8. The Approaching Day. (Advent Meditations)
by VP
Posted on Saturday December 07, 2024 at 11:00PM in Advent Sermons
"1. When the sun is soon to appear above the horizon, the morning star, shining with a light derived indeed from him, but nevertheless shining bright and clear even before his coming, gives the signal of his approach. So the holy Mother of God, dawning upon the world with a grace and beauty which was the gift of her divine Son, anticipated His Incarnation and made the world more beautiful in God’s sight than it had ever been before. Mary was more precious to God than all the rest of men, and this quite independently of her divine maternity. Consider why this was, and learn a lesson for yourself.
2. The morning star is still clearly seen when all other stars have been extinguished by the light of the coming day. Mary has a brilliancy so great that the brightness of all the other saints fades into nothing in comparison with hers. If this was the case even in comparison with the glory of St. John Baptist, St. Joseph, Abraham the Patriarch, the friend of God, Job, the model of patience, Daniel, the beloved of God, what must her glory be ! Thank God for having created one child of Adam worthy of Himself.
3. Mary’s consummate beauty is the consequence of there being in her nothing of her own. All was God’s; no admixture of self in her motives, in her aims, in her joys and sorrows, her love and hatred. Her affections were simply a reflection of what God loved and hated; like God she loved all things except sin, and those who were the declared and eternal enemies of God. She desired nothing for herself except that she might see God’s holy will fulfilled in all. Is this the account that you can give of yourself ? Only if this is so are you a worthy child of Mary. "
Meditations for Advent . By Rev. Richard F. Clarke S.J. The Catholic Truth Society, London 1891 Digitized by google
Saint Andrew Christmas Novena:
Hail and blessed be the hour and moment In which the Son of God was born Of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires, [here mention your request] through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen. (15 times)
Prayer to the Holy Infant for priests
Jesus, Divine Infant, I bless and thank
Thy most loving Heart for the institution of the priesthood. Priests
are sent by Thee as Thou were sent by the Father. To them Thou entrusted
the treasures of Thy doctrine, of Thy Law, of Thy Grace, and souls
themselves.
Grant me the grace to love them, to listen to them,
and to let myself be guided by them in Thy ways. Jesus, send good
laborers into Thy harvest. May priests be the salt that purifies and
preserves; may they be the light of the world; may they be the city
placed on the mountain. May they all be formed after Thy own Heart. And
in heaven may they be surrounded by a joyous throng of those they
shepherded on earth. Amen.
Glory Be (three times).
Infant Jesus, make me love Thee more and more!
St. Ambrose, Bishop, Confessor, Doctor of the Church, A.D. 397
by VP
Posted on Friday December 06, 2024 at 11:00PM in Saints
St. Ambrose by Gerard Seghers (1591–1651)
"ST. AMBROSE was the most admirable model of invincible courage and constancy in resisting evil, and discharging his duty, since the days of the apostles. His father was a supreme magistrate of the empire; and the saint's birth happened about the year 340. Whilst he was a child, and lay asleep in one of the courts of his father's palace, a swarm of bees flew about his cradle, and some of them crept in and out of his mouth, and at last they mounted up into the air quite out of sight. This was looked upon as a presage of his future greatness and eloquence.
He was chosen bishop of Milan by a particular direction of heaven. Having undertaken the pastoral charge, he was a zealous promoter of church discipline; opposing errors and punishing vice, never letting the dignity of the offenders, or the fear of offending great ones, deter him from the just censure of the offence. Thus he refused admittance into the church to the Emperor Theodosius, because he had commanded a cruel massacre of seven thousand people at Thessalonica and when the emperor attempted some excuse, by saying that David had sinned, the holy bishop firmly replied: "Then as you have followed him in sinning, follow him also in repenting." Theodosius submitted, accepted the penance enjoined him, and passed eight months in his palace in mourning and penance. After this he went to the church, but St. Ambrose still forbade him to enter it, and ordered him to place himself among the public penitents at the church door. There he knelt and lay long prostrate in the rank of the penitents, lamenting his sin, and begging pardon of God; until St. Ambrose, satisfied that he was truly penitent, gave him absolution. It was by the piety and zeal of St. Ambrose, that St. Augustin was reclaimed from his errors and sinful life.
