in Saint Matthew.

Few names are common to both lists: viz., those between Abraham and David, then Salathiel and Zorobabel after the captivity, and Joseph the foster-father of Christ; the others are absent from Matthew’s list, or the persons are different.   To account for these differences several explanations have been advanced but no decisive evidence is extant. Not a few authors hold that Saint Luke gives Mary’s genealogy but this view is more generally considered improbable, so that both lists are taken as giving Joseph’s ancestry. Only it must be supposed that at several points, instead of the actual descent, the one or the other of the lists gives the legal relationship based on adoption in some manner.  Our Lord was considered to belong to the family of David;  this seems to be taken for granted in the New Testament, where we find no difficulty raised against Him on the ground of His descent.   The genealogies show His relationship to the royal family of Juda through Joseph, as it was only through the father, legal or natural, that the rights could be transmitted and Joseph was the legal father of Jesus.   To trace Our Lord’s ancestry through His mother would not have served the purpose of the Evangelists.

Matthew 1:1-17 – 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 Messiah.

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 Messiah, fourteen generations.

Luke 3:23-38:
When Jesus began his ministry he was about thirty years of age.   He 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 Menna, 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.

Blessed Mercedarian Brothers – (4 beati): Four Mercedarian friars who worked to free Christians enslaved by Muslims, and to preach Christ along the way to any who would hear.
• Blessed Dionysius Roneo
• Blessed Philip Claro
• Blessed Giulio Pons
• Blessed Peter of Valladolid

Blessed Mercedarian Sisters – (6 beati): Six cloistered Mercedarian nuns at the convent of Vera Cruz in Berriz, Spain. Noted for their devotion to the rules of the Order and for their deep prayer lives.
• 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 surived are six of the names – Drusus, Lucian, Metrobius, Paul, Theotimus and Zenobius. They were martyred in Tripoli, Libya.

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Christmas Novena to the Christ Child – Day Eight – 23 December

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Christmas Novena to the Christ Child

Day Eight
The Life Of The Child Jesus In Egypt And In Nazareth.

Reflection:
Our Blessed Redeemer spent the first part of His childhood in Egypt,
leading there for several years, a life of poverty and humiliation.
In that land Joseph and Mary were foreigners and strangers,
having there neither relatives nor friends.
Only with difficulty could they earn their daily bread by the labour of their hands.
Their home was poor, their bed was poor, their food was poor.
Here Mary weaned Jesus; dipping a piece of bread in water, she would put it in the sacred mouth of her Son.
Here she made His first little garments and clothed Him with them.
Here the Child Jesus took His first steps, stumbling and falling as other children first do.
Here too He spoke His first words, but stammeringly. O wonder of wonders!
To what has not God lowered Himself for love of us!
A God stumbling and falling as He walks! A God stammering in His speech!

Not unlike this was the poor and humble life that Jesus led in Nazareth after His return from Egypt.
There, until He was thirty years old, He lived as a simple servant or workman in a carpenter shop, taking orders form Joseph and Mary. “And He was subject to them.”
Jesus went to fetch the water;
He opened and closed the shop;
He swept the house, gathered the fragments of wood for the fire
and toiled all day long, helping Joseph in his work.
Yet who is this? God Himself, serving as a apprentice!
The omnipotent God, who with less than a flick of His finger created the whole universe,
here sweating at the task of planing a piece of work!
Should not the mere thought of this move us to love Him?

Prayer:
O Jesus, my Saviour!
When I consider how, for love of me, You didst spend thirty years of Your life hidden
and unknown in a poor workshop, how can I desire the pleasures and honours and riches of the world?
Gladly do I renounce all these things, since I wish to be Your companion on this earth,
poor as you were, mortified and humble as You were,
so that I may hope to be able one day to enjoy Your companionship in heaven.
What are all the treasures and kingdoms of this world?
You, O Jesus, are my only treasure, my only Good!
I keenly regret the many times in the past when I spurned
Your friendship in order to satisfy my foolish whims.
I am sorry for them with all my heart.
For the future I would rather lose my life a thousand times
than lose Your grace by sin.
I wish never to offend You again but always to love You.
Help me to remain faithful to You until death.
O Mary, you are the refuge of sinners, you are my hope. AmenDAY EIGHT NOVENA TO THE CHRIST CHILD - 23 DEC 2017 - NO 2

Posted in ADVENT, CHRISTMASTIDE!, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 23 December – Saturday of the Third Week of Advent and the Memorial of St John of Kanty (1390-1473)

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One Minute Reflection – 23 December – Saturday of the Third Week of Advent and the Memorial of St John of Kanty (1390-1473)

On coming into the world, Jesus said …..”For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will but the will of Him who sent Me” (John 6:38). By one offering He has forever perfected those who are being sanctified.john-6-38. 23 dec image

REFLECTION – “Jesus Christ, the God-Man, was born in a manger and is spiritually reborn on the altar.    He suffered on Calvary and continues to offer Himself on the altar. In His earthly life, He spread His teaching and worked miracles among the crowds.   In the Eucharist, He spans the centuries and communicates Himself to all.”…St John Chrysostom (347-407) Father & Doctor of the Churchjesus christ the god man - st john chrysostom - 23 dec 2017

