The Pope's Three Christmas Wishes
On December 7, 2011 Pope Benedict XVI turned
on the lights for the Vatican's Christmas tree. Referencing the
tree and its lights, he expressed his Christmas wishes.
"My first wish... is that our gaze, that of our minds and our
hearts, not rest only on the horizon of this world, on its material
things, but that in some way, like this tree that tends upward, be
directed toward God. God never forgets us but He also asks that
we don't forget Him.
The Gospel recounts that, on the holy night of Christ's birth,
a light enveloped the shepherds, announcing a great joy to them:
the birth of Jesus, the one who brings us light, or better, the One
who is the true light that illuminates all....
My second wish is that we recall that we also need a light to
illumine the path of our lives and to give us hope, especially in this
time in which we feel so greatly the weight of difficulties, of
problems, of suffering, and it seems that we are enshrouded
in a veil of darkness.
But what light can truly illuminate our hearts and give us a firm and
sure hope? It is the Child whom we contemplate on Christmas, in a
poor and humble manger, because He is the Lord who draws near
to each of us and asks that we receive Him anew in our lives, asks us
to want Him, to trust in Him, to feel His presence, that He is
accompanying us, sustaining us, and helping us.
But this great tree is formed of many lights. My final wish is that
each of us contribute something of that light to the spheres in which we
live: our families, our jobs, our neighborhoods, towns, and cities.
That each of us be a light for those who are at our sides; that we leave
aside the selfishness that, so often, closes our hearts and leads us to think
only of ourselves; that we may pay greater attention to others, that we
may love them more. Any small gesture of goodness is like one of the
lights of this great tree: together with other lights it illuminates
the darkness of the night, even of the darkest night."
-- Vatican Information Service
9 December 2011
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.
-- Isaiah 9: 1
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Sunday 18 December 2011
Fourth Century Advent Hymn
Come, thou Redeemer of the earth,
Come testify thy virgin birth:
All lands admire, all times applaud:
Such is the birth that fits our God.
Forth from his chamber goeth he,
That royal home of purity,
A giant in twofold substance one,
Rejoicing now his course to run.
The Virgin's womb that glory gained,
Its virgin honor is still unstained.
The banners there of virtue glow;
God in his temple dwells below.
From God the Father he proceeds,
To God the Father back he speeds;
Runs out his course to death and hell,
Returns on God's high throne to dwell.
O Equal to thy Father, thou!
Gird on thy fleshly mantle now;
The weakness of our mortal state
With deathless might invigorate.
Thy cradle here shall glitter bright,
And darkness breathe a newer light,
Where endless faith shall shine serene,
And twilight never intervene.
All laud, eternal Son, to thee
Whose advent sets thy people free,
Whom with the Father we adore,
And Holy Ghost, for evermore.
-- Saint Ambrose (334-397 A.D.)
Come, thou Redeemer of the earth,
Come testify thy virgin birth:
All lands admire, all times applaud:
Such is the birth that fits our God.
Forth from his chamber goeth he,
That royal home of purity,
A giant in twofold substance one,
Rejoicing now his course to run.
The Virgin's womb that glory gained,
Its virgin honor is still unstained.
The banners there of virtue glow;
God in his temple dwells below.
From God the Father he proceeds,
To God the Father back he speeds;
Runs out his course to death and hell,
Returns on God's high throne to dwell.
O Equal to thy Father, thou!
Gird on thy fleshly mantle now;
The weakness of our mortal state
With deathless might invigorate.
Thy cradle here shall glitter bright,
And darkness breathe a newer light,
Where endless faith shall shine serene,
And twilight never intervene.
All laud, eternal Son, to thee
Whose advent sets thy people free,
Whom with the Father we adore,
And Holy Ghost, for evermore.
-- Saint Ambrose (334-397 A.D.)
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Sunday 11 December 2011
Prayer to Mary Immaculate
To Mary Immaculate, Mother of Our Advent
Hail!
Blessed are you, O full of grace.
Today with the greatest veneration, the Church recalls
the fulness of this Grace, with which God filled You from the
first moment of Your conception.
The Apostle's words fill us with joy, "Despite the increase
of sin, grace has far surpassed it" (Rom 5:20). We are glad at
this particular abundance of divine grace in You, who bear the
name of "Immaculate Conception," Mother.
Accept us, just as we are, here by You.
Accept us! Look into our hearts!
Accept our cares and our hopes!
Help us, You, full of grace, to live in grace, to persevere
in grace and, if it should be necessary, to return to the grace
of the living God, which is the greatest and supernatural good
of man.
Prepare us for the advent of Your Son!
