Third (Gaudete) Sunday Of Advent
Isaiah,
chapter 35, verse 3-4
3 Strengthen hands that are feeble, make firm knees
that are weak, 4
Say to the fearful of heart:
Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God, he comes with vindication;
With divine recompense he comes to save you.
Isaiah in this chapter is proclaiming
the deliverance of Israel specifically but upon examining the wording in this
verse it is referring to the day of our death. On that day our hands will be feeble,
but our hearts must remain strong. Will you be vindicated and what recompense
will be due you? Honestly few will be due recompense, but our Lords love is
such that he wishes to save us at this final hour with the sacrament which was
formerly called the “Last Rites”.
1524 In addition to
the Anointing of the Sick, the Church offers those who are about to leave this
life the Eucharist as viaticum. Communion in the body and blood of Christ,
received at this moment of "passing over" to the Father, has a
particular significance and importance. It is the seed of eternal life and the
power of resurrection, according to the words of the Lord: "He who eats my
flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last
day." The sacrament of Christ once dead and now risen, the Eucharist is
here the sacrament of passing over from death to life, from this world to the
Father.
1525 Thus, just as the
sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist form a unity called
"the sacraments of Christian initiation," so too it can be said that
Penance, the Anointing of the Sick and the Eucharist as viaticum constitute at
the end of Christian life "the sacraments that prepare for our heavenly
homeland" or the sacraments that complete the earthly pilgrimage.
Such is the Love of our Lord that
we should be delivered. His love is such that by receiving our Lord in the
viaticum he delivers us to the Father saying here is blood of my blood and He
transfers His recompense; His vindication to us. There is no greater love then
this!
The
Last Blessing
Let us pray. Most
gracious God, Father of mercies and God of all consolation, Thou wish none to
perish that believes and hopes in Thee, according to Thy many mercies look down
favourably upon Thy servant (handmaid) N.____ whom true faith and Christian
hope commend to Thee. Visit him (her) in Thy saving mercy, and by the passion
and death of Thy only-begotten Son, graciously grant to him (her) forgiveness
and pardon of all his (her) sins that his (her) soul in the hour of its leaving
the earth may find Thee as a Judge appeased, and being washed from all stain in
the Blood of Thy same Son may deserve to pass to everlasting life. Through the
same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Lord, teach me to be generous. Teach me to serve you
as you deserve; to give and not to count the cost…to labor and not to ask for
reward, except to know that I am doing your will. (Saint Ignatius, Prayer for
Generosity)
Lord,
let me not fear death with an empty fear, but with a wise and holy fear. An empty fear does not make men any better, but a wise and holy fear urges them to improve their lives. I will prepare
for death by trying today to please you more and more in my thoughts, desires,
words and actions. If I live this day as You desire, I shall be ready at any
moment, and death will be nothing worse than Your loving call. Amen[1]
THE nearer the coming of the
Lord the more earnestly the Church calls upon us to rejoice; and to-day,
therefore, at the Introit of the Mass, she sings in the words of St. Paul: “Rejoice
in the Lord always; again, I say, rejoice. Let your modesty be known to all men:
The Lord is nigh. Be nothing solicitous, but in everything by prayer let your
petitions be made known to God.” (Phil. iv. 4-6.) “Lord, thou hast blessed Thy
land; Thou hast turned away the captivity of Jacob”.
Prayer.
We beseech Thee, O Lord, mercifully incline Thine ear unto our prayers,
and enlighten the darkness of our minds by the grace of Thy heavenly
visitation.
EPISTLE. Phil. iv. 4-7.
Rejoice in the Lord always;
again, I say, rejoice. Let your modesty be known to all men: the Lord is nigh.
Be nothing solicitous, but in everything by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your petitions be made known to God. And the peace of God,
which surpasseth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus
our Lord.
What does it mean to rejoice in the Lord? It means to be glad in
remembering the grace by which God called us to the true faith, and gave us the
hope of eternal salvation, and to rejoice even in all our tribulations and
adversities for the Lord’s sake, as St. Paul did (n. Cor. vii. 4). It also
admonishes us to give a good example by modesty and an edifying life, and to
fix our desires on God, Who will never fail us if we make our wants known to
Him by prayer and supplication, and give Him thanks for benefits received.
In what does the peace of God consist? It consists in a good
conscience, such as St. Paul enjoyed. It is this peace, this tranquility of the
soul, which sustained the holy martyrs in their agonies, and consoled others
under persecution for Christ s sake (St. Matt. v. 11, 12).
Aspiration.
O Lord grant that Thy peace,
which Thou hast given us, and which the world knows not, may keep our hearts
and minds in Thee. O wisdom! proceeding from the mouth of the Highest, and
reaching to the ends of the world, who governest with power and grace, come and
direct us all, that we may walk in the path of wisdom and of the peace which
surpasseth all understanding. Amen.
THE BEST REMEDY
IN THE HOUR OF SORROW.
In need, sorrow, and
dejection the best means to relieve our distressed hearts is humble and
confiding prayer, in which we can pour out our hearts before God, and give
ourselves up to His love and mercy, as did Anna, the sorrowful mother of Samuel
the prophet, Josaphat in painful uncertainty, Susanna falsely accused and
condemned to death, and innumerable other servants of God. These all prayed to
God and were delivered from their afflictions, receiving help and consolation.
