07
December
St. Ambrose of Milan (340 – 397)
White
He was born in Trier, Germany, between 337 and 340. Coerced by the people and by the emperor, he was baptized, ordained, and installed as bishop in 374. Ambrose was a key figure in the conversion of St Augustine to Catholicism, impressing Augustine by his intelligence and scholarship. He died on Holy Saturday, 4th April 397.
Entrance Antiphon Cf. Sir 15: 5
In the midst of the Church he opened his mouth, and the Lord filled him with the spirit of wisdom and understanding and clothed him in a robe of glory.
Collect
O God, who made the Bishop Saint Ambrose a teacher of the Catholic faith and a model of apostolic courage, raise up in your Church, men after your own heart to govern her with courage and wisdom. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading: Isaiah 40:1-11
‘Console my people, console them,’ says your God. ‘Speak to the heart of Jerusalem and call to her that her time of service is ended, that her sin is atoned for, that she has received from the hand of the Lord double punishment for all her crimes.’ A voice cries, ‘Prepare in the wilderness a way for the Lord. Make a straight highway for our God across the desert. Let every valley be filled in, every mountain and hill be laid low. Let every cliff become a plain, and the ridges a valley; then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all mankind shall see it; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’ A voice commands, ‘Cry!’ and I answered, ‘What shall I cry?’” – ‘All flesh is grass and its beauty like the wild flower’s. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on them. (The grass is without doubt the people.) The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God remains for ever.’ Go up on a high mountain, joyful messenger to Zion. Shout with a loud voice, joyful messenger to Jerusalem. Shout without fear, say to the towns of Judah, ‘Here is your God.’ Here is the Lord coming with power, his arm subduing all things to him. The prize of his victory is with him, his trophies all go before him. He is like a shepherd feeding his flock, gathering lambs in his arms, holding them against his breast and leading to their rest the mother ewes.
Psalm 95(96):1-3,10-13
R/ Here is our God coming with power.
1. O sing a new song to the Lord, sing to the Lord all the earth. O sing to the Lord, bless his name. Proclaim his help day by day.
2. Tell among the nations his glory and his wonders among all the peoples. Proclaim to the nations: ‘God is king.’ He will judge the peoples in fairness.
3. Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad, let the sea and all within it thunder praise, let the land and all it bears rejoice, all the trees of the wood shout for joy at the presence of the Lord for he comes, he comes to rule the earth.
4. With justice, he will rule the world, he will judge the peoples with his truth.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia! Come, Lord! Do not delay. Forgive the sins of your people.Alleluia!
Gospel: Matthew 18:12-14
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Tell me. Suppose a man has a hundred sheep and one of them strays; will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hillside and go in search of the stray? I tell you solemnly, if he finds it, it gives him more joy than do the ninety-nine that did not stray at all. Similarly, it is never the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.’
Prayer over the Offerings
As we celebrate the divine mysteries, O Lord, we pray, may the Holy Spirit fill us with that light of faith by which he constantly enlightened Saint Ambrose for the spreading of your glory. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Ps 1: 2, 3
He who ponders the law of the Lord day and night will yield fruit in due season.
Prayer after Communion
Lead us who have been strengthened by the power of this Sacrament, O Lord, so to profit from the teaching of Saint Ambrose, that, hastening fearlessly along your paths, we may be prepared for the delights of the eternal banquet. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Economists will confirm that going after the lost sheep is disproportionate or foolish. Moralists too will not understand how the shepherd leaves ninety-nine sheep on the hillside while he searches for the one stubborn sheep which has strayed off and is lost. Funny enough he leaves the main flock defenceless to go looking for the stray. It is a big risk for the shepherd because he could lose the ninety-nine for the sake of the one. Jesus goes beyond all human paradigms to go for the lost sheep. There is a great lesson here: Our God values each one of us and calls each by name.