PRAYER – Heavenly Father, in contemplating the birth of Your Son in time and in the Eucharist, may I ever attain a new birth.   May I through love of You, give my all to my neighbour in true charity.   Help me to learn from St John of Kanty to live in humility, true poverty of spirit and charity and of whom we ask for intercession.    St John of Kanty, pray for us! Amenst john of kanty pray for us - 23 dec 2017

Posted in ADVENT, BREVIARY Prayers, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, CHRISTMASTIDE!, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, The WORD

Our Morning Offering – 23 December – Saturday of the Third Week of Advent 2017

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Our Morning Offering – 23 December – Saturday of the Third Week of Advent 2017

As we draw to the end of this very short Advent-time, it is appropriate that we adopt the practice of praying this great prayer, EVERY DAY!

The Benedictus was the song of thanksgiving uttered by Zechariah on the occasion of the birth of his son, John the Baptist.
In the Roman Catholic Church, the Benedictus is part of Lauds because it is the song of thanksgiving for the coming of the Redeemer in the first part of the canticle.
It is believed to have been first introduced by Benedict of Nursia.   According to Durandus, the allusion to Christ’s coming under the figure of the rising sun had also some influence on its adoption.   It also features in various other liturgical offices, notably at a funeral, at the moment of interment, when words of thanksgiving for the Redemption are specially in place as an expression of Christian hope.

The Benedictus

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
He has come to His people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty saviour,
born of the house of His servant David.
Through His holy 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 hands 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.
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, amenTHE BENEDICTUS - 22 DEC 2017 VERSION FOR 2017

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Christmas Novena to the Christ Child – Day Seven – 22 December

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Christmas Novena to the Christ Child – Day Seven – 22 December

Day Seven

Flight Of The Child Jesus Into Egypt.

Reflection:
Although the Son of God came from heaven to save men,
scarcely was He born when men began to persecute Him to death.
Herod, fearing that this Child would deprive Him of his kingdom,
seeks to destroy His life.
But St Joseph is warned by an angel in a dream to take the Infant
and His Mother and flee into Egypt.
Joseph obeys at once and tells Mary about it.
He takes the few tools of his trade,
that he may use them to gain a livelihood in Egypt for himself and his poor family.
Mary wraps up a small bundle of clothes for the use of her little Son
and then, going to the crib, she says with tears in her eyes
to her sleeping Child, “O my Son and my God!
You have come from heaven to save men;
but hardly are You born when they seek to take Your life.”
Lifting Him meanwhile in her arms and continuing to weep,
she sets out that same night with Joseph on the road to Egypt.

Let us consider how much these holy wanderers
must have suffered in making so long a journey,
deprived of every comfort.
The divine Child was not yet able to walk
and so Mary and Joseph had to take turns in carrying Him in their arms.
During their journey through the desert towards Egypt
they had to spend several nights in the open air,
with the bare ground for their bed.
The cold makes the Infant cry and Mary and Joseph weep in pity for Him.
And who would not weep at thus seeing the Son of God poor
and persecuted, a fugitive on earth, that He might not be killed by His enemies!

Prayer:
Dear Infant Jesus, crying so bitterly!
Well have You reason to weep in seeing Yourself persecuted by men
whom You loved so much.
I, too, O God, have once persecuted You by my sins.
But You know that now I love You more than myself
and that nothing pains me more than the thought
that I have so often spurned You, my sovereign Good.
Forgive me, O Jesus and let me bear You with me in my heart
in all the rest of the journey that I have still to make through life,
so that together with You, I may enter into eternity.
So often have I driven You from my soul by my sins.
But now I love You above all things
and I regret above other misfortunes,
that I have offended You.
I wish to leave You no more, my beloved Lord.
But do You give me the strength to resist temptations.
Never permit me to be separated from You again.
Let me rather die than ever again lose Your good grace.
O Mary, my hope, make me always live in God’s love
and then die in loving Him. AmenDAY SEVEN NOVENA TO THE CHRIST CHILD - 22 DEC 2017

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Quote of the Day – 22 December – Friday of the Third Week of Advent

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Quote of the Day – 22 December – Friday of the Third Week of Advent

“Jesus was born in a cave in Bethlehem
because, Sacred Scripture tells us,
“there was no room for them in the inn.”
I am not departing from theological truth
when I say that Jesus,
is still looking,
for shelter in your heart.”

St Josemaria Escrivä (1902-1975)jesus was born

 

Posted in CHRISTMASTIDE!, MORNING Prayers, NOVENAS, The CHRIST CHILD

Christmas Novena to the Christ Child – Day Six – 21 December

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Christmas Novena to the Christ Child – Day Six – 21 December

Day Six
God’s Mercy Revealed In His Coming Down From Heaven To Save Us.

