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History and Symbolism of the Advent Wreath
Rediscovering Advent in the (St.) Nick of Time
Catholic Traditions for Advent and Christmas
Mary's Gift of Self Points the Way, "The Blessed Mother and Advent", Part 1 of 4
The Perfect Faith of the Blessed Virgin "The Blessed Mother and Advent", Part 2 of 4
Theotokos sums up all that Mary is: "The Blessed Mother and Advent", Part 3 of 4
Reclaiming the Mystery of Advent, Part One: The Meaning of Advent
Renewing the Mystery of Advent, Part Two: The Witness of John the Baptist
Why “Gaudete?”, Part Three (Third Sunday of Advent)
Sunday before Nativity
Holy Mary and the Death of Sin - "The Blessed Mother and Advent", Part 4 of 4
Catholic Liturgy - Rose-Colored Vestments on Gaudete Sunday
Advent through Christmas -- 2007
Immaculate Conception Novena -- starts November 30th [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Advent 2007 -- Day by Day
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)
Advent Overview
Reclaiming the Mystery of Advent, Part One: The Meaning of Advent
Celebrating Christ’s Advent [Archbishop Raymond Burke]
Praying through Advent -- 2006
The Paradox of Advent
Experience the Joy of Advent
Advent: the Reason for the Season
The Advent Wreath
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)
Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Apostles Creed: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. >From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Lord's Prayer: 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 who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)
Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.
The Mysteries of the Rosary
By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary.
The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.
St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle
Be our protection against the wickedness
and snares of the devil;
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
Thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits
who wander through the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen
+
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
Mary Immaculate: Patroness of the United States [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Catholic/Orthodox Caucus: The Immaculate Conception: A Marvelous Theme - Novena Starts Nov. 30
THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION - Satan's Mighty Foe(Catholic Caucus)
Historian reveals how Pius IX decided to proclaim dogma of Immaculate Conception (Catholic Caucus)
The Immaculate Vs. the Proud
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
Three Reasons the Church’s Enemies Hate The Immaculate Conception
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 Mary’s 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)
Memorandum on the Immaculate Conception [Newman]
From: Numbers 24:2-7, 15-17a
Balaam’s Third Oracle (Continuation)
[15] And he took up his discourse, and said, “The oracle of Balaam the son
of Beor, the oracle of the man whose eye is opened, [16] the oracle of him who
hears the words of God, and knows the knowledge of the Most High, who sees
the vision of the Almighty, falling down, but having his eyes uncovered: [17] I
see him, but not now; I behold him, but not nigh: a star shall come forth out of
Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel.”
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
24:3-9. This third oracle consists not so much in words placed by God on Ba-
laam’s lips, as in the vision given to him, which shows the splendor of Israel
(expressed in images of luxuriant scenery); it also alludes to a victorious king
and recalls, once more, deliverance from Egypt.
24:15-24. The three blessings are followed by four oracles about nations—Israel,
Amalek, the Kainites and Asshur. The first tells about the coming of a king sym-
bolized by a star and a scepter (v. 17). In the ancient East stars were considered
to be gods and goddesses. This passage of Numbers may contain a reference
to David and his star: in fact, from very early on this text was given a messianic
interpretation; Jewish traditions link the coming of the Messiah with the appearing
of a star—cf. some Aramaic translations (”targumin”) of this text. In St Matthew’s
Gospel there is mention of a star in the episode of the Magi who came to adore
Jesus (cf. Mt 2:1-12). And in the second Jewish revolt against Rome (132-135
AD), a famous Jewish teacher, Rabbi Akiha, changed the name of the Jewish
leader of the rebellion from Ben Kosheba, to Bar Kokheba, that is, “son of the
star”—another indication of the connection between the star and the expected
Messiah.
The Fathers interpreted the star that Balaam speaks about, as being the one
the Magi saw. From this they went on deduce that the Wise Men came from
Mesopotamia, which was where Balaam came from.
*********************************************************************************************
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: Matthew 21:23-27
The Authority of Jesus is Questioned
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
23-27. When the chief priests and elders ask “By what authority are you doing
these things?” they are referring both to his teaching and to his self-assure pub-
lic actions—throwing the traders out of the Temple, entering Jerusalem intriumph,
allowing the children to acclaim him, curing the sick, etc. What they want him
to do is to prove that he has authority to act in this way or to admit openly that
he is the Messiah.
However, Jesus knows that they are not well-intentioned and he declines to give
them a direct answer; he prefers to put a question to them that forces them to
make their own attitude clear. He seeks to provoke them into examining their
consciences and changing their whole approach.
*********************************************************************************************
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 | Numbers 24:2-7,15-17 © |
|---|---|
| Raising his eyes Balaam saw Israel, encamped by tribes; the spirit of God came on him and he declaimed his poem. He said: ‘The oracle of Balaam son of Beor, the oracle of the man with far-seeing eyes, the oracle of one who hears the word of God. He sees what Shaddai makes him see, receives the divine answer, and his eyes are opened. How fair are your tents, O Jacob! How fair your dwellings, Israel! Like valleys that stretch afar, like gardens by the banks of a river, like aloes planted by the Lord, like cedars beside the waters! A hero arises from their stock, he reigns over countless peoples. His king is greater than Agag, his majesty is exalted.’ Then Balaam declaimed his poem again. He said: ‘The oracle of Balaam son of Beor, the oracle of the man with far-seeing eyes, the oracle of one who hears the word of God, of one who knows the knowledge of the Most High. He sees what Shaddai makes him see, receives the divine answer, and his eyes are opened. I see him – but not in the present, I behold him – but not close at hand: a star from Jacob takes the leadership, a sceptre arises from Israel. It crushes the brows of Moab, the skulls of all the sons of Sheth.’ |
|
| Psalm or canticle: Psalm 24:4-9 |
| Gospel | Matthew 21:23-27 © |
|---|---|
| Jesus had gone into the Temple and was teaching, when the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him and said, ‘What authority have you for acting like this? And who gave you this authority?’ ‘And I’ replied Jesus ‘will ask you a question, only one; if you tell me the answer to it, I will then tell you my authority for acting like this. John’s baptism: where did it come from: heaven or man?’ And they argued it out this way among themselves, ‘If we say from heaven, he will retort, “Then why did you refuse to believe him?”; but if we say from man, we have the people to fear, for they all hold that John was a prophet.’ So their reply to Jesus was, ‘We do not know.’ And he retorted, ‘Nor will I tell you my authority for acting like this.’ | |
| Monday, December 15, 2008 Advent Weekday |
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The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.
And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.
