Tuesday in the Fourth Week of Advent
At
that time there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that the whole world
should be enrolled. This enrolling was first made by Cyrinus the governor of Syria:
And all went to be enrolled, everyone into his own city. And Joseph also went
up from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth into Judea, to the city of David,
which is called Bethlehem: because he was of the house and family of David, to
be enrolled with Mary his espoused wife, who was with child. And it came to
pass, that when they were there, her days were accomplished, that she should be
delivered. And she brought forth her first-born Son, and wrapped Him up in
swaddling-clothes, and laid Him in a manger: because there was no room for them
in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds watching, and keeping
the night-watches over their flock. And behold an angel of the Lord stood by
them, and the brightness of God shone round about them, and they feared with a
great fear. And the angel said to them : Fear not: for behold I bring you good
tidings of great joy, that shall be to all the people; for this day is born to
you a Savior, Who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David. And this shall be a
sign unto you: You shall find the infant wrapped in swaddling-clothes, and laid
in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly
army, praising God, and saying: Glory to God in the highest: and on earth peace
to men of good will.
christmas eve
Luke,
Chapter 1, verse 65-75
65 Then fear
came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed throughout
the hill country of Judea. 66 All who heard
these things took them to heart, saying, “What, then, will this child be?” For
surely the hand of the Lord was with him. 67 Then
Zechariah his father, filled with the holy Spirit, prophesied, saying: 68 “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has
visited and brought redemption to his people.69 He has raised up a horn for our salvation within the
house of David his servant, 70 even as he promised through the mouth of his holy
prophets from of old:71 salvation from
our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us, 72 to show mercy to our fathers and
to be mindful of his holy covenant 73 and
of the oath he swore to Abraham our father, and to grant us that,74 rescued from the hand of enemies, without fear
we might worship him75 in holiness and
righteousness before him all our days.
In today’s secular America we also need to have
freedom, so we may worship Him without fear.
The
heroes of our faith are the warrior saints who have gone before us. God worked
mightily and miraculously through them. Therefore, we must study their ways. In
humility, obedience, and trust (H.O.T.), we ask: How did they remain so well
connected, in such strong friendship with God, so that his river of
supernatural grace could flow so freely through them? What do these "SEALS
for Christ" teach us about the ideal spiritual disciplines, the ultimate
daily regimen of prayer?
Prayer
is our outstanding supernatural resource for fighting the wiles of the enemy.
St. Alphonsus said, "Prayer is, beyond doubt, the most powerful weapon the
Lord gives us to conquer evil ... but we must really put ourselves into the
prayer, it is not enough just to say the words, it must come from the heart.
And also, prayer needs to be continuous, we must pray no matter what kind of
situation we find ourselves in: the warfare we are engaged in is ongoing, so
our prayer must be on-going also."
We
are being asked to allow God's grace to surge through us to a waiting world,
but nemo dat quod non habet (no one gives what he does not have). Fr. John
McCloskey in his Seven Daily Habits of Holy Apostolic People correctly points
out that the following seven exceptional habits of prayer are the way of
storing up spiritual energy to be used to bring Christ to others. St.
Bernadette said: "Do not just be a channel for grace, but a reservoir, an
overflowing reservoir. No sooner has a channel received grace than it pours it
out. A reservoir waits to be filled up and then offers grace to those who come
to draw from its superabundance."
Fr.
John McCloskey's Seven Daily Habits of Holy Apostolic People include:
1.
The Morning Offering
2.
Mental Prayer (at least 15 minutes)
3.
Spiritual Reading (at least 15 minutes)
4.
Holy Mass and Communion
5.
The Angelus (at 6 AM, noon, 6 PM)
6.
The Holy Rosary
7.
Brief Examination of Conscience (at night)
(Excerpt from Church Militant Field Manual).
Read:
The liturgical season of Christmas begins with the
vigil Mass on Christmas Eve and concludes on the Feast of the Baptism of the
Lord. During this season, we celebrate the birth of Christ into our world and
into our hearts and reflect on the gift of salvation that is born with him . .
. including the fact that he was born to die for us.
Pray:
Offer up these
words to the Heavenly Father for a renewed spirit of
evangelization, so you might live as a missionary disciple this liturgical
year.
Act:
Take some extra time with this passage today and
remember the true spirit of Christmas. "Behold, you will conceive in your womb
and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus . . . and of his kingdom there
will be no end." (Lk 1:31-33)
1.
"Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy....
For to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the
Lord" (Lk 2: 10-11). On
this Holy Night, the liturgy invites us to celebrate with joy the great event
of the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. As we have just heard in the Gospel of
Luke, Jesus is born into a family poor by material standards, but rich in joy.
