Adoration of the Shepherds

Agnolo Bronzino

1539-40
Oil on wood, 65 x 47 cm
Szépmûvészeti Múzeum, Budapest

Morning Prayer (Lauds)

If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.

Introduction

O God, come to my aid.

O Lord, make haste to help me.

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

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

world without end.

Amen. Alleluia.

Hymn

Mary Immaculate, star of the morning,

Chosen before the creation began,

Chosen to bring in the light of thy dawning,

Woe to the serpent and rescue to man.

Here, in this world of both shadow and sadness

Veiling thy splendour, thy course hast thou run:

Now thou art throned in all glory and gladness,

Crowned by the hand of thy Saviour and Son.

Sinners, we worship thy sinless perfection;

Fallen and weak, for thy pity we plead:

Grant us the shield of thy sov’reign protection,

Measure thine aid by the depth of our need.

Bend from thy throne at the voice of our crying,

Bend to this earth which thy footsteps have trod:

Stretch out thine arms to us, living and dying,

Mary Immaculate, Mother of God.

Psalm 62 (63) Thirsting for God

A shoot has sprung from the stock of Jesse; a star has risen from Jacob: the Virgin has given birth to the Saviour. We praise you, our God.

O God, you are my God, I watch for you from the dawn.

My soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you.

I came to your sanctuary,

as one in a parched and waterless land,

so that I could see your might and your glory.

My lips will praise you, for your mercy is better than life itself.

Thus I will bless you throughout my life,

and raise my hands in prayer to your name;

my soul will be filled as if by rich food,

and my mouth will sing your praises and rejoice.

I will remember you as I lie in bed,

I will think of you in the morning,

for you have been my helper,

and I will take joy in the protection of your wings.

My soul clings to you; your right hand raises me up.

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.

A shoot has sprung from the stock of Jesse; a star has risen from Jacob: the Virgin has given birth to the Saviour. We praise you, our God.

Canticle	Daniel 3

All creatures, bless the Lord

Mary has given birth to our Saviour. John saw him and cried out: ‘This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.’ Alleluia.

Bless the Lord, all his works,

praise and exalt him for ever.

Bless the Lord, you heavens;

all his angels, bless the Lord.

Bless the Lord, you waters above the heavens;

all his powers, bless the Lord.

Bless the Lord, sun and moon;

all stars of the sky, bless the Lord.

Bless the Lord, rain and dew;

all you winds, bless the Lord.

Bless the Lord, fire and heat;

cold and warmth, bless the Lord.

Bless the Lord, dew and frost;

ice and cold, bless the Lord.

Bless the Lord, ice and snow;

day and night, bless the Lord.

Bless the Lord, light and darkness;

lightning and storm-clouds, bless the Lord.

Bless the Lord, all the earth,

praise and exalt him for ever.

Bless the Lord, mountains and hills;

all growing things, bless the Lord.

Bless the Lord, seas and rivers;

springs and fountains, bless the Lord.

Bless the Lord, whales and fish;

birds of the air, bless the Lord.

Bless the Lord, wild beasts and tame;

sons of men, bless the Lord.

Bless the Lord, O Israel,

praise and exalt him for ever.

Bless the Lord, his priests;

all his servants, bless the Lord.

Bless the Lord, spirits and souls of the just;

all who are holy and humble, bless the Lord.

Ananias, Azarias, Mishael, bless the Lord,

praise and exalt him for ever.

Let us bless Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

praise and exalt them for ever.

Bless the Lord in the firmament of heaven,

praise and glorify him for ever.

Mary has given birth to our Saviour. John saw him and cried out: ‘This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.’ Alleluia.

Psalm 149 The saints rejoice

Mary gave birth to the king whose name is eternal: she united the joy of a mother with the honour of a virgin/ Such as this has never happened before nor will it happen again, alleluia.

Sing a new song to the Lord,

his praise in the assembly of the faithful.

Let Israel rejoice in its maker,

and the sons of Zion delight in their king.

Let them praise his name with dancing,

sing to him with timbrel and lyre,

for the Lord’s favour is upon his people,

and he will honour the humble with victory.

Let the faithful celebrate his glory,

rejoice even in their beds,

the praise of God in their throats;

and swords ready in their hands,

to exact vengeance upon the nations,

impose punishment on the peoples,

to bind their kings in fetters

and their nobles in manacles of iron,

to carry out the sentence that has been passed:

this is the glory prepared for all his faithful.

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.

Mary gave birth to the king whose name is eternal: she united the joy of a mother with the honour of a virgin/ Such as this has never happened before nor will it happen again, alleluia.

Short reading	Micah 5:2-3,4 ©

The Lord will abandon them till the time when she who is to give birth gives birth. Then the remnant of his brothers will come back to the sons of Israel. He will stand and feed his flock with the power of the Lord, with the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. He himself will be peace.

Short Responsory

The Lord chose her before she was born.

– The Lord chose her before she was born.

To live in his holy dwelling-place.

– The Lord chose her before she was born.

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

– The Lord chose her before she was born.

Canticle	Benedictus

The Messiah and his forerunner

A wonderful mystery is proclaimed today. Something new has taken place: God has become man. What he had always been, he continued to be; what he had not been before, he became. The two natures are not merged, but they exist together in him.

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,

for he has come to his people and brought about their redemption.

He has raised up the sign of salvation

in the house of his servant David,

as he promised through the mouth of the holy ones,

his prophets through the ages:

to rescue us from our enemies

and all who hate us,

to take pity on our fathers,

to remember his holy covenant

and the oath he swore to Abraham our father,

that he would give himself to us,

that we could serve him without fear

– freed from the hands of our enemies –

in uprightness and holiness before him,

for all of our days.

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High:

for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his path,

to let his people know their salvation,

so that their sins may be forgiven.

Through the bottomless mercy of our God,

one born on high will visit us

to give light to those who walk in darkness,

who live in the shadow of death;

to lead our feet in the path of peace.

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

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

world without end.

Amen.

A wonderful mystery is proclaimed today. Something new has taken place: God has become man. What he had always been, he continued to be; what he had not been before, he became. The two natures are not merged, but they exist together in him.

