Posted on 12/20/2018 9:14:54 PM PST by Salvation
KEYWORDS: advent; catholic; lk1; prayer; saints;
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The “O Antiphons” are the antiphons recited or chanted preceding the
Vespers Gospel Canticle (the Magnificat) used in the Divine Office in
the seven days (December 17-23) immediately preceding the Solemnity of
Christmas.
Dec. 21:
O Oriens,
splendor lucis aeternae, et sol justitiae:
veni, et illumina sedentes in tenebris,
et umbra mortis.
O Radiant Dawn,
splendor of eternal light, sun of justice:
Come, shine on those who dwell in darkness
and the shadow of death.
From: Song of Songs 2:8-14
Second Canto: Spring
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
2:8-3:5. The second poem implies that heartfelt acceptance of love (a point
reached at the end of the first poem) continues day (2:8-17) and night (3:1-5).
Activity begins again: the previous poem ended in sleep, and this one begins
with waking.
It treats of moments of love (day and night), with scenarios (countryside and city)
and with the movements that make it up (presence and absence of the loved one).
The day-time is described in terms of the joy of the two lovers: it parallels nature
waking up in springtime (2:8-17); night-time features the absence of the lover and
the anguished search that the beloved makes until she finds him (3:1-4). Like the
previous poem, it ends (3:5 cf. 2:7) with the beloved asleep and the lover keeping
vigil; but whereas in the previous poem (cf. 2:7) it seemed to be the lover who was
speaking, here it seems to be the beloved; “stir not up nor awaken love”: the RSV
[and Navarre Spanish] follow the Hebrew; the Latin versions read “the beloved”
(fem.) instead of “love”.
The motifs used in the description (springtime, the voice, the face of the beloved,
etc.) are very similar to those found in oriental love songs of the fourteenth or thir-
teenth century BC. Still, one can see allusions here to the image of Israel and
God joined in a spousal covenant. The little refrain of v.16 (”My beloved is mine
and I am his, he pastures his flock among the lilies”) is reminiscent of the phrase
“So shall you be my people, and I will be your God” (Jer 11:4; cf. Jer 7:23; 31:33;
Ezek 36:28; Hos 2:25; etc.). Similarly, the fact that the voices of spousal love
and the images of nature in springtime blend as they do here brings to mind pas-
sages in which the prophets used similar imagery to describe Israel’s anxious
waiting for God to manifest himself as her lover and protector: “I will greatly re-
joice in the Lord, my soul shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the
garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a
bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her
jewels. For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is
sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to
spring forth before all the nations” (Is 61:10-11; cf. 62:4-5; Hos 2:16-23:, etc.).
2:8-17. This canto celebrates, in the open countryside, a rebirth of nature and of
love. Just as the fruitfulness of spring overcomes the infertility of winter, love tri-
umphs over the selfishness that imprisons us within ourselves. That was how
the Fathers interpreted spring as described here: “During the winter of idolatry,
the restless nature of man, because of his worship of idols, became as stolid
as them [...]. It is logical that that should happen. Those who contemplate God
come to possess features of the divine nature, while those who give themselves
over to the worship of vain idols are transformed into what they adore: they are
turned into the stone of idols” (St Gregory of Nyssa, “In Canticum Canticorum
Commentarius”, 5).
The poem begins with the voice of the beloved, waiting for the lover: she recog-
nizes him in the distance, by his voice (v. 8) and when he is near by his face (cf.
v. 9). In keeping with this, the lover will later sing of the face and voice of the be-
loved (v. 14). The body of the poem (vv. 10-14) is the lover’s invitation to come
away and celebrate their love in communion with nature. Hence, too, the joint
plea of v. 15: anything that might disturb that triumphal celebration must be shed.
The last words spoken here by the beloved, in which she claims the lover for her-
self exclusively (v. 16), while at the same time offering him his freedom (v. 17),
will appear later in the Song as a refrain (6:3; 7:10) and as the conclusion at the
very end (8:14).