Amen. |
Douay Rheims Version
MATINS: First Nocturn
Psalm 13
Dixit Insipiens
The general corruption of men, before our redemption by Christ. 1 Unto the end, a psalm for David. THE fool hath said in his heart: There is no God. They are corrupt, and are become abominable in their ways: there is none that doth good, no not one. 2 The Lord hath looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there be any that understand and seek God. 3 They are all gone aside, they are become unprofitable together: there is none that doth good, no not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre: with their tongues they acted deceitfully; the poison of asps is under their lips. Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; their feet are swift to shed blood. Destruction and unhappiness in their ways: and the way of peace they have not known: there is no fear of God before their eyes. 4 Shall not all they know that work iniquity, who devour my people as they eat bread? 5 They have not called upon the Lord: there have they trembled for fear, where there was no fear. 6 For the Lord is in the just generation: you have confounded the counsel of the poor man, but the Lord is his hope. 7 Who shall give out of Sion the salvation of Israel? when the Lord shall have turned away the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice and Israel shall be glad.
Haydock’s Bible Commentary
Psalm 14
Domine Quis HabitabitWhat kind of men shall dwell in the heavenly Sion. 1 A psalm of David. LORD, who shall dwell in thy tabernacle? or who shall rest in thy holy hill? 2 He that walketh without blemish, and worketh justice: 3 He that speaketh truth in his heart, who hath not used deceit in his tongue: Nor hath done evil to his neighbour: nor taken up a reproach against his neighbours. 4 In his sight the malignant is brought to nothing: but he glorifieth them that fear the Lord. He that sweareth to his neighbour, and deceiveth not; 5 he that hath not put out his money to usury, nor taken bribes against the innocent: He that doth these things shall not be moved for ever.
Haydock’s Bible Commentary
Psalm 16
Exaudi Dominum JustitiumA just man's prayer in tribulation, against the malice of his enemies. 1 The prayer of David. HEAR, O Lord, my justice: attend to my supplication. Give ear unto my prayer, which proceedeth not from deceitful lips. 2 Let my judgment come forth from thy countenance: let thy eyes behold the things that are equitable. 3 Thou hast proved my heart, and visited it by night, thou hast tried me by fire: and iniquity hath not been found in me. 4 That my mouth may not speak the works of men: for the sake of the words of thy lips, I have kept hard ways. 5 Perfect thou my goings in thy paths: that my footsteps be not moved. 6 I have cried to thee, for thou, O God, hast heard me: O incline thy ear unto me, and hear my words. 7 Shew forth thy wonderful mercies; thou who savest them that trust in thee. 8 From them that resist thy right hand keep me, as the apple of thy eye. Protect me under the shadow of thy wings. 9 From the face of the wicked who have afflicted me. My enemies have surrounded my soul: 10 they have shut up their fat: their mouth hath spoken proudly. 11 They have cast me forth and now they have surrounded me: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth. 12 They have taken me, as a lion prepared for the prey; and as a young lion dwelling in secret places. 13 Arise, O Lord, disappoint him and supplant him; deliver my soul from the wicked one: thy sword 14 from the enemies of thy hand. O Lord, divide them from the few of the earth in their life: their belly is filled from thy hidden stores. They are full of children: and they have left to their little ones the rest of their substance. 15 But as for me, I will appear before thy sight in justice: I shall be satisfied when thy glory shall appear.
Haydock’s Bible Commentary
SECOND NOCTURN:
Psalm 17: 1-16
Diligam Te DomineDavid's thanks to God for his delivery from all his enemies. 1 Unto the end, for David the servant of the Lord, who spoke to the Lord the words of this canticle, in the day that the Lord delivered him from the hands of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. 2 I WILL love thee, O Lord, my strength: 3 The Lord is my firmament, my refuge, and my deliverer. My God is my helper, and in him will I put my trust. My protector and the horn of my salvation, and my support. 4 Praising I will call upon the Lord: and I shall be saved from my enemies. 5 The sorrows of death surrounded me: and the torrents of iniquity troubled me. 6 The sorrows of hell encompassed me: and the snares of death prevented me. 7 In my affliction I called upon the Lord, and I cried to my God: And he heard my voice from his holy temple: and my cry before him came into his ears. 8 The earth shook and trembled: the foundations of the mountains were troubled and were moved, because he was angry with them. 9 There went up a smoke in his wrath: and a fire flamed from his face: coals were kindled by it. 10 He bowed the heavens, and came down: and darkness was under his feet. 11 And he ascended upon the cherubim, and he flew; he flew upon the wings of the winds. 12 And he made darkness his covert, his pavilion round about him: dark waters in the clouds of the air. 13 At the brightness that was before him the clouds passed, hail and coals of fire. 14 And the Lord thundered from heaven, and the highest gave his voice: hail and coals of fire. 15 And he sent forth his arrows, and he scattered them: he multiplied lightnings, and troubled them. 16 Then the fountains of waters appeared, and the foundations of the world were discovered: At thy rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the spirit of thy wrath.
Haydock’s Bible Commentary
Psalm 17: 17-31
Diligam Te DomineDavid's thanks to God for his delivery from all his enemies. 17 He sent from on high, and took me: and received me out of many waters. 18 He delivered me from my strongest enemies, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me. 19 They prevented me in the day of my affliction: and the Lord became my protector. 20 And he brought me forth into a large place: he saved me, because he was well pleased with me. 21 And the Lord will reward me according to my justice; and will repay me according to the cleanness of my hands: 22 Because I have kept the ways of the Lord; and have not done wickedly against my God. 23 For all his judgments are in my sight: and his justices I have not put away from me. 24 And I shall be spotless with him: and shall keep myself from my iniquity. 25 And the Lord will reward me according to my justice; and according to the cleanness of my hands before his eyes. 26 With the holy, thou wilt be holy; and with the innocent man thou wilt be innocent. 27 And with the elect thou wilt be elect: and with the perverse thou wilt be perverted. 28 For thou wilt save the humble people; but wilt bring down the eyes of the proud. 29 For thou lightest my lamp, O Lord: O my God enlighten my darkness. 30 For by thee I shall be delivered from temptation; and through my God I shall go over a wall. 31 As for my God, his way is undefiled: the words of the Lord are fire tried: he is the protector of all that trust in him.