Prayers and Intercessions

Let us give glory to Christ, who was born of the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit. Let us pray to him:

– Son of the Virgin Mary, take pity on us.

Christ born of the Virgin Mary, miraculous child and prince of peace,

give peace to the whole world.

– Son of the Virgin Mary, take pity on us.

Our God and King, you honoured us by your coming:

grant us the gift of daily honouring you by our faith and our actions.

– Son of the Virgin Mary, take pity on us.

You became like us:

grant that we may become like you.

– Son of the Virgin Mary, take pity on us.

You became a citizen of this world:

make us share in the citizenship of your heavenly kingdom.

– Son of the Virgin Mary, take pity on us.

Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us,

and lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

God, our Father,

since you gave mankind a saviour through blessed Mary, virgin and mother,

grant that we may feel the power of her intercession

when she pleads for us with Jesus Christ, your Son, the author of life,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

God for ever and ever.

Amen.

May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life.

AMEN

Posted on December 30, 2010 by achristianpilgrim

TO REMEMBER MARY IS TO REMEMBER THE GOD OF GRACE

(A biblical refection on THE SOLEMNITY OF MARY, MOTHER OF GOD, Saturday,1 January 2011)

Second Reading: Gal 4:4-7

First Reading: Num 6:22-27; Psalms: Ps 67:2-3,5-6,8; Gospel Reading: Lk 2:16-21

The Scripture Text

But when the time had fully come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So through God you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son then an heir (Gal 4:4-7 RSV).

On the first day of the new year, we honor Mary as the Mother of God. “Mother of God” is a title given to Mary by the Council of Ephesus in 431. The Fathers of this council recognized that by giving Mary such title, they were giving the highest praise to her Son, Jesus. They were proclaiming Him to be more than just a holy man or an ancient prophetic voice. He is the eternal God, the second Person of the Blessed Trinity.

This is the true miracle that we celebrate today – that the infinite, all-powerful God entered His creation through one of His own children. How blessed Mary was, forever to be remembered as the God Bearer, Vessel of Grace, Ark of the Covenant! How blessed that, whenever we worship Jesus, we honor Mary also for her obedience and the fruit that it bore. Mary herself proclaimed, “All generations will call me blessed; for He who is mighty has done great things for me” (Lk 1:48-49 RSV).

God wants to do great things for us as well. Each of us has a place in God’s plan for the world – a mission that we alone can fill. As we strive to fulfill that mission, God wants us to become as transparent a bearer of God as Mary was. Our mission is to be Christ-bearers to all those we come in contact with every day, to be “the aroma of Christ to God” and to spread the “fragrance of the knowledge of Him everywhere” (see 2Cor 2:14-15).

Today let us lift up our minds and our hearts to God in prayer for grace. We deeply desire that this new year be one of God’s grace in our hearts and in our homes and in the world. We are in need of God’s forgiving, loving presence if the world is to move away from folly to wisdom. We live in the hope that individuals and nations will come to see that more unites them than divides them; and that more can be achieved by working together than by competing alone. Real security comes from trusting in God rather than in the idols of destruction and power.

To remember Mary is to remember the God of grace who does great things for the lowly, the humble and the ordinary. Yet today we proclaim Mary as the Mother of God. We need to ask: How did Mary receive such an honor? Saint Paul’s letter to the Galatians provides little help, it would seem, to our understanding. After all, we are told that “God sent forth His Son born of woman, born under the law …” (Gal 4: 4). Nothing very special about this woman. Isn’t that the key insight into God’s ways of grace with Mary and each of us? God works through the uncelebrated of the world in manifesting His wonders. Through the simple, faith-filled life of Mary we have, each of us, a share in a hope of glory. Mary was not merely “doing her thing”. Mary is a representative of humankind and the mighty things God can do for all who open their heart in loving trust.

Saint Paul tells us that God’s grace and Mary’s fiat and ours join together “to deliver from the law those who are subjected to it, so that we might receive our status as adopted sons … You are no longer a slave, but a son!” (see Gal 4:5). To be a child of God is to know and to experience the grace of true freedom. We no longer need to run after the trophies and symbols of achieving that which the world values. We no longer need to seek compulsively after the things that promise peace, but deliver anxiety. Because of Jesus we are liberated to love God and reach out to others. We need not live in fear of being unsuccessful. Such demons have been driven away. We can live in a freedom that drive out fear and allows us to love God and others in spirit and truth.

Let us, like Mary, become vessels of grace. But this can only happen as we persevere in obedience to the commands of God and as we strive to remain docile the Holy Spirit. The book of Number (first reading) contains a beautiful blessing for God’s grace and the hope for peace. As we begin our new year, let our thoughts turn to God and what He has done for Mary – and what He has done for us in letting us become heirs to His glory. Let us imitate what Luke says concerning Mary: “Mary kept all these things, pondering them in hear heart” (Lk 2:19). Happy will we be if we treasure all the things God has done for us. Happy will we be if, in this new year, we share God’s treasure of grace with others.

Short Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for Your presence in me! Help me to bring this treasure to all those I will encounter this year. You are our hope of glory! Amen.

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Numbers 6:22-27

Mary, Mother of God

The Lord bless you and keep you! (Numbers 6:24)

What an odd reading to have for this marvelous feast day! Shouldn’t we instead hear Isaiah’s prophecy about a virgin conceiving and bearing a son named Immanuel? Or perhaps Zephaniah’s words exhorting “Daughter Zion” to shout and rejoice? Instead, we have Moses teaching the priests how to bless the Israelites. Why?

Perhaps it’s because we see in Mary the person who embodies this life of blessing better than anyone else. Who more than Mary has known what it is like to have the Lord’s face shine upon her and be gracious to her? Who better than Mary knows what it is like to have the Lord look kindly upon her and give her his peace?

But perhaps there is another reason for this passage. Not only is Mary the ultimate recipient of God’s blessings, she reveals what it is like to offer blessings to people. She wanted to bless the newlyweds at Cana. She wanted to bless her cousin Elizabeth. She even sought to bless her son with her presence as he hung on the cross. Never once do we see Mary speaking ill of another person. Never once do we see her “cursing” someone—not even the men who put her son to death!

