Posted on 12/22/2007 11:06:18 AM PST by Salvation
Saturday of the Third Week of Advent
Psalm: Saturday 43 |
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Reading 1
1 Sm 1:24-28
In those days,
Hannah brought Samuel with her,
along with a three-year-old bull,
an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine,
and presented him at the temple of the LORD in Shiloh.
After the boys father had sacrificed the young bull,
Hannah, his mother, approached Eli and said:
Pardon, my lord!
As you live, my lord,
I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the LORD.
I prayed for this child, and the LORD granted my request.
Now I, in turn, give him to the LORD;
as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the LORD.
She left Samuel there.
Responsorial Psalm
1 Samuel 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8abcd
R. (see 1a) My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
My heart exults in the LORD,
my horn is exalted in my God.
I have swallowed up my enemies;
I rejoice in my victory.
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
The bows of the mighty are broken,
while the tottering gird on strength.
The well-fed hire themselves out for bread,
while the hungry batten on spoil.
The barren wife bears seven sons,
while the mother of many languishes.
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
The LORD puts to death and gives life;
he casts down to the nether world;
he raises up again.
The LORD makes poor and makes rich,
he humbles, he also exalts.
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
He raises the needy from the dust;
from the dung heap he lifts up the poor,
To seat them with nobles
and make a glorious throne their heritage.
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
Gospel
Lk 1:46-56
Mary said:
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
for he has looked upon his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
and has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months
and then returned to her home.
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Why Gaudete? (Third Sunday of Advent)
Advent through Christmas -- 2007
Immaculate Conception Novena -- starts November 30th [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Making Advent a Reality (the seasons are out of whack)
The Advent Workshop -- lots of information and activities
Jesse Trees (genealogy of Jesus activity for families)
Advent Wreath & Candles (Prayers for the Family)
Reclaiming the Mystery of Advent, Part One: The Meaning of Advent
Celebrating Christs Advent [Archbishop Raymond Burke]
Praying through Advent -- 2006
Advent: the Reason for the Season
Advent Activity - The Jesse Tree
That incredible shrinking Advent-Christmas season (Christmas should start, not end, Dec. 25)
Advent Thoughts: Some of the Church Fathers on the Divinity of Christ
The Relationship Between Advent and the Change in the Seasons (Dom Guéranger)
Mary was in need of redemption and she was indeed redeemed by the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ. The manner of Mary's redemption, however, was unique. Instead of being freed from original sin after having contracted it, she was preserved from contracting it. This was a most fitting favor for the Mother of the Redeemer.
INVOCATION
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.
TO THE VIRGIN IMMACULATE
O Virgin Immaculate, Mother of God and my Mother, from thy sublime height turn upon me thine eyes of pity. Filled with confidence in thy goodness and knowing full well thy power, I beseech thee to extend to. me thine assistance in the journey of life, which is so full of dangers for my soul. And in order that I may never be the slave of the devil through sin, , but may ever live with my heart humble and pure, I entrust myself wholly to thee. I consecrate my heart to thee for ever, my only desire being to love thy divine Son Jesus. Mary, none of thy devout servants has ever perished; may I too be saved. Amen.
PRAYER OF PRAISE
O pure and immaculate and likewise blessed Virgin, who art the sinless Mother of thy Son, the mighty Lord of the universe, thou who art inviolate and altogether holy, the hope of the hopeless and sinful, we sing thy praises. We bless thee, as full of every grace, thou who didst bear the God-Man: we all bow low before thee; we invoke thee and implore thine aid. Rescue us, 0 holy and inviolate Virgin, from every necessity that presses upon us and from all the temptations of the devil. Be our intercessor and advocate at the hour of death and judgment; deliver us from the fire that is not extinguished and from the outer darkness; make us worthy of the glory of thy Son, O dearest and most clement Virgin Mother. Thou indeed art our only hope, most sure and sacred in God's sight, to whom be honor and glory, majesty and dominion for ever and ever world without end. Amen.
Saint Ephrem the Syrian
PRAYER OF POPE PIUS XII
This prayer, dedicated to Mary Immaculate, was composed by the Pope for the Marian Year (December 8, 1953-December 8, 1954), which was proclaimed to mark the centenary of the definition of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception.