Pray that all prelates and pastors may possess the spirit of St. Ambrose, so as to be above all flattery, fear, and human respect. Pray for all who are engaged in errors and sins; and beg the charity of this saint to join with you for obtaining grace for them." The Catholic Year; Or Daily Lessons on the Feasts of the Church by Rev. Fr. John GOTHER
Prayer of St. Ambrose: JESUS CHRIST, our High Priest and Pontiff, who hast offered thyself on the altar of the cross, a pure and unspotted host for us poor sinners, who hast given us thy flesh to eat and thy blood to drink, I beseech thee, by that blood, the great price of our salvation; I beseech thee, by that unspeakable charity which prompted thee to shed it for us; that thou wouldst teach me how to be present at this great mystery, how to behave with that reverence and honour, and to feel that fear and devotion, which is becoming so great an occasion. Make me, in thy mercy, ever believe and understand, think and speak, of this awful mystery, in a manner which may be pleasing to thee, and good for mine own soul.
Let thy good Spirit enter within my breast, and breathe into it, silently and sweetly, every truth which learned words might more slowly convey. For thy mysteries are profound indeed, and concealed beneath a sacred veil.
Permit me, O God, in thy great clemency, to go through this duty with a clear heart and a pure mind. Free my heart from all impure, vain, and hurtful thoughts. Strengthen me through the strong and faithful guardianship of thy blessed angels, that the enemies of my soul may be put to flight. May the virtue of this great mystery, and the power of thy holy angels, remove from me, and from all thy servants, the spirit of pride and indifference, of envy and blasphemy, of fornication and uncleanness, of doubt and hesitation. May those be confounded who persecute us: may those evil passions which war against our souls be destroyed.
O King of virgins and lover of chastity, may the dew of thy heavenly blessing quench within me every impure flame; so that unspotted chastity may alone find place in my body and soul. Mortify within me every disordered passion, every dangerous sensation; and, amid all thy other favours, give me that true and perpetual chastity which is pleasing to thee. For with what sorrow and tears, with what fear and reverence, with what chastity of body and purity of soul, ought we not ever to approach this divine and heavenly sacrifice, where thy flesh is truly eaten, where thy blood is truly drunk? where the lowest and the highest, where earth and heaven, are joined? where the holy angels are present? and where, in a wonderful and unspeakable manner, thou art both priest and sacrifice? Who could worthily join in this celebration, unless thou, God omnipotent, didst make him worthy? I know, O Lord, I know and I confess that I am not worthy to approach this great mystery, on account of my many sins and my endless negligences: but I know also, and I firmly believe and stedfastly confess, that thou, my God, canst make me worthy; that thou alone canst change impurity into cleanliness, and sin into justice and sanctity. By this thine omnipotence, I pray thee to enable me, a poor sinner, to partake of this sacrament with fear and trembling, with purity of heart, with tears of sorrow, with spiritual cheerfulness, with heavenly joy. Let my mind feel the sweetness of thy blessed presence, and of the company of thy holy angels around me.
For, O Lord, although a sinner, yet I approach to thy holy altar mindful of thy revered passion, that I may offer to thee the sacrifice which thou hast instituted, and which thou hast directed to be offered for our salvation in remembrance of thee. Receive it, I beseech thee, great God, for thy holy church, and for the people which thou hast purchased with thy blood. I offer to thee, O Lord, the sorrows of this thy people, the danger of nations, the groans of captives, the wants of orphans, the distresses of the weak, the failings of the old, the despair of the dying, the sighs of youth, the vows of virgins, the tears of widows. Lighten, I beseech thee, lighten and assuage the sufferings of all.
