Our Morning Offering – 18 January – Friday of the First week in Ordinary Time
Go on, O Lord and Act
By St Augustine
Go on, O Lord and act,
stir us up and call us back,
inflame us and draw us to Thee,
stir us up and grow sweet to us,
let us now love Thee,
let us run to Thee.
Are there not many men …
who, out of a deeper pit of darkness..
return to Thee–who draw near to Thee
and are illuminated by that light
which gives those
who receive it power from Thee
to become Thy sons?
Our Morning Offering – 16 January – Wednesday of the First week in Ordinary Time
Make Us Worthy Lord
By St Pope Paul VI (1897-1978)
Make us worthy Lord,
to serve our brothers
and sisters throughout the world
who live
and die
in poverty and hunger.
Give them,
by our hands this day
their daily bread,
and by our understanding love,
peace and joy.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 15 January – Tuesday of the First week in Ordinary Time
Virgin Full of Goodness
Mother of Mercy
By St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Virgin full of goodness,
Mother of mercy,
I entrust to you my body and my soul,
my thoughts and my actions,
my life and my death.
My Queen,
come to my aid
and deliver me from the snares of the devil.
Obtain for me the grace of loving
my Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
with a true and perfect love,
and after him,
O Mary,
of loving you with all my heart
and above all things.
Amen
Thought for the Day – 13 January – May I serve You by making You known
The Memorial of St Hilary of Poitiers (315-368) Father & Doctor of the Church
This prayer is an excerpt from a sermon On the Trinity by Saint Hilary of Poitiers, a bishop and early Church Father of the fourth century who struggled valiantly against the Arian heresy, defending the divinity of Christ and the doctrine of the Trinity.
From a sermon on the Trinity by St Hilary of Poitiers (315-368) Father & Doctor of the Church – (Lib 1, 37-38: PL 10, 48-49)
“I am well aware, almighty God and Father, that in my life I owe You a most particular duty. It is to make my every thought and word speak of You.
In fact, You have conferred on me this gift of speech and it can yield no greater return than to be at Your service. It is for making You known as Father, the Father of the only-begotten God and preaching this to the world that knows You not and to the heretics who refuse to believe in You.
In this matter, the declaration of my intention, is only of limited value. For the rest, I need to pray for the gift of Your help and Your mercy. As we spread our sails of trusting faith and public avowal before You, fill them with the breath of Your Spirit, to drive us on, as we begin this course of proclaiming Your truth. We have been promised and He who made the promise is trustworthy: Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
Yes, in our poverty we will pray for our needs. We will study the sayings of Your prophets and apostles with unflagging attention and knock for admittance wherever the gift of understanding is safely kept. But Yours it is, Lord, to grant our petitions, to be present when we seek You and to open when we knock.
There is an inertia in our nature that makes us dull and in our attempt to penetrate Your truth. we are held within the bounds of ignorance. by the weakness of our minds. Yet we do comprehend divine ideas by earnest attention to Your teaching and by obedience to the faith, which carries us beyond mere human apprehension.
So we trust in You to inspire the beginnings of this ambitious venture, to strengthen its progress and to call us into a partnership, in the spirit, with the prophets and the apostles. To that end, may we grasp precisely what they meant to say, taking each word in its real and authentic sense. For we are about to say what they already have declared as part of the mystery of revelation – that You are the eternal God, the Father of the eternal, only-begotten God; that You are one and not born from another; and that the Lord Jesus is also one, born of You from all eternity. We must not proclaim a change in truth regarding the number of gods. We must not deny that He is begotten of You who are the one God, nor must we assert that He is other than the true God, born of You who are truly God the Father.
Impart to us, then, the meaning of the words of Scripture and the light to understand it, with reverence for the doctrine and confidence in its truth. Grant that we may express what we believe. Through the prophets and apostles we know about You, the one God the Father and the one Lord Jesus Christ. May we have the grace, in the face of heretics who deny You, to honour You as God, who is not alone and to proclaim this as truth.”
The above is used in the Roman Office of Readings for the feast (liturgical memorial) of St Hilary of Poitiers on 13 January.