Enraptured by the splendor of your heavenly beauty, and impelled by the anxieties of the world, we cast ourselves into your arms, 0 Immacuate Mother of Jesus and our Mother, Mary, confident of finding in your most loving heart appeasement of our ardent desires, and a safe harbor from the tempests which beset us on every side.
Though degraded by our faults and overwhelmed by infinite misery, we admire and praise the peerless richness of sublime gifts with which God has filled you, above every other mere creature, from the first moment of your conception until the day on which, after your assumption into heaven, He crowned you Queen of the Universe.
O crystal fountain of faith, bathe our minds with the eternal truths! O fragrant Lily of all holiness, captivate our hearts with your heavenly perfume! 0 Conqueress of evil and death, inspire in us a deep horror of sin, which makes the soul detestable to God and a slave of hell!
O well-beloved of God, hear the ardent cry which rises up from every heart. Bend tenderly over our aching wounds. Convert the wicked, dry the tears of the afflicted and oppressed, comfort the poor and humble, quench hatreds, sweeten harshness, safeguard the flower of purity in youth, protect the holy Church, make all men feel the attraction of Christian goodness. In your name, resounding harmoniously in heaven, may they recognize that they are brothers, and that the nations are members of one family, upon which may there shine forth the sun of a universal and sincere peace.
Receive, O most sweet Mother, our humble supplications, and above all obtain for us that, one day, happy with you, we may repeat before your throne that hymn which today is sung on earth around your altars: You are all-beautiful, O Mary! You are the glory, you are the joy, you are the honor of our people! Amen.
Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954
Immaculate Conception Novena -- starts November 30th [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Blessed John Duns Scotus Champion Of Mary's Immaculate Conception (CATHOLIC CAUCUS)
The Crusade of Mary Immaculate - St. Maximilian Kolbe (Catholic Caucus)
The Early Church Fathers on the Immaculate Conception - Catholic/Orthodox Caucus
Her saving grace - the origins of the Immaculate Conception
Mary Is a Model Who Works With Us and in Us
U.S. Catholic bishops to renew consecration of nation to Immaculate Conception
Catholic Meditation: To the Immaculate Conception on this Election Day
My visit to the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
On Solemnity of Immaculate Conception - "In Mary Shines the Eternal Goodness of the Creator"
Pope makes pilgrimage to Mary statue in Rome, marking the feast of the Immaculate Conception
Pope: Mary the Immaculate Conception... (text of BXVI speech)
"Tota pulchra es, Maria, et macula originalis non est in te" (The Immaculate Conception)
The Immaculate Conception Essential to the Faith
"Who Are You, Immaculate Conception?"
TURKEY Ephesus: The Feast of the Immaculate Conception at Marys House
Coming Dec 8th. Feast of the "Immaculate Conception"
Why the Immaculate Conception?
Catholic Encyclopedia: Immaculate Conception (The Doctrine and Its Roots)
The Immaculate Conception of Our Lady December 8
Mary's Immaculate Conception: A Memorable Anniversary
Ineffabilis Deus: 8 December 1854 (Dogma of the Immaculate Conception)
Why do we believe in the Immaculate Conception?
John Paul II goes to Lourdes; reflections on the Immaculate Conception
Your Praises We Sing--on the Dogma of the Proclamation of the Immaculate Conception, Dec. 8th
Eastern Christianity and the Immaculate Conception (Q&A From EWTN)
From: 1 Samuel 1:24-28
Birth of Samuel (Continuation)
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Commentary:
1:1-28. Samuel’s birth is described with all the elements denoting a miraculous
event, emphasizing divine intervention and the child’s importance. With no hope
of a human solution, a childless woman, humiliated by her husband’s (other)
fertile wife, seeks a way out of her anguish by asking God, her only hope, to
give her a son. Her husband loves her, but he cannot understand her (v. 8); Eli,
the priest and head of the shrine at Shiloh, comes to bless her but even he
cannot understand her (vv. 15-17). God is the only one who listens to her, and
he accepts the vow she has made to him (v. 11). Hannah follows in the line of
Sarah, Rachel and the mother of Samson—other women in whom the action of
God could be seen very clearly when he took away the stigma of their barren-
ness. But, above all, she is he prototype of the devout woman who perseveres
in prayer, convinced that it will be heard. “Why is it necessary to list here all
those who, by praying as they ought to do, won from God the greatest gifts?
