Meditation: 1 John 2:12-17

Do not love the world. (1 John 2:15)

What is the difference between having our hearts set on the world and having our hearts set on Jesus? To answer the question, we must first understand what John meant by the term “the world.” He was not speaking of the physical world, which is still very good (Genesis 1:31). Nor was he saying that everything in society is hopelessly sinful. Rather, he was speaking of society and culture to the extent that it is ruled by a mind-set focused only on the finite world that is opposed to God. For John, “the world” meant a way of thinking that forgets about God and puts self first.

John wrote that while this worldly way of life may appear attractive for a time, it is ultimately unsatisfying, fruitless, and passing away. This is in stark contrast to those who love God. However old they may be, they are young and vigorous (1 John 2:12-14). They have experienced forgiveness of their sins. Their hearts are raised up to understand and taste heavenly realities. They have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ himself. They are forward-looking visionaries who are learning to see their lives and the world around them from a heavenly perspective. With joy and purpose, they dedicate themselves to advancing the kingdom of God on earth even as they go about their everyday lives.

Christianity is not meant to turn us into dreamers filled with naïve idealism. It makes us into realists. We may see the darkness in the world, but we are also filled with confidence in Jesus’ power to overcome that darkness and establish God’s kingdom.

This is the life in store for anyone who sets out to follow Jesus. Does it sound too good to be true? Does it seem too hard? Do you still find yourself too attached to the things of “this world”? We really can come to know the vitality of the Christian life because Christ is in us. It is not based on our personalities but on the transforming power of his Spirit. It is the result of having a living friendship with Jesus.

“Lord Jesus, I am far from perfect, but I want to live as St. John described. I give myself to you. Please fill me with your Spirit. Enable me to love you and serve you!”

Psalm 96:7-10; Luke 2:36-40

Secret Harbor ~ Portus Secretioris

30 December 2009

O Truly Incarnate Wisdom!

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, in this homily extracted from a Christmas sermon, speaks of things that might surprise you at first. He says, “Let the mouths of others praise you” when we have been taught not to seek the praises of men. Saint Bernard tells us to “hide the gifts and graces” we have received when we have been taught to let our light shine. The great saint is not suggesting that we ignore what we have been taught, but instead is laying out for us the message and example of Jesus as an Infant. It’s an interesting piece of his sermon – I hope you like it.

Christ is born in a stable, and lies in a manger. Yet is He not the same that said, "The earth is mine and the fullness thereof?" Why, then, did He choose a stable? Plainly that He might reprove the glory of the world, that He might condemn its empty pride. The Infant Jesus is silent. He does not extol Himself; He does not proclaim His own power and greatness, and behold, an angel announces His birth, a multitude of the heavenly host praise and glorify the new-born King.

You that would follow Christ do in like manner imitate His example. Hide the gifts and graces you have received. Love to be unknown. Let the mouths of others praise you, but keep your own lips closed. His Tongue has not spoken, and, behold, every where He is proclaimed, preached, made known. These infantine members will not be silent; they have another kind of language: in all of them the judgment of the world is reproved, subverted, and set at naught.

What man with intelligence, being free to choose, would not prefer a full-grown, robust body rather than that of an infant? O Divine Wisdom! You are manifested by Your preference for what was hidden and abject. O truly Incarnate Wisdom, veiled in the flesh! This is nevertheless what was long ago prophesied by Isaiah: "The child will know how to refuse evil and choose good." The pleasures of the body are the evil which He refuses; affliction is the good He selects. And assuredly, He that makes His choice is a wise Child, a wise Infant. He is the eternal Word of God, for the Word was made flesh, infirm flesh, tender flesh, the feeble, helpless flesh of an Infant, incapable of its own nature of any good work, feeling a repugnance to labor and hardships. Truly the Word was made flesh, and in flesh dwelt amongst us.

When in the beginning the Word was with God, He dwelt in light inaccessible, and there was none that could bear that light. For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been His counselor? The carnal man of His own nature perceives not those things which are of the Spirit of God; but now he can perceive them though still carnal, for the Word was made flesh. Since man, on account of the flesh, could understand nothing but what was of the flesh, behold, the Word was made flesh that man might be able even by the flesh to hear and understand the things of the Spirit. O man, behold that wisdom which was heretofore hidden is shown forth to you! It is now drawn forth from its hiding place, and is laid open to you, and it penetrates into the very perceptions of your nature.