One minute Reflection – 13 January – The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Gospel: Luke 3:15-22 and Memorial of St Hilary of Poitiers (315-368) Father & Doctor of the Church
“…when Jesus also had been baptised and was praying, the heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form, as a dove and a voice came from heaven, “Thou art my beloved Son with thee I am well pleased.”…Luke 3:21-22
REFLECTION – “Jesus rises from the waters; the world rises with Him. The heavens like Paradise with its flaming sword, closed by Adam for himself and his descendants, are rent open. The Spirit comes to Him as to an equal, bearing witness to His Godhead. A voice bears witness to Him from heaven, His place of origin. The Spirit descends in bodily form like the dove that so long ago announced the ending of the flood and so gives honour to the body that is one with God.
Today, let us do honour to Christ’s baptism and celebrate this feast in holiness. Be cleansed entirely and continue to be cleansed. Nothing gives such pleasure to God as the conversion and salvation of men, for whom His every word and every revelation exist. He wants you to become a living force for all mankind, lights shining in the world. You are to be radiant lights as you stand beside Christ, the great light, bathed in the glory of Him who is the light of heaven. You are to enjoy, more and more, the pure and dazzling light of the Trinity, as now you have received—though not in its fullness—a ray of its splendour, proceeding from the one God, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and power for ever and ever. Amen. “…St Gregory Nazianzen (330-390 – Father & Doctor of the Church (An excerpt from Oration 39: On Holy Light)
PRAYER – Father, keep us from vain strife of words.
Grant to us constant profession of the Truth!
Preserve us in a true and undefiled faith
so that we may hold fast to that
which we professed when we were baptised
in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
that we may have You for our Father,
that we may abide in Your Son
and in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.
Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord.
Amen…St Hilary of Poitiers
Our Morning Offering – 13 January – Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
O Most Sacred, Most Loving Heart of Jesus
By Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
O Most Sacred, most loving Heart of Jesus,
You are concealed in the Holy Eucharist
and You beat for us still.
Now, as then You say,
“With desire I have desired.”
I worship You the,
with all my best love and awe,
with my fervent affection,
with my most subdued, most resolved will.
You, for a while, take up Your abode within me!
O make my heart beat with Your Heart.
Purify it of all that is earthly,
all that is proud and sensual,
all that is hard and cruel,
of all perversity,
of all disorder,
of all deadness.
So fill it with Thee,
that neither the events of the day
nor the circumstances of the time,
may have power to ruffle it
but that, in Your love
and Your fear,
it may have peace.
Amen.
Our Morning Offering – 12 January – 6th day after Epiphany and The Memorial of St Aelred of Rievaulx OCSO (1110-1167)
Behold me, O Sweet Lord, Behold me!
By St Aelred of Rievaulx
Behold me, O sweet Lord, behold me!
For I hope that in Your loving kindness,
O Most Merciful One,
You will behold me
either as a loving physician to heal,
a kind teacher to correct,
or an indulgent father to pardon…
confident in Your sweet powerful mercy
and most merciful power,
I ask in virtue of Your sweet Name
and of the mystery of Your sacred humanity,
that, mindful of Your kindness
and unmindful of my ingratitude,
You forgive me my sins
and heal the languors of my soul.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 11 January – 5th day after Epiphany
Grant Me Rest in You, above All
By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)
Grant me, O most sweet and loving Jesus,
to rest in You, above every creature,
above all health and beauty,
above all glory and honour,
above all power and dignity,
above all joy and exultation,
above all fame and praise,
above all sweetness and consolation,
above all hope and promise,
above all desert and desire,
above all gifts and presents,
which You are able to bestow or infuse,
above all joy and gladness,
which the mind is capable of receiving and feeling;
finally, above angels and archangels,
and above all the host of heaven,
above all things, visible and invisible,
and above all,
that falls short of Yourself,
O You my God.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 10 January – 4th day after Epiphany and The Memorial of St Léonie Françoise De Sales Aviat (1844-1914) the co-founder of the Oblate Sisters of St Francis de Sales
You will not Refuse me Alms (The Little Beggar of Jesus’ Heart)
By St Léonie Françoise De Sales Aviat (1844-1914)
O my God,
alms are given to the poor,
see my misery and have pity on me.
I cannot be the most innocent,
the most faithful,
the most loving soul of Your divine Heart, O Jesus.
Well, then,
I will be the little beggar of Jesus’ Heart.
You will not refuse me alms.
Amen
Lord I am Yours
By St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor of the Church
Lord, I am Yours,
and I must belong to no one but You.
My soul is Yours,
and must live only by You.
My will is Yours,
and must love only for You.
I must love You as my first cause,
since I am from You.
I must love You as my end and rest,
since I am for You.
