The “O” Antiphon for today: O Key of David, and Scepter of the House of Israel, who opens and no man shuts, who shuts and no man opens: Come, and bring forth the captive from his prison, he who sits in darkness and in the shadow of death. Isaiah 22:22.
The Angelus
The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary, and she conceived by the Holy Spirit. (Hail Mary)
Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to Thy word (Hail Mary)
(Bow your head and say) And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. (Hail Mary)
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
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 know by the message of an angel, may by His passion and cross, be brought to glory of His resurrection, through the same, Christ our Lord. Amen
Today’s line from the Angelus, “Pray for us O holy mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promise of Christ, begs the question: What are the promises of Christ for which we must be made worthy?
Scriptures for meditation:
Promise for followers of Christ: John 12:26: If anyone would serve me, let him follow me; where I am, there will my servant be. If anyone serves me, him the Father will honor.
Promise of Comfort: Matthew 11:28-30: “Come to me, all you who are weary and find life burdensome, and I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon your shoulders and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart. Your souls will find rest, for my yoke is easy and my burden light.”
Promise of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist: John 6:51-58: “I myself am the living bread come down from heaven. If anyone eats this bread he shall live forever; the bread I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” “Let me solemnly assure you, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. He who feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has life eternal, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood real drink. The man who feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the Father who has life sent me and I have life because of the Father, so the man who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and died nonetheless, the man who feeds on this bread shall live forever.”
Promise of Eternal Life: John 11:26: “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, though he should die, will come to life; and whoever is alive and believes in me, will never die.”
Promise of Joy: John 15:9-12: “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Live on in my love. You will live in my love if you keep my commandments, even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and live in his love. All this I tell you, that your joy may be complete. This is my commandment: love one another as I have loved you.”
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God: Padre Pio tells us: “When I think of the innumerable benefits received from this dear Mother, I am ashamed of myself, for I have never sufficiently appreciated her heart and her hand which have bestowed these benefits upon me with so much love. What troubles me most is that I have repaid the affectionate care of this Mother of ours by offending her.” “How often have I confided to this Mother the painful anxieties that troubled my heart, and how often has she consoled me. But in what did my gratitude consist? In my greatest sufferings, it seems to me that I no longer have a mother on this earth, but a very compassionate one in heaven. But, many times, when my heart was at peace, I have forgotten all this almost entirely. I have even forgotten my duty of gratitude towards this blessed heavenly Mother.” “But I am greatly indebted to our Mother Mary for driving away temptations of the enemy. Will you, too, thank this good Mother?”Padre Pio’s Words of Hope, Eileen Dunn Bertanzetti, Our Sunday Visitor Publishing, 1999
My thoughts: There are so many promises of Christ in the scriptures, so many pledges of mercy, love, kindness, forgiveness and eternal life. I listed a few, but you can spend the rest of your life pouring over scripture to see the beautiful promises God has for those who chose to know, love and serve Him in this world. As we prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ, let us turn to Mary, ask her to drive away any evil thought, word or deed that would keep us from Christ, and then let us remember to thank her for wrapping us in her protective mantle as she prepares to present us to her son on Christmas day. Venite Adoremus! O Come Let Us Adore Him!
Don't forget to say your Christmas Novena 15 times today for your special intention!
Christmas Novena
Hail, and blessed be the hour and moment
At which the Son of God was born
Of a most pure Virgin
At a stable at midnight in Bethlehem
In the piercing cold
At that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee,
To hear my prayers and grant my desires(mention request here).
Through Jesus Christ and His most Blessed Mother.
Hail, and blessed be the hour and moment
At which the Son of God was born
Of a most pure Virgin
At a stable at midnight in Bethlehem
In the piercing cold
At that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee,
To hear my prayers and grant my desires(mention request here).
Through Jesus Christ and His most Blessed Mother.
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