Catholic Culture

Collect:
God our Father, may we always profit by the prayers of the Virgin Mother Mary, for you bring us life and salvation through Jesus Christ her Son who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

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Prayers:

January 01, 2007

Octave of Christmas and Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (Holyday of Obligation USA)

Old Calendar: The Circumcision of Our Lord

Today the Church celebrates the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, our Lady's greatest title. This feast is the octave of Christmas. In the modern Roman Calendar only Christmas and Easter enjoy the privilege of an octave. Before the Calendar was reformed this was the Feast of the Circumcision of Our Lord. This year today is not a holy day of obligation.

"Mary, the all-holy ever-virgin Mother of God, is the masterwork of the mission of the Son and the Spirit in the fullness of time. For the first time in the plan of salvation and because his Spirit had prepared her, the Father found the dwelling place where his Son and his Spirit could dwell among men. In this sense the Church's Tradition has often read the most beautiful texts on wisdom in relation to Mary. Mary is acclaimed and represented in the liturgy as the "Seat of Wisdom." — Catechism of the Catholic Church 721

The Eighth Day of Christmas

Mary the Mother of God
Like the Churches of the East, Rome wished to honor the Virgin Mother of God during the days after Christmas. As a result the ("Anniversary of St. Mary") made its appearance on January 1 in the seventh century; it has accurately been called "the first Marian feast of the Roman liturgy." — The Church at Prayer

On New Year's Day, the octave day of Christmas, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Holy Mother of God. The divine and virginal motherhood of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a singular salvific event: for Our Lady it was the foretaste and cause of her extraordinary glory; for us it is a source of grace and salvation because "through her we have received the Author of life" (127).

The solemnity of 1 January, an eminently Marian feast, presents an excellent opportunity for liturgical piety to encounter popular piety: the first celebrates this event in a manner proper to it; the second, when duly catechised, lends joy and happiness to the various expressions of praise offered to Our Lady on the birth of her divine Son, to deepen our understanding of many prayers, beginning with that which says: "Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, sinners".

In the West, 1 January is an inaugural day marking the beginning of the civil year. The faithful are also involved in the celebrations for the beginning of the new year and exchange "new year" greetings. However, they should try to lend a Christian understanding to this custom making of these greetings an expression of popular piety. The faithful, naturally, realize that the "new year" is placed under the patronage of the Lord, and in exchanging new year greetings they implicitly and explicitly place the New Year under the Lord's dominion, since to him belongs all time (cf. Ap 1, 8; 22,13)(128).

A connection between this consciousness and the popular custom of singing the Veni Creator Spiritus can easily be made so that on 1 January the faithful can pray that the Spirit may direct their thoughts and actions, and those of the community during the course of the year (129).

New Year greetings also include an expression of hope for a peaceful New Year. This has profound biblical, Christological and incarnational origins. The "quality of peace" has always been invoked throughout history by all men, and especially during violent and destructive times of war.

The Holy See shares the profound aspirations of man for peace. Since 1967, 1 January has been designated "world day for peace".

Popular piety has not been oblivious to this initiative of the Holy See. In the light of the new born Prince of Peace, it reserves this day for intense prayer for peace, education towards peace and those values inextricably linked with it, such as liberty, fraternal solidarity, the dignity of the human person, respect for nature, the right to work, the sacredness of human life, and the denunciation of injustices which trouble the conscience of man and threaten peace.

Excerpted from the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy.

The Circumcision of Our Lord

The old liturgy celebrated three feasts in one. The first was that which the old Roman sacramentaries called "the octave of the Lord", and indeed the greater part of the Mass was of the octave of Christmas with many extracts from the Masses of Christmas. Various portions of the Mass and Office celebrated the divine maternity of Mary. The third feast was that of the Circumcision which has been celebrated since the sixth century. Eight days after His birth Christ underwent, like all the Jews, this rite enjoined on Abraham by God as a pledge of his faith, and He received the name of Jesus.

When Our Lord submitted to the cut in His flesh at the Circumcision he began His work as Redeemer. He commenced that shedding of Blood which would reach its highest point of generosity in the Passion and Death.

