Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 12-22-14

USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 12-22-14 | Revised New American Bible

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The Angelus 

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary: 
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit. 

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. 

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word. 

Hail Mary . . . 

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us. 

Hail Mary . . . 

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. 

Let us pray: 

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen. 

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Luke
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Luke 1
46.	And Mary said: My soul doth magnify the Lord.	Et ait Maria : Magnificat anima mea Dominum :	και ειπεν μαριαμ μεγαλυνει η ψυχη μου τον κυριον
47.	And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.	et exsultavit spiritus meus in Deo salutari meo.	και ηγαλλιασεν το πνευμα μου επι τω θεω τω σωτηρι μου
48.	Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid; for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.	Quia respexit humilitatem ancillæ suæ : ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent omnes generationes,	οτι επεβλεψεν επι την ταπεινωσιν της δουλης αυτου ιδου γαρ απο του νυν μακαριουσιν με πασαι αι γενεαι
49.	Because he that is mighty, hath done great things to me; and holy is his name.	quia fecit mihi magna qui potens est : et sanctum nomen ejus,	οτι εποιησεν μοι μεγαλεια ο δυνατος και αγιον το ονομα αυτου
50.	And his mercy is from generation unto generations, to them that fear him.	et misericordia ejus a progenie in progenies timentibus eum.	και το ελεος αυτου εις γενεας γενεων τοις φοβουμενοις αυτον
51.	He hath shewed might in his arm: he hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.	Fecit potentiam in brachio suo : dispersit superbos mente cordis sui.	εποιησεν κρατος εν βραχιονι αυτου διεσκορπισεν υπερηφανους διανοια καρδιας αυτων
52.	He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble.	Deposuit potentes de sede, et exaltavit humiles.	καθειλεν δυναστας απο θρονων και υψωσεν ταπεινους
53.	He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.	Esurientes implevit bonis : et divites dimisit inanes.	πεινωντας ενεπλησεν αγαθων και πλουτουντας εξαπεστειλεν κενους
54.	He hath received Israel his servant, being mindful of his mercy:	Suscepit Israël puerum suum, recordatus misericordiæ suæ :	αντελαβετο ισραηλ παιδος αυτου μνησθηναι ελεους
55.	As he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed for ever.	sicut locutus est ad patres nostros, Abraham et semini ejus in sæcula.	καθως ελαλησεν προς τους πατερας ημων τω αβρααμ και τω σπερματι αυτου εις τον αιωνα
56.	And Mary abode with her about three months; and she returned to her own house.	Mansit autem Maria cum illa quasi mensibus tribus : et reversa est in domum suam.	εμεινεν δε μαριαμ συν αυτη ωσει μηνας τρεις και υπεστρεψεν εις τον οικον αυτης

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46. And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord.

AMBROSE; As evil came into the world by a woman, so also is good introduced by women; and so it seems not without meaning, that both Elisabeth prophesies before John, and Mary before the birth of the Lord. But it follows, that as Mary was the greater person, so she uttered the fuller prophecy.

BASIL; For the Virgin, with lofty thoughts and deep penetration, contemplates the boundless mystery, the further she advances, magnifying God; And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord.

GREEK EX. As if she said, Marvelous things has the Lord declared that He will accomplish in my body, but neither shall my soul be unfruitful before God. It becomes me to offer Him the fruit also of my will, for inasmuch as I am obedient to a mighty miracle, am I bound to glorify Him who performs His mighty works in me.

ORIGEN; Now if the Lord could neither receive increase or decrease, what is this that Mary speaks of, My soul doth magnify the Lord? But if I consider that the Lord our Savior is the image of the invisible God, and that the soul is created according to His image, so as to be an image of an image, then I shall see plainly, that as after the manner of those who are accustomed to paint images, each one of us forming his soul after the image of Christ, makes it great or little, base or noble, after the likeness of the original so when I have made my soul great in thought, word, and deed, the image of God is made great, and the Lord Himself whose image it is, is magnified in my soul.