Yes; do thou, O Lord, have mercy on us all, and despise not that which thou hast created. Remember what our substance is : that thou art our Father: that thou art our God. Be not angry with us, and withhold not the multitude of thy mercies from us. For we do not come before thee to justify ourselves, but to pray for thy pardon and pity. Take away from us these hearts of stone, and give us feeling hearts, which may seek thee, which may love thee, which may tend towards thee and enjoy thee. Look down, O Lord, with a propitious and serene countenance, upon the wants of thy servants; and grant that no prayer may be offered up to thee in vain, that no hope may remain unfulfilled; and do thou thyself, O God, suggest to us those prayers which thou wilt most kindly hear and most freely grant.
We pray to thee, also, O holy Lord and Father, for the souls of the faithful departed; that this great sacrament of love may obtain for them health, salvation, refreshment, and joy. O Lord, my God, let them feel the effects of this great offering of thee, the living bread which came down from heaven and givest life to the world,-of thee, the Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world; let them be refreshed and consoled by it; and may its merits avail to bring them to the joy and glory of thy heavenly kingdom. the fulness of thy blessing, the holiness of thy Divinity, let the invisible and incomprehensible majesty of thy Holy Spirit, descend upon these our offerings; and enable me also to approach this sacrifice with purity, with devotion, with tears, and with reverence, so that even my prayers may conduce to render it available to the salvation of all, whether living or dead.
I beseech thee also, O Lord, by the most holy mystery of thy body and blood, by which, in thy church, we are daily fed, and cleansed, and sanctified, and made partakers of thy great Divinity-I beseech thee to fill me with such virtuous dispositions that I may approach with a good conscience to thine altar, and find safety and life in this heavenly sacrament. For thou hast said, "The bread which I will give is my flesh for the life of the world; "I am the living bread which came down from heaven; "If any one eateth of this bread, he shall live for ever.' O blessed bread, heal the affections of my heart, that I may feel the sweetness of thy love! O bread from heaven, containing all delights, strengthen my heart that it may never fall away from thee, but may ever feel the effects of thy presence! Thou art the bread of angels, and the bread of poor pilgrims, whom thou refreshest with so excellent a viaticum, lest they faint by the way. O holy bread, O living bread, O pure bread, which came down from heaven and givest life to the world, come into my heart, and purify me from every evil inclination of body and soul. Come into my heart, and strengthen me and purify me, internally and externally. Be my shield and the salvation of my soul and body. Drive from me every wily foe; let them fly from the presence of thy power; so that, being fortified by thee both within and without, may advance, by a straight path, to thy heavenly kingdom, where I may no longer see thee beneath veils and mysteries, but where my thirst may be for ever satisfied, and where I may for ever enjoy thee, who, with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, livest and reignest for ever. Amen. The Treasury of Prayer by ST. Vincent de Paul 1853
7. The Causes of Delay. (Advent Meditations)
by VP
Posted on Friday December 06, 2024 at 11:00PM in Advent Sermons
"1. If the wickedness of the world in heathen times was so great, how was it that the coming of the Redeemer was so long delayed? To this question we can only give one answer with absolute certainty, that it was so decreed by Almighty God in His infinite wisdom. We cannot hope in this life to comprehend the mysteries of the providence of the Most High. We can only humbly bow our heads and say that the Redeemer came when God so willed, and that what God wills is necessarily the best.
2. Yet we can at least form some kind of conjecture as to the causes of delay. God works by natural means. In order that the religion of Jesus should spread all over the world by the ordinary working of the laws that govern the affairs of men, it was convenient that the world should be subject to one central power. This was never the case until, at the time of Christ’s nativity, the Roman Empire was mistress of the world. Thus God prepares the way for His designs of mercy, and arranges the world’s events according to His will, yet without forcing the wills of men.