In giving to Abraham the law of circumcision God bestowed on him his new name — Abraham. With the Jews henceforward the giving of a name had a spiritual significance; like circumcision it meant that the person belonged to the people of God. The bestowal of the name of Jesus has an even loftier significance: it is an assertion of His mission as Savior of the world.

January 1, Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

Although New Year's Day is not celebrated by the Church, this day has been observed as a holy day of obligation since early times due to the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. Each family and country has different traditional foods to eat on New Year's Day, with lentils being the main superstition: ill luck befalling those who do not eat lentils at the beginning of the year.

New Year's is a day of traditional hospitality, visiting and good cheer, mostly with a secular view, but there is no reason that this day, too, could not be sanctified in Christ.

Day Eight activity
Day Eight recipe (New Year's Pretzel)

Regnum Christi

Mary’s Child
January 1, 2007

“He was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb”

Mary, Mother of God
Father Jason Smith, LC

Luke 2:16-21
So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them. When eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, I place myself in your presence. I believe in your presence here with me. Help me to be more attentive to your voice. You bring hope to my life. As I speak with you, fill my heart with love for you and my neighbor.

Petition: Mary, teach me how to pray.

1. A Child like Us. We have all seen figurines of the Christ Child: arms outstreched towards us, head cocked forward, wide-open eyes, a bushy head of hair. Every parent knows a newborn is nothing like this. Neither was Our Lord. He was completely dependent on Mary and Joseph for his every need. He was how we were as babies. He cried. He gurgled. He smiled. But he was God. This is the wonder Mary contemplated as she held him in her arms.

2. A Child for Others. No mother would like it if strangers entered her maternity ward just after giving birth. Surely Mary was not expecting a visit from shepherds, whom she had never met before. What a surprise this must have been for her. How unexpected! She realized from the start that this child was hers, but not only for herself. He had come into the world to save the world. For this reason, in what is normally an intimate, private moment between mother and child, she offers the Babe to the shepherds to be adored.

3. A Child for Us. If angels appeared to us, inviting us to go to the cave, would we go? Would we be as eager as the shepherds were to abandon the sheep? Or, as Saint Augustine writes, “to stoop our head in humility so as to enter into the cave and adore the Child” (Confessions)? Today Jesus is not a newborn in a cave. But the invitation for us to adore him still stands. He is present in the needs of the Church. He cries out to us in the needs of our neighbor.

Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, with all the faith I can muster, I ask you for the grace to live every day as if it were Christmas day. I want to be filled with wonder at the awesome reality that you became man for us, to redeem us. I want to be filled with the joy that comes from living for you alone. Like Mary, your mother and mine, may I always keep these marvels close to my heart.

Resolution: I will offer one decade of the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary today for mothers everywhere.

OK, everyone, please post on this thread that I just posoted for the open forum!!!

Mary, Mother of God

Homily of the Day

Homily of the Day

Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.

Other Articles by Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.
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If You Want to Be Forgiven, Forgive!

December 31, 2006

Nm 6:22-27 / Gal 4:4-7 / Lk 2:16-21

One of the characteristics of healthy children is a consciousness of the importance of having rules and playing by the rules. One of the most frequent refrains amidst their games is the outraged challenge, It's not fair. You cheated! This focus on rules is an important stage in a child's development, and it provides children with crucial habits for the rest of life. Without it their lives and society as a whole would descend into chaos. But by itself it isn't enough to make a life.

St. Paul learned this through painful experience. In his early days as a devout and sincere Jew, he strove with all his might to observe the whole of the law of Moses with perfection. And constantly he failed -- in two ways. On the one hand, the simple human weakness which is common to us all frustrated his very best efforts to be perfect. He just wasn't and he never would be, and it drove him crazy. On the other hand, his frustration with his own inner imperfections and failures hardened his heart as he judged both himself and others. With ruthless vigor, he set out to catch and to punish everyone who was wandering away from the law as he understood it. And so he found himself killing Christians, presiding at the death of the very first martyr, St. Stephen.

In the end, he discovered that there was a way out of this terrible, bitter trap that he'd built for himself, and the way out was Jesus, the compassionate one, Jesus the forgiver. He is the only way out, the only salvation, for any of us fragile, fault-ridden human beings. His forgiveness and His compassion can be ours for the asking. All we need do in return is to pass it on and share it with our brothers and sisters.