47. And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

BASIL; The first-fruit of the Spirit is peace and joy. Because then the holy Virgin had drunk in all the graces of the Spirit, she rightly adds, And my spirit has leaped for joy. She means the same thing, soul and spirit. But the frequent mention of leaping for joy in the Scriptures implies a certain bright and cheerful state of mind in those who are worthy. Hence the Virgin exults in the Lord with an unspeakable springing (and bounding) of the heart for joy, and in the breaking forth into utterance of a noble affection It follows, in God my Savior.

THEOPHYL; Because the spirit of the Virgin rejoices in the eternal Godhead of the same Jesus (i.e. the Savior,) whose flesh is formed in the womb by a temporal conception.

AMBROSE; The soul of Mary therefore magnifies the Lord, and her spirit rejoiced in God, because with soul and spirit devoted to the Father and the Son, she worships with a pious affection the one God from whom are all things. But let every one have the spirit of Mary, so that he may rejoice in the Lord. If according to the flesh there is one mother of Christ, yet, according to faith, Christ is the fruit of all. For every soul receives the word of God if only he be unspotted and free from sin, and preserves it with unsullied purity.

THEOPHYL. But he magnifies God who worthily follows Christ, and now that he is called Christian, lessens not the glory of Christ by acting unworthily, but does great and heavenly things; and then the Spirit (that is, the anointing of the Spirit) shall rejoice, (i.e. make him to prosper,) and shall not be withdrawn, so to say, and put to death.

BASIL; But if at any time light shall have crept into his heart, and loving God and despising bodily things he shall have gained the perfect standing of the just, without any difficulty shall he obtain joy in the Lord.

ORIGEN; But the soul first magnifies the Lord, that it may afterwards rejoice in God; for unless we have first believed, we can not rejoice.

48. For he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

GREEK EX. She gives the reason why it becomes her to magnify God and to rejoice in Him, saying, For he has regarded the lowliness of his handmaiden; as if she said, "He Himself foresaw, therefore I did not look for Him." I was content with things lowly, but now am I chosen to counsels unspeakable, and raised up from the earth to the stars.

AUG. O true lowliness, which has borne God to men, has given life to mortals, made new heavens and a pure earth, opened the gates of Paradise, and set free the souls of men. The lowliness of Mary was made the heavenly ladder, by which God descended upon earth. For whet does regarded mean but "approved;" For many seem in my sight to be lowly, but their lowliness is not regarded by the Lord. For if they were truly lowly, their spirit would rejoice not in the world, but in God.

ORIGEN; But why was she lowly and cast down, who carried in her womb the Son of God? Consider that lowliness which in the Scriptures is particularly praised as one of the virtues, so called by the philosophers "modestia." And we also may paraphrase it, that state of mind in which a man instead of being puffed up, casts himself down.

THEOPHYL, But she, whose humility is regarded, is rightly called blessed by all; as it follows, For, behold, from henceforth all shall call me blessed. ATHAN. For if as the Prophet says, Blessed are they who have seed in Sion, and kinsfolk in Jerusalem, how great should be the celebration of the divine and ever holy Virgin Mary, who was made according to the flesh, the Mother of the Word?

GREEK EX. She does not call herself blessed from vain glory, for what room is there for pride in her who named herself the handmaid of the Lord? But, touched by the Holy Spirit, she foretold those things which were to come.

THEOPHYL, For it was fitting, that as by the pride of our first parent death came into the world, so by the lowliness of Mary should be opened the entrance into life.

THEOPHYL. And therefore she says, all generations, not only Elisabeth, but also every nation that believed.

49. For he that is mighty has done to me great things; and holy is his name.

THEOPHYL. The Virgin shows that not for her own virtue is she to be pronounced blessed, but she assigns the cause saying, For he that is mighty has magnified me.

AUG. What great things has He done to you; I believe that a creature you gave birth to the Creator, servant you brought forth the Lord, that through you God redeemed the world, through you He restored it to life.

TITUS BOS. But where are the great things, if they be not that I still a virgin conceive (by the will of God) overcoming nature. I have been accounted worthy, without being joined to a husband, to be made a mother, not a mother of any one, but of the only-begotten Savior.

THEOPHYL; But this has reference to the beginning of the hymn, where it is said, My soul doth magnify the Lord. For that soul can alone magnify the Lord with due praise, for whom he deigns to do mighty things.