3. There was another reason for the long delay. It was to teach us that God does nothing hurriedly. He always waits before putting into execution His decrees. In this He wishes us to imitate Him. The eternal wisdom of the Most High needs no time for deliberation. His works are not gradually perfected, or improved on second thoughts. But ours are, and the slow action of the providence of God should impress upon us the importance of waiting before we act, and considering and reconsidering all our plans. "
Meditations for Advent . By Rev. Richard F. Clarke S.J. The Catholic Truth Society, London 1891 Digitized by google
Saint Andrew Christmas Novena:
Hail and blessed be the hour and moment In which the Son of God was born Of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires, [here mention your request] through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen. (15 times)
Prayer to the Holy Infant for priests
Jesus, Divine Infant, I bless and thank
Thy most loving Heart for the institution of the priesthood. Priests
are sent by Thee as Thou were sent by the Father. To them Thou entrusted
the treasures of Thy doctrine, of Thy Law, of Thy Grace, and souls
themselves.
Grant me the grace to love them, to listen to them,
and to let myself be guided by them in Thy ways. Jesus, send good
laborers into Thy harvest. May priests be the salt that purifies and
preserves; may they be the light of the world; may they be the city
placed on the mountain. May they all be formed after Thy own Heart. And
in heaven may they be surrounded by a joyous throng of those they
shepherded on earth. Amen.
Glory Be (three times).
Infant Jesus, make me love Thee more and more!
6. The Golden Thread (Advent Meditations)
by VP
Posted on Thursday December 05, 2024 at 11:00PM in Advent Sermons
1. All through the long ages that elapsed from the promise to the coming of the Redeemer, a golden thread of light from heaven ran athwart their darkness. In the chosen people of Israel there ever prevailed a strong conviction of the coming of a Savior, Who was to deliver His people from all sin and evil. It was handed down from generation to generation, and was again and again renewed by the inspired declarations of the prophets of Israel. Thus God in His mercy never leaves Himself without a witness to reveal to men of good-will the message of hope.
2. So through all the centuries that have passed since the coming of Our Lord, the Catholic Church has been the golden thread of light amid the darkness of heresy and heathendom. What a bright and glorious thread! What a contrast to all around! How it has, through God's mercy, enlightened my life! How can I ever thank God sufficiently that, led by its divine light, I am traveling on in peace and safety to the heavenly Jerusalem!
3. So too there runs through the life of all those who are to attain at last to the eternal happiness of heaven a golden thread which never wholly disappears, even though their steps may wander far from the right path. Sometimes it is kindness to the poor; sometimes devotion to the holy souls; very often it is a reverence to the holy Mother of God that thus runs through the whole of life. In my life God has interwoven some such thread. Do I follow it up with grateful perseverance?
Meditations #6 for Advent . By Rev. Richard F. Clarke S.J. The Catholic Truth Society, London 1891 Digitized by google
Saint Andrew Christmas Novena:
Hail and blessed be the hour and moment In which the Son of God was born Of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires, [here mention your request] through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen. (15 times)
Prayer to the Holy Infant for priestsJesus, Divine Infant, I bless and thank Thy most loving Heart for the institution of the priesthood. Priests are sent by Thee as Thou were sent by the Father. To them Thou entrusted the treasures of Thy doctrine, of Thy Law, of Thy Grace, and souls themselves.
Grant me the grace to love them, to listen to them, and to let myself be guided by them in Thy ways. Jesus, send good laborers into Thy harvest. May priests be the salt that purifies and preserves; may they be the light of the world; may they be the city placed on the mountain. May they all be formed after Thy own Heart. And in heaven may they be surrounded by a joyous throng of those they shepherded on earth. Amen.
Glory Be (three times).
Infant Jesus, make me love Thee more and more
St. Nicholas, Bishop and Confessor, A.D. 342.
by VP
Posted on Thursday December 05, 2024 at 11:00PM in Saints
Čeština: Jaroslav Čermák (1831 - 1878) - Sv. Mikuláš
ST. NICHOLAS was a child of prayer, being obtained of God, like Samuel, as the reward of his parents' virtue. A good lesson for parents to recommend their children daily to God, through whose blessing alone they can be secured against the corruption of the world, and the many dangers of sin.
His life was the practice of abstinence, mortification, and extraordinary charity in relieving the distressed. Follow his example, as far as your circumstances permit. Pray against all immoderate love of yourself, and seeking your own ease: and begin to fear that a sensual method of indulging and pleasing yourself will not lead you to that crown, which our forefathers gained only by self-denials.