I must love You more than my own being,
since my being subsists by You.
I must love You more than myself,
since I am all Yours and all in You.
Amen
Thought for the Day – 7 January – The Memorial of St Raymond of Peñafort (1175-1275) “Father of Canon Law”
As a lawyer, priest and preacher, St Raymond of Penyafort made a significant mark on the history of Spain and the church. His preaching helped re-Christianise Spain after the Moors were overthrown. And his compilation of papal and conciliar decrees was the main source of canon law for seven centuries.
An accomplished lawyer and scholar, Raymond joined the Dominicans at Barcelona in 1222. The 47-year-old novice was assigned to develop a book of case studies for confessors that helped to shape the medieval church’s penitential system. Also a gifted preacher, Raymond had remarkable success evangelising Moors and Jews. And he travelled throughout Spain, rejuvenating the spiritual life of Christians, that the Moors had enslaved. Among his main themes were spiritual combat and standing firm in trials.
He wrote:
“Your purity of life, your devotion, deserve and call for a reward, because you are acceptable and pleasing to God, your purity of life must be made purer still, by frequent buffetings, until you attain perfect sincerity of heart. If from time to time you feel the sword falling on you with double or treble force, this also should be seen as sheer joy and the mark of love.”
And then, he encouraged and prayed for us all:
“May the God of love and peace,
set your hearts at rest
and speed you on your journey,
may He meanwhile,
shelter you from disturbance by others,
in the hidden recesses of His love,
until He brings you, at last,
into that place of complete plenitude,
where you will repose forever,
in the vision of peace,
in the security of trust
and in the restful enjoyment of His riches.”
Our Morning Offering – 7 January – Christmas Weekday Monday after Epiphany
O my God, all is Good if it comes from You
By Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
O my God,
I will put myself without reserve,
into Your hands.
Wealth or woe, joy or sorrow,
friends or bereavement,
honour or humiliation,
good report or ill report,
comfort or discomfort,
Your presence
or the hiding of Your countenance,
all is good if it comes from You,
You are wisdom and You are love –
what can I desire more?
You have led me in Your counsel
and with glory You have received me
What have I in heaven
and apart from You,
what want I upon earth?
My flesh and my heart fail
but God is the God of my heart
and my portion forever.
Amen
Thought for the Day – 6 January – The Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord – Gospel: Matthew 2:1-12
“They saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage”...Matthew 2:11
The magi find a poor young woman with a poor child wrapped in poor linen bands… and yet, on entering this cave, they feel a joy never experienced before… The divine Infant’s expression lights up, sign of the loving delight with which He welcomes them as the first conquest of His redeeming work. Then the holy kings turn their eyes to Mary, who does not speak, remaining silent, yet her face, reflecting joy and shining with a heavenly sweetness, confirms that she welcomes them and is grateful to them for being the first to recognise her Son for who He is – their Sovereign Lord…
O Child so worthy of our love, I see You lying on the straw in this cave, so poor and despised. Yet faith teaches me that You are my God come down from heaven for my salvation. I acknowledge You as my Sovereign Lord and Saviour, as such I proclaim You, yet I have nothing at all to offer You. I am without love’s gold, since I have given my love to the things of this world – I have only loved my own whim, rather than loving You, so infinitely worthy of love. I am without prayer’s incense since I have lived wretchedly without thinking of You. I have no myrrh of mortification since, so as not to forsake some paltry pleasures, I have so often saddened Your infinite goodness. So what am I to offer You? O my Jesus, I offer You my heart, soiled and naked as it is. Take it and change it, for You have come down to us to wash our guilty hearts with Your blood and so transform us from sinners into saints. O grant me that gold, incense and myrrh that I lack. Grant me the gold of Your holy love; grant me the incense that is the spirit of prayer; grant me myrrh, the willingness and strength to deny myself in all that displeases You…
O holy Virgin, you welcomed those devout magi kings with keen affection and satisfied them. Deign to welcome and comfort me also, I who come, following their example, to visit and offer myself to your Son.
Our Morning Offering – 5 January – Christmas Saturday and the Memorial of St Charles of Mount Argus C.P. (1821-1893)
Most Holy Virgin Mary Oh, my Mother!
By St Charles of Mount Argus
Most Holy Virgin Mary Oh, my Mother!
How sweet it is to come to thy feet,
imploring thy perpetual help!
If earthly mothers cease not to remember their children,
how can thou, the most loving of all mothers, forget me?
