Category: CHRISTMASTIDE!

Posted in ADVENT, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, CHRISTMASTIDE!, MORNING Prayers, NOVENAS, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, The CHRIST CHILD, The WORD

ANNOUNCING a Novena to the Christ Child in preparation for Christmas

Posted on by AnaStpaul

ANNOUNCING a Novena to the Christ Child in preparation for Christmas

In the birth of Jesus, God comes to us and asks us to receive Him, so that He can be born in our lives and transform them and our world, by the power of His love.    The Christmas liturgy also invites us to contemplate Christ’s birth against the backdrop of His paschal mystery.   Christmas points beyond itself, to the redemption won for us on the Cross and the glory of the Resurrection.   May this Christmas fill you with joy in the knowledge that God has drawn near to us and is with us, at every moment of our lives”. …Pope Benedict XVI

Join us for the Christmas Novena to the Christ Child beginning 9 days before Christmas on 16 December.   Each day will feature a Scripture Reflection and prayer.   Let us dispose ourselves to receive the coming Lord.   With great desire, with joy full of hope, with a heart that is free and capable of great love, for after all, we are made in His image and likeness and He is love!ANNOUNCING - CHRISTMAS NOVENA TO THE CHRIST CHILD begins 16 DEC - 2017

Posted in ADVENT, CHRISTMASTIDE!, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, HYMNS, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The CHRIST CHILD

Our Morning Offering – 7 December – The Memorial of St Ambrose (c 340-397)- Father and Doctor of the Church

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 7 December – The Memorial of St Ambrose (c 340-397)- Father and Doctor of the Church

Veni Redemptor gentium
Saviour of the Nations, Come
St Ambrose’s Advent Hymn

Saviour of the nations, come;
Virgin’s Son, here make Thy home!
Marvel now, O heaven and earth,
That the Lord chose such a birth.

Not by human flesh and blood;
By the Spirit of our God
Was the Word of God made flesh,
Woman’s offspring, pure and fresh.

Wondrous birth! O wondrous Child
Of the virgin undefiled!
Though by all the world disowned,
Still to be in heaven enthroned.

From the Father forth He came
And returneth to the same,
Captive leading death and hell
High the song of triumph swell!

Thou, the Father’s only Son,
Hast over sin the victory won.
Boundless shall Thy kingdom be;
When shall we its glories see?

Brightly doth Thy manger shine,
Glorious is its light divine.
Let not sin o’ercloud this light;
Ever be our faith thus bright.

Praise to God the Father sing,
Praise to God the Son, our King,
Praise to God the Spirit be
Ever and eternally.

Translated from Latin to German by Martin Luther, 1523;
translated from German to English by William M Reynolds, 1851veni redemptor gentium - st ambrose advent him saviour of the nations, come - 7 dec 2017

O Lord, Give me a Heart to Love You
Prayer of St Ambrose (c 340-397) Father and Doctor of the Church

O Lord, who has mercy upon all,
take away from me my sins
and mercifully kindle in me
the fire of Your Holy Spirit.
Take away from me the heart of stone
and give me a heart of flesh,
a heart to love and adore You,
a heart to delight in You,
to follow and enjoy You,
for Christ’s sake. Ameno lord give me a heart to love you - prayer of st ambrose - 7 dec 2017

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

St Andrew’s Christmas Novena – Getting Ready for the arrival of our King!

Posted on by AnaStpaul

St Andrew’s Christmas Novena – Getting Ready for the arrival of our King!BE READY AND WAITING - ST ANDREW'S CHRISTMAS NOVENA begins 30 nov - 2017 pic

While a Novena is normally a nine-day prayer, the term is sometimes used for any prayer that is repeated over a series of days.   The Saint Andrew Christmas Novena is often called simply the “Christmas Novena” or the “Christmas Anticipation Prayer,” because it is prayed 15 times every day from the Feast of Saint Andrew the Apostle (30 November) until Christmas.   It is an ideal Advent devotion;   the First Sunday of Advent is the Sunday closest to the Feast of Saint Andrew.