St. Nicholas was chosen by a particular direction of heaven, archbishop of Myra, a city of Lycia in Asia. In that charge, he was a light shining to men, in all piety, liberality, hospitality, and the care of his flock. Pray that all who are raised to that dignity may be prepared by his virtues, and may be the choice of heaven. Pray for all bishops now in God's Church, and in particular for that Prelate, to whose flock you belong, that they may be every way faithful to their charge, and that their zeal and charity may be answerable to their dignity.
St. Nicholas died at Myra in the year 342, and was buried in his own cathedral. This saint is esteemed the patron of children, because he was from his infancy a model of innocence and virtue; and to form that tender age to piety was always his first care and delight. To impress on the minds of children perfect sentiments of devotion, religion, and virtue, is of the utmost importance. But instruction must be enforced by example. Precepts and exhortations lose their force, when contradicted by bad example. Pray that all parents and instructors may do as well as teach, and that children may be docile and virtuous." The Catholic Year; Or Daily Lessons on the Feasts of the Church by Rev. Fr. John Gother
Prayer to St. Nicholas: O God , who by innumerable miracles hast honored blessed Nicholas , the bishop grant , we beseech thee , that , by his merits and prayers , we may be delivered from the flames of hell . Through our Lord Jesus Christ... (1 Pater, 1 Ave) The Glories of Jesus with Prayers at Mass by Rev. Fr. Vincent HUBY, SJ 1835
5. Transient Gleams.(Advent Meditations)
by VP
Posted on Wednesday December 04, 2024 at 11:00PM in Advent Sermons
1. From time to time there broke through the thick darkness of heathendom a gleam of light that seemed to be a harbinger of the coming day. Some sage or poet sang of a golden age that soon would be at hand. But the flash of light soon disappeared, and only left the darkness even darker than before. So in the life of those who have hardened themselves against God there are sometimes moments when the devil seems to have forsaken his prey, and there seems a hope of better things. But if Jesus' coming is still far away, the improvement soon passes, and the evil seems to have even a more complete mastery than ever before.
2. There is something very beautiful in the sentiments of the old Greek and Roman poets. Their minstrelsy rings sweetly in our ears. Their poems proclaim them men of the highest genius. But they have no power to effect a change of heart, such as is wrought by the inspired words of some great saint or servant of God. God must speak through man's voice, if it is to avail to turn others to God. Do I pray God thus to rule and direct my words that they may do His work?
3. So, too, many of the deeds of the heroes of antiquity appear worthy of the holy ones of God. Some may have been done from a supernatural motive, and may even have merited eternal life. But no act, however noble in the natural order, is of any value in the sight of God, unless it be done with some sort of conscious desire to please and serve Him. Do my ordinary actions possess this necessary characteristic?" Meditations #5 for Advent . By Rev. Richard F. Clarke S.J. The Catholic Truth Society, London 1891 Digitized by google
Saint Andrew Christmas Novena:
Hail and blessed be the hour and moment In which the Son of God was born Of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires, [here mention your request] through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen. (15 times)
Prayer to the Holy Infant for priestsJesus, Divine Infant, I bless and thank Thy most loving Heart for the institution of the priesthood. Priests are sent by Thee as Thou were sent by the Father. To them Thou entrusted the treasures of Thy doctrine, of Thy Law, of Thy Grace, and souls themselves.
Grant me the grace to love them, to listen to them, and to let myself be guided by them in Thy ways. Jesus, send good laborers into Thy harvest. May priests be the salt that purifies and preserves; may they be the light of the world; may they be the city placed on the mountain. May they all be formed after Thy own Heart. And in heaven may they be surrounded by a joyous throng of those they shepherded on earth. Amen.
Glory Be (three times).
