by L'équipe de publication | Dec 24, 2023 | Evangelium
Christmas Day – Mass during the Day
Entrance Antiphon: Is 9: 5
A child is born for us, and a son is given to us; his sceptre of power rests upon his shoulder, and his name will be called Messenger of great counsel.
Collect
O God, who wonderfully created the dignity of human nature and still more wonderfully restored it, grant, we pray, that we may share in the divinity of Christ, who humbled himself to share in our humanity. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading: Isaiah 52: 7-10
How beautiful on the mountains, are the feet of one who brings good news, who heralds peace, brings happiness, proclaims salvation, and tells Zion, “Your God is king!” Listen! Your watchmen raise their voices, they shout for joy together, for they see the Lord face to face, as he returns to Zion. Break into shouts of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem; for the Lord is consoling his people, redeeming Jerusalem. The Lord bares his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
Psalm 97(98): 1-6
R/ All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Sing a new song to the Lord for he has worked wonders. His right hand and his holy arm have brought salvation.
The Lord has made known his salvation; has shown his justice to the nations. He has remembered his truth and love for the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Shout to the Lord, all the earth, ring out your joy.
Sing psalms to the Lord with the harp with the sound of music. With trumpets and the sound of the horn acclaim the King, the Lord.
Second reading: Hebrews 1: 1-6
At various times in the past and in various different ways, God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets; but in our own time, the last days, he has spoken to us through his Son, the Son that he has appointed to inherit everything and through whom he made everything there is. He is the radiant light of God’s glory and the perfect copy of his nature, sustaining the universe by his powerful command; and now that he has destroyed the defilement of sin, he has gone to take his place in heaven at the right hand of divine Majesty. So he is now as far above the angels as the title which he has inherited is higher than their own name. God has never said to any angel: You are my Son, today I have become your father; or: I will be a father to him and he a son to me. Again, when he brings the First-Born into the world, he says: Let all the angels of God worship him.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia! A hallowed day has dawned upon us. Come, you nations, worship the Lord,
for today a great light has shone down upon the earth. Alleluia!
Gospel : John 1: 1-18
In the beginning was the Word: and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things came to be, not one thing had its being but through him. All that came to be had life in him and that life was the light of men, a light that shines in the dark, a light that darkness could not overpower. A man came, sent by God. His name was John. He came as a witness, as a witness to speak for the light, so that everyone might believe through him. He was not the light, only a witness to speak for the light. The Word was the true light that enlightens all men; and he was coming into the world. He was in the world that had its being through him, and the world did not know him. He came to his own domain and his own people did not accept him. But to all who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to all who believe in the name of him who was born not out of human stock or urge of the flesh or will of man but of God himself. The Word was made flesh, he lived among us, and we saw his glory, the glory that is his as the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth. John appears as his witness. He proclaims: “This is the one of whom I said: He who comes after me ranks before me because he existed before me.” Indeed, from his fullness we have, all of us, received – yes, grace in return for grace, since, though the Law was given through Moses, grace and truth have come through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; it is the only Son, who is nearest to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.
Prayer over the Offerings
Make acceptable, O Lord, our oblation on this solemn day, when you manifested the reconciliation that makes us wholly pleasing in your sight and inaugurated for us the fullness of divine worship. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Ps 97: 3
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Prayer after Communion
Grant, O merciful God, that, just as the Saviour of the world, born this day, is the author of divine generation for us, so he may be the giver even of immortality. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Meditation
The light which is revealed to the world today is that of salvation, a light which reminds us that we are created for good, justice, peace, love, truth… The poor, the sick, those who weep and morn, the humble, the meek, prostitutes, the marginalized etc. tend to see this light better than us, they tend to hear the Good News of salvation better than us. They have listened, they have seen, they have recognized Him who comes to meet them. They are the ones we meet throughout the infancy narrative of Luke, the poor of the Lord. It is to the marginalized that these words are being addressed: you are not alone, you are my beloved son. These words are not addressed to angels or to the proud of heart, but rather to the poor and oppressed. Thus, through the mystery of the incarnation, not only does God become man, but He also makes creation divine. The words of the Father to the Son become the Father’s words to all his children, you and I: “you are my son, today I have begotten you…” Today, we recognize that we all beloved children of the Father.
by L'équipe de publication | Dec 23, 2023 | Evangelium
4th Sunday of Advent
Psalter week IV
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Is 45: 8
Drop down dew from above, you heavens, and let the clouds rain down the Just One; let the earth be opened and bring forth a Saviour.