The novena is not actually addressed to Saint Andrew but to God Himself, asking Him to grant our request in honour of the birth of His Son at Christmas.   You can say the prayer all 15 times, all at once; or divide up the recitation as necessary (perhaps five times at each meal).

Prayed as a family, the Saint Andrew Christmas Novena is a very good way to help focus the attention of your family and children on the Advent season.

This is a very meditative prayer that helps us increase our awareness of the real focus of Christmas and helps us prepare ourselves for the Lord’s coming.

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment
in which the Son of God was born
of the most pure Virgin Mary,
at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold.
In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God,
to hear my prayer and grant my desires,
………………… [here mention your request]
through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ
and of His blessed Mother. Amenst andrew's prayer - christmas novena no 1

Posted in CHRISTMASTIDE!, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, QUOTES of the SAINTS

Goodbye Christmastide: 9 January 2017 The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Goodbye Christmastide: 9 January 2017 The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

“Dearly Beloved, each word and deed of Our Saviour Jesus Christ is for us a lesson in virtue and piety.  For this end also did He assumed our nature, so that every man and every woman, contemplating as in a picture the practice of all virtue and piety, might strive with all their hearts to imitate His example.  For this He bore our body, so that as far as we could we might repeat within us the manner of His life.  And so, therefore, when you hear mention of some word or deed of His, take care not to receive it simply as something that incidentally happened but raise your mind upwards towards the sublimity of what He is teaching and strive to see what has been mystically handed down to us”

St Basil the Great

goodbye-christmas

 

Posted in CATHOLIC Quotes, CHRISTMASTIDE!, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

Thought for the Day – 9 January

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 9 January

The same Spirit, that descended on the water of the River Jordan wafted over the waters during the first creation (Gen 1:2). Therefore, the Baptism in the Jordan presents yet another truth: that Jesus has started a new creation. He is the second man (1 Cor 15:47) or the last Adam (1 Cor 15:45), that comes to repair the first Adam’s guilt. He does this as the Lamb of God that takes away our sins.

‘Looking at the events in light of the Cross and Resurrection, the Christian people realised what happened: Jesus loaded the burden of all mankind’s guilt upon His shoulders; He bore it down into the depths of the Jordan. He inaugurated His public activity by stepping into the place of sinners’ (Joseph Ratzinger, Jesus of Nazareth, Bloomsbury 2007, p 18).

446px-gagarin_krescheniehristovo

131029691288fb5eb308d48c66351305

 

Posted in CHRISTMASTIDE!, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS

Quote of the Day – 9 January

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Quote of the Day – 9 January

“O Lord, wishing to fulfill all things
that You ordained before the ages,
You received the servants of Your mystery,
from among the Angels, Gabriel,
from among Men, the Virgin,
from among the Heavens, the Star
and from among the Waters, the Jordan,
in which You washed away the sin of the world,
O our Saviour, glory to You.”

St. John of Damascus

st-john-damascene

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

Feast of the Day – 9 January – The Baptism of the Lord

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Feast of the Day – 9 January – The Baptism of the Lord

Today the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Baptism of Our Lord. This brings to an end the season of Christmas. The Church recalls Our Lord’s second manifestation or epiphany which occurred on the occasion of His baptism in the Jordan. Jesus descended into the River to sanctify its waters and to give them the power to beget sons of God. The event takes on the importance of a second creation in which the entire Trinity intervenes.

Many of the incidents which accompanied Christ’s baptism are symbolical of what happened at our Baptism. At Christ’s baptism the Holy Spirit descended upon Him; at our Baptism the Trinity took its abode in our soul. At His baptism Christ was proclaimed the “Beloved Son” of the Father; at our Baptism we become the adopted sons of God. At Christ’s baptism the heavens were opened; at our Baptism heaven was opened to us. At His baptism Jesus prayed; after our Baptism we must pray to avoid actual sin.  ( Excerpted from Msgr. Rudolph G. Bandas)

At first glance, the Baptism of the Lord might seem an odd feast. Since the Catholic Church teaches that the Sacrament of Baptism is necessary for the remission of sins, particularly Original Sin, why was Christ baptised? After all, He was born without Original Sin, and He lived His entire life without sinning. Therefore, He had no need of the sacrament, as we do.   In submitting Himself humbly to the baptism of St. John the Baptist, however, Christ provided the example for the rest of us. If even He should be baptised, though He had no need of it, how much more should the rest of us be thankful for this sacrament, which frees us from the darkness of sin and incorporates us into the Church, the life of Christ on earth! His Baptism, therefore, was necessary–not for Him, but for us.  Many of the Fathers of the Church, as well as the medieval Scholastics, saw Christ’s Baptism as the institution of the sacrament.