TITUS BOS; But she says, that is mighty, that if men should disbelieve the work of her conception, namely, that while yet a virgin, she conceived, she might throw back the miracles upon the power of the Worker. Nor because the only-begotten Son has come to a woman is He thereby defiled, for holy is his name.

BASIL. But holy is the name of God called, not because in its letters it contains any significant power, but because in whatever way we look at God we distinguish his purity and holiness.

THEOPHYL; For in the height of His marvelous power He is far beyond every creature, and is widely removed from all the works of His hands. This is better understood in the Greek tongue, in which the very word which means holy, signifies as it were to be "apart from the earth."

50. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.

THEOPHYL; Turning from God's special gifts to His general dealings, she describes the condition of the whole hole human race, And his mercy is from generation to generation on them that fear him. As if she said, Not only for me has He that is mighty done great things, but in every nation he that fears God is accepted by Him.

ORIGEN; For the mercy of God is not upon one generation, but extends to eternity from generation to generation.

GREEK EX. According to the mercy which He has upon generations of generations, I conceive, and He Himself is united to a living body, out of mercy alone undertaking our salvation. Nor is His mercy shown indiscriminately, but upon those who are constrained by the fear of Him in every nation; as it is said, upon those who fear him, that is, upon those who being brought by repentance are turned to faith and renewal for the obstinate unbelievers have by their sin shut against themselves the gate of mercy.

THEOPHYL. Or by this she means that they who fear shall obtain mercy, both in that generation, (that is, the present world,) and the generation which is to come, (i.e. the life everlasting.) For now they receive a hundred-fold, but hereafter far more.

51. He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

THEOPHYL; In describing the state of mankind, she shows what the proud deserve, and what the humble; saying, He has shown strength with his arm, &c. i.e. with the very Son of God. For as your arm is that whereby you work, so the arm of God is said to be His word by whom He made the world

ORIGEN; But to those that fear Him, He has done mighty things with His arm; though you come weak to God if you have feared Him you shall obtain the promised strength.

THEOPHYL. For in His arm, that is, His incarnate Son, He has shown strength, seeing that nature was vanquished, a virgin bringing forth, and God becoming man.

GREEK EX. Or she says, Has shown, for will show strength; not as long ago by the hand of Moses against the Egyptians, nor as by the Angel, (when he slew many thousand of the rebel Assyrians,) nor by any other instrument save His own power, He openly triumphed, overcoming spiritual enemies. Hence it follows, he has scattered, &c. that is to say, every heart that was puffed up and not obedient to His coming He has laid bare, and exposed the wickedness of their proud thoughts.

CYRIL OF JERUS. But these words may be more appropriately taken to refer to the hostile ranks of the evil spirits. For they were raging on the earth, when our Lord's coming put them to flight, and restored those whom they had bound, to His obedience.

THEOPHYL. This might also be understood of the Jews whom He scattered into all lands as they are now scattered.

52. He has put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.

THEOPHYL; The words, He has showed strength with his arm, and those which went before, And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation, must be joined to this verse by a comma only. For truly through all generations of the world, by a merciful and just administration of Divine power, the proud do not cease to fall, and the humble to be exalted. As it is said, He has put down the mighty from their seat, he has exalted the humble and meek.

CYRIL; The mighty in knowledge were the evil spirits, the Devil, the wise ones of the Gentiles, the Scribes and Pharisees; yet these He has put down, and raised up those who humbled themselves under the mighty hand of God; giving them the power of treading upon serpents and scorpions and every power of the enemy. The Jews were also at one time puffed up with power, but unbelief slew them, and the mean and lowly of the Gentiles have through faith climbed up to the highest summit.

GREEK EX. For our understanding is acknowledge d to be the judgment-seat of God, but after the transgression, the powers of evil took their seat in the heart of the first man as on their own throne. For this reason then the Lord came and cast out the evil spirits from the seat of our will, and raised up those who were vanquished by devils, purging their consciences, and making their hearts his own dwelling place.

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

GLOSS. Because human prosperity seems to consist chiefly in the honors of the mighty and the abundance of their riches, after speaking of the casting down of the mighty, and the exalting of the humble, he goes on to tell of the impoverishing of the rich and the filling of the poor, He has filled the hungry, &c.