And so Mary shows us the way to relate to the people around us. God loves it when we speak words of blessing, hope, and encouragement. He rejoices when our words help to create a positive environment where seeds of faith can grow. And the converse is just as true. Harsh words of judgment, cynicism, or even curses can create a toxic atmosphere that makes it hard for people to receive God’s grace and blessing.

So let’s make a conscious effort this year to diminish our negativity. And let’s ask Mary, who is blessed among women, to intercede for us. She is our model, and through her we have all received God’s greatest blessing—Jesus himself!

“Jesus, open my eyes to people in need of your grace so that I can shower them with your blessings.”

Psalm 67:2-3,5-6,8; Galatians 4:4-7; Luke 2:16-21

Marriage = One Man and One Woman

Daily Marriage Tip for January 1, 2011:

(New Year’s Day) New Year’s Day is a time to look forward. Take a few minutes to imagine what your life might be like in five or ten years. Might you have more children or fewer (at home at least)? A different job? Daydream together.

Iignatius Insight

The Blessed Virgin in the History of Christianity | John A. Hardon, S.J.

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Christianity would be meaningless without the Blessed Virgin. Her quiet presence opened Christian history at the Incarnation and will continue to pervade the Church's history until the end of time.

Our purpose in this meditation is to glance over the past two thousand years to answer one question: What are the highlights of our Marian faith as found in the Bible and the teaching of the Catholic Church?

New Testament

The first three evangelists were mainly concerned with tracing Christ's ancestry as Son of Man and, therefore, as Son of Mary. St. Matthew, writing for the Jews, stressed Christ's descent from Abraham. St. Luke, disciple of St. Paul, traced Christ's origin to Adam, the father of the human race. Yet both writers were at pains to point out that Mary's Son fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah about the Messiah. He was to be born of a virgin to become Emmanuel, which means "God with us." Luke gave a long account of the angel's visit to Mary to announce that the Child would be holy and would be called the "Son of God" (Luke 1:36).

St. John followed the same pattern. He introduced Mary as the Mother of Jesus when He began His public ministry. In answer to her wishes, Christ performed the miracle of changing water into wine at the wedding feast in Cana in Galilee. What happened then has continued ever since. Most of the miraculous shrines of Christianity have been dedicated to Our Lady.

It is also St. John who tells us that Mary stood under the Cross of Calvary as her Son was dying for our salvation. Speaking of John, Jesus told His Mother, "This is your son." To John, He said of Mary, "This is your Mother." The apostle John represented all of us. On Good Friday, therefore, Christ made His Mother the supernatural Mother of the human race and made us her spiritual children.

Mother of God

In the early fifth century, a controversy arose in Asia Minor, where the Bishop of Constantinople claimed that Mary was only the Mother of Christ (Greek=Christotokos). He was condemned by the Council of Ephesus in 431, which declared that "the holy Virgin is the Mother of God (Greek=Theotokos).

St. Cyril, Bishop of Alexandria in Egypt, was mainly responsible for this solemn definition of Mary's divine maternity. It was St. Cyril who thus composed the most famous Marian hymn of antiquity. It is a praise of Our Lady as Mediatrix with God:

Through you, the Trinity is glorified.
Through you, the Cross is venerated throughout the world.
Through you, angels and archangels rejoice.
Through you, the demons are driven away.
Through you, the fallen creature is raised to heaven.
Through you, the churches are founded in the whole world.
Through you, people are led to conversion.

Every other title of Mary and all the Marian devotion of the faithful are finally based on the Blessed Virgin's primary claim to our extraordinary love. She is the Mother of God. She gave her Son all that every human mother gives the child she conceives and gives birth to. She gave Him His human body. Without her, there would have been no Incarnation, no Redemption, no Eucharist; in a word, no Christianity.

Mary's Virginity

Logically related to her divine maternity is Our Lady's perpetual virginity. From the earliest days the Church has taught that Mary was a virgin before giving birth to Jesus, in giving His birth, and after His birth in Bethlehem.

All of this is already stated or implied in the Gospels. In St. Matthew's genealogy of Jesus, all the previous ancestors are called "father." But then we are told there came "Joseph, the husband of Mary of whom Jesus was born, who is called the Christ" (Matthew 1:16). St. Luke twice identifies Mary as "virgin," who "knows not man."

Already in the early Church, those who questioned Christ's divinity were the same ones who denied His Mother's virginity. As explained by St. Augustine, "When God vouchsafed to become Man, it was fitting that He should be born in this way. He who was made of her, had made her what she was: a virgin who conceives, a virgin who gives birth; a virgin with child, a virgin labored of child-a virgin ever virgin."

Given the fact of the Incarnation, its manner follows as a matter of course. Why should not the Almighty who created His Mother have also preserved the body of which He would be born? But this appropriateness of Mary's virginity makes sense only if you believe that Mary's Son is the living God.

Immaculate Conception

Mary's freedom from sin, present at her conception, is already taught by St. Ephraem in the fourth century. In one of his hymns, he addresses Our Lord, "Certainly you alone and your Mother are from every aspect completely beautiful. There is no blemish in you my Lord, and no stain in your Mother."

By the seventh century, the feast of Mary's Immaculate Conception was celebrated in the East. In the eight century, the feast was commemorated in Ireland, and from there spread to other countries in Europe.

In the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, some leading theologians, even saints, raised objections to the Immaculate Conception. Their main difficulty was how Mary could be exempt from all sin before the coming of Christ. Here the Franciscan Blessed John Duns Scotus (1266-1308) stood firm and paved the way for the definition of the Immaculate Conception by Pope Blessed Pius IX in 1854.

In the words of Pope Blessed Pius IX, "We declare, pronounce, and define that the doctrine which holds that the most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instant of her conception . . . was preserved from all stain of original sin, is a doctrine revealed by God and therefore to be believed firmly and constantly by all the faithful."

Four years after the definition, Our Lady appeared to St. Bernadette in Lourdes, identifying herself as the Immaculate Conception. The numerous miracles at Lourdes are a divine confirmation of the doctrine defined by Pius IX. They are also a confirmation of the papal primacy defined by the First Vatican Council under the same Bishop of Rome.