The Baptism in the Jordan returns to the great Christmas theme of ‘Christification,’ Jesus of Nazareth’s spiritual anointing, His presentation as the Anointed One par excellence, the Messiah or the One sent by the Father for the salvation of mankind. The Spirit that descended on Jesus shows and seals in an incontrovertible way the ‘Christification’ of Jesus’ humanity that the Word had already fulfilled from the first moment of His miraculous conception by Mary.  Jesus, from the very beginning, was always the Lord’s Christ, He was always God.  Yet, His one, true humanity, that which is perfect in every way, as the Gospel records, constantly grew in natural and supernatural perfection. ‘And Jesus increased in wisdom, in stature, and in favour with God and with men’ (Lk2:52).  In Israel at 30 years of age, one reached full maturity and therefore could become a master. Jesus came of age and the Spirit, descending and remaining on Him, definitively consecrated His whole being as the Christ.   (Excerpted from the Congregation for the Clergy)

Posted in CHRISTMASTIDE!, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, The WORD

Celebrating the CHRISTMAS SEASON The Third Week: SOLEMNITY of EPHIPHANY – 8 January 2017

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Celebrating the
CHRISTMAS SEASON
The Third Week
SOLEMNITY of EPHIPHANY
8 January 2017

“Lord, open my lips,and my mouth shall declare your praise.”

Daily Meditation:

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another. …
There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear
because fear has to do with punishment,
and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love. 1 John 4

“Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!”
He got into the boat with them and the wind died down. They were (completely) astounded.
They had not understood the incident of the loaves. On the contrary, their hearts were hardened. Mark 6

How often fear takes away our ability to love!
But, love drives out fear.
It appears that the key is to “understand the incident of the loaves.”
If Jesus has power, then it is foolish for us to fear.
If we won’t let Jesus have power in our lives,
then our hearts are still hardened.

Let us surrender our hearts to the Lord,
that we might let him love us
and take away all our fears,
that we might love more courageously, more completely.

Closing Prayer:
Lord.give me the joy of lasting peace
and fill my heart with so much love
that there is no more room for the worry and dread.

Teach me too, to follow Your Star and thus to become a shining star in the world.

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.

sunday-third-week-epiphany

Posted in CATHOLIC Quotes, CHRISTMASTIDE!, DEVOTIO, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MORNING Prayers

Thought for the Day – Epiphany

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Thought for the Day – Epiphany

“These men who set out towards the unknown were, in any event, men with a restless heart. Men driven by a restless quest for God and the salvation of the world. They were filled with expectation, not satisfied with their secure income and their respectable place in society. They were looking for something greater. They were no doubt learned men, quite knowledgeable about the heavens and probably possessed of a fine philosophical formation. But they desired more than simply knowledge about things. They wanted above all else to know what is essential. They wanted to know how we succeed in being human. And therefore they wanted to know if God exists and where and how he exists. Whether he is concerned about us and how we can encounter him. Nor did they want just to know. They wanted to understand the truth about ourselves and about God and the world. Their outward pilgrimage was an expression of their inward journey, the inner pilgrimage of their hearts. They were men who sought God and were ultimately on the way towards him. They were seekers after God.

The Wise Men followed the star and thus came to Jesus, to the great Light which enlightens everyone coming into this world (cf. Jn 1:9). As pilgrims of faith, the Wise Men themselves became stars shining in the firmament of history and they show us the way. The saints are God’s true constellations, which light up the nights of this world, serving as our guides. Saint Paul, in his Letter to the Philippians, told his faithful that they must shine like stars in the world (cf. 2:15).”

