Jan 07, Invitatory for Saturday of the 2nd week of Christmas

Lord, open my lips.
– And my mouth will proclaim your praise.

Ant. Christ is born for us; come, let us adore him.

Psalm 95

Come, let us sing to the Lord
and shout with joy to the Rock who saves us.
Let us approach him with praise and thanksgiving
and sing joyful songs to the Lord.

Ant.

The Lord is God, the mighty God,
the great king over all the gods.
He holds in his hands the depths of the earth
and the highest mountains as well
He made the sea; it belongs to him,
the dry land, too, for it was formed by his hands.

Ant.

Come, then, let us bow down and worship,
bending the knee before the Lord, our maker,
For he is our God and we are his people,
the flock he shepherds.

Ant.

Today, listen to the voice of the Lord:
Do not grow stubborn, as your fathers did in the wilderness,
when at Meriba and Massah they challenged me and provoked me,
Although they had seen all of my works.

Ant.

Forty years I endured that generation.
I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray
and they do not know my ways.”
So I swore in my anger,
“They shall not enter into my rest.”

Ant.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. Christ is born for us; come, let us adore him.

Jan 07, Office of Readings for Saturday of the 2nd week of Christmas

Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. I:
Ordinary: 649
Propers: 539
Psalter: Saturday, Week II, 906

Christian Prayer:
Does not contain Office of Readings.

Office of Readings for Saturday before Epiphany

God, come to my assistance.
– Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.

HYMN

Of the Father’s heart begotten
Ere the world from chaos rose,
He is Alpha: from that Fountain,
All that is and hath been flows;
He is Omega, of all things
Yet to come the mystic Close,
Evermore and evermore.

By his word was all created;
He commanded and ’twas done;
Earth and sky and boundless ocean,
Universe of three in one,
All that sees the moon’s soft radiance,
All that breathes beneath the sun,
Evermore and evermore.

He assumed this mortal body,
Frail and feeble, doomed to die,
That the race from dust created
Might not perish utterly,
Which the dreadful Law had sentenced
In the depths of hell to lie,
Evermore and evermore.

O how blest that wondrous birthday,
When the Maid the curse retrieved,
Brought to birth mankind’s salvation,
By the Holy Ghost conceived,
And the Babe, the world’s Redeemer,
In her loving arms received,
Evermore and evermore.

This is he, whom seer and sybil
Sang in ages long gone by;
This is he of old revealed
In the page of prophecy;
Lo! he comes, the promised Saviour;
Let the world his praises cry!
Evermore and evermore.

Sing, ye heights of heaven, his praises;
Angels and Archangels, sing!
Wheresoe’er ye be, ye faithful,
Let your joyous anthems ring,
Every tongue his name confessing,
Countless voices answering,
Evermore and evermore.

“Of the Father’s Heart Begotten” by Choir Of King’s College, Cambridge/Ian Hare/Sir David Willcocks; Words: Corde Natus Ex Parentis, Marcus Aurelius Clemens Prudentius (348-405); Trans. Mr. R. F. Davis; Music: “Divinum Mysterium,” Sanctus trope, 11th Century

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 Remember us, O Lord; come with your saving help.

Psalm 106
The goodness of the Lord; the faithlessness of his people
These things have been written for a warning for us, for we are living at the end of the ages (1 Corinthians 10:11).

I

O give thanks to the Lord for he is good:
for his love endures for ever.
Who can tell the Lord’s mighty deeds?
Who can recount all his praise?

They are happy who do what is right,
who at all times do what is just.
O Lord, remember me
out of the love you have for your people.

Come to me, Lord, with your help
that I may see the joy of your chosen ones
and may rejoice in the gladness of your nation
and share the glory of your people.

Our sin is the sin of our fathers;
we have done wrong, our deeds have been evil.
Our fathers when they were in Egypt
paid no heed to your wonderful deeds.

They forgot the greatness of your love;
at the Red Sea defied the Most High.
Yet he saved them for the sake of his name,
in order to make known his power.

He threatened the Red Sea; it dried up
and he led them through the deep as through the desert.
He saved them from the hand of the foe;
he saved them from the grip of the enemy.

The waters covered their oppressors;
not one of them was left alive.
Then they believed in his words;
then they sang his praises.

But they soon forgot his deeds
and would not wait upon his will.
They yielded to their cravings in the desert
and put God to the test in the wilderness.

He granted them the favor they asked
and sent disease among them.
Then they rebelled, envious of Moses and of Aaron,
who was holy to the Lord.

The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan
and buried the clan of Abiram.
Fire blazed up against their clan
and flames devoured the rebels.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. Remember us, O Lord; come with your saving help.

Ant. 2 Keep it carefully in mind; the Lord your God has made a covenant with you.

II

They fashioned a calf at Horeb
and worshiped an image of metal,
exchanging the God who was their glory
for the image of a bull that eats grass.

They forgot the God who was their savior,
who had done such great things in Egypt,
such portents in the land of Ham,
such marvels at the Red Sea.

For this he said he would destroy them,
but Moses, the man he had chosen,
stood in the breach before him,
to turn back his anger from destruction.

Then they scorned the land of promise:
they had no faith in his word.
They complained inside their tents
and would not listen to the voice of the Lord.

So he raised his hand to swear an oath
that he would lay them low in the desert;
would scatter their sons among the nations
and disperse them throughout the lands.

They bowed before the Baal of Peor;
ate offerings made to lifeless gods.
They roused him to anger with their deeds
and a plague broke out among them.

Then Phinehas stood up and intervened.
Thus the plague was ended
and this was counted in his favor
from age to age for ever.

They provoked him at the waters of Meribah.
Through their fault it went ill with Moses;
for they made his heart grow bitter
and he uttered words that were rash.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. Keep it carefully in mind; the Lord your God has made a covenant with you.

Ant. 3 Save your people, Lord; bring us together from among the nations.

III

They failed to destroy the peoples
as the Lord had given command,
but instead they mingled with the nations
and learned to act as they did.

They worshiped the idols of the nations
and these became a snare to entrap them.
They even offered their own sons
and their daughters in sacrifice to demons.

They shed the blood of the innocent,
the blood of their sons and daughters
whom they offered to the idols of Canaan.
The land was polluted with blood.

So they defiled themselves by their deeds
and broke their marriage bond with the Lord
till his anger blazed against his people:
he was filled with horror at his chosen ones.

So he gave them into the hand of the nations
and their foes became their rulers.
Their enemies became their oppressors;
they were subdued beneath their hand.

Time after time he rescued them,
but in their malice they dared to defy him
and sank low through their guilt.
In spite of this he paid heed to their distress,
so often as he heard their cry.

For their sake he remembered his covenant.
In the greatness of his love he relented
and he let them be treated with mercy
by all who held them captive.

O Lord, our God, save us!
Bring us together from among the nations
that we may thank your holy name
and make it our glory to praise you.

Blessed be the Lord, God of Israel,
for ever, from age to age.
Let all the people cry out:
“Amen! Amen! Alleluia!”

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm-prayer

God, our Creator, how wonderfully you made man. You transformed dust into your own image and gave it a share in your own nature; yet you are more wonderful in pardoning the man who had rebelled against you. Grant that where sin has abounded, grace may more abound, so that we can become holier through forgiveness and be more grateful to you.

Ant. Save your people, Lord; bring us together from among the nations.

Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell)
A moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church.

In these last days God has spoken to us through his Son.
– The Word through whom he made all things.

READINGS

First reading
From the book of the prophet Isaiah
61:1-11
The Spirit of the Lord is upon his servant

The spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me;
He has sent me to bring glad tidings to the lowly,
to heal the brokenhearted,

To proclaim liberty to the captives
and release to the prisoners,
To announce a year of favor from the Lord
and a day of vindication by our God,
to comfort all who mourn;
To place on those who mourn in Zion
a diadem instead of ashes,
To give them oil of gladness in place of mourning,
a glorious mantle instead of a listless spirit.
They will be called oaks of justice,
planted by the Lord to show his glory.

They shall rebuild the ancient ruins,
the former wastes they shall raise up
And restore the ruined cities,
desolate now for generations.

Strangers shall stand ready to pasture your flocks,
foreigners shall be your farmers and vinedressers.
You yourselves shall be named priests of the Lord,
ministers of our God you shall be called.
You shall eat the wealth of the nations
and boast of riches from them.

Since their shame was double
and disgrace and spittle were their portion,
They shall have a double inheritance in their land,
everlasting joy shall be theirs.