Haydock’s Bible Commentary
Psalm 17: 32-51
Diligam Te DomineDavid's thanks to God for his delivery from all his enemies. 32 For who is God but the Lord? or who is God but our God? 33 God who hath girt me with strength; and made my way blameless. 34 Who hath made my feet like the feet of harts: and who setteth me upon high places. 35 Who teacheth my hands to war: and thou hast made my arms like a brazen bow. 36 And thou hast given me the protection of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath held me up: And thy discipline hath corrected me unto the end: and thy discipline, the same shall teach me. 37 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me; and my feet are not weakened. 38 I will pursue after my enemies, and overtake them: and I will not turn again till they are consumed. 39 I will break them, and they shall not be able to stand: they shall fall under my feet. 40 And thou hast girded me with strength unto battle; and hast subdued under me them that rose up against me. 41 And thou hast made my enemies turn their back upon me, and hast destroyed them that hated me. 42 They cried, but there was none to save them, to the Lord: but he heard them not. 43 And I shall beat them as small as the dust before the wind; I shall bring them to nought, like the dirt in the streets. 44 Thou wilt deliver me from the contradictions of the people: thou wilt make me head of the Gentiles. 45 A people, which I knew not, hath served me: at the hearing of the ear they have obeyed me. 46 The children that are strangers have lied to me, strange children have faded away, and have halted from their paths. 47 The Lord liveth, and blessed be my God, and let the God of my salvation be exalted: 48 O God, who avengest me, and subduest the people under me, my deliverer from my enemies. 49 And thou wilt lift me up above them that rise up against me: from the unjust man thou wilt deliver me. 50 Therefore will I give glory to thee, O Lord, among the nations, and I will sing a psalm to thy name. 51 Giving great deliverance to his king, and shewing mercy to David his anointed: and to his seed for ever.
Haydock’s Bible Commentary
THIRD NOCTURN
Psalm 19
Exaudiat Te DominusA prayer for the king. 1 Unto the end. A psalm for David. 2 MAY the Lord hear thee in the day of tribulation: may the name of the God of Jacob protect thee. 3 May he send thee help from the sanctuary: and defend thee out of Sion. 4 May he be mindful of all thy sacrifices: and may thy whole burnt offering be made fat. 5 May he give thee according to thy own heart; and confirm all thy counsels. 6 We will rejoice in thy salvation; and in the name of our God we shall be exalted. 7 The Lord fulfil all thy petitions: now have I known that the Lord hath saved his anointed. He will hear him from his holy heaven: the salvation of his right hand is in powers. 8 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will call upon the name of the Lord our God. 9 They are bound, and have fallen; but we are risen, and are set upright. 10 O Lord, save the king: and hear us in the day that we shall call upon thee.
Haydock’s Bible Commentary
Psalm20
Domine In VirtutePraise to God for Christ's exaltation after his passion. 1 Unto the end. A psalm for David. 2 IN thy strength, O Lord, the king shall joy; and in thy salvation he shall rejoice exceedingly. 3 Thou hast given him his heart's desire: and hast not withholden from him the will of his lips. 4 For thou hast prevented him with blessings of sweetness: thou hast set on his head a crown of precious stones. 5 He asked life of thee: and thou hast given him length of days for ever and ever. 6 His glory is great in thy salvation: glory and great beauty shalt thou lay upon him. 7 For thou shalt give him to be a blessing for ever and ever: thou shalt make him joyful in gladness with thy countenance. 8 For the king hopeth in the Lord: and through the mercy of the most High he shall not be moved. 9 Let thy hand be found by all thy enemies: let thy right hand find out all them that hate thee. 10 Thou shalt make them as an oven of fire, in the time of thy anger: the Lord shall trouble them in his wrath, and fire shall devour them. 11 Their fruit shalt thou destroy from the earth: and their seed from among the children of men. 12 For they have intended evils against thee: they have devised counsels which they have not been able to establish. 13 For thou shalt make them turn their back: in thy remnants thou shalt prepare their face. 14 Be thou exalted, O Lord, in thy own strength: we will sing and praise thy power.
Haydock’s Bible Commentary
Psalm29
Exaltabo Te DomineDavid praiseth God for his deliverance, and his merciful dealings with him. 1 A psalm of a canticle, at the dedication of David's house. 2 I WILL extol thee, O Lord, for thou hast upheld me: and hast not made my enemies to rejoice over me. 3 O Lord my God, I have cried to thee, and thou hast healed me. 4 Thou hast brought forth, O Lord, my soul from hell: thou hast saved me from them that go down into the pit. 5 Sing to the Lord, O ye his saints: and give praise to the memory of his holiness. 6 For wrath is in his indignation; and life in his good will. In the evening weeping shall have place, and in the morning gladness. 7 And in my abundance I said: I shall never be moved. 8 O Lord, in thy favour, thou gavest strength to my beauty. Thou turnedst away thy face from me, and I became troubled. 9 To thee, O Lord, will I cry: and I will make supplication to my God. 10 What profit is there in my blood, whilst I go down to corruption? Shall dust confess to thee, or declare thy truth? 11 The Lord hath heard, and hath had mercy on me: the Lord became my helper. 12 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into joy: thou hast cut my sackcloth, and hast compassed me with gladness: 13 To the end that my glory may sing to thee, and I may not regret: O Lord my God, I will give praise to thee for ever.
Haydock’s Bible Commentary
LAUDS:
Psalm 46
Omnes Gentes PlauditeThe Gentiles are invited to praise God for the establishment of the kingdom of Christ. 1 Unto the end, for the sons of Core. 2 O CLAP your hands, all ye nations: shout unto God with the voice of joy, 3 For the Lord is high, terrible: a great king over all the earth. 4 He hath subdued the people under us; and the nations under our feet. 5 He hath chosen for us his inheritance, the beauty of Jacob which he hath loved. 6 God is ascended with jubilee, and the Lord with the sound of trumpet. 7 Sing praises to our God, sing ye: sing praises to our king, sing ye. 8 For God is the king of all the earth: sing ye wisely. 9 God shall reign over the nations: God sitteth on his holy throne. 10 The princes of the people are gathered together, with the God of Abraham: for the strong gods of the earth are exceedingly exalted.
Haydock’s Bible Commentary
Psalm 5
Verba Mea AudibusA prayer to God against the iniquities of men. 1 Unto the end, for her that obtaineth the inheritance. A psalm of David. 2 GIVE ear, O Lord, to my words, understand my cry. 3 Hearken to the voice of my prayer, O my King and my God. 4 For to thee will I pray: O Lord, in the morning thou shalt hear my voice. 5 In the morning I will stand before thee, and will see: because thou art not a God that willest iniquity. 6 Neither shall the wicked dwell near thee: nor shall the unjust abide before thy eyes. 7 Thou hatest all the workers of iniquity: Thou wilt destroy all that speak a lie. The bloody and the deceitful man the Lord will abhor. 8 But as for me in the multitude of thy mercy, I will come into thy house; I will worship towards thy holy temple, in thy fear. 9 Conduct me, O Lord, in thy justice: because of my enemies, direct my way in thy sight. 10 for there is no truth in their mouth; their heart is vain. 11 Their throat is an open sepulchre: they dealt deceitfully with their tongues: judge them, O God. Let them fall from their devices: according to the multitude of their wickedness cast them out: for they have provoked thee, O Lord. 12 But let all them be glad that hope in thee: they shall rejoice for ever, and thou shalt dwell in them. And all they that love thy name shall glory in thee: 13 For thou wilt bless the just. O Lord, thou hast crowned us, as with a shield of thy good will.