Grant then, to me, I implore thee,
thy perpetual help in all my necessities,
in every sorrow and especially in all my temptations.
As we are all thy children,
I ask for thy unceasing help for all who are now suffering.
Help the weak, cure the sick, convert sinners
and console all earthly mothers
who are now weeping over their children.
Open the gates of heaven to those we loved upon earth
and who are now suffering in purgatory.
Obtain for us, dear Mother,
that having earnestly invoked thee on earth,
we may see thee, love thee
and eternally thank thee, hereafter in heaven.
Amen
Our Morning Offering on the Memorial of St Manuel Gonzalez Garcia (1877–1940) the “Apostle of the Abandoned Tabernacles” – 4 January
St Manuel has written much, 3 volumes full and many prayers and devotions related to Eucharistic Adoration and the Holy Eucharist but thus far, only 1% of his works have been translated from the original Spanish. So today we pray via St John Paul, another great advocate of Eucharist Adoration and the Holy Eucharist.
Prayer for the Spread of Perpetual Adoration
By St Pope John Paul (1920-2005)
Heavenly Father,
increase our faith in the Real Presence of Your Son,
Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist.
We are obliged to adore Him,
to give Him thanks
and to make reparation for sins.
We need Your peace in our hearts
and among nations.
We need conversion from our sins
and the mercy of Your forgiveness.
May we obtain this through prayer
and our union with the Eucharistic Lord.
Please send down the Holy Spirit upon all peoples
to give them the love, courage, strength and willingness,
to respond to the invitation to Eucharistic Adoration.
We beseech You to spread Perpetual Adoration
of the Most Blessed Sacrament in parishes around the world.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord.
Amen
Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament
Help us to spread the glory of Your Son
through Perpetual Adoration.
On 2 December 1981 St Pope John Paul II inaugurated Perpetual
Adoration in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel of St Peter’s Basilica with a Mass.
At the end of the Mass following exposition of the Blessed Sacrament he prayed,
in part: (see above) (L’Osservatore Romano, Dec. 14, 1981))
Stay with Us
By St Pope John Paul (1920-2005)
Stay with us today
and stay from now on, everyday,
according to the desire of my heart,
which accepts the appeal of so many hearts
from various parts, sometimes far away…
Stay that we may meet You in
prayers of adoration and thanksgiving,
in prayers of expiation and petition
to which all those who visit this Basilica are invited…
May the unworthy successor of Peter
and all those who take part in the
adoration of Your Eucharistic Presence
attest with every visit and make
ring out again the truth contained in the Apostle’s words:
‘Lord, you know everything.
You know that I love you.’
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 3 January – The Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus
Jesu, Dulcis Memoria is a celebrated 12th century hymn by St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153), Doctor Mellifluous. The entire hymn has some 42 to 53 stanzas depending upon the manuscript. Parts of this hymn are used for the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus.
Hymn or Prayer
Jesu, Dulcis Memoria
By St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)
Jesus, the very thought of Thee
With sweetness fills the breast!
Yet sweeter far Thy face to see
And in Thy presence rest.
No voice can sing,
no heart can frame,
Nor can the memory find,
A sweeter sound than Jesus’ Name,
The Saviour of mankind.
O hope of every contrite heart!
0 joy of all the meek!
To those who fall, how kind Thou art!
How good to those who seek!
But what to those who find?
Ah! this Nor tongue nor pen can show
The love of Jesus, what it is,
None but His loved ones know.
Jesus! our only hope be Thou,
As Thou our prize shall be;
In Thee be all our glory now,
And through eternity.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 2 January – The Memorial of St Basil the Great and St Gregory of Nazianzen
O Christ, our Master and God
By St Basil the Great (329-379)
O Christ, our Master and God,
King of the ages and Creator of all,
I thank You for all the good things
that You have given to me
and for the reception
of your most pure and life-giving mysteries.
I pray You, therefore,
O good Lover of humankind,
keep me under Your protection
in the shadow of Your wings.
Grant that with a pure conscience,
until my last breath,
I may worthily partake of Your Holy Things,
for the forgiveness of sins
and for life everlasting.
For You are the Bread of Life,
the Fountain of Holiness
and the Bestower of Blessings
and to You we give glory together
with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
now and for ever and ever, amen.
Christmas Wisdom with St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
1 January- The Octave Day of Christmas and the First Day of the Month of the Holy Name
The name of Jesus is holy
“Consider that the name of Jesus is a name of gladness, a name of hope and a name of love.
