The Lord bless you and keep you! / The Lord let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! / The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace! Numbers 6: 24-6 Today begins a new year. As the years pass and I enter into the later and more vulnerable and fragile…[read more]
Through him all things came to be, not one thing had its being but through him. All that came to be had life in him and that life was the light of the human race, a light that shines in the dark, a light that darkness could not overcome. John 1: 3-5 Today is the…[read more]
The love of the Father cannot be in anyone who loves the world, because nothing the world has to offer–the sensual body, the lustful eye, pride in possessions–could ever come from the Father but only from the world; and the world, with all it craves for, is coming to an end; but anyone who does…[read more]
“Behold, this child is destined to cause the fall and the rise of many within Israel, and to be a sign that is disputed—indeed, a sword will cut through your very life—so that the calculations of many hearts will be revealed.” Luke 2: 34-5 The gospel today describes the encounter of Mary, Joseph, and their…[read more]
Then what was said through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “A voice was heard in Ramah weeping and much lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children, and she was not willing to be consoled, because they were no more.” Matthew 2:17-8 If we say, “We are without sin” we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not…[read more]
“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]
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