V. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary,
R. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary, etc…
V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
R. Be it done unto me according to Your Word.
Hail Mary, etc…
V. And the Word was made flesh,
R. And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary, etc…
V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray:
Pour forth, we beseech You, O …
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 breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.
Justice shall be the band around his waist,
and faithfulness a belt upon his hips.
Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;
The calf and the young lion shall browse together,
with a little child to guide them.
The cow and the bear shall be neighbors,
together their young shall rest;
the lion shall eat hay like the ox.
The baby shall play by the cobra’s den,
and the child lay his hand on the adder’s lair.
There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD,
as water covers the sea.
On that day,
The root of Jesse,
set up as a signal for the nations,
The Gentiles shall seek out,
for his dwelling shall be glorious.
Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said,
“I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to the childlike.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows who the Son is except the Father,
and who the Father is except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”
Turning to the disciples in private he said,
“Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.
For I say to you,
many prophets and kings desired to see what you see,
but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”
– – –
Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
In what way is Jesus contrasting revealing truths to the childlike and hiding them from the wise and the learned? The truth of the Gospel, which we proclaim during Advent, is that Jesus Christ united Himself to mankind as our Redeemer. We may not fully understand the Incarnation, Passion, and Resurrection of our Lord, but we believe the Gospel with a child’s faith that God would not deceive us. This does not mean that we will never question the beliefs of our faith, but our questioning is to understand not to undermine. The wise and the learned that Jesus is referring to, question out of skepticism and unbelief, the Cross to them is absurd (see I Cor. 1:18-25). They think in their worldly wisdom that the Cross and Resurrection are just unsupportable myths that the simple-minded believe in, because they are ignorant and do not know any better. Jesus is not disparaging being wise or learned, there are many wise men who do have faith in Jesus Christ – St. Thomas Aquinas to name one of many examples. Yet as St. Thomas once declared, he learned more from prayer and contemplation than he ever did from men and books. During Advent, let us renew our confidence and trust in God’s love for us, and with child-like faith believe that God is working for our good – even if the circumstances seem to indicate otherwise. As St. Paul tells us “We know that God makes all things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purposes” (Rm. 8:28).
In the second part of this passage, Jesus states that the disciples have seen and heard what many Old Testament kings and prophets wished they had seen and heard but did not. The disciples had met the Messiah in person, the greatest gift in the history of mankind. Rather than debating which of them was the greatest, which they did on several occasions, they should be thankful for the great blessing God had bestowed on them. This is also true for us. Even though we have not seen Christ in person, Christ says we are blessed because we believe even though we have not seen (see Jn. 20:29). This blessing should remind us of how thankful we should be to God for revealing to us the truth about His Son, and to share this love and revelation with others. This Advent let us ask God to deepen our faith in His love, and in turn, to be a light to other people of God’s kingdom here on earth, in the person of Jesus Christ.
Emily Jaminet is a Catholic author, speaker, radio personality, wife, and mother of seven children. She earned a bachelor’s degree in mental health and human services from the Franciscan University of Steubenville. She is the co-founder of www.inspirethefaith.com and the Executive Director of The Sacred Heart Enthronement Network www.WelcomeHisHeart.com. She has co-authored several Catholic books and her next one, Secrets of the Sacred Heart: Claiming Jesus’ Twelve Promises in Your Life, comes out in Oct. 2020. Emily serves on the board of the Columbus Catholic Women’s Conference, contributes to Relevant Radio and Catholic Mom.com.
Feature Image Credit: Vanesa Guerrero, rpm, https://www.cathopic.com/photo/2177-jesus-con-brazos-abiertos
Eligius (also known as Eloi) was born around 590 near Limoges in France. He became an extremely skillful metalsmith and was appointed master of the mint under King Clotaire II of Paris. Eligius developed a close friendship with the King and his reputation as an outstanding metalsmith became widespread. With his fame came fortune. Eligius was very generous to the poor, ransomed many slaves, and built several churches and a monastery at Solignac. He also erected a major convent in Paris with …
The following are the Advent wreath prayers that change every week. They are prayed at the lighting of each candle every day during Advent.
Week One:
The first candle is lit, and the prayer for the first week is said.
Priest:
Let us pray.
Stir up Thy might, we beg Thee, O Lord,
and come, so that we may escape through Thy protection
and be saved by Thy help from the dangers
that threaten us because of our sins.
Who livest and reignest for ever and ever.
All: …
Here we are, the first Monday of the first week of Advent. As Catholics, it’s kind of cool that we get to jumpstart the New Year while the old one is still winding down. Hopefully we found energy and fervor in yesterday’s Mass which encouraged us to joyfully embark on the year ahead. But if yesterday felt lackluster, for whatever reason, the Church in her wisdom made sure to follow it up with a strong Day 2.