Collect
Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord, your grace into our hearts, that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ your Son was made known by the message of an Angel, may by his Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of his Resurrection. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading: 2 Samuel 7:1-5,8-12,14,16
Once David had settled into his house and the Lord had given him rest from all the enemies surrounding him, the king said to the prophet Nathan, “Look, I am living in a house of cedar while the ark of God dwells in a tent.” Nathan said to the king, “Go and do all that is in your mind, for the Lord is with you.” But that very night the word of the Lord came to Nathan: “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus the Lord speaks: Are you the man to build me a house to dwell in? I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be leader of my people Israel; I have been with you on all your expeditions; I have cut off all your enemies before you. I will give you fame as great as the fame of the greatest on earth. I will provide a place for my people Israel; I will plant them there and they shall dwell in that place and never be disturbed again; nor shall the wicked continue to oppress them as they did, in the days when I appointed judges over my people Israel; I will give them rest from all their enemies. The Lord will make you great; the Lord will make you a House. And when your days are ended and you are laid to rest with your ancestors, I will preserve the offspring of your body after you and make his sovereignty secure. I will be a father to him and he a son to me; if he does evil, I will punish him with the rod such as men use, with strokes such as mankind gives. Your House and your sovereignty will always stand secure before me and your throne be established for ever.’”
Psalm 88(89): 2-5, 27, 29
R/ I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord.
I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord; through all ages my mouth will proclaim your truth. Of this I am sure, that your love lasts for ever, that your truth is firmly established as the heavens.
I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: I will establish your dynasty for ever and set up your throne through all ages.
He will say to me: ‘You are my father, my God, the rock who saves me.’ I will keep my love for him always; with him my covenant shall last.
Second reading: Romans 16:25-27
Glory to him who is able to give you the strength to live according to the Good News I preach, and in which I proclaim Jesus Christ, the revelation of a mystery kept secret for endless ages, but now so clear that it must be broadcast to pagans everywhere to bring them to the obedience of faith. This is only what scripture has predicted, and it is all part of the way the eternal God wants things to be. He alone is wisdom; give glory therefore to him through Jesus Christ for ever and ever. Amen.
Gospel Acclamation: Lk1:38
Alleluia, alleluia! I am the handmaid of the Lord: let what you have said be done to me. Alleluia!
Gospel: Luke 1:26-38
The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. He went in and said to her, “Rejoice, so highly favoured! The Lord is with you.” She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, “Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God’s favour. Listen! You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.” Mary said to the angel, “But how can this come about, since I am a virgin?” “The Holy Spirit will come upon you”, the angel answered, “and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God. Know this too: your kinswoman Elizabeth has, in her old age, herself conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God.” “I am the handmaid of the Lord,” said Mary. “Let what you have said be done to me.” And the angel left her.
Prayer over the Offerings
May the Holy Spirit, O Lord, sanctify these gifts laid upon your altar, just as he filled with his power the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Is 7: 14
Behold, a Virgin shall conceive and bear a son; and his name will be called Emmanuel.
Prayer after Communion
Having received this pledge of eternal redemption, we pray, almighty God, that, as the feast day of our salvation draws ever nearer, so we may press forward all the more eagerly to the worthy celebration of the mystery of your Son’s Nativity. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Meditation
At the annunciation, God came to visit a single person in particular, Mary. The Lord will hence live in her home, with her and in her. God makes his home among men in our own humanity, in each of us. Like the Blessed Virgin Mary, we are called to welcome the Lord and let him dwell among us. The dwelling of the Lord amongst men first depends on the heart of each Christian who says yes to God at baptism and is open to the action of the Holy Spirit in them. Saint Paul tells us that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Through the sacraments of Christian Initiation: we make of ourselves the dwelling place of God. We sometimes have the tendency of forgetting this mystery which is being renewed daily in us. Let us be conscious of every moment of the glorious presence of Jesus in our lives, in us, in our hearts and in all we do.
by L'équipe de publication | Dec 22, 2023 | Evangelium
SAINT John of Kęty
O Emmanuel !