Extract from the HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI – Vatican Basilica
Sunday, 6 January 2013

benedict-on-epiphany

Posted in CHRISTMASTIDE!, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MORNING Prayers

Our Morning Offering – 8 January EPIPHANY

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Our Morning Offering – 8 January EPIPHANY

Lord Jesus
may Your light shine our way,
as once it guided the steps of the Magi:
that we too may be led into Your presence
and worship You,
the Child of Mary,
Mother of God,
the Word of the Father,
the King of nations,
the Saviour of mankind;
in union with Your heavenly Father
and the Holy Spirit, You are One God
forever and ever, amen.

epiphany-prayer

Posted in CHRISTMASTIDE!, DEVOTIO, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MORNING Prayers

Blessing of a Home at Epiphany

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Blessing of a Home at Epiphany

Priest: Peace be to this house.
All: And to all who live here.

Priest: Bless, O Lord, Almighty God,
this home, that in it there may be health,
chastity, strength of victory, humility,
goodness, and industry,
a fullness of law and the action of graces
through God the Father and the Son
and the Holy Spirit and that this blessing
may remain on this home
and on those who frequent it.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen..

After the blessing,
the initials of the Magi
(traditional names: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar)
are written with chalk over the main door way of the house, like this:
20 + C + M + B + 17
(the + is a cross; the “17” stands for 2017;
change the year accordingly).

house-blessing

Posted in CHRISTMASTIDE!, The WORD

Celebrating the CHRISTMAS SEASON:The Second Week – Saturday 7 January 2017

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Celebrating the
CHRISTMAS SEASON
The Second Week
Saturday 7 January 2017

“Lord, open my lips,and my mouth shall declare your praise.”

Daily Meditation:

In this is love: not that we have loved God,
but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins. 1 John 4

O God, give your judgment to the king; your justice to the son of kings;
That he may govern your people with justice, your oppressed with right judgment, …
That he may defend the oppressed among the people, save the poor and crush the oppressor. Psalm 72

His heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd;
and he began to teach them many things.
They all ate and were satisfied. Mark 4

Jesus is full of compassion for us in His unconditional love for us.
Even when it seems impossible, He still shows us the way
and nourishes us with His love.

May we be grateful for His love for us
May we be like Him in our love for one another.

Closing Prayer:
Jesus, You became one of us on this earth.
What I want now is to be more like You:
more compassionate and patient,
more guided by Your Holy Spirit.

‘In this is love.’ It is impossible to believe
in the kind of love You have for me.
If only I believed it – how different my life would be!
It seems impossible that You could love me as You do
and yet You are the very centre of that impossible love.

Help me to be more grateful for all You have given me
so that my response might be one of generosity
to You and those You have placed in my life..

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.

sat-second-week

Posted in CHRISTMASTIDE!, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, The WORD

Celebrating the CHRISTMAS SEASON FRIDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK 6 January 2017 – EPIPHANY of the LORD

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Celebrating the
CHRISTMAS SEASON
FRIDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK
6 January 2017 – EPIPHANY of the LORD

“Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise.”

Daily Meditation:
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another. …
There is no fear in love but perfect love drives out fear
because fear has to do with punishment,
and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love………… 1 John 4

“Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!”
He got into the boat with them and the wind died down.
They were astounded.
They had not understood the incident of the loaves.
On the contrary, their hearts were hardened”………….. Mark 6

How often fear takes away our ability to love!
But, love drives out fear.
It appears that the key is to “understand the incident of the loaves.”
If Jesus has power, then it is foolish for us to fear.
If we won’t let Jesus have power in our lives,
then our hearts are still hardened.

Let us surrender our hearts to the Lord,
that we might let Him love us
and take away all our fears,
that we might love more courageously, more completely.

Closing Prayer:
My love for You is so imperfect, Lord.
I know I am filled with fear
and yet I long to taste the depths of Your love.

Give me the joy of lasting peace
and fill my heart with so much love
that there is no more room for the worry and dread.

Open my eyes to those around me
and give me the courage to act in justice
to help make their lives better,
to share Your love with all.