St. James therefore admonishes us, “Is any one of you sad? let him pray” (James
v. 13); and St. Paul, in the epistle for this Sunday, encourages us not to be
solicitous about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with
thanksgiving, to let our requests be known to God. Are you, then, sad and
discouraged? Lift up your soul to God, and say with David, “Give joy to the
soul of Thy servant, for to Thee, O Lord, I have lifted up my soul” (Ps. Ixxxv.
4).
GOSPEL. John i. 19-28.
At that time: The Jews sent from Jerusalem priests
and Levites to John to ask him, Who art thou? And he confessed and did not deny
and he confessed: I am not the Christ. And they asked him: What then? Art thou
Elias? And he said: I am not. Art thou the prophet? And he answered: No. They
said, therefore, unto him: Who art thou, that we may give an answer to them
that sent us? what sayest thou of thyself? He said: I am the voice of one
crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the
prophet Isaias. And they that were sent were of the Pharisees. And they asked
him and said to him: Why then dost thou baptize, if thou be not Christ, nor
Elias, nor the prophet? John answered them, saying: I baptize with water; but
there hath stood One in the midst of you, Whom you know not. The same is He
that shall come after me, Who is preferred before me: the latchet of Whose shoe
I am not worthy to loose. These things were done in Bethania, beyond the
Jordan, where John was baptizing.
Why did
the Jews send messengers to John to ask him who he was? Because his baptizing and
preaching, with his life of austerity and penance, made such an impression that
the people took him not for an ordinary prophet, but for the Messias Himself.
Why did
the messengers ask John whether he was Elias or the prophet?
The Jews believed that either Elias or another of
the prophets would return to earth to prepare the way for the coming of Christ;
and from St. John’s denying that he was the Christ they concluded that he was
either Elias or that prophet.
Why did
St. John say that he was not that prophet, but only the voice of one crying in
the wilderness?
He said so out of humility; but he uttered no
untruth, since he was not the prophet predicted by Moses (Deut. xviii. 15), but
only the voice of one crying in the wilderness,” Make straight the way of the
Lord”, as the prophet Isaias said (Is. Ix. 3).
How do we
make straight the way of the Lord?
By sincere penance, which consists not merely in
going to confession, and making hollow resolutions, but in bringing forth
fruits worthy of penance (Matt. iii. 8; Luke iii. 8).
How do we
bring forth fruits worthy of penance?
If we wish to bring forth fruits worthy of penance,
we must endeavor to make amends for what is past, and use all possible means to
avoid in future those sins to which we have been most given; we must love and
serve God as much as and more than we before loved and served the world.
What was
the baptism of John, and what was the effect of it?
It was a baptism of penance, for the forgiveness of
sins; thus it was a preparation for the Baptism of Christ, through which sins
are actually forgiven, and the Holy Ghost received (Mark i. 4, 5).
What are
we further taught by this gospel?
We are taught to always speak the truth, like St.
John; not to desire to appear more, or better, than we are; and, in particular,
to make a good and sincere confession. We should, therefore, before confession
often ask ourselves, Who am I? How do I live? How do I stand before God? How do
I deal with my neighbor?
We learn also from St. John to confess our sins
without reserve, neither concealing nor excusing them; above all, we learn to
be humble, for although he might have passed for the Messiah had he chosen to,
he refused that honor, and held himself unworthy to loose the latchet of Christ’s
shoe.
Prayer.
O Lord, banish from my heart envy, self-love, and pride; give me grace so
to know Thee and myself that, in contemplation of Thy majesty, omnipotence,
love and wisdom, and other perfections, I may love Thee above all things, and
in regarding my own nothingness, misery, and sins may always humble myself
before Thee, and be little in my own eyes. Grant also that I may judge my
neighbor with justness and tenderness, and love him as myself.
A joyful warning comes from the Lord's
heralds. "Rejoice: The Lord is nigh." As Christmas
draws near, the Church emphasizes the joy which should be in our hearts over
all that the birth of our Savior means for us. The great joy of Christians is
to see the day drawing nigh when the Lord will come again in His glory to lead
them into His kingdom. The oft-repeated Veni ("Come") of
Advent is an echo not only of the prophets but also of the conclusion of the
Apocalypse of St. John: "Come, Lord Jesus," the last words of the New
Testament. Today is known as Gaudete Sunday. The term Gaudete refers to the
first word of the Entrance Antiphon, "Rejoice". Rose vestments are
worn to emphasize our joy that Christmas is near, and we also light the rose
candle on our Advent wreath.
Spiritual Crib[4]
A special devotion that can be performed during Advent to
prepare for the coming of the Infant Savior. It can be adapted for adults
and/or children and applied as is appropriate to your state in life.
·
5th day, December 15th: THE STRAW—Mortification
Today the infant Jesus desires mortification from us; therefore, let us watch
for opportunities with a joyful heart. Not look about when we are walking; not
lean back when sitting; not warm ourselves when cold; not satisfy the taste at
table; when tempted to impatience not to show it, and yield our own opinion to
that of others. Today really listen to others
Daily
Devotions
·
Today in honor of the Holy Trinity do the Divine Office giving
your day to God. To honor God REST: no shopping after SUNSET ON SATURDAY till
Monday. Don’t forget the internet.
[1] Paone, Anthony J., S.J. My Daily Bread,
Confraternity of the Precious Blood.
[2]Goffine’s
Devout Instructions, 1896.
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