Assumption into Heaven

Not unlike his predecessor, Pope Pius XII defined Mary's bodily Assumption into heaven. On November 1, 1950, the pope responded to the all but unanimous request of the Catholic hierarchy by making a formal definition:

By the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and by our own authority, we pronounce, declare and define as divinely revealed dogma: the Immaculate Mother of God, Mary ever Virgin, after her life on earth, was assumed body and soul to the glory of heaven.

The day after the definition, Pius XII told the assembled hundreds of bishops his hope for the future: May this new honor given to Mary introduce "a spirit of penance to replace the prevalent love of pleasure and a renewal of family life stabilized where divorce was common and made fruitful where birth control was practiced." If there is one feature that characterizes the modern world, observed the Pope, it is the worship of the body. Mary's bodily Assumption into heaven reminds us of our own bodily resurrection on the last day, provided we use our bodies on earth according to the will of God.

Mother of the Church

Never in the history of Christianity has any general council spoken at such length and with such depth about Mary as the Second Vatican Council.
This is not surprising in view of the extraordinary devotion to the Blessed Virgin in our day. What the Council did was put this devotion into focus and spell out its doctrinal foundation.

First a quiet admonition. The council "charges that practices and exercises of devotion to her be treasured as recommended by the teaching authority of the Church in the course of centuries." True Marian piety consists neither in fruitless and passing emotion, nor in a certain empty credulity.

Rather authentic devotion to Mary "proceeds from true faith by which we are led to know the excellence of the Mother of God, and are moved to filial love toward our Mother and to the invitation of her virtues" (Constitution on the Church, 67-8).
What are we being told? We are told that true devotion to Our Lady is shown in a deep love of her as our Mother, put into practice by the imitation of her virtues-especially her faith, her chastity and charity.

These are the three virtues that the modern world most desperately needs.

• Like Mary, we need to believe that everything which God has revealed to us will be fulfilled.
• Like Mary, we need to use our bodily powers to serve their divine purpose no matter what the sacrifice of our own pleasure.
• Like Mary, we are to be always sensitive to the needs of others. Like her, we are to respond to these needs without being asked and, like her, even ask Jesus to work a miracle to benefit those whom we love.

No wonder the Catechism of the Catholic Church makes this astounding profession of faith: "We believe that the most holy Mother of God, the new Eve, Mother of the Church, continues in heaven her maternal role toward the members of Christ." It all depends on our faith in her maternal care and our trust in her influence over the almighty hand of her Son.

This article originally appeared in the July/August 2001 issue of The Catholic Faith magazine.

Secret Harbor ~ Portus Secretioris

01 January 2011

A Reign of Harmony

Below are words taken from homilies on the Dormition of Mary by Germanus of Constantinople. He was the subject of a Wednesday General Audience by Pope Benedict XVI back in April of 2009 at Saint Peter’s Square. In that catechesis, the Holy Father said of Germanus that “he played an important role in the overall history of the controversy over images during the ‘Iconoclastic Crisis’: he was able to resist effectively the pressures of an Iconoclast Emperor, in other words opposed to icons, such as Leo III.” In the excerpt below, Germanus speaks about the material colors of the icons of the Mother of God and how they dazzle us with the representation of her gifts. Also interesting is the patriarch’s remembrance that the temple of Solomon was once looked upon as an earthly representation of heaven; and now our church buildings, our places of worship should be thought of with that same dignity. This thought, perhaps, may bring to many of us a new excitement in our worship, especially during Eucharistic Adoration. Germanus of Constantinople delivers his words in these homilies, not so much as addressing crowds, but more as a personal prayer to our Blessed Mother. And these words are also what the Carthusian monks reflected on at Matins for this day, the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God. Happy New Year everyone!

O Mary, you have given birth to the Word of God the Father, at the end of time, to the One Who is “in the beginning.” Immediately after Him coming into the world, the angels looked down from heaven singing the praises of God born from your womb. Crying out that glory had been added to the heights of heaven, they greeted the earth with the peace which at last had come. Enmity could no longer be called a barrier between angels and men, heaven and earth; there was now a reign of harmony, one mutually complimentary song of praise sung by both angels and men to the Triune God. The Father, Who turns to His only Son bearing witness to your Motherhood without need of a husband, says to Him: “Today I have begotten You.” And again: “From the womb before the morning-star, I have begotten You.”

These are revealing words of the mystery of God. If before He was begotten of you, O Virgin and Mother, how does the Father say to Him: “Today I have begotten You?” It is clear that “today” does not indicate that the existence of the Only-begotten’s divinity is something new, but reveals His bodily presence among men. The words “I have begotten you” show that the Holy Spirit, Who shares the Father’s substance, is also in the Father, the source of divine life and the sharer in His activity. The Spirit is inseparable from the Father, and when He places His home in you, Virgin and Mother, by the Father’s good pleasure, makes His own the activity of His Holy Spirit. That is why, when the Father along with the Spirit, inaugurates the coming-forth of His Son, from you in bodily form, He says to the Son: “Today I have begotten You.” The same is true of these other words: “From the womb, before the morning-star, I have begotten you.” For in our faith we grasp the essence of the eternal deity of the Son, co-Eternal with the Father before all ages, and His taking on natural human flesh, from you, the ever-Virgin.

By “the womb before the morning-star,” the Scripture refers to the birth of light which exists before the heavens, but which has now appeared on earth, in order to show that before all creation, visible and invisible, the Only-begotten was brought forth from the Father without beginning, as light is born of light; and “the womb” here signifies your own body, in order to show that the Only-begotten One also came forth from you in flesh. “Before the morning-star” also refers to the night before that dawning, for day is fittingly referred to as “the morning-star”; and since you brought forth light in the night, “for those who sit in darkness,” Scripture calls the hour of your Child bearing, “before the morning-star.”

O Mother of God, your care is for all people. Even if our eyes are prevented from seeing you, you love to dwell in the midst of us all, and you show yourself in a variety of ways to those who are worthy of you. For the flesh does not stand in the way of the power and activity of your spirit; your spirit “blows where it will” since it is pure and immaterial, an incorrupt and spotless spirit, a companion of the Holy Spirit, the chosen one of God’s Only-begotten. Your virginal body is all-holy, all pure, the dwelling-place of God. It is preserved and supremely glorified.