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.

epiphany-friday-6-jan

Posted in CHRISTMASTIDE!, MORNING Prayers

Our Morning Offering – 6 January

Posted on by AnaStpaul

 

Father of light, unchanging God,
today You reveal to men of faith
the resplendent fact of the Word made flesh.
Your light is strong,
Your love is near;
draw us beyond the limits
which this world imposes,
to the life where Your Spirit
makes all life complete.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

morning-prayer-friday-6-jan

Posted in CHRISTMASTIDE!

Celebrating the CHRISTMAS SEASON SECOND WEEK: Thursday 5 January 2017

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Celebrating the
CHRISTMAS SEASON
SECOND WEEK
Thursday 5 January 2017

“Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise.”

Daily Meditation:
We love because he first loved us.
If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar;
for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 1 John 4

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.” Luke 4

The mission of Jesus is so clear.
He has come to show us how to love;
how to love those who most in need of love.
Sometimes the poorest, neediest person,
is the person in my own house that I have the least patience with.
I can’t say I love God and ignore the one I’m called to love.

May we have the light, the grace, of this week,
all about love,
to love more and more,
starting out very close to home.

Closing Prayer:
You have given me the great gift of faith
that offers so much meaning in my life.
You call me to see with new eyes, those who are in need
and ask me to love them as You love me.
Such a challenge, Lord!

As You touched the eyes of the blind and let in the light,
touch my heart and help me to open it
to those who most annoy me,
those who are hardest for me to love.

I know that I am only redeemed through You
and I beg You to fan the flame of hope in my life.

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.

thurs-second-week

Posted in CHRISTMASTIDE!, The WORD

Celebrating CHRISTMAS: THE SECOND WEEK – Wednesday 4 January 2017

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Celebrating CHRISTMAS
THE SECOND WEEK:
Wednesday 4 January 2017

“Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise.”

Daily Meditation:
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another. …
There is no fear in love,but perfect love drives out fear
because fear has to do with punishment,
and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love. 1 John 4

“Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!”
He got into the boat with them and the wind died down. They were (completely) astounded.
They had not understood the incident of the loaves. On the contrary, their hearts were hardened. Mark 6

How often fear takes away our ability to love!
But, love drives out fear.
It appears that the key is to “understand the incident of the loaves.”
If Jesus has power, then it is foolish for us to fear.
If we won’t let Jesus have power in our lives,
then our hearts are still hardened.

Let us surrender our hearts to the Lord,
that we might let Him love us
and take away all our fears,
that we might love more courageously, more completely.

Closing Prayer:
My love for You is so imperfect, Lord.
I know I am filled with fear
and yet I long to taste the depths of Your love.

Give me the joy of lasting peace
and fill my heart with so much love
that there is no more room for the worry and dread.

Open my eyes to those around me
and give me the courage to act in justice
to make try to improve their lives by my love
as You would do.

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.

wed-second-week

Posted in CHRISTMASTIDE!, The WORD

Celebrating CHRISTMAS The Second Week Tuesday 3 January 2017

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Celebrating CHRISTMAS
The Second Week
Tuesday 3 January 2017

“Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise.”

Daily Meditation:
In this is love: not that we have loved God,
but that he loved us and sent his Son
as expiation for our sins. ….1 John 4

O God, give your judgment to the king; your justice to the son of kings;
That he may govern your people with justice, your oppressed with right judgment, …
That he may defend the oppressed among the people, save the poor and crush the oppressor. Psalm 72

His heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd;
and he began to teach them many things. …
They all ate and were satisfied. Mark 6

Jesus is full of compassion for us in His unconditional love for us.
Even when it seems impossible, He still shows us the way
and nourishes us with His love.

May we be grateful for His love for us.
May we be like Him in our love for one another.

Closing Prayer:
Jesus, You became one of us on this earth.
What I want now is to be more like You:
more compassionate and patient,
more guided by Your Holy Spirit.

‘In this is love.’ It is impossible to believe
in the kind of love You have for me.
If only I believed it – how different my life would be!
It seems impossible that You could love me as You do
and yet You are the very center of that impossible love.

Help me to be more grateful for all You have given me
so that my response might be one of generosity
to You and those You have placed in my life.

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.

tues-of-the-second-week

Posted in CHRISTMASTIDE!

