Devotion for Saturday/Sunday: Readings from the Liturgy of the Hours

Here are the readings and prayers for the fourth week in Advent. Christmas is almost here! Todayn we will begin to add the "O Antiphons" to our prayers. These prayers are said or sung each day until Christmas Eve, keping before our minds all our expectations and longing for the coming of Our Savior.

Saturday Morning
O Wisdom, who came from the mouth of the Most High, reaching from end to end and ordering all things mightily and sweetly, come and teach us the way of Prudence. Sirach 24:2, Wisdom 8:1.
Reading: Isaiah 11:1-5 A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom. The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord, and His delight shall be the fear of the Lord. Not by appearance shall He judge, nor by hearsay shall He decide, but He shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the land’s afflicted. He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. Justice shall be the band around His waist, and faithfulness a belt upon His hips.
Prayer: Father, creator and redeemer of mankind, You decreed and Your Word became man, born of the Virgin Mary. May we come to share the divinity of Christ, who humbled Himself to share our human nature, for He lives and reigns with You, and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

Evening Prayer I

Reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:19-24 Do not stifle the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test everything; retain what is good. Avoid any semblance of evil. May the God of peace make you perfect in holiness. May He preserve you whole and entire, spirit, soul, and body, irreproachable at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls us is trustworthy, therefore He will do it.

Prayer: Lord, fill our hearts with Your love, and as You revealed to us by an angel, the coming of Your Son as man, so lead us through His suffering and death to the glory of His resurrection, for He lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

Sunday Morning
O Lord and Ruler of the house of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the flame of the burning bush, and gave him the law on Sinai: Come and redeem us with outstretched arm. Exodus 3:2, 20:1.

 Reading: Romans 13:11-14: It is now the hour for you to wake from sleep, for our salvation is closer than when we first accepted the faith. The night is far spent; the day draws near. Let us cast off deeds of darkness and put on the armor of Light. Let us live honorably as in daylight; not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual excess and lust, not in quarreling and jealousy. Rather, put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.

Prayer: Lord, fill our hearts with your love, and as you revealed to us by an angel, the coming of Your Son as man, so lead us through His suffering and death to the glory of His resurrection, for He lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

Sunday Evening Prayer II

Reading: Philippians 4:4-7: Rejoice in the Lord always! I say it again. Rejoice! Everyone should see how unselfish you are. The Lord is near. Dismiss all anxiety from your minds. Present your needs to God in every form of prayer and in petitions full of gratitude. Then God’s own peace, which is beyond all understanding, will stand guard over your hearts and minds, in Christ Jesus.

Prayer: Father, all-powerful God, Your eternal Word took flesh on our earth when the Virgin Mary placed her life at the service of Your plan. Lift our minds in watchful hope to hear the voice which announces His glory and open our minds to receive the Spirit who prepares us for His coming. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

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.

Read more: http://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/novena/christmas.htm#ixzz1f7YZnI

Devotion for today: continuing to ponder the Angelus

Today we will examine the second line of the Angelus

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

Scripture for meditation: Luke 1:38

Mary said, “I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be done to me as you say.” With that the angel left her.

Christ tells us: Luke 12:27-28

A woman from the crowd called out, “Blest is the womb that bore you and the breasts that nursed you!” “Rather,” He replied, “blest are they who hear the word of God and keep it.”

Continuing with our study of Blessed John Paul’s comments in Theotokos:

Commenting on the episode of the annunciation, the Second Vatican Council gave special emphasis to the value of Mary’s assent to the divine messenger’s words. Unlike what occurs in similar biblical accounts, it was expressly awaited by the angel: “The Father of mercies willed that the Incarnation should be preceded by the acceptance of her who was predestined to be the mother of His Son…” (Lumen Gentium 56). By her conduct, Mary reminds each of us of our serious responsibility to accept God’s plan for our lives. In total obedience to the saving will of God expressed in the angel’s words, she became a model for those whom the Lord proclaims blessed, because they “hear the word of God and keep it” (Luke 11:28). In answering the woman in the crowd who proclaimed His mother blessed, Jesus disclosed the true reason for Mary’s blessedness: her adherence to God’s will, which led her to accept the divine motherhood. In a certain sense, therefore, Mary is proclaimed the first disciple of her Son and by her example invites all believers to respond generously to the Lord’s grace. Associated with Christ’s victory over the sin of our first parents, Mary appears as the true “mother of the living” (LG 56). Her motherhood, freely accepted in obedience to the divine plan, becomes a source of life for all humanity.