Reflection:
Saint Paul says, “The goodness and kindness of God, our Saviour, has appeared.”
When the Son of God made Man appearedon earth, then was it seen how great is God’s goodness towards us.
Saint Bernard says that first of God’s power was manifested in the creation of the world
and His wisdom in its conservation
but His merciful goodness was especially manifested later in His taking human nature on Himself,
in order to save fallen mankind by His sufferings and death.
For what greater proof of His kindness towards us could the Son of God show us,
than in taking on Himself the punishment we had deserved?

See Him as a weak, newborn infant, wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.
Unable to move or feed Himself, He has need of Mary to give Him a little milk to sustain His life.
Or see Him again in Pilate’s courtyard, tied with fast bonds to a column and there scourged from head to foot.
Behold Him on the way to Calvary, falling down from weakness under weight of the cross that He must carry.
Finally behold Him nailed to this tree of shame, on which He breathes His last amid pain and anguish.
Because Jesus Christ wished that His love for us should win all the love of our hearts for Himself,
He would not send an angel to redeem us but chose to come Himself, to save us by His Passion and death.
Had an angel been our redeemer, men would have had to divide their hearts
in loving God as their Creator and an angel as their redeemer;
but God, who desires men’s whole hearts, as He was already their Creator, wished also to be their Redeemer.

Prayer:
O my Dear Redeemer! ]
Where should I be now, if You had not borne with me so patiently
but had called me from life while I was in the state of sin?
Since You have waited for me till now, forgive me quickly, O my Jesus,
before death finds me still guilty of so many offenses
that I have committed against You.
I am so sorry for having vilely despised You, my sovereign Good,
that I could die of grief.
But You can not abandon a soul that seeks You.
If hitherto, I have forsaken You,
I now seek You and love You.
Yes, my God, I love You above all else;
I love You more than myself.
Help me, Lord, to love You always during the rest of my life.
Nothing else do I seek of You.
But this I beg of You, this I hope to receive from You.
Mary, my hope, do you pray for me.
If you pray for me, I am sure of grace. AmenDAY SIX NOVENA TO THE CHRIST CHILD - 21 DEC 2017

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Thursday of the Third Week of Advent – 21 December

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Thursday of the Third Week of Advent – 21 December
“The Lord is at hand, come let us adore Him.”

Meditation:
My beloved speaks and says to me:
“Arise, my love, my fair one,
and come away;
for lo, the winter is past,
the rain is over and gone…”...Song of Solomon 2:10-11

Our God loves us – with “enduring love.”
Our God is in a relationship with us that is faithful, forgiving, healing.
Let us accept it, surrender to its power, and feel the joy
and freedom growing in our hearts.

I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me... Psalm. 30

Today’s Daily Reflection – Intercessions:
Christ is the wisdom and power of God and His delight is to
be with the children of men. With confidence, let us pray:
Draw near us, Lord.
Lord Jesus Christ, You have called us to Your glorious kingdom,
– make us walk worthily, pleasing God in all we do.
You who stand unknown among us,
– reveal yourself to men and women.
You are nearer to us than we to ourselves,
– strengthen our faith and our hope of salvation.
You are the source of holiness,
– keep us holy and without sin now and until the day
of Your coming.

O Radiant Dawn,
splendour of eternal light, sun of justice:
come and shine on those
who dwell in darkness and in the
shadow of deatho radiant dawn - 21 dec 2017

Closing Prayer:
God of salvation,
You promise us strength
and courage in our lives
if only I ask.
You forgive me
and touch me with Your enduring love.
My past life does not matter.
You have forgiven me
and You love me with such tenderness.
As I ponder the blessings of the days ahead,
and am so grateful for Your forgiveness,
I ask to feel the jubilation and song
break out in my life today.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!
May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.thursday of the third week of advent - 21 dec 2017

 

 

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Christmas Novena to the Christ Child – Day Five – 20 December

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Christmas Novena to the Christ Child – Day Five – 20 December

Day Five
The Life Of Sorrow Which Jesus Led From His Birth.

Reflection:
Jesus Christ could have saved mankind without suffering and dying.
Yet, in order to prove to us how much He loved us, He chose for Himself a life full of tribulations.
Therefore the prophet Isaias called Him “a man of sorrows,” His whole life was filled with suffering.
His Passion began, not merely a few hours before His death but from the the first moment of His birth.
He was born in a stable where everything served to torment Him.
His sense of sight was hurt by seeing nothing but the rough, black walls of the cave;
His sense of smell was hurt by the stench of the dung from the beasts in the stable;
His sense of touch was hurt by the prickling straw on which He lay.
Shortly after His birth He was forced to flee into Egypt, where He spent several years of His childhood in poverty and misery. His boyhood and early manhood in Nazareth were passed in hard work and obscurity.
And finally, in Jerusalem, He died on a cross, exhausted with pain and anguish.