For it would be easy for anyone to take an abundant sample of cases based
in holy Scripture.
Hannah gave birth to Samuel, who was to be compared with Moses himself (cf.
Jer 15:1), because although she was sterile, she had faith and prayed to the
Lord (1 Sam 1:9ff). [...] How many favors each of us could tell of if we recalled
with gratitude the gifts we have received in order to praise God for them! Once
they have been watered by the grace of the Holy Spirit through constant prayer,
souls that have gone for a long time without bearing fruit, sterile in the most
noble part of their being and with the signs of death on their souls, think
wholesome thoughts and are filled with the knowledge of the truth” (Origen,
“De Oratione”, 13, 2-3).
Hannah, who will bear Samuel in her womb, is a figure of Mary and also “a
symbol of the Church which carries the Lord. Her prayer is not clamorous,
rather it is calm and refined; she prays in the depths of her heart because she
knows that God listens to her there” ( Cyprian, “De Oratione Dominica”, 5).
Samuel comes into the world as a gift from God; he is the one who was “asked
for of the Lord” (cf. v. 20), according to popular etymology of his name. His
mission on earth will be as exceptional his birth; Hannah presents him at the
shrine: “as long as he lives he is lent to the Lord” (v. 28). Samuel is brought up
by the priest at the shrine of Shiloh (cf. Judg 18:31; 21:19), that is, within the
ancient institutions of the time of the judges; thus, the new institutions he will
establish do not imply any break with or rejection of what went before.
*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
From: Luke 1:46-56
The Magnificat
[56] And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her home.
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Commentary:
46-55. Mary’s “Magnificat” canticle is a poem of singular beauty. It evokes
certain passages of the Old Testament with which she would have been very
familiar (especially 1 Samuel 2:1-10).
Three stanzas may be distinguished in the canticle: in the first (verses 46-50)
Mary glorifies God for making her the Mother of the Savior, which is why future
generations will call her blessed; she shows that the Incarnation is a mysterious
expression of God’s power and holiness and mercy. In the second (verses 51-53)
she teaches us that the Lord has always had a preference for the humble,
resisting the proud and boastful. In the third (verses 54-55) she proclaims that
God, in keeping with His promise, has always taken care of His chosen people
— and now does them the greatest honor of all by becoming a Jew (cf. Romans
1:3).
“Our prayer can accompany and imitate this prayer of Mary. Like her, we feel
the desire to sing, to acclaim the wonders of God, so that all mankind and all
creation may share our joy” ([St] J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing By”, 144).
46-47. “The first fruits of the Holy Spirit are peace and joy. And the Blessed
Virgin had received within herself all the grace of the Holy Spirit” (St. Basil, “In
Psalmos Homilae”, on Psalm 32). Mary’s soul overflows in the words of the
“Magnificat”. God’s favors cause every humble soul to feel joy and gratitude.
In the case of the Blessed Virgin, God has bestowed more on her than on any
other creature.”Virgin Mother of God, He whom the heavens cannot contain, on
becoming man, enclosed Himself within your womb” (”Roman Missal”, Antiphon
of the Common of the Mass for Feasts of Our Lady). The humble Virgin of
Nazareth is going to be the Mother of God; the Creator’s omnipotence has never
before manifested itself in as complete away as this.
48-49. Mary’s expression of humility causes St. Bede to exclaim: “It was fitting,
then, that just as death entered the world through the pride of our first parents,
the entry of Life should be manifested by the humility of Mary” (”In Lucae Evan-
gelium Expositio, in loc.”).
“How great the value of humility!—”Quia respexit humilitatem.... It is not of her
faith, nor of her charity, nor of her immaculate purity that our Mother speaks in
the house of Zachary. Her joyful hymn sings: `Since He has looked on my
humility, all generations will call me blessed’” ([St] J. Escriva, “The Way”, 598).