My thoughts:  I wonder when I read Blessed John Paul’s account of the significance of Mary’s fiat if any of us truly understands the tremendous importance of our answers to God’s requests. When we hear God calling us, do we immediately respond with, “Be it done according to Your will”? I feel as though I usually will consent, and then come up with a blueprint for the way it all should work: God’s will on my terms, so to speak. Mary did not do this. She completely accepted God’s will as He stated it through the angel, and by doing so, saved humanity. It is worthy to ponder what might be accomplished in the world today if we but do God’s will His way.

Our prayer to God: As we say the Angelus today, let us pray that just as Mary was so willing to believe in and accept God’s will for her life, so we, too, may be able to offer our fiat to her Son when He calls us into action. Maranatha: Come Lord Jesus!

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.

Read more: http://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/novena/christmas.htm#ixzz1f7YZnI

Devotion for today: an Advent look at the Angelus

 If there is one prayer that aptly leads us into meditation on the events of Christ’s birth, it is the Angelus. Let us spend the next few days meditating on this beautiful prayer.

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 we will concentrate on the first line of the prayer:

The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary, and she conceived by the Holy Spirit.

Scriptures: Matthew 1:18: Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When His mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the power of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 1:20: … suddenly an angel appeared to him (Joseph) and said to him: “Joseph, son David, have no fear about taking Mary as your wife. It is by the Holy Spirit that she has conceived this child.”  Luke 1:30-32, 34-35: The angel went on to say to her: “Do not fear, Mary. You have found favor with God. You shall conceive and bear a son and give Him the name Jesus. Great will be His dignity, and He will be called ‘Son of the Most High.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be since I do not know man?” The angel answered her: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; hence the holy offspring will be called Son of God.”

Blessed John Paul II tells us in his catechesis on Mary, Mother of God: Mary reminded the angel, who proposed that she become a mother, of her intention to remain a virgin. Believing that the announcement could be fulfilled, she questioned the divine messenger only about the manner of its accomplishment (Italics mine). This was to better fulfill God’s will, to which she intended to submit with total readiness. “She sought the manner; she did not doubt God’s omnipotence,” Saint Augustine remarks (Sermon 291). Luke does not indicate the precise place where the annunciation of the Lord’s birth occurred. Luke reports only that Mary was in Nazareth, a village of little importance, which did not seem predestined for the event. In addition, the evangelist does not ascribe unusual importance to the moment when the angel appears and does not describe the historical circumstances. This last consideration allows us to appreciate the greatness of Mary’s faith especially in comparison with the tendency, then as now, to ask insistently for sensible signs in order to believe. Mary was asked to assent to a truth never expressed before. She accepted it with a simple yet daring heart. With the question: “How can this be?” she expressed her faith in the divine power to make virginity compatible with her exceptional and unique motherhood. By believing in the Lord’s word, Mary cooperated in fulfilling the motherhood announced to her. St. Augustine in particular stated: “The angel announces: the Virgin listens, believes and conceives” (Sermon 13 in Nat. Dom.). Theotokos, Pauline Press, 2000

My thoughts: As a young girl I would hear Church bells ring out at 6:00am, 12Noon and again at 6:00pm calling Catholics to pray the Angelus. What a perfect way to prepare for Christmas, by beginning the day with prayer on our lips, by stopping in the middle of the day to place prayer on our lips, and by entering into the darkness of night with a prayer on our lips! By pondering the first line of this prayer, we find ourselves marveling at Mary’s faith. Could any of us simply ask “how?” Could any of us not demand a sign? Blessed John Paul’s commentary certainly shows us the amazing faith Mary possessed. It is a good idea for us, this Advent season, to ask her to increase our faith in her beloved Son, to teach us to respond quickly and confidently to God’s requests, and not to ask “Why?” but “How?”