Who would not admire you for your unwavering care, your unchanging readiness to offer protection, your unsleeping intercession, your uninterrupted concern to save, your steady help, your unshakable patronage? Who does not recognize you as the treasury of delight, the garden free from reproaches, the citadel of safety, the harbor of storm-tossed ships, calm for the distraught, welcome for the exiled, dew for the soul’s dry season, a drop of rain for the parched grass? You are Mother of the Lamb Who is the Shepherd, the recognized patron of all the good.

But it is enough praise, O most admirable one, if we simply admit that we do not have the resources to praise all your gifts. You have received from God your exalted position, as a cause for triumph; therefore you have formed for Him a Christian people from your own flesh, and you have shaped them to be conformed to His divine image and likeness. Your light outshines the sun, your honor is above that of all creation, your excellence before that of the angels. For there is no place that you are not called blessed, no tribe from which fruit has not been borne for God from you. Even the peoples of this world who have not known you will themselves, at an acceptable time, call you blessed, O Virgin.

The angels luxuriate in their heavenly dwellings, but we rejoice to take our leisure in your holy temples. For if the temple of Solomon once represented heaven in an earthly image, will not the temples built in honor of you, who became the living temple of Christ, all the more be rightly celebrated as heaven on earth? The stars speak out with tongues of flame in the heavenly firmament; and the material colors of your icons, O Mother of God, dazzle us with the representation of your gifts.

You have your own proper praise within yourself, in that you were designated Mother of God. You did not inherit the title, “Mother of God,” simply because we heard this with our own ears; nor was it simply that our fathers proclaimed this to us in a tradition of utter truthfulness. Rather, the work you have accomplished in us confirms that you are Mother of God in very fact, literally and without deceit, not by some verbal self-indulgence, but in the way of true faith.

Vultus Christi

SPERA IN DEO

By

Father Mark

on January 1, 2011 2:04 PM |

The Extraordinary Ordinary

It sometimes happen that, even on the greatest feasts, a word or phrase from the Ordinary of the Mass (the unchanging parts) seems to be illuminated from within, and so captivates the attention of one's heart. This happened to me this morning at the most unexpected moment: during the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar. These are prayers that, by force of repetition day in and day out, can easily be counted as somehow secondary in comparison to the richness offered by the Proper of the Mass, the chants of the day, the collect, and the other orations. And yet, the Ordinary of the Mass fully deserves to be repeated, pondered, and held in the heart.

The Finger of God's Right Hand

Many of you have had, I'm sure, a similar experience. It is as if, at a given moment, an invisible finger of fire underlines a particular word or phrase, causing it to leap off the page into one's soul. One of the liturgical titles of the Holy Ghost is Dextrae Dei Digitus, the Finger of God's Right Hand. It is, in effect, the Holy Ghost who, on various occasions, and, more often than not, in synergy with the Church's celebration of a particular liturgical feast or mystery, underscores a word, points to a gesture, or draws one's attention to a detail of the Sacred Liturgy that had gone heretofore unnoticed.

My Motto for 2011

Reciting the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar, I arrived at the phrase, Spera in Deo, quoniam adhuc confitebor illi: salutare vultus mei et Deus meus, "Hope in God, for I shall praise Him yet: the salvation of my countenance, and my God." (Psalm 42:6). In a flash I knew that this was a word given me by God to illumine my path and guide my steps in 2011.

To hope in God is not to hope for anything. The theological virtue of hope becomes operative where and when one passes from having a multiplicity of hopes to a singlehearted hope in God alone. It is easy to delude oneself into thinking that one is practicing the virtue of hope by hoping from God this or that material or spiritual good. The theological virtue of hope, on the other hand, casts us upon God alone, trusting Him to give us Himself and, with Himself, all that His perfect will holds for us.

From Hopes to Hope

Many, many years ago, on a cold rainy February day I found myself praying in front of the grotto at Lourdes in the company of a holy priest of whom I have written in other entries on this blog, le Père Croset. Although I was young, I had already experienced some bitter disappointments in life. My vocational path had been tortuous and, increasingly, was marked by twists, turns, and accidents de parcours. One hope after another had been dashed to pieces upon the rocks of the dura et aspera (the hard and rugged things, an expression from the Rule of Saint Benedict) that lead to God. Taking stock of the apparent wreckage of my vocation, I saw that all of things for which I had hoped, and in which I had hoped, had failed me. I expressed this to Père Croset, quite unprepared for the answer he gave me. "Petit frère," he said, "now is the time for you to pass from hopes to HOPE>" Maintenant il te faut passer de tes espoirs à L'ESPERANCE. It is a word that I have never forgotten.

Letting Go and Going Forward in Hope

Today I find myself still bewildered by the twists and turns of my monastic journey. It has not at all been what I thought it might have been, or should have been. I am not today where I thought I would be, should be, or could be. But I am where God would have me be. I have stopped hoping for anything to complete my life, or crown my efforts, or give meaning to my journey. I have let go of many hopes, and will have to continue letting go of the new hopes that glitter on my road like so many pieces of counterfeit gold. Today, I hope in God. I want only what He wants, when He wants it, in the way that He wants it. My hope is God: His will, His perfect plan, and in the end, the the possession of Him given me out of mercy by none other than Himself.

Hope in God for God

The world judges harshly those who go forward in life, leaving behind them a trail of wrecked hopes and failures. I am learning, after so many years, to give thanks for every wrecked hope and to bless God for every failure. It is altogether too easy to glory in vain hopes and to boast of one's achievements (be they spiritual, academic, or material), and to forfeit the one hope held out by God, the hope that promises and delivers the only happiness that leaves no aftertaste of bitterness: hope in God for God. The value of achievements and possessions must be measured against "the One Thing Necessary . . . the Best Part." (Luke 10:42). Is not this why Our Lord says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven"? (Matthew 5:3)

The Name of Jesus, Our Hope

The Name of Jesus is enshrined, like a jewel set in a precious setting, at the very heart of today's Gospel. Even as I look at the layout of the Gospel -- it is but a single verse -- on the page of the Evangeliary, I see that the Name of Jesus occurs precisely in the middle of text. One who receives the Name of Jesus from the Gospel, and holds it in his heart, will find that it becomes there an unfailing wellspring of hope. The Name of Jesus is an anchor of hope in the soul's secret depths, a reason -- no, the only reason -- for hoping against hope when the forces of despair marshalled by the world, the flesh, and the devil, threaten to pull one into the outer darkness of complete despondency.

