In the Bleak Midwinter

In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
in the bleak midwinter, long ago.

Our God, heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain;
heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
the Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.

Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
but His mother only, in her maiden bliss,
worshiped the beloved with a kiss.

What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
if I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.

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May you find joy in the love of God. God bless you.

Merry Christmas and happy New Year.

Feast of the Sacred Heart

To our Lady of Perpetual Help:

MEMORARE, o Domina Nostra a Sacro Corde, quam ineffabilem tibi potentiam Filius tuus divinus contulerit in suum ipsius Cor adorabile. Pleni nos fiduciae in meritis tuis, accedimus implorantes tuum praesidium. O Cordis Iesu Thesauraria caelestis, illius Cordis, fontis inexhausti gratiarum omnium, quod potes ipsa pro tua voluntate recludere, ut defluant inde in homines divitiae amoris et misericordiae, luminis et salutis, quae in ipso continentur; concede nobis, obsecramus, beneficia quae petimus ... Nulla nobis, nulla a te erit repulsa, et, quoniam Mater Tu nostra es, o Domina Nostra a Sacro Corde, preces nostras benigne habe et benigne exaudi. Amen.

REMEMBER, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, what ineffable power thy divine Son hath given thee over His own adorable Heart. Filled with confidence in thy merits, we come before thee and implore thy protection. O heavenly Treasurer of the Heart of Jesus, that Heart which is the inexhaustible source of all graces, which thou mayest open to us at thy good pleasure, in order that from it may flow forth upon mankind the riches of love and mercy, light and salvation, that are contained therein; grant unto us, we beseech thee, the favors which we seek ... We can never, never be refused by thee, and since thou art Mother, O our Lady of the Sacred Heart, graciously receive our prayers and grant our request. Amen.

From the Raccolta #439. (S. P. Ap., April 5, 1949).

Once in Royal David's City

Magnificat Antiphons (Arvo Pärt)

A modern (1988-1991) rendering of the O Antiphons into German by Arvo Pärt:

O Weisheit, hervorgegangen aus dem Munde des Höchsten,
die Welt umspannst du von einem Ende zum andern,
in Kraft und Milde ordnest du alles :
O komm und offenbare uns den Weg der Weisheit und der Einsicht.

O Wisdom, proceeding from the mouth of the Most High,
Thou encirclest the world from one end to the other,
Thou orderest all things with might and mercy:
O come to us and reveal the way of wisdom and of understanding.

O Adonai, der Herr und Führer des Hauses Israel,
im flammender Dornbusch bist du dem Moses erschienen,
und hast ihm auf dem Berg das Gesetz gegeben.
O komm und befreie uns mit deinem starken Arm.

O Adonai, the Lord and Leader of the House of Israel,
In the burning bush Thou hast appeared unto Moses
and hast given him the law upon the mountain:
O come and deliver us with Thy strong arm.

O Sproß aus Isais Wurzel,
gesetzt zum Zeichen für die Völker,
vor dir verstummen die Herrscher der Erde, dich flehen an die Völker:
o komm und errette uns, erhebe dich, säume nicht länger.

O Scion of the Root of Jesse,
set as a sign for the nations,
before Thee the rulers of the earth fall silent, unto Thee the people cry:
O come and save us, bestir Thyself, delay no longer.

O Schlüssel Davids, Zepter des Hauses Israel,
du öffnest, und niemand kann schließen,
du schließt, und keine Macht vermag zu öffnen:
o komm und öffne den Kerker der Finsternis und die Fessel des Todes.

O Key of David, Sceptre of the House of Israel,
Thou openest, and no one can shut,
Thou shuttest, and no power may open:
O come and unlock the dungeon of darkness and the fetters of death.

O Morgenstern, Glanz des unversehrten Lichtes:
Der Gerechtigkeit strahlende Sonne:
o komm und erleuchte, die da sitzen in Finsternis,
und im Schatten des Todes.

O Morning Star, Splendor of Eternal Light:
the Bright Sun of Justice:
O come and enlighten them that sit in darkness,
and in the shadow of death.

O König aller Völker, ihre Erwartung und Sehnsucht,
Schlußstein, der den Bau zusammenhält,
o komm und errette den Menschen,
den du aus Erde gebildet!

O King of all nations, their expectation and desire,
Keystone, Which holdest all things together:
O come and save mankind,
whom Thou hast formed from clay!

O Immanuel, unser König und Lehrer,
du Hoffnung und Heiland der Völker:
o komm, eile und schaffe uns Hilfe,
du unser Herr und unser Gott.

