Feast of St. Thomas the Apostle

 On December 21 Holy Mother Church honors the martyr and apostle, St. Thomas.  While St. Thomas is most often recognized as "doubting Thomas," this Apostle of our Lord lived and worked tirelessly for Christ and His Church.  He was honored with the title Apostle of India.  After Pentecost, St. Thomas taught the Faith in many countries, including in Persia, in Medea, and finally in India.  Inspired by St. Thomas' holiness, love, and devotion to the Faith, the number of converts to the Church was great, which angered the king of that land.  Therefore, he ordered St. Thomas to be killed with spears, allowing the Saint to gain the crown of martyrdom. 

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The feast of St. Thomas is the last Feast the Church celebrates until the Feast of  the Birth of our Lord on Christmas Day.  The remaining days of Advent are called the Greater Ferias.  Dom Gueranger writes in The Liturgical Year,

"To none of the Apostles could this day have been so fittingly assigned as to St. Thomas. It was St. Thomas whom we needed; St. Thomas, whose festal patronage would aid us to believe and hope in that God whom we see not, and who comes to us in silence and humility... Let us pray to him with confidence. In that heaven of Light and Vision, where his repentance and love have placed him, he will intercede for us, and gain for us that docility of mind and heart, which will enable us to see and recognize Him, who is the Expected of Nations, and who, though the King of the world, will give no other signs of His majesty, than the swaddling-clothes and tears of a Babe."

"Doubting Thomas" by Caravaggio

The following prayer, also found in The Liturgical Year, is to be prayed on the feast of St. Thomas the Apostle.  May we seek his intercession for an increased faith in and love of our Lord, the Infant King for whom we long.

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Prayer on the Feast of St. Thomas the Apostle

O glorious Apostle Thomas! who didst lead to Christ so many unbelieving nations, hear now the prayers of the faithful, who beseech thee to lead them to that same Jesus, who, in five days, will have shown Himself to His Church. That we may merit to appear in His divine Presence, we need, before all other graces, the light which leads to Him. That light is Faith; then, pray that we may have Faith. 

Heretofore, our Saviour had compassion on thy weakness, and deigned to remove from thee the doubt of His having risen from the grave; pray to Him for us, that He will mercifully come to our assistance, and make Himself felt by our heart. We ask not, O holy Apostle, to see Him with the eyes of our body, but with those of our faith, for He said to thee, when He showed Himself to thee: Blessed are they who have not seen, and have believed! Of this happy number, we desire to be. 

We beseech thee, therefore, pray that we may obtain the Faith of the heart and will, that so, when we behold the divine Infant wrapped in swaddling-clothes and laid in a manger, we may cry out: My Lord! and my God! Pray, O holy Apostle, for the nations thou didst evangelize, but which have fallen back again into the shades of death. May the day soon come, when the Sun of Justice will once more shine upon them. Bless the efforts of those apostolic men, who have devoted their labours and their very lives to the work of the Missions; pray that the days of darkness may be shortened, and that the countries, which were watered by thy blood, may at length see that kingdom of God established amongst them, which thou didst preach to them, and for which we also are in waiting.  Amen.

God bless!

+JMJ+

Novena for the Expectation of Mary

A prayer fitting to recite during Advent is the Expectation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This prayer, also a novena, begins on December 16 and ends on Christmas Eve. It brings to mind the Expectation of Mary as Christ's birth draws near. The feast of the Expectation of Mary is historically celebrated on December 18 and is one of the Church's most ancient Advent festivals of our Lady. This prayer reminds the faithful to honor Mary for her Fiat to our Lord and praises our God for His Incarnation. As we wait for the birth of our Lord on Christmas, may we also be mindful of our Lady's joyful waiting, for she also eagerly awaited Him, her Son and her God, Whom her entire being adored and desired to serve in all things. 

The Expectation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

"Drop down the dew from above, you heavens, and let the clouds rain the Just One! Let the earth be opened and bud forth a Savior!" (Isaiah 48:8). 

O Lord, how wonderful You are everywhere in the world! You have made for Yourself a worthy dwelling-place in Mary!

***Recite 1 Glory be. 

"Behold, a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and His name shall be called Emmanuel" (Isaiah 7:14). "Do not be afraid, Mary, for thou has found grace with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb and shalt bring forth a Son; and thou shalt call His name Jesus" (Luke 1:30). 

***Recite 1 Hail Mary. 

"The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee; and, therefore, the Holy One to be born shall be called the Son of God. But Mary said: 'Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done unto me according to thy word'" (Luke 1:35). 