A name of gladness, because if the memory of past sins afflicts us, this name comforts us, reminding us that the Son of God became human for this purpose, to make Himself our Redeemer.
The name of Jesus, is a name of hope, because the person that prays to the eternal Father in the name of Jesus, may hope for every grace.
The name of Jesus is a name of love, because it is a sing that represents top us how much God has done for our love.
The name of Jesus, helps us to remember all the sufferings that He endured for us in His life and in His death. As a devout writer says of the Holy Name, ‘my Jesus, how much has it cost You to be Jesus – that is to say, my Redeemer!'”
Scripture
“At the name of Jesus,
every knee should bow,
of those that are in heaven,
on earth and under the earth”
Philippians 2:10
Prayer (St Alphonsus)
My beloved Jesus,
write Your Name on my poor heart
and on my tongue,
in order that when I am tempted to sin,
I may resist all sin
by invoking Your Holy Name.
If I am tempted to despair,
Your Name will help me to trust.
If I feel myself becoming tepid
in my love for You,
Your Name will inflame my heart.
Help me always to call upon
Your Holy Name.
Amen.
Our Morning Offering 1 January – The Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God and the Octave Day of the Nativity of the Lord
O Immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of God
By St Ephrem (306-373) Father & Doctor of the Church
O Immaculate and wholly-pure Virgin Mary,
Mother of God,
Queen of the world,
hope of those who are in despair,
you are the joy of the saints,
you are the peacemaker
between sinners and God,
you are the advocate of the abandoned,
the secure haven
of those who are on the sea of the world,
you are the consolation of the world,
the ransom of slaves,
the comfortress of the afflicted….
O great Queen, we take refuge in your protection.
After God, you are all my hope.
We bear the name of your servants,
allow not the enemy to drag us to hell.
I salute you, O great mediatress of peace
between men and God,
Mother of Jesus our Lord,
who is the love of all men and of God,
to whom be honour and benediction
with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
Amen
Christmas Wisdom with St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
31 December – The Seventh Day of the Christmas Octave
Jesus weeps
“Consider the tears of the Infant Jesus. The tears of newborn babies are often tears of pain. Jesus did not weep because of pain but rather, because of compassion and love. “They weep because of suffering, Christ because of compassion” says St Bernard. Tears are a great sign of love and behold how our God loves us, since for the love of humanity, we see Jesus made flesh, become an infant and shed tears. “These tears” teaches St Ambrose, “washed away our sins” because by His cries and tears He implored mercy for us who were condemned to eternal death. Oh, how eloquently did the tears of this Divine Little One plead in our behalf. How precious were His tears to God. It was then that the Father caused the angels to proclaim that He had made peace with humanity and received them again into His favour. And on earth peace to all people of goodwill.
My beloved Infant Jesus, while You were weeping in the stable at Bethlehem, You were thinking of me! Eternal Father, I offer You the tears of the Infant Jesus, for the sake of His tears, please forgive me.”
Scripture
“But you have been anointed by the Holy One”
1 John 2:20
Prayer
O Mighty God!
O God of love!
it is too much!
it broke the heart of Your sweet Son Jesus
to see the misery of man spread out before His eyes.
He died by it as well as for it.
And we, too, in our measure,
our eyes ache
and our hearts sicken and our heads reel,
when we but feebly contemplate it.
O most tender heart of Jesus,
why do You not end,
when will You end,
this ever-growing load of sin and woe?
When will You chase away the devil into his own hell
and close the pit’s mouth,
that Your chosen may rejoice in You,
quitting the thought of those who perish
in their wilfulness?
Amen
(Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
Our Morning Offering – 30 December – Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. This is a very appropriate prayer as the Church focuses on Family Life.
Nazareth Prayer for the Family
By St Mother Teresa(1910-1997)
Heavenly Father,
You have given us the model of life
in the Holy Family of Nazareth.
Help us, O Loving Father,
to make our family another Nazareth
where love, peace and joy reign.
May it be deeply contemplative,
intensely eucharistic, received with joy.
Help us to stay together in joy
and sorrow in family prayer.
Teach us to see Jesus
in the members of our families,
especially in their distressing disguise.
May the Eucharistic heart of Jesus
make our hearts humble like His
and help us to carry out our family duties
in a holy way.
May we love one another
as God loves each one of us,
more and more each day,
and forgive each others faults
as You forgive our sins.