O Emmanuel, our King and Counselor,
Thou hope and Savior of the nations:
O come, make haste to help us,
Thou our Lord and our God.

(The translations are mostly taken from ArvoPart.org).

Christus Vincit, Christus Regnat, Christus Imperat

We heard this at Mass this morning in our parish. Quite a change from the songs usually picked these last few decades.   Vive Christus Rex!

King of All Nations

Pilate therefore went into the hall again, and called Jesus, and said to him: Art thou the king of the Jews?

Jesus answered: Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or have others told it thee of me?

Pilate answered: Am I a Jew? Thy own nation, and the chief priests, have delivered thee up to me: what hast thou done?

Jesus answered: My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would certainly strive that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now my kingdom is not from hence.

Pilate therefore said to him: Art thou a king then?

Jesus answered: Thou sayest that I am a king. For this was I born, and for this came I into the world; that I should give testimony to the truth. Every one that is of the truth, heareth my voice.

Pilate saith to him: What is truth? And when he said this, he went out again to the Jews, and saith to them: I find no cause in him. But you have a custom that I should release one unto you at the pasch: will you, therefore, that I release unto you the king of the Jews?

Then cried they all again, saying: Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber.

Then therefore, Pilate took Jesus, and scourged him. And the soldiers platting a crown of thorns, put it upon his head; and they put on him a purple garment.

John 18:33 - 19:2

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As election day approaches in the United States, this is a good time to look with clear eyes at the self-serving nature of politicians through the centuries, and to make sure we have not given our allegiance to one who takes truth lightly, or even one who allows the killing of innocents because it is expedient or popular.

When I look at the unreserved support of the Democratic party for the killing of unborn children, at every level from individually commissioned acts of violence, to state and national support, year-in and year-out, for abortion turned into an industry, to the coercion of other nations to accept abortion as a diplomatic objective, I do not believe I can ever again vote for any individual who self-identifies with that bloody-handed party.

Of course, liberal/progressive/left-wing support for abortion is nothing new, but today, in the old Catholic calendar, it is the Feast of the Kingship of Our Lord Jesus Christ, a day suitable for looking again at the principles that should guide our society.

Any philosophy that scorns moral principles, any that places absolute power in the hands of government, unfettered by moral restraint, is dangerous and immoral. What else has liberalism been but that? The philosophy of the French terror, the Russian revolution, the cultural revolution in China. National socialism is supposedly at the other end of the political spectrum, but it is a product of the same depraved and violent belief that governments can and should be able to do anything they desire with the people under their dominion.

The power of worldly governments is not absolute. It is always temporary, contingent, and subsidiary. There is only one Who rules forever, and His throne is not in Washington, DC.

...I know the above is not really well argued. Some comments are left unexplained, others need more support, distinctions should be made. But it is the work of a Sunday afternoon as I wait to go to Mass, and now my time is up.

May the Lord of all guide you in the decisions you make, including any votes you may cast. Form your conscience well and act wisely and protect those who need your help. God bless you.

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But Jesus calling them, saith to them: You know that they who seem to rule over the Gentiles, lord it over them: and their princes have power over them. But it is not so among you: but whosoever will be greater, shall be your minister. And whosoever will be first among you, shall be the servant of all. For the Son of man also is not come to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a redemption for many.

Mark 10:42-45

Transfiguration

O God, Who in the glorious Transfiguration of Thine only-begotten Son didst confirm the mysteries of the Faith by the witness of the fathers, and in the voice which came down from the shining cloud, didst wondrously foreshow the perfect adoption of sons: vouchsafe, in Thy loving kindness, to make us coheirs with this King of glory, and to grant that we may be made partakers of that same glory. Through our same Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, through all the ages of ages.

Matthew 9:18-26

(with Haydock commentary)