God rewards our Lady’s humility by mankind’s recognition of her greatness: “All
generations will call me blessed.” This prophecy is fulfilled every time someone
says the Hail Mary, and indeed she is praised on earth continually, without
interruption. “From the earliest times the Blessed Virgin is honored under the
title of Mother of God, under whose protection the faithful take refuge together in
prayer in all their perils and needs. Accordingly, following the Council of Ephe-
sus, there was a remarkable growth in the cult of the people of God towards
Mary, in veneration and love, in invocation and imitation, according to her own
prophetic words: `all generations will call me blessed, for He who is mighty has
done great things for me’” (Vatican II, “Lumen Gentium”, 66).
50. “And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation”:
“At the very moment of the Incarnation, these words open up a new perspective
of salvation history. After the Resurrection of Christ, this perspective is new on
both the historical and the eschatological level. From that time onwards there
is a succession of new generations of individuals in the immense human family,
in ever-increasing dimensions; there is also a succession of new generations
of the people of God, marked with the sign of the Cross and of the Resurrection
and `sealed’ with the sign of the paschal mystery of Christ, the absolute
revelation of the mercy that Mary proclaimed on the threshold of her kinswoman’s
house: “His mercy is [...] from generation to generation’ [...].
“Mary, then, is the one who has the “deepest knowledge of the mystery of God’s
mercy”. She knows its price, she knows how great it is.In this sense, we call
her the “Mother of Mercy”: Our Lady of Mercy, or Mother of Divine Mercy; in each
one of these titles there is a deep theological meaning, for they express the
special preparation of her soul, of her whole personality, so that she was able to
perceive, through the complex events, first of Israel, then of every individual and
of the whole of humanity, that mercy of which `from generation to generation’
people become sharers according to the eternal design of the Most Holy Trinity”
(John Paul II, “Dives In Misericordia”, 9).
51. “The proud”: those who want to be regarded as superior to others, whom they
look down on. This also refers to those who, in their arrogance, seek to organize
society without reference to, or in opposition to, God’s law. Even if they seem to
do so successfully, the words of our Lady’s canticle will ultimately come true, for
God will scatter them as He did those who tried to build the Tower of Babel,
thinking that they could reach as high as Heaven (cf. Genesis 11:4).
“When pride takes hold of a soul, it is no surprise to find it bringing along with it
a whole string of other vices—greed, self-indulgence, envy, injustice. The proud
man is always vainly striving to dethrone God, who is merciful to all His creatures,
so as to make room for himself and his ever cruel ways.
“We should beg God not to let us fall into this temptation. Pride is the worst sin
of all, and the most ridiculous.... Pride is unpleasant, even from a human point
of view. The person who rates himself better than everyone and everything is
constantly studying himself and looking down on other people, who in turn react
by ridiculing his foolish vanity” ([St] J. Escriva, “Friends of God”, 100).
53. This form of divine providence has been experienced countless times over the
course of history. For example, God nourished the people of Israel with manna
during their forty years in the wilderness (Exodus 16:4-35); similarly His angel
brought food to Elijah (1 Kings 19:5-8), and to Daniel in the lions’ den (Daniel
14:31-40); and the widow of Sarepta was given a supply of oil which miraculously
never ran out (1 Kings 17:8ff). So, too, the Blessed Virgin’s yearning for holiness
was fulfilled by the incarnation of the Word.
God nourished the chosen people with His Law and the preaching of His prophets,
but the rest of mankind was left hungry for His word, a hunger now satisfied by the
Incarnation. This gift of God will be accepted by the humble; the self-sufficient,
having no desire for the good things of God, will not partake of them (cf. St. Basil,
“In Psalmos Homilae”, on Psalm 33).
54. God led the people of Israel as He would a child whom He loved tenderly:
“the Lord your God bore you, as a man bears his son, in all the way that you
went” (Deuteronomy 1:31). He did so many times, using Moses, Joshua,
Samuel, David, etc., and now He gives them a definitive leader by sending the
Messiah—moved by His great mercy which takes pity on the wretchedness of
Israel and of all mankind.