Vespers -- Evening Prayer

Vespers (Evening Prayer)

O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.

A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 121 (122)
Jerusalem, the holy city
They filled me with joy when they said, “We will go to the house of the Lord”. Now our feet are standing within your gates, Jerusalem. Jerusalem, built as a city, whole and self-contained: there the tribes have gone up, the tribes of the Lord – the witness of Israel, to praise the Lord’s name. For there are the thrones of justice, the thrones of the house of David. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “Safety for those who care for you, peace inside your walls, security within your ramparts!” For my brethren and those near to me I will say “Peace be upon you”. For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will call blessings upon you. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Psalm 121 (122)

Jerusalem, the holy city

They filled me with joy when they said, “We will go to the house of the Lord”.
Now our feet are standing within your gates, Jerusalem.

Jerusalem, built as a city, whole and self-contained:
there the tribes have gone up, the tribes of the Lord –
the witness of Israel, to praise the Lord’s name.
For there are the thrones of justice, the thrones of the house of David.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “Safety for those who care for you,
peace inside your walls, security within your ramparts!”

For my brethren and those near to me I will say “Peace be upon you”.
For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will call blessings upon you.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Psalm 126 (127)
Without the Lord, we labour in vain
If the Lord does not build the house, its builders labour in vain. If the Lord does not watch over a city, its workmen guard it in vain. It is vain for you to rise before the dawn and go late to your rest, eating the bread of toil – to those he loves, the Lord gives sleep. The Lord bestows sons as an heirloom, the fruit of the womb as a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior – so are the sons of one’s youth. Happy the man who fills his quiver thus: when he disputes with his enemies at the gate, he will not be the loser. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Psalm 126 (127)

Without the Lord, we labour in vain

If the Lord does not build the house,
its builders labour in vain.
If the Lord does not watch over a city,
its workmen guard it in vain.

It is vain for you to rise before the dawn
and go late to your rest,
eating the bread of toil –
to those he loves, the Lord gives sleep.

The Lord bestows sons as an heirloom,
the fruit of the womb as a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior –
so are the sons of one’s youth.
Happy the man who fills his quiver thus:
when he disputes with his enemies at the gate,
he will not be the loser.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Canticle	Ephesians 1
God the Saviour
Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us, in Christ, with every spiritual blessing in heaven. In love, he chose us before the creation of the world, to be holy and spotless in his sight. He predestined us to be his adopted children through Jesus Christ, simply because it pleased him to do so. This he did for the praise of the glory of his grace, of his free gift of us to his Beloved, in whose blood we have gained redemption, and the forgiveness of our sins. This he did according to the riches of his grace, which he gave us in abundance, with all wisdom and discernment, revealing to us the mysteries of his will, because it pleased him to do so. In this action he has planned, in the fulfilment of time, to bring all things together in Christ, from the heavens and from the earth. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Canticle

Ephesians 1

God the Saviour

Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us, in Christ, with every spiritual blessing in heaven.

In love, he chose us before the creation of the world,
to be holy and spotless in his sight.

He predestined us to be his adopted children through Jesus Christ,
simply because it pleased him to do so.

This he did for the praise of the glory of his grace,
of his free gift of us to his Beloved,

in whose blood we have gained redemption,
and the forgiveness of our sins.

This he did according to the riches of his grace,
which he gave us in abundance,

with all wisdom and discernment,
revealing to us the mysteries of his will,
because it pleased him to do so.

In this action he has planned, in the fulfilment of time,
to bring all things together in Christ,
from the heavens and from the earth.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Short reading	Galatians 4:4 - 5 ©
When the appointed time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born a subject of the Law, to redeem the subjects of the Law and to enable us to be adopted as sons.

Canticle	Magnificat
My soul rejoices in the Lord
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God, my salvation. For he has shown me such favour – me, his lowly handmaiden. Now all generations will call me blessed, because the mighty one has done great things for me. His name is holy, his mercy lasts for generation after generation for those who revere him. He has put forth his strength: he has scattered the proud and conceited, torn princes from their thrones; but lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things; the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel, he has remembered his mercy as he promised to our fathers, to Abraham and his children for ever. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Canticle

Magnificat

My soul rejoices in the Lord

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God, my salvation.
For he has shown me such favour –
me, his lowly handmaiden.
Now all generations will call me blessed,
because the mighty one has done great things for me.
His name is holy,
his mercy lasts for generation after generation
for those who revere him.