BASIL; These words regulate our conduct even with respect to sensible things, teaching the uncertainty of all worldly possessions, which are as short lived as the wave which is dashed about to and fro by the violence of the wind. But spiritually all mankind suffered hunger except the Jews; for they possessed the treasures of legal tradition and the teachings of the holy prophets. But because they did not rest humbly on the Incarnate Word they were sent away empty, carrying nothing with them neither faith nor knowledge, and were bereft of the hope of good things, being shut out both of the earthly Jerusalem and the life to come. But those of the Gentiles, who were roughs low by hunger and thirst, because they clung to the Lord, were filled with spiritual goods.

GLOSS. They also who desire eternal life with their whole soul, as it were hungering after it, shall be filled when Christ shall appear in glory; but they who rejoice in earthly things, shall at the end be sent away emptied of all happiness.

54. He has holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
55. As he spoke to our fathers, Abraham, and to his seed for ever.

GLOSS. After a general mention of the Divine mercy and holiness, the Virgin changes the subject to the strange and marvelous dispensation of the new incarnation, saying, He has holpen his servant Israel, &c. as a physician relieves the sick, becoming visible among men, that He might make Israel (i.e. him who sees God) His servant.

THEOPHYL; That is, obedient and humble; for he who disdains to be made humble, cannot be saved.

BASIL; For by Israel she means not Israel after the flesh, whom their own title made noble, but the spiritual Israel, which retained the name of faith, straining their eyes to see God by faith.

THEOPHYL. It might also be applied to Israel after the flesh, seeing that out of that body multitudes believed. But this he did remembering His mercy, for He has fulfilled what he promised to Abraham, saying, For in your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. This promise then the mother of God called to mind, saying, As he spoke to out father Abraham; for it was said to Abraham, I will place my covenant, that I shall be your God, and the God of your seed after you.

THEOPHYL; But by seed he means not so much those who are begotten in the flesh, as those who have followed the steps of Abraham's faith, to whom the Savior's coming was promised for evermore.

GLOSS. For this promise of heritage shall not be narrowed by any limits, but to the very end of time there shall never lack believers, the glory of whose happiness shall be everlasting.

56. And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.

AMBROSE; Mary abode with Elisabeth until she had accomplished the time of her bringing forth; as it is said, And Mary abode, &c.

THEOPHYL. For in the sixth month of the conception of the forerunner, the Angel came to Mary, and she abode with Elisabeth three months, and so the nine months are completed.

AMBROSE; Now it was not only for the sake of friendship that she abode so long, but for the increase also of so great a prophet. For if at her first coming the child had so far advanced, that at the salutation of Mary he leaped in the womb, and his mother was filled with the Holy Spirit, how much must we suppose the presence of the Virgin Mary to have added during the experience of so long a time? Rightly then is she represented as having shown kindness to Elisabeth, and preserved the mystical number.

THEOPHYL, For the chaste soul which conceives a desire of the spiritual word must of necessity submit to the yoke of heavenly discipline, and sojourning for the days as it were of three months in the same place, cease not to persevere until it is illuminated by the light of faith, hope, and charity.

THEOPHYL. But when Elisabeth was going to bring forth, the Virgin departed, as it follows, And she returned; or, probably because of the multitude, who were about to assemble at the birth. But it became not a virgin to be present on such an occasion.

GREEK EX. For it is the custom for virgins to go away when the pregnant woman brings forth. But when she reached her own home, she went to no other place, but abode there until she knew the time of her delivery was at hand. And Joseph doubting, is instructed by an Angel.

Catena Aurea Luke 1

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Madonna of the Magnificat (Madonna del Magnificat)

Sandro Botticelli

1480-81
Tempera on panel, diameter 118 cm
Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence

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Information: St. Chaeremon

Feast Day: December 22

Died: 250

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Interactive Saints for Kids

St. Chaeremon & St. Ischyrion & Other Martyrs

Feast Day: December 22
Born/Died: (Third century)

In the third century the Romans made Christians suffer terribly for their faith. Today's saints were martyred when Decius was Emperor of Rome.

Many Christians who lived in Egypt were driven out into the desert. There they died or were killed because of hunger, thirst, extreme cold, wild animals or by bad men.

