Sunday, November 27, 2022
First Sunday of Advent
First Sunday of Advent
MIRACULOUS MEDAL
Psalm 22, Verse 6
For the PEACE of Jerusalem
pray: “May those who love you prosper!
A song of Zion, sung by pilgrims
obeying the law to visit Jerusalem three times on a journey. The singer
anticipates joining the procession into the city. Jerusalem is a place of
encounter, where the people praise God and hear the divine justice mediated by
the king. The very buildings bespeak God’s power. May the grace of this place
transform the people’s lives!
God no longer requires us to journey to Jerusalem. No, He comes to us and loves us and comes to us as food for our souls.
ON KEEPING THE LORD'S DAY HOLY[1]
CHAPTER I
DIES DOMINI
The Celebration of the Creator's
Work
"Shabbat": the
Creator's joyful rest
11. If the first page of the Book of
Genesis presents God's "work" as an example for man, the same is true
of God's "rest”: “On the seventh day God finished his work which he had
done" (Gn 2:2). Here too we find an anthropomorphism charged with a
wealth of meaning.
It would be banal to interpret God's
"rest" as a kind of divine "inactivity". By its nature, the
creative act which founds the world is unceasing and God is always at work, as
Jesus himself declares in speaking of the Sabbath precept: "My Father is
working still, and I am working" (Jn 5:17). The divine rest of the
seventh day does not allude to an inactive God, but emphasizes the fullness of
what has been accomplished. It speaks, as it were, of God's lingering before
the "very good" work (Gn 1:31) which his hand has wrought, in
order to cast upon it a gaze full of joyous delight. This is a
"contemplative" gaze which does not look to new accomplishments but
enjoys the beauty of what has already been achieved. It is a gaze which God
casts upon all things, but in a special way upon man, the crown of creation. It
is a gaze which already discloses something of the nuptial shape of the
relationship which God wants to establish with the creature made in his own
image, by calling that creature to enter a pact of love. This is what God will
gradually accomplish, in offering salvation to all humanity through the saving
covenant made with Israel and fulfilled in Christ. It will be the Word
Incarnate, through the eschatological gift of the Holy Spirit and the
configuration of the Church as his Body and Bride, who will extend to all
humanity the offer of mercy and the call of the Father's love.
Advent[2]
A sudden announcement that the lord is coming
WHAT does Advent mean?
Advent means the coming and is used by the Church to represent the four thousand years of preparation for the coming of the Redeemer, and at the same time points us to His second coming as our judge.
When is the season of Advent?
The season of Advent comprises the four weeks preceding Christmas.
When was the first coming of our Redeemer?
When the Son of God was conceived by the Holy Ghost in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and was made flesh, to sanctify the world by His coming.
Was a redeemer necessary?
Yes, for all men sinned in Adam, and needed to be reconciled to God.
Could not the just under the Old Law be saved before the coming of Christ?
Yes, through the expectation of Him and through His future merits all might be saved under the Old Law who made themselves worthy of the grace of Christ by innocence and penance, though they could not be admitted to heaven until Our Lord’s ascension.
When will be the second coming of Christ?
At the end of the world, when Christ will come with great power and majesty to judge the living and the dead.
Why has the Church appointed the holy season of Advent?
1. That we may consider the wretched state of
mankind before the coming of Christ, and bring before our minds the mercy of
God, Who sent His only-begotten Son down from heaven for our redemption.
2. That we may prepare ourselves worthily for
Christmas, that Christ may then enter our hearts in the fulness of His grace,
to renew them and to dwell in them.
3. That we may so prepare ourselves for the second
advent that He may be to us a merciful judge. “Watch ye, therefore, because you
know not what hour your Lord will come (St. Matt. xxiv. 42).
Prayer.
O God, Who hast brought joy to the world through Thy gracious advent, grant us, we beseech Thee, Thy grace, that we may prepare ourselves by sincere penance for its celebration and for the Last Judgment. Amen.