Vultus Christi

Winter Reading

By

Father Mark

on December 30, 2009 9:42 AM |

What are you reading during these dark winter days? You may think me a glutton for gloom, given recent events in the land of my forebears, but I decided that I needed to read and reflect on The End of Irish Catholicism by Father D. Vincent Twomey, S.V.D. In fact, there is nothing gloomy about Father Twomey's book. I haven't finished reading it yet, but what I have read of it is shot through with hope. Although written seven years ago, it remains pertinent and prophetic.

The Sacred Liturgy

Among the compelling theses of the book is Father Twomey's conviction that the restoration of Catholic life in Ireland will be brought about, principally, through the restoration of the sacred liturgy. It takes courage to affirm this in the face of so many other pressing challenges and calls for action and reform. Father Twomey writes:

There is a need to become aware again of the importance of ritual (rubrics), namely the regular performance of the predetermined small gestures and words of infinite significance, and the rhythm of ritual movement, which is not dependent on the whim of the celebrant.... The minimalist legalistic mentality, which, it seems to me, dominated and still dominates liturgical celebration in Ireland, has even dispensed with many of the rubrics as not being absolutely essential or strictly 'obligatory', for example the position of hands, blessings, kneeling, pause, the use of vestments of a certain kind and colour, and so on. Indeed, ritual movement has been effectively reduced to standing at the ambo or altar or sitting on a chair. To make up for the present sterility of so much liturgical celebration, all kinds of secondary elements have been introduced as substitutes.... But we have to ask whether or not they are perhaps more a distraction from the solemnity and real beauty of the liturgy.... Do they simply entertain, or do they promote a true sense of the sursum corda?

It may seem superfluous to mention such apparently trivial things as the need for clean altar linen, chalices of artistic merit, as well as missals, lectionaries, and sacred vestments that truly worthy of the divine service. In recent times, these sacred instruments and cloths tend to made of cheap materials, and are often in poor condition, torn, unwashed. In a word, they are not exactly edifying. While the modern world is discovering the magic of candles, the Irish Church has reduced them to a minimum (usually of inferior quality, even imitation candles or a flickering electric light instead of a sanctuary lamp). The liturgy is about great events taking place by means of small gestures, where everything used takes on infinite significance. Careful attention to the details (linen, candles, vestments, etc.) expresses the celebrant's awareness of the great mysteries for which he is responsible and conveys to others present something of the awesome presence in the Sacrament. Despite his poverty and his care for the poor (such as the orphanage he ran), the Curé of Ars procured the richest of vestments and most elaborate sacred vessels he could find in the city of Lyons for his humble, rural parish church.

Father Twomey discusses the perennial value of devotion to meet the people's affective religious needs. He recognizes the worth of the parish-based Gaelic Athletic Association, from the ranks of which came countless fine priests. Passing in review such traditional practices as the Pattern Days (patronal festivals), penitential pilgrimages, he outlines his vision for the revitalization of a Catholicism that, long before the clerical scandals of recent years, had become a matter of dreary routine and minimalistic compliance.

Consecrated Life

Turning to the decline of consecrated life in Ireland, Father Twomey's insights can be applied to the same problem in the United States and Canada. His remarks are nlot without relevance to certain concerns being addressed by the Apostolic Visitation of Women Religious that is underway in the United States.

The diocesan structure of various Irish-founded congregations has tended to be replaced by a national (and international) structure, with the accompanying tendency to concentrate authority on a newly established central authority, a superior-general or provincial and their councils (or 'leadership teams').... The paradox is that the conscious effort within religious orders (especially of women) to try to abolish all figures of authority, now seen increasingly as one of the last vestiges of patriarchy, is accompanied by even greater institutionalization -- and endless meetings.