Infant Jesus, make me love Thee more and more
Saint Nicetius, Bishop of Treves, France (513-566)
by VP
Posted on Wednesday December 04, 2024 at 11:00PM in Saints
CATHOLICISM AND HERESY.-St. Nicetius, bishop of Trèves, one of the most distinguished prelates of Gaul, as well on account of his virtues as for his eloquence, zeal, and untiring labours, thus wrote to Queen Clodosinde, the wife of Alboin, king of the Lombards, who was an upholder of Arianism: "To procure the conversion of Alboin, do what your ancestress, Clothilde, accomplished for the conversion of Clovis. And if the king hesitates as to the truth, let him send to the church of St. Martin of Tours; there his envoys will behold the blind restored to sight, the deaf to hearing, the dumb receiving the power of speech, and lepers their speedy cure. What wonders have not you yourself witnessed at the tombs of the holy bishops, Medard and Remigius ? My tongue could not recount all the miracles of the bishops Germain, Hilary, and Lupus. Is anything similar to be met with in the churches of the Arians? No; for the spirit of darkness cannot work miracles." Such, in reality, is the distinguishing characteristic between the true religion and heresy; the latter is utterly sterile. St. Nicetius died full of days and good works, about the year 566.
MORAL REFLECTION.-"If any one abide not in me, he shall be cast forth as a branch," says the Saviour, "and shall wither."(John xv. 6.) Pictorial half hours with the saints by Rev. Fr. Auguste François Lecanu
Saint Barbara, Virgin and Martyr
by VP
Posted on Tuesday December 03, 2024 at 11:00PM in Saints
PARENTS ACCORDING ΤΟ THE ORDER OF NATURE.- Those parents who seek to corrupt either the faith or morals of their children are guilty of a heinous crime. Such there are, even in the bosom of Christianity. Let us cite one example, however, borrowed from paganism and from another period. St. Barbara, a young virgin of Nicomedia, had been brought up secretly in the Christian religion. It was not possible, however, that her father, a headstrong supporter of the superstitions of paganism, should remain ignorant of the fact. On learning it, he broke out into a violent rage, and then, being unable to move his daughter either by tears or threats, he shut her up in a tower, and kept her in prison there. Finding that he gained nothing by such treatment, of his own accord he denounced her to the judges during the persecution of Maximinus. To the application of burning coals to her body, the cutting off of her breasts, to the rack, and the dislocation of her limbs, the Christian virgin bravely submitted. She was beheaded in the year 255 or 256. The acts of her martyrdom are not well known, but she is held in universal veneration.
MORAL REFLECTION. -The Saviour has foretold it: "You shall be betrayed by your parents and brethren, but in your patience you shall possess your souls."-(Luke xxi. 16.) Pictorial half hours with the saints by Rev. Fr. Auguste François Lecanu
Prayer to St. Barbara: O GOD, Who hast chosen St. Barbara to be the consolation of the living and of the dying, grant, we beseech Thee, through her intercession, that we may always live in Thy holy love, and place all our hopes in the merits of the most bitter Passion of Thy Son, so that we may never be surprised by the death of sin, but that, fortified by the Sacraments of Penance, Holy Eucharist and Extreme Unction, we may enter without fear upon the journey to eternal glory. This we ask most earnestly through the same Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen. ( Leo XIII., March 21, 1879.) Devotions and Prayers for the Sick-room by Rev. Fr. Joseph Alois Krebs 1889
4. The Long Darkness (Advent Meditations)
by VP
Posted on Tuesday December 03, 2024 at 11:00PM in Advent Sermons
"1. The light extinguished at the Fall was rekindled in the hears of our fist parents when the promise was given them of a Redeemer Who should undo the fatal mischief that had been done. But in their children Adam and Eve had to lament the fatal effects of that deadly evil that they had introduced into the world. As generation followed generation thicker and thicker grew the darkness, farther and father did men wander away from the light, that gave to each the power of guiding his feet aright from earth to heaven. Thus it is that each ill deed goes on bearing its deadly fruit, often long after the doer is dead and gone.