For I, the Lord, love what is right,
I hate robbery and injustice;
I will give them their recompense faithfully,
a lasting covenant I will make with them.

Their descendants shall be renowned among the nations,
and their offspring among the peoples;
All who see them shall acknowledge them
as a race the Lord has blessed.

I rejoice heartily in the Lord,
in my God is the joy of my soul;
For he has clothed me with a robe of salvation,
and wrapped me in a mantle of justice,
Like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem,
like a bride bedecked with her jewels.

As the earth brings forth its plants,
and a garden makes its growth spring up,
So will the Lord God make justice and praise
spring up before all the nations.

RESPONSORY Isaiah 61:1; John 8:42

The Spirit of God rests upon me, for the Lord has anointed me; and he has sent me to bring good news to the poor,
– To heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim that captivity is now ended and prisoners are set free.

I have come forth from God and have come into the world. I did not come of myself; the Father has sent me.
– To heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim that captivity is now ended and prisoners are set free.

Second reading
From a sermon by Saint Augustine, bishop
God became man so that man might become God

Beloved, our Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal creator of all things, today became our Savior by being born of a mother. Of his own will he was born for us today, in time, so that he could lead us to his Father’s eternity. God became man so that man might become God. The Lord of angels became man today so that man could eat the bread of angels.

Today, the prophecy is fulfilled that said: Pour down, heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the just one: let the earth be opened and bring forth a savior. The Lord who had created all things is himself now created, so that he who was lost would be found. Thus man, in the words of the psalmist, confesses:Before I was humbled, I sinned. Man sinned and became guilty; God is born a man to free man from his guilt. Man fell, but God descended; man fell miserably, but God descended mercifully; man fell through pride, God descended with his grace.

My brethren, what miracles! What prodigies! The laws of nature are changed in the case of man. God is born. A virgin becomes pregnant with man. The Word of God marries the woman who knows no man. She is now at the same time both mother and virgin. She becomes a mother, yet she remains a virgin. The virgin bears a son, yet she does not know man; she remains untouched, yet she is not barren. He alone was born without sin, for she bore him without the embrace of a man, not by the concupiscence of the flesh but by the obedience of the mind.

RESPONSORY 1 John 4:14; 1:9

We have seen with our own eyes and we bear witness:
– the Father sent his own Son to be the Savior of the world.

He has come to take away the burden of our sins and to cleanse us of every stain of evil.
– The Father sent his own Son to be the Savior of the world.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Almighty ever-living God,
who were pleased to shine forth with new light
through the coming of your Only Begotten Son,
grant, we pray,
that, just as he was pleased to share our bodily form
through the childbearing of the Virgin Mary,
so we, too, may one day merit
to become companions in his kingdom of grace.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
– Amen.

ACCLAMATION (only added when praying in community)

Let us praise the Lord.
– And give him thanks.

Jan 07, Morning Prayer for Saturday of the 2nd week of Christmas

Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. I:
Ordinary: 653
Propers: 543
Psalter: Saturday, Week II, 911

Christian Prayer:
Ordinary: 689
Propers: tbd
Psalter: Saturday, Week II, 845

Morning Prayer for Saturday before Epiphany

God, come to my assistance.
– Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.

HYMN

Es ist ein Ros entsprungen,
aus einer Wurzel zart,
wie uns die Alten sungen,
von Jesse war die Art
Und hat ein Blümlein bracht
mitten im kalten Winter,
wohl zu der halben Nacht.

Das Röslein, das ich meine,
davon Jesaia sagt,
ist Maria die reine
die uns das Blümlein bracht.
Aus Gottes ew’gem Rat
hat sie ein Kind geboren
und blieb ein reine Magd.

Das Blümelein, so kleine,
das duftet uns so süß,
mit seinem hellen Scheine
vertreibt’s die Finsternis.
Wahr Mensch und wahrer Gott,
hilft uns aus allem Leide,
rettet von Sünd und Tod.

Literal translation

A rose has sprung up,
from a tender root.
As the old ones sang to us,
Its lineage was from Jesse.
And it has brought forth a floweret
In the middle of the cold winter
Well at half the night.

The rosebud that I mean,
Of which Isaiah told
Is Mary, the pure,
Who brought us the floweret.
At God’s immortal word,
She has borne a child
Remaining a pure maid.

The floweret, so small
That smells so sweet to us
With its clear light
Dispels the darkness.
True man and true God!
He helps us from all trouble,
Saves us from sin and death.

Es ist ein Ros’ Entsprungen by Mignarda; “Es ist ein Ros entsprungen” (“A rose has sprung up”), most commonly translated to English as “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming” or “A Spotless Rose”, is a Christmas carol and Marian Hymn of German origin.

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 As morning breaks we sing of your mercy, Lord, and night will find us proclaiming your fidelity.

Psalm 92
Praise of God the Creator
Sing in praise of Christ’s redeeming work (Saint Athanasius).

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to make music to your name, O Most High,
to proclaim your love in the morning
and your truth in the watches of the night,
on the ten-stringed lyre and the lute,
with the murmuring sound of the harp.

Your deeds, O Lord, have made me glad;
for the work of your hands I shout with joy.
O Lord, how great are your works!
How deep are your designs!
The foolish man cannot know this
and the fool cannot understand.

Though the wicked spring up like grass
and all who do evil thrive,
they are doomed to be eternally destroyed.
But you, Lord, are eternally on high.
See how your enemies perish;
all doers of evil are scattered.

To me you give the wild ox’s strength;
you anoint me with the purest oil.
My eyes looked in triumph on my foes;
my ears heard gladly of their fall.
The just will flourish like the palm tree
and grow like a Lebanon cedar.

Planted in the house of the Lord
they will flourish in the courts of our God,
still bearing fruit when they are old,
still full of sap, still green,
to proclaim that the Lord is just.
In him, my rock, there is no wrong.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm-prayer

Take our shame away from us, Lord, and make us rejoice in your saving works. May all who have been chosen by your Son always abound in works of faith, hope, and love in your service.

Ant. As morning breaks we sing of your mercy, Lord, and night will find us proclaiming your fidelity.

Ant.2 Extol the greatness of our God.

Canticle – Deuteronomy 32:1-12
God’s kindness to his people
How often I have longed to gather your children as a hen gathers her brood under her wing (Matthew 23:37).

Give ear, O heavens, while I speak;
let the earth hearken to the words of my mouth!
May my instruction soak in like the rain,
and my discourse permeate like the dew,
Like a downpour upon the grass,
like a shower upon the crops.

For I will sing the Lord’s renown.
Oh, proclaim the greatness of our God!
The Rock – how faultless are his deeds,
how right all his ways!
A faithful God, without deceit,
how just and upright he is!

Yet basely has he been treated by his degenerate children,
a perverse and crooked race!
Is the Lord to be thus repaid by you,
O stupid and foolish people?
Is he not your father who created you?
Has he not made you and established you?

Think back on the days of old,
reflect on the years of age upon age.
Ask your father and he will inform you,
ask your elders and they will tell you:

When the Most High assigned the nations their heritage,
when he parceled out the descendants of Adam,
He set up the boundaries of the peoples
after the number of the sons of God;
While the Lord’s own portion was Jacob,
His hereditary share was Israel.

He found them in a wilderness,
a wasteland of howling desert.
He shielded them and cared for them,
guarding them as the apple of his eye.

As an eagle incites its nestlings forth
by hovering over its brood,
So he spread his wings to receive them
and bore them up on his pinions.
The Lord alone was their leader,
no strange god was with him.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. Extol the greatness of our God.

Ant. 3 How wonderful is your name, O Lord, in all creation.

Psalm 8
The majesty of the Lord and man’s dignity
The Father gave Christ lordship of creation and made him head of the Church (Ephesians 1:22).

How great is your name, O Lord our God,
through all the earth!

Your majesty is praised above the heavens;
on the lips of children and of babes
you have found praise to foil your enemy,
to silence the foe and the rebel.

When I see the heavens, the work of your hands,
the moon and the stars which you arranged,
what is man that you should keep him in mind,
mortal man that you care for him?

Yet you have made him little less than a god;
with glory and honor you crowned him,
gave him power over the works of your hands,
put all things under his feet.

All of them, sheep and cattle,
yes, even the savage beasts,
birds of the air, and fish
that make their way through the waters.

How great is your name, O Lord our God
through all the earth!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm-prayer

Almighty Lord, how wonderful is your name. You have made every creature subject to you; make us worthy to give you service.

Ant. How wonderful is your name, O Lord, in all creation.

READING Isaiah 9:5

A child is born to us, a son is given us;
upon his shoulder dominion rests.
They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero,
Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.

Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell) – a moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church.

RESPONSORY

The Lord has made known, alleluia, alleluia.
– The Lord has made known, alleluia, alleluia.

His saving power.
– Alleluia, alleluia.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
– The Lord has made known, alleluia, alleluia.

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH

Ant. He is the one of whom it has been written: Christ is born in Israel; his kingdom will last for ever.

Luke 1:68 – 79
The Messiah and his forerunner

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. He is the one of whom it has been written: Christ is born in Israel; his kingdom will last for ever.

INTERCESSIONS

All the ends of the earth have seen Jesus Christ, the saving power of God. Let us praise him and cry out in joy:
– Glory be to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Redeemer of all, you came to tear down the walls separating Jew from Gentile,
root out the prejudices which erode the depths of our humanity.
– Glory be to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Through your incarnation and your birth you established your presence among us,
teach us to recognize the many forms of your presence in the Church and in one another.
– Glory be to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

You are the fullest revelation of God to men and women,
show us how we can assent to your word with integrity of faith and action.
– Glory be to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

You are God-with-us, wondrously transforming all creation,
let every heart, every voice, every deed throughout the universe now be transformed.
– Glory be to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

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.

Concluding Prayer

Almighty ever-living God,
who were pleased to shine forth with new light
through the coming of your Only Begotten Son,
grant, we pray,
that, just as he was pleased to share our bodily form
through the childbearing of the Virgin Mary,
so we, too, may one day merit
to become companions in his kingdom of grace.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
– Amen.

DISMISSAL

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life.
– Amen.

Jan 07, Midday Prayer for Saturday of the 2nd week of Christmas

Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. I:
Ordinary: 658
Propers: 544
Psalter: Saturday, Week II, 916

Midday Prayer (Sext) for Saturday before Epiphany, using Current Psalmody

God, come to my assistance.
– Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.

HYMN

This is the truth sent from above,
The truth of God, the God of love:
Therefore don’t turn me from your door,
But hearken all, both rich and poor.

The first thing which I do relate
Is that God did man create,
The next thing which to you I’ll tell,
Woman was made with man to dwell.

Then, after this, ’twas God’s own choice
To place them both in Paradise,
There to remain, from evil free,
Except they ate of such a tree.

But they did eat, which was a sin,
And thus their ruin did begin.
Ruined themselves, both you and me,
And all of their posterity.

Thus we were heirs to endless woes,
Till God the Lord did interpose,
And so a promise soon did run,
That he would redeem us by his Son.

“This is the truth sent from above” by Lichfield Cathedral Choir ; English folk carol of unknown authorship; Collected in the early part of the 20th century by English folk song collectors in Shropshire and Herefordshire;

PSALMODY

Ant. Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.

Psalm 119:81-88
XI (Caph)

I yearn for your saving help;
I hope in your word.
My eyes yearn to see your promise.
When will you console me?

Though parched and exhausted with waiting
I have not forgotten your commands.
How long must your servant suffer?
When will you judge my foes?

For me the proud have dug pítfalls,
against your law.
Your commands are all true; then help me
when líes oppress me.

They almost made an end of me on earth
but I kept your precepts.
Because of your love give me lífe
and I will do your wíll.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm-prayer

When evil seems to triumph, Lord, and our hope begins to fail, give us courage and perseverance in doing your will.

Psalm 61
Prayer of an exile
The prayer of the just man who places his hope in the things of heaven (Saint Hilary).

O God, hear my cry!
Listen to my prayer!
From the end of the earth I call:
my heart is faint.

On the rock too high for me to reach
set me on high,
O you who have been my refuge,
my tower against the foe.

Let me dwell in your tent for ever
and híde in the shelter of your wings.
For you, O God, hear my prayer,
grant me the heritage of those who fear you.

May you lengthen the life of the king:
may his years cover many generations.
May he ever sit enthroned before God:
bid love and truth be his protection.

So I will always praise your name
and day after day fulfill my vows.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm-prayer

Lord Jesus, love and truth of the Father, you came to earth to relieve the pain of our exile, you took our weakness as your own. Uphold us when our hearts grow faint until we stand with you before God and praise your name.

Psalm 64
Prayer for help against enemies
This psalm commemorates most particularly our Lord’s passion (Saint Augustine).

Hear my voice, O God, as I complain,
guard my lífe from dread of the foe.
Híde me from the band of the wícked,
from the throng of those who do evil.

They sharpen their tongues like swords;
they aim bitter words like arrows
to shoot at the ínnocent from ambush,
shooting suddenly and recklessly.

They scheme their evil course;
they conspíre to lay secret snares.
They say: “Who will see us?
Who can search out our crímes?”

He will search who searches the mínd
and knows the depth of the heart.
God has shot them with his arrow
and dealt them sudden wounds.
Their own tongue has brought them to ruin
and all who see them mock.

Then will all men fear;
they will tell what God has done.
They will understand God’s deeds.
The just will rejoice in the Lord
and fly to hím for refuge.
All the upright hearts will glory.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm-prayer

Father, you gave your Son victory over those who plotted evil against him; when he cried to you in his agony, you delivered him from the fear of his enemies. May those who suffer with him in this life find refuge and success in you.

Ant. Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.

READING Isaiah 12:5-6

Sing praise to the Lord for his glorious achievement;
let this be known throughout all the earth.
Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,
for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.

Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell)
A moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church.

All the ends of the earth, alleluia.
– Have seen the saving power of God, alleluia.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Almighty ever-living God,
who were pleased to shine forth with new light
through the coming of your Only Begotten Son,
grant, we pray,
that, just as he was pleased to share our bodily form
through the childbearing of the Virgin Mary,
so we, too, may one day merit
to become companions in his kingdom of grace.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
– Amen.

ACCLAMATION (only added when praying in community)

Let us praise the Lord.
– And give him thanks.

Jan 07, Evening Prayer I – Solemnity for Raymond of Penyafort, P

Ribbon Placement:
urgy of the Hours Vol. I:
Ordinary: 490
Propers: 432
Psalms and canticle from the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 1345

Christian Prayer:
Ordinary: 694
Propers: 178
Psalms and canticle from the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 1378

Evening Prayer I for the Solemnity of Epiphany

God, come to my assistance.
– Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.

HYMN

As with gladness, men of old
Did the guiding star behold
As with joy they hailed its light
Leading onward, beaming bright
So, most glorious Lord, may we
Evermore be led to Thee.

As with joyful steps they sped
To that lowly manger bed
There to bend the knee before
Him Whom Heaven and earth adore;
So may we with willing feet
Ever seek Thy mercy seat.

As they offered gifts most rare
At that manger rude and bare;
So may we with holy joy,
Pure and free from sin’s alloy,
All our costliest treasures bring,
Christ, to Thee, our heavenly King.

Holy Jesus, every day
Keep us in the narrow way;
And, when earthly things are past,
Bring our ransomed souls at last
Where they need no star to guide,
Where no clouds Thy glory hide.

In the heavenly country bright,
Need they no created light;
Thou its Light, its Joy, its Crown,
Thou its Sun which goes not down;
There forever may we sing
Alleluias to our King!

“As with gladness, men of old” by The Choir of King’s College, Cambridge; Words: William C. Dix, 1860. He wrote this hymn on the day of the Epiphany, while sick in bed; it was first published in his Hymns of Love and Joy.

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 Begotten of the Father before the daystar shone or time began, the Lord our Savior has appeared on earth today.

Psalm 135
Praise for the wonderful things God does for us
He has won us for himself… and you must proclaim what he has done for you. He has called you out of darkness into his own wonderful light (see 1 Peter 2:9).

I

Praise the name of the Lord,
praise him, servants of the Lord,
who stand in the house of the Lord
in the courts of the house of our God.

Praise the Lord for the Lord is good.
Sing a psalm to his name for he is loving.
For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself
and Israel for his own possession.

For I know that the Lord is great,
that our Lord is high above all gods.
The Lord does whatever he wills,
in heaven, on earth, in the seas.

He summons clouds from the ends of the earth;
makes lightning produce the rain;
from his treasuries he sends forth the wind.

The first-born of the Egyptians he smote,
of man and beast alike.
Signs and wonders he worked
in the midst of your land, O Egypt,
against Pharaoh and all his servants.

Nations in their greatness he struck
and kings in their splendor he slew.
Sihon, king of the Amorites,
Og, the king of Bashan,
and all the kingdoms of Canaan.
He let Israel inherit their land;
on his people their land he bestowed.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. Begotten of the Father before the daystar shone or time began, the Lord our Savior has appeared on earth today.