Accept us with our daily problems, our weaknesses and
deficiencies, our crises, and our personal, family and social
failings.
Do not let us lose good will! Do not let us lose sincerity
of conscience and honest of conduct!
Obtain justice for us through Your prayer.
Save the peace of the whole world!
Be with us, You the Immaculate.
Be with us. Be with Rome. Be with the Church, and with
the world. Amen.
-- Blessed John Paul II
8 December 1979
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior...
(Luke: 1:46-47)
To Mary Immaculate, Mother of Our Advent
Hail!
Blessed are you, O full of grace.
Today with the greatest veneration, the Church recalls
the fulness of this Grace, with which God filled You from the
first moment of Your conception.
The Apostle's words fill us with joy, "Despite the increase
of sin, grace has far surpassed it" (Rom 5:20). We are glad at
this particular abundance of divine grace in You, who bear the
name of "Immaculate Conception," Mother.
Accept us, just as we are, here by You.
Accept us! Look into our hearts!
Accept our cares and our hopes!
Help us, You, full of grace, to live in grace, to persevere
in grace and, if it should be necessary, to return to the grace
of the living God, which is the greatest and supernatural good
of man.
Prepare us for the advent of Your Son!
Accept us with our daily problems, our weaknesses and
deficiencies, our crises, and our personal, family and social
failings.
Do not let us lose good will! Do not let us lose sincerity
of conscience and honest of conduct!
Obtain justice for us through Your prayer.
Save the peace of the whole world!
Be with us, You the Immaculate.
Be with us. Be with Rome. Be with the Church, and with
the world. Amen.
-- Blessed John Paul II
8 December 1979
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior...
(Luke: 1:46-47)
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Sunday 4 December 2011
Everyone Shall See the Salvation of God
"All mankind shall see the salvation of God" (Lk 3:6).
God's salvation is the work of a love greater than man's sin. Love alone can wipe out sin and liberate from sin. Love alone can consolidate man in the good; in the unalterable and eternal good.
It is exactly this God of our Advent: the Creator and Redeemer, who makes this profession of such love for man, for man the sinner: "Though the mountains leave their place, and the hills be shaken, my love will never leave you" (Is 54: 10).
Let us make straight the paths of the Lord. And let us get ready for the meeting with this love which will reveal itself, during the night of the birth of the Lord, in the shape of a shelterless Child. Let us remember once again that this saving love, coming to man during the night of Bethlehem, and revealing itself in the Cross and the Resurrection, remains incessantly written in the Church's life as the Sacrament of the Body and the Blood as nourishment of souls.
Each time we receive this Sacrament, whenever we accept this food, we prepare the way of the Lord, we make straight his paths. May we always have hunger and thirst for this nourishment, above all in the period of Advent!
May we, through the Sacrament of the Body and the Blood, build the way along which God will come to us in the mystery of his majesty.
-- Blessed John Paul II
16 December 1982
Rank on rank the host of heaven
Spreads its vanguard on the way,
As the Light of light descendeth
From the realms of endless day,
That the powers of hell may vanish
As the darkness clears away.
-- From the Liturgy of St. James (4th century)
"All mankind shall see the salvation of God" (Lk 3:6).
God's salvation is the work of a love greater than man's sin. Love alone can wipe out sin and liberate from sin. Love alone can consolidate man in the good; in the unalterable and eternal good.
It is exactly this God of our Advent: the Creator and Redeemer, who makes this profession of such love for man, for man the sinner: "Though the mountains leave their place, and the hills be shaken, my love will never leave you" (Is 54: 10).
Let us make straight the paths of the Lord. And let us get ready for the meeting with this love which will reveal itself, during the night of the birth of the Lord, in the shape of a shelterless Child. Let us remember once again that this saving love, coming to man during the night of Bethlehem, and revealing itself in the Cross and the Resurrection, remains incessantly written in the Church's life as the Sacrament of the Body and the Blood as nourishment of souls.
Each time we receive this Sacrament, whenever we accept this food, we prepare the way of the Lord, we make straight his paths. May we always have hunger and thirst for this nourishment, above all in the period of Advent!
May we, through the Sacrament of the Body and the Blood, build the way along which God will come to us in the mystery of his majesty.
-- Blessed John Paul II
16 December 1982
Rank on rank the host of heaven
Spreads its vanguard on the way,
As the Light of light descendeth
From the realms of endless day,
That the powers of hell may vanish
As the darkness clears away.
-- From the Liturgy of St. James (4th century)
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Sunday 27 November 2011
The Grace of the Coming
Christian expectation: Perseverance in faith and in struggle.
