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December 10, 2004Friday of the Second Week of Advent Reading IIs 48:17-19 Thus says the LORD, your redeemer,the Holy One of Israel:I, the LORD, your God,teach you what is for your good,and lead you on the way you should go.If you would hearken to my commandments,your prosperity would be like a river,and your vindication like the waves of the sea;Your descendants would be like the sand,and those born of your stock like its grains,Their name never cut offor blotted out from my presence. Responsorial Psalm1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6 R (see John 8:12) Those who follow you, Lord, will have...

These days its routine to hear from multiple sources the almost flipant dismissal that "of course Jesus wasn't born on Christmas!" or "everyone knows Jesus must have been born in August." or "He had to have been born in the Spring" or any number of speculative prognostifications serving to spoil the season. I've even heard this from the pulpit ... in evangelical churches no less "we know that Jesus wasn't born in December, but its a time to celebrate Advent anyway..." The fact of the matter though, the historical record is anything but clear when Jesus "had to be born."...

December 9, 2004Thursday of the Second Week of Advent Reading IIs 41:13-20 I am the LORD, your God,who grasp your right hand;It is I who say to you, "Fear not,I will help you."Fear not, O worm Jacob,O maggot Israel;I will help you, says the LORD;your redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.I will make of you a threshing sledge,sharp, new, and double-edged,To thresh the mountains and crush them,to make the hills like chaff.When you winnow them, the wind shall carry them offand the storm shall scatter them.But you shall rejoice in the LORD,and glory in the Holy One of Israel....

December 8, 2004Solemnity of the Immaculate Conceptionof the Blessed Virgin Mary Reading IGen 3:9-15, 20 After the man, Adam, had eaten of the tree,the LORD God called to the man and asked him, "Where are you?"He answered, "I heard you in the garden;but I was afraid, because I was naked,so I hid myself."Then he asked, "Who told you that you were naked?You have eaten, then,from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!"The man replied, "The woman whom you put here with me—she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it."The LORD God then asked...

December 7, 2004Memorial of Saint Ambrose, bishop and doctor of the Church Reading IIs 40:1-11 Comfort, give comfort to my people,says your God.Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to herthat her service is at an end,her guilt is expiated;Indeed, she has received from the hand of the LORDdouble for all her sins. A voice cries out:In the desert prepare the way of the LORD!Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!Every valley shall be filled in,every mountain and hill shall be made low;The rugged land shall be made a plain,the rough country, a broad valley.Then the glory of...

December 6, 2004Monday of the Second Week of Advent Reading IIs 35:1-10 The desert and the parched land will exult;the steppe will rejoice and bloom.They will bloom with abundant flowers,and rejoice with joyful song.The glory of Lebanon will be given to them,the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;They will see the glory of the LORD,the splendor of our God.Strengthen the hands that are feeble,make firm the knees that are weak,Say to those whose hearts are frightened:Be strong, fear not!Here is your God,he comes with vindication;With divine recompensehe comes to save you.Then will the eyes of the blind be opened,the ears of...

December 5, 2004Second Sunday of Advent Reading IIs 11:1-10 On that day, a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,and from his roots a bud shall blossom.The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him:a spirit of wisdom and of understanding,a spirit of counsel and of strength,a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD,and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD.Not by appearance shall he judge,nor by hearsay shall he decide,but he shall judge the poor with justice,and decide aright for the land's afflicted.He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth,and with...

The Collect in The Book of Common Prayer (1662 & 1928) was written by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer. It reflects the concern of the English Reformers that the Scriptures assume their proper authority and place, not only for doctrine and in worship, but also in daily living. Blessed Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou...

The 1962 Missal Mass Readings for the Second Sunday of Advent Colors:  Violet   INTROIT  Isaias 30:30 People of Sion, behold the Lord shall come to save the nations: and the Lord shall make the glory of His voice to be heard, in the joy of your heart. -- (Ps. 79. 2). Give ear, O Thou that rulest Israel: Thou that leadest Joseph like a sheep. V.: Glory to the Father . . . -- People of Sion   COLLECT - Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to prepare the way of Thine only-begotten Son: that through His coming...

December 4, 2004Saturday of the First Week of Advent Reading IIs 30:19-21, 23-26 Thus says the Lord GOD,the Holy One of Israel:O people of Zion, who dwell in Jerusalem,no more will you weep;He will be gracious to you when you cry out,as soon as he hears he will answer you.The Lord will give you the bread you needand the water for which you thirst.No longer will your Teacher hide himself,but with your own eyes you shall see your Teacher,While from behind, a voice shall sound in your ears:"This is the way; walk in it,"when you would turn to the right...