First Sunday of Advent
THIS is the first day of the ecclesiastical year; on it the Church begins to contemplate the coming of Our Savior, and, with the prophets, to long for Him; she exhorts the faithful to true penance for their sins, which oppose Christ’s entrance into their hearts; she sings, therefore, at the Introit of the Mass, in the words of the psalmist: “To Thee, O Lord, have I lifted up my soul.
Prayer.
Raise up Thy power, O Lord, we pray Thee, and come, that by Thy protection we may deserve to be rescued from the threatening dangers of our sins, and to be saved by Thy deliverance. Amen.
EPISTLE. Rom. xiii. 11-14.
Brethren: Knowing the season, that it is now the hour for us to rise from sleep. For now, our salvation is nearer than when we believed. The night is passed, and the day is at hand. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk honestly as in the day: not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and impurities, not in contention and envy; but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ.
What is understood here by sleep?
Sin, in which man, as if sunk in a torpor, no longer sees the light of the Gospel, no longer hears the warning of his conscience, neglects the means of salvation, and lives without care, until he awakes, alas! too late, as from a dream.
What is understood by night and day?
By night is to be understood ignorance, infidelity, and sin. The day represents faith, grace, and reconciliation with God.
What are the works of darkness?
All sin, especially that which is unknown to men, but seen and known by God, of Whose grace it deprives us.
What is the armor of light?
It consists in faith, hope, charity, and good works, the spiritual arms with which we have to overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil.
What does it mean to put on the Lord Jesus Christ?
It means that Christians should think, speak,
and act like Jesus, adorning themselves by the imitation of Him as with precious
garments.
Prayer.
O Lord Jesus Christ, Who became man for us, grant that we may in all things comply with the admonitions of this epistle; that we may arise from the slumber of our sins, and walk in the light of grace by the diligent performance of good works, and adorn our souls by putting on Thee, through the imitation of Thy virtues.
GOSPEL. Luke xxi. 25-33.
At that time Jesus said to His disciples: There shall be Signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars, and upon the earth distress of nations, by reason of the confusion of the roaring of the sea and of the waves: men withering away for fear, and expectation of what shall come upon the whole world, for the powers of heaven shall be moved ; and then they shall see the Son of man coming in a cloud with great power and majesty. But when these things begin to come to pass, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is at hand. And He spoke to them a similitude: See the fig-tree, and all the trees; when they now shoot forth their fruit, you know that summer is nigh. So, you also when you shall see these things come to pass, know that the kingdom of God is at hand. Amen I say to you, this generation shall not pass away till all things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away: but My words shall not pass away.
Why does the Church cause this Gospel concerning the Last Judgment to be read to-day?
To prepare our hearts by penance for the coming of Jesus as our judge.
What signs shall precede the Last Judgment?
The sun shall be darkened, the moon shall not give light, the stars shall fall from heaven; the heavens themselves shall pass away with a great noise, the elements shall melt with heat, and the earth with all that is in it shall be burned up. At the command of God, the world shall be shaken to its center; fearful tempests shall arise; the sea and waves shall roar, and wild struggle and destruction take the place of quiet and order. Men shall wither away with fear, not knowing whither to fly. Then shall appear the holy cross, the sign of the Son of man a terror to sinners who have hated it, a consolation to- those who have loved it.
How will the Last Judgment begin?
At the command of God, the angels, with the round of the trumpet, shall summon all men to judgment (i. These, iv. 15). The bodies and souls of the dead shall be again united, and the wicked shall be separated from the righteous, the just on the right, the wicked on the left (St. Matt. xxv. 33). The angels and the devils will be present, and Christ Himself will appear in a bright cloud with such power and majesty that the wicked, for fear, will not be able to look at Him, but will say to the mountains, “Fall on us,” and to the hills, “Cover us” (St. Luke xxiii. 30).
Why will God hold a general and public judgment?
1. That all may know how just He has been in the
particular judgment of each one.
2. That justice may at last be rendered to the
afflicted and persecuted, while the wicked who have oppressed the poor, the
widow, the orphan, the religious, and yet have often passed for upright and
devout persons, may be known in their real characters and be forever disgraced.