Our Blessed Lady and Saint Joseph

Our Blessed Lady and in Saint Joseph demonstrate and illustrate the virtue of hope, especially in the Infancy narratives of the Gospels of Saint Matthew and Saint Luke. Both of them received in secret, as it were, the adorable Name of Jesus; Our Lady from the Archangel Gabriel (Luke 1:31), even before she uttered her Fiat(Luke 1:38), and Saint Joseph from the Angel who came to him in a dream by night (Matthew 1:21). The Most Holy Name of Jesus held in their hearts and endlessly repeated became for both of them the fountain of hope that neither deceives nor confounds those who stake their very lives upon it.

Not only do Our Blessed Lady and Saint Joseph demonstrate and illustrate the virtue of hope; they also dispense it, in abundance, to the souls who seek their intercession. Our Lady, being the Mediatrix of All Graces is Spes Nostra, Our Hope. Where Mary is, there is hope. It is enough for a soul to seek the presence of Mary, and to pronounce her sweet name for hope to fill the terrible void of despair.

As for Saint Joseph, he graciously imparts the grace of hope to those who ask for his paternal help. Saint Joseph, having held fast to hope amidst darkness and trials, is now charged with helping, from his place in heaven, those who are tempted against this virtue that the powers of darkness so hate. With good reason does the Church invoke Saint Joseph as the "Terror of Demons," for when Saint Joseph enters a crisis to bring souls heavenly aid, he foils every diabolical plot to cast them into despair.

Into the New Year

This, then, is my motto for 2011: Spera in Deo. And the psalm goes on to say, quoniam adhuc confitebor illi: salutare vultus mei et Deus meus. "I will praise him yet: the salvation of my countenance and my God." I will go forward in hope, relying on the intercession of the Virgin Mother of God and of Saint Joseph, repeating the Name of Jesus ceaselessly in my heart.

Vespers -- Evening Prayer

Vespers (Evening Prayer)

Introduction

O God, come to my aid.

O Lord, make haste to help me.

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

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

world without end.

Amen. Alleluia.

Hymn

Hail, Queen of the heavens, hail Mistress of earth;

Hail, Virgin most pure of immaculate birth:

Clear star of the morning in beauty enshrined;

O Lady, make speed to the help of mankind.

Thee God in the depth of eternity chose,

And formed thee all fair as his glorious spouse,

And called thee his own Word’s true Mother to be

By whom he created the earth, sky, and sea.

Hail, Mother most pure, hail, Virgin renowned,

Hail, Queen with the stars as a diadem crowned;

Above all the angels in glory untold,

Set next to the King in a vesture of gold.

These praises and prayers we lay at thy feet,

O Virgin of virgins, O Mary most sweet:

Be thou our true guide through this pilgrimage here,

And stand by our side when our death draweth near.

Psalm 121 (122) Jerusalem, the holy city

O wonderful exchange! The Creator of human nature took on a human body and was born of the Virgin. He became man without having a human father and has bestowed on us his divine nature.

They filled me with joy when they said,

“We will go to the house of the Lord.”

Now our feet are standing

within your gates, Jerusalem.

Jerusalem, built as a city,

whole and self-contained:

there the tribes have gone up,

the tribes of the Lord –

the witness of Israel,

to praise the Lord’s name.

For there are the thrones of justice,

the thrones of the house of David.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:

“Safety for those who care for you,

peace inside your walls,

security within your ramparts!”

For my brethren and those near to me I will say

“Peace be upon you.”

For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,

I will call blessings upon you.

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

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

world without end.

Amen.

O wonderful exchange! The Creator of human nature took on a human body and was born of the Virgin. He became man without having a human father and has bestowed on us his divine nature.

Psalm 126 (127) Without the Lord, we labour in vain

You were born of the Virgin in a mysterious manner of which no man can speak; you fulfilled the scriptures; like rain falling gently on the earth you came hither to save the human race. We praise you: you are our God.

If the Lord does not build the house,

its builders labour in vain.

If the Lord does not watch over a city,

its workmen guard it in vain.

It is vain for you to rise before the dawn

and go late to your rest,

eating the bread of toil –

to those he loves, the Lord gives sleep.

The Lord bestows sons as an heirloom,

the fruit of the womb as a reward.

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior –

so are the sons of one’s youth.

Happy the man who fills his quiver thus:

when he disputes with his enemies at the gate,

he will not be the loser.

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.

You were born of the Virgin in a mysterious manner of which no man can speak; you fulfilled the scriptures; like rain falling gently on the earth you came hither to save the human race. We praise you: you are our God.

Canticle	Ephesians 1

God the Saviour

Moses saw the thorn bush that was on fire yet was not burnt up. In it we see a sign of your virginity, which all must honour. Mother of God, pray for us.

Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

who has blessed us, in Christ,

with every spiritual blessing in heaven.

In love, he chose us before the creation of the world,

to be holy and spotless in his sight.

He predestined us to be his adopted children through Jesus Christ,

simply because it pleased him to do so.

This he did for the praise of the glory of his grace,

of his free gift to us in his Beloved,

in whose blood we have gained redemption,

and the forgiveness of our sins.

This he did according to the riches of his grace,

which he gave us in abundance,

with all wisdom and discernment,

revealing to us the mysteries of his will,

because it pleased him to do so.

In this action he has planned, in the fulfilment of time,

to bring all things together in Christ,

from the heavens and from the earth.

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.

Moses saw the thorn bush that was on fire yet was not burnt up. In it we see a sign of your virginity, which all must honour. Mother of God, pray for us.

Short reading	Galatians 4:4-5 ©

When the appointed time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born a subject of the Law, to redeem the subjects of the Law and to enable us to be adopted as sons.

Short Responsory

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.

– Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.

Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb.

– Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.

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

– Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.

Canticle	Magnificat

My soul rejoices in the Lord

Happy the womb that bore you, O Christ; happy the breasts that suckled you, Lord and Saviour of the World. Alleluia.