Thus, then, was the life of Jesus but one unbroken series of sufferings, which were doubly painful because He had ever before His eyes all the sufferings He would have to endure till His death.
Yet, since our Lord had voluntarily chosen to bear these tribulations for our sake, they did not afflict Him as much as did the sight of our sins, by which we have so ungratefully repaid Him for His love towards us.
When the confessor of Saint Margaret of Cortona saw that she never seemed satisfied with all the tears she had already shed for her past sins, he said to her, “Margaret, stop crying and cease your lamenting, for God has surely forgiven you your offenses against Him.”
But she replied, “Father, how can I cease to weep, since I know that my sins kept my Lord Jesus in pain and suffering during all His life?”

Prayer:
O Jesus, my sweet Love!
I too have kept You suffering through all Your life.
Tell me, then, what I must do in order to win Your forgiveness.
I am ready to do all You ask of me.
I am sorry, O sovereign Good, for all the offenses I have committed against You.
I love You more than myself, or a least I feel a great desire to love You.
Since it is You who have given me this desire, grant me too the strength to love You exceedingly.
It is only right that I, who have offended You so much, should love You very much.
Always remind me of the love You have borne me, in order that my soul may ever burn with love of You
and long to please You alone.
O God of love, I, who was once a slave of hell, now give myself all to You.
Graciously accept me and bind me to Yourself with the bonds of Your love.
My Jesus, from this day and forever in loving You will I live and in loving You will I die.
O Mary, my Mother and my hope, help me to love your dear God and mine.
This is the only favour I ask of you and through you I hope to receive it. AmenDAY FIVE NOVENA TO THE CHRIST CHILD - 20 DEC 2017 - NO 2

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Quote of the Day – 20 December – Wednesday of the Third Week of Advent

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Quote of the Day – 20 December – Wednesday of the Third Week of Advent

“If we would please this Divine Infant,
we too must become children,
simple and humble;
we must carry to Him flowers of virtue,
of meekness, of mortification, of charity;
we must clasp Him in the arms of our love.”

St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) Doctor of the Churchif we would please this divine infant - st alphonsus - 20 dec 2017

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Wednesday of Gaudete Week – 20 December 2017

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Wednesday of Gaudete Week – 20 December 2017

“The Lord is at hand, come let us adore Him.”

Daily Meditation:
He will receive blessing from the Lord
and vindication from the God of his salvation.
Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek the face of the God of Jacob….Psalm 24:5-6

We have heard the promises and we have begged for more hope.
Today we pray for His saving help and hear His personal invitation
to turn to Him, to find our safety in Him alone.

How might I yet place my trust in God’s love for me?
How might I yet surrender my independence?
How might my heart grow in anticipation and welcome
of the fullness of His coming to me this year?

He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High;
and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,
and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever;
and of his kingdom there will be no end…Luke 1:32-33

Today’s Daily Reflection – Intercessions:
The Word of God humbled himself to dwell with us so
that we might see his glory.
Rejoicing in hope, let us call upon him:
Emmanuel, be with us.
Ruler, just and righteous,
– bring justice to the poor and the oppressed.
King of peace, You beat swords into plowshares and spears
into pruning hooks,
– turn hatred into love and our grievances into forgiveness.
You do not judge by appearances,
– recognize those who are Your own.
When You come with power and might upon the clouds,
– grant that we may come before You without shame.

O KEY OF DAVID,
and Sceptre of the House of Israel,
who opens and no one shuts,
who shuts and no one opens:
Come and bring forth the captive from his prison,
he who sits in darkness and in the shadow of death.o key of david - 20 dec 2017

Closing Prayer:
Dearest Lord,
Your invitation settles in my soul:
“Turn to me and be safe.”
Something lets go inside when I take those words into my heart.
They are an invitation for me to rest.
So many moments of my life are filled with my own needs.
“Turn to me and be safe,” You say to me again.
Give me the great grace to let go from the depths of my soul.
Help me to be released
from the demons I cling to with so much fear.
I hear Your invitation to ask for help
and I begin to list all the places in my life that need healing.
“Turn to me and be safe.”
You promise Your saving help
and I know it is the only thing that can heal me.
I feel Your presence in my life
and am aware of the growing joy I feel
as I anticipate celebrating the birth of Your son.
May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.wednesday of the third week - 20 dec 2017

 

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Christmas Novena to the Christ Child – Day Four – 19 December

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Christmas Novena to the Christ Child – Day Four – 19 December

Day Four
The Life Of Humiliation Which Jesus Led From His Birth.

Reflection:
The Sign which the angel gave the shepherds to help them find the newborn Saviour, points to His lowliness:  “This shall be a sign to you:  you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.”  No other newborn baby who was wrapped in poor swaddling clothes and lying in a manger, a feeding trough for animals, could be found anywhere else but in a stable.   Thus in lowliness the King of heaven, the Son of God, chose to be born, because He came to destroy the pride that had been the cause of man’s ruin.
The prophets had already foretold that our Redeemer was to be treated as the vilest of men on earth and that He was to be overwhelmed with insults.   How much contempt had not Jesus indeed to suffer from men!   He was called a drunkard, a trickster, a blasphemer and a heretic.   What ignominies He endured in His Passion!   His own disciples abandoned Him;  one of them sold Him for thirty pieces of silver and another denied having ever known Him.   He was led in bonds through the streets like a criminal; He was scourged like a slave, ridiculed as a fool, crowned with thorns as a mock king, buffeted and spit upon and finally left to die, hanging on a cross between two thieves, as the worst criminal in the world.   “The noblest of all,” says Saint Bernard, “is treated as the vilest of all.”   But the Saint adds, “The viler Thou are treated, the dearer Thou art to me.   The more I see Thee, my Jesus, despised and put to shame, the more dear and worthy of my love dost Thou become to me.”DAY FOUR NOVENA TO THE CHRIST CHILD - 19 DEC 2017 - NO 2