3. That Jesus Christ may complete His redemption, and openly triumph over His enemies, who shall see the glory of the Crucified, and tremble at His power.
How will the Last Judgment proceed?
The books will be opened, and from them all men will be judged; all their good and bad thoughts, words, and deeds, even the most secret, known only to God, will be revealed before the whole world, and according to their works men will be rewarded or be damned forever. The wicked shall go into everlasting punishment, but the just into life everlasting (St. Matt. xxv.46).
Exhortation.
The Church, during the season of Advent, reminds thee, O Christian, of the coming of Christ to judgment, that thou mayest with the more zeal apply thyself to profit by His first coming; for they only will be justified and glorified who have acknowledged and received Him as their Redeemer. Examine thyself, therefore, to-day, and during this week, whether thou hast believed in Him, loved Him, admitted Him into thy heart, and kept His holy commands. Begin at once penance and good works, that thou mayest with confidence await the judgment-day of the Lord.
Aspiration.
Thou art just, O Lord! and just is Thy judgment. Oh, penetrate my soul with holy fear, that I may be kept from evil deeds, and incited to good works. Would that I could say, with St. Jerome, “Whether I eat or drink, or whatever I do, it is as if I heard the awful summons of the trumpet, Ye dead, arise, and come to judgment!”
First
Sunday of Advent[3] #Advent
For us Catholics, the new
Liturgical Year commences with the first Sunday of Advent. In this new
liturgical year, the Church not only wishes to indicate the beginning of a
period, but the beginning of a renewed commitment to the faith by all those who
follow Christ, the Lord. This time of prayer and path of penance that is so
powerful, rich and intense, endeavors to give us a renewed impetus to truly
welcome the message of the One who was incarnated for us. In fact, the entire
Liturgy of the Advent Season, will spur us to an awakening in our Christian
life and will put us in a ‘vigilant’ disposition, to wait for Our Lord Jesus
who is coming:
‘Awaken!
Remember that God comes! Not yesterday, not tomorrow, but today, now! The one
true God, "the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob", is not a God who is
there in Heaven, unconcerned with us and our history, but he is
the-God-who-comes.’
The Season of Advent is therefore
a season of vigilant waiting, that prepares us to welcome the mystery of the
Word Incarnate, who will give the ‘Light’ to the womb of the Virgin Mary, but
essentially this time prepares us not only to welcome this great event but to
incarnate it in our lives. We could say that the true light enters the world
through the immaculate womb of Mary, but it does not stay there. On the
contrary, this light flows out into our dark, obscure, sinful lives to
illuminate them, so that we can become the light that illuminates the world.
For this reason, let us live this time of waiting not only to celebrate a
historical memory but to repeat this memory in our lives and in the service of
others. To wait for the Lord who comes, means to wait and to watch so that the
Word of Love enters inside us and focuses us every day of our lives. As Blessed
John Henry Newman reminded us in a homily for the Advent Season: “Advent is a
time of waiting, it is a time of joy because the coming of Christ is not only a
gift of grace and salvation, but it is also a time of commitment because it
motivates us to live the present as a time of responsibility and vigilance.
This ‘vigilance’ means the necessity, the urgency of an industrious, living
‘wait’. To make all this happen, then we need to wake up, as we are warned by
the apostle to the Gentiles, in Romans: ‘Besides this you know what hour it is,
how it is full time now for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to
us now than when we first believed” (Rm 13:11). We must start our journey to ascend to the mountain of the Lord, to be
illuminated by His Words of peace and to allow Him to indicate the path to
tread. Moreover, we must change our
conduct abandoning the works of darkness and put on the ‘armor of light’ and so
seek only to do God’s work and to abandon the deeds of the flesh. (Rm
13:12-14). Jesus, through the story in the parable, outlines the Christian
lifestyle that must not be distracted and indifferent but must be vigilant and recognize even the smallest sign of the Lord’s
coming because we don’t know the hour in which He will arrive. (Mt 24:39-44)
Blessing of an
Advent Wreath
The use of the Advent
Wreath is a traditional practice which has found its place in the Church as
well as in the home. The blessing of an Advent Wreath takes place on the First
Sunday of Advent or on the evening before the First Sunday of Advent.