He has put forth his strength:
he has scattered the proud and conceited,
torn princes from their thrones;
but lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things;
the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel,
he has remembered his mercy as he promised to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Prayers and Intercessions

?

Blessings to Christ Emmanuel, conceived and born of the Virgin Mary. We address our prayers to him: - Son of the Virgin Mary, hear us.
You granted to Mary the joy of motherhood:: give all parents true joy in their children.
King and peace-bringer, your reign is justice and peace:: grant that we may work for peace.
You came to consecrate the human race as God’s holy people:: bring all peoples together in harmony.
By being born you took on the bonds of family:: let each family live in unity.
You chose to be born into time with us:: may the deceased be born into eternity with you.

Our Father, who art in Heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those that trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

God, it was by means of blessed Mary, virgin and mother, that you gave the human race the gift of eternal salvation.
Grant that we may feel the effects of her intercession for us,
for it is through her that we have received your Son, the source of life.

He lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
Amen.

May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life.

A M E N

The Word Among Us

Monday, January 01, 2007

Meditation
Numbers 6:22-27

Mary, the Mother of God

A young boy returning to school after the summer holidays was asked if he liked his new class. No! he shot back. There must be something you like! his parents prodded. Nothing! Not letting up, they encouraged him to see the positive side of his situation: There must be one good thing you can think of. He finally responded: Leaving at the end of the day!

Sometimes we are like that boy, we’d rather stay comfortably in the past than move forward to an unknown future, even one that is full of potential. The Israelites acted no differently during their journey to the Promised Land. They complained often, even wanting to return to slavery in Egypt. So God sought to encourage them, as we see in this beautiful prayer of blessing.

What did this blessing mean? Well, it didn’t mean automatic victory over all their enemies—but neither did it require them to be perfect. No, it was a more indiscriminate blessing, telling the people that no matter what they faced, God was with them.

We too are on a pilgrimage, and as this new year unfolds, we will undoubtedly meet with good fortune as well as challenging obstacles. God’s blessing, however, will be constant. In victory or defeat, in confidence or instability, we can still know our Father’s presence, his wisdom, and his guidance.

Mary is a perfect example of one who constantly lived under God’s blessing. When a sword pierced her soul at Calvary, when her Son was ridiculed and beaten, and even when he ascended to heaven and left her alone, Mary remained full of grace because she had learned the art of resting in God’s providence. So as this year opens, choose to be like Mary and surrender yourself to the Lord. If you look closely enough, you will find God’s blessings wherever you go!

Father, I dedicate this year to you. I trust in all the blessings you have in store for me! May the river of your presence flow in my life!

Psalm 67:2-3,5-6,8; Galatians 4:4-7; Luke 2:16-21

One Bread, One Body

<< Monday, January 1, 2007 >>

Mary, Mother of God

Numbers 6:22-27
Galatians 4:4-7

Psalm 67
Luke 2:16-21

View Readings

"HOLY MARY, MOTHER OF GOD"

"They went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Baby lying in the manger; once they saw, they understood what had been told them concerning this Child." —Luke 2:16-17

For a moment, put aside the centuries of religious interpretation of the nativity, and picture the scenario through the lens of 21st century Western culture. A modern couple denied civil conditions for birth might well be furious over this injustice. They would likely be planning a lawsuit against the "hospital" that sent them away (see Lk 2:7). The visitors at the manger might well be eager lawyers rather than humble shepherds!

Scripture tells us that Mary reflected in her heart about the injustices she, Joseph, and her Child were asked to endure (Lk 2:19). Such reflection can sometimes lead people to self-pity, anger toward God, or bitterness. However, Mary embraced her situation and humbly "treasured" these events (Lk 2:19).

Mary's holiness led her to strive to see all things from God's perspective instead of a human one. Mary thereby proved herself a member of God's family, for God the Father also embraced His Son's lowly birth into the human condition (Gal 4:4).

Many crosses await us in 2007. Right now, make a New Year's resolution to "treasure" all the crosses that come into your life and see how the Lord will use them to transform your world.