Haydock’s Bible Commentary
Psalm 28
Afferte DominoAn invitation to glorify God, with a commemoration of his mighty works. 1 A psalm for David, at the finishing of the tabernacle. BRING to the Lord, O ye children of God: bring to the Lord the offspring of rams. 2 Bring to the Lord glory and honour: bring to the Lord glory to his name: adore ye the Lord in his holy court. 3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters; the God of majesty hath thundered, The Lord is upon many waters. 4 The voice of the Lord is in power; the voice of the Lord in magnificence. 5 The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars: yea, the Lord shall break the cedars of Libanus. 6 And shall reduce them to pieces, as a calf of Libanus, and as the beloved son of unicorns. 7 The voice of the Lord divideth the flame of fire: 8 The voice of the Lord shaketh the desert: and the Lord shall shake the desert of Cades. 9 The voice of the Lord prepareth the stags: and he will discover the thick woods: and in his temple all shall speak his glory. 10 The Lord maketh the flood to dwell: and the Lord shall sit king for ever. 11 The Lord will give strength to his people: the Lord will bless his people with peace.
Haydock’s Bible Commentary
Canticle of David: 1 Par 29:10-13 57 10 And he blessed the Lord before all the multitude, and he said: Blessed art thou, O Lord the God of Israel, our father from eternity to eternity. 11 Thine, O Lord, is magnificence, and power, and glory, and victory: and to thee is praise: for all that is in heaven, and in earth, is thine: thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art above all princes. 12 Thine are riches, and thine is glory, thou hast dominion over all, in thy hand is power and might: in thy hand greatness, and the empire of all things. 13 Now therefore our God we give thanks to thee, and we praise thy glorious name.
Haydock’s Bible Commentary
Psalm 116
Laudate DominumAll nations are called upon to praise God for his mercy and truth. 1 Alleluia. O PRAISE the Lord, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people. 2 For his mercy is confirmed upon us: and the truth of the Lord remaineth for ever.
Haydock’s Bible Commentary
PRIME:
Psalm 23
Domini Est TerraWho they are that shall ascend to heaven: Christ's triumphant ascension thither. 1 On the first day of the week, a psalm for David. THE earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof: the world, and all they that dwell therein. 2 For he hath founded it upon the seas; and hath prepared it upon the rivers. 3 Who shall ascend into the mountain of the Lord: or who shall stand in his holy place? 4 The innocent in hands, and clean of heart, who hath not taken his soul in vain, nor sworn deceitfully to his neighbour. 5 He shall receive a blessing from the Lord, and mercy from God his Saviour. 6 This is the generation of them that seek him, of them that seek the face of the God of Jacob. 7 Lift up your gates, O ye princes, and be ye lifted up, O eternal gates: and the King of Glory shall enter in. 8 Who is this King of Glory? the Lord who is strong and mighty: the Lord mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your gates, O ye princes, and be ye lifted up, O eternal gates: and the King of Glory shall enter in. 10 Who is this King of Glory? the Lord of hosts, he is the King of Glory.
Haydock’s Bible Commentary
Psalm 18
Coeli EnarrantThe works of God shew forth his glory; his law is to be esteemed and loved. 1 Unto the end. A psalm for David. 2 THE heavens shew forth the glory of God, and the firmament declareth the work of his hands. 3 Day to day uttereth speech, and night to night sheweth knowledge. 4 There are no speeches nor languages, where their voices are not heard. 5 Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth: and their words unto the ends of the world. 6 He hath set his tabernacle in the sun: and he, as a bridegroom coming out of his bride chamber, Hath rejoiced as a giant to run the way: 7 His going out is from the end of heaven, And his circuit even to the end thereof: and there is no one that can hide himself from his heat. 8 The law of the Lord is unspotted, converting souls: the testimony of the Lord is faithful, giving wisdom to little ones. 9 The justices of the Lord are right, rejoicing hearts: the commandment of the Lord is lightsome, enlightening the eyes. 10 The fear of the Lord is holy, enduring for ever and ever: the judgments of the Lord are true, justified in themselves. 11 More to be desired than gold and many precious stones: and sweeter than honey and the honeycomb. 12 For thy servant keepeth them, and in keeping them there is a great reward. 13 Who can understand sins? from my secret ones cleanse me, O Lord: 14 and from those of others spare thy servant. If they shall have no dominion over me, then shall I be without spot: and I shall be cleansed from the greatest sin. 15 And the words of my mouth shall be such as may please: and the meditation of my heart always in thy sight. O Lord, my helper, and my redeemer.
Haydock’s Bible Commentary
TERCE:
Psalm 26
Dominus IlluminatioDavid's faith and hope in God 1 The psalm of David before he was anointed. THE Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the protector of my life: of whom shall I be afraid? 2 Whilst the wicked draw near against me, to eat my flesh. My enemies that trouble me, have themselves been weakened, and have fallen. 3 If armies in camp should stand together against me, my heart shall not fear. If a battle should rise up against me, in this will I be confident. 4 One thing I have asked of the Lord, this will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. That I may see the delight of the Lord, and may visit his temple. 5 For he hath hidden me in his tabernacle; in the day of evils, he hath protected me in the secret place of his tabernacle. 6 He hath exalted me upon a rock: and now he hath lifted up my head above my enemies. I have gone round, and have offered up in his tabernacle a sacrifice of jubilation: I will sing, and recite a psalm to the Lord. 7 Hear, O Lord, my voice, with which I have cried to thee: have mercy on me and hear me. 8 My heart hath said to thee: My face hath sought thee: thy face, O Lord, will I still seek. 9 Turn not away thy face from me; decline not in thy wrath from thy servant. Be thou my helper, forsake me not; do not thou despise me, O God my Saviour. 10 For my father and my mother have left me: but the Lord hath taken me up. 11 Set me, O Lord, a law in thy way, and guide me in the right path, because of my enemies. 12 Deliver me not over to the will of them that trouble me; for unjust witnesses have risen up against me; and iniquity hath lied to itself. 13 I believe to see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living. 14 Expect the Lord, do manfully, and let thy heart take courage, and wait thou for the Lord
Haydock’s Bible Commentary
Psalm 27
Ad Te Domine ClamaboDavid's prayer that his enemies may not prevail over him. 1 A psalm for David himself. UNTO thee will I cry, O Lord: O my God, be not thou silent to me: lest if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit. 2 Hear, O Lord, the voice of my supplication, when I pray to thee; when I lift up my hands to thy holy temple. 3 Draw me not away together with the wicked; and with the workers of iniquity destroy me not: Who speak peace with their neighbour, but evils are in their hearts. 4 Give them according to their works, and according to the wickedness of their inventions. According to the works of their hands give thou to them: render to them their reward. 5 Because they have not understood the works of the Lord, and the operations of his hands: thou shalt destroy them, and shalt not build them up. 6 Blessed be the Lord, for he hath heard the voice of my supplication. 7 The Lord is my helper and my protector: in him hath my heart confided, and I have been helped. And my flesh hath flourished again, and with my will I will give praise to him. 8 The Lord is the strength of his people, and the protector of the salvation of his anointed. 9 Save, O Lord, thy people, and bless thy inheritance: and rule them and exalt them for ever.