Help us, O Loving Father,
to take whatever You give
and give whatever You take with a big smile.
Immaculate Heart of Mary,
cause of our joy, pray for us.
St Joseph, pray for us.
Holy Guardian Angels,
be always with us,
guide and protect us.
Amen.
Christmas Wisdom with St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
29 December – The Fifth Day of the Christmas Octave
Jesus lies on the straw
“Consider that the Mother of Jesus has neither wool or down to make a bed for the tender infant. What does she do? She gathers together a small handful of straw into the manger. How hard and how painful is this bed for an infant that has just been born. The limbs of a baby are so delicate and especially the limbs of Jesus, which were formed by the Holy Spirit with special care and delicacy. Straw is a bed fit only for beasts and yet the Son of God had no other bed on which lie, than a bed of miserable straw. St Francis of Assisi, while sitting at table one day, reflected on this fact and immediately rose from his place at table, threw himself on the ground and finished his meal. “What” he said, “My Lord was laid on straw and I continue to sit?”
My beloved Jesus, I do not desire to leave You alone to cry and to suffer. Your tears both afflict and console me. They afflict me because You are so innocent but they console me, because they assure me of the gift of salvation. I, too, will weep, because it is my sins that are the cause of Your sufferings.”
Scripture
“…he who says he abides in him,
ought to walk in the same way, in which he walked.”
1 John 2:6
Prayer (St Alphonsus)
O Most merciful Infant Jesus,
I give You thanks
for all that You suffered for me.
O my sweetest Love,
I am sorry that I have offended You.
I desire to be always faithful in Your service.
Fill my heart with Your love.
O Mary, grant that I may belong
entirely to you and your Son, Jesus.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 29 December – St Thomas a Becket (1118-1170) Martyr, Archbishop of Canterbury
Please Lord, Make me Worthy!
Prayer of Suppplication and Repentance
By St Thomas à Becket (1118-1170)
Martyr, Archbishop of Canterbury
My Lord,
I find it difficult to talk to Thee.
What can I say?
I, who have turned away from Thee
so often with indifference.
I have been a stranger to prayer,
undeserving of Thy friendship and love.
I have been without honour
and feel unworthy.
I am a weak and shallow creature,
clever only in the second-rate and worldly arts,
seeking my comfort and pleasure.
I gave my love, such as it was, elsewhere,
putting service to my earthly King,
before my duty to Thee.
Please Lord, teach me how to serve Thee
with all my heart, to know at last,
what it really is, to love, to adore.
So that I may worthily minister to
Thine Kingdom, here on earth
and find my true honour,
in observing Thine divine will.
Please Lord, make me worthy!
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 27 December – the Feast of St John the Apostle and Evangelist “The Disciple whom Jesus Loved” and the 3rd Octave Day and the Memorial of Blessed Sára Salkaházi (1899–1944) Martyr
If I Love You
By Bl Sára Salkaházi (1899–1944) Martyr
I am grateful to You
for the love You have given me.
My dear Jesus,
I place this love into Your hands:
keep it chaste
and bless it,
so that it may always
be rooted in You.
And increase in me my love for You.
I know that if I love You,
I can never get lost.
If I want to be Yours
with all my heart,
You will never let me
stray from You.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 25 December – The Solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord, Jesus Christ
Blessed is He
St Ephrem (306-373) Father & Doctor of the Church
Blessed is the Child, who gladdened Bethlehem today.
Blessed is the Babe, who today renewed the youth of humankind.
Blessed is the Fruit, who bowed Himself down to our hunger.
Blessed is the gracious One, who suddenly enriched our poverty
and supplied our need.
Blessed is He, whose tender mercy led Him to heal our infirmities.
Blessed is He, whom freedom crucified, because He permitted it.
Blessed is He, whom also the wood bore, because He gave it leave.
Blessed is He, whom the grave bound, when He set limits to Himself.
Blessed is He, whose free choice brough Him
to the womb and to birth.
Blessed is He, who sealed our soul and adorned and betrothed her to Himself.
Blessed is the beautiful One, who remade us in His image.
Blessed is He, who made our flesh a tabernacle for His hiddenness.
Blessed is He, who with our tongue spoke out His secrets.
Blessed is the Word of the most high, who became flesh today for us.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 24 December – The Eve of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ
O Sweet Child of Bethlehem
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 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 altogether in Your love
and give us Your heavenly peace.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 23 December – The Fourth Sunday of Advent
Act of Oblation before Holy Communion
By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)
Lord, all things in heaven and on earth
are Yours,
I desire to give myself to You
in willing abandonment
and to remain Yours forever.