It is evident that each religious congregation must have its own structure of authority and decision-making. Once (and, to some extent, still) the responsibility was invested in someone known personally to each member, who was elected by the community, and lived within the same community. But now it can happen that decisions affecting communities and the lives of individual religious are made by managerial-type boards (sometimes including total outsiders as experts or advisers). The decisions are those of the quasi-anonymous 'leadership team' -- and are often the cause of considerable personal suffering to the individuals affected. Anonymous decision-making, whether within religious congregations or within the bishops' conference, though sometimes necessary, can often be a mask behind which moral weakness and lack of real leadership take refuge. Demoralisation is the result. It is time to change.

From the beginnings of the Church in Ireland, the monastic ideal set the general cultural pattern of Christianity. The renewal of the life of the modern Catholic Church will depend in the final analysis on the extent to which that monastic ideal once again ignites the imagination of the present generation.

The recovery of the various traditions of consecrated life, in particular those devoted to teaching and health care, is greatly needed to promote a genuine plurality of spiritualities and ministries within the Church. There is an urgent need for religious sisters and brothers to witness to Christ, to be the human face of the Church in the schools and in the hospital wards. All religious houses should become once again oases of prayer, personal and communal, within the desert of the modern city. The more strictly contemplative orders (male and female Cistercians, Benedictines, as well as female Dominicans, Poor Clares, Redemptorists, etc.) remain the primary witness to the unum necessarium because of the radical nature of their enclosed way of life. Such orders have often been the pioneers in the liturgical renewal. From the beginnings of the Church in Ireland, the monastic ideal set the general cultural pattern of Christianity. The renewal of the life of the modern Catholic Church will depend in the final analysis on the extent to which that monastic ideal once again ignites the imagination of the present generation.

Beyond Church and State

Father Twomey's discussion of Church--State relations entails, necessarily, an exploration of the immutability and objectivity of natural law, morality in public life, democratic pluralism, and relativism. The following analysis is, to my mind, spot on:

...Partly in reaction to the various ideologies, which in the twentieth century caused such havoc and suffering to millions of people throughout the world, there is an understandable tendency today to shun anything that might smack of ideology, intransigeance, or the 'imposition' of any particular value system. The only option worth considering, it is claimed, is a pluralism not only of various cultural traditions but even a pluralism of what are misleadingly called 'moral values'.... Morality, in the final analysis, it is claimed, is something subjective, even irrational, and thus can be reduced to personal preference or sincere 'feelings', which must be consigned to the private sphere (provided that they cause others no harm). Such subjective 'feelings', obviously cannot be 'imposed' on society as a whole. But moral relativism, as even secular commentators are coming to recognize more and more, is a serious threat to democracy and the moral health of the political community.

I haven't yet finished the book, and if I continue giving copious extracts from the text, I risk violating some sort of copyright law. You don't have to be Irish or Irish-American to benefit intellectually and spiritually from The End of Irish Catholicism. Father Twomey ends the book, however, with this anecdote, and I can't resist ending with it here.

An tAthair Peader Ó Laoghaire in his biography Mo Scéal Féin (p. 25) tells of his own experience in bringing the Viaticum:

When I anointed one of the old people and gave him the Sacred Body and then when he would say, 'My Lord Jesus Christ is my Love! My lasting love is He!' my breath would catch, my heart beat faster and tears pour down from my eyes, so that I would have yo turn aside a little.

This is the 'soul' of the Irish Catholic tradition, the spark that kept the embers glowing in the centuries that saw the destruction of its cultural richness. May it be rekindled among us! Come, Holy Spirit...

Vespers -- Evening Prayer

Vespers (Evening Prayer)

Introduction

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 here.

Psalm 109 (110) The Messiah, king and priest

Royal power is yours in the day of your strength, glorious and holy; from the time of your birth, before the dawn.

The Lord has said to my lord:

“Sit at my right hand

while I make your enemies your footstool.”

From Zion the Lord will give you a sceptre,

and you will rule in the midst of your foes.

Royal power is yours in the day of your strength,

among the sacred splendours.

Before the dawn, I begot you from the womb.

The Lord has sworn, and he will not repent:

“You are a priest for ever,

a priest of the priesthood of Melchisedech.”

The Lord is at your right hand,

and on the day of his anger he will shatter kings.

He will drink from the stream as he goes –

he will hold his head high.

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.

Royal power is yours in the day of your strength, glorious and holy; from the time of your birth, before the dawn.