When the blessing of the
Advent Wreath is celebrated in the home, it is appropriate that it be blessed
by a parent or another member of the family.
All make the sign of the cross as
the leader says:
Our help is in the name of the Lord.
Response (R/.) Who made heaven and earth.
Then the Scripture, Isaiah
9: (lines 1-2 and
5-6) or Isaiah 63 (lines 16-17 & 19) or Isaiah
64 (lines
2-7) is read:
Reader: The Word of the Lord.
R/. Thanks be to God.
With
hands joined, the leader says:
Lord our God,
we praise you for your Son, Jesus Christ:
he is Emmanuel, the hope of the peoples,
he is the wisdom that teaches and guides us,
he is the Savior of every nation.
Lord God,
let your blessing come upon us
as we light the candles of this wreath.
May the wreath and its light
be a sign of Christ’s promise to bring us salvation.
May he come quickly and not delay.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
R/. Amen.
The blessing may conclude with a verse from
“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”:
O come, desire of nations, bind
in one the hearts of humankind;
bid ev’ry sad division cease
and be thyself our Prince of peace.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.
Advent begins
Facts & Quotes[4]
Each Sunday in Advent has a particular theme
·
the first week is faithfulness, associated with
Christ coming in final victory.
·
The second and third Sundays, which feature the
stories about John the Baptist, represent hope and joy.
·
The fourth Sunday, which covers the events
that led up to the birth of Jesus, represents love.
Many churches light a candle on an advent wreath each Sunday
to represent each theme. The wreath is either suspended from the ceiling
or sits on a table. It is made of evergreen branches and holds four
candles - three purple for the first weeks of Advent and a pink one for the
last week. A white Christ candle is placed in the center and will be lit
on Christmas. A common activity for children is to make Christmas ornaments.
Many church Christmas trees are decorated with these ornaments that
represent symbols in Christianity, like doves and fish. Advent starts the four
Sundays before Christmas. Church banners and cleric's stoles are purple
during the season. Advent is a journey towards Bethlehem. May we let
ourselves be drawn by the light of God made man - Pope Francis via twitter
on Dec 21, 2013.
Advent Begins Top Events and Things to Do
·
Decorate your home with evergreens or go to a
'Hanging of the Greens' church service. Church members decorate the
church in preparation for Christmas.
·
Hang up an advent calendar. Many of these
decorative pieces have little doors that open and reveal holiday images or have
pockets with small items in them that reflect the season. They are especially
popular with children who enjoy opening the little doors to reveal chocolates.
·
Sing Advent Hymns. Two popular ones are in
the Deep Midwinter, and O Come, O Come Emmanuel.
Advent and Christmas
The Advent season in the Northern Hemisphere is normally cold, dark and the days are short. Traditions such as Thanksgiving and Christmas have been established to help dispel the psychological fear that develops as a result of the darkness. However, in the Southern Hemisphere the days are long and warm.
This is a good time if you have the
means to take a winter’s break and go to a warmer climate to give you a chance
to create a brighter spirit. However, if this is not possible, we can greatly
reduce our fears by getting some sun for 10 or 15 minutes a day. Try to walk at
the brightest time of the day, or if you have a sun
Also spending some time exercising daily will definitely dispel our fears. We are both physical and spiritual and having a balance of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual activities will make us resilient to the darkness in the world. I find hiking a wonderful anecdote to the blues and fears.
It is also
important to reach out to others. We can strengthen ourselves by being with and
for others. No matter what your cultural background this season will provide
many ethnic opportunities to celebrate together. Think of the giant Redwoods
they are the largest trees in the world. These trees survive by intertwining
their roots because the ground is so hard the Redwood cannot strike a taproot
to hold itself up but by supporting each other they become the largest trees in
the world.
Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal[5]
In
the year 1830, Our Lady appeared to St. Catherine Laboure, a Daughter of
Charity in Paris, and told her that God had a mission for her. Standing upon a
globe, the Virgin Mary held a golden ball which she seemed to offer to God, and
on her fingers were rings with gems that emitted rays of light. She told St.
Catherine, "These rays symbolize the graces I shed upon those who ask for
them. The gems from which rays do not fall are the graces for which souls
forget to ask. The Blessed Virgin instructed St. Catherine to have a medal made
of these images, and she promised many graces to all who wear it.
Meaning of the Medal[6]
The Front
Here, we see a woman, the Mother of
God, encircled by a short and famous prayer: "O Mary conceived without
sin. . . . " Being conceived without sin—the mystery of her Immaculate
Conception—means that from the beginning this woman was full of grace. Mary
stands on a globe, the world. Around her feet a twisted serpent, the devil,
struggles for mastery. It is a conflict between good and evil. Satan's is a
world of darkness and disgrace; Mary's is a world of light and grace. But hers
is the victory won by Christ—the light of the world. So, we see the light and
grace of Christ flowing from her hands; and those who choose grace rather than
darkness turn to her for help: "pray for us who have recourse to
thee."
The Back
On the back of the medal we see a large letter M with a
cross above it. M is for Mary and Mother because she is indeed the Mother of
God's people—a people founded on the twelve Apostles, signified by the twelve
stars arranged around the rim. The two hearts are those of Jesus and Mary.
God's message for Mary was one of suffering "a sword will pierce your
heart too"—just as the heart of her Son would be pierced by a soldier's
lance. The showing of the two hearts in one grand alliance is a reminder of
God's love for us. Mother and Son are united in the work of redemption as
Christ offers himself on the cross and Mary stands compassionately at his feet,
assenting in faith so that the world might be saved. The medal, then, is a
summary in itself of the Church's teaching on Our Lady—a mini-catechism of the
faith for everyone.
The MI Movement
One of the most celebrated cases of a conversion, through
the use of the Miraculous Medal, was that of the agnostic, Alphonse Ratisbonne.
In January 1917, while still a seminarian at the Conventual Franciscan Friars'
Seraphicum in Rome, St. Maximilian Kolbe heard the Miraculous Medal conversion
story of Ratisbonne. This wonderful account inspired St. Maximilian to
recognize the powerful role that God had given Mary in the work of leading
people to conversion and growth in holiness. He understood that the Miraculous
Medal symbolized her active presence in the Church as Mediatrix of All Graces.
For the next nine months St. Maximilian meditated upon the Miraculous Medal,
the apparition of Our Lady to St. Catherine Laboure, and the marvel of
Ratisbonne's conversion.
On the evening of October 16, 1917, St. Maximilian was
ready to put these Marian insights into a concrete plan of action. He gathered
six Franciscan companions in a room at their seminary on Rome's Via San Teodoro
to establish what he called in Latin the Militia Immaculatae (MI), that is, the
"Knights of the Immaculata." This movement, which now numbers
millions of members worldwide would bind people together around one compelling
and fruitful ideal: spiritual union with Mary the Immaculata. This ideal would
attract various kinds and classes of people (clergy, religious, and laity),
stirring each to form a person-to-person relationship with Mary by means of the
"Act of Total Consecration," and entrustment of self to her.
St. Maximilian made the Miraculous Medal the insignia of
the MI movement. He recommended that people wear it as an external sign of
their Total Consecration to the Immaculata. Mindful of Mary's promise to St.
Catherine that "all who wear it will receive great graces," St.
Maximilian saw the medal as a means of safeguarding the consecration. It
reminds MIs that by their consecration they are to belong to Mary, work for
her, and become one with her, so that she might act through them as her
instruments.
The Miraculous Medal helps MIs to love Jesus through Mary,
so as to hasten the transformation of individuals, families, and society into a
"civilization of love."
Purpose of the
MI:
Pursue the conversion and growth in holiness of all people,
under the sponsorship of the Blessed and Immaculate Virgin Mary.