***Recite 1 Hail Mary. 

Holy and immaculate Virgin, how shall I praise you as I ought? You have borne in your womb Him Whom heaven could not contain. You are blessed and worthy of veneration, Virgin Mary, for you became the Mother of the Savior while remaining a Virgin.

***Recite 1 Hail Mary. 

Mary speaks: "I sleep and my heart watches . . . I to my Beloved, and my Beloved to me, who feeds among the lilies" (Song of Solomon 6:2). 

Let us pray. Grant, we beg of You, Almighty God, that we who are weighed down by the old yoke of sin, may be freed by the new birth of Your only-begotten Son for which we long. Who lives and reigns forever. Amen. 

+ Sing or Recite the following hymn,

"Alma Redemptoris Mater" 

Mother of Christ, 

Do hear your people's cry, 

Star of the deep 

And portal of the sky. 

Mother of Him 

Whose hand your glory made, 

Sinking, we strive, 

And call to you for aid. 

Oh, by that joy 

Which Gabriel did bestow; 

O Virgin first and last, Y

our tender mercy show. 

Let us pray. O God, You willed that Your Word should take flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the message of an angel; grant us, Your humble servants, that we who truly believe her to be the Mother of God, may be helped by her intercession with You. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

God bless!

+JMJ+

Prayers for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception

Holy Mother Church honors our Lady under the title of the Immaculate Conception on December 8th, a holy day of obligation. In 1854 Pope Pius IX, defining the Immaculate Conception, wrote,

“He [God] so wonderfully filled her, more than all angelic spirits and all the Saints, with an abundance of all heavenly gifts taken from the treasury of the divinity, that she, always free from absolutely every stain of sin, and completely beautiful and perfect, presented such a fullness of innocence and holiness that none greater under God can be thought of, and no one but God can comprehend it."

This following prayer, dedicated to Mary Immaculate, was composed by Pope Pius XII for the Marian Year (December 8, 1953---December 8, 1954), which was proclaimed to mark the centenary of the definition of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. Through its recitation may we honor our Lady and beg her intercession for the help needed to attain eternal salvation.

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Prayer of Pope Pius XII

Enraptured by the splendor of thy heavenly beauty, and impelled by the anxieties of the world, we cast ourselves into thine arms, O Immaculate Mother of Jesus and our Mother, Mary, confident of finding in thy most loving heart appeasement of our ardent desires, and a safe harbor from the tempests which beset us on every side.

Though degraded by our faults and overwhelmed by infinite misery, we admire and praise the peerless richness of sublime gifts with which God has filled thee, above every other mere creature, from the first moment of thy conception until the day on which, after thine assumption into Heaven, He crowned thee Queen of the Universe.

O crystal fountain of faith, bathe our minds with the eternal truths! O fragrant Lily of all holiness, captivate our hearts with thy heavenly perfume! O Conqueress of evil and death, inspire in us a deep horror of sin, which makes the soul detestable to God and a slave of Hell!

O well-beloved of God, hear the ardent cry which rises up from every heart. Bend tenderly over our aching wounds. Convert the wicked, dry the tears of the afflicted and oppressed, comfort the poor and humble, quench hatreds, sweeten harshness, safeguard the flower of purity in youth, protect the holy Church, make all men feel the attraction of Christian goodness. In thy name, resounding harmoniously in Heaven, may they recognize that they are brothers, and that the nations are members of one family, upon which may there shine forth the sun of a universal and sincere peace.

Receive, O most sweet Mother, our humble supplications, and above all obtain for us that, one day, happy with thee, we may repeat before thy throne that hymn which today is sung on earth around thine altars: Thou art all-beautiful, O Mary! Thou art the glory, thou art the joy, thou art the honor of our people! Amen.

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The following prayer recited by St. Gertrude and St. Mechitildi, expresses our love to Mary and beautifully honors her virtues. Pope Innocent VIII attached an Indulgence to its recitation.

Act of Joy in the 

Immaculate Conception

HAIL, glorious Virgin, Morning-star that dost outshine the sun, gracious Mother of my God, sweeter than the dropping honeycomb: thou art that fair one in comparison with whom all beauty is pale and dim; thou art redder than the rose and more dazzling white than the lily; all virtues adorn thee, thou purer than the seraphim; and every Saint doth give thee honour, thou that hast thy higher throne in the heavens. Amen.

God bless!