55. God promised the patriarchs of old that He would have mercy on mankind.
This promise He made to Adam (Genesis 3:15), Abraham (Genesis 22:18),
David (2 Samuel 7:12), etc. From all eternity God had planned and decreed that
the Word should become incarnate for the salvation of all mankind. As Christ
Himself put it, “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever
believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
First reading | 1 Samuel 1:24 - 28 © |
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When Hannah had weaned the infant Samuel, she took him up with her together with a three-year old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and she brought him to the temple of the Lord at Shiloh; and the child was with them. They slaughtered the bull and the childs mother came to Eli. She said, If you please, my lord. As you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to the Lord. This is the child I prayed for, and the Lord granted me what I asked him. Now I make him over to the Lord for the whole of his life. He is made over to the Lord. |
Psalm or canticle | 1 Samuel 2:1 - 8 © |
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My heart exults in the Lord, my horn is exalted in my God, my mouth derides my foes, for I rejoice in your power of saving. The bow of the mighty is broken but the feeble have girded themselves with strength. The sated hire themselves out for bread but the famished cease from labour; the barren woman bears sevenfold, but the mother of many is desolate. The Lord gives death and life, brings down to Sheol and draws up; the Lord makes poor and rich, he humbles and also exalts. He raises the poor from the dust, he lifts the needy from the dunghill to give them a place with princes, and to assign them a seat of honour; for the Lord the props of the earth belong, on these he has poised the world. |
Gospel | Luke 1:46 - 56 © |
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Mary said: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit exults in God my saviour; because he has looked upon his lowly handmaid. Yes, from this day forward all generations will call me blessed, for the Almighty has done great things for me. Holy is his name, and his mercy reaches from age to age for those who fear him. He has shown the power of his arm, he has routed the proud of heart. He has pulled down princes from their thrones and exalted the lowly. The hungry he has filled with good things, the rich sent empty away. He has come to the help of Israel his servant, mindful of his mercy according to the promise he made to our ancestors of his mercy to Abraham and to his descendants for ever. Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back home. |
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 106 (107) |
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Thanksgiving after rescue |
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his kindness is for ever. Let them say this, the people the Lord has redeemed, those whom he rescued from their enemies whom he gathered together from all lands, from east and west, from the north and the south. They wandered through desert and wilderness, they could find no way to a city they could dwell in. Their souls were weary within them, weary from hunger and thirst. They cried to the Lord in their trouble and he rescued them from their distress. He set them on the right path towards a city they could dwell in. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his kindness, for the wonders he works for men: the Lord, who feeds hungry creatures and gives water to the thirsty to drink. They sat in the darkness and shadow of death, imprisoned in chains and in misery, because they had rebelled against the words of God and spurned the counsels of the Most High. He wore out their hearts with labour: they were weak, there was no-one to help. They cried to the Lord in their trouble and he rescued them from their distress. He led them out of the darkness and shadow of death, he shattered their chains. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his kindness, for the wonders he works for men: the Lord, who shatters doors of bronze, who breaks bars of iron. 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 106 (107) |
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The people were sick because they transgressed, afflicted because of their sins. All food was distasteful to them, they were on the verge of death. They cried to the Lord in their trouble and he rescued them from their distress. He sent forth his word and healed them, delivered them from their ruin. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his kindness, for the wonders he works for men: Let them offer a sacrifice of praise and proclaim his works with rejoicing. Those who go down to the sea in ships, those who trade across the great waters they have seen the works of the Lord, the wonders he performs in the deep. He spoke, and a storm arose, and the waves of the sea rose up. They rose up as far as the heavens and descended down to the depths: the sailors hearts melted from fear, they staggered and reeled like drunkards, terror drove them out of their minds. But they cried to the Lord in their trouble and he rescued them from their distress. He turned the storm into a breeze and silenced the waves. They rejoiced at the ending of the storm and he led them to the port that they wanted. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his kindness, for the wonders he works for men: let them exalt him in the assembly of the people, give him praise in the council of the elders. 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 106 (107) |
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The Lord has turned rivers into wilderness, he has made well-watered lands into desert, fruitful ground into salty waste because of the evil of those who dwelt there. But he has made wilderness into ponds, deserts into the sources of rivers, he has called together the hungry and they have founded a city to dwell in. They have sowed the fields, planted the vines; they grow and harvest their produce. He has blessed them and they have multiplied; he does not let their cattle decrease. But those others became few and oppressed through trouble, evil, and sorrow. He poured his contempt on their princes and set them to wander the trackless waste. But the poor he has saved from their poverty and their families grow numerous as sheep. The upright shall see, and be glad, and all wickedness shall block up its mouth. Whoever is wise will remember these things and understand the mercies of the Lord. 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. |
