Ten Points for the New Year

The Daily Decalogue of Pope John XXIII

1) Only for today, I will seek to live the livelong day positively without wishing to solve the problems of my life all at once.

2) Only for today, I will take the greatest care of my appearance: I will dress modestly; I will not raise my voice; I will be courteous in my behaviour; I will not criticize anyone; I will not claim to improve or to discipline anyone except myself.

3) Only for today, I will be happy in the certainty that I was created to be happy, not only in the other world but also in this one.

4) Only for today, I will adapt to circumstances, without requiring all circumstances to be adapted to my own wishes.

5) Only for today, I will devote 10 minutes of my time to some good reading, remembering that just as food is necessary to the life of the body, so good reading is necessary to the life of the soul.

6) Only for today, I will do one good deed and not tell anyone about it.

7) Only for today, I will do at least one thing I do not like doing; and if my feelings are hurt, I will make sure that no one notices.

8) Only for today, I will make a plan for myself: I may not follow it to the letter, but I will make it. And I will be on guard against two evils: hastiness and indecision.

9) Only for today, I will firmly believe, despite appearances, that the good Providence of God cares for me as no one else who exists in this world.

10) Only for today, I will have no fears. In particular, I will not be afraid to enjoy what is beautiful and to believe in goodness. Indeed, for 12 hours I can certainly do what might cause me consternation were I to believe I had to do it all my life.

(From last Sunday's bulletin at St. John Cantius)

Holy Innocents

"A voice in Rama was heard, lamentation and great mourning: Rachel bewailing her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not."
- Matthew 2:18

Alas for our nation and our world, that greater lamentation is not heard in this time when the mass murder of innocents has again become public policy. God bless and strengthen those who year in and year out attempt to awaken numbed consciences to the horror that is abortion.


Saint Joseph, guardian of the holy family, pray for them.
Saint Maximilian Kolbe, in a death camp killed but not defeated, pray for them.
Blessed Margaret of Castello, in weakness perfected, pray for them.
Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, comforter of the abandoned, pray for them.
Saint Gianna Beretta Molla, exemplar of maternal love, pray for them.
Saint Gerard Majella, protector of expectant mothers, pray for them.
Saint John the Baptist, herald of our Lord, pray for them.
Holy mother of God, Mary most blessed and pure, pray for them.

No Room in the Inn

Will Love incarnate find shelter in the inn of my soul, or have I shut my heart to Him?

Abide in me, Lord, that I may abide in Thee.

(Or should I say: Lord, I am not worthy to receive Thee under my roof. Only say the word and my soul shall be healed?)

O God, the Light of every heart that sees Thee, the Life of every soul that loves Thee, the Strength of every mind that seeks Thee, grant me ever to continue steadfast in Thy holy love. Be Thou the joy of my heart; take it all to Thyself, and therein abide. The house of my soul is, I confess, too narrow for Thee; do Thou enlarge it, that Thou mayest enter in; it is ruinous, but do Thou repair it. It has that within which must offend Thine eyes; I confess and know it; but whose help shall I implore in cleansing it, but Thine alone? To Thee, therefore, I cry urgently, begging that Thou wilt cleanse me from my secret faults, and keep Thy servant from presumptuous sins, that they never get dominion over me. Amen.

(Adapted from Saint Augustine's Confessions, Book 5)

The Great Antiphons

Heralds of Christmas
(recommended by Singulare Ingenium)

In the first millenium, possibly as early as in the reign of Pope St. Gregory the Great, one of these antiphons would be sung each evening during vespers in the days leading up to Christmas Eve:

O Sapientia

O Sapientia, quae ex ore Altissimi prodiisti, attingens a fine usque ad finem, fortiter suaviterque disponens omnia: veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiae.

O eternal Wisdom which proceedest from the mouth of the Most High, reaching from one end of creation unto the other, mightily and harmoniously disposing all things, come Thou to teach us the way of understanding.

O Adonai

O Adonai, et dux domus Israel, qui Moysi in igne flammae rubi apparuisti, et ei in Sina legem dedisti: veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento.

O Lord and Ruler of the House of Israel, who appearedst unto Moses in the flame of a burning bush and gavest to him the law in Sinai: come to redeem us with a stretched-out arm.

O Radix Jesse

O Radix Jesse, qui stas in signum populorum, super quem continebunt reges os suum, quem gentes deprecabuntur; veni ad liberandum nos, iam noli tardere.

O Root of Jesse, who art placed for a sign of the people, before whom kings shall shut their mouths, whom the Gentiles shall supplicate: come Thou to deliver us; do not tarry.

O Clavis David

O Clavis David, et sceptrum domus Israel: qui aperis, et nemo claudit; claudis, et nemo aperit: veni et educ vinctum de domo carceris, sedentem in tenebris, et umbra mortis.

O key of David and Sceptre of the house of Israel, who openest and none shutteth, who shuttest and none openeth: come Thou and bring forth the captive from the house of bondage who sitteth in darkness and in the shadow of death.

O Oriens

O Oriens, splendor lucis aeternae, et sol justitiae: veni, et illumina sedentis in tenebris, et umbra mortis.

O Rising brightness of the everlasting light and sun of righteousness: come Thou and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.

O Rex Gentium

O Rex gentium, et desideratus earum, lapisque angularis, qui facis utraque unem: veni, et salva hominem, quem de limo formasti.

O King and desire of all nations, and chief Corner-stone, who makest two to be one: come Thou and save man whom Thou formedst from the clay.

O Emmanuel

O Emmanuel, Rex et legisfer noster, expectatio gentium, et Salvator earum: veni ad salvandum nos, Domine Deus noster.

O Emmanuel, our King and Lawgiver, the expected of the nations and their Savior, come Thou to save us O Lord our God.


(This webpage points out that read backwards, the first letter of the first word for each day spells out 'ero cras', i.e. 'I shall be [with you] tomorrow', a pleasing bit of medieval cleverness).