+JMJ+

Wishing You a Blessed Advent!

I hope to get the remainder of my birthday posts finished up over the next few weeks as well as this year's St. Nicholas ornament post.  Until then, however, I wanted to share a beautiful Advent hymn.

"O Come, Divine Messiah" stems from the old French Christmas hymn, "Venez divin Messie." It is a popular hymn generally sung in Traditional Catholic churches during  Advent.  You can listen to (most of) this beautiful Advent hymn here.

O Come, Divine Messiah

1. O come, Divine Messiah,
The world in silence waits the day
When hope shall sing its triumph,
And sadness flee away.

Refrain:
Dear Savior, haste! Come, come to earth.
Dispel the night and show Your face,
And bid us hail the dawn of grace.
O come, Divine Messiah,
The world in silence waits the day
When hope shall sing its triumph,
And sadness flee away.

2. O Christ, Whom nations sigh for,
Whom priest and prophet long foretold,
Come break the captive fetters,
Redeem the long-lost fold. [Refrain]

3. You come in peace and meekness,
And lowly will your cradle be;
All clothed in human weakness
Shall we Your Godhead see. [Refrain]

God bless!

+JMJ+

Traveling through Advent toward Christmas

With Advent upon us, I wanted to leave you a few links to Advent prayers/meditations that can already be found on Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam.

• St. Andrew Christmas Novena prayer
• Christmas Rose Novena
• O Antiphons
• Pausing
• "Hark, a Herald Voice is Calling"
• "Alma Redemptoris Mater"
• "The Dangers of the Careless Soul"

The St. Andrew Christmas Novena prayer is one of my favorite Advent devotions.  It begins tomorrow, November 30, on the feast of St. Andrew and continues until Christmas.  If you would like to learn more about this beautiful prayer, the following post discusses it in more detail:  St. Andrew Christmas Novena prayer.

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St. Andrew Christmas Novena Prayer

(recite 15 times daily)

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God! to hear my prayer and grant my desires (requests may be mentioned here), through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother.   Amen.

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An additional Advent prayer is the Expectation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  This prayer, also a novena, begins on December 16 and ends on Christmas Eve.  It brings to mind the Expectation of Mary as Christ's birth draws near.  The feast of the Expectation of Mary is historically celebrated on December 18 and is one of the Church's most ancient Advent festivals of our Lady.  

This prayer reminds the faithful to honor Mary for her Fiat to our Lord and praises our God for His Incarnation.  As we wait for the birth of our Lord on Christmas, may we also be mindful of our Lady's joyful waiting, for she also eagerly awaited Him, her Son and her God, Whom her entire being adored and desired to serve in all things.

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The Expectation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

"Drop down the dew from above, you heavens, and let the clouds rain the Just One! Let the earth be opened and bud forth a Savior!" (Isaiah 48:8).
O Lord, how wonderful You are everywhere in the world! You have made for Yourself a worthy dwelling-place in Mary!
***Recite 1 Glory be.

"Behold, a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and His name shall be called Emmanuel" (Isaiah 7:14).
"Do not be afraid, Mary, for thou has found grace with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb and shalt bring forth a Son; and thou shalt call His name Jesus" (Luke 1:30).
***Recite 1 Hail Mary.

"The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee; and, therefore, the Holy One to be born shall be called the Son of God. But Mary said: 'Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done unto me according to thy word'" (Luke 1:35).
***Recite 1 Hail Mary.

Holy and immaculate Virgin, how shall I praise you as I ought? You have borne in your womb Him Whom heaven could not contain. You are blessed and worthy of veneration, Virgin Mary, for you became the Mother of the Savior while remaining a Virgin.
***Recite 1 Hail Mary.

Mary speaks:  "I sleep and my heart watches . . . I to my Beloved, and my Beloved to me, who feeds among the lilies" (Song of Solomon 6:2).

Let us pray.  Grant, we beg of You, Almighty God, that we who are weighed down by the old yoke of sin, may be freed by the new birth of Your only-begotten Son for which we long. Who lives and reigns forever. Amen.

Sing or Recite the following hymn,

"Alma Redemptoris Mater."

Mother of Christ,

Do hear your people's cry,

Star of the deep

And portal of the sky.

Mother of Him

Whose hand your glory made,

Sinking, we strive,

And call to you for aid.

Oh, by that joy

Which Gabriel did bestow;

O Virgin first and last,

Your tender mercy show.