Reading | Isaiah 49:14 - 50:1 © |
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For Zion was saying, the Lord has abandoned me, the Lord has forgotten me. Does a woman forget her baby at the breast, or fail to cherish the son of her womb? Yet even if these forget, I will never forget you. See, I have branded you on the palms of my hands, Your ramparts are always under my eye. Your rebuilders make haste, and your destroyers and despoilers depart. Look round about you, look, all are assembling, coming to you. By my life it is the Lord who speaks you will wear these as your jewels, they will adorn you as brides are adorned; for your desolate places and your ruins and your devastated country will now be too small for all your inhabitants, now that your devourers are far away. Once more they will speak in your hearing, those sons you thought were lost, This place is too small for me, give me more space to live in. You will then say in your heart, Who has borne me these? I was childless and barren, who has brought these up? I was left all alone, and now, where do these come from? Thus speaks the Lord: I beckon to the nations and hoist my signal for the peoples. They will bring back your sons in the cloak, they will take your daughters on their shoulders. Kings will be your foster-fathers, their queens your nursing mothers. They will fall prostrate before you, faces to the ground, and lick the dust at your feet. You shall then know that I am the Lord; and that those who hope in me will not be put to shame. Can spoil be snatched from heroes, or captives escape from a soldier? Yes, thus says the Lord: The heros captive will be snatched away, the soldiers spoil escape. I myself will fight with those who fight you, and I myself will save your children. I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh, they shall get as drunk on their own blood as on new wine. Then all mankind shall know that I, the Lord, am your saviour and that your redeemer is the Mighty One of Jacob. Thus says the Lord: Where is your mothers writ of divorce by which I dismissed her? Or to which of my creditors have I sold you? You were sold for your own crimes, for your own faults your mother was dismissed. |
Reading | A commentary on Luke by the Venerable Bede |
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The Magnificat | |
And Mary said: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour. The Lord has exalted me by a gift so great, so unheard of, that language is useless to describe it; and the depths of love in my heart can scarcely grasp it. I offer then all the powers of my soul in praise and thanksgiving. As I contemplate his greatness, which knows no limits, I joyfully surrender my whole life, my senses, my judgement, for my spirit rejoices in the eternal Godhead of that Jesus, that Saviour, whom I have conceived in this world of time. The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. Mary looks back to the beginning of her song, where she said: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord. Only that soul for whom the Lord in his love does great things can proclaim his greatness with fitting praise and encourage those who share her desire and purpose, saying: Join with me in proclaiming the greatness of the Lord; let us extol his name together. Those who know the Lord, yet refuse to proclaim his greatness and sanctify his name to the limit of their power, will be considered the least in the kingdom of heaven. His name is called holy because in the sublimity of his unique power he surpasses every creature and is far removed from all that he has made. He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he has remembered his promise of mercy. In a beautiful phrase Mary calls Israel the servant of the Lord. The Lord came to his aid to save him. Israel is an obedient and humble servant, in the words of Hosea: Israel was a servant, and I loved him. Those who refuse to be humble cannot be saved. They cannot say with the prophet: See, God comes to my aid; the Lord is the helper of my soul. But anyone who makes himself humble like a little child is greater in the kingdom of heaven. The promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children for ever. This does not refer to the physical descendants of Abraham, but to his spiritual children. These are his descendants, sprung not from the flesh only, but who, whether circumcised or not, have followed him in faith. Circumcised as he was, Abraham believed, and this was credited to him as an act of righteousness. The coming of the Saviour was promised to Abraham and to his descendants for ever. These are the children of promise, to whom it is said: If you belong to Christ, then you are descendants of Abraham, heirs in accordance with the promise. But it is right that before the birth of the Lord or of John, their mothers should utter prophecies; for just as sin began with a woman, so too does redemption. Through the deceit of one woman, grace perished; the prophecies of two women announce its return to life. |
Concluding Prayer |
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O God, you saw mankind fallen into death and sent your only-begotten Son for its redemption. We humbly and devotedly proclaim his incarnation: grant that we may deserve to be companions of our Redeemer. He lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen. |
Saturday, December 22, 2007 Advent Weekday |
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Collect: Lord, our sins bring us unhappiness. Hear our prayer for courage and strength. May the coming of your Son bring us the joy of salvation. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Saturday of the Third Week of Advent
"A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return" (Luke 19:12). This nobleman is Christ, the Son of God, King of all nations. His kingdom is over all men and over all things, both material and spiritual. He has everything in His hand as God and man. But another, Satan, has broken into His kingdom and has made himself master of many of Christ's subjects. In the old dispensation only a small part of humanity, the chosen people, remained faithful to the almighty King.