And if the Christians tried to return to their homes, they were killed. The young, healthy Christians were sold as slaves.

St. Chaeremon was a priest and bishop of Nilopolis. He was very old when the torture of Christians became extreme. The elderly bishop and his friend went for shelter to the mountains of Arabia. They were never seen again, nor were their bodies ever found.

St. Ischyrion worked for an official in an Egyptian city and his boss wanted him to offer sacrifice to false gods. Ischyrion refused because this was against God's first commandment. This made his boss very angry and insulted and he ordered Ischyrion to be killed.

Many other martyrs like Chaeremon and Ischyrion gave their lives for Jesus at this time in Egypt.

Today, there are still many people who suffer for their faith in Jesus. Let us pray for them, that they will have the courage they need to be faithful to the Gospel.

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CATHOLIC ALMANAC

Monday, December 22

Liturgical Color: Violet

Nativity scenes are visual reminders of
the true meaning behind Christmas. St.
Francis of Assisi constructed the first
nativity scene in 1223. The hay he used
in the manger was said to possess
miraculous properties, curing area cattle
of diseases.

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Advent Reflection by Father Robert Barron

Advent Day 23 – God Joins Our Dysfunctional Family

by Fr. Robert Barron

The opening lines of Matthew’s Gospel—and hence the first words that one reads in the New Testament—are a listing of the genealogy of Jesus, the 42 generations that stretch from Abraham to Christ. If the Word truly became flesh, then God had, not only a mother, but also a grandmother, cousins, great-aunts, and weird uncles. If the Word truly dwelt among us, then he was part of a family that, like most, was fairly dysfunctional, a mix of the good and bad, the saintly and the sinful, the glorious and the not so glorious. And this is such good news for us.

Let me highlight just a few figures from Jesus’ family tree. Matthew tells us that the Messiah was descended from Jacob, a great patriarch and hero of Israel, and also a man who wrestled with God. In a lyrical passage from the 32nd chapter of the book of Genesis, we hear that Jacob struggled all night with the Lord and was wounded permanently in the process. I imagine that there are some reading these words who have wrestled all their lives with God, questioning, doubting, wondering, struggling mightily with the Lord, perhaps even bearing spiritual wounds as a consequence. Well, the Messiah came forth from Jacob and was pleased to be a relative of this fighter.

Matthew’s genealogy informs us that Ruth was an ancestor of the Lord. Ruth was not an Israelite, but rather a Moabite, a foreigner. I would be willing to bet that there are some reading this who have felt all their lives like outsiders, not part of the “in” crowd, perhaps looked at askance by others. Well, the Messiah came forth from Ruth the foreigner and was pleased to be her relative.

And then there is Rahab. As you recall from the book of Joshua, Rahab was a prostitute living and working in Jericho at the time of the Israelite conquest of the promised land. Are there people reading these words who feel like Rahab? Who think that their whole lives have been sunk in sin, who have become unrecognizable to themselves? Well, the Messiah came forth from Rahab the prostitute, and he was pleased to be her relative.

The good news of Christmas is that God himself pushed into the dysfunctional and ambiguous family of man. And he continues to join us, even though we, like so many of his Israelite ancestors, are unworthy of him. Like them, we are flawed, compromised, half-finished. But God becomes our brother anyway. That’s the amazing grace of the Incarnation.

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Catholic Culture

 

Daily Readings for:December 22, 2014
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: O God, who, seeing the human race fallen into death, willed to redeem it by the coming of your Only Begotten Son, grant, we pray, that those who confess his Incarnation with humble fervor may merit his company as their Redeemer. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

RECIPES

o    Gingersnaps

ACTIVITIES

o    Advent House

o    Advent Hymn: Veni, Veni, Emmanuel or O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

o    Christmas Plays, Los Pastores and Las Posadas

o    Las Posadas II

o    O Antiphon Days

o    O Antiphon Tree Decorations

o    O Antiphons - December 17 - 24

o    Religion in the Home for Elementary School: December

o    Religion in the Home for Preschool: December

PRAYERS

o    Advent Tower

o    Advent Wreath Prayers I

o    Christmas Novena

o    Advent Wreath Prayers II

o    Novena to the Infant Jesus

o    Book of Blessings: Blessing Before and After Meals: Advent (2nd Plan)

o    December Devotion: The Immaculate Conception

o    Christmas Anticipation Prayer

o    Book of Blessings: Blessing Before and After Meals: Advent (1st Plan)