Our Prayer to God: Today is a good day to start to pray the Angelus, at least at Noon.  We can ponder in our hearts the many times we have heard God whisper a request, and reflect on our reactions. I know, for me, this will be a humbling experience!

Devotion for today: Lo How a Rose E’re Blooming

Our preparation for the coming of the Christ-child is in its third week, a good time to simply sit back and reflect on the words of a beautiful Advent Hymn "Lo How a Rose E're Blooming"
  http://www.cyberhymnal.org (this site will play the music for this hymn!)

Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming from tender stem hath sprung!

Of Jesse’s lineage coming, as men of old have sung.
It came, a floweret bright, amid the cold of winter,
When half spent was the night.

Isaiah ’twas foretold it, the Rose I have in mind;
With Mary we behold it, the virgin mother kind.
To show God’s love aright, she bore to men a Savior,
When half spent was the night.

The shepherds heard the story proclaimed by angels bright,
How Christ, the Lord of glory was born on earth this night.
To Bethlehem they sped and in the manger found Him,
As angel heralds said.

This Flower, whose fragrance tender with sweetness fills the air,
Dispels with glorious splendor the darkness everywhere;
True Man, yet very God, from sin and death He saves us,
And lightens every load.

O Savior, Child of Mary, who felt our human woe,
O Savior, King of glory, who dost our weakness know;
Bring us at length we pray, to the bright courts of Heaven,
And to the endless day!

author unknown

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.

Read more: http://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/novena/christmas.htm#ixzz1f7YZnI

Devotion for today: I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem

Today we will focus on the second coming of Christ, even as we prepare to celebrate His first

Scripture passage: Revelation 21: 1-5

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then He said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

Christ tells us: Matthew 24:30-31, 35

“At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end heaven to the other. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”

It is stated in the NIV Disciples Study Bible:

(Commenting on Revelations 21: 1-5) These gentle, tender words set forth God’s nature as Father. He has planned the day when He can be with us personally and remove every reason for tears. That will be a new day. This picture of God stands in sharp contrast to the picture of the sovereign God shown moving in furious wrath in preceding chapters. Both are true pictures of God. God is a gentle, loving Father to those who will accept Him in faith. He is also a mighty Destroyer to those who oppose Him. Remember that God Himself says He prefers to be gracious and merciful rather than harsh (EX 20:4-6). For the deepest word that is said about God is that He is love.

Prayer: Psalm 24:1-6

The Lord’s are the earth and its fullness; the world and those who dwell in it, for He founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. Who can ascend the mountain of the Lord, or who may stand in His holy place; He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who desires not what is vain. He shall receive a blessing from the Lord, a reward from God his savior. Such is the race that seeks for Him, that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.

My thoughts:  Advent calls us to repentance and prayer, to examine our lives and to take a look at our readiness. People ask us, “Are you ready for Christmas?” We must ask ourselves: are we ready for the coming of Christ? Can we honestly say we have prepared a home for Him in our hearts, a home for the newborn baby? Then we must face the truth. If called tomorrow to leave this world and face God, can we honestly say we would be ready? If the King of Glory comes tomorrow, if the world ends next week, are we ready? It is time to proclaim ourselves as people who seek the face of God, and not a people who hide from it.  By seeking to know God now, we will know Him in a world where there are no more tears or sadness. This is the truth; Jesus said so.  It sounds like a beautiful world to me!

Our prayer to God:  The final steps of preparation for Christ’s coming are to fast and give alms. Why not give up some pleasure which connects us to this world, say TV or computer, and substitute time in prayer, connecting ourselves to the world where we will spend eternity. Then, if we haven’t already done so, let us find a way to share our plenty with those in need, through the gift of our time, or our talent, or our wealth. God bless us, everyone!

Don’t forget the Christmas Novena! Fifteen 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.