Advent makes us see that salvation has been given to us through the grace of the coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Let us open our hearts afresh so that the grace of this year's Advent may work in us with the fullness of its riches and depth.
Advent is the period of waiting: of Christian waiting and perseverance in faith and in struggle, by virtue of Christ's grace in us.. Advent opens a new chapter every year in that book of salvation which God writes in the Church through the story of man.
It is necessary to be humble to receive the divine teachings; there is need to be humble so that divine grace may operate in us, transform our lives and bring out the fruits of goodness.
Elevation of the soul is accomplished through knowledge of the Lord and His ways: Your ways, O Lord, make known to me; teach me your paths, guide me in your truth and teach me..." (Ps 25: 4-5).
As you see, it is not a matter of abstract knowledge but of knowledge having influence upon life. "Teach me your paths" means teach me to live in conformity with God's will
In this internal effort it is given to us to discover once again and convince ourselves that "the Lord is good."
-- Blessed John Paul II
28 November 1982
Rouse your power,
and come to save us.
(Psalm 80)
Christian expectation: Perseverance in faith and in struggle.
Advent makes us see that salvation has been given to us through the grace of the coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Let us open our hearts afresh so that the grace of this year's Advent may work in us with the fullness of its riches and depth.
Advent is the period of waiting: of Christian waiting and perseverance in faith and in struggle, by virtue of Christ's grace in us.. Advent opens a new chapter every year in that book of salvation which God writes in the Church through the story of man.
It is necessary to be humble to receive the divine teachings; there is need to be humble so that divine grace may operate in us, transform our lives and bring out the fruits of goodness.
Elevation of the soul is accomplished through knowledge of the Lord and His ways: Your ways, O Lord, make known to me; teach me your paths, guide me in your truth and teach me..." (Ps 25: 4-5).
As you see, it is not a matter of abstract knowledge but of knowledge having influence upon life. "Teach me your paths" means teach me to live in conformity with God's will
In this internal effort it is given to us to discover once again and convince ourselves that "the Lord is good."
-- Blessed John Paul II
28 November 1982
Rouse your power,
and come to save us.
(Psalm 80)
Sunday 20 November 2011
When Everything Is Subjected To Him
Before his Ascension Christ affirmed that the hour had not yet come for the glorious establishment of the messianic kingdom awaited by Israel which, according to the prophets, was to bring all men the definitive order of justice, love, and peace. According to the Lord, the present time is the time of the Spirit and of witness, but also a time still marked by "distress" and the trial of evil which does not spare the Church and ushers in the struggles of the last days. It is a time of waiting and watching.
Following in the steps of the prophets and John the Baptist, Jesus announced the judgment on the Last Day in his preaching. Then will the conduct of each one and the secrets of hearts be brought to light. Then will the culpable unbelief that counted the offer of God's grace as nothing be condemned. Our attitude about our neighbor will disclose acceptance or refusal of grace and divine love. On the last day Jesus will say: "Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me."
Christ is Lord of eternal life. Full right to pass definitive judgment on the works and hearts of men belongs to him as redeemer of the world. He "acquired" this right by his cross. The Father has given "all judgment to the Son." Yet the Son did not come to judge, but to save and to give the life he has in himself. By rejecting grace in this life, one already judges oneself, receives according to one's works, and can even condemn oneself for all eternity by rejecting the Spirit of love.
-- Catechism of the Catholic Church
paragraphs 672, 678-679
Prayer of Repentance
I am the lost sheep wandering in the desert. Search for me, Good Shepherd, and bring me home again to your fold. Do with me what you want so that I may live with you all the days of my life and praise you for all eternity with those who are with you in heaven.
-- Saint Jerome (342-420 AD)
Before his Ascension Christ affirmed that the hour had not yet come for the glorious establishment of the messianic kingdom awaited by Israel which, according to the prophets, was to bring all men the definitive order of justice, love, and peace. According to the Lord, the present time is the time of the Spirit and of witness, but also a time still marked by "distress" and the trial of evil which does not spare the Church and ushers in the struggles of the last days. It is a time of waiting and watching.
Following in the steps of the prophets and John the Baptist, Jesus announced the judgment on the Last Day in his preaching. Then will the conduct of each one and the secrets of hearts be brought to light. Then will the culpable unbelief that counted the offer of God's grace as nothing be condemned. Our attitude about our neighbor will disclose acceptance or refusal of grace and divine love. On the last day Jesus will say: "Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me."