LIBRARY

o    Praise The Lord, King Of All The Earth | Pope John Paul II

·         Advent: December 22nd

·         Monday of the Fourth Week of Advent

Old Calendar: St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (Trad some places)

"A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return" (Luke 19:12). This nobleman is Christ, the Son of God, King of all nations. His kingdom is over all men and over all things, both material and spiritual. He has everything in His hand as God and man. But another, Satan, has broken into His kingdom and has made himself master of many of Christ's subjects. In the old dispensation only a small part of humanity, the chosen people, remained faithful to the almighty King.

Christ, the Son of God, came into this "far country" in order to become man and, by means of humility, obedience, and poverty, to cast out the usurper who had taken His subjects. He came to reassert His dominion over all those who had left Him, both Jews and Gentiles.

According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today, in some places, is the feast of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, Founder of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart. Her feast is celebrated on November 13 in the Ordinary Rite.

O Antiphons ~ King of the Gentiles

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O King of the Gentiles
"Come and save man, whom Thou hast made out of dust." What is man? He is but a particle of dust, an insignificant creature who has further separated himself from God through sin. He has been cut off from the fountain of truth and banished from God to darkness and misery. Still in the ruins there dwells a spirit that possesses a capacity for truth. In these ashes there is yet a spark that may be fanned to life to burn with the brilliance of divine life. But only God can revive this flame. For this reason the Church cries out, "Come and save man, whom Thou hast made out of dust." Save him who is so weak, so miserable and helpless. Remember his nothingness. Consider the many enemies who lay snares to rob him of divine life and to entice him into sin. Think of his obscured knowledge and his proneness to evil, of his tendency to error, and his weakness in the face of temptation. Guard him from the enticements of the world; shelter him from the poison of erroneous teaching; deliver him from the devil and his angels.

During these days before Christmas, the Church contemplates the overwhelming misery of unregenerated mankind. She cries out, "Come and save man, whom Thou hast made out of dust."

Jesus is King of all nations. "The kings of the earth stood up and the princes met together against the Lord and against His Christ. Let us break their bonds asunder, and let us cast away their yoke from us. He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh at them, and the Lord shall deride them. Then shall He speak to them in His anger and trouble them in His rage. But I am appointed king by Him over Sion, His holy mountain. ... The Lord hath said to Me; Thou art My Son; this day have I begotten Thee. Ask of Me and I will give Thee the Gentiles for Thy inheritance, and the utmost parts of the earth for Thy possession" (Ps. 2:2-8). Well may Herod seek the life of the newborn king. Indeed, many kings and tribes and nations in the course of time shall deprecate the divine King, Christ. But to Him has been given all power in heaven and on earth (Matt. 28: i8). Before Him every knee shall bend, and every tongue shall confess that He is the Lord (Phil. 2:10f.).

The more the mighty condemn the kingship of Christ, the more shall He be exalted by the Father.

Now He comes to us in the form of a lovely child. One day in the presence of the Roman governor He will assert His right to kingship. But after this one public confession of His royal origin He withdraws again into the obscurity which He had freely chosen. For the present He is satisfied with this manifestation of His royal dignity. The day will come, however, when He will manifest it with power and majesty as He comes again on the clouds of heaven. Before all nations God will declare: "I have anointed Him King of Sion. My holy mountain." All men shall pay Him homage as king; all nations shall acclaim Him the King of Glory.

Excerpted from The Light of the World by Benedict Baur, O.S.B.

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6th O Antiphon:
And their desired one,
Cornerstone,
Who makest two into one,

COME
Save man,
Whom thou didst fashion out of slime.

Today is Day Seven of the Christmas Novena.