The purpose of FreeRepublic.com's multiple message boards is to limit the topics for each board to particular topics. Posting the same message on all the boards defeats the purpose of multiple-boards for special topics. It is very annoying to see the same message on every bulletin board. PLEASE! DO THE READERS A FAVOR. STOP CROSS-POSTING YOUR MESSAGES!

December 3, 2004Memorial of Saint Francis Xavier, priest Reading IIs 29:17-24 Thus says the Lord GOD:But a very little while,and Lebanon shall be changed into an orchard,and the orchard be regarded as a forest!On that day the deaf shall hearthe words of a book;And out of gloom and darkness,the eyes of the blind shall see.The lowly will ever find joy in the LORD,and the poor rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.For the tyrant will be no moreand the arrogant will have gone;All who are alert to do evil will be cut off,those whose mere word condemns a man,Who ensnare...

December 2, 2004Thursday of the First Week of Advent Reading IIs 26:1-6 On that day they will sing this song in the land of Judah: "A strong city have we;he sets up walls and ramparts to protect us.Open up the gatesto let in a nation that is just,one that keeps faith.A nation of firm purpose you keep in peace;in peace, for its trust in you." Trust in the LORD forever!For the LORD is an eternal Rock.He humbles those in high places,and the lofty city he brings down;He tumbles it to the ground,levels it with the dust.It is trampled underfoot by...

December 1, 2004Wednesday of the First Week of Advent Reading IIs 25:6-10a On this mountain the LORD of hostswill provide for all peoplesA feast of rich food and choice wines,juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.On this mountain he will destroythe veil that veils all peoples,The web that is woven over all nations;he will destroy death forever.The Lord God will wipe awaythe tears from all faces;The reproach of his people he will removefrom the whole earth; for the LORD has spoken. On that day it will be said:"Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us!This is the LORD...

November 30, 2004Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle Reading IRom 10:9-18 Brothers and sisters:If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lordand believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,you will be saved.For one believes with the heart and so is justified,and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.The Scripture says,No one who believes in him will be put to shame.There is no distinction between Jew and Greek;the same Lord is Lord of all,enriching all who call upon him.For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But how can they...

As sun moves southward toward the winter solstice, my apparent sunrise actually becomes earlier; closer to the time listed in an almanac. In the summer the rising sun is blocked for several hours by hill to the northeast; in the winter sunrise is almost directly over the notch in the hills carved by a stream draining nearly two dozen square miles. For a few days at the end of November the morning sunrise streams through my office window, then through the narrow hallway leading to the rest of the house, above the kitchen counter-wall before coming to rest squarely on...

Six minutes a day. That's what you are asked to give during these next 43 days -- the 27 days of Advent Season, and the 16 days of the Christmas Season. The key to the second post for each day (except Sundays) will be walking through the first part of Matthew's Gospel a little bit at a time. The key to the first post is like a buffet table with a variety of thoughts about the Advent and Christams Seasons, the feast of the day, and various traditions and customs. All of this provides the framwwork for you to enjoy...

An Advent sermon from the Rev. William Klock Continuing something of an Advent theme, here is a sermon for the First Sunday in Advent, from the Rev. William Klock, rector of Christ Church (REC) in Portland. He writes:We need to use the time we’ve been given wisely. The life we’re living now is the night and eternity is the morning. We don’t know exactly how far away the dawn is, but it’s closer than it was yesterday. St. Paul reminds us that we don’t have time to waste by indulging our sinful nature. Through Christ we are new creations. He...

November 29, 2004Monday of the First Week of Advent Reading IIs 4:2-6 On that day,The branch of the LORD will be luster and glory,and the fruit of the earth will be honor and splendorfor the survivors of Israel.He who remains in Zionand he who is left in JerusalemWill be called holy:every one marked down for life in Jerusalem.When the LORD washes awaythe filth of the daughters of Zion,And purges Jerusalem's blood from her midstwith a blast of searing judgment,Then will the LORD create,over the whole site of Mount Zionand over her place of assembly,A smoking cloud by dayand a light...

November 28, 2004First Sunday of Advent Reading IIs 2:1-5 This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz,saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.In days to come,the mountain of the LORD's houseshall be established as the highest mountainand raised above the hills.All nations shall stream toward it;many peoples shall come and say:"Come, let us climb the LORD's mountain,to the house of the God of Jacob,that he may instruct us in his ways,and we may walk in his paths."For from Zion shall go forth instruction,and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.He shall judge between the nations,and impose terms on many peoples.They shall beat their...