18 And he was speaking these things unto them, behold a certain ruler came up, and adored him, saying: Lord, my daughter is even now dead; but come, lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live.	A certain ruler. [4] Lit. a prince of a synagogue. He is called Jairus. Mark v. Luke viii. — My daughter is just now dead: or, as the other evangelists express it, is at the point of death; and her father having left her dying, he might think and say she was already dead. Wi. — In effect, news was shortly after brought him that she was dead. It is thus that some commentators explain the apparent difference found in Mark v. 22, and Luke viii. 41. — But come, lay thy hand, &c. Let us admire and imitate the humility and kindness of our Redeemer; no sooner had he heard the request of the ruler, but rising up, he followed him. Though, says S. Chrysostom, he saw his earthly disposition, requesting him to come and lay his hand upon her.
19 And Jesus rising up followed him, with his disciples.
20 And behold a woman who was troubled with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment.	And behold a woman. This woman, according to Eusebius, came from Cæsarea Philippi, who, in honour of her miraculous cure, afterwards erected a brazen monument, descriptive of this event, before the door of her house in Cæsarea Philippi. Euseb.
21 For she said within herself: If I shall touch only his garment, I shall be healed.
22 But Jesus turning and seeing her, said: Be of good heart, daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.	Επιστραφεις και ιδων , turning about and seeing, as if he were ignorant, and wished to see who it was that had touched him, as the other evangelists relate. In S. Mark (v. 29,) we see she was cured on touching the garment; and Jesus only confirms the cure by what he says in verse 34. — But Jesus turning about. Our divine Saviour, fearing lest he might alarm the woman by his words, says immediately to her, Take courage; and at the same time calls her his daughter, because her faith had rendered her such. S. Chrysos.
23 And when Jesus was come into the house of the ruler, and saw the minstrels and the multitude making a rout,	And when Jesus . . . saw the minstrels. It was a custom among the Jews at funerals to hire persons to make some doleful music, and great lamentations. Wi. — Ovid also mentions the lugubrious music attendant on funerals. Cantabat mœstis tibia funeribus. 4. Fast.
24 He said: Give place, for the girl is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn.	The girl is not dead. Christ, by saying so, insinuated that she was not dead in such a manner as they imagined; that is, so as to remain dead, but presently to return to life, as if she had been only asleep. Wi. — But sleepeth. In the xi. chapter of S. John, Christ again calls death a sleep. Our friend Lazarus sleepeth. Thus he teaches us to be no longer in dread of death, since it was reduced to the condition of a sleep. If you believe this, why do you vainly weep? why do you afflict yourself? this the Gentiles do, who have not faith. Your child is asleep, not dead, is gone to a place of rest, not to destruction. Therefore the royal prophet says, "Turn, O my soul, into thy rest, for the Lord hath been bountiful to thee." Psalm cxiv. If then it is a kindness, why should you weep? what else could you do at the death of an adversary, an enemy, the object of your greatest aversion? S. Chrysos. hom. xxxii. — Christ here asserts that the girl is only asleep, to shew that it was as easy for him to raise her from death as from sleep. Theophylactus.
25 And when the multitude was put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand. And the maid arose.	He took her by the hand, and as in his hands is the key both of life and death, (Apoc. i. 18,) so he commanded the soul to return and the girl to arise. A. — And when the crowd, &c. That is, if after a sinful and worldly life we wish to rise again, and be cleansed from the miserable condition of moral sin, denoted by the girl who was dead, we must cast out of our minds the great multitude of worldly concerns; for whilst these have possession, the mind is unable to recollect itself and apply seriously to consideration. S. Gregory.
26 And the fame hereof went abroad into all that country.

The gospel reading my friend R and I heard this evening at Mass.

A Prayer before Holy Communion

Today is Corpus Christi. In honor of the day, here is a prayer from St. Thomas Aquinas suitable for praying before receiving the Blessed Sacrament:

Almighty and everlasting God, behold, I am about to approach the Sacrament of Thine only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. I approach as one who is sick to the physician of life, as one unclean to the well-spring of mercy and goodness, as one blind to the light of eternal brightness, as one poor and needy to the Lord of heaven and earth. Wherefore I beseech Thee, of Thine infinite goodness, to heal my sickness, to wash away my filth, to enlighten my blindness, to enrich my poverty, and to clothe my nakedness, that I may receive the Bread of Angels, the King of kings, and Lord of lords with such reverence and humility, with such contrition and devotion, with such purity and faith, with such purpose and intention, as may conduce to the salvation of my soul. Grant, I beseech Thee, that I may receive not only the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Lord, but also the fruit and virtue of the Sacrament. O most indulgent and merciful God, grant me so to receive the Body of Thine only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, which he took of the Virgin Mary, that I may be found worthy to be incorporated with his mystical body and numbered among His members. O most loving Father, grant that I may one day contemplate for ever face to face Thy beloved Son, Whom now on my pilgrimage I am about to receive under a veil, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

A Novena to the Holy Ghost for Healing (Day 6)

And again going out of the coasts of Tyre, he came by Sidon to the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis. And they bring to him one deaf and dumb; and they beseech him that he would lay his hand upon him. And taking him from the multitude apart, he put his fingers into his ears, and spitting, he touched his tongue: And looking up to heaven, he groaned, and said to him: Ephpheta, which is, Be thou opened. And immediately his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke right.
Mark 7:31-35