Psalm 129 (130) Out of the depths

With the Lord there is kindness and abundant redemption.

Out of the depths I have cried to you, Lord:

Lord, hear my voice.

Let your ears listen out

for the voice of my pleading.

If you took notice of our transgressions, Lord –

Lord, who would be left?

But with you is forgiveness,

and for this we revere you.

I rely on you, Lord,

my spirit relies on your promise;

my soul hopes in the Lord,

more than the watchman for daybreak.

More than the watchman for daybreak,

let Israel hope in the Lord:

for with the Lord there is kindness

and abundant redemption.

He himself will redeem Israel

from all its transgressions.

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.

With the Lord there is kindness and abundant redemption.

Canticle	(Colossians 1)

Christ, firstborn of all creatures and firstborn from the dead

In the beginning, before all time, God was the Word: he has been born today, the Saviour of the world.

Let us give thanks to God the Father,

who has made us worthy to share in the light that is the saints’ inheritance.

He has rescued us from the power of the shadows

and brought us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,

in whom we have redemption

and the forgiveness of sins.

He is the image of the invisible God,

the first-born of all creation,

for in him all things were created,

in heaven and on earth,

visible and invisible,

thrones and dominations,

principalities and powers.

All things were created through him and for him:

he is before all things,

and in him all things hold together.

And he is the head of the body, the Church.

He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead,

and so he is pre-eminent above all.

For it was the Father’s will that the fullness of God should dwell in him,

and that through him all things should be reconciled to himself.

Through the blood of the Cross he brought peace to all things,

both on Earth and in the heavens.

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.

In the beginning, before all time, God was the Word: he has been born today, the Saviour of the world.

Short reading	(2 Peter 1:3-4) ©

By his divine power, Christ has given us all the things that we need for life and for true devotion, bringing us to know God himself, who has called us by his own glory and goodness. In making these gifts, he has given us the guarantee of something very great and wonderful to come: through them you will be able to share the divine nature and to escape corruption in a world that is sunk in vice.

Short Responsory

The Word was made flesh. Alleluia, alleluia.

– The Word was made flesh. Alleluia, alleluia.

And dwelt amongst us. Alleluia, alleluia.

– The Word was made flesh. Alleluia, alleluia.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

– The Word was made flesh. Alleluia, alleluia.

Canticle	Magnificat

My soul rejoices in the Lord

We give you glory, Mother of God, because Christ was born to you. Keep in safety all who give you glory.

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

and my spirit rejoices in God, my salvation.

For he has shown me such favour –

me, his lowly handmaiden.

Now all generations will call me blessed,

because the mighty one has done great things for me.

His name is holy,

his mercy lasts for generation after generation

for those who revere him.

He has put forth his strength:

he has scattered the proud and conceited,

torn princes from their thrones;

but lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things;

the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel,

he has remembered his mercy as he promised to our fathers,

to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

We give you glory, Mother of God, because Christ was born to you. Keep in safety all who give you glory.

Prayers and Intercessions

Out of Bethlehem in Judaea came a leader, Jesus Christ, to guide his holy people. Let us acclaim him with joy:

– Lord, may your grace be with us.

Christ our Saviour, all peoples yearn for you. Spread your good news to every place that has not yet received the word of life,

and draw all men to yourself.

– Lord, may your grace be with us.

Christ our Lord, extend your church, spread out its tents

to cover every nation and every tongue.

– Lord, may your grace be with us.

King of kings, guide the hearts and souls of rulers:

seeking justice, may they bring peace and freedom to all peoples.

– Lord, may your grace be with us.

Omnipotent ruler, strengthener of those who are vulnerable: when people are tempted, keep them strong; when they fall, raise them up; when they go into danger, protect them.

Console the broken and despairing and give faith to those who doubt.

– Lord, may your grace be with us.

Consoler of the sad, comfort the dying

and lead them to the springs of your living water.

– Lord, may your grace be with us.

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.

Almighty God, may the new birth of your only-begotten Son bring us freedom

and liberate us from the age-old burden of sin.