Let us pray.  O God, You willed that Your Word should take flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the message of an angel; grant us, Your humble servants, that we who truly believe her to be the Mother of God, may be helped by her intercession with You. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

God bless!

+JMJ+

Meditations in Preparation for Advent

As Advent quickly approaches, it is an ideal time to begin preparing for this blessed season.  Our wonderful Fraternity pastor included the following meditation in last Sunday's bulletin; I wanted to share it with you.  You can find the entire pamphlet here.

The Coming of Christ--Meditations for Advent  --by Richard F. Clarke, S.J.

"The Dangers of the Careless Soul"

1.  There is in human nature a fatal tendency to procrastinate, especially when that which we know we ought to do is something to which we are naturally disinclined.  All men are naturally disinclined to do violence to themselves and force their pride and self-will to yield before the sway of Christ, to put on His yoke and carry His Cross. Hence, men put off and make excuses to themselves and fancy that what is difficult to them today will be easy to them tomorrow!  O fatal mistake!  Each day that we postpone the task of submission, it becomes more difficult, more distasteful.  Why then do I not hasten to submit myself entirely to Christ?

2.  From day to day the careless soul thus goes on putting off, crying: "Tomorrow I will amend my ways;" and when tomorrow comes, it still cries: "Tomorrow."  How fatal is this folly!  Tomorrow may never come, or if it comes, you may have forfeited the grace.  "Today, if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts."

3.  This postponement is always accompanied by some deliberate disobedience to the commands or to the holy inspirations of the Spirit of God.  Thus, the careless soul becomes more engrossed in earthly things and more and more disinclined to make the necessary effort.  Thus it is that so many will be surprised by the coming of their Judge at the moment when they least expect Him, and are quite unprepared to meet Him.  O Jesus, save me at any cost from the deadly state of the careless soul!

I just wanted to ask everyone to keep Donald Trump in their prayers this Advent season and daily.  God has given this country not only an opportunity for a reprieve from the total grasp of the devil, but also a chance to improve the moral state of our country.  However, we must pray for our leaders.  Many people seem to have given up on Trump before he even begins, but as we all know, prayer is so powerful!  We can convert our leaders and our nation, but we must pray and sacrifice for this intention.  

God bless!

+JMJ+

For the Feast of Christmas

Although there a a few days remaining in the season of Advent, I wanted to provide you with these beautiful prayers for the holy day of Christmas.  I pray your Christmas is filled with the love and joy of the newborn King!

Nativity Prayer of St. Augustine of Hippo

Let the just rejoice,

for their justifier is born.

Let the sick and infirm rejoice,

For their saviour is born.

Let the captives rejoice,

For their Redeemer is born.

Let slaves rejoice,

for their Master is born.

Let free men rejoice,

For their Liberator is born.

Let All Christians rejoice,

For Jesus Christ is born.

Amen

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Litany of the Infant Jesus

Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy.
Christ, have mercy, Christ, have mercy.
Lord have mercy, Lord, have mercy.

Infant Jesus, hear us.
Infant Jesus, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, graciously hear us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, graciously hear us.
God the Holy Spirit, graciously hear us.
Holy Trinity, One God, graciously hear us.

Infant Jesus, have mercy on us. *** (repeat each time)
Infant, very God, ***
Infant, Son of the Living God, ***
Infant, Son of the Virgin Mary, ***
Infant, begotten before the morning star, ***
Infant, Word made flesh,***
Infant, Wisdom of Thy Father, ***
Infant, Purity of Thy mother, ***
Infant, only Son of Thy Father, ***
Infant, First-Born of Thy mother,***
Infant, Image of Thy Father, ***
Infant, Creator of Thy mother, ***
Infant, Splendor of Thy Father,***
Infant, Honor of Thy mother, ***
Infant, equal to Thy Father, ***
Infant, subject to Thy mother, ***
Infant, Joy of Thy Father, ***
Infant, Riches of Thy mother, ***
Infant, Gift of Thy Father,***
Infant, Offering of Thy mother, ***

Infant, precious fruit of a virgin, ***
Infant, Creator of man, ***
Infant, Power of God, ***
Infant, our God, ***
Infant, our Brother, ***
Infant, perfect Man from Thy conception, ***
Infant, ancient in wisdom from Thy childhood, ***
Infant, Father of ages, ***
Infant, of days, ***
Infant, giving life, and nourished at the breast, ***
Infant, Eternal Word, and making Thyself dumb, ***
Infant, weeping in the crib, ***
Infant, thundering in Heaven, ***
Infant, terror of hell, ***
Infant, Joy of Paradise, ***
Infant, dreaded by tyrants, ***
Infant, desired by the Magi, ***
Infant, exiled from Thy people, ***