Prayer:
O Dearest Saviour,
You have embraced so many outrages
for love of me,
yet I have not been able to bear one word of insult
without at once being filled with resentful thought,
I who have so often deserved to be trodden
under foot by the demons in hell!
I am ashamed to appear before You,
sinful and proud as I am.
Yet do not drive me from Your presence, O Lord,
even though that is what I deserve.
You have said, that You will not spurn,
a contrite and humbled heart.
I am sorry for the offenses
I have committed against You.
Forgive me, O Jesus. I will not offend You again.
For love of me You have borne so many injuries;
for love of You, I will bear all the injuries that are done to me.
I love You, Jesus, who was despised for love of me.
I love You above every other good.
Give me the grace to love You always
and to bear every insult for love of You.
O Mary, recommend me to your Son;
pray to Jesus for me.
Amen.

Posted in ADVENT, CHRISTMASTIDE!, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The CHRIST CHILD, The INCARNATION, The WORD

Thought for the Day – 19 December – Tuesday of Gaudete Week

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Thought for the Day – 19 December – Tuesday of Gaudete Week

St Irenaeus of Lyons (c 130-202) on the Incarnation, the Word of God born for us as Emmanuel, Jesus Christ, Son of Man, the sign of our salvation.   He comes to restore God’s likeness in us and lead us to glory.

God is man’s glory.   Man is the vessel which receives God’s action and all his wisdom and power.

Just as a doctor is judged in his care for the sick, so God is revealed in his conduct with men.   That is Paul’s reason for saying:   God has made the whole world prisoner of unbelief that he may have mercy on all.   He was speaking of man, who was disobedient to God and cast off from immortality and then found mercy, receiving through the Son of God the adoption he brings.

If man, without being puffed up or boastful, has a right belief regarding created things and their divine Creator, who, having given them being, holds them all in his power and if man perseveres in God’s love and in obedience and gratitude to him, he will receive greater glory from him.   It will be a glory which will grow ever brighter until he takes on the likeness of the one who died for him.

He it was who took on the likeness of sinful flesh, to condemn sin and rid the flesh of sin, as now condemned.   He wanted to invite man to take on his likeness, appointing man an imitator of God, establishing man in a way of life in obedience to the Father that would lead to the vision of God and endowing man with power to receive the Father.   He is the Word of God who dwelt with man and became the Son of Man to open the way for man to receive God, for God to dwell with man, according to the will of the Father.

For this reason the Lord himself gave as the sign of our salvation, the one who was born of the Virgin, Emmanuel.  It was the Lord himself who saved them, for of themselves they had no power to be saved.   For this reason Paul speaks of the weakness of man and says:  I know that no good dwells in my flesh, meaning that the blessing of our salvation comes not from us but from God.   Again, he says: I am a wretched man;  who will free me from this body doomed to die?   Then he speaks of a liberator, thanks to Jesus Christ our Lord.

Isaiah says the same:  Hands that are feeble, grow strong!   Knees that are weak, take courage!   Hearts that are faint, grow strong!   Fear not; see, our God is judgement and he will repay.   He himself will come and save us.   He means that we could not be saved of ourselves but only with God’s help.

This excerpt from St Irenaeus’ monumental work, Against Heresies (Lib 3,20, 2-3; SC 34, 342-344) speaks of the incarnation, the birth of the Word of God as Son of Man, as the sign of our salvation.   It is used in the Roman Office of Readings for 19 December one of the last days of Advent.   It was originally written around 185 AD.

St Irenaeus of Lyons
Born about 130, St Irenaeus was one of the most important of the Early Church Fathers of the 2nd Century.   His life reveals the cosmopolitan nature of the Roman Empire at the height of its power.   Though Irenaeus ultimately became bishop of what is now Lyons, in Southern France, he grew up and was educated in Smyrna, located in modern-day Turkey.   There Irenaeus had personal contact with St Polycarp, one of the Apostolic Fathers who in turn knew the Apostle John, son of Zebedee.   Before becoming bishop, Saint Irenaeus apparently studied in Rome where he was influenced by St Justin Martyr. His major work, Against Heresies, which appeared around the year 185 exposed the absurdities of the Gnostic cults of the day and included a strong presentation and defense of Catholic Christianity.   It is the earliest compendium of Christian theology surviving from ancient times and is the first work that cites virtually every book of the Christian writings that we now call the New Testament.   Irenaeus is said to have won the crown of martyrdom around the year 200 AD.   He is honoured in the Roman liturgy on 28 June.he is the word of god - st irenaeus - 19 dec 2017