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

Luke
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Luke 2
36.	And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser; she was far advanced in years, and had lived with her husband seven years from her virginity.	Et erat Anna prophetissa, filia Phanuel, de tribu Aser : hæc processerat in diebus multis, et vixerat cum viro suo annis septem a virginitate sua.	και ην αννα προφητις θυγατηρ φανουηλ εκ φυλης ασηρ αυτη προβεβηκυια εν ημεραις πολλαις ζησασα ετη μετα ανδρος επτα απο της παρθενιας αυτης
37.	And she was a widow until fourscore and four years; who departed not from the temple, by fastings and prayers serving night and day.	Et hæc vidua usque ad annos octoginta quatuor : quæ non discedebat de templo, jejuniis, et obsecrationibus serviens nocte ac die.	και αυτη χηρα ως ετων ογδοηκοντα τεσσαρων η ουκ αφιστατο απο του ιερου νηστειαις και δεησεσιν λατρευουσα νυκτα και ημεραν
38.	Now she, at the same hour, coming in, confessed to the Lord; and spoke of him to all that looked for the redemption of Israel.	Et hæc, ipsa hora superveniens, confitebatur Domino : et loquebatur de illo omnibus, qui exspectabant redemptionem Israël.	και αυτη αυτη τη ωρα επιστασα ανθωμολογειτο τω κυριω και ελαλει περι αυτου πασιν τοις προσδεχομενοις λυτρωσιν εν ιερουσαλημ
39.	And after they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their city Nazareth.	Et ut perfecerunt omnia secundum legem Domini, reversi sunt in Galilæam in civitatem suam Nazareth.	και ως ετελεσαν απαντα τα κατα τον νομον κυριου υπεστρεψαν εις την γαλιλαιαν εις την πολιν εαυτων ναζαρετ
40.	And the child grew, and waxed strong, full of wisdom; and the grace of God was in him.	Puer autem crescebat, et confortabatur plenus sapientia : et gratia Dei erat in illo.	το δε παιδιον ηυξανεν και εκραταιουτο πνευματι πληρουμενον σοφιας και χαρις θεου ην επ αυτο

36. And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity;
37. And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.
38 And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise to the Lord, and spoke of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

AMBROSE; Simeon had prophesied, a woman united in marriage had prophesied, a virgin had prophesied, it was meet also that a widow should prophesy, that there might lack no sex or condition of life, and therefore it is said, And there was one Anna a prophetess.

THEOPHYL. The Evangelist dwells some time on the account of Anna, mentioning both her father's tribe, and adding, as it were, many witnesses who knew her father and her tribe.

GREG. NYSS. Or because at that time there were several others who were called by the same name, that there might be a plain way of distinguishing her, he mentions her father, and describes the quality of her parents.

AMBROSE; Now Anna, both from the duties of her widowhood and her manner of life, is found to be such that she is thought worthy to announce the Redeemer of the world. As it follows, She was of a great age, and had lived with her husband, &c.

ORIGEN; For the Holy Spirit dwelt not by chance in her. For the highest blessing, if any can possess it, is the grace of virginity, but if this cannot be, and it chance to a woman to lose her husband, let her remain a widow, which indeed not only after the death of her husband, but even while he is living, she ought to have in her mind, that supposing it should not happen, her will and determination might be crowned by the Lord, and her words should be, "This I vow, and promise, that if a certain condition of this life be mine, (which yet I wish not,) I will do nothing else but remain inviolate and a widow." Most justly then was this holy woman thought worthy to receive the gift of prophecy, because by long chastity and long fastings she had ascended to this height of virtue, as It follows, Who departed not from the temple with fastings and prayers, &c.

ORIGEN; From which it is plain that she possessed a multitude of other virtues, and mark how she resembles Simeon in his goodness, for they were both in the temple together, anti both counted worthy of prophetic grace, as it follows, And she coming in at this very instant, gave thanks to the Lord.

THEOPHYL. That is, returned thanks for seeing in Israel the Savior of the world, and she confessed of Jesus that He was the Redeemer and the Savior. Hence it follows, And she spoke of him to all, &c.

ORIGEN; But because Anna's words were nothing remarkable, and of no great note respecting Christ, the Gospel does not give the particulars of what she said, and perhaps for this reason one may suppose that Simeon anticipated her, since he indeed bore the character of the law, (for his name signifies obedience,) but she the character of grace, (which her name is by interpretation,) and Christ came between them. Therefore He let Simeon depart dying with the law, but Anna he sustains living beyond through grace.