An allegorical reading of this poem as a celebration of the spousal covenant be-
tween God and Israel in the time of the restoration is relatively easy to make. Is-
rael is depicted in many prophetical texts (Is 5:1-7; Hos 10:1; etc.; cf. Mt 21:33-
44) as a vineyard. Also, that literature used the images of devastation and of the
Garden of Eden to describe, respectively, the unfaithfulness and fidelity of Israel
(cf. Jer 12:7-13; Hos 2:14, etc.).
Extending that allegorical reading, ascetical literature saw the vineyard as repre-
senting the soul, and the foxes as the difficulties it still encounters in its efforts to
love God unfailingly: “The soul desires that nothing should diminish the delights
of love it feels within, a love which is the flower of the soul’s vineyard—not the en-
vious and evil demons, nor the body’s wild desires, nor the vagaries of the imagi-
nation, nor the attractions of created things; it calls upon the angels, asking them
to root out all these things or prevent their growth, so that they cannot hinder the
flowering of interior love; for the sweet taste and delight of that love is the joyful
sharing of the virtues and graces that pass between the soul and the Son of God”
(St John of the Cross, “Spiritual Canticle”, Song, 16, 3).
[”Upon rugged mountains” (v. 17b; cf. RSV note f): the New Vulgate has “montes
Bether” and the Navarre Spanish, hills of Bether.]
*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
From: Zephaniah 3:14-18a
Psalms of Joy in Zion
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
3:14-18a. Now the promise becomes a song of jubilation. The Lord, the Savior,
sees to it that all is joy (v. 14), and there is no room for fear (v. 16). The Chris-
tian, in reading these verses, cannot but be reminded of the scene of the An-
nunciation: Mary, too, the humble Virgin (Lk 1:48), is invited to rejoice (Lk 1:28)
and not to fear (Lk 1:20), because the Lord is with her (Lk 1:28). And indeed,
with the Incarnation of the Word, the Lord did come to dwell among his people,
and the salvation that was promised came to pass.
******************************************************************************************
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (To the Greater Glory of God)
For: Monday, December 21, 2015
4th Week of Advent
Optional Memorial: St Peter Canisius, Priest and Doctor
(Preference Given to Liturgical Season)
From: Zephaniah 3:14-18a
Psalms of Joy in Zion
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
3:14-18a. Now the promise becomes a song of jubilation. The Lord, the Savior,
sees to it that all is joy (v. 14), and there is no room for fear (v. 16). The Chris-
tian, in reading these verses, cannot but be reminded of the scene of the An-
nunciation: Mary, too, the humble Virgin (Lk 1:48), is invited to rejoice (Lk 1:28)
and not to fear (Lk 1:20), because the Lord is with her (Lk 1:28). And indeed,
with the Incarnation of the Word, the Lord did come to dwell among his people,
and the salvation that was promised came to pass.
******************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
From: Luke 1:39-45
The Visitation
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
39-56. We contemplate this episode of our Lady’s visit to her cousin St. Eliza-
beth in the Second Joyful Mystery of the Rosary: “Joyfully keep Joseph and Ma-
ry company ... and you will hear the traditions of the House of David.... We walk
in haste towards the mountains, to a town of the tribe of Judah (Luke 1:39).
“We arrive. It is the house where John the Baptist is to be born. Elizabeth grate-
fully hails the Mother of her Redeemer: Blessed are you among women, and
blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honored with a visit from the
mother of my Lord? (Luke 1:42-43).
“The unborn Baptist quivers...(Luke 1:41). Mary’s humility pours forth in the “Mag-
nificat”.... And you and I, who are proud—who were proud—promise to be humble”
(St. J. Escriva, “Holy Rosary”).
39. On learning from the angel that her cousin St. Elizabeth is soon to give birth
and is in need of support, our Lady in her charity hastens to her aid. She has no
regard for the difficulties this involves. Although we do not know where exactly
Elizabeth was living (it is now thought to be Ain Karim), it certainly meant a jour-
ney into the hill country which at that time would have taken four days.
From Mary’s visit to Elizabeth Christians should learn to be caring people. “If we
have this filial contact with Mary, we won’t be able to think just about ourselves
and our problems. Selfish personal problems will find no place in our mind” (St.