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Quote of the Day – 19 December – Tuesday of Gaudete Week

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Quote of the Day – 19 December – Tuesday of Gaudete Week

God’s Sign

“God’s sign is His humility.
God’s sign is that He makes himself small;
He becomes a child;
He lets us touch him and He asks for our love.
How we would prefer a different sign,
an imposing, irresistible sign of God’s power and greatness!
But His sign summons us to faith and love
and thus it gives us hope:  this is what God is like.
He has power, He is Goodness itself.
He invites us to become like Him.
Yes indeed, we become like God if we allow ourselves
to be shaped by this sign;
if we ourselves learn humility and hence true greatness;
if we renounce violence and use only the weapons of truth and love.”

Pope Benedict XVI (2009)god's sign - pope benedict - 19 dec 2017

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One Minute Reflection- 19 December – Tuesday of Gaudete Week

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One Minute Reflection- 19 December – Tuesday of Gaudete Week

Be my rock of refuge,
a stronghold to give me safety,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked…Psalm 71:3-4apsalm 71-3 - 19 dec 2017

REFLECTION – “‘The Lord is near!’   What can the whole year offer us more precious, lovely and joyful?   Christmas is the shining Feast of nature and of life, full of grace and charm.   Everything comes to us from that Child whom his Mother gives to every one of us and presents to the whole world!” …St Pope John XXIIIthe lord is near - st john XXIII - 19 dec 2017

PRAYER – Deepen our faith, Lord God, as we celebrate the great mystery of the Incarnation by which You revealed to the world, the splendour of Your glory, through the Virgin Mary, when she gave birth to Your Son.   As we meditate and pray about Your Son’s coming, help us to grasp its meaning in a way that is personal and profound. Through Him whom You sent to save us, in union with the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever.   Come, Lord Jesus! Amenrejoice - 19 dec 2017

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Christmas Novena to the Christ Child – Day Three – 18 December

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Christmas Novena to the Christ Child – Day Three – 18 December

Day Three
The Life Of Poverty Which Jesus Led From His Birth.

Reflection:
God so ordained that, at the time when His Son was to be born on this earth, the Roman emperor should issue a decree ordering everyone to go to the place of his origin and there be registered in the census.   Thus it came about that, in obedience to this decree, Joseph went to Bethlehem together with his virgin wife when she was soon to have her Child.
Finding no lodging either in the poor inn or in the other houses of the town, they were forced to spend the night in a cave that was used as a stable for animals and it was here that Mary gave birth to the King of heaven.   If Jesus had been born in Nazareth,   He would also, it is true, have been born in poverty but there He would at least have had a dry room, a little fire, warm clothes and a more comfortable cradle.   Yet He chose to be born in this cold, damp cave and to have a manger for a cradle, with prickly straw for a mattress, in order that He might suffer for us.

Let us enter in spirit into this cave of Bethlehem but let us enter in a spirit of lively faith.
If we go there without faith, we shall see nothing but a poor infant
and the sight of this lovely child shivering
and crying on his rough bed of straw may indeed move us to pity.
But if we enter with faith and consider that this Babe is the very Son, God,
who for love of us has come down on earth
and suffers so much to pay the penalty for our sins,
how can we help thanking and loving Him in return?DAY THREE NOVENA TO THE CHRIST CHILD - 18 DEC 2017

Prayer:
O Dear Infant Jesus,
how could I be so ungrateful and offend You so often,
if I realised how much You have suffered for me?
But these tears which You shed,
this poverty which you embraced for love of me,
make me hope for the pardon of all the offences
I have committed against You.
My Jesus,
I am sorry for having so often turned my back on You.
But now I love You above all else.
“My God and my all!”
From now on You, O my God,
shall be my only treasure and my only good.
With Saint Ignatius of Loyola I will say to You,
“Give me the grace to love You; that is enough for me.”
I long for nothing else;
I want nothing else.
You alone are enough for me,
my Jesus, my life, my love.
O Mary, my Mother,
obtain for me the grace
that I may always love Jesus
and always be loved by Him. Amen

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Our Morning Offering – Monday of Gaudete Week – 18 December

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Our Morning Offering – Monday of Gaudete Week – 18 December

6th Century Catholic Advent Hymn
tr. E Caswall (1814-1878)

Hark! a Herald voice is calling;
‘Christ is nigh!’ it seems to say,
‘Cast away the dreams of darkness,
waken, children of the day!’

Startled at the solemn warning,
let the earth-bound soul arise.
Christ her Sun, all sloth dispelling,
shines upon the morning skies.

Lo!, the Lamb so long expected,
comes with pardon down from heaven.
Let us meet Him with repentance,
pray that we may be forgiven.

So when next He comes with glory,
wrapping all the earth in fear.
May He then as our Defender,
on the clouds of heav’n appear.