Haydock’s Bible Commentary
SEXT:
Psalm 30
In Te Domine SperaviA prayer of a just man under affliction. 1 Unto the end, a psalm for David, in an ecstasy. 2 IN thee, O Lord, have I hoped, let me never be confounded: deliver me in thy justice. 3 Bow down thy ear to me: make haste to deliver me. Be thou unto me a God, a protector, and a house of refuge, to save me. 4 For thou art my strength and my refuge; and for thy name's sake thou wilt lead me, and nourish me. 5 Thou wilt bring me out of this snare, which they have hidden for me: for thou art my protector. 6 Into thy hands I commend my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, the God of truth. 7 Thou hast hated them that regard vanities, to no purpose. But I have hoped in the Lord: 8 I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy. For thou best regarded my humility, thou hast saved my soul out of distresses. 9 And thou hast not shut me up in the hands of the enemy: thou hast set my feet in a spacious place. 10 Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am afflicted: my eye is troubled with wrath, my soul, and my belly: 11 For my life is wasted with grief: and my years in sighs. My strength is weakened through poverty and my bones are disturbed. 12 I am become a reproach among all my enemies, and very much to my neighbours; and a fear to my acquaintance. They that saw me without fled from me. 13 I am forgotten as one dead from the heart. I am become as a vessel that is destroyed. 14 For I have heard the blame of many that dwell round about. While they assembled together against me, they consulted to take away my life. 15 But I have put my trust in thee, O Lord: I said: Thou art my God. 16 My lots are in thy hands. Deliver me out of the hands of my enemies; and from them that persecute me. 17 Make thy face to shine upon thy servant; save me in thy mercy. 18 Let me not be confounded, O Lord, for I have called upon thee. Let the wicked be ashamed, and be brought down to hell. 19 Let deceitful lips be made dumb. Which speak iniquity against the just, with pride and abuse. 20 O how great is the multitude of thy sweetness, O Lord, which thou hast hidden for them that fear thee! Which thou hast wrought for them that hope in thee, in the sight of the sons of men. 21 Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy face, from the disturbance of men. Thou shalt protect them in thy tabernacle from the contradiction of tongues. 22 Blessed be the Lord, for he hath shewn his wonderful mercy to me in a fortified city. 23 But I said in the excess of my mind: I am cast away from before thy eyes. Therefore thou hast heard the voice of my prayer, when I cried to thee. 24 O love the Lord, all ye his saints: for the Lord will require truth, and will repay them abundantly that act proudly. 25 Do ye manfully, and let your heart be strengthened, all ye that hope in the Lord.
Haydock’s Bible Commentary
NONE:
Psalm 31
Beati QuorumThe second penitential psalm. 1 To David himself, understanding. BLESSED are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. 2 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord hath not imputed sin, and in whose spirit there is no guile. 3 Because I was silent my bones grew old; whilst I cried out all the day long. 4 For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: I am turned in my anguish, whilst the thorn is fastened. 5 I have acknowledged my sin to thee, and my injustice I have not concealed. I said I will confess against myself my injustice to the Lord: and thou hast forgiven the wickedness of my sin. 6 For this shall every one that is holy pray to thee in a seasonable time. And yet in a flood of many waters, they shall not come nigh unto him. 7 Thou art my refuge from the trouble which hath encompassed me: my joy, deliver me from them that surround me. 8 I will give thee understanding, and I will instruct thee in this way, in which thou shalt go: I will fix my eyes upon thee. 9 Do not become like the horse and the mule, who have no understanding. With bit and bridle bind fast their jaws, who come not near unto thee. 10 Many are the scourges of the sinner, but mercy shall encompass him that hopeth in the Lord. 11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye just, and glory, all ye right of heart.
Haydock’s Bible Commentary
Psalm 32
Exultate JustiAn exhortation to praise God, and to trust in him. 1 A psalm for David. REJOICE in the Lord, O ye just: praise becometh the upright. 2 Give praise to the Lord on the harp; sing to him with the psaltery, the instrument of ten strings. 3 Sing to him a new canticle, sing well unto him with a loud noise. 4 For the word of the Lord is right, and all his works are done with faithfulness. 5 He loveth mercy and judgment; the earth is full of the mercy of the Lord. 6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were established; and all the power of them by the spirit of his mouth: 7 Gathering together the waters of the sea, as in a vessel; laying up the depths in storehouses. 8 Let all the earth fear the Lord, and let all the inhabitants of the world be in awe of him. 9 For he spoke and they were made: he commanded and they were created. 10 The Lord bringeth to naught the counsels of nations; and he rejecteth the devices of people, and casteth away the counsels of princes. 11 But the counsel of the Lord standeth for ever: the thoughts of his heart to all generations. 12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord: the people whom he hath chosen for his inheritance. 13 The Lord hath looked from heaven: he hath beheld all the sons of men. 14 From his habitation which he hath prepared, he hath looked upon all that dwell on the earth. 15 He who hath made the hearts of every one of them: who understandeth all their works. 16 The king is not saved by a great army: nor shall the giant be saved by his own great strength. 17 Vain is the horse for safety: neither shall he be saved by the abundance of his strength. 18 Behold the eyes of the Lord are on them that fear him: and on them that hope in his mercy. 19 To deliver their souls from death; and feed them in famine. 20 Our soul waiteth for the Lord: for he is our helper and protector. 21 For in him our heart shall rejoice: and in his holy name we have trusted. 22 Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, as we have hoped in thee.
Haydock’s Bible Commentary
VESPERS:
Psalm 114
DilexiThe prayer of a just man in affliction, with a lively confidence in God. 1 Alleluia. I HAVE loved, because the Lord will hear the voice of my prayer. 2 Because he hath inclined his ear unto me: and in my days I will call upon him. 3 The sorrows of death have compassed me: and the perils of hell have found me. I met with trouble and sorrow: 4 and I called upon the name of the Lord. O Lord, deliver my soul. 5 The Lord is merciful and just, and our God sheweth mercy. 6 The Lord is the keeper of little ones: I was humbled, and he delivered me. 7 Turn, O my soul, into thy rest: for the Lord hath been bountiful to thee. 8 For he hath delivered my soul from death: my eyes from tears, my feet from falling. 9 I will please the Lord in the land of the living.