Infant, King in exile, ***
Infant, Destroyer of idols, ***
Infant, Vindicator of the glory of God, ***.
Infant, strong in weakness, ***
Infant, powerful in abasement, ***
Infant, Treasure of Grace, ***
Infant, Fountain of Love, ***
Infant, Author of the blessings of Heaven, ***
Infant, Repairer of the evils of earth, ***
Infant, Head of the angels, ***
Infant, Stem of the patriarchs, ***
Infant, Word of the prophets, ***
Infant, Expectation of nations, ***
Infant, Joy of the shepherds, ***
Infant, Light of the Magi, ***
Infant, Salvation of children, ***
Infant, Hope of the just, ***
Infant, Teacher of doctors, ***
Infant, First-fruits of the saints,***

Be merciful, Spare us, O Infant Jesus,
Be merciful, Graciously hear us, O Infant Jesus.

From the bondage of the children of Adam, Infant Jesus, deliver us. *** (repeat each time)
From the slavery of the devil, Infant Jesus, ***
From the corruption of the world, Infant Jesus, ***
From the lust of the flesh, Infant Jesus, ***
From the pride of life, Infant Jesus, ***
From the immoderate desire of knowledge, Infant Jesus, ***
From the blindness of mind, Infant Jesus, ***
From the perversity of will, Infant Jesus, ***
From our sins, Infant Jesus, ***

Through Thy most pure conception, Infant Jesus, ***
Through Thy most humble birth, Infant Jesus, ***
Through Thy tears, Infant Jesus, ***
Through Thy most painful circumcision, Infant Jesus, ***
Through Thy most glorious epiphany, Infant Jesus, ***
Through Thy most devout presentation, Infant Jesus,***
Through Thy most innocent conversation in the world, Infant Jesus, ***
Through Thy most holy life, Infant Jesus, ***
Through Thy poverty, Infant Jesus, ***
Through Thy sorrows, Infant Jesus, ***
Through Thy labors and travails. Infant Jesus, ***

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Infant Jesus.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Infant Jesus.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us, O Infant Jesus.

Infant Jesus, hear us.
Infant Jesus, graciously hear us.

Let us pray.  O Lord Jesus, Who allowed the greatness of Thy incarnate divinity and most sacred humanity to be born in time, to become a little child, and to suffer bitter death, grant that we may acknowledge infinite wisdom in the silence of a child, power in weakness, majesty in abasement, so that adoring Thy humility and littleness on earth we may contemplate Thy glories in Heaven. We ask this of Thee, who, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, lives and reigns God, forever and ever. Amen.

May you have a very blessed Christmas!

God bless!

+JMJ+

Alma Redemptoris Mater

I just wanted to remind everyone that if you want to pray the "O Antiphons," they begin on December 17.  You can find the "O Antiphons" and more information about them in my post:  O Antiphons.

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Another beautiful Catholic Advent hymn is "Alma Redemptoris Mater," which was composed by Herman Contractus.  He composed it during the Middle Ages, choosing phrases form the works of Sts. Fulgentius, Iranaeus, and Epiphanius.  "Alma Redemptoris Mater" is a Marian antiphon, with added collects, said or sung after night prayer. Traditionally it is recited from the first Sunday of Advent through the feast of the Purification on February 2.  Note the final prayers change on Christmas Eve.   You can listen to a Latin chant version of the song here.

O Loving Mother of our Redeemer

O loving Mother of our Redeemer, gate of heaven, star of the sea,
Hasten to aid thy fallen people who strive to rise once more.
Thou who brought forth thy holy Creator, all creation wond'ring,
Yet remainest ever Virgin, taking from Gabriel's lips
that joyful "Hail!": be merciful to us sinners.

Up through the day before Christmas Eve:
V. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
R. And she conceived by the Holy Spirit.

Let us pray. Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His passion and cross be brought to the glory of His resurrection, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

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From Christmas Eve on:
V. Thou gavest birth without loss of thy virginity:
R. Intercede for us, O holy Mother of God.

Let us pray. O God, Who by the fruitful virginity of blessed Mary hast offered unto the human race the rewards of eternal salvation, grant, we beseech thee, that we may know the effects of her intercession, through whom we have deserved to receive the author of life, our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son. Amen.