He is born in a stable, for there is no place for him in the inn (cf. Lk
2: 7); he is placed in a manger, for there is no cradle for him; he comes
into the world completely helpless, without anyone's knowledge, and yet he is
welcomed and recognized first by the shepherds, who hear from the angel the
news of his birth. The event conceals a mystery. It is revealed by the
choirs of heavenly messengers who sing of Jesus' birth and proclaim glory
"to God in the highest and on earth peace among men with whom he is
pleased" (Lk 2: 14). Through the ages their praise becomes a prayer
which rises from the hearts of the throngs who on Christmas Night continue to
welcome the Son of God.
2.
Mysterium: event and mystery. A man is born, who is the Eternal
Son of the Almighty Father, the Creator of heaven and earth: in this
extraordinary event the mystery of God is revealed. In the Word who becomes man
the miracle of the Incarnate God is made manifest. The mystery sheds light on
the event of the birth: a baby is adored by the shepherds in the lowly
stable, at Bethlehem. He is "the Saviour of the world", "Christ
the Lord" (cf. Lk 2: 11). Their eyes see a newborn child, wrapped in
swaddling cloths and placed in a manger and in that "sign", thanks to
the inner light of faith, they recognize the Messiah proclaimed by the
prophets.
3.
This is Emmanuel, God-with-us, who comes to fill the earth with grace. He comes
into the world in order to transform creation. He becomes a man among men, so
that in him and through him every human being can be profoundly renewed. By his
birth he draws us all into the sphere of the divine, granting to those who in
faith open themselves to receiving his gift the possibility of sharing in his
own divine life. This is the meaning of the salvation which the shepherds hear proclaimed
that night in Bethlehem: "To you is born a Saviour" (Lk
2: 11). The coming of Christ among us is the centre of history, which
thereafter takes on a new dimension. In a way, it is God himself who writes
history by entering into it. The event of the Incarnation thus broadens to
embrace the whole of human history, from creation until the Second Coming. This
is why in the liturgy all creation sings, voicing its own joy: the floods
clap their hands, all the trees of the wood sing for joy, and the many
coastlands are glad (cf. Ps 98: 8; 96: 12; 97: 1). Every
creature on the face of the earth receives the proclamation. In the astonished
silence of the universe, the words which the liturgy puts on the lips of the
Church take on a cosmic resonance: Christus natus est nobis. Venite,
adoremus!
4.
Christ is born for us; come, let us adore him...God became man in order to give
man a share in his own divinity. This is the good news of salvation; this is
the message of Christmas! The Church proclaims it tonight, by means of my words
too, for the peoples and nations of the whole earth to hear: Christus
natus est nobis Christ is born for us. Venite, adoremus! Come, let
us adore him!
The Christmas Tree
Much confusion surrounds what is arguably the season's most
famous symbol. Christmas trees start appearing in shops, homes, and even some
churches soon after Thanksgiving. Traditionally, however, the Christmas tree
was not put up until Christmas Eve and was not taken down until the Vigil
of the Epiphany. (Thus, it was only around for the Twelve Days
of Christmas.) The reason for this will be explained in the section on Christmas
customs; for now it suffices to point out that the Christmas tree is not
meant to be a part of the Advent landscape. However, because finding a tree on
December 24 can be difficult, one practical measure is to buy the tree early
and leave it in the home undecorated until the 24th. An undecorated evergreen
brought indoors is not a Christmas tree but a "Yule" tree, a
harmless, pre-Christian reminder of life to help dispel the gloom of winter.
When the tree is decorated, it will then be transformed from a natural token to
a Christian statement rich with supernatural symbols for the season.
Making Room for
Sacred Leisure
According to an ancient (and practical) tradition, by Christmas
Eve the house is to be thoroughly cleaned, all tasks finished or removed from
sight, all borrowed items returned, and no task allowed to be begun that cannot
be finished by nightfall.
Christmas Eve
Dinner and Celebration
Most people associate
Christmas feasting with the dinner on Christmas Day, and rightfully so, for as
a Vigil Christmas Eve was traditionally a day of abstinence and fasting. Yet
there were also delicious Christmas Eve dinners that conformed to this
restraint (see Foods). Afterwards, the family would gather around the newly
decorated Christmas tree, reciting Vespers or praying and singing hymns to the
infant Jesus now in the crib (the figurine had been conspicuously absent during
Advent). In some countries, it was at this time that gifts were exchanged.