May I join the
MI?
All Catholics are welcome to join. One's "work"
in the MI is simply to live the spirit of Total Consecration to Mary as taught
by the saints and popes. MIs try to bring the presence of Mary into daily life,
by offering up daily duties, prayers, sufferings, and good works for the
conversion and sanctification of souls. MIs need not attend meetings, nor pay
dues, nor follow complicated rules.
Miraculous Medal Invocation Prayer
O Mary conceived without sin, pray
for us who have recourse to you, and for all who do not have recourse to you,
especially the enemies of the Church and those recommended to you.
Meditation Prayer with the Miraculous Medal
Mary, this medal is a sign and a
guarantee of your presence. You are present because your power is present, your
voice is present, and your love is present. Therefore, O wonderful Sinless
Woman and our Mystical Mother, we call on you now to fulfill your guarantee.
Bring us the great graces you promised to those who carry this medal,
especially to those who wear it around their neck. Make us perceive our
presence now and always. Make us consciously experience your power, your love
and your guidance, that in their strength we may begin to share in your perfect
response to God and to each of his creatures, and join in your war with the
ancient Serpent. Help us utterly abandon our self-centered feelings and
preoccupations. Help us hear and understand you. Teach us to listen and learn.
Help us respond to you today and always;, that made one with you we might more
fully respond with the rest of the Church to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
participating in their life and unity.
Catechism
of the Catholic Church
PART THREE: LIFE IN CHRIST
SECTION ONE-MAN'S VOCATION LIFE IN THE
SPIRIT
CHAPTER THREE-GOD'S SALVATION: LAW AND
GRACE
Article 1-THE MORAL LAW
II. The Old Law
1961
God, our Creator and Redeemer, chose Israel for himself to be his people and
revealed his Law to them, thus preparing for the coming of Christ. the Law of
Moses expresses many truths naturally accessible to reason. These are stated
and authenticated within the covenant of salvation.
1962 The
Old Law is the first stage of revealed Law. Its moral prescriptions are summed
up in the Ten Commandments. the precepts of the Decalogue lay the foundations
for the vocation of man fashioned in the image of God; they prohibit what is
contrary to the love of God and neighbor and prescribe what is essential to it.
the Decalogue is a light offered to the conscience of every man to make God's
call and ways known to him and to protect him against evil:
God wrote on the tables of the Law
what men did not read in their hearts.
1963
According to Christian tradition, the Law is holy, spiritual, and good, yet
still imperfect. Like a tutor it shows what must be done, but does not of
itself give the strength, the grace of the Spirit, to fulfill it. Because of
sin, which it cannot remove, it remains a law of bondage. According to St.
Paul, its special function is to denounce and disclose sin, which constitutes a
"law of concupiscence" in the human heart. However, the Law
remains the first stage on the way to the kingdom. It prepares and disposes the
chosen people and each Christian for conversion and faith in the Savior God. It
provides a teaching which endures for ever, like the Word of God.
1964 The
Old Law is a preparation for the Gospel. "The Law is a pedagogy and a
prophecy of things to come." It prophesies and presages the work of
liberation from sin which will be fulfilled in Christ: it provides the New
Testament with images, "types," and symbols for expressing the life
according to the Spirit. Finally, the Law is completed by the teaching of the
sapiential books and the prophets which set its course toward the New Covenant
and the Kingdom of heaven.
There were . . . under the regimen
of the Old Covenant, people who possessed the charity and grace of the Holy
Spirit and longed above all for the spiritual and eternal promises by which
they were associated with the New Law. Conversely, there exist carnal men under
the New Covenant still distanced from the perfection of the New Law: the fear of
punishment and certain temporal promises have been necessary, even under the
New Covenant, to incite them to virtuous works. In any case, even though the
Old Law prescribed charity, it did not give the Holy Spirit, through whom
"God's charity has been poured into our hearts."
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 6 pm Saturday till Monday. Don’t forget the internet.
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: Protection
of Life from Conception until natural death.
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
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