Our Father Who art in heaven...
Hail Mary, Full of Grace, ...
Glory be to the Father... (7 times)
Act of Consecration

Almighty and merciful Father, refuge and salvation of those who believe, I beg Thee: remember Thy daughter R-, please forgive her her sins, and heal her infirmities. O Holy Spirit, Giver of Life, I beg Thee: in loving-kindness grant Thy gift of healing to my friend. Condescend, most holy Lord, to repair Thy temple which is her body, and to abide there, keeping R- safe from all shadow of darkness. O Blessed Savior, Love incarnate, mighty God at Whose command the storms cease and the dead arise, I implore Thee, save Thy handmaid from her affliction. Heal her as Thou healed the Canaanite's daughter and the centurion's servant, and grant that she may give thanks to Thee in Thy church and bless Thy holy Name forever.

Amen.

Second Sunday After the Epiphany

† Continuation of the holy Gospel according to St. John.

[Miracle of Cana in Galilee: a type of Transubstantiation.]

At that time there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee: and the Mother of Jesus was there. And Jesus also was invited, and His disciples, to the marriage. And the wine failing, the Mother of Jesus saith to Him: They have no wine. And Jesus saith to her: Woman, what is that to Me and to thee? My hour is not yet come. His Mother saith to the waiters: Whatsoever He shall say to you, do ye. Now there were set there six water-pots of stone, according to the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three measures apiece. Jesus saith to them: Fill the water-pots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And Jesus said to them: Draw out now, and carry to the chief steward of the feast. And they carried it. And when the chief steward had tasted the water made wine, and knew not whence it was, but the waiters knew who had drawn the water: the chief steward calleth the bridegroom, and saith to him: Every man at first setteth forth good wine: and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee; and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.

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A reenactment our Lord's first miracle:

A pilgrim or tourist visits the church built on the site of the wedding feast at Cana:

A Happy and Blessed Christmas to You

John 1:1-14 (Douay Rheims)

¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

² The same was in the beginning with God.

³ All things were made by him: and without him was made nothing that was made.

⁴ In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

⁵ And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

⁶ There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

⁷ This man came for a witness, to give testimony of the light, that all men might believe through him.

⁸ He was not the light, but was to give testimony of the light.

⁹ That was the true light, which enlighteneth every man that cometh into this world.

¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

¹¹ He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

¹² But as many as received him, he gave them power to be made the sons of God, to them that believe in his name.

¹³ Who are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

¹⁴ And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we saw his glory, the glory as it were of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Show with Haydock Commentary or the Latin Vulgate Bible

Bible passage courtesy of VeritasBible.com

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.

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 of the nations, and their desire, and Corner-stone, who makest two to be one: come Thou and save man whom Thou formedst from the dust.

O Oriens

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

O Rising Brightness, Splendor of Light Eternal and Sun of Justice: come, and illumine those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.

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 prison house who sitteth in darkness and in the shadow of death.

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 standest as the ensign of the people; before whom kings shall not open their lips; to whom the nations shall pray: come and deliver us; tarry now no more.

Fullness of Time

Galatians 4:4-6 (Douay Rheims)

⁴ But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent his Son, made of a woman, made under the law:

⁵ That he might redeem them who were under the law: that we might receive the adoption of sons.

⁶ And because you are sons, God hath sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying: Abba, Father.

Show with Haydock Commentary or the Latin Vulgate Bible
Bible passage courtesy of VeritasBible.com

Catholic Answers had a interesting post today speculating on why our Savior came to the world when He did:

Re: Fullness of time

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Quote:

Originally Posted by jpn Why was the fullness of time, a little over 2000 years ago, the fullness of time? Do we know specifically why the incarnation happened at this point in time, say versus 500 hundred years later?

Yes, the Roman empire's far reach facilitated the spread of the gospel and eventually the solidification of the Church. Humankind had reached a point where Greek philosophy had reasoned its way to a deity of order independent of religion which confirmed and correlated well with the Christian God, and the influence of Hellenization was very widespread in the Roman Empire. The Jews had centuries of struggling to fulfill the law, to finally arrive at a point where, according to Christianity, at least, we could realize that the Law couldn't justify anyone; it had done it's job serving as a teacher. Mankind was ready for a New Covenant-just barely.

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 an outstretched arm.

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 Wisdom, that proceedest from the mouth of the Most High, reaching from end to end, mightily and sweetly disposing all things: come and teach us the way of prudence.

[c.f. Wisdom 8:1]