Celebrating Christmas – the Second Week: Monday 2 January 2017

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Celebrating Christmas the Second Week Monday 2 January 2017

“Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise.”

Daily Meditation:
This is how you can know the Spirit of God:
every spirit that acknowledges Jesus Christ come in the flesh belongs to God,
and every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus. 1 John 3

“The people who sit in darkness have seen a great light,
on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen.” Mt. 4

Jesus hears that John has been jailed.
He realises His time has come.
He begins by quoting Isaiah, chapter 8.
He is the light who has come into our lives,
which are so often overshadowed by death, in so many ways.

In this week before Epiphany, let us keep letting the Light
shine into the places of darkness within us and around us.
And where we have seen and felt His enlightening, freeing presence,
let us continue to rejoice with Christmas joy.

Closing Prayer:
Radiance.
Your radiant light blazes in my world today.
I know I will have difficult times
and the darkness will gather around me again.
But today the shining light of Your love
comes into my life and frees me.

There are other days that are shadowy,
when I don’t always know where I am going, Lord.
When the gloom gathers in my life, lead me through it.
I will reach out my hand in the darkness,
put aside my fears
and walk next to You, comforted by Your presence
and the warmth of Your unending love.

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.

monday-of-the-second-week

Posted in CHRISTMASTIDE!, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

Celebrating the CHRISTMAS SEASON OCTAVE DAY – 1 JANUARY SOLEMNITY of MARY, MOTHER OF GOD

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Celebrating the CHRISTMAS SEASON
OCTAVE DAY – 1 JANUARY
SOLEMNITY of MARY, MOTHER OF GOD

Sunday, 1st January is the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God. It is also the World Day of Prayer for Peace.

“Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise.”

Daily Meditation:
Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you. Isaiah 60

May the kings of Tarshish and the islands bring tribute, the kings of Arabia and Seba offer gifts.
May all kings bow before him, all nations serve him.
For he rescues the poor when they cry out, the oppressed who have no one to help.
He shows pity to the needy and the poor and saves the lives of the poor. Psalm 72

The Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body and co-partners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
Ephesians 3

This great feast – celebrated in the East as the Baptism of the Lord – is a feast of “revelation.”
Jesus is the beloved Son of God,
a light for the whole world,
the very one who comes to us in time, this year,
to be our saviour:
to rescue the poor, to hear our cry,
to save us in our need, in our poverty.

May we bring Him the gifts of our faith and trust and hope.
May we recognize Him as our Saviour
who gave His own life to set us free from the power of sin and death.
Come, let us adore Him.

Closing Prayer:
Light of the world,
You have come into my life; You are here for me in my poverty.
I am dazzled by the gifts You bring to me on this day:
“Your light is strong, your love is near.”

Truly You have drawn me far beyond the limits of the world,
and into the limit-less boundaries of Your dizzying love.

My gifts are small, and often filled with fear.
They are my trust and my hope.
Please accept them and heal me
and let me be free enough to rejoice
that You are the Beloved Son
and that You have come for me

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.

octave-day

Posted in CHRISTMASTIDE!, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

Celebrating the Christmas Season – 29 December: the Memorial of ST THOMAS a BECKET

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Celebrating the Christmas Season – 29 December: the Memorial of ST THOMAS a BECKET

DAY 5 OF THE CHRISTMAS OCTAVE

“Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise.”
Daily Meditation:

And now, children, remain in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence
and not be put to shame by him at his coming. 1 John 2:28

John answered them, “I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.”John 1:26

We are baptised in the Holy Spirit.

We have prepared for His coming
and we give witness to his presence with us now.

May we remain in the one who has come to be with us.
May we place our trust in the one who promises us life.

Closing Prayer:
I beg You, Lord, give me the sight I need
so that I can see You in those around me
and welcome You into my heart
with the joy of celebration.

If only my eyes could be opened!
Give me the wisdom and internal vision to see
and I will recognize You as my saviour
not only in my heart today
but in my life every day.

I ask that You help me to open my heart more fully
to Your own dizzying love for me.
Help me to be grateful for Your incredible gifts to me.