J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing By,” 145)
42. St. Bede comments that Elizabeth blesses Mary using the same words as
the archangel “to show that she should be honored by angels and by men and
why she should indeed be revered above all other women” (”In Lucae Evangelium
Expositio, in loc.”).
When we say the “Hail Mary” we repeat these divine greetings, “rejoicing with
Mary at her dignity as Mother of God and praising the Lord, thanking Him for
having given us Jesus Christ through Mary” (”St. Pius X Catechism”, 333).
43. Elizabeth is moved by the Holy Spirit to call Mary “the mother of my Lord”,
thereby showing that Mary is the Mother of God.
44. Although he was conceived in sin—original sin—like other men, St. John the
Baptist was born sinless because he was sanctified in his mother’s womb by the
presence of Jesus Christ (then in Mary’s womb) and of the Blessed Virgin. On
receiving this grace of God St. John rejoices by leaping with joy in his mother’s
womb—thereby fulfilling the archangel’s prophecy (cf. Luke 1:15).
St. John Chrysostom comments on this scene of the Gospel: “See how new
and how wonderful this mystery is. He has not yet left the womb but he speaks
by leaping; he is not yet allowed to cry out but he makes himself heard by his ac-
tions [...]; he has not yet seen the light but he points out the Sun; he has not yet
been born and he is keen to act as Precursor. The Lord is present, so he cannot
contain himself or wait for nature to run its course: he wants to break out of the
prison of his Mother’s womb and he makes sure he witnesses to the fact that the
Savior is about to come” (”Sermo Apud Metaphr., Mense Julio”).
45. Joining the chorus of all future generations, Elizabeth, moved by the Holy
Spirit, declares the Lord’s Mother to be blessed and praises her faith. No one
ever had faith to compare with Mary’s; she is the model of the attitude a creature
should have towards its Creator—complete submission, total attachment. Through
her faith, Mary is the instrument chosen by God to bring about the Redemption;
as Mediatrix of all graces, she is associated with the redemptive work of her Son:
“This union of the Mother with the Son in the work of salvation is made manifest
from the time of Christ’s virginal conception up to His death; first when Mary, ari-
sing in haste to go to visit Elizabeth, is greeted by her as blessed because of her
belief in the promise of salvation and the Precursor leaps with joy in the womb of
his mother [...]. The Blessed Virgin advanced in her pilgrimage of faith and faith-
fully persevered in her union with her Son unto the cross, where she stood (cf.
John 19:25), in keeping with the Divine Plan, enduring with her only-begotten Son
the intensity of His suffering, associating herself with His sacrifice in her mother’s
heart, and lovingly consenting to the immolation of this Victim which was born of
her” (Vatican II, “Lumen Gentium”, 57f).
The new Latin text gives a literal rendering of the original Greek when it says
“quae credidit” (RSV “she who has believed”) as opposed to the Vulgate “quae
credidisti” (”you who have believed”) which gave more of the sense than a literal
rendering.
*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
Liturgical Colour: Violet.