Read more: http://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/novena/christmas.htm#ixzz1f7YZnIon

Devotion for today: Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas and the unborn

At dawn on Dec.9, 1531, on Tepeyac Hill near Mexico City, Our Blessed Lady appeared to an Indian named Juan Diego. She revealed herself to him as “the Ever Virgin Mother of the True God,” and made known her desire that a shrine be built there to bear witness to her love, her compassion, her succor and protection. “For I am a Merciful Mother,” she said, “to you and to all your fellow men on this earth who love me and trust me and invoke my help. Therefore, go to the palace of the Bishop in Mexico, and say that I sent you to manifest to him my great desire.” The Bishop was loath to believe the Indian’s story. So Juan returned to Our Lady on Tepeyac and told of his failure. She bade him go back a second time. The Bishop then requested that the Lady give him some sign. Juan reported this to her and she promised to grant a sign on the following morning. But Juan was prevented from coming by a sudden illness of his uncle, Juan Bernadino. The next day, Dec. 12, when he was on his way by Tepeyac Hill to Mexico City to bring a priest to the dying man, Our Lady came down to meet him. She reassured him of his uncle’s recovery and told him to gather fresh roses which he would find growing on the frosty summit of the rocky and barren hill. This done, she arranged the roses in his mantle, and bade him show them to the Bishop, giving him an account of their origin. To the Bishop’s amazement, when Juan opened up his mantle before him there was painted upon it a beautiful image of Our Lady, exactly as she had appeared at Tepeyac. Earlier in the day, in another apparition granted to Juan’s uncle, whom she cured, Our Blessed Mother intimated that she wished to be called, “Holy Mary of Guadalupe.” This miraculous picture, marvelously preserved, can still be seen over the High Altar in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, on the site she requested… every year several million pilgrims from all parts of America make their way to venerate Our Merciful Mother and to implore her intercession. (Our Lady of Guadalupe Abbey, Lafayette, Oregon)

Prayer to the Virgin Mary of Guadalupe:

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary of Guadalupe, that in thy celestial apparitions on the mount of Tepeyac, thou didst promise to show thy compassion and pity towards all who, loving and trusting thee, seek thy help and call upon thee in their necessities and afflictions. Thou didst promise to hearken to our supplications, to dry our tears and to give us consolation and relief. Never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession, either for the common welfare, or in personal anxieties, was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, we fly unto thee, O Mary, ever Virgin Mother of the True God! Though grieving under the weight of our sins, we come to prostrate ourselves in thy august presence, certain that thou wilt deign to fulfill thy merciful promises. We are full of hope that, standing beneath thy shadow and protection, nothing will trouble or afflict us, nor need we fear illness, or misfortune, or any other sorrow. Thou hast desired to remain with us through thy admirable image, thou who art our Mother, our health and our life. Placing ourselves beneath thy maternal gaze and having recourse to thee in all our necessities we need do nothing more. O Holy Mother of God, despise not our petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer us. Amen. (Here mention your petition and say five Hail Mary’s in gratitude for the four apparitions to Juan Diego and one to Juan Bernadino.) 200 days indulgence, Edwin V. Byrne, Archbishop of Santa Fe

Words of Our Lady of Guadalupe to Juan Diego: “Listen my son, to what I tell you now: do not be troubled or disturbed by anything; do not fear illness or any other distressing occurrence, or pain. Am I not your Mother? Am I not life and health? Have I not placed you on my lap and made you my responsibility? Do you need anything else?” (This and the above prayer are taken from the publication from Our Lady of Guadalupe Abbey, Lafayette, Oregon)

Blessed John Paul II prayed: “Virgin of Guadalupe, intercede with the Lord that He may instill a hunger for holiness in the whole people of God.” (Taken from the Magnificat, Yonkers, NY, December, 2011)

My thoughts: I recently heard a beautiful explanation of Mary’s arranging the roses in Juan Diego’s tilma on the EWTN TV show, Women of Grace. Apparently, Juan Diego gathered the roses and basically tossed them into his tilma. Mary, as any loving mother would do, rearranged them so that they appeared in a beautiful display. That is what happens to our petitions offered to Jesus through Mary. She takes them, and beautifully arranges all our needs and desires onto a “golden paten” which she lovingly presents on our behalf to her Son, Jesus Christ. Blessed John Paul II’s apostolic motto was “Totus Tuus”, totally yours. May we, in preparing for the great feast of Christ’s birth, give ourselves over to the care and protection of the Mother He so lovingly chose as His own, and the Mother He so caringly gave to us. Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us.

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.

Read more: http://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/novena/christmas.htm#ixzz1f7YZnIon