2. Yet every man had light and grace sufficient, and more than sufficient, to enable him to walk in the ways of God, and to find his way to the kingdom of heaven. But non save a very few availed themselves of it. "They loved darkness more than light." The world gradually lost all regard for virtue of for God. How grateful should I be to God that I live in happier days!
3. If I had lived then, what should I have been? Even with all my countless graces and advantages, what a poor specimen I am of one made by God, for God, and in the image of God! In heathen days should I not have been among the most depraved? Should I not have recklessly indulged my own inclinations, irrespective of the voice of God warning and reproaching me? What chance should I have had of saving my soul in those days of dark corruption and depravity?"
Meditations for Advent . By Rev. Richard F. Clarke S.J. The Catholic Truth Society, London 1891 Digitized by google
Saint Andrew Christmas Novena:
Hail and blessed be the hour and moment In which the Son of God was born Of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires, [here mention your request] through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen. (15 times)
Prayer to the Holy Infant for priests
Jesus, Divine Infant, I bless and thank
Thy most loving Heart for the institution of the priesthood. Priests
are sent by Thee as Thou were sent by the Father. To them Thou entrusted
the treasures of Thy doctrine, of Thy Law, of Thy Grace, and souls
themselves.
Grant me the grace to love them, to listen to them,
and to let myself be guided by them in Thy ways. Jesus, send good
laborers into Thy harvest. May priests be the salt that purifies and
preserves; may they be the light of the world; may they be the city
placed on the mountain. May they all be formed after Thy own Heart. And
in heaven may they be surrounded by a joyous throng of those they
shepherded on earth. Amen.
Glory Be (three times).
Infant Jesus, make me love Thee more and more!
3. The Announcement of His Coming ( Advent Meditations)
by VP
Posted on Monday December 02, 2024 at 11:00PM in Advent Sermons
"1. For a short time after their creation our first parents lived in perfect peace and happiness in the Garden of Eden. If they had continued obedient to the authority of their Creator during their whole time of probation there would have been no need for the advent of the Son of God as their Redeemer from sin, for sin there would have been none. It was their deliberate rebellion that was the occasion that determined the visit of the Word to this world of ours. No wonder that the Church sings, O felix Culpa! O happy transgression, which earned a Redeemer such as this! Admire God's wonderful providence in thus bringing good out of evil and advantage to man for his very sin.
2. The promise made was couched in words that gave no immediate prospect of the crushing of the serpent's head and the destruction of his power. It left the curse of sin upon the earth and its inhabitants, and announced the sorrows that would accompany them through their time of sojourn here. That law still hols. Christ came to abolish sin, but not its temporal consequences. He who sins shall suffer, is a law which Christ fulfilled and in no way destroyed.
3. Yet the promise of a Redeemer rekindled the light of hope in the souls of Adam and Eve. They and all their children were ever looking and praying for His coming. God's intention was to keep them in expectancy. So too with His second coming. There has always been a tradition of expectation. "Blessed is the man whom his Lord, when He cometh, shall find watching." Hence learn to watch and pray. Com quickly, O Lord Jesus!"
Meditations for Advent . By Rev. Richard F. Clarke S.J. The Catholic Truth Society, London 1891 Digitized by google
Saint Andrew Christmas Novena:
Hail and blessed be the hour and moment In which the Son of God was born Of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires, [here mention your request] through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen. (15 times)
Prayer to the Holy Infant for priests
Jesus, Divine Infant, I bless and thank
Thy most loving Heart for the institution of the priesthood. Priests
are sent by Thee as Thou were sent by the Father. To them Thou entrusted
the treasures of Thy doctrine, of Thy Law, of Thy Grace, and souls
themselves.
Grant me the grace to love them, to listen to them,
and to let myself be guided by them in Thy ways. Jesus, send good
laborers into Thy harvest. May priests be the salt that purifies and
preserves; may they be the light of the world; may they be the city
placed on the mountain. May they all be formed after Thy own Heart. And
in heaven may they be surrounded by a joyous throng of those they
shepherded on earth. Amen.
Glory Be (three times).
Infant Jesus, make me love Thee more and more!