First reading |
---|
Song of Songs 2:8-14 © |
See how my Beloved comes, leaping on the mountains |
---|
Alternative First reading |
---|
Zephaniah 3:14-18 © |
The Lord, the king of Israel, is in your midst |
---|
Responsorial Psalm |
---|
Psalm 32(33):2-3,11-12,20-21 © |
Gospel Acclamation |
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Or: |
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Gospel | Luke 1:39-45 © |
---|
Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? |
---|
Luke | |||
English: Douay-Rheims | Latin: Vulgata Clementina | Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000) | |
Luke 1 |
|||
39. | And Mary rising up in those days, went into the hill country with haste into a city of Juda. | Exsurgens autem Maria in diebus illis, abiit in montana cum festinatione, in civitatem Juda : | αναστασα δε μαριαμ εν ταις ημεραις ταυταις επορευθη εις την ορεινην μετα σπουδης εις πολιν ιουδα |
40. | And she entered into the house of Zachary, and saluted Elizabeth. | et intravit in domum Zachariæ, et salutavit Elisabeth. | και εισηλθεν εις τον οικον ζαχαριου και ησπασατο την ελισαβετ |
41. | And it came to pass, that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the infant leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: | Et factum est, ut audivit salutationem Mariæ Elisabeth, exsultavit infans in utero ejus : et repleta est Spiritu Sancto Elisabeth : | και εγενετο ως ηκουσεν η ελισαβετ τον ασπασμον της μαριας εσκιρτησεν το βρεφος εν τη κοιλια αυτης και επλησθη πνευματος αγιου η ελισαβετ |
42. | And she cried out with a loud voice, and said: Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. | et exclamavit voce magna, et dixit : Benedicta tu inter mulieres, et benedictus fructus ventris tui. | και ανεφωνησεν φωνη μεγαλη και ειπεν ευλογημενη συ εν γυναιξιν και ευλογημενος ο καρπος της κοιλιας σου |
43. | And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? | Et unde hoc mihi, ut veniat mater Domini mei ad me ? | και ποθεν μοι τουτο ινα ελθη η μητηρ του κυριου μου προς με |
44. | For behold as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. | Ecce enim ut facta est vox salutationis tuæ in auribus meis, exsultavit in gaudio infans in utero meo. | ιδου γαρ ως εγενετο η φωνη του ασπασμου σου εις τα ωτα μου εσκιρτησεν το βρεφος εν αγαλλιασει εν τη κοιλια μου |
45. | And blessed art thou that hast believed, because those things shall be accomplished that were spoken to thee by the Lord. | Et beata, quæ credidisti, quoniam perficientur ea, quæ dicta sunt tibi a Domino. | και μακαρια η πιστευσασα οτι εσται τελειωσις τοις λελαλημενοις αυτη παρα κυριου |
Pray for Pope Francis.
50 Boko Haram Islamic Radicals Killed; 1,000 Hostages, Women and Children, Rescued in Nigeria
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We thank you, God our Father, for those who have responded to your call to priestly ministry.
Accept this prayer we offer on their behalf: Fill your priests with the sure knowledge of your love.
Open their hearts to the power and consolation of the Holy Spirit.
Lead them to new depths of union with your Son.
Increase in them profound faith in the Sacraments they celebrate as they nourish, strengthen and heal us.
Lord Jesus Christ, grant that these, your priests, may inspire us to strive for holiness by the power of their example, as men of prayer who ponder your word and follow your will.
O Mary, Mother of Christ and our mother, guard with your maternal care these chosen ones, so dear to the Heart of your Son.
Intercede for our priests, that offering the Sacrifice of your Son, they may be conformed more each day to the image of your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Saint John Vianney, universal patron of priests, pray for us and our priests
This icon shows Jesus Christ, our eternal high priest.
The gold pelican over His heart represents self-sacrifice.
The border contains an altar and grapevines, representing the Mass, and icons of Melchizedek and St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney.
Melchizedek: king of righteousness (left icon) was priest and king of Jerusalem. He blessed Abraham and has been considered an ideal priest-king.
St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney is the patron saint of parish priests.
1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
2. The Apostles Creed: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
3. The Lord's Prayer: OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)
5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
6. Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.
Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer. Repeat the process with each mystery.
End with the Hail Holy Queen:
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Final step -- The Sign of the Cross
The Mysteries of the Rosary By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary. The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.
The Sorrowful Mysteries
(Tuesdays and Fridays)
1. The Agony in the Garden (Matthew 26:36-46, Luke 22:39-46) [Spiritual fruit - God's will be done]
2. The Scourging at the Pillar (Matthew 27:26, Mark 15:15, John 19:1) [Spiritual fruit - Mortification of the senses]
3. The Crowning with Thorns (Matthew 27:27-30, Mark 15:16-20, John 19:2) [Spiritual fruit - Reign of Christ in our heart]
4. The Carrying of the Cross (Matthew 27:31-32, Mark 15:21, Luke 23:26-32, John 19:17) [Spiritual fruit - Patient bearing of trials]
5. The Crucifixion (Matthew 27:33-56, Mark 15:22-39, Luke 23:33-49, John 19:17-37) [Spiritual fruit - Pardoning of Injuries]
St. Michael the Archangel
~ PRAYER ~
St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle
Be our protection against the wickedness
and snares of the devil;
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
Cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen
+
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