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The Word Among Us

Meditation: Luke 1:46-56

4th Week of Advent

The Almighty has done great things for me! (Luke 1:49)

The Mighty One indeed did great things for Mary! Thus, Mary’s beautiful hymn of praise sprang from a heart filled with awe at God’s greatness and at the greatness of his work in her. This humble daughter of Israel didn’t confuse God’s choice of her to be the mother of God’s Son with any merit of her own. Rather, she recognized that God had “looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant” (Luke 1:48) and gave him all the credit. With all her heart and soul, Mary magnified and glorified the Lord by proclaiming his greatness (1:46). Marveling at the profound mystery being wrought within her, she rejoiced in her Savior (1:47).

In just a few days, we will celebrate the birth of the Word made flesh, the fulfillment of the word the angel spoke to Mary. What could better prepare us and open our hearts to receive this Savior than for us to follow Mary’s example and spend these days magnifying the Lord and rejoicing in him?

Pondering God’s goodness, reading Scripture to recall his promises to us, thinking about him often throughout the day—these are all ways to magnify the Lord, ways to make him bigger and bigger in our hearts and minds. We glorify him when we praise him, recount his blessings to us, and thank him for them. We glorify him when we testify to the work he has done in us and share about him with those around us. Just as the Incarnation of Christ in her womb led Mary to magnify the Lord and rejoice, so God’s great works in our lives lead us to praise God and to delight in his goodness and mercy toward us.

Over the next four days, pray Mary’s Magnificat. Make it your own as you call to mind the particular ways God has “looked with favor” on you and done wonderful things for you. As St. Ambrose, one of the Fathers of the Church, wrote, “Let Mary’s soul be in each of you to proclaim the greatness of the Lord. Let her spirit be in each of you to rejoice in the Lord.”

“How great you are, my mighty Savior and Lord! I join my heart and voice with Mary’s to proclaim your praises and to rejoice in your goodness and kindness to me.”

1 Samuel 1:24-28
(Psalm) 1 Samuel 2:1, 4-8

[Salvation]

Marriage=One Man and One Woman 'Til Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for December 22, 2014:

As we wait for Christmas, it’s a good time to develop the virtue of patience. Focus on being patient today, especially with your family members. Offer up the frustrations that come from things not going the way you had planned.

[Salvation]

A little bit of early evening joy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wp_RHnQ-jgU

[Salvation]

Regnum Christi

Favor Is the Key

U. S. A. | SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

December 22, 2014. Monday of the Fourth Week of Advent

Luke 1:46-56

Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior. for he has looked upon his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, and has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children for ever.” Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months and then returned to her home.

Introductory Prayer: I love you, Lord, for you have loved me first. You have allowed me to see your provident hand in so many events of my life; how can I not believe in you? These days of Advent have slipped away so quickly. You are almost at my doorstep, ready to knock. I want to be ready for your arrival on Christmas Day. Therefore, I pour out my humble plea before you.

Petition: Lord Jesus, mark my life with gratitude.

1. The Key Word: The Magnificat, and indeed the entire history of salvation, can be summarized in the word “favor”. This is the true motive of Christmas. God looks with favor (or good will) upon mankind. Many times, we see our spiritual life as the effort we make to become pleasing in God’s eyes, drawing his blessings down upon us. This would mean that in some way we bring about our own growth in holiness. This is not the case: God is never “obliged” to grant us his grace. We do not “deserve” anything from God. Our spiritual life should consist in presenting ourselves before God as we truly are: sinners. By placing our weakness before his omnipotence, we draw down his favor to lift us up from our misery and to adopt us as his children. This is what happened as he “looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant (Mary).”

2. The Gift of Himself: To demonstrate his immense love for us and to give himself to us, God becomes one of us. Love makes us seek to become more like our beloved. How could God become more like his beloved creature? He not only became man, but he shared the lot of the poorest of the poor. Very few humans, even among the paupers, have been born in a stable. How many babies are laid in the feeding trough of a cow or horse? Well, that is exactly what a manger is. Though he was rich (he was God almighty), he became poor, to enrich us with his poverty. We need to ask ourselves what we are doing to become more like our beloved. What are we doing to imitate Christ in his gift of self? Have we learned to put aside our whims and fancies in order to do the things that are pleasing to our spouse, children or parents? These are the ways to prepare ourselves for a grace-filled Christmas.

