Tuesday of the Third week of Advent
O ANTIPHONS
Proverbs, Chapter 14,
Verse 26-27
26 The fear of the LORD is a strong defense, a
refuge even for one’s children. 27
The fear of the LORD is a fountain of
life, turning one from the
snares of death.
It has been said the body is an
excellent servant but a poor master. When we obey the voice of our
servant the body it ultimately leads to our destruction and eventually, we walk
in darkness. Yet, when we trust in the Lord and master our bodies from
addiction and or lusts of the flesh we thrive. God’s ultimate wish is for
us to thrive. The Lord offers a choice to those who walk in darkness:
either trust in the true light, or walk in their false light and suffer the
consequences.
James 1:12-15 “Blessed is the man that endureth
temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the
Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I
am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any
man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and
enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it
is finished, bringeth forth death.”
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of
God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but
you received a spirit of adoption, through which we cry, "Abba,
Father!" (Rom. 8:14-15)
Today also marks the beginning of the O Antiphons, the seven jewels of
our liturgy in preparation of Christ. With each new Sunday heightening our
sense of anticipation and with every Advent custom doing the same, it is little
wonder that the eight days before Christmas became a semi-official octave of
impatient expectation. This is expressed liturgically in the Divine Office's
special Magnificat antiphons for this period. Beginning on the evening of
December 17 during Vespers, a "Greater"
or "O" antiphon (so named for its opening vocative) is
said which explicitly invokes the Son of God under various titles and begs Him
to come. The Gregorian chant for these antiphons is exquisite, as are the
antiphons themselves, which call attention to the Word's different
manifestations to man in the Old Testament and to several of His divine
attributes. The antiphons are also noteworthy for their "code." The
titles for Christ from each antiphon form an acrostic which, when read backwards, spells, "ERO CRAS" -- "I will be
[there] tomorrow!" It is as if Christ were answering our prayers through
the prayers themselves. Finally, the Greater antiphons are the inspiration of
the beautiful medieval hymn, Veni,
Veni Emmanuel. Each stanza of this famous song is a poetic
rendering of an antiphon, which is why the hymn is traditionally sung only
during the eight days prior to Christmas. In many places, however, the octave
of preparation was extended over nine days, making a Novena. By special permission, the "Golden Mass" of Ember
Wednesday was sometimes offered in the pre-dawn hours for nine consecutive days
prior to Christmas. Central Europe observed the "Golden Nights," a festive
season honoring the Blessed Virgin, the expectant Mother of God; in fact,
December 18 was once the Feast of
the Expectancy in Spain. In the Alps, schoolchildren observed the
custom of Josephstragen
-- "carrying St. Joseph." Each night, a group of boys would carry a
statue of St. Joseph to another boy's home. The night after the visit, the boy
who had been visited would join the procession, making the number of carriers
grow progressively larger. On Christmas Eve all the boys, accompanied by
schoolgirls dressed in white, would process the statue through the town to the
church, where it would be placed near the manger. In Latin America, on the
other hand, a Novena to the Holy Child (La Novena
del Niño) was held in which prayers would be said and lively carols sung in
front of the church's empty manger.
O Wisdom, who came from the mouth of the Most High, reaching
from end to end and ordering all things mightily and sweetly, Come, and teach
us the way of prudence.
Lazarus[2]
Today, according to the Roman Martyrology, is
the feast of St Lazarus known as the brother of St Martha and St Mary of
Bethany. He was the man whom Jesus raised from the dead after having been dead
and in his tomb for four days. The Bible does not trace his history after the
miracle, but tradition says he became a missionary to Gaul, the first bishop of
Marseilles, France, and a martyr in the persecutions of Domitian.
Things to do
·
Read this account of St. Lazarus of Bethany at the The Military and
Hospitaller Order of St. Lazarus website.
The
Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem[3]
The
Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus is one of the orders of
chivalry to survive the downfall of the Kingdom of Jerusalem and the attempts
by the Crusader knights to win control of the Holy Land from the forces of
Islam. In theory the Order remained a military one, but with the exception of a
brief period in the 17th century it played no military role after 1291. The
Order of Saint Lazarus is one of the most ancient of the European orders of
chivalry. At the very least it dates back to the time of the Crusader knights.
From its foundation in the 12th century, the members of the Order were
dedicated to two ideals: aid to those suffering from the dreadful disease of
leprosy and the defense of the Christian faith. Today the Military and
Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem is an international
self-governing and independent body, having its own Constitution; it may be
compared with a kind of electoral kingdom. According to the said Constitution
the Order is nonpolitical, oecumenical or nondenominational, as its membership
is open to all men and women being practicing members of the Christian faith in
good standing within their particular denomination. Its international
membership consists of Roman-catholic, Anglican, Protestant, Orthodox, United,
Old Catholic, New Apostolic and other Christians, upholding with their lives,
fortunes and honor the principles of Christianity. Traditionally it is
organized as a Christian Chivalric Order. The Order is registered in London in
accordance with the laws in England. It is both a Military Order of Mercy and a
Hospitaller Order dedicated to the care and assistance of the poor and the
sick. Its aim is to preserve and defend the Christian faith, to guard, assist
succor and help the poor, the sick and dying, to promote and maintain the
principles of Christian chivalry and to follow the teachings of Christ and His
Holy Church in all its works. With the exception of the present Teutonic Order
("Deutscher Orden") the Order of Saint Lazarus is today the smallest
of the orders of Christian chivalry. It is made up of approximately five
thousand members in the five continents. The Order sees itself as an
oecumenical Christian order whose genesis goes back to the Holy Land, to the
crusades and to the Kingdom of Jerusalem.
Spiritual Crib[1]
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.
·
THE CRIB—Confidence-Build the little Crib by an
unbounded confidence in God. Give not way to sadness in adversity. Also think
not too much of our past sins and faults, making many acts of hope in God's
mercy instead. Reflect a little each hour on the great love of God, who becomes
Man for us.
Daily
Devotions
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