Ant. 2 Great is the Lord, our God, transcending all other gods.

II

Lord, your name stands for ever,
unforgotten from age to age,
for the Lord does justice for his people;
the Lord takes pity on his servants.

Pagan idols are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.
They have mouths but they cannot speak;
they have eyes but they cannot see.

They have ears but they cannot hear;
there is never a breath on their lips.
Their makers will come to be like them
and so will all who trust in them!

Sons of Israel, bless the Lord!
Sons of Aaron, bless the Lord!
Sons of Levi, bless the Lord!
You who fear him, bless the Lord!

From Zion may the Lord be blessed,
he who dwells in Jerusalem!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. Great is the Lord, our God, transcending all other gods.

Ant. 3 The star burned like a flame, pointing the way to God, the King of kings; the wise men saw the sign and brought their gifts in homage to their great King.

Canticle – See 1 Timothy 3:16
The mystery and glory of Christ

– Praise the Lord, all you nations.
Christ manifested in the flesh,
Christ justified in the Spirit.
– Praise the Lord, all you nations.

Christ contemplated by the angels,
Christ proclaimed by the pagans.
– Praise the Lord, all you nations.

Christ who is believed in the world,
Christ exalted in glory.
– Praise the Lord, all you nations.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. The star burned like a flame, pointing the way to God, the King of kings; the wise men saw the sign and brought their gifts in homage to their great King.

READING 2 Timothy 1:9-10

God has saved us and has called us to a holy life, not because of any merit of ours but according to his own design — the grace held out to us in Christ Jesus before the world began but now made manifest through the appearance of our Savior. He has robbed death of its power and has brought life and immortality into clear light through the gospel.

Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell) – a moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church.

RESPONSORY

All peoples will be blessed in him, men and women of every race.
– All peoples will be blessed in him, men and women of every race.

All nations will acclaim his glory.
– Men and women of every race.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
– All peoples will be blessed in him, men and women of every race.

CANTICLE OF MARY

Ant. Seeing the star, the wise men said: This must signify the birth of some great king. Let us search for him and lay our treasures at his feet: gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Luke 1:46-55
The soul rejoices in the Lord

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.

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

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. Seeing the star, the wise men said: This must signify the birth of some great king. Let us search for him and lay our treasures at his feet: gold, frankincense and myrrh.

INTERCESSIONS

Today our Savior was adored by the Magi. Let us also worship him with joy as we pray:
– Save the poor, O Lord.

King of the nations, you called the Magi to adore you as the first representatives of the nations,
give us a willing spirit of adoration and service.
– Save the poor, O Lord.

King of glory, you judge your people with justice,
grant mankind an abundant measure of peace.
– Save the poor, O Lord.

King of ages, you endure from age to age,
send your word as fresh spring rain falling on our hearts.
– Save the poor, O Lord.

King of justice, you desire to free the poor who have no advocate,
be compassionate to the suffering and the afflicted.
– Save the poor, O Lord.

Lord, your name is blessed for all ages,
show the wonders of your saving power to our deceased brothers and sisters.
– Save the poor, O Lord.

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.

Concluding Prayer

May the splendor of your majesty,
O Lord, we pray,
shed its light upon our hearts,
that we may pass through the shadows of this world
and reach the brightness of our eternal home.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
– Amen.

DISMISSAL

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life.
– Amen.

Jan 07, Night Prayer for Saturday of the 2nd week of Christmas

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Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours:
Vol I, page 1169
Vol II, Page 1619
Vol III, Page 1264
Vol IV, Page 1233

Christian Prayer:
Page 1034

Night Prayer after Evening Prayer I

God, come to my assistance.
– Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.

Examination of conscience:

We are called to have a clear conscience toward God and toward men, in our hearts and in our minds, in our actions and inactions. To do so, it is vital that we examine our conscience daily and to ask for God’s mercy as we fall short and to ask for His strength to do better.

Lord, Jesus you healed the sick:
Lord, have mercy
– Lord have mercy

Lord Jesus, you forgave sinners:
Christ, have mercy.
– Christ, have mercy.

Lord Jesus, you give us yourself to heal us and bring us strength:
Lord, have mercy
– Lord have mercy

HYMN

O Christ, Who art the Light and Day,
Thou drivest darksome night away!
We know Thee as the Light of light
Illuminating mortal sight.

All holy Lord, we pray to Thee,
Keep us tonight from danger free;
Grant us, dear Lord, in Thee to rest,
So be our sleep in quiet blest.

Let not the tempter round us creep
With thoughts of evil while we sleep,
Nor with his wiles the flesh allure
And make us in Thy sight impure.

And while the eyes soft slumber take,
Still be the heart to Thee awake,
Be Thy right hand upheld above
Thy servants resting in Thy love.

Yea, our defender, be Thou nigh,
To bid the powers of darkness fly;
Keep us from sin, and guide for good
Thy servants purchased by Thy blood.

Remember us, dear Lord, we pray,
While in this mortal flesh we stay:
’Tis Thou who dost the soul defend -
Be present with us to the end.

All praise to God the Father be.
All praise, eternal Son, to Thee
Whom with the Spirit we adore
Forever and forevermore.

Amen.

Words: Latin, before 800.; Translated by: William J. Copeland and others, 1906; Alfreton, Saint Bartholomew, Christe qui lux
O Christ Who Art The Light And Day by Cambridge Singers is available from Amazon.com.

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 Have mercy, Lord, and hear my prayer.

Psalm 4
Thanksgiving
The resurrection of Christ was God’s supreme and wholly marvelous work (Saint Augustine).

When I call, answer me, O God of justice;
from anguish you released me, have mercy and hear me!

O men, how long will your hearts be closed,
will you love what is futile and seek what is false?

It is the Lord who grants favors to those whom he loves;
the Lord hears me whenever I call him.

Fear him; do not sin: ponder on your bed and be still
Make justice your sacrifice, and trust in the Lord.

“What can bring us happiness?” many say.
Let the light of your face shine on us, O Lord.

You have put into my heart a greater joy
than they have from abundance of corn and new wine.

I will lie down in peace and sleep comes at once
for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. Have mercy, Lord, and hear my prayer.

Ant. 2 In the silent hours of night, bless the Lord.

Psalm 134
Evening prayer in the temple
Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great (Revelation 19:5).

O come, bless the Lord,
all you who serve the Lord,
who stand in the house of the Lord,
in the courts of the house of our God.

Lift up your hands to the holy place
and bless the Lord through the night.

May the Lord bless you from Zion,
he who made both heaven and earth.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. In the silent hours of night, bless the Lord.

READING Deuteronomy 6:4-7

Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone! Therefore, you shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. Take to heart these words which I enjoin on you today. Drill them into your children. Speak of them at home and abroad, whether you are busy or at rest.

RESPONSORY

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

You have redeemed us, Lord God of truth.
– I commend my spirit.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
– Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.

Gospel Canticle

Ant. Protect us, Lord, as we stay awake; watch over us as we sleep, that awake, we may keep watch with Christ, and asleep, rest in his peace.

Luke 2:29-32
Christ is the light of the nations and the glory of Israel

Lord, now you let your servant go in peace;
your word has been fulfilled:

my own eyes have seen the salvation
which you have prepared in the sight of every people:

a light to reveal you to the nations
and the glory of your people Israel.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. Protect us, Lord, as we stay awake; watch over us as we sleep, that awake, we may keep watch with Christ, and asleep, rest in his peace.

Concluding Prayer

Lord,
be with us throughout this night.
When day comes may we rise from sleep
to rejoice in the resurrection of your Christ,
who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
– Amen.

Blessing

May the all-powerful Lord grant us a restful night and a peaceful death.
– Amen.

Antiphon or song in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Saint Raymond of Peñafort, Priest

Saint Raymond of Peñafort, Priest
Optional Memorial
January 7th

unknown artist

Saint Raymond of Peñafort (1175-1275) was born in Barcelona, Spain; he was the third superior general of the Domincian Order. He is famous for his efforts to abolish slavery. He wrote five books of Decretals which are now a valuable part of the Canon Law of the Church. The Summa de Casibus Penitentæ, which is about the correct and fruitful administration of the Sacrament of Penance, is the most notable of his works.

Collect:
O God, who adorned the Priest Saint Raymond
with the virtue of outstanding mercy and compassion
for sinners and for captives,
grant us, through his intercession, that, released from slavery to sin,
we may carry out in freedom of spirit
what is pleasing to you.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. +Amen.

First Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:14-20
For the love of Christ controls us, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And He died for all, that those who live might live no longer for themselves but for Him who for their sake died and was raised.

From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once regarded Christ from a human point of view, we regard Him thus no longer. Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. So we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. We beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

Gospel Reading: Luke 12:35-40
"Let your loins be girded and your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the marriage feast, so that they may open to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes; truly, I say to you, he will gird himself and have them sit at table, and he will come and serve them. If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those servants! But know this, that if the householder had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. You also must be ready; for the Son of man is coming at an unexpected hour."

SAINT RAYMOND OF PENAFORT Confessor, 1175-1275 [Catholic Caucus]
St. Raymond of Penafort [Penyafort], priest

Information: St. Raymond Penyafort

Feast Day:	January 7
Born:	1175 at Penafort, Catalonia, Spain
Died:	6 January 1275 at Barcelona, Spain
Canonized:	29 April 1601 by Pope Clement VIII
Patron of:	canon lawyers, lawyers

Interactive Saints for Kids

St. Raymond of Penyafort

Feast Day: January 07
Born: 1175 :: Died: 1275

Raymond was born in a little town called Penafort near Barcelona, Spain and his family belonged to Aragonian nobility. He studied at the cathedral school in Barcelona and became a famous teacher of Philosophy when he was twenty. After Raymond became a priest he studied law in Bologna, Italy and became a lawyer. Then he joined the Dominican order in 1218.

In 1230, Pope Gregory IX asked this dedicated priest to come to Rome. When Raymond arrived, the pope gave him several duties. One duty was to collect all the official letters of the popes since 1150. Raymond gathered and published five volumes and also helped to write the Church law.

In 1238, Raymond was elected master general of the Dominicans. With his knowledge of law, he went over the Order's Rule and made sure everything was legally correct. After he had finished, he resigned his position in 1240 so that he could truly dedicate the rest of his life to parish work. That is what he really wanted.

The pope wanted to make Raymond an archbishop, but Raymond refused. He asked if he could return to Spain and was given permission. He was overjoyed to be in parish work. His compassion helped many people return to God through the sacrament of Reconciliation.

During his years in Rome, Raymond often heard stories of the difficulties that missionaries faced trying to reach non-Christians of Northern Africa and Spain. To help the missionaries, Raymond started a school that taught the language and culture of the people to be evangelized.

Also, Father Raymond asked the famous Dominican, St. Thomas Aquinas, to write a booklet explaining the truths of faith in a way that nonbelievers could understand.

St. Raymond lived nearly one hundred years and died in Barcelona on January 6, 1275. He was declared the patron of Church lawyers because of his great influence on Church law.

John
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	John 2
1.	AND the third day, there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee: and the mother of Jesus was there.	Et die tertia nuptiæ factæ sunt in Cana Galilææ, et erat mater Jesu ibi.	και τη ημερα τη τριτη γαμος εγενετο εν κανα της γαλιλαιας και ην η μητηρ του ιησου εκει
2.	And Jesus also was invited, and his disciples, to the marriage.	Vocatus est autem et Jesus, et discipuli ejus, ad nuptias.	εκληθη δε και ο ιησους και οι μαθηται αυτου εις τον γαμον
3.	And the wine failing, the mother of Jesus saith to him: They have no wine.	Et deficiente vino, dicit mater Jesu ad eum : Vinum non habent.	και υστερησαντος οινου λεγει η μητηρ του ιησου προς αυτον οινον ουκ εχουσιν
4.	And Jesus saith to her: Woman, what is that to me and to thee? my hour is not yet come.	Et dicit ei Jesus : Quid mihi et tibi est, mulier ? nondum venit hora mea.	λεγει αυτη ο ιησους τι εμοι και σοι γυναι ουπω ηκει η ωρα μου
5.	His mother saith to the waiters: Whatsoever he shall say to you, do ye.	Dicit mater ejus ministris : Quodcumque dixerit vobis, facite.	λεγει η μητηρ αυτου τοις διακονοις ο τι αν λεγη υμιν ποιησατε
6.	Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three measures apiece.	Erant autem ibi lapideæ hydriæ sex positæ secundum purificationem Judæorum, capientes singulæ metretas binas vel ternas.	ησαν δε εκει υδριαι λιθιναι εξ κειμεναι κατα τον καθαρισμον των ιουδαιων χωρουσαι ανα μετρητας δυο η τρεις
7.	Jesus saith to them: Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.	Dicit eis Jesus : Implete hydrias aqua. Et impleverunt eas usque ad summum.	λεγει αυτοις ο ιησους γεμισατε τας υδριας υδατος και εγεμισαν αυτας εως ανω
8.	And Jesus saith to them: Draw out now, and carry to the chief steward of the feast. And they carried it.	Et dicit eis Jesus : Haurite nunc, et ferte architriclinio. Et tulerunt.	και λεγει αυτοις αντλησατε νυν και φερετε τω αρχιτρικλινω και ηνεγκαν
9.	And when the chief steward had tasted the water made wine, and knew not whence it was, but the waiters knew who had drawn the water; the chief steward calleth the bridegroom,	Ut autem gustavit architriclinius aquam vinum factam, et non sciebat unde esset, ministri autem sciebant, qui hauserant aquam : vocat sponsum architriclinius,	ως δε εγευσατο ο αρχιτρικλινος το υδωρ οινον γεγενημενον και ουκ ηδει ποθεν εστιν οι δε διακονοι ηδεισαν οι ηντληκοτες το υδωρ φωνει τον νυμφιον ο αρχιτρικλινος
10.	And saith to him: Every man at first setteth forth good wine, and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse. But thou hast kept the good wine until now.	et dicit ei : Omnis homo primum bonum vinum ponit et cum inebriati fuerint, tunc id, quod deterius est. Tu autem servasti bonum vinum usque adhuc.	και λεγει αυτω πας ανθρωπος πρωτον τον καλον οινον τιθησιν και οταν μεθυσθωσιν τοτε τον ελασσω συ τετηρηκας τον καλον οινον εως αρτι
11.	This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee; and manifested his glory, and his disciples believed in him.	Hoc fecit initium signorum Jesus in Cana Galilææ ; et manifestavit gloriam suam, et crediderunt in eum discipuli ejus.	ταυτην εποιησεν την αρχην των σημειων ο ιησους εν κανα της γαλιλαιας και εφανερωσεν την δοξαν αυτου και επιστευσαν εις αυτον οι μαθηται αυτου

1. And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:
2. And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.
3. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus said to him, They have no wine.
4. Jesus said to her, Woman, what have I to do with you? My hour is not yet come.

CHRYS. Our Lord being known in Galilee, they invite Him to a marriage: And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee.

ALCUIN. Galilee is a province; Cana a village in it.

CHRYS. They invite our Lord to the marriage, not as a great person, but merely as one they knew, one of the many; for which reason the Evangelist says, And the mother of Jesus was there. As they invited the mother, so they invited the Son: and therefore,

Jesus was called, and His disciples to the marriage: and He came, as caring more for our good, shall His own dignity. He who disdained not to take upon Him the form of a servant, disdained not to come to the marriage of servants.

AUG. Let the proud man blush to see the humility of God. Lo, among other things, the Son of the Virgin comes to a marriage; He who, when He was with the Father, instituted marriage.

BEDE. His condescension in coming to the marriage, and the miracle He wrought there, are, even considering them in the letter only, a strong confirmation of the a faith. Therein too are condemned the errors of Tatian, Marcion, and others who detract from the honor of marriage. For if the undefiled bed, and the marriage celebrated with due chastity, partook at all of sin, our Lord would never have come to one. Whereas now, conjugal chastity being good, the continence of widows better, the perfection of the virgin state best, to sanction all these degrees, but distinguish the merit of each, He deigned to be born of the pure womb of the Virgin; was blessed after birth by the prophetic voice of the widow Anna; and now invited in manhood to attend the celebration of a marriage, honors that also by the presence of His goodness.

AUG. What marvel, if He went to that house to a marriage, Who came into this world to a marriage. For here He has His spouse whom He redeemed with His own blood, to whom He gave the pledge of the Spirit, and whom He united to Himself in the womb of the Virgin. For the Word is the Bridegroom, and human flesh the bride, and both together are one Son of God and Son of man. That womb of the Virgin Mary is His chamber, from which he went forth as a bridegroom.