Haydock’s Bible Commentary
Psalm 115
CredidiThis, in the Hebrew, is joined with the foregoing psalm, and continues to express the faith and gratitude of the psalmist. 1 Alleluia. I HAVE believed, therefore have I spoken; but I have been humbled exceedingly. 2 I said in my excess: Every man is a liar. 3 What shall I render to the Lord, for all the things he hath rendered unto me? 4 I will take the chalice of salvation; and I will call upon the name of the Lord. 5 I will pay my vows to the Lord before all his people: 6 precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. 7 O Lord, for I am thy servant: I am thy servant, and the son of thy handmaid. Thou hast broken my bonds: 8 I will sacrifice to thee the sacrifice of praise, and I will call upon the name of the Lord. 9 I will pay my vows to the Lord in the sight of all his people: 10 in the courts of the house of the Lord, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem.
Haydock’s Bible Commentary
Psalm 119
Ad DominumA prayer in tribulation. 1 A gradual canticle. IN my trouble I cried to the Lord: and he heard me. 2 O Lord, deliver my soul from wicked lips, and a deceitful tongue. 3 What shall be given to thee, or what shall be added to thee, to a deceitful tongue? 4 The sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals that lay waste. 5 Woe is me, that my sojourning is prolonged! I have dwelt with the inhabitants of Cedar: 6 my soul hath been long a sojourner. 7 With them that hated peace I was peaceable: when I spoke to them they fought against me without cause.
Haydock’s Bible Commentary
Psalm 120
Levavi OculosGod is the keeper of his servants. 1 A gradual canticle. I HAVE lifted up my eyes to the mountains, from whence help shall come to me. 2 My help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. 3 May he not suffer thy foot to be moved: neither let him slumber that keepeth thee. 4 Behold he shall neither slumber nor sleep, that keepeth Israel. 5 The Lord is thy keeper, the Lord is thy protection upon thy right hand. 6 The sun shall not burn thee by day: nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord keepeth thee from all evil: may the Lord keep thy soul. 8 May the Lord keep thy going in and thy going out; from henceforth now and for ever.
Haydock’s Bible Commentary
Psalm 121
Laetatus Sum In HisThe desire and hope of the just for the coming of the kingdom of God, and the peace of his Church. 1 A gradual canticle. I REJOICED at the things that were said to me: We shall go into the house of the Lord. 2 Our feet were standing in thy courts, O Jerusalem. 3 Jerusalem, which is built as a city, which is compact together. 4 For thither did the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord: the testimony of Israel, to praise the name of the Lord. 5 Because their seats have sat in judgment, seats upon the house of David. 6 Pray ye for the things that are for the peace of Jerusalem: and abundance for them that love thee. 7 Let peace be in thy strength: and abundance in thy towers. 8 For the sake of my brethren, and of my neighbours, I spoke peace of thee. 9 Because of the house of the Lord our God, I have sought good things for thee.
Haydock’s Bible Commentary
COMPLINE:
Psalm 6
Domine Ne In FuroreA prayer of a penitent sinner, under the scourge of God. The first penitential Psalm. 1 Unto the end, in verses, a psalm for David, for the octave. 2 O LORD, rebuke me not in thy indignation, nor chastise me in thy wrath. 3 Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak: heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled. 4 And my soul is troubled exceedingly: but thou, O Lord, how long? 5 Turn to me, O Lord, and deliver my soul: O save me for thy mercy's sake. 6 For there is no one in death, that is mindful of thee: and who shall confess to thee in hell? 7 I have laboured in my groanings, every night I will wash my bed: I will water my couch with my tears. 8 My eye is troubled through indignation: I have grown old amongst all my enemies. 9 Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity: for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping. 10 The Lord hath heard my supplication: the Lord hath received my prayer. 11 Let all my enemies be ashamed, and be very much troubled: let them be turned back, and be ashamed very speedily.
Haydock’s Bible Commentary
Psalm 7
Domine Deus MeusDavid, trusting in the justice of his cause, prayeth for God's help against his enemies. 1 The psalm of David which he sung to the Lord for the words of Chusi the son of Jemini. 2 O LORD my God, in thee have I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me. 3 Lest at any time he seize upon my soul like a lion, while there is no one to redeem me, nor to save. 4 O Lord my God, if I have done this thing, if there be iniquity in my hands: 5 If I have rendered to them that repaid me evils, let me deservedly fall empty before my enemies. 6 Let the enemy pursue my soul, and take it, and tread down my life on the earth, and bring down my glory to the dust. 7 Rise up, O Lord, in thy anger: and be thou exalted in the borders of my enemies. And arise, O Lord my God, in the precept which thou hast commanded: 8 and a congregation of people shall surround thee. And for their sakes return thou on high. 9 The Lord judgeth the people. Judge me, O Lord, according to my justice, and according to my innocence in me. 10 The wickedness of sinners shall be brought to nought: and thou shalt direct the just: the searcher of hearts and reins is God. 11 Just is my help from the Lord: who saveth the upright of heart. 12 God is a just judge, strong and patient: is he angry every day? 13 Except you will be converted, he will brandish his sword: he hath bent his bow and made it ready. 14 And in it he hath prepared the instruments of death, he hath made ready his arrows for them that burn. 15 Behold he hath been in labour with injustice; he hath conceived sorrow, and brought forth iniquity. 16 He hath opened a pit and dug it: and he is fallen into the hole he made. 17 His sorrow shall be turned on his own head: and his iniquity shall come down upon his crown. 18 I will give glory to the Lord according to his justice: and will sing to the name of the Lord the most high. Glory be to the Father...
Haydock’s Bible Commentary
Divine Office "Liturgy of the Hours"
The Psalms: The Perfect Prayer Book for Everyone
"Ego sum Alpha et Omega, princípium
et finis, dicit Dóminus Deus : qui est,
et qui erat, et qui ventúrus est, omnípotens".
"The psalms are prayer, in which God Himself teaches us how to pray; for they were written under the direct inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Herein we have the answer to the question: "What prayers shall I say?" Why the prayers of Holy Scripture itself! "There is no need to scrape together endless man-made prayers when Sacred Scripture frames the very thoughts of God." The psalms are the vital presentation of God's inspirations and man's aspirations; they are the ideal manifestations of man's hunger and thirst after God and of God's loving response to man. Of great age, they are ever new and appropriate. They are as satisfying and stimulating to us of the twentieth century as they were to men before the birth of Christ and down through the Apostolic and Middle Ages".
Rev. Joseph B. Frey; July 16, 1947.
From My Daily Psalm Book, Arranged by Father Joseph Frey, Confraternity of the Precious Blood (1947) pp.vi-ix.