Honour, glory, praise and blessing,
to the Father and the Son,
with the everlasting Spirit,
while unending ages run.hark a herald voice is calling - 6th cent hymn - 18 dec 2017

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Christmas Novena to the Christ Child – Day Two – 17 December

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Christmas Novena to the Christ Child – Day Two – 17 December

Day Two
God’s Love Revealed In His Being Born An Infant.

Reflection:

When the Son of God became man for our sake, He could have come to earth as an adult man from the first moment of of His human existence, as Adam did when he was created.  But since the sight of little children draws us with a special attraction to love them, Jesus chose to make His first appearance on earth as a little infant and indeed as the poorest and most pitiful infant that was ever born.
“God wished to be born as a little babe,” wrote Saint Peter Chrysologus, “in order that He might teach us to love and not to fear Him.”
The prophet Isaiah had long before foretold that the Son of God was to be born as an infant and thus give Himself to us on account of the love He bore us:  “A child is born to us, a son is given to us.”

My Jesus, supreme and true God!
What has drawn You from heaven to be born in a cold stable, if not the love which You bear for us men?
What has allured You from the bosom of Your Father, to place You in a hard manger?
What has brought You from Your throne above the stars, to lay You down on a little straw?
What has led You from the midst of the nine choirs of angels, to set You between two animals?
You, who inflames the seraphim with holy fire, are now shivering with cold in this stable!
You, who sets the stars in the sky in motion, cannot now move unless others carry You in their arms!
You, who give men and beasts their food, has need now a little milk to sustain Your life!
You, who are the joy of heaven, do now whimper and cry in suffering!
Tell me, who has reduced You to such misery?
“Love has done it,” says Saint Bernard.
The love which You bear us men has brought all this on You!DAY TWO NOVENA TO THE CHRIST CHILD - 17 DEC 2017

Prayer:

O Dearest Infant!
Tell me, what have You come on earth to do?
Tell me, whom do You seek?
Yes, I already know.
You have come to die for me, in order to save me from hell.
You have come to seek me, the lost sheep, so that,
instead of fleeing from You, I may rest in Your loving arms.
Ah my Jesus, my treasure, my life, my love and my all!
Whom will I love, if not You?
Where can I find a brother, a friend,
a spouse more loving and lovable than You are?

I love You, my dear God; I love You, my only good.
I regret the many years when I have not loved You
but rather spurned and offended You.
Forgive me, O my beloved Redeemer;
for I am sorry that I have treated You thus and I regret it with all my heart.
Pardon me and give me the grace never more to withdraw from You
but constantly to love You in all the years that still lie before me in this life.
My love, I give myself entirely to You;
accept me and do not reject me as I deserve.
O Mary, you are my advocate.
By your prayers you obtain whatever you wish from your Son.
Pray to Him then to forgive me
and to grant me holy perseverance until death. Amen

Posted in ADVENT, CHRISTMASTIDE!, MORNING Prayers, NOVENAS, The CHRIST CHILD

Christmas Novena to the Christ Child – Day One – 16 December

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Christmas Novena to the Christ Child – Day One – 16 December

DAY ONE
God’s Love Revealed In His Becoming Man

Reflection:
Because our first parent Adam, had rebelled against God, he was driven out of paradise and brought on himself and all his descendants the punishment of eternal death. ,,But the son of God, seeing man thus lost and wishing to save him from death, offered to take upon Himself our human nature and to suffer death Himself, condemned as a criminal on a cross.

“But, My Son,” we may imagine the eternal Father saying to Him, “think of what a life of humiliations and sufferings You wilt have to lead on earth. You wilL have to be born in a cold stable and laid in a manger, the feeding trough of beasts.
While still an infant, You wilL have to flee into Egypt, to escape the hands of Herod.
After Your return from Egypt, You will have to live and work in a shop as a lowly servant, poor and despised.
And finally, worn out with sufferings, You will have to give up Your life on a cross, put to shame and abandoned by everyone.“
“Father,” replies the Son, “all this matters not. I will gladly bear it all, if only I can save man.“

What should we say if a prince, out of compassion for a dead worm, were to choose to become a worm himself and give his own life blood in order to restore the worm to life? But the eternal Word has done infinitely more than this for us. Although He is the Sovereign Lord of the world, He chose to become like us, who are immeasurably more beneath Him than a worm is beneath a prince and He was willing to die for us, in order to win back the life of divine grace that we had lost by sin.

When He saw, that all the other gifts which He had bestowed on us, were not sufficient, to induce us to repay His love with love, He became man Himself and gave all of Himself to us.

“The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us;”
“He loved us and delivered Himself up for us.“

O Great Son of God,
You became man in order to make Yourself loved by men.
But where is the love that men give You in return?
You gave Your life blood to save our souls.
Why then are we so unappreciative that,
instead of repaying You with love,
we spurn You with ingratitude?
And I, Lord, I myself more than others have ill treated You.
But Your Passion is my hope.
For the sake of that love which led You to take upon Yourself
human nature and to die for me on the cross,
forgive me all the offenses I have committed against You.
I love You, O Word Incarnate;
I love You, O infinite goodness.
Out of love for You, that I could die of grief for these offenses.
Give me, O Jesus, Your love.
Let me no longer live in ungrateful
forgetfulness of the love You bear me.
I wish to love You always.
Grant that I may always preserve in this holy desire.
O Mary, Mother of God and my Mother,
pray for me that Your Son, may give me,
the grace to love Him always, unto death.
Amen.