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And in the Latin:

Alma Redemptoris Mater

Alma Redemptoris Mater, quae pervia caeli
Porta manes, et stella maris, sucurre cadenti,
Surgere qui curat populo: tu quae genuisti,
Natura mirante, tuum sanctum Genitorem,
Virgo prius ac posterius, Gabrielis ab ore
Sumens illud Ave, peccatorum miserere.

Usque ad diem 23 decembris:
V. Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariae.
R. Et concepit de Spiritu Sancto.

Oremus. Gratiam tuam, quaesumus, Domine, mentibus nostris infunde; ut, qui, angelo nuntiante, Christi Filii tui incarnationem cognovimus, per passionem ejus et crucem, ad resurrectionis gloriam perducamur. Per eumdem Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

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A die 24 decembris:
V. Post partum, Virgo, inviolata permansisti.
R. Dei Genitrix, intercede pro nobis.

Let us pray. Deus, qui salutis aeternae, beatae Mariae virginitate fecudna, humano generi praemia praestitisti: tribue, quaesumus, ut ipsam pro nobis intercedere sentiamus, per quam meruimus auctorem vitae suscipere, Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum, Filium tuum. Amen.

--Roman breviary

During the remainder of Advent, may we make ready our hearts for the newborn King, ensuring we would be welcoming to St. Joseph and our Lady if they sought shelter at our door.

God bless!

+JMJ+

Hymn for Advent

I pray you are having a blessed Feast of the Immaculate Conception!

Advent is one of my favorite seasons within the Church.  I love following the rhythm of the Church with the daily recitation of the St. Andrew Novena  and (soon) the O Antiphons.  Our family gathers each evening to pray these together amidst the glow of the Advent candles.  Recently I started reading Around the Year with the Trapp Family by Maria Trapp and wondered over her list of Advent hymns the Trapp family sang.  Besides "Veni, Veni Emmanuel" I knew of few hymns for the season of Advent.  Thus I began searching to find them this year; I plan to share some of the hymns throughout the season.  The following hymn is taken from Lauds in the old Roman breviary.   If you would like to listen to the hymn, you can find the Latin version sung here and the English here.

Hark, a Herald Voice is Calling Hark, a herald voice is calling; "Christ is nigh," it seems to say; "Cast away the dreams of darkness, O ye children of the day." Startled at the solemn warning, Let the earth-bound soul arise; Christ, her sun, all sloth dispelling, Shines upon  the morning skies. Lo, the Lamb, so long expected, Comes with pardon down from heaven; Let us haste, with tears of sorrow, One and all to be forgiven. So when next he comes with glory, Wrapping all the earth in fear, May he then as our defender On the clouds of heaven appear. Honor, glory, virtue, merit, To the Father and the Son, With the co-eternal Spirit, While eternal ages run. Amen.

En Clara Vox Redarguit En clara vox redarguit Obscura quaeque personans: Procul fugentur somnia, Ab alto Iesus promicat. Mens iam resurgat torpida, Non amplius iacens humi: Sidus refulget iam novum, Ut tollat omne noxium. En Agnus ad nos mittitur Laxare gratis debitum: Omnes simul cum lacrimis Precemur indulgentiam. Ut cum secundo fulserit, Metuque mundum cinxerit, Non pro reatu puniat, Sed nos pius tunc protegat. Viruts, honor, laus, gloria Deo Patri cum Filio, Sancto simul Paraclito, In saeculorum saecula. Amen.

God bless!

+JMJ+

For the Feast of the Immaculate Conception

On December 8 Holy Mother Church celebrates the feast of Mary as the Immaculate Conception. This feast, a holy day of obligation, honors the immaculate conception of Mary in the womb of St. Anne. Mary's conception was unique since it was at this moment that God preserved her from the stain of original sin. The Blessed Virgin, like all people, needed redemption, but she received it at conception, which preserved her soul completely from sin, making her “full of grace,” sinless.

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In 1854 Pope Pius IX, defining the Immaculate Conception, wrote, “He [God] so wonderfully filled her, more than all angelic spirits and all the Saints, with an abundance of all heavenly gifts taken from the treasury of the divinity, that she, always free from absolutely every stain of sin, and completely beautiful and perfect, presented such a fullness of innocence and holiness that none greater under God can be thought of, and no one but God can comprehend it."