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.

day-5-octave

Posted in CHRISTMASTIDE!, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

Celebrating the Christmas Season – 28 December: The FEAST of THE HOLY INNOCENTS

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Celebrating the Christmas Season – 28 December: The FEAST of THE HOLY INNOCENTS

“Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise.”

Daily Meditation:
God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all. 1 John 1

There are many messages in this day.
Exile and liberation are part of the story.
Greed and lust for power are also part of the story
as the innocent suffer and die as the result of injustice.

It is difficult to look at but this is a day to remember how injustice works.
It is important for us remember that however horrible this scene is,
the injustices and violence of today are immeasurably worse.
Ultimately, Jesus himself will die at the hands of the unjust,
to stand with us, in injustice, so that no one will ever need to
suffer injustice.

If we say, “We are without sin,” we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just
and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing. 1 John 1

Closing Prayer:
Lord of Justice,
it is so easy for me to drift away in my own life,
caught up in my own problems and distractions.
Let me always remember those who suffer so much in this life
who are victims of violence and abuse, hunger and fear and the great number of HOLY INNOCENTS WHO ARE NOT EVEN ALLOWED LIFE!.

Let me remember that “those people”
are my brothers and sisters
and need me.
Give me the faith to pray for them,
the resources to support them,
and the strength to work to make their lives better.

Holy God, help me to pray for the end of Abortion throughout the world and to pray for the vast number of perpetrators of this immense crime of hate.

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.

holy-innocents-day-4-christmas

Posted in CHRISTMASTIDE!, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

Celebrating the Christmas Season -27 December: the Feast of St John Apostle and Evangelist

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Celebrating the Christmas Season -27 December: the Feast of St John Apostle and Evangelist

“Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise.”

Daily Meditation:

Blessed are those that fear the Lord and walk in his ways. Psalm 128

Every son or daughter can read the first reading and let it be a life long guide.
The second reading is a wonderful guide for family life.
We could all do well to prepare our New Year’s resolution desires from here.
The gospel is from Luke and brings us back to Mary.
A sword will pass through her faithful heart.
May God bless all our families with fidelity and courage in loving as we have been loved.

And let the peace of Christ control your hearts,
the peace into which you were also called in one body.
And be thankful. Colossians 3

Closing Prayer:
God of such faithfulness,
we are a big and messy family;
both as humans – and in my own family.

Help me today to be especially patient and loving
and to forgive those who have hurt me.
We may not look like “The Holy Family” I see in paintings,
yet we are united with Jesus, Mary and Joseph
because in Your great love for us
You sent Your son to live in this world
and to share in our human experience.

Sometimes I forget the sacredness of our family life
and the privilege it is to be together in this bond.
Help me not only love others as You love us,
but to be more aware of those families in the world
who struggle so much with poverty, war and disease.

Help me to pray with and for them today
and to carry an awareness of all families fleeing for safety,
longing for the peace you offer to us all.

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen

hilight-1

Posted in CHRISTMASTIDE!, MORNING Prayers

Christmas is………….

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Christmas is………….

… a gift of love wrapped in human flesh and
tied securely with the strong promises of God.
… angelic music in the form of a carol
and oratorio with a celestial descant.
… “glory to God,” “good will to man,”
and “joy to the world.”
… “peace on earth” for those who accept it
and live in unity with God’s will.
… a man on duty tending sheep, or machine,
who senses the upward call and stops to worship.
… a tall green tree which serves as festive altar
for any household which discovers the true meaning behind it all.
… a ringing bell calling a distraught humanity
to gladness and hope.
… a glowing hearth gently placed
in the winter of man’s loneliness.
… an altar to which man can bring his heartache for comfort,
his lostness for guidance and his sin for forgiveness.
… the sparkle of anticipation and the steady light of faith
in the eyes of a little child as he hears the old, old story.
… the shining star of hope in the sky of all mankind.
… more than words can tell,
for it is a matter for the heart to receive, believe and understand

Author Unknown

christmas-is

 

Posted in CHRISTMASTIDE!, MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

Celebrating the CHRISTMAS SEASON 26 December: The FEAST of ST STEPHEN

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Celebrating the CHRISTMAS SEASON 26 December: The FEAST of ST STEPHEN

“Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise.”
Daily Meditation:
The gates of heaven opened for Stephen, the first of the martyrs;
in heaven, he wears the crown of victory. Entrance Antiphon

We remember the first martyr today to emphasize the invitation we have
as followers of Jesus to witness to his presence in our world, even when
it is unpopular, counter-cultural, or may even cost us our lives.