..
| Mt 21:23-27 | ||
|---|---|---|
| # | Douay-Rheims | Vulgate |
| 23 | And when he was come into the temple, there came to him, as he was teaching, the chief priests and ancients of the people, saying: By what authority dost thou these things? And who hath given thee this authority? | et cum venisset in templum accesserunt ad eum docentem principes sacerdotum et seniores populi dicentes in qua potestate haec facis et quis tibi dedit hanc potestatem |
| 24 | Jesus answering, said to them: I also will ask you one word, which if you shall tell me, I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. | respondens Iesus dixit illis interrogabo vos et ego unum sermonem quem si dixeritis mihi et ego vobis dicam in qua potestate haec facio |
| 25 | The baptism of John, whence was it? From heaven or from men? But they thought within themselves, saying: | baptismum Iohannis unde erat e caelo an ex hominibus at illi cogitabant inter se dicentes si dixerimus e caelo dicet nobis quare ergo non credidistis illi |
| 26 | If we shall say, from heaven, he will say to us: Why then did you not believe him? But if we shall say, from men, we are afraid of the multitude: for all held John as a prophet. | si autem dixerimus ex hominibus timemus turbam omnes enim habent Iohannem sicut prophetam |
| 27 | And answering Jesus, they said: We know not. He also said to them: Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things. | et respondentes Iesu dixerunt nescimus ait illis et ipse nec ego dico vobis in qua potestate haec facio |
(*) Breakdown vv 25-26 differs in translation
If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.
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 49 (50) |
|---|
| True reverence for the Lord |
| The Lord, the God of gods has spoken: he has summoned the whole earth, from east to west. God has shone forth from Sion in her great beauty. Our God will come, and he will not be silent. Before him, a devouring fire; around him, a tempest rages. He will call upon the heavens above, and on the earth, to judge his people. “Bring together before me my chosen ones, who have sealed my covenant with sacrifice.” The heavens will proclaim his justice; for God is the true judge. 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 49 (50) |
|---|
| Listen, my people, and I will speak; Israel, I will testify against you. I am God, your God. I will not reproach you with your sacrifices, for your burnt offerings are always before me. But I will not accept calves from your houses, nor goats from your flocks. For all the beasts of the forests are mine, and in the hills, a thousand animals. All the birds of the air – I know them. Whatever moves in the fields – it is mine. If I am hungry, I will not tell you; for the whole world is mine, and all that is in it. Am I to eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? Offer a sacrifice to God – a sacrifice of praise; to the Most High, fulfil your vows. Then you may call upon me in the time of trouble: I will rescue you, and you will honour 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. |
| Psalm 49 (50) |
|---|
| To the sinner, God has said this: Why do you recite my statutes? Why do you dare to speak my covenant? For you hate what I teach you, and reject what I tell you. The moment you saw a thief, you joined him; you threw in your lot with adulterers. You spoke evil with your mouth, and your tongue made plans to deceive. Solemnly seated, you denounced your own brother; you poured forth hatred against your own mother’s son. All this you did, and I was silent; so you thought that I was just like you. But I will reprove you – I will confront you with all you have done. Understand this, you who forget God; lest I tear you apart, with no-one there to save you. Whoever offers up a sacrifice of praise gives me true honour; whoever follows a sinless path in life will be shown the salvation of God. 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 30:18-26 © |
|---|---|
| The Lord is waiting to be gracious to you, to rise and take pity on you, for the Lord is a just God; happy are all who hope in him. Yes, people of Zion, you will live in Jerusalem and weep no more. He will be gracious to you when he hears your cry; when he hears he will answer. When the Lord has given you the bread of suffering and the water of distress, he who is your teacher will hide no longer, and you will see your teacher with your own eyes. Whether you turn to right or left, your ears will hear these words behind you, ‘This is the way, follow it.’ You will regard your silvered idols and gilded images as unclean. You will throw them away like the polluted things they are, shouting after them, ‘Good riddance!’ He will send rain for the seed you sow in the ground, and the bread that the ground provides will be rich and nourishing. Your cattle will graze, that day, in wide pastures. Oxen and donkeys that till the ground will eat a salted fodder, winnowed with shovel and fork. On every lofty mountain, on every high hill there will be streams and watercourses, on the day of the great slaughter when the strongholds fall. Then moonlight will be bright as sunlight and sunlight itself be seven times brighter – like the light of seven days in one – on the day the Lord dresses the wound of his people and heals the bruises his blows have left. |
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| Reading | A discourse "On the Contemplation of God" by William of Saint-Thierry |
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| He loved us first | |
| Truly you alone are the Lord. Your dominion is our salvation, for to serve you is nothing else but to be saved by you! O Lord, salvation is your gift and your blessing is upon your people; what else is your salvation but receiving from you the gift of loving you or being loved by you? That, Lord, is why you willed that the Son at your right hand, the man whom you made strong for yourself, should be called Jesus, that is to say, Saviour, for he will save his people from their sins, and there is no other in whom there is salvation. He taught us to love him by first loving us, even to death on the cross. By loving us and holding us so dear, he stirred us to love him who had first loved us to the end. And this is clearly the reason: you first loved us so that we might love you – not because you needed our love, but because we could not be what you created us to be, except by loving you. In many ways and on various occasions you spoke to our fathers through the prophets. Now in these last days you have spoken to us in the Son, your Word; by him the heavens were established and all their powers came to be by the breath of his mouth. For you to speak thus in your Son was to bring out in the light of day how much and in what way you loved us, for you did not spare your own Son but delivered him up for us all. He also loved us and gave himself up for us. This, Lord, is your Word to us, this is your all-powerful message: while all things were in midnight silence (that is, were in the depths of error), he came from his royal throne, the stern conqueror of error and the gentle apostle of love. Everything he did and everything he said on earth, even enduring the insults, the spitting, the buffetting – the cross and the grave – all of this was actually you speaking to us in your Son, appealing to us by your love and stirring up our love for you. You know that this disposition could not be forced on men’s hearts, my God, since you created them; it must rather be elicited. And this, for the further reason that there is no freedom where there is compulsion, and where freedom is lacking, so too is righteousness. You wanted us to love you, then, we who could not with justice have been saved had we not loved you, nor could we have loved you except by your gift. So, Lord, as the apostle of your love tells us, and as we have already said, you first loved us: you are first to love all those who love you. Thus we hold you dear by the affection you have implanted in us. You are the one supremely good and ultimate goodness. Your love is your goodness, the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son! From the beginning of creation it was he who hovered over the waters – that is, over the wavering minds of men – offering himself to all, drawing all things to himself. By his inspiration and holy breath, by keeping us from harm and providing for our needs, he unites God to us and us to God. |
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| Concluding Prayer |
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| Lord, in your kindness give ear to our prayer. Dispel the shadows in our hearts by the light of the coming of your Son. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen. |
Collect: God of power and mercy, open our hearts in welcome. Remove the things that hinder us from receiving Christ with joy, so that we may share his wisdom and become one with him when he comes in glory, for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Monday of the Third Week of Advent
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For thy power, O Lord, is not in a multitude, nor is thy pleasure in the strength of horses, nor from the beginning have the proud been acceptable to thee: but the prayer of the humble and the meek hath always pleased thee. O God of the heavens, creator of the waters, and Lord of the whole creation, hear me a poor wretch, making supplication to thee, and presuming of thy mercy. Remember, O Lord, thy covenant, and put thou words in my mouth, and strengthen the resolution in my heart, that thy house may continue in thy holiness: And all nations may acknowledge that thou art God, and there is no other besides thee (Judith 8:16-19).