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

and my spirit rejoices in God, my salvation.

For he has shown me such favour –

me, his lowly handmaiden.

Now all generations will call me blessed,

because the mighty one has done great things for me.

His name is holy,

his mercy lasts for generation after generation

for those who revere him.

He has put forth his strength:

he has scattered the proud and conceited,

torn princes from their thrones;

but lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things;

the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel,

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

to Abraham and his children for ever.

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

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

world without end.

Amen.

Happy the womb that bore you, O Christ; happy the breasts that suckled you, Lord and Saviour of the World. Alleluia.

Prayers and Intercessions

Blessings to Christ Emmanuel, conceived and born of the Virgin Mary. We address our prayers to him:

– Son of the Virgin Mary, hear us.

You granted to Mary the joy of motherhood:

give all parents true joy in their children.

– Son of the Virgin Mary, hear us.

King and peace-bringer, your reign is justice and peace:

grant that we may work for peace.

– Son of the Virgin Mary, hear us.

You came to consecrate the human race as God’s holy people:

bring all peoples together in harmony.

– Son of the Virgin Mary, hear us.

By being born you took on the bonds of family:

let each family live in unity.

– Son of the Virgin Mary, hear us.

You chose to be born into time with us:

may the deceased be born into eternity with you.

– Son of the Virgin Mary, hear us.

Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us,

and lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

God, our Father,

since you gave mankind a saviour through blessed Mary, virgin and mother,

grant that we may feel the power of her intercession

when she pleads for us with Jesus Christ, your Son, the author of life,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

God for ever and ever.

Amen.

May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life.

AMEN

Regnum Christi

Our Mother Knows the Song of the Angels

INTERNATIONAL | SPIRITUAL LIFE | NEWS

Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God (Sat., Jan. 1, 2011)

January 1, 2010
Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God
Father Ernest Daly, LC

Luke 2:16-21
The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them. When eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Introductory Prayer: Lord, you are my friend, my Father, and my protector. I come to you on this new day confident in your presence. I renew my love for you, trusting in your guiding hand.

Petition: Lord, I want to hear the angels sing. Help me learn to listen.

1. Sometimes We Need a Little Help Would the shepherds have been impressed to find Mary, Joseph, and the child Jesus if the angels had not explained what was happening? They would have just thought it was a poor, vagabond family—unimpressive and unassuming like their own lives as shepherds. Yet the angels opened them to a reality that they would never have imagined or perceived. In my life God has also sent me angels who help me discover him: the faith of a parent or grandparent, the sweet, innocent faith of a child, the good example of a friend, a teacher, a priest or a nun, the example of our Holy Father. Mary also teaches me to discover God in her Son. Do I thank God for these angels that he has sent me? Do I follow their advice and look for Christ in the simple, ordinary circumstances of my life?

2. Hints of a New Song In a symphony, the first movement only hints at the central theme. Mary had first heard this theme from the angel Gabriel. Now the shepherds take up this theme—the hymn of the angels—and even though the shepherds play their part with great enthusiasm, it probably makes very little noise outside the little town of Bethlehem. Yet the song had begun, and it would grow to a crescendo as Christ lived out his mission. History unfolds God’s mysterious plan of salvation. I am part of that history, of that symphony. Do I do my best to continue Mary’s song, God’s song, by living my commitments and taking part in apostolate?

3. And His Name Shall Be “God Saves” Mary and Joseph take up the hymn. They know the secret: this child will save Israel and will save all mankind. They begin to explain to the world, using an ancient name, Joshua (Yeshua), a name that now becomes not just a promise but a person. This is God’s new name. This is Our God: God Saves. He is not merely a God who is the source of everything. Our God is intimately committed to us, and he puts himself “in the line of fire” to save us. Man had suspected that God was Creator, and the Jews had received the surprise of his friendship, but neither Gentile nor Jew dreamed that God was also this type of love. Do I dare to dream of God’s goodness? Do I let Christ give me peace and hope in the midst of this despairing world?

Conversation with Christ: Lord, I have heard something new today. You remind me this Christmas that it is time for a new song, a song of confidence and hope. Mary teaches me this song, this good news. I want to bring this good news more deeply into my life. I know that you are helping me to discover you more each day. Help me also discover you to others.

Resolution: In Mary’s presence, I will strive to “sing this new song” (the Christian virtue I have determined to cultivate) today by making a special effort in one aspect of living this virtue

Compline -- Night Prayer

Compline (Night Prayer)

Introduction

O God, come to my aid.

O Lord, make haste to help me.

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

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

world without end.

Amen. Alleluia.

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

Hymn

Christ, thou who art the light and day,

Who chasest nightly shades away,

Thyself the Light of Light confessed,

And promiser of radiance blest:

O holy Lord, we pray to thee,

Throughout the night our guardian be;

In thee vouchsafe us to repose,

All peaceful till the night shall close.

O let our eyes due slumber take,

Our hearts to thee forever wake:

And let thy right hand from above

Shield us who turn to thee in love.

O strong defender, hear our prayers,

Repel our foes and break their snares,

And govern thou thy servants here,

Those ransomed with thy life-blood dear.

Almighty Father, this accord

Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord,

Who with the Holy Ghost and thee

Doth reign through all eternity.

Psalm 4 Thanksgiving

Lord, have mercy and hear me.

When I called out, he heard me, the God of my righteousness.

When I was in trouble, you gave me freedom:

now, take pity on me and listen to my prayer.

Sons of men, how long will your hearts be heavy?

Why do you seek for vain things?

Why do you run after illusions?

Know that the Lord has done marvellous things

for those he has chosen.

When I call upon the Lord, he will hear me.

Be vigorous, but do not sin:

speak in the silence of your heart,

in your bed, be at rest.

Offer righteousness as a sacrifice,

and put your trust in the Lord.

Many are saying, Who will give us good things?

Let your face shine on us, Lord,

let the light of your face be a sign.

You have given me a greater joy

than the others receive

from abundance of wheat and of wine.

In peace shall I sleep, Lord, in peace shall I rest:

firm in the hope you have given me.

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

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

world without end.

Amen.

Lord, have mercy and hear me.

