“Christmas is the feast of love incarnate and born for us in Jesus Christ. He is the light of mankind shining in the darkness, giving meaning to human existence and to the whole of history,” “Christmas invites us to reflect, on the one hand, on the drama of history,...
“Christmas is the feast of love incarnate and born for us in Jesus Christ. He is the light of mankind shining in the darkness, giving meaning to human existence and to the whole of history,”
“Christmas invites us to reflect, on the one hand, on the drama of history, in which men and women, wounded by sin, ceaselessly search for truth, search for mercy and search for redemption; and, on the other hand, on the goodness of God, who has come towards us to communicate to us the truth that saves and to make us sharers in His friendship and His life,”
“Let us ask for the grace of wonder in the face of this mystery, this reality so tender, so beautiful, so close to our hearts, may the Lord give us the grace of wonder, to meet Him, to draw close to Him, to draw close to all of us,”
From: Pope Francis: ‘Christmas is the Feast of Love Incarnate’
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December 17-23
The following is adapted from the USCCB page about the O Antiphons.
The Roman Church has been singing the “O” Antiphons since at least the eighth century. They are the antiphons that accompany the Magnificat canticle of Evening Prayer from December 17-23. They are a magnificent theology that uses ancient biblical imagery drawn from the messianic hopes of the Old Testament to proclaim the coming Christ as the fulfillment not only of Old Testament hopes, but present ones as well. Their repeated use of the imperative “Come!” embodies the longing of all for the Divine Messiah.
O Wisdom of our God Most High,
guiding creation with power and love:
come to teach us the path of knowledge!
O Leader of the House of Israel,
giver of the Law to Moses on Sinai:
come to rescue us with your mighty power!
O Root of Jesse’s stem,
sign of God’s love for all his people:
come to save us without delay!
O Key of David,
opening the gates of God’s eternal Kingdom:
come and free the prisoners of darkness!
O Radiant Dawn,
splendor of eternal light, sun of justice:
come and shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the
shadow of death.
O King of all nations and keystone of the Church:
come and save man, whom you formed from the dust!
O Emmanuel, our King and Giver of Law:
come to save us, Lord our God!
—From Catholic Household Blessings & Prayers
God has done great things for us and He will continue to do great things for us. Holy is His name.
This third week of Advent we rejoice in this and the coming of our Lord.
With special gratitude we pray with Mary:
And Mary said:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.
The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him…”
Luke 1:46-50
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Offer your family the greatest gift, the gift of Enthronement (or renewing your Enthronement) to the Sacred Heart. You can start at any time, the important part is picking a time that will work for your family.
WelcomeHisHeart.com recommends you do it in 5 easy steps…
1. CHOOSE A SUNDAY for the enthronement ceremony and attend Mass together.
2. SELECT A SACRED HEART IMAGE and invite your priest to bless the image.
3. ESTABLISH A PROMINENT PLACE in your home where you will display the image. Consider placing picures of family members and friends near the image.
4. PREPARE YOUR HEARTS beginning three days prior to the enthronement. Recite the prayers in the booklet.
5. ENTHRONEMENT SUNDAY Gather together and place Jesus on the throne of authority in your home.
Need enthronement materials? Get an Enthronement kit at welcomehisheart.com
Listen to The Sacred Heart Hour on St. Gabriel Radio, live at 8AM every First Friday of the month.
O most holy heart of Jesus, fountain of every blessing, I adore you, I love you, and with lively sorrow for my sins I offer you this poor heart of mine. Make me humble, patient, pure and wholly obedient to your will. Grant, Good Jesus, that I may live in you and for you. Protect me in the midst of danger. Comfort me in my afflictions. Give me health of body, assistance in my temporal needs, your blessing on all that I do, and the grace of a holy death. Amen.
Learn more about this devotion: Where Did Devotion to the Sacred Heart Come From?
“I will give them all the graces necessary in their state of life”.
“I will establish peace in their homes”.
“I will comfort them in all their afflictions”.
“I will be their secure refuge during life, and above all, in death”.
“I will bestow abundant blessings upon all their undertakings”.
“Sinners will find in my heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy”.
“Lukewarm souls shall become fervent”.
“Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection”.
“I will bless every place in which an image of my heart is exposed and honored”.
“I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts”.
“Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in my heart.”
“My divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in the last moments”.
“There is pretext for discouragement, but no reason for it. We can become saints in the simple accomplishment of daily life, in the beaten track, the simple path of Nazareth, without adding anything but the great sense of faith and the flame of charity. Look at Mary in Nazareth–no halo, no pedestal, no miracle. Yet she is the Queen of Heaven.” – Fr. Mateo Crawley-Boevey, a great Apostle to the Sacred Heart.
Father Mateo Crawley-Boevey: Spiritual Ammunition for the Battle
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To save and share:
From this Sunday’s readings:
Brothers and sisters:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I give thanks to my God always on your account
for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus,
that in him you were enriched in every way,
with all discourse and all knowledge,
as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you,
so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift
as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He will keep you firm to the end,
irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God is faithful,
and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
1 Corinthians 1:3-9
We pray you have a safe and blessed Thanksgiving.
God of all blessings, source of all life, giver of all grace:
We thank you for the gift of life:
for the breath that sustains life,
for the food of this earth that nurtures life,
for the life-giving love of family and friends.
We thank you for the mystery of creation:
for the beauty of the Earth that the eye can see,
for the unfolding universe that draws us beyond our imaginings.
We thank you for the communities to which we belong:
for families, for friends,
for neighbors and for companions at work.
We thank you for the strangers who welcome us into their lives and whom we invite to be part of ours.
We thank you for our brothers and sisters of all ages, all races, all nations and all faiths.
We thank you for the multitude of ways that you call us to steward the gifts of creation and to serve others in your name.
We thank you for this day, for the companionship we share and the bountiful goodness of the bread we break together.
God of all goodness, we pray in thanks for your presence among us as we gather together, and your promise to be with us now and always. AMEN.
from chausa.org