BEDE. Nor is it without some mysterious allusion, that the marriage is related as taking place on the third day. The first age of the world, before the giving of the Law, was enlightened by the example of the Patriarchs; the second, under the Law, by the writings of the Prophets; the third, under grace, by the preaching of the Evangelists, as if by the light of the third day; for our Lord had now appeared in the flesh. The name of the place too where the marriage was held, Cana of Galilee, which means, desire of migrating, has a typical signification, viz. that those are most worthy of Christ, who burn with devotional desires, and have known the passage from vice to virtue, from earthly to eternal things.

The wine was made to fail, to give our Lord the opportunity of making better; that so the glory of God in man might be brought out of its hiding place: And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, They have no wine.

CHRYS. But how came it into the mother's mind to expect so great a thing from her Son? for he had done no miracle as yet: as we read afterwards This beginning of miracles did Jesus. His real nature, however, was beginning now to be revealed by John, and His own conversations with His disciples; besides that His conception, and the circumstances of His birth, had from the first given rise to high expectations in her mind: as Luke tells us, His mother kept all these sayings in her heart. Why then did she never ask Him to work a miracle before? Because the time had now come that He should be made known. Before He had lived so much like an ordinary person, that she had not had the confidence to ask Him. But now that she heard that John had borne witness to Him, and that He had disciples, she asks Him confidently.

ALCUIN. She represents here the Synagogue, which challenges Christ to perform a miracle. It was customary with the Jews to ask for miracles.

Jesus said to her, Woman, what have I to do with you?

AUG. Some who derogate from the Gospel, and say that Jesus was not born of the Virgin Mary, try to draw an argument for their error from this place; for, how, say they, could she be His mother to whom He said, What have I to do with you? Now who is it who gives this account, and on whose authority do we believe it? The Evangelist John. But he himself says, The mother of Jesus was there. Why should He say it, unless both were true. But did He therefore come to the marriage to teach men to despise their mother?

CHRYS. That He greatly venerated His mother, we know from St. Luke, who tells us that He was subject unto His parents. For where parents throw no obstacle in the way of God's commands, it is our duty to be subject to them; but when they demand any thing at an unseasonable time, or cut us off from spiritual things, we should not be deceived into compliance.

AUG. To mark a distinction between His Godhead and manhood, that according to His manhood He was inferior and subject, but according to His Godhead supreme, He said, Woman, what have I to do with you?

CHRYS. And for another reason, viz. to prevent any suspicion attaching to His miracles: for these it was proper should be asked for by those who wanted them, not by His mother. He wished to show them that He would perform all in their proper time, not all at once, to prevent confusion; for He said, Mine hour is not yet come; i.e. I am not yet known to the persons present; nay, they know not that the wine has failed; let them find out that first; he who perceives not his want beforehand, will not perceive when his want is supplied.

AUG. Or it was because our Lord as God had not a mother, though as man He had, and the miracle He was about to work was the act of His Divinity, not of human infirmity. When therefore His mother demanded a miracle, He, as though not acknowledging a human birth, when about to perform a divine work, said, Woman, what have I to do with you? As if He said, You did not beget that in Me, which works the miracle, My Divinity. (She is called woman, with reference to the female sex, not to any injury of her virginity.) But because you brought forth My infirmity, I will acknowledge you then, when that very infirmity shall hang on the cross. And therefore He adds, Mine hour is not yet come: as if to say, I will acknowledge you when the infirmity, of which you are the mother, shall hang from the cross. He commended His mother to the disciple, when about to die, and to rise again, before her death. But note; just as the Manicheans have found an occasion of error and pretext for their faithlessness in our Lord's word, What have I to do with you? in the same way the astrologers support theirs from the words, Mine hour is not yet come. For, say they, if Christ had not been under the power of fate, He would never have said this. But let them believe what hat God says below, I have power to lay it (my life) down, and I have power to take it again: and then let them ask, why He says, Mine hour is not yet come: nor let them on such a ground subject the Creator of heaven to fate; seeing that, even were there a fatality in the stars, the Maker of the stars could not be under the dominion of the stars. And not only had Christ nothing to do with fate, as you call it; but neither have you, or any other man. Wherefore said He then, Mine hour is not yet come? Because He had the power to die when He pleased, but did not think it expedient yet to exert the power He was to call the disciples; to proclaim the Kingdom of heaven, to do marvelous works, to approve His divinity by miracles, His humility by partaking of the sufferings of our mortal state. And when He had done all, then the hour was come, not of destiny, but of will, not of obligation, but of power.

5. His mother said to the servants, Whatsoever he says to you, do it.
6. And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.
7. Jesus said to them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.
8. And he said to them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bore it.
9. When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom,
10. And said to him, Every man at the beginning does set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but you have kept the good wine until now.
11. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.

CHRYS. Although He had said, Mine hour is not yet come, He afterwards did what His mother told Him, in order to show plainly, that He was not under subjection to the hour. For if He was, how could He have done this miracle before the hour appointed for it? In the next place, He wished to show honor to His mother, and make it appear that He did not go counter to her eventually. He would not put her to shame in the presence of so many; especially as she had sent the servants to Him, that the petition might come from a number, and not from herself only; His mother said to the servants, Whatsoever He says to you, do it.

BEDE; As if she said, Though He appear to refuse, He will do it nevertheless. She knew His pity and mercifulness. And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. Hydriae are vessels to hold water: hydor being the Greek for water.

ALCUIN. Vessels to hold water were there, after the manner of the purifying of Jews. Among other traditions of the Pharisees, they observed frequent washings

CHRYS Palestine being a dry country, with few fountains or wells, they used to fill waterpots with water, to prevent the necessity of going to the river, if they were unclean, and to have materials for washing at hand. To prevent any unbeliever from suspecting that a very thin wine was made by the dregs having been left in the vessels, and water poured in upon them, He says expressly, According to the manner of the purifying of the Jews: which shows that those vessels were never used to hold wine.

AUG. A firkin is a certain measure; as urn, amphora, and the like. Metron is the Greek for measure: whence metreta. Two or three, is not to be taken to mean some holding two, others three, but the same vessels holding two or three.

Jesus said to them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.

CHRYS. But why did He not perform the miracle before they had filled the waterpots, which would have been much more wonderful; inasmuch as it is one thing to change the quality of some existing substance, another to make it that substance out of nothing? The latter miracle would be the more wonderful, but the former would be the more easy of belief.

And this principle often acts as a check, to moderate the greatness of our Lord's miracles: He wishes to make them more credible, therefore He makes them less marvelous; a refutation this of the perverse doctrine of some, that He was a different Being from the Maker of the world. For we see He performs most of His miracles upon subject-matter already existing, whereas were He contrary to the Creator of the world, He would not use a material thus alien, to demonstrate His own power.

He did not draw out the water Himself which He made wine, but ordered the servants to do so. This was for the sake of having witnesses of the miracle; And He said to them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast.

ALCUIN. The Triclinium is a circle of three couches, cline signifying couch: the ancients used to recline upon couches. And the Architriclinus is the one at the head of the Triclinium, i.e. the chief of the guests. Some say that among the Jews, He was a priest, and attended the marriage in order to instruct in the duties of the married state.

CHRYS Or thus; It might be said that the guests were drunken, and could not, in the confusion of their senses, tell whether it were water or wine. But this objection could not be brought against the attendants, who must have been sober, being occupied wholly in performing the duties of their service gracefully and in order. Our Lord therefore bid the attendants bear to the governor of the feast; who again would of course be perfectly sober. He did not say, Give to the guests to drink.

HILARY; Water is poured into the waterpots; wine is drawn out into the chalices; the senses of the drawer out agree not with the knowledge of the pourer in. The pourer in thinks that water is drawn out; the drawer out thinks that wine was poured in. When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was, (but the servants who drew the water knew,) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom. It was not a mixture, but a creation: the simple nature of water vanished, and the flavor of wine was produced; not that a weak dilution was obtained, by means of some strong infusion, but that which was, was annihilated; and that which was not, came to be.

CHRYS. Our Lord wished the power of His miracles to be seen gradually; and therefore He did not reveal what He had done Himself, nor did the ruler of the feast call upon the servants to do so; (for no credit would have been given to such testimony concerning a mere man, as our Lord was supposed to be,) but He called the bridegroom, who was best able to see what was done. Christ moreover did not only make wine, but the best wine. And (the ruler of the feast) said to him, Every man at the beginning does set forth good wine, and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse; but you have kept the good wine until now. The effects of the miracles of Christ are more beautiful and better than the productions of nature. So then that the water was made wine, the servants could testify; that it was made good wine, the ruler of the feast and the bridegroom.