THEOPHYL; According to the mystical meaning, Anna signifies the Church, who at present is indeed a widow by the death of her Husband ; the number also of the years of her widowhood marks the time of the Church, at which established in the body, she is separated from the Lord. For seven times twelve make eighty-four, seven indeed referring to the course of this world, which revolves in seven days; but twelve had reference to the perfection of Apostolic teaching, and therefore the Universal Church, or any faithful soul which strives to devote the whole period of its life to the following of Apostolic practice, is said to serve the Lord for eighty-four years. The term also of seven years, during which she lived with her husband, coincides. For through the prerogative of our Lord's greatness, whereby abiding in the flesh, He taught, the simple number of seven years was taken to express the sign of perfection. Anna also favors the mysteries of the Church, being by interpretation its "grace," and being both the daughter of Phanuel, who is called "the face of God," and descended from the tribe of Aser, i.e. the blessed.

39. And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth.
40. And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.

THEOPHYL; Luke has omitted in this place what he knew to have been sufficiently set forth by Matthew, that the Lord after this, for fear that He should be discovered and put to death by Herod, was carried by His parents into Egypt, and at Herod's death, having at length returned to Galilee, came to dwell in His own city Nazareth. For the Evangelists individually are wont to omit certain things which they either know to have been, or in the Spirit foresee will be, related by others, so that in the connected chain of their narrative, they seem as it were to have omitted nothing, whereas by examining the writings of another Evangelist, the careful reader may discover the places where the omissions have been. Thus after omitting many things, Luke says, And when they had accomplished all things, &c.

THEOPHYL. Bethlehem was indeed their city, their paternal city, Nazareth the place of their abode.

AUG. Perhaps it may strike you as strange that Matthew should say that His parents went with the young Child into Galilee because they were unwilling to go to Judea for fear of Archelaus, when they seem to have gone into Galilee rather because their city w as Nazareth in Galilee, as Luke in this place explains it. But we must consider, that when the Angel said in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, Rise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel, it was at first understood by Joseph as a command to go into Judea, for so at first sight the land of Israel might have been taken to mean. But when afterwards he finds that Herod's son Archelaus was king, he was unwilling to be exposed to that danger, seeing the land of Israel might also be understood to include Galilee also as a part of it, for there also the people of Israel dwelt.

GREEK EX. Or again, Luke is here describing the time before the descent to Egypt, for before her purification Joseph had not taken Mary there But before they went down into Egypt, they were not told by God to go to Nazareth but as living more freely in their own country, thither of their own accord they went; for since the going up to Bethlehem was for no other reason but the taxing, when that was accomplished they go down to Nazareth.

THEOPHYL. Now our Lord might have come forth from the womb in the stature of mature age, but this would seem like something imaginary; therefore His growth is gradual, as it follows, And the child grew, and waxed strong.

THEOPHYL; We must observe the distinction of words, that the Lord Jesus Christ in that He w as a child, that is, had put on the condition of human weakness, was daily growing and being strengthened.

ATHAN. But if as some say the flesh was changed into a Divine nature, how did it derive growth? for to attribute growth to an uncreated substance is impious.

CYRIL; Rightly with the A growth in age, St. Luke has united increase in wisdom, as he says, And he was strengthened, (i.e. in spirit.) For in proportion to the measure of bodily growth, the Divine nature developed its own wisdom.

THEOPHYL. For if while yet a little child, He had displayed His wisdom, He would have seemed a miracle, but together with the advance of age He gradually showed Himself, so as to fill the whole world. For not as receiving wisdom is He said to be strengthened in spirit. For that which is most perfect in the beginning, how can that become any more perfect. Hence it follows, Filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was in him.

THEOPHYL; Wisdom truly, for in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, but grace, because it was in great grace given to the man Christ Jesus, that from the time He began to be man He should be perfect man and perfect God. But much rather because He was the word of God, and God needed not to be strengthened, nor was in a state of growth. But while He was yet a little child He had the grace of God, that as in Him all things were wonderful, His childhood also might be wonderful, so as to be filled with the wisdom of God. It follows, And his parents went every year to Jerusalem, at the feast of the Passover.

