“What, then, will this child be? For surely the hand of the Lord was with him. Luke 1: 66 This question is asked by those who have witnessed and heard about the miraculous naming of John the Baptist. They realized in that moment that “the hand of the Lord” was with this child. It is…[read more]
O King of the Gentiles, and the Desired of all, You are the Cornerstone that binds two into one. Come, and save us whom You fashioned out of clay. O Antiphon, December 22 The one for whom we wait, with growing expectation, is the “Desired of all.” God does not send Jesus for some, or…[read more]
My dove, hiding in the clefts of the rock, in the coverts of the cliff, show me, your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is beautiful. Song of Songs, 2: 14 As Mary encounters her cousin Elizabeth, Elizabeth proclaims: “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed…[read more]
O Leader of the House of Israel, giver of the Law to Moses on Sinai: come to rescue us with your mighty power! O Antiphon, December 18 The very thought of theocracy has become in our time a terrifying prospect. We are more than aware of the dangers of those who claim the authority to…[read more]
O Wisdom of our God Most High, guiding creation with power and love: come to teach us the path of knowledge! O Antiphon, December 17 Today we pray the first of the O Antiphons in immediate preparation for the Feast of Christmas. In it we pray to know and to share in the wisdom of…[read more]
Let justice descend, O heavens, like dew from above,/like gentle rain let the skies drop it down. Isaiah 45: 8 Go, tell John what you have seen and heard: blind people see, lame people are walking, lepers are being cleansed and deaf people are hearing again, dead people are being raised, poor people are being…[read more]
But I will leave as a remnant in your midst / a people humble and lowly, / Who shall take refuge in the name of the Lord: / the remnant of Israel. / They shall do no wrong / and speak no lies; / Nor shall there be found in their mouths / a deceitful…[read more]
The utterance of Balaam, son of Beor,/the utterance of a man whose eye is true,/The utterance of one who hears what God says,/and knows what the Most High knows,/Of one who sees what the almighty sees,/ enraptured, and with eyes unveiled. . . . Numbers 24: 15-16 Today is the feast day of St. John…[read more]
Thus says the Lord, your redeemer,the Holy One of Israel: I, the Lord, your God, teach you what is for your good, and lead you on the way you should go. Isaiah 48: 17 To what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market-places who call out to others, saying:…[read more]
The afflicted and the needy seek water in vain, their tongues are parched with thirst. I, the Lord, will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will open up rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the broad valleys; I will turn the desert into a marshland, and the…[read more]
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