Lord, in simplicity of heart,
I offer myself to You this day,
always to be Your obedient servant
and a sacrifice of perpetual praise.
Accept me with the Holy Sacrifice
of Your precious Body,
which I offer You today
in the presence of Your assisting Angels,
for my salvation
and that of all Your people.
Amen
Thought for the day – 21 December – The Memorial of St Peter Canisius S.J. (1521-1597) Doctor of the Church
On today’s feast of St Peter Canisius S. J., Catholics may wish to thank this Doctor of the Church for giving us the second half of the Hail Mary prayer.
This 16th-century saint, known as the second Apostle of Germany, followed in the giant footsteps of St Boniface, who evangelised Germany a thousand years earlier. He was also quite active at the Council of Trent and wrote much on the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The first half of the Hail Mary, of course, comes from Scripture. What many Catholics don’t know is that the second half of this Catholic prayer is due to the intervention of St Peter Canisius at the Council of Trent. St Peter began adding on to the scriptural part of the Hail Mary the second half of this familiar prayer, “Holy Mary Mother of God pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death.” It was Trent that officially accepted the prayer and included it in their famous Catechism of the Council of Trent in 1566.
This learned saint was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius XI in 1925. He was a holy and learned Jesuit, who wrote catechisms based on Trent’s Roman Catechism, which he helped generate. He also wrote a breviary and many works on Mary.
Saint Peter’s main mission was to counter the Protestant revolt in Germany. He was providentially born just four years after Martin Luther penned his 95 theses. To withstand the errors of the Protestant deformers, St Peter wrote his catechism in 1555, which was called a Summary of Christian Doctrine. This catechism basically enshrined what came to be known as the Counter-Reformation.
Our Morning Offering – 21 December – Pope Benedict’s Favourite Prayer – The Memorial of St Peter Canisius (1521-1397) Doctor of the Church
The Universal Prayer
By Saint Peter Canisius
Almighty, eternal God, Lord, heavenly Father,
look with Your eyes of undeserved compassion
on our sorrow, misery and need.
Have mercy on all the Christian faithful,
for whom Your only-begotten Son,
our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, was content to give Himself
into the hand of sinners
and shed His precious Blood on the wood of the Holy Cross.
For the sake of the Lord Jesus, most gracious Father,
avert our well-deserved punishments,
present danger and future threats, harm and outrage,
arms and warfare, dearth and misfortune,
sickness and sorrowful, miserable times.
Enlighten and strengthen in all goodness our spiritual leaders
and earthly rulers, that they may do everything
to further Your honour as God, our salvation,
the common peace and the welfare of all Your people.
Grant us, O God of peace, a true unity in faith,
free of all division and separation.
Convert our hearts to true repentance and amendment of life.
Kindle in us the fire of Your love; give us hunger and zeal
for justice in all things, so that we, as obedient children
through life unto death, may be pleasing to You
and find favour in Your sight.
We also pray, O God, as You willed that we should pray,
for our friends and enemies, for the healthy and the sick,
for all Christians in sadness and distress,
for the living and the dead.
To You, O Lord, be entrusted whatever we do,
whatever our path, our work and our dealings,
our living and dying.
Let us delight in Your grace here in this world
and attain the next with all Your chosen ones,
to praise, honour and extol You in unending joy and blessedness.
Grant us this, O Lord, heavenly Father,
through Jesus Christ, Your beloved Son,
Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Amen.
“The [prayer] I like most…the ‘General Prayer’ by Peter Canisius from the sixteenth century. It remains unchangingly pertinent and beautiful.”
From Pope Benedict, Last Testament, New York, Bloomsbury, 2016, 8.
Advent and Christmas Wisdom with St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787))
17 December
The Heart of Jesus in the womb of His Mother
“Consider that whatever Jesus suffered in His life and in His Passion was all placed before Him while He was in the womb of Mary. He accepted everything that was proposed to Him with delight but in accepting all things and in overcoming the natural repugnance of sense, O my God, what anguish and oppression did the innocent heart of Jesus suffer. Our Redeemer accepted each moment even though He continually had before His eyes that confusion which He would one day feel at seeing Himself stripped naked, scourged and suspended by three iron nails, ending His life in the midst of insults and curses. And for what? To save us miserable and ungrateful sinners.