Catena Aurea Luke 2

Presentation of the Lord

Giovanni Bellini
1460-64

Regnum Christi

A Child and Wonder

| SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

Wednesday, The Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas

Father Ernest Daly, LC

Luke 2:36-40

There was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage, and then as a widow until she was 84. She never left the Temple, but worshipped night and day with fasting and prayer. And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem. When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

Introductory Prayer:Lord, I come like Anna today to live the one thing necessary in my life: my relationship with you. I believe that you are faithful to your promises. I believe that you will triumph over sin and death. I love you, Lord.

Petition:Lord, help me to see how I can become a better witness to you.

1. She Worshipped We all have something we worship. Wisdom teaches us whom we should truly worship: God alone. God deserves our full hearts, because he is the one who is our true Father. In worship we rediscover our greatest treasure, as did the Prodigal Son: “I will return to my Father’s house” (Luke 15:18). In worship we return to that place where we are most deeply welcomed and cared for, to that place where we discover our true friend, where we become more deeply our true selves. Worship also opens us to receive God’s graces. It helps us appreciate the gifts that God wants to give us. Do I strive to worship God with all my heart, mind and soul during the Eucharistic Celebration?

2. She Spoke about the Child to All Prayer and worship here on earth do not end only in going to church. They allow us to discover the good news about God’s love so that we can also share this good news with others. Prayer that does not lead us to evangelize is self-deception. Our Holy Father shows us this intimate connection between prayer and evangelization. He invites us to give to others what we have discovered in being close to Christ. He challenges us to bring others to Christ. Am I living this contemplative and active spirit?

3. The Child Grew and Became Strong, and the Favor of God Was upon Him Christmas is a message of hope. God is quietly preparing the future. A child and a young person are reminders that God does not give up on the world, that in each generation he can find new ways of bringing his salvation to all mankind. Am I youthful, spiritually speaking? Am I always trying to learn what God wants to teach me each day, striving to form those virtues that will make me a better instrument of God’s grace? As one who follows Christ, I should have confidence that God’s favor also rests on me, that he looks with great love at my humble and often hidden efforts, that in spite of my weakness he is helping others through me to see the good news that he is present and active in their lives.

Conversation with Christ: Lord, I thank you for your presence and care. You have made me in your image, and in the presence of your Son I discover the depths of your love. Help me to grow in wonder at your love today, and help me to bring your good news to others.

Resolution: Today I will spend a quiet moment before the child Jesus and thank him for his presence here among us. I will also strive in a particular way to be cheerful and friendly to everyone I meet.

Homily of the Day

God Wants You to Be Filled Full

December 30th, 2009 by Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.

1 Jn 2:12-17 / Lk 2:36-40

“Carnal allurements, enticements for the eye, the life of empty show….” Those words from today’s first reading seem especially cogent as we stand in the wake of Christmas, awash in bills and overdosed on the shopping mall culture with its urgent pressures to buy and consume. There comes to mind the familiar line of W. C. Fields in reference to a town he scorned: “There is no there there.”

So what and where is the “there” in us? What are we at the core? Is there anything more substantial than what we can get from the culture of the mall? There comes a point at which we need to decide quite consciously and deliberately to construct a life that has some weight and fiber to it.

We do that on a variety of levels, beginning with our relation with the Lord, which needs to go well beyond the surface if it’s to mean anything at all. That God relationship will in turn give us the foundations upon which to build friendships that last, friendships that flower into service and the sharing of life.

Don’t settle for emptiness. God wants us to be filled full. That’s why He sent His only Son to be our brother and to show each of us how to build a life that is a life.

One Bread, One Body

<< Wednesday, December 30, 2009 >>

Saint of the Day

1 John 2:12-17
View Readings

Psalm 96:7-10

Luke 2:36-40

WORLD WAR

"The world with its seductions is passing away but the man who does God's will endures forever." —1 John 2:17

"The way we can be sure of our knowledge of [Jesus] is to keep His commandments" (1 Jn 2:3). The summary (Rm 13:9) and "fulfillment" (Gal 5:14) of all the commandments is to love our neighbor as ourselves (Lk 10:27). Nonetheless, we can't love until we first receive God's love (1 Jn 4:19). Moreover, we can't receive God's love if we love the world, that system which operates irrespective of Jesus' Lordship.