The Christmas
Candle
One
of the most symbolically rich customs of Christmas Eve was the Christmas
candle, a large white candle representing Christ. In Ireland, a Christmas
candle was bedecked with holly and lit. It would burn through the night and be
relit on each of the twelve nights of Christmas. The entire family would pray
before the candle for their living and departed loved ones. In England and
Ireland, the Christmas candle often consisted of three individual candles
molded together in honor of the Trinity, while in Germany a highly decorated
pyramid of smaller candles called a Weihnachtspyramide was used.
Lights in the
Window
Another
Irish custom during Christmastide was putting lights in the window. This
practice originated during the times of persecution, when Mass had to be held
in secret. Faithful Irish believers would place a candle in the window on
Christmas Eve as a sign to any priest who happened by that this home was a safe
haven in which Mass could be offered. When interrogated by the British about
the meaning of this practice, the Irish replied that the lights were an
invitation for Joseph and Mary to stay the night. Unthreatened by this supposed
superstition, the British left them alone.
Midnight Mass-Vigil
of the Nativity or Christmas Eve[4]
CHRISTIAN, for the love of Christ, and for thine own salvation,
occupy thy mind, during this holy night, with holy thoughts and aspirations, in
order to make thyself worthy of all the graces which Christ will grant thee on
His coming. Consider how St. Joseph and the Blessed Virgin Mary, in obedience
to the edict of Cesar, and in perfect submission to the will of God, went to
Bethlehem, and, finding no room there, at last entered an open stable, where
they were content to stay. Does not the Son of God deserve all our love when He
thus humbled Himself for us?
Christmas
Eve was my father’s time to celebrate and open the presents and later we would
go to midnight mass. Mom and Dad always put the presents under the tree as they
got them; wrapped of course and I think this was done to create a sense of
anticipation for Christmas. It was remarkable we didn’t break the gifts from
all the shaking we gave them to try to figure out what the gift was. Mom and
Dad never had much money, but Mom would start going to the garage sales in
October and get tons of stuff on the cheap. We never knew what Mom would find
but she never gave us anything that would take away from our dignity or
disappoint us with an awful Christmas sweater. After all Christmas is
celebrating the greatness of a God that took it upon Himself to raise the dignity
of man.
Some say that ever 'gainst that season comes
Wherein our Saviour's birth is celebrated,
The bird of dawning singeth all night long:
And then, they say, no spirit dare stir abroad;
The nights are wholesome; then no planets strike,
No fairy takes, no witch has power to charm,
So hallow'd and gracious is the time. --Hamlet I.i
Since
ancient times, popular folklore has attached a wondrous goodness to the night before Christmas. Like
Shakespeare's Hamlet, many Catholics believed that there was not only a special
charm about this night, but a holiness. Nature awoke with unbounded joy in the
middle of the night to greet its Maker: bees hummed sweet symphonic hymns,
cattle fell on their knees in adoration, and trees and plants bowed in the
direction of Bethlehem. No wicked spirits roamed the earth on this night, no
evil forces prevailed, for on this night God had blessed the earth with His
Son. Consequently, one hour before midnight, some churches in the British Isles
would toll their bells mournfully as if for a Requiem and then peal joyfully at
the stroke of twelve. The funereal ringing was called the "Devil's funeral" to indicate Satan's demise at the birth of Christ.
Spiritual Crib[6]
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.
·
14th day, December 24th: THE SWADDLING CLOTHES—Inward Recollection All your thoughts today,
all your wishes, your aspirations, your love and your joy, must be for the dear
Infant Jesus, who in a few hours condescends to be born in your heart.
CHRISTIAN, for the love of Christ, and for thine own
salvation, occupy thy mind, during this holy night, with holy thoughts and
aspirations, in order to make thyself worthy of all the graces which Christ
will grant thee on His coming. Consider how St. Joseph and the Blessed Virgin
Mary, in obedience to the edict of Caesar, and in perfect submission to the
will of God, went to Bethlehem, and, finding no room there, at last entered an
open stable, where they were content to stay. Does not the Son of God deserve
all our love when He thus humbled Himself for us? Tender Him your heart as an
abode, in the following
Prayer of the Church.
O God, Who givest us joy by the annual expectation
of our redemption, grant that we may securely see Him coming as our Judge Whom
we joyfully receive as our Redeemer, Our Lord Jesus
Christ, Thy Son, Who livest and reignest with Thee forever. Amen.
Nativity of our Lord, or Christmas
CHRISTMAS brings before us the happy day on which, in the
fulness of time, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer, was born of the ever
blessed and immaculate Virgin Mary, in the stable at Bethlehem.
Why does every priest say three Masses on this day?