Psalm 133 (134) Evening prayer in the Temple

Bless the Lord through the night.

Come, bless the Lord,

all you servants of the Lord

who stand through the night in the house of the Lord!

Lift up your arms to the sanctuary

and bless the Lord!

May the Lord bless you from Zion –

the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

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.

Bless the Lord through the night.

Reading	Deuteronomy 6:4-7 ©

Listen, Israel: the Lord our God is the one Lord. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength. Let these words I urge on you today be written on your heart. You shall repeat them to your children and say them over to them whether at rest in your house or walking abroad, at your lying down or at your rising.

Short Responsory

Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.

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

You have redeemed us, Lord, God of faithfulness.

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

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

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

Canticle	Nunc Dimittis

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

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

You have fulfilled your promise.

My own eyes have seen your salvation,

which you have prepared in the sight of all peoples.

A light to bring the Gentiles from darkness;

the glory of your people Israel.

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

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

world without end.

Amen.

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

Let us pray.

Come to us, Lord, this night, and give us the strength to rise at dawn rejoicing in the resurrection of your Anointed, who lives and reigns for ever and ever, Amen.

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

AMEN

	Alma Redemptoris Mater

Kind mother of our Redeemer,

the way to heaven for us, now and always,

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

All nature stood still in wonder

when you gave flesh

to your own flesh’s Creator.

Virgin at Gabriel’s greeting,

Virgin now and always –

take pity on us sinners.

Alma Redemptoris Mater, quae pervia caeli

porta manes, et stella maris, succurre cadenti,

surgere qui curat, populo: tu quae genuisti,

natura mirante, tuum sanctum Genitorem,

Virgo prius ac posterius, Gabrielis ab ore,

sumens illud Ave, peccatorum miserere.

Scripture Study for Mary, Mother of God

Opening prayer

Numbers 6:22-27 (Ps 67:2-3,5-6,8) Galatians 4:4-7 Luke 2:16-21

Overview of the Gospel:

• In the fourth century A.D., the heretical bishop Nestorius denied Mary could be called

Theotokos (“God-bearer”), or, Mother of God. He thought it blurred the distinction between

Jesus’ divine and human natures. The Council of Ephesus in A.D. 431 condemned Nestorius

and affirmed Mary as Mother of God.

• Like all Marian dogmas, Mary’s title of Mother of God says more about Jesus that it does

about Mary. It affirms the fact that Jesus is fully God, yet fully man (see CCC 464-483).

• This Monday’s Gospel reading is a continuation of last Sunday’s for midnight Mass (Luke 2:1-

14). The shepherds, upon hearing the angels’ message, rush to Bethlehem and tell Mary and

Joseph (verse 17)—and whoever else will listen (verses 18, 20)—what they have seen and

heard. This confirms that which was already announced beforehand in Luke 1:31-33, 46-55,

and 68-79.

• At eight days old, Jesus is circumcised and formally given the name which the angel had

revealed before his birth (Luke 1:31; Mark 1:21). Circumcision was the rite that incorporated

Jewish males into the people of Israel (Genesis 17:9-14; Luke 1:57-66), just as baptism

incorporates Christians into the new Israel, the Church (Colossians 2:11-12).

Questions:

• What does the Second reading tell us about the timing of the Incarnation of Christ? About the

necessary conditions? About the reasons it needed to happen? About what it means for us?

• It is just a short walk from the traditional site of Shepherd’s Field to the area of Bethlehem

where Jesus’ birthplace is located. Why do the shepherds feel they have to go “in haste”? Who

else “went in haste” (Luke 1:39)? Why?

• How do you think Luke obtained all the information for these events which were actually

witnessed by relatively few people (verses 19, 51)?

• What does Luke mean when he says that “Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them…”?

What precious event has God done in your life that you “keep in your heart”?

• What is the significance of the name “Jesus” (verse 21, Luke 1:31; Mark 1:21; Acts 2:12)?

What reverence should we have (and encourage others to have) for the Holy Name?

• What effect do you suppose the angels’ visit had on the shepherds? What effect has the

knowledge of Christ’s birth had on you?

Catechism of the Catholic Church: §§ 430, 432, 434, 487, 466, 495, 527, 2599, 2677

Closing prayer

Mary was raised to the dignity of Mother of God rather for sinners than for the just, since Jesus Christ

declares that he came to call not the just, but sinners. -St. Anselm

One Bread, One Body

<< Saturday, January 1, 2011 >>

Mary, Mother of God
Saint of the Day

Numbers 6:22-27
Galatians 4:4-7
View Readings

Psalm 67:2-3, 5-6, 8
Luke 2:16-21

A NEW YEAR'S REVOLUTION

"Mary treasured all these things and reflected on them in her heart." —Luke 2:19

What thoughts did Mary reflect upon? Were they sentimental? If you were having a baby in a real barn, sentimental thoughts would not be uppermost in your mind. Were Mary's thoughts contemplative, mystical, or profound? Were Mary's thoughts full of anger? Mary had reason to be angry since she was forced to have her baby in a stable, but we know that Mary did not sin. Therefore, if her thoughts were of anger, they were of righteous anger (see Eph 4:26).

The only extended statement in the Bible on which to base any conclusions about Mary's thoughts is her "Magnificat." In Luke 1:46-55, Mary praised the Lord and then proclaimed a revolution. She prophesied: "He (the Lord) has shown might with His arm; He has confused the proud in their inmost thoughts. He has deposed the mighty from their thrones and raised the lowly to high places. The hungry He has given every good thing, while the rich He has sent empty away" (Lk 1:51-53). Mary called for a revolution not through physical violence but through repentance. This revolution was made possible by her Son Jesus, Who is a Sign of contradiction for the rise and fall of many (Lk 2:34).

For years, many of us have been making and breaking New Year's resolutions. Change an "s" to a "v", and make a New Year's revolution in Jesus. This will make "Happy New Year" not just a wish, but a reality.

Prayer: Father, use Christians to turn this upside-down world right-side up (see Acts 17:6).

Promise: "The Lord bless you and keep you! The Lord let His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace!" —Nm 6:24-26

Praise: The Blessed Virgin Mary hoped for the Messiah and got far more than she could have imagined.