It is probable that the bridegroom made some answer; but the Evangelist omits it, only mentioning what it was necessary for us to know, viz. the water being made wine. He adds, This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee. It was very necessary to work miracles just then, when His devoted disciples were all collected, and present at the place, attending to what was going on.

ID. Should any say that there is not sufficient proof of this being the beginning of miracles, because it is added, in Cana of Galilee, as if some had been preferred elsewhere: we answer, as we did before, that John says below, That He might be made manifest to Israel, therefore have I come baptizing. Now if He had performed miracles in the earlier part of His life, the Jews would not have wanted another person to point Him out. If our Lord in a short time became so distinguished for the number of His miracles, that His Name was known to every one, would He not have been much more so, had He worked miracles from His earliest years? for the things themselves would have been the more extraordinary, being performed by a Child, and in so long a time must have become notorious. It was fit and proper however that He should not begin to work miracles at so early an age: for men would have thought the Incarnation a fantasy, and in the extremity of envy would have delivered Him to be crucified before the appointed time.

AUG. This miracle of our Lord's, turning the water into wine, is no miracle to those who know that God worked it. For the Same that day made wine in the waterpots, Who every year makes wine in the vine: only the latter is no longer wonderful, because it happens uniformly. And therefore it is that God keeps some extraordinary acts in store for certain occasions, to rouse men out of their lethargy, and make them worship Him. Thus it follows, He manifested forth His glory.

ALCUIN. He was the King of glory, and changed the elements because He was their Lord.

CHRYS. He manifests His glory, as far as related to His own act; and if at the time many knew it not, yet was it afterwards to be heard and known of all. And His disciples believed in Him. It was probable that these would believe more readily, and give more attention to what went on.

AUG. If now for the first time they believed on Him, they were not His disciples when they came to the marriage. This however is a form of speech, such as saying that the Apostle Paul was born in Tarsus of Cilicia; not meaning by this that he was an Apostle then. In the same way when we hear of Christ's disciples being invited to the marriage, we should understand not disciples already, but who were to be disciples.

AUG. But see the mysteries which lie hid in that miracle of our Lord. It was necessary that all things should be fulfilled in Christ which were written of Him: those Scriptures were the water. He made the water wine when He opened to them the meaning of these things, and expounded the Scriptures; for thus that came to have a taste which before had none, and that inebriated, which did not inebriate before.

BEDE; At the time of our Lord's appearing in the flesh, the sweet vinous taste of the law had been weakened by the carnal interpretations of the Pharisees.

AUG. Now if He ordered the water to be poured out, and then introduced the wine from the hidden recesses of creation, He would seem to have rejected the Old Testament. But converting, as He did, the water into wine, He showed us that the Old Testament was from Himself; for it was as by His order that the waterpots were filled. But those Scriptures have no meaning, if Christ be not understood there. Now we know from what time the law dates, viz. from the foundation of the world. From that time to this are six ages; the first reckoning from Adam to Noah; the second, from Noah to Abraham; the third, from Abraham to David; the fourth, from David to the carrying away into Babylon; the fifth, from that time to John the Baptist; the sixth, from John the Baptist to the end of the world. The six waterpots then denote these six ages of prophecy. The prophecies are fulfilled; the waterpots are full. But what is the meaning of their holding two or three firkins apiece? Had He said three only, our minds would have run immediately to the mystery of the Trinity. Nor perhaps can we reject it, even though it is said, two or three: for the Father and the Son being named, the Holy Ghost may be understood by consequence; inasmuch as it is the love between the Father and the Son, which is the Holy Ghost. Nor should we pass over another interpretation, which makes the two firkins alluded to the two races of men, the Jews and the Greeks; and the three to the three sons of Noah.

ALCUIN. The servants are the doctors of the New Testament, who interpret the holy Scripture to others spiritually; the ruler of the feast is some lawyer, as Nicodemus, Gamaliel, or Saul. When to the former then is committed the word of the Gospel, hid under the letter of the law, it is the water made wine, being set before the ruler of the feast. And the three rows of guests at table in the house of the marriage are properly mentioned; the Church consisting of three orders of believers, the married, the continent, and the doctors. Christ has kept the good wine until now, i.e. He has deferred the Gospel till this, the sixth age.

Catena Aurea John 2

Marriage at Cana

Giusto de' Menabuoi

1376-78
Fresco
Baptistry, Padua

Catholic

Almanac:

Saturday, January 7
Liturgical Color: White
Pope Pius V was elected pope on this day in 1566. During his reign, Pope Pius implemented the decrees of the Council of Trent. These decrees continued the reformation of the Church after the rise of Protestantism.

Catholic Culture

Daily Readings for: January 07, 2012
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: O God, who adorned the Priest Saint Raymond with the virtue of outstanding mercy and compassion for sinners and for captives, grant us, through his intercession, that, released from slavery to sin, we may carry out in freedom of spirit what is pleasing to you. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

RECIPES

ACTIVITIES

PRAYERS

Christmas: January 7th

Optional Memorial of St. Raymond of Penafort, priest; St. Andre Bessette, religious (Can)

Born in Barcelona, Spain, St. Raymond of Penafort was the third Superior-General of the Domincan Order. He is famous for his work in the freeing of slaves. He wrote five books of Decretals which are now a valuable part of the Canon Law of the Church. The Summa Casuum, which is about the correct and fruitful administration of the Sacrament of Penance, is the most notable of his works.

The Church in Canada celebrates the feast of St. Andre Bessette today rather than on January 6 as in the United States.

The Fourteenth Day of Christmas

St. Raymond of Penafort
The blessed Raymond was born at Barcelona, of the noble family of Penafort. Having been imbued with the rudiments of the Christian faith, the admirable gifts he had received, both of mind and body, were such that even when quite a boy he seemed to promise great things in his later life.

Whilst still young, he taught humanities in Barcelona. Later on, he went to Bologna, where he applied himself with much diligence to the exercises of a virtuous life, and to the study of canon and civil law. He there received the Doctor's cap, and interpreted the sacred canons so ably that he was the admiration of his hearers. The holiness of his life becoming known far and wide, Berengarius, the Bishop of Barcelona, when returning to his diocese from Rome, visited Bologna in order to see him; and after most earnest entreaties, induced Raymond to accompany him to Barcelona. He was shortly after made Canon and Provost of that Church, and became a model to the clergy and people by his uprightness, modesty, learning and meekness. His tender devotion to the Holy Mother of God was extraordinary, and he never neglected an opportunity of zealously promoting the devotion and honor which are due to her.

When he was about forty-five years of age, he made his solemn profession in the Order of the Friars Preachers. He then, as a soldier but just entered into service, devoted himself to the exercise of every virtue, but above all to charity to the poor, and this mainly to the captives who had been taken by the infidels. It was by his exhortation that St Peter Nolasco (who was his penitent) was induced to devote all his riches to this work of most meritorious charity. The Blessed Virgin appeared to Peter, as also to blessed Raymond and to James the First, King of Aragon, telling them that it would be exceedingly pleasing to herself and her divine Child, if an Order of Religious men were instituted whose mission it should be to deliver captives from the tyranny of infidels. Whereupon, after deliberating together, they founded the Order of our Lady of Mercy for the Ransom of Captives; and blessed Raymond drew up certain rules of life, which were admirably adapted to the spirit and vocation of the said Order. Some years after, he obtained their approbation from Gregory the Ninth, and made St Peter Nolasco, to whom he gave the habit with his own hands, first General of the Order.

Raymond was called to Rome by the same Pope, who appointed him to be his Chaplain, Penitentiary, and Confessor. It was by Gregory's order that he collected together, in the volume called the Decretals, the Decrees of the Roman Pontiffs, which were to be found separately in the various Councils and Letters. He was most resolute in refusing the Archbishopric of Tarragona, which the same Pontiff offered to him, and, of his own accord resigned the Generalship of the Dominican Order, which office he had discharged in a most holy manner for the space of two years. He persuaded James the King of Aragon to establish in his dominions the Holy Office of the Inquisition. He worked many miracles; among which is that most celebrated one of his having, when returning to Barcelona from the island of Majorca, spread his cloak upon the sea, and sailed upon it, in the space of six hours, the distance of a hundred and sixty miles, and having reached his convent, entered it through the closed doors. At length, when he had almost reached the hundredth year of his age, and was full of virtue and merit, he slept in the Lord, in the year of the Incarnation 1275. He was canonized by Pope Clement the Eighth.

Patron: Attorneys; barristers; canonists; lawyers; medical record librarians.