May we ask for the grace today to pray for our enemies and to
surrender even our lives in sharing this Good News with others.

Closing Prayer:
God of all great love,
you know how full of courage Stephen was
and how full of fears I am.

Help me to have the strength to be a witness for my faith,
standing up for those who are weaker,
speaking out for what I believe
and pushing myself outside of my comfort zone.

Lord, give me a share in your compassion and understanding
that I might pray for those who oppose me,
those who ridicule me,
and those who dismiss me.

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.

christmas-26-dec

Posted in CHRISTMASTIDE!, SAINT of the DAY

Thought for the Day – 26 December

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 26 December

Stephen died as Jesus did: falsely accused, brought to unjust condemnation because he spoke the truth fearlessly. He died with his eyes trustfully fixed on God and with a prayer of forgiveness on his lips. A “happy” death is one that finds us in the same spirit, whether our dying is as quiet as Joseph’s or as violent as Stephen’s: dying with courage, total trust and forgiving love.

St Stephen Pray for us!

Image below – The Stoning of St Stephen by Friedrich Christoph Steinhammer around 1620

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Posted in CATHOLIC Quotes, CHRISTMASTIDE!, MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY

Quote of the Day – 26 December

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day – 26 December

“Above all, St Stephen speaks to us of Christ, of the Crucified and Risen Christ as the centre of history and our life.  We can understand that the Cross remains forever the centre of the Church’s life and also of our life.  In the history of the Church, there will always be passion and persecution. And it is persecution itself which, according to Tertullian’s famous words, becomes “the seed of Christians”, the source of mission for Christians to come.”

~~~~ Pope Benedict XVI – General Audience delivered by Pope Benedict XVI in January 2007

the-cross

Image “The Stoning of St Stephen by Adam Elsheimer 1604

Posted in CHRISTMASTIDE!, MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 26 December

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 26 December

God is love and he who lives in love lives in God and God in him…..1 Jn 4:16

REFLECTION – Love is the source of all good things.  It is an impregnable defense and the way that leads to heaven.  Those who walk in love can neither go astray nor be afraid.  Love guides and protects them and brings them safely to their journey’s end……….St Fulgentius

PRAYER – Loving Father, pour forth Your love into my heart and help me always to act in accord with it.  Let me be ruled by Your love in all things so that I may experience it completely with You in Heaven.  St Stephen you are an example of total love, pray for us all! Amen.

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st-fulgentius1226stephen17

Posted in CHRISTMASTIDE!, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 26 December

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 26 December

Christmas Prayer of St Pope John XXIII

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-john-xxiii

Posted in CHRISTMASTIDE!, SAINT of the DAY

Saints and Feasts – 26 December

Posted on by AnaStpaul

St Stephen the ProtoMartyr (Feast)
St Abadiu of Antinoë
Bl Agata Phutta Bi
Bl Agnès Phila
St Amaethlu of Anglesey
St Archelaus of Mesopotamia
Bl Bibiana Khamphai
Bl Cecilia Butsi
Bl Daniel of Villiers
St Dionysius, Pope
St Euthymius of Sardis
St Evaristo of Constantinople
Bl Giovanni Orsini
Bl Jean of Hainaut
Bl Lucie Khambang
St Margaret of Hohenfels
Bl Maria Phon
Bl Marinus of Rome
Bl Paganus of Lecco
Bl Pierre Boffet
St Tathai of Wales
St Theodore the Sacristan
St Vincentia Lopez y Vicuña
St Zeno of Gaza
St Zosimus, Pope

Posted in CHRISTMASTIDE!, DEVOTIO, MORNING Prayers

The Benedictus

Posted on by AnaStpaul

It is appropriate that today, Christmas Day 2016, 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 savior,
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, amen

benedictus