Prayer: Father, look kindly on us and grant us peace (Nm 6:26).

Promise: "You are no longer a slave but a son!" —Gal 4:7

Praise: Praise Jesus, Who lovingly gives us His Mother, who teaches us to treasure all as gifts from God.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1750736/posts?page=144#144

Support the poster in the link above. Thinking about coming to the Catholic Church.

Blessings to you all.

I've had my kielbasa and pork and sauerkraut to bring luck for the New Year.

Just realized I forgot the Christmas links:

The Nativity of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ

Christmas Proclamation

Christmas gifts are a reminder of Jesus, the greatest gift given to mankind, Pope tells youth

The Senses of Christmas

Pope celebrates Christmas mass

Christmas: The Turning Point of History

The Original Christmas Story

Bringing Christmas to Life Again

Christmas: the beginning of our redemption

Christmas and the Eucharist

Catholic Caucus: The 16 Days of Christmas (Christmas to the Baptism of the Lord)

Origin of the Twelve Days of Christmas [An Underground Catechism]

Origin of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" [Underground Catechism]

Ready for "Little Christmas"?

Christmas and Epiphany

The Season of Epiphany

Journeying with the Magi

The Magi and the Host

Who Were The Magi?

Were the Magi who visited Jesus -- Persian?

The Journey of the Magi

Thousands watch teens dive for the cross in Tarpon Springs

Patriarch Adds To Epiphany Pomp

100th Epiphany Day Event Will Be Global Celebration

Tarpon Springs Celebrates Epiphany

Here's hoping that everyone is facing the New Year with a sense of optimism and hope. May this year be even better than the last!

Amen!

Compline -- Night Prayer

Compline (Night Prayer)

O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.

This is an excellent moment for an examination of conscience. In a communal celebration of Compline, one of the penitential acts given in the Missal may be recited.

A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 85 (86)
A poor man's prayer in time of trouble
Lord God, you are full of mercies, patient and true.
Turn your ear to me, Lord, and hear me, for I am poor and destitute. Keep my life safe, for I am faithful; O God, save your servant, who trusts in you. Take pity upon me, O Lord, for I call to you all the day long. Make your servant’s heart glad, for to you, O Lord, I have raised it. For you, Lord, are gentle and mild: you are kind to all those who call on you. Let your ears hear my prayer, O Lord! Turn to the voice of my pleading! In my time of trouble I call on you, for you, O Lord, will hear me. No other god is like you, O Lord, and nothing compares with your works. All people – all nations you made – will come and worship before you; they will give glory to your name. For you are great, you work wonders: you alone are God. O Lord, teach me your paths, and I will come to your truth. Make my heart simple and guileless, so that it honours your name. I will proclaim you, Lord my God, and give you praise with all my heart. I will give glory to your name for ever, for your great kindness is upon me: you have rescued me from the deepest depths. O God, the proud rise against me, in the meetings of the powerful they seek my life: they do not keep you in their sight. And you, Lord, are a God of compassion, full of mercies, patient and true. Look upon me, have mercy upon me, give your strength and protection to your servant your servant, the child of your handmaid. Give me a sign of your goodness, let my enemies see it and be confounded; because you, O Lord, have helped me and given me comfort. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Lord God, you are full of mercies, patient and true.

Reading	1 Thessalonians 5:9-10
God chose that we should receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us; so that, asleep or awake, we should still live with him.

Short Responsory	?
Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit. - Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit. You have redeemed us, Lord, God of faithfulness. - Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. - Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.

Canticle	Nunc Dimittis
Keep us safe, Lord, while we are awake, and guard us as we sleep, so that we can keep watch with Christ and rest in peace.
Now, Master, you let your servant go in peace. You have fulfilled your promise. My own eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all peoples. A light to bring the Gentiles from darkness; the glory of your people Israel. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Keep us safe, Lord, while we are awake, and guard us as we sleep, so that we can keep watch with Christ and rest in peace.

Prayer
Let us pray. Give our bodies rest, Lord, to restore them; and let the seeds sown by our labours today grow and yield an eternal harvest. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

May the almighty Lord grant us a quiet night and a perfect end.

A M E N

An antiphon to Our Lady should be recited here.