Quote/s of the Day – 19 December – Monday of the Fourth Week of Advent – “The Month of the Divine Infant and the Immaculate Conception”
“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.”
“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 the soul, to purify like by Like.”
St Gregory of Nazianzen (330-390) Father and Doctor of the Church
Quote/s of the Day – 16 February – Readings: Genesis 6:5-8; 7:1-5, 10, Psalms 29:1 and 2, 3-4, 3 and 9-10, Mark 8:14-21
Sacred Scripture – A Light for our Path
“Do you not yet understand or comprehend? Are your hearts hardened?”
Mark 8:17
“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 Lord, You have given us Your word for a light to shine upon our path, grant us so to meditate on that word and follow its teaching, that we may find in it, the light that shines more and more until the perfect day. Amen
“Let sleep find you holding your Bible and when your head nods, let it be resting on the sacred page.”
St Jerome (343-420) “The Man of the Bible” Father and Doctor of the Church
“Jesus, open the eyes of my heart, that I may hear Your word and understand and do Your will. Open the eyes of my mind to the understanding of Your Gospel teachings. Speak to me the hidden and secret things of Your wisdom. Enlighten my mind and understanding with the light of Your knowledge, not only to cherish those things that are written but to do them. Amen”
St John Chrysostom (347-407) Father and Doctor
“The Sacred Scriptures grow with the one who reads them.”
St Pope Gregory the Great (540-604) “Father of the Fathers” and Doctor of the Church
“All who ask receive, those who seek find and to those who knock it shall be opened. Therefore, let us knock at the beautiful garden of Scripture. It is fragrant, sweet and blooming with various sounds of spiritual and divinely inspired birds. They sing all around our ears, capture our hearts, comfort the mourners, pacify the angry and fill us with everlasting joy.”
St John Damascene (676-749) Father and Doctor of the Church
Advent Reflection – 20 December – The Fourth Sunday of Advent, Readings: 2 Samuel 7:1-5,8-12, 14, 16, Psalms 89:2-3, 4-5, 27, 29, Romans 16:25-27, Luke 1:26-38
The Lord is at hand, come let us adore Him.
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.
“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 forever and of his kingdom there will be no end.” – Luke 1:32-33
REFLECTION – “The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph of the house of David and the virgin’s name was Mary.” What is said of the house of David applies not only to Joseph but also to Mary. It was a precept of the law that each man should marry a wife from his own tribe and kindred. Saint Paul also bears testimony to this when he writes to Timothy: “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descended from David, as preached in my Gospel” (2 Tm 2:8) …
“He will be great and will be called the son of the Most High and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.” The angel refers to the kingdom of the Israelite nation as the throne of David because, in his time, by the Lord’s command and assistance, David governed it with a spirit of faithful service … As David had once ruled the people with temporal authority, so Christ would now lead them to the eternal kingdom by His spiritual grace …
“He will reign over the house of Jacob forever..” The house of Jacob here refers to the universal Church which, through its faith in and witness to Christ, shares the heritage of the patriarchs. This may apply either to those who are physical descendants of the patriarchal families, or to those who come from gentile nations and are reborn in Christ by the waters of baptism. In this house Christ shall reign forever and “of his kingdom there will be no end.” During this present life, Christ rules in the Church. By faith and love He dwells in the hearts of His elect and guides them by His unceasing care toward their heavenly reward. In the life to come, when their period of exile on earth is ended, He will exercise His Kingship, by leading the faithful to their heavenly country. There, forever inspired by the vision of His presence, their one delight will be, to praise and glorify Him.” – St Bede the Venerable (673-735) Priest and Monk, Father and Doctor of the Church – Homilies for Advent, no 3
PRAYER – Lord, at the angel’s message, Mary, the immaculate Virgin became the temple of God and was filled with the light of the Holy Spirit, when she received Your divine Word. Grant that, after her example, we may humbly and steadfastly follow Your will. Through Christ the Incarnate Word, our Lord and Saviour, with the Holy Spirit, one God for all ages, amen.
Advent Reflection – The Weekdays of Advent – 20 December, Readings: Isaiah 7:10-14, Psalm 24:1-6, Luke 1:26-38
The Lord is at hand, come, let us adore Him.
And Mary said to the angel, “How shall this be, since I have no husband?” … Luke 1:34
REFLECTION – “Tell us, blessed David, how [the Word] descended. “He came down as rain upon the fleece, and as drops that water the earth.” (Ps 71[72]:6 LXX). (…) It remains to discuss how the rain descends upon the fleece and how the drops flow out over the earth. (…)
The rain descends upon the fleece without sound, without movement, without any cleavage or division. It is gently poured out, peacefully received, sweetly drunk. Thus the drops gradually, little by little, spread over the earth falling down so wonderfully and so gently that their coming is scarcely perceived and as they depart, they bring forth the shoots. In the same way, the rain coming from beyond, above the heavenly waters, came down into the Virgin’s womb without human act, with no movement of concupiscence, her integrity unimpaired, the seal of her virginity still locked. Gently was it poured, calmly received, ineffably made flesh. It came drop by drop upon her soil, unseen as it entered and, as it departed, plainly going forth. (…)
We have told how the Word of God came down. Where He came down is made clear in like manner, for He came down into the Virgin’s womb, a womb unstained, unspotted, hallowed by the touch of divine unction.” … St Amadeus of Lausanne (1108-1159) Bishop, Cistercian Monk – On the praises of the Blessed Mary, homily III, SC 72
MEDITATION – ” Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.” … Psalm 24:3-4
ADVENT ACTION – “O my Jesus, I am weak, grant me strength against temptation. I am infirm, I hope that Your precious blood will be my medicine. I am a sinner but I hope that Your grace will make me a saint. I acknowledge that I have co-operated with my own ruin but this day, I promise always, to call upon You and in this way co-operate with Your grace.” … St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor
PRAYER
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.
Advent and Christmas Wisdom with St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787))
20 December
Jesus offered Himself for our salvation from the beginning
“Consider that the divine Word knew that all the sacrifices of goats and bulls offered to the Father in times past had not been able to satisfy for the sins of humankind but that it required a divine person to pay the price of redemption. “My Father” said Jesus, “all the victims previously offered to You have not paid the debt, nor could they have paid the debt, necessary to satisfy Your justice. You have given me my humanity, in order that by shedding my blood, I might please You and save humanity. Behold I come. Here I am. I am ready. I accept everything and I submit myself in everything, to Your will.”
O my Jesus, I am weak, grant me strength against temptation. I am infirm, I hope that Your precious blood will be my medicine. I am a sinner but I hope that Your grace will make me a saint. I acknowledge that I have co-operated with my own ruin but this day, I promise always, to call upon You and in this way co-operate with Your grace.”
Scripture ” Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.”
Psalm 24:3-4
Prayer 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.
Advent Action
The Pharisees, dressed in fine robes and living in palaces, are rejected. Advent is the time to ask Jesus to change us. He is coming, He invades the world, He changes everything, forevermore – He will change us if we ask – “Lord, come to me this day. Change me. Restore me to Your kingdom.” “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
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.
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.
AnaStpaul 
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