Posted in ADVENT, CHRISTMASTIDE!, HYMNS, MORNING Prayers, POETRY, PRAYERS of the CHURCH

Our Morning Offering – 16 December – Saturday of the Second Week of Advent

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Our Morning Offering – 16 December – Saturday of the Second Week of Advent

A 10th Century Catholic Advent Prayer

Unknown Author

You are our eternal salvation,
The unfailing light of the world.
Light everlasting,
You are truly our redemption.
Grieving that the human race was perishing
through the tempter’s power,
without leaving the heights
You came to the depths
in Your loving kindness.
Readily taking our humanity
by Your gracious will,
You saved all earthly creatures,
long since lost,
Restoring joy to the world.
Redeem our souls and bodies, O Christ,
and so possess us as Your shining dwellings.
By Your first coming, make us righteous;
At Your second coming, set us free:
So that, when the world is filled with light
and You judge all things,
We may be clad in spotless robes
and follow in Your steps, O King,
Into the heavenly hall.   Amen10th cent advent prayer - you are our eternal salvation - 16 dec 2017

 

Posted in ADVENT, BREVIARY Prayers, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, CHRISTMASTIDE!, DOCTORS of the Church, HYMNS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, MORNING Prayers, POETRY, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 10 December – The Second Sunday of Advent and the Memorial of Our Lady and the Holy House of Loreto

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Our Morning Offering – 10 December – The Second Sunday of Advent and the Memorial of Our Lady and the Holy House of Loreto

Maiden yet a Mother
By Dante Alighieri (1265-1321)
Tr Msgr Ronald A Knox (1888-1957)

Maiden yet a mother,
daughter of thy Son,
high beyond all other,
lowlier is none;
thou the consummation
planned by God’s decree,
when our lost creation
nobler rose in thee!

Thus His place prepared,
he who all things made
‘mid his creatures tarried,
in thy bosom laid;
there His love He nourished,
warmth that gave increase
to the root whence flourished
our eternal peace.

Nor alone thou hearest
When thy name we hail;
Often thou art nearest
When our voices fail;
Mirrored in thy fashion
All creation’s gird,
Mercy, might compassion
Grace thy womanhood.

Lady, let our vision
Striving heavenward, fail,
Still let thy petition
With thy Son prevail,
Unto whom all merit,
prayer and majesty,
With the Holy Spirit
And the Father be.

Maiden Yet A Mother is a translation of a poem by Durante (Dante) degli Alighieri (c 1265–1321).    It is based upon the opening verses of Canto 33 of the Paradiso from his Divine Comedy in which St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090–1153) praises and prays to the Virgin Mother on behalf of Dante.   It was translated from the original Italian into English by the Catholic convert, Monsignior Ronald A Knox (1888-1957).maiden yet a mother - dante - 10 dec 2017

Posted in ADVENT, CHRISTMASTIDE!, JESUIT SJ, MARIAN TITLES, MIRACLES, MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY, The CHRIST CHILD

Thought for the Day – 9 December 2017 – Saturday of the First Week of Advent & the Memorial of St Juan Diego (1474-1548), the Marian Visionary of the Miracle of Mary of Guadalupe – Five Lessons from the Manger

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Thought for the Day – 9 December 2017 – Saturday of the First Week of Advent & the Memorial of St Juan Diego(1474-1548) , the Marian Visionary of the Miracle of Mary of Guadalupe – Five Lessons from the Mangerfive lessons from the manger - 9 dec 2017

The Surprise:  God does not manifest in great events but in small surprises.   The boy in a manger, who would have imagined that God among us shows Himself like this?   The Christian lives the surprise in the small gifts of the day to day.

The Silence:   Mary meditates all this in her heart, with a look that goes deeper and finds the meaning of things.   The Christian feeds on silence, prays and asks the Father for an understanding of what happens to him, in order to discern the best options.

The Light:   On the darkest night of the year the Light of Jesus manifests itself.   God visits our darkness, the places where we think He could never be.   We are not abandoned children but infinitely loved.   The Christian lives this hope.

The Poor:   The shepherds, despised by all, are the first recipients of the announcement of the birth of Jesus.   Always the little ones are the favourites of God.   The message is given to the poorest, to whom no one gives importance.   This is particularly obvious today, on the Memorial of St Juan Diego, the Marian Visionary of the Miracle of Mary of Guadalupe, for whom we ask, please pray for us St Juan!

These are the five lessons we learn from the manger.   Throughout this month, we pray that we might get closer Christ’s coming to us on this Christmas Day, in your prayer proposals and in your union with the Holy Father and his intentions.

A Holy and Blessed Advent!

(Taken partially from Father António Valério, SJ – Director of the Pope’s Global Network of Prayer in Portugal)st juan diego pray for us 2