3. Abundant Blessings: The rest of the Magnificat is a glorification of God, recognizing the favors he bestows upon those who love him. All generations will call us “blessed.” God will show the might of his arm, he will lift up the lowly, and the hungry he will fill with good things…. We truly have so much for which to be thankful. The challenge of our Christian lives is to be mindful of our blessings and mark our actions with the seal of gratitude. We glorify God and we bless God when we try to respond according to all the good he has done in our lives. Then in turn, others will call us blessed, because our filial attitude opens the door for God to enter in and do still more good through us. Do I count my many blessings often? Do I truly seek to “repay” God by cooperating, and am I aware that in return he will bring about still more good and bless me more?

Conversation with Christ: Lord, as I prepare my soul for your coming this Christmas, I invite you to enter my humble dwelling. Please do not pass by without bestowing your blessings upon my poor soul. I need your grace. I will not leave your presence today without at least a crumb from your banquet. Allow me to thank and praise you for your infinite mercy as you look upon your lowly servant.

Resolution: Today, out of gratitude for the many blessings I have received, I will give something good to someone in need.

By Father Barry O’Toole, LC

[Salvation]

Homily of the Day

December 22, 2014

In today’s first reading, Hannah implored the Lord for a son and a son was granted her. She promptly offered her son to the Lord and she prayed and exalted loud.

We also have Mary whose praise, thanksgiving and exultation of the Lord never ended. Notwithstanding her condition, she immediately traveled to the hill country to help her pregnant cousin. Here is shown the missionary spirit of Mary. Elizabeth, upon hearing Mary’s greeting, was filled with the Holy Spirit and cried. “Why is this that the Mother of my Lord should come to me? Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” (Lk 1:43-45)

In response to her cousin’s greeting, Mary sang her Magnificat which came forth from her humility, her faith, her hope, her joy, her thanksgiving. Mary was faithful in knowing the teaching of the past before her. Her song echoes the long ago prayer of Hannah: My soul magnifies the Lord, my spirit rejoices … the almighty has done great things for me and holy is His name.” Mary teaches us how to pray and how to choose what to say to the Lord.

Mary, help us open our hearts and our mind to the Holy One so that we may listen and do His will in all things.

[Salvation]

One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

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All Issues > Volume 31, Issue 1

<< Monday, December 22, 2014 >>

1 Samuel 1:24-28
View Readings

1 Samuel 2:1, 4-8

Luke 1:46-56
Similar Reflections

"GLORIFY THE LORD WITH ME" (Ps 34:4)

"My being proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit finds joy in God my Savior." —Luke 1:46-47

The words of today's Gospel passage, commonly known as the Magnificat, are prayed every single day by Catholic priests, religious, and some lay people in the Liturgy of the Hours. These are words to unite people each day.

Mary had a heavy cross to bear. When she prayed her Magnificat, she didn't know if Joseph would receive her or reject her. She could have said, "My cross is heavy, my future unsure, and I'm scared." However, she focused on the Lord, rejoiced in Him, and praised Him and the great works He was doing, saying with her Old Testament matriarch Hannah: "My heart exults in the Lord, my horn is exalted in my God" (1 Sm 2:1).

By fixing our eyes on the world and its gift-giving and receiving, we magnify the world's Christmas. Instead, let us approach Christmas as Mary did: by praising and magnifying God. When we magnify the Lord, it is as if we look closely at Him as though looking through a magnifying glass. God becomes ever larger in our sight. We cannot help but be overwhelmed by His greatness and splendor. We thereby fix our eyes on Him (Heb 3:1), forget ourselves, and are lifted up.

With Mary, rejoice in Jesus and "be ready to greet Him when He comes" this Christmas.

Prayer: Father, make me blind to everything that takes my focus away from Jesus.

Promise: "I prayed for this child, and the Lord granted my request." —1 Sm 1:27

Praise: "O King of all the nations, the only Joy of every human heart; O Keystone of the mighty arch of man, come and save the creature You fashioned from the dust."

[Salvation]

 

Openness to life is at the centre of true development. When a society moves towards the denial or suppression of life, it ends up no longer finding the necessary motivation and energy to strive for man's true good. If personal and social sensitivity towards the acceptance of a new life is lost, then other forms of acceptance that are valuable for society also wither away.67 --Pope Benedict XVI, Caritas In Veritate