Therefore, we must "have no love for the world, nor the things that the world affords. If anyone loves the world, the Father's love has no place in him" (1 Jn 2:15). If we are set upon the things of this world, we are enemies of the cross (Phil 3:18-19). If we compromise with the world and make friends with it, we make ourselves God's enemies (Jas 4:4).

Accordingly, at the cross we must be crucified to the world and the world to us (Gal 6:14). Otherwise we don't receive God's love and therefore don't give it. We disobey the Lord's commandment to love, and this prevents us from having a personal relationship with Jesus. Love for the world robs us of salvation and eternal happiness.

Prayer: Father, fill me with Your love as I empty myself of the things that the world affords (1 Jn 2:16).

Promise: "She was constantly in the temple, worshipping day and night in fasting and prayer. Coming on the scene at this moment, she gave thanks to God and talked about the Child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem." —Lk 2:37-38

Praise: After encountering Jesus, Lyla turned off her TV and turned on worship music.

Compline -- Night Prayer

Compline (Night Prayer)

Introduction

O God, come to my aid.

O Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen. Alleluia.

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

Hymn

Now that the daylight dies away,

By all thy grace and love,

Thee, Maker of the world, we pray

To watch our bed above.

Let dreams depart and phantoms fly,

The offspring of the night,

Keep us, like shrines, beneath thine eye,

Pure in our foe’s despite.

This grace on thy redeemed confer,

Father, co-equal Son,

And Holy Ghost, the Comforter,

Eternal Three in One.

Psalm 30 (31) Trustful prayer in time of adversity

O God, protect me; be my refuge.

In you, Lord, I put my trust: may I never be put to shame.

In your justice, set me free,

Turn your ear to me,

make haste to rescue me.

Be my rampart, my fortification;

keep me safe.

For you are my strength and my refuge:

you will lead me out to the pastures,

for your own name’s sake.

You will lead me out of the trap that they laid for me –

for you are my strength.

Into your hands I commend my spirit:

you have redeemed me, Lord God of truth.

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.

O God, protect me; be my refuge.

Psalm 129 (130) Out of the depths

Out of the depths I have cried to you, Lord.

Out of the depths I have cried to you, Lord:

Lord, hear my voice.

Let your ears listen out

for the voice of my pleading.

If you took notice of our transgressions, Lord –

Lord, who would be left?

But with you is forgiveness,

and for this we revere you.

I rely on you, Lord,

my spirit relies on your promise;

my soul hopes in the Lord,

more than the watchman for daybreak.

More than the watchman for daybreak,

let Israel hope in the Lord:

for with the Lord there is kindness

and abundant redemption.

He himself will redeem Israel

from all its transgressions.

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.

Out of the depths I have cried to you, Lord.

Reading	Ephesians 4:26-27

Be angry if you must, but do not sin: do not let your anger outlast the sunset: do not give the Devil his chance.

Short Responsory

Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.

– Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.

You have redeemed us, Lord, God of faithfulness.

– Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

– Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.

Canticle	Nunc Dimittis

Keep us safe, Lord, while we are awake, and guard us as we sleep, so that we can keep watch with Christ and rest in peace.

Now, Master, you let your servant go in peace.

You have fulfilled your promise.

My own eyes have seen your salvation,

which you have prepared in the sight of all peoples.

A light to bring the Gentiles from darkness;

the glory of your people Israel.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

Keep us safe, Lord, while we are awake, and guard us as we sleep, so that we can keep watch with Christ and rest in peace.

Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, you lay a gentle yoke upon those who follow you. Meek and humble, you give them a light burden to carry. Receive the work and the prayers we have offered to you today; and give us rest, to make us more eager to serve you, who live and reign for ever and ever, Amen.

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

A M E N

	Alma Redemptoris Mater

Revered mother of our Redeemer,

the way to heaven for us, now and always,

come to our help as we fall and strive to rise.

All nature stood still in wonder

when you gave flesh

to your own flesh’s Creator.

Virgin at Gabriel’s greeting,

Virgin now and always –

take pity on us sinners.