Christ is Lord of eternal life. Full right to pass definitive judgment on the works and hearts of men belongs to him as redeemer of the world. He "acquired" this right by his cross. The Father has given "all judgment to the Son." Yet the Son did not come to judge, but to save and to give the life he has in himself. By rejecting grace in this life, one already judges oneself, receives according to one's works, and can even condemn oneself for all eternity by rejecting the Spirit of love.
-- Catechism of the Catholic Church
paragraphs 672, 678-679
Prayer of Repentance
I am the lost sheep wandering in the desert. Search for me, Good Shepherd, and bring me home again to your fold. Do with me what you want so that I may live with you all the days of my life and praise you for all eternity with those who are with you in heaven.
-- Saint Jerome (342-420 AD)
Friday, November 11, 2011
Sunday 13 November 2011
Blessed are Those Who Fear the Lord
Sacred Scripture affirms that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning
of wisdom (Ps 110 [111]: 10; Prov 1:7). However, what kind of fear does
it mean? It certainly is not that "fear of God" which causes people to
flee from every thought and memory of him, as something or someone who
disturbs and upsets. This was the state of mind which, according to the
Bible, made our first parents, after their sin, hide "themselves from
the Lord God among the trees of the garden" (Gen 3:8). This was also the
sentiment of that unfaithful and wicked servant of the gospel parable
who hid in the earth the talent that he received (cf. Mt 25: 28, 26).
However, this type of fear is not the true concept of the fear which is
the gift of the Spirit. Here it is a matter of something much more
noble and lofty; it is a sincere and reverential feeling that a person
experiences before the tremendous majesty of God, especially when he reflects
upon his own infidelity and the danger of being "found wanting" (Dan 5:27) at the
eternal judgment which no one can escape. The believer goes and places himself
before God with a "contrite spirit" and a "humbled heart" (cf. Ps 50
[51]: 19), knowing well that he must await his own salvation "with fear and
trembling" (Phil 2:12). Nonetheless, that does not mean an irrational fear, but a
sense of responsibility and fidelity to the law.
All this is what the Holy Spirit takes up and elevates with the gift of
Fear of the Lord. It certainly does not exclude the trepidation that
arises from an awareness of the faults committed and the prospect of divine
chastisement, but mitigates it with faith in the divine mercy and with
the certitude of the fatherly concern of God who wills the eternal
salvation of each one. With this gift, however, the Holy Spirit instills in the
soul most of all a filial love which is a sentiment rooted in love of God. The
soul is now concerned not to displease God, whom he loves as a Father, not to
offend him in anything, to "abide in him" and grow in charity (cf. Jn
15: 4-7).
-- Blessed John Paul II
Angelus, 11 June 1989
Blessed are you who fear the Lord,
who walk in his ways!
For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;
blessed shall you be, and favored.
-- Psalm 128
Sacred Scripture affirms that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning
of wisdom (Ps 110 [111]: 10; Prov 1:7). However, what kind of fear does
it mean? It certainly is not that "fear of God" which causes people to
flee from every thought and memory of him, as something or someone who
disturbs and upsets. This was the state of mind which, according to the
Bible, made our first parents, after their sin, hide "themselves from
the Lord God among the trees of the garden" (Gen 3:8). This was also the
sentiment of that unfaithful and wicked servant of the gospel parable
who hid in the earth the talent that he received (cf. Mt 25: 28, 26).
However, this type of fear is not the true concept of the fear which is
the gift of the Spirit. Here it is a matter of something much more
noble and lofty; it is a sincere and reverential feeling that a person
experiences before the tremendous majesty of God, especially when he reflects
upon his own infidelity and the danger of being "found wanting" (Dan 5:27) at the
eternal judgment which no one can escape. The believer goes and places himself
before God with a "contrite spirit" and a "humbled heart" (cf. Ps 50
[51]: 19), knowing well that he must await his own salvation "with fear and
trembling" (Phil 2:12). Nonetheless, that does not mean an irrational fear, but a
sense of responsibility and fidelity to the law.
All this is what the Holy Spirit takes up and elevates with the gift of
Fear of the Lord. It certainly does not exclude the trepidation that
arises from an awareness of the faults committed and the prospect of divine
chastisement, but mitigates it with faith in the divine mercy and with
the certitude of the fatherly concern of God who wills the eternal
salvation of each one. With this gift, however, the Holy Spirit instills in the
soul most of all a filial love which is a sentiment rooted in love of God. The
soul is now concerned not to displease God, whom he loves as a Father, not to
offend him in anything, to "abide in him" and grow in charity (cf. Jn
15: 4-7).
-- Blessed John Paul II
Angelus, 11 June 1989
Blessed are you who fear the Lord,
who walk in his ways!
For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;
blessed shall you be, and favored.
-- Psalm 128
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