My beloved Redeemer, how much did it cost You to raise me from the ruin, which I brought on myself through my sins? What can I do without Your grace? I can do nothing but pray that You will help me but even this prayer comes from the merits of Your suffering and death! O my Jesus, help me!”
Scripture
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Matthew 1:1
Prayer
O WISDOM
You came forth from the mouth of the Most High
and reaching from beginning to end,
You ordered all things mightily and sweetly.
Come and teach us the way of prudence
Advent Action
Time is fast approaching for Eternity to break into time. And today we begin our special preparations to celebrate Your birthday. Your Evangelist, Matthew, begins his Gospel by tracing Your origin as a human being. You did not come to us as bolt from the blue. You fully belong to our human stock. Matthew’s list of Your genealogy is disturbing, if not shocking. Of course, Your ancestors include great patriarchs of the chosen people. But it also includes some of ill repute! It begins with Abraham begetting Isaac. Ishmael, the first son of Abraham, is not in the picture. The story continues with Isaac begetting Jacob and not the elder son Esau. Again, Jacob begets Judah, ignoring Joseph who was obviously the best of the brothers. With these unreasonable choices, Matthew seems to impress on us that often God does not choose the best or the noblest or the saintly. Thank You, Lord, for it is only Your unpredictable graciousness that made You choose me and employ me in Your service! Only by my prayer, ‘O my Jesus, help me’ can I live up to this choice. And so I increase my prayer this week. (Fr Joseph Thena SSP)
Thought for the Day – 16 December 2018 – The Third ‘Gaudete’ Sunday of Advent
An excerpt from his Sermon 293
John is the voice but the Lord is the Word who was in the beginning. John is the voice that lasts for a time, from the beginning, Christ is the Word who lives forever.
Take away the word, the meaning and what is the voice? Where there is no understanding, there is only a meaningless sound. The voice without the word strikes the ear but does not build up the heart.
However, let us observe what happens when we first seek to build up our hearts. When I think about what I am going to say, the word or message is already in my heart. When I want to speak to you, I look for a way to share with your heart what is already in mine.
In my search for a way to let this message reach you, so that the word already in my heart may find a place also in yours, I use my voice to speak to you. The sound of my voice brings the meaning of the word to you and then passes away. The word which the sound has brought to you is now in your heart and yet it is still also in mine.
When the word has been conveyed to you, does not the sound seem to say – the word ought to grow and I should diminish? The sound of the voice has made itself heard in the service of the word and has gone away, as though it were saying – my joy is complete. Let us hold on to the word; we must not lose the word conceived inwardly in our hearts.
Do you need proof that the voice passes away but the divine Word remains? Where is John’s baptism today? It served its purpose and it went away. Now it is Christ’s baptism that we celebrate. It is in Christ that we all believe, we hope for salvation in Him. This is the message the voice cried out.
Because it is hard to distinguish word from voice, even John himself was thought to be the Christ. The voice was thought to be the word. But the voice acknowledged what it was, anxious not to give offence to the word. I am not the Christ, he said, nor Elijah, nor the prophet. And the question came: Who are you, then? He replied: I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness – Prepare the way for the Lord!
The voice of one crying in the wilderness is the voice of one breaking the silence. Prepare the way for the Lord, he says, as though he were saying: “I speak out in order to lead Him into your hearts but He does not choose to come where I lead Him, unless you prepare the way for Him.”
To prepare the way means to pray well – it means thinking humbly of oneself. We should take our lesson from John the Baptist. He is thought to be the Christ, he declares he is not what they think. He does not take advantage of their mistake to further his own glory.
If he had said, “I am the Christ,” you can imagine how readily he would have been believed, since they believed he was the Christ even before he spoke. But he did not say it, he acknowledged what he was. He pointed out clearly who he was; he humbled himself.
He saw where his salvation lay. He understood that he was a lamp and his fear was that it might be blown out, by the wind of pride.”
“The very Son of God,
older than the ages,
the invisible,
the incomprehensible,
the incorporeal,
the beginning of beginning,
the light of light,
the fountain of life and immortality,
the image of the archetype,
the immovable seal,
the perfect likeness,
the definition and word of the Father:
He it is who comes to His own image
and takes our nature for the good of our nature
and unites Himself to an intelligent soul
for the good of my soul,
to purify like by like.”
AnaStpaul 
You must be logged in to post a comment.