We meet four disciples in a mere four verses of Scripture today – Peter, Andrew (whose feast day it happens to be), James and John. Two sets of brothers, two calls of Jesus, two nearly identical responses. Matthew doesn’t mince words in this particular story. Jesus calls, the brothers drop what they are doing, and immediately follow Him.
There is something to be said for Matthew’s lack of details and practically no dialogue at all. When Jesus calls you, you come. Period. How simple it sounds! We know that these men were not perfect, the Gospels do not hide their faults from us. But they did have their moments of clarity, and for these 4 this was one of them.
What can we learn from this brief yet profound exchange? Clearly when Jesus calls you to something it ought not be shirked away from. Often there are things, or even people, we need to leave behind. We don’t always know exactly where Jesus is calling us to. Becoming “fishers of men” isn’t the most detailed or understandable goal for a journey.
One of the great themes of Advent is Mary’s fiat, her “Yes” at the Annunciation to God’s plan for her life and for the salvation of the world. Today, the first working day of Advent, we are blessed by not one, but four yeses. There are similarities and differences between the two experiences, but the end result is the same. Though they did not know how at the time, each person’s life was radically changed by their intimate encounter with the Lord.
We are being called to a similar encounter. This is a brand new year. What opportunities is God calling you to? How can you give your own yes to His summons? God is calling you by name to something extraordinary, even if it feels ordinary. No matter who you are, you are called to share the Good News of God’s amazing love in a unique and beautiful way.
Kate Taliaferro is an Air Force wife and mother. She is blessed to be able to homeschool, bake bread and fold endless piles of laundry. When not planning a school day, writing a blog post or cooking pasta, Kate can be found curled up with a book or working with some kind of fiber craft. Kate blogs at DailyGraces.net.
Featured Image Credit: Ulrike Leone, https://pixabay.com/photos/web-fishing-fishing-net-dry-nets-3434752/
St. Andrew, also known as Andrew the Apostle, was a Christian Apostle and the older brother to St. Peter.
According to the New Testament, Andrew was born in the village of Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee during the early first century. Much like his younger brother, Simon Peter, Andrew was also a fisherman. Andrew’s very name means strong and he was known for having good social skills.
In the Gospel of Matthew, it is said Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee and saw Andrew …
O God, the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful,
grant to the souls of Thy servants
departed the remission of their sins, that,
through pious supplications,
they may obtain the pardon
which they have always desired.
Who livest and reignest with God the Father,
in the unity of the Holy Ghost,
world without end.
Amen.
This year has been a test of faith, probably more so than any one previous. This statement is not to be taken lightly. In 2001, I stood as a bushy-eyed high schooler only a few streets away from Ground Zero on the day nearly 3,000 others had their lives abruptly stolen from them. In 2014, we lost our son to stillbirth after what had been an otherwise uneventful first pregnancy. Through it all, moments of adversity force us to open our eyes to what is most important. This year, I have seen countless more lives lost, both near and far away from me. The grief can be deep and overwhelming; the darkness, heavy and lonely.
In contrast, giving thanks for what we have in 2020 has taken on a new meaning. Even the smallest blessings must not be taken for granted. From food and jobs to our health and each other, there is so much to praise God for.
Now more than ever before, as we begin this Advent season, we must depend on the living steadfastness of the Lord for continued restoration. Today’s readings include the Psalm, “Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.” 2020 has been a constant reminder that this world is not our world. His ways are not our ways. But rather, one must “wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will keep you firm to the end, irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful.” We must continue to savor then, each day He grants us as a gift, and spread the light of being Christian to others, so that we can all remain ready for Him. As the work of His hands, we must live each day giving glory and honor to Him through humble service and love.
Dr. Alexis Dallara-Marsh is a board-certified neurologist who practices in Bergen County, NJ. She is a wife to her best friend, Akeem, and a mother of two little ones on Earth and two others in heaven above.
Feature Image Credit: Andrew Tanglao, https://unsplash.com/photos/nTCi8Ol20Z4
St. Saturninus Bishop of Toulouse and Martyr November 29 A.D. 257 St. Saturninus went from Rome by the direction of pope Fabian, about the year 245, to preach the faith in Gaul, where St. Trophimus, the first bishop of Arles, had some time before gathered a plentiful harvest. In the year 250, when Decius and Gratus were consuls, St. Saturninus fixed his episcopal see at Toulouse. Fortunatus tells us, that he converted a great number of idolaters by his preaching and miracles. …