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As we honor our holy, pure, Immaculate Mother, let us pause to thank God for preserving her from original sin and sing Mary's praises in love and devotion. The following prayer was penned by St. Ephrem the Syrian, a Doctor of the Church who died in 373. He is one of the Fathers of the Church most often invoked in support of the dogma of Mary's Immaculate Conception.

Prayer of Praise to Immaculate Mary

O pure and immaculate and likewise blessed Virgin, who art the sinless Mother of thy Son, the mighty Lord of the universe, thou who art inviolate and altogether holy, the hope of the hopeless and sinful, we sing thy praises. We bless thee, as full of every grace, thou who didst bear the God-Man: we all bow low before thee; we invoke thee and implore thine aid. Rescue us, O holy and inviolate Virgin, from every necessity that presses upon us and from all the temptations of the devil. Be our intercessor and advocate at the hour of death and judgment; deliver us from the fire that is not extinguished and from the outer darkness; make us worthy of the glory of thy Son, O dearest and most clement Virgin Mother. Thou indeed art our only hope, most sure and sacred in God's sight, to whom be honor and glory, majesty and dominion for ever and ever world without end. Amen.

--Saint Ephrem the Syrian

+JMJ+

God bless!

Miraculous Novena of Grace to St. Francis Xavier (begins November 25)

***With Advent nearly upon us, I wanted to provide you with the links of past Advent-related posts.  You can easily find all of the Advent prayers so far posted by going to my Advent page here.  However, I will also list them individually, in case you are looking for one in particular, and I plan to add to the Advent prayers this coming season.

• One of my favorite Advent devotions is the St. Andrew Novena, which begins November 30 and extends throughout Advent.
• The Christmas Rose Novena is another beautiful Advent devotion.
• Another favorite devotion for our family this time of year is the O Antiphons.

I pray these Advent devotions help you and your family have a very blessed, holy season of Advent.

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The Miraculous Novena of Grace was revealed by St. Francis Xavier to Fr. Marcello Mastrilli, S.J.
The priest, having received a severe head injury, was nearing death, but in December of 1633, St. Francis Xavier appeared to Fr. Marcello, requesting that the priest renew a vow to work for souls in Japan. He then told Fr. Mastrilli,

"All those who implore my help daily for nine consecutive days, from the 4th to the 12th of March included, and worthily receive the Sacraments of Penance and the Holy Eucharist on one of the nine days, will experience my protection and may hope with entire assurance to obtain from God any grace they ask for the good of their souls and the glory of God."

Instantly Fr. Mastrilli's health was fully restored, and he worked to spread the devotion.  This devotion to St. Francis proved so fruitful it became known as the Novena of Grace. While the recitation of the devotion was originally March 4-12, the latter being the date of St.Francis' canonization, the efficacy of the novena is not limited to these days; rather it is also fitting to pray the novena in preparation for the saint's feast day. In that case the novena would be prayed from November 25 through December 3, the Feast of St. Francis Xavier.

The Miracles of St. Francis Xavier by Rubens

Miraculous Novena of Grace to Saint Francis Xavier

Most amiable and most loving St. Francis Xavier, in union with thee I reverently adore the divine Majesty. I rejoice exceedingly on account of the marvelous gifts which God bestowed upon thee. I thank God for the special graces He gave thee during thy life on earth and for the great glory that came to thee after thy death. I implore thee to obtain for me, through thy powerful intercession, the greatest of all blessings-that of living and dying in the state of grace. I also beg of thee to secure for me the special favor I ask in this novena. (Here you may mention the grace, spiritual or temporal, you wish to obtain).

In asking this favor I am fully resigned to the divine will. I pray and desire only to obtain that which is conducive to the greater glory of God and the good of my soul.
V. Pray for us, St. Francis Xavier.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray. O God, Who didst vouchsafe, by the preaching and miracles of St. Francis Xavier, to join unto Thy Church the nation of the Indies; grant, we beseech Thee, that we who reverence his glorious merits, may also imitate his example, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

**Recite 3 Our Fathers and 3 Hail Marys, in remembrance of St. Francis' devotion to the Holy Trinity, and Glory Be 10 times, in thanksgiving for the graces received during the ten years of his apostleship.

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St. Francis Xavier's Hymn of Love

O Deus, ego amo Te! Nec amo Te ut salves me, Aut quia non amantes Te, Aeterno punis igne: Tu, tu, mi Jesu, totum me Amplexus es in cruce. Tulisti clavos, lanceam Multamque ignominiam. Innumeros dolores, Sudores et angores, Ac mortem: et haec propter me, Ac pro me peccatore! Cur igitur non amem Te, O Jesu amantissime? Non ut in coelo salves me, Aut ne aeternum damnes me, Nec praemii ullius spe; Sed sicut Tu amasti me. Sic amo et amabo Te, Solum quia Tex meus es, Et solum quia Deus es.