The Three Feasts of the Nativity
When we celebrate Christmas we are commemorating the three nativities of Our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the reason for the three Masses celebrated on this day. The first is the eternal begetting of God the Son from all eternity within the mystery of the Blessed Trinity by the Father, “You are My Son. Today I have begotten You.” This first nativity was before the seven days of Creation, when everything was darkness. This is why the first Mass is at midnight to recall the darkness that prevailed during that first eternal birth of the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity.
The second nativity, or birth, of the Second Person of the Trinity is commemorated on Christmas day when He became man, born of the Virgin Mary, in Bethlehem. For the world, the darkness was beginning to be dispelled. This is why the second mass is celebrated at dawn when the dawn is beginning to dispel the darkness.
The third nativity of Christ is when He is born in our souls, through His in-dwelling, when man, through grace, becomes enlightened. Thus the third Mass is celebrated during the day when the sun is bright. For man is truly enlightened when he has Christ in his soul.
The first nativity reminds us of the Spirit of poverty, the Spirit that tells us that all the things God created is His, to be used for His glory and not for man’s enjoyment. Even man was to use himself for the glory of God. This represents the six days of creation. If Adam, being the head of creation, had observed the spirit of poverty and used all of creation for the glory of God, then he would have entered into the Sabbath, God’s rest… i.e. eternal happiness. But Adam messed up everything. And the consequence: the whole of mankind could not enter God’s rest.
The second nativity reminds us of the Spirit of chastity. That Spirit reminds us to give up all physical comforts, pleasure and conveniences. And Christ in the manger is a clear example of this. It is a continuous reminder that true happiness can only be found in God and that we are on earth to seek God. All the rest will come with that find. True rest can only be found in God.
The third nativity reminds us of the Spirit of obedience. It is only when we can say, “Not my will but Your will be done,” can Christ be born in our souls. The apostolic commission at the end of St. Matthew’s Gospel reiterates this, reminding us of the role of the Church and the men of the Church: “… teach all My commands and how to observe them.”
Christmas reminds us of one lesson. Christ was born to die. For us the message is clear. We are born to die to oneself. And to die to oneself means reaching a point in our lives when we no longer do our own will but the will of the Father in heaven. This is to lose one’s life in order to find it. If we have learned the lessons of the first nativity, if we have learned the lesson of the second nativity, our reward is the third nativity, when Christ is born in our souls….indeed our eternal Christmas. This is truly a Merry Christmas.
— Fr. Odon de Castro, Bo. San Isidro, Magalang, Pampanga, Philippines
If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.
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 83 (84) |
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| Longing for the Lord's temple |
| How delightful is your dwelling-place, Lord of hosts! My soul is weak with longing for the courts of your palace. My heart and my body rejoice in the living God. Even the sparrow finds itself a home, the swallow a nest to raise her young – in your altars, O Lord, Lord of strength, my king and my God. Blessed are they who dwell in your house: they will praise you for ever. Blessed the man whose help comes from you, who has set his heart on climbing to you. They pass through the valley of thirst and make a spring there: the morning rain will cover it with blessings. They will go from strength to strength: they will see the God of gods, in Sion. Lord God of hosts, listen to my prayer; hear me, O God of Jacob. Take notice of us, God our protector, and look on the face of your anointed one. One day in the courts of my God is worth more than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be at the doorstep of the house of my God than live in the dwellings of sinners. For the Lord my God is my sun and my shield. The Lord gives grace and glory. He will not deny his good things to those who walk in purity. Blessed is he who trusts in you, O Lord of hosts. 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 | Isaiah 2 |
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| The mountain of the house of the Lord | |
| In the last days, at the end of time, the mountain of the house of the Lord will be prepared high above all mountains. It will be raised above the hills and all nations will come to it. And many peoples will come there and say “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. Let him teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” For from Sion the law will go forth, from Jerusalem the word of the Lord. And he will judge the nations and rebuke many peoples. They will beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into sickles. Nation will lift sword against nation no longer. No longer will they go out into battle. People of Jacob, come: let us walk in the light 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. |
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| Psalm 95 (96) |
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| The Lord, the universal King and judge |
| Sing a new song to the Lord, sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, bless his name; day after day, proclaim his saving power. Proclaim his glory to the nations, proclaim to all peoples the wonders he has done. For the Lord is great; great is the praise we owe him, he is to be feared above all gods. The gods of the nations are foolishness, but the Lord made the heavens. Majesty and splendour are all about him, power and honour in his holy place. Bring to the Lord, clans of the peoples, bring to the Lord glory and power, bring to the Lord the glory that belongs to his name. Bring your offerings, enter his courts, worship the Lord in holy attire. Tremble at his presence, all the earth. Say to the nations: “The Lord reigns!.” For he has set the world firm, so that it cannot be shaken, and he will judge the peoples with fairness. Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad, let the sea and its fulness resound. The fields will rejoice, and all that is in them, all the trees of the woods will rejoice at the Lord’s presence – for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge all the world with justice. He will judge all the peoples with fairness. 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 | Isaiah 2:3 © |
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| Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the Temple of the God of Jacob that he may teach us his ways so that we may walk in his paths; since the Law will go out from Zion, and the oracle of the Lord from Jerusalem. | |
| Canticle | Benedictus |
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| The Messiah and his forerunner | |
| Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has come to his people and brought about their redemption. He has raised up the sign of salvation in the house of his servant David, as he promised through the mouth of the holy ones, his prophets through the ages: to rescue us from our enemies and all who hate us, to take pity on our fathers, to remember his holy covenant and the oath he swore to Abraham our father, that he would give himself to us, that we could serve him without fear – freed from the hands of our enemies – in uprightness and holiness before him, for all of our days. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High: for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his path, to let his people know their salvation, so that their sins may be forgiven. Through the bottomless mercy of our God, one born on high will visit us to give light to those who walk in darkness, who live in the shadow of death; to lead our feet in the path of peace. 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. |
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| 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. |
| Lord, in your kindness give ear to our prayer. Dispel the shadows in our hearts by the light of the coming of your Son. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who 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 |
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Jesse Tree ~ Judith