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December 16, 2006 Saturday of the Second Week of Advent Psalm: Saturday 49 Reading 1Sir 48:1-4, 9-11 In those days,like a fire there appeared the prophet Elijahwhose words were as a flaming furnace.Their staff of bread he shattered,in his zeal he reduced them to straits;By the Lord(s word he shut up the heavensand three times brought down fire.How awesome are you, Elijah, in your wondrous deeds!Whose glory is equal to yours?You were taken aloft in a whirlwind of fire,in a chariot with fiery horses.You were destined, it is written, in time to cometo put an end to wrath before the...

December 15, 2006 Friday of the Second Week of Advent Psalm: Friday 49 Reading 1Is 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 PsalmPs 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6 R. (see John 8:12) Those who...

December 14, 2006 Memorial of Saint John of the Cross, priest and doctor of the Church Psalm: Thursday 49 Reading 1Is 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...

December 13, 2006 Memorial of Saint Lucy, virgin and martyr Psalm: Wednesday 49 Reading 1Is 40:25-31 To whom can you liken me as an equal?says the Holy One.Lift up your eyes on highand see who has created these things:He leads out their army and numbers them,calling them all by name.By his great might and the strength of his powernot one of them is missing!Why, O Jacob, do you say,and declare, O Israel,“My way is hidden from the LORD,and my right is disregarded by my God”? Do you not knowor have you not heard?The LORD is the eternal God,creator of the...

December 12, 2006 Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe Psalm: Tuesday 49 Reading 1Zec 2:14-17 Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion! See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the LORD.Many nations shall join themselves to the LORD on that day,and they shall be his people,and he will dwell among you,and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you.The LORD will possess Judah as his portion in the holy land,and he will again choose Jerusalem.Silence, all mankind, in the presence of the LORD!For he stirs forth from his holy dwelling. or Rev 11:19a; 12:1-6a,...

December 11, 2006 Monday of the Second Week of Advent Psalm: Monday 49 Reading 1Is 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...

"SEEING CLEARLY" + Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., 12.7.06, 1st annual Orange County Prayer Breakfast Garden Grove, CA Each year, as we move toward Christmas, a friend of mine puts together a list of his favorite Christmas songs. Every year it's the usual mix of Silent Night, The Shepherds' Carol, O Little Town of Bethlehem ­ things like that. But every year he also includes Dr. Elmo's great Christmas classic, Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer. The lyrics go like this: Grandma got run over by a reindeer, Walking home from our house, Christmas Eve; You can say you...

Touched By Grace Fr. Jack Peterson  Other Articles by Fr. Jack PetersonPrinter Friendly Version   Experience the Joy of Advent December 9, 2006 Advent is a season of joyful expectation. There are many sources of our joy during Advent. I would like to take a look at three of them: experiencing God's tender mercy, receiving a special gift, and serving others.The Church watches three major figures as it prepares for Christmas: Scrooge, Jimmy Stewart and the Grinch. Actually, they are Isaiah the prophet, John the Baptist, and Mary, the Mother of God. The Gospel for the Second Sunday of...

December 10, 2006 Second Sunday of Advent Psalm: Sunday 49 Reading 1Bar 5:1-9 Jerusalem, take off your robe of mourning and misery;put on the splendor of glory from God forever:wrapped in the cloak of justice from God,bear on your head the mitrethat displays the glory of the eternal name.For God will show all the earth your splendor:you will be named by God foreverthe peace of justice, the glory of God(s worship. Up, Jerusalem! stand upon the heights;look to the east and see your childrengathered from the east and the westat the word of the Holy One,rejoicing that they are remembered...

December 9, 2006 Saturday of the First Week of Advent Psalm: Saturday 48 Reading 1Is 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...

December 8, 2006 Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Psalm: Friday 48 Reading 1Gn 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...

December 7, 2006 Memorial of Saint Ambrose, bishop and doctor of the Church Psalm: Thursday 48 Reading 1Is 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...

December 6, 2006 Wednesday of the First Week of Advent Psalm: Wednesday 48 Reading 1Is 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...

December 5, 2006 Tuesday of the First Week of Advent Psalm: Tuesday 48 Reading 1Is 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...

Marcellino D'Ambrosio, Ph.D.  Other Articles by Marcellino D'Ambrosio, Ph.D.Printer Friendly Version   Advent: the Reason for the Season December 4, 2006 "Advent" is simply the Latin word for "coming." If we can manage to meditate on any "coming" in December besides the comings and goings of Christmas shopping, it would be Christ's coming to Mary in a stable. But the liturgy of the first three weeks of Advent speaks of another coming, the second and final coming of Jesus at the end of time.From the earliest days of the Church, people have been fascinated by Jesus' promise to come...

December 4, 2006 Monday of the First Week of Advent Psalm: Monday 48 Reading 1Is 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...

December 3, 2006 First Sunday of Advent Psalm: Sunday 48 Reading 1Jer 33:14-16 The days are coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and Judah.In those days, in that time, I will raise up for David a just shoot; he shall do what is right and just in the land.In those days Judah shall be safe and Jerusalem shall dwell secure; this is what they shall call her: “The LORD our justice.” Responsorial PsalmPs 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14 R. (1b) To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.Your ways, O...

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According to the Antiochene Syriac Maronite Catholic Church SYNAXARIONThe third Sunday of the Season of Announcement commemorates another important event in the unfolding of the promises of God. Mary went to visit her cousin, Elizabeth. After receiving such tremendous good news, Mary could have secluded herself in a life of prayer and contemplation. However, after the angel of the Lord had communicated the news of Elizabeth’s conception to her, Mary perceived it as the Lord’s will that she go to be with Elizabeth, and thus chose to share the divine life within her with another. Mary shared Jesus with others...

Fr. Roger Landry  Other Articles by Fr. Roger Landry   Reflections on the End of the Church Year November 28, 2006 We have come to the culmination of the Church's whole liturgical year. During the past fifty-one weeks, we have been on pilgrimage through time. Our journey began with the Jewish people in the expectation of the Messiah. Then we celebrated the Messiah's birth, epiphany, presentation in the temple, baptism and hidden life. We joined Jesus in the desert for forty days.With the help of St. Mark's Gospel, we followed Him during His three years of public ministry. We...