O God I love Thee for Thyself And not that I may heaven gain, Nor because those who love The not, Must suffer hell's eternal pain. Thou, O my Jesus! Thou didst me Upon the cross embrace; For me didst bear the nails and spear And manifold disgrace; And griefs and torments numberless, And sweat of agony; E'en death itself—and all for one Who was Thine enemy. Then why, O blessed Jesus Christ, Should I not love Thee well: Nor for the sake of winning heaven, Or of escaping hell; Not with the hope of gaining aught, not seeking a reward; But as Thyself hast loved me, O ever-loving Lord? E'en so I love Thee, and will love, and in Thy praise will sing; Solely because Thou art my God And my eternal King.

Praying you have a blessed Thanksgiving, and God bless!

+JMJ+

Devotions to the Christ Child

Merry Christmas!  May the joy of this holy day fill your hearts and lives!  God bless!

Holy Mother Church devotes the month of December to the Divine Infant. Beginning with Christmas, the Church recalls the Divine Childhood and continues to honor the Christ Child with additional feasts for forty days. While liturgically the Christmas season ends with the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, January 13, spiritually the Christmas cycle is not complete until February 2, the Feast of the Presentation, also known as Candlemas. We can adore the Divine Infant by praying special devotions to Him, such as the prayer below, which is to be recited while in the presence of Baby Jesus in the manger. We can also worship Him by singing Christmas hymns, such as the beautiful French hymn Il est Ne,le Divin Enfant or a more commonly known song such as What Child is This.  Another way to honor the Christ Child would be to spend time in Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament.

These special prayers and hymns need not be restricted to Christmas Day alone. Our hearts made ready during Advent have not just one day to shower the Infant Jesus with love and homage, but the Christmas season in its entirety.

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Prayer to Jesus in the Manger

O Divine Redeemer Jesus Christ, prostrate before Thy crib, I believe Thou art the God of infinite Majesty, even though I do see Thee here as a helpless babe. I humbly adore and thank Thee for having so humbled Thyself for my salvation as to will to be born in a stable. I thank Thee for all Thou didst wish to suffer for me in Bethlehem, for Thy poverty and humility, for Thy nakedness, tears, cold and sufferings.

Would that I could show Thee that tenderness which Thy Virgin Mother had toward Thee, and love Thee as she did. Would that I could praise Thee with the joy of the angels, that I could kneel before Thee with the faith of St. Joseph, the simplicity of the shepherds. Uniting myself with these first adorers at the crib, I offer Thee the homage of my heart, and I beg that Thou wouldst be born spiritually in my soul. Make me reflect in some degree the virtues of Thy admirable nativity. Fill me with that spirit of renunciation, of poverty, of humility, which prompted Thee to assume the weakness of our nature, and to be born amid destitution and suffering. Grant that from this day forward, I may in all things seek Thy greater glory, and may enjoy that peace promised to men of good will.  Amen.

Il est né le Divin Enfant (Refrain) Il est né le divin enfant, Jouez hautbois, résonnez musettes! Il est né le divin enfant, Chantons tous son avènement! Depuis plus de quatre mille ans, Nous le promettaient les prophètes. Depuis plus de quatre mille ans, Nous attendions cet heureux temps. (Refrain) Ah! qu'il est beau, qu'il est charmant! Que ses grâces sont parfaites! Ah! qu'il est beau, qu'il est charmant! Qu'il est doux ce divin Enfant! (Refrain) O Jésus! O Roi tout puissant! Tout petit enfant que vous êtes, O Jésus! O Roi tout puissant! Régnez sur nous entièrement! (Refrain)

He is Born the Christ Child (Chorus) He is born, the divine child, Play, oboes, resound, bag-pipes! He is born, the divine child, Let us sing for his future! For more than four thousand years, The prophets promised Him to us. For more than four thousand years, We've been waiting for this happy time. (Chorus) Oh! How he's handsome, how he's adorable, How his charms are perfect! Oh! How he's handsome, how he's adorable, How he's the gentle divine child! (Chorus) O Jesus! O Almighty King! Such a little child that you are, O Jesus! O Almighty King! Reign over us completely! (Chorus)

+JMJ+