Christ, the Son of God, came into this "far country" in order to become man and, by means of humility, obedience, and poverty, to cast out the usurper who had taken His subjects. He came to reassert His dominion over all those who had left Him, both Jews and Gentiles.
During these days before Christmas, the Church contemplates the overwhelming misery of unregenerated mankind. She cries out, "Come and save man, whom Thou hast made out of dust."
Jesus is King of all nations. "The kings of the earth stood up and the princes met together against the Lord and against His Christ. Let us break their bonds asunder, and let us cast away their yoke from us. He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh at them, and the Lord shall deride them. Then shall He speak to them in His anger and trouble them in His rage. But I am appointed king by Him over Sion, His holy mountain. ... The Lord hath said to Me; Thou art My Son; this day have I begotten Thee. Ask of Me and I will give Thee the Gentiles for Thy inheritance, and the utmost parts of the earth for Thy possession" (Ps. 2:2-8). Well may Herod seek the life of the newborn king. Indeed, many kings and tribes and nations in the course of time shall deprecate the divine King, Christ. But to Him has been given all power in heaven and on earth (Matt. 28: i8). Before Him every knee shall bend, and every tongue shall confess that He is the Lord (Phil. 2:10f.).
The more the mighty condemn the kingship of Christ, the more shall He be exalted by the Father.
Now He comes to us in the form of a lovely child. One day in the presence of the Roman governor He will assert His right to kingship. But after this one public confession of His royal origin He withdraws again into the obscurity which He had freely chosen. For the present He is satisfied with this manifestation of His royal dignity. The day will come, however, when He will manifest it with power and majesty as He comes again on the clouds of heaven. Before all nations God will declare: "I have anointed Him King of Sion. My holy mountain." All men shall pay Him homage as king; all nations shall acclaim Him the King of Glory.
Excerpted from The Light of the World by Benedict Baur, O.S.B.
O Antiphons ~ King of the Gentiles
6th O Antiphon:
And their desired one,
Cornerstone,
Who makest two into one,
COME
Save man,
Whom thou didst fashion out of slime.
Today is Day Seven of the Christmas Novena.
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Lk 1:46-56 | ||
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# | Douay-Rheims | Vulgate |
46 | And Mary said: My soul doth magnify the Lord. | et ait Maria magnificat anima mea Dominum |
47 | And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. | et exultavit spiritus meus in Deo salutari meo |
48 | Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid: for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. | quia respexit humilitatem ancillae suae ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent omnes generationes |
49 | Because he that is mighty hath done great things to me: and holy is his name. | quia fecit mihi magna qui potens est et sanctum nomen eius |
50 | And his mercy is from generation unto generations, to them that fear him. | et misericordia eius in progenies et progenies timentibus eum |
51 | He hath shewed might in his arm: he hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. | fecit potentiam in brachio suo dispersit superbos mente cordis sui |
52 | He hath put down the mighty from their seat and hath exalted the humble. | deposuit potentes de sede et exaltavit humiles |
53 | He hath filled the hungry with good things: and the rich he hath sent empty away. | esurientes implevit bonis et divites dimisit inanes |
54 | He hath received Israel his servant, being mindful of his mercy. | suscepit Israhel puerum suum memorari misericordiae |
55 | As he spoke to our fathers: to Abraham and to his seed for ever. | sicut locutus est ad patres nostros Abraham et semini eius in saecula |
56 | And Mary abode with her about three months. And she returned to her own house. | mansit autem Maria cum illa quasi mensibus tribus et reversa est in domum suam |
Amen!
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