1. To give thanks to the ever-blessed Trinity, Who cooperated in the
incarnation of Jesus Christ.
2. To honor the three-fold birth of Jesus Christ: His eternal birth in
the bosom of His heavenly Father; His temporal birth of His virgin Mother; and
His spiritual birth in our hearts, which He occupies by His grace.
Why is the first Mass celebrated at midnight?
The first Mass is said at midnight to remind us that before Jesus Christ
was born the world was without the true light, and lay in darkness and the
shadow of death. Again, it was in the night that He was born; and both His
temporal and eternal births are mysterious truths, incomprehensible to our
understanding.
Why is the second Mass celebrated at daybreak?
The second Mass is celebrated at daybreak because the birth of Christ
brought light to the gentiles, whose salvation was then nigh, and because,
according to tradition, it was about that hour that the shepherds came to see
and adore the new-born Savior.
Why is the third Mass celebrated at daylight?
The third Mass is said at daylight because Christ dispersed the darkness
of ignorance, and appeared as the Light of the world (John i. 9; Is. Ix. 8).
OF THE FIRST MASS.
The Introit of the first Mass reminds us of the eternal birth of Jesus
Christ: “The Lord hath said to Me, Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten
Thee” (Ps. ii. 7); “Why have the gentiles raged, and the people devised vain
things?” (Ps. ii. 1.)
Prayer.
O God, Who hast made this holy night shine forth with the brightness of
the true Light, grant, we beseech Thee, that we may enjoy His happiness in
heaven, the mystery of Whose light we have known upon earth. Amen.
EPISTLE. Titus ii. 11-15.
Dearly Beloved: The grace of God our Savior hath appeared to all men,
instructing us that, denying ungodliness and worldly desires, we should live
soberly, and justly, and godly in this world, looking for the blessed hope and
coming of the glory of the great God and Our Savior Jesus Christ, Who gave
Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and might cleanse to
Himself a people acceptable, a pursuer of good works. These things speak, and
exhort, in Christ Jesus our Lord.
How did the grace of God appear to all men?
Through the incarnation of His Son, Whom, in His infinite love, He made
like unto us, to be our brother and teacher, that we might become children and
heirs of God, and co-heirs with Jesus Christ.
What does Christ teach us by His incarnation?
That we should abandon impiety, infidelity, injustice, and worldly
desires, and love God, and our neighbor, though he be our enemy, for God’s
sake. The incarnation also shows the dignity and greatness of man, for as God
gave His only Son for our redemption, we thereby perceive the worth of man in
the sight of God.
What does the Apostle mean by worldly desires?
He means by them carnal and sensual desires and lusts, such as impurity,
drunkenness, avarice, and such like. Christ teaches us to renounce these by the
poverty, patience, fasting, and innumerable privations of His life.
How do we live soberly, justly, and piously?
We live soberly when we use temporal goods according to the intention and
will of God, and to supply our necessary wants; we live justly when we desire
for, and render to, our neighbor what, by the example of Christ, we are bound
to; we live piously when we give God His due honor, love Him above all things,
and love all men, in Christ, for His sake.
GOSPEL. Luke ii. 1-14.
Why did Caesar
Augustus publish a decree that all the Roman subjects should be enrolled?
The
immediate reasons of Caesar are not known to us,
but the result shows that it was done by the special providence of God, for
Joseph and Mary were thus obliged to go to Bethlehem, and so the prophecy of
Micheas, that the Messias should be born there, was fulfilled.
Why is
Christ called the first-born Son of Mary?
Because
she had no child before Him; and, moreover, having no other after Him, He is
also the only begotten of His blessed Mother, as He was the first-born and only
begotten of His heavenly Father (Heb. i. 6).
Why was
the Savior of the world born in a stable? To show, from His very
birth, that He had not come to establish a splendid worldly kingdom, but a
kingdom of grace, justice, and peace, and to lead us to imitate His example of poverty,
humility, and contempt of the world.
Why was
the birth of Christ first announced to the poor shepherds, and not to the high priests?
To show
that God does not distribute His graces through respect for persons: He exalts
the humble, and humbles those who exalt themselves. The angels for joy praised
God, and sang, “Glory to God in the highest,” that is, “Praise and thanks to
our heavenly Father for sending His only-begotten Son for the salvation of men,
“and on earth peace” that is, prosperity, happiness, salvation, and blessing “to
men of good will.” Learn from the angels to be thankful for all the benefits
which God bestows upon thy neighbor, and then you also will partake of them. In
particular, thank God to-day for the inexpressible benefit of the incarnation
of Jesus Christ.
Daily
Devotions
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