Things to Do:

St. Raymond diligently studied Canon Law. Spend some time learning what are the obligations and rights of the laity under Church law.
Learn more about the Spanish Inquistion.
St. Raymond contributed much to the understanding of the Sacrament of Penance. Make sure your family knows the Act of Contrition and says it every day.

The Word Among Us

Meditation: John 2:1-12

“Do whatever he tells you.” (John 2:5)

Isn’t that interesting? When it seemed that Jesus had rebuffed her request to help a young couple at their wedding reception, Mary didn’t insist that Jesus obey her. As his mother, she probably felt that she had enough influence to make such a request of him. But instead of pressing her case, she humbly stepped back and trusted that Jesus would make the right decision for everyone involved. She trusted her son enough, in fact, to tell the servants to do whatever he said. She knew he wouldn’t let her down.

Put today’s incident next to the time when Mary and Joseph lost Jesus in the Temple. Think, too, about the time in Capernaum when she heard him talking about who his “real” family was (Luke 2:41-52; Mark 3:31-35). In all three instances, Jesus responded with a question of his own—one that could have sounded disrespectful: “Woman, how does your concern affect me?” “Why were you looking for me?” “Who are my mother and my brothers?” In each instance, Mary didn’t shoot back with sharp words of her own. Instead, she pondered these things in her heart.

As a result, Mary did not go away disappointed. At the wedding feast, she saw Jesus bless the couple—and reveal something even more powerful about himself. At the Temple, she sensed that Jesus must have had something very important to say to the elders, or he wouldn’t have left his parents. And at the house in Capernaum, Mary saw how Jesus was calling people to be one body, a church that functioned like a close-knit family.

So let’s take Mary’s approach. Let’s not be shy in telling God what we want or need. Let’s be bold and confident when we talk to him in prayer. And if we don’t see an answer—or if we don’t like the answer that we get—let’s step back and reflect on what the Lord is doing and ask for the gift of understanding. We can be confident that, if nothing else, Jesus will give us a broader and deeper vision so that we can trust him and believe in him more fully. Let’s wait to see what Jesus shows us.

“Lord, I surrender to you. I will wait on you.”

1 John 5:14-21; Psalm 149:1-6,9

Marriage = One Man and One Woman

Til' Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for January 7, 2012:

“Welcoming a child, through birth or adoption, is an act of faith as well as an act of love.” (Follow the Way of Love) Pray for couples who want a child but are infertile as well as for those who have an untimely pregnancy and are afraid.

Regnum Christi

Do Whatever He Tells You

U. S. A. | SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

Christmas Weekday (January 7, 2012).

January 7, 2012
Christmas Weekday
Father Matthew Kaderabek, LC

John 2:1-11
There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings, each holding twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus told them, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” So they took it. And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine, without knowing where it came from (although the servers who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until now.” Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs in Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him.

Introductory Prayer: My Jesus I believe in you. Your goodness overflows: I long to imitate you more in my life so that others can catch a glimpse of you shining through me. I want to do whatever you tell me. I know this moment of prayer in my day is a chance for an intimate dialogue with you, so here I am: ready to listen and respond with an active faith, hope and love.

Petition: Lord, give me ears to hear your words to me. Give me the faith and trust to act on them.

1. They Have No Wine: Before anyone else, Mary sees the potentially embarrassing situation that faces the families of the bride and groom. She was sitting next to Jesus so she could say to him quietly, mother to son, “They have no wine.” She asks this of him even though his public life is not yet launched. Mary is constantly interceding before her Divine Son on behalf of her children. How often do I turn to her for a favor? Do I realize that there is no greater intercessor in heaven than our Blessed Mother?

2. Do Whatever He Tells You: At his mother’s words, Jesus’ public ministry is launched. Mary’s faith-filled words to the servers are repeated to me today, “Do whatever he tells you.” The servers are given most unusual instructions. They are told by Jesus to fill jars used for the ritual cleansing of feet with water and then draw some out to be taken to the headwaiter to taste. Surely they must fear the angry reaction of their boss, or mockery from the guests. Sometimes when Jesus tells us to speak up for him in unfriendly territory, our human respect and fear of rejection can paralyze us. When was the last time I experienced this fear? Did I overcome it with faith and speak up for the Lord? Or did I silently succumb to the fear of rejection or mockery?

3. Coworker in the Redemption: Jesus addresses his mother as “Woman,” signifying that she is the new Eve who, together with her Divine Son, will crush the Serpent’s head, releasing human beings from the bondage of sin. This moment launches a holy partnership, a mutual acceptance of sacrifice for the salvation of souls, for so the Heavenly Father has willed it. Do we comprehend Mary’s love for each of us? She willingly sacrificed her beloved Son for our redemption, cooperating with him, uniting herself to him every step of the way until she stood beneath the cross. The Holy Eucharist foreshadowed by the feast of Cana is a gift of both Christ and our Lady. Let us ask Mary to purify our hearts for the reception of this Most Holy Sacrament.

Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, just as your Mother did at Cana, you ask us to have the same eye for detail as we seek to charitably look after the needs of others. Help me to forget about myself, so that I can quickly and efficiently do whatever you ask of me. Help me to trust in your guidance and love. Mother Mary, teach me to welcome sacrifice as you did, so I too can be faithful and follow Jesus to the cross and be a coworker in the redemption.

Resolution: I will overcome my hesitancy and longing for human respect in order to share my faith with someone today.

One Bread, One Body

<< Saturday, January 7, 2012 >>

St. Raymond of Penafort
Saint of the Day

1 John 5:14-21
View Readings

Psalm 149:1-6, 9

John 2:1-11

"BIG CHRISTMAS"

"Jesus performed this first of His signs at Cana in Galilee. Thus did He reveal His glory, and His disciples believed in Him." —John 2:11

Tomorrow, in many countries throughout the world, we celebrate the greatest day of the Christmas season, Epiphany. Sometimes Epiphany is called "little Christmas," but it is actually "big Christmas." Epiphany may be one of the greatest days in our lives and the beginning of one of our greatest years ever. However, the glory of Epiphany is not a worldly glory. At first, it may not look like much from the outside, but the Lord's light covers the face of the earth (see Ps 104:30) by beginning to shine from the inside of a Christian (Mt 5:16) and then out to all nations (see Mt 28:19).

Make today a day of prayer preparing you for tomorrow. Ask the Lord to give you the ultimate Christmas present. "We have this confidence in God: that He hears us whenever we ask for anything according to His will" (1 Jn 5:14). Ask Mary to pray for you as she prayed at the first Christmas, the wedding feast of Cana, the foot of the cross, and the first Christian Pentecost. The Lord may well be saving the best for last (see Jn 2:10). The gifts of Epiphany are given for the repenting, the asking, and the believing. Jesus is ready to do a miracle beyond anything we can see, hear, or think (see 1 Cor 2:9). This Epiphany, give Jesus your life as a gift and receive the gift of your life.

Prayer: Father, may these last days of Christmas be unforgettable to me and pleasing to You.

Promise: "God protects the one begotten by Him, and so the evil one cannot touch him." —1 Jn 5:18

Praise: St. Raymond spent his one-hundred years of life in serving He Who is the Author of Life. Throughout his life, he was a philosophy teacher, doctor of law, confessor to the Pope, author, archbishop, and head of the Dominican order.

January 7, St. Raymond of Penafort

St. Raymond devoted much of his life to helping the poor. The famous incident which is recounted in the story of Raymond's life took place when he went with King James to Majorca. The King dismissed Raymond's request to return home. Relying on his faith and love of God, Raymond walked on the waves to his ship, spread his cloak to make a sail, made the sign of the cross then sailed to the distant harbor of Barcelona.

For St. Raymond's feast we should remember that, "carolling and story telling belong to the whole Christmas season. Hospitality and giving to others also must continue if true Christmas joy is to remain. An outing to which friends are invited or a party that includes a round of carolling become perhaps even more appropriate with the approach of Epiphany." — Excerpted from The Twelve Days of Christmas

Day Fourteen activity (Legend of the Little Girl)
Day Fourteen recipe (Christstollen)

A blessed Fourteenth Day of Christmas to all of you!

Jan 07, Night Prayer for Saturday of the 2nd week of Christmas

St. Raymond of Penyafort

Daily Readings for: January 07, 2012(Readings on USCCB website)

RECIPES

ACTIVITIES

PRAYERS

Christmas: January 7th

Optional Memorial of St. Raymond of Penafort, priest; St. Andre Bessette, religious (Can)

Meditation: John 2:1-12

One Bread, One Body

"BIG CHRISTMAS"

Daily Readings for: January 07, 2012
(Readings on USCCB website)