He was born in Kety in the diocese of Kraków in 1390. He became a priest and for many years taught at the University of Kraków; later he became parish priest of Olkusz. He taught and researched in both physics and theology and excelled in holiness and in charity towards his neighbour, in which he was an example to his colleagues and pupils. He died in 1473.
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Is 9: 5
A child shall be born for us, and he will be called God, the Almighty; every tribe of the earth shall be blest in him.
Collect
Almighty ever-living God, as we see how the Nativity of your Son according to the flesh draws near, we pray that to us, your unworthy servants, mercy may flow from your Word, who chose to become flesh of the Virgin Mary and establish among us his dwelling, Jesus Christ our Lord. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading: Malachi 3:1-4,23-24
The Lord God says this: “Look, I am going to send my messenger to prepare a way before me. And the Lord you are seeking will suddenly enter his Temple; and the angel of the covenant whom you are longing for, yes, he is coming, says the Lord of Hosts. Who will be able to resist the day of his coming? Who will remain standing when he appears? For he is like the refiner’s fire and the fullers’ alkali. He will take his seat as refiner and purifier; he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and then they will make the offering to the Lord as it should be made. The offering of Judah and Jerusalem will then be welcomed by the Lord as in former days, as in the years of old. Know that I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before my day comes, that great and terrible day. He shall turn the hearts of fathers towards their children and the hearts of children towards their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a curse.”
Psalm 24(25): 4-5, 8-9, 10, 14
R/ Stand erect, hold your heads high, because your liberation is near at hand.
Lord, make me know your ways. Lord, teach me your paths. Make me walk in your truth, and teach me: for you are God my saviour.
The Lord is good and upright. He shows the path to those who stray, He guides the humble in the right path, He teaches his way to the poor.
His ways are faithfulness and love for those who keep his covenant and law. The Lord’s friendship is for those who revere him; to them he reveals his covenant.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia! King of the peoples and cornerstone of the Church, come and save man, whom you made from the dust of the earth. Alleluia!
Gospel: Luke 1: 57-66
The time came for Elizabeth to have her child, and she gave birth to a son; and when her neighbours and relations heard that the Lord had shown her so great a kindness, they shared her joy. Now on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother spoke up. “No,” she said, “he is to be called John.” They said to her, “But no one in your family has that name”, and made signs to his father to find out what he wanted him called. The father asked for a writing-tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they were all astonished. At that instant his power of speech returned and he spoke and praised God. All their neighbours were filled with awe and the whole affair was talked about throughout the hill country of Judaea. All those who heard of it treasured it in their hearts. “What will this child turn out to be?” they wondered. And indeed the hand of the Lord was with him.
Prayer over the Offerings
May this oblation, by which divine worship in its fullness has been inaugurated for us, be our perfect reconciliation with you, O Lord, that we may celebrate with minds made pure the Nativity of our Redeemer. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Communion Antiphon: Rv 3: 20
Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if anyone hears my voice and opens the door to me, I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me.
Prayer after Communion
Grant your peace, O Lord, to those you have nourished with these heavenly gifts, that we may be ready, with lighted lamps, to meet your dearly beloved Son at his coming. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Meditation
The Gospel reading of today recalls a ceremony well known in our cultures and in the Church: the child-naming ceremony. A name is a life program, it is a way of being and of relate to others. Many wanted to name the newborn after his father, Zachariah, but they were astonished when Zachariah who had been dumb wrote on a tablet: “his name is John”. The meaning of this name is stated in a meditation from Saint Bede the Venerable, Doctor of the Church. It means “the Grace of God (…and) this name announces the economy of the Gospel…” John the Baptist, by his prophetic name will become him of whom today’s first reading speaks: “Look I am going to send my messenger to prepare a way before me”. The Christian names we receive at baptism introduce us to a new way of being. May the Holy Spirit help us to live out our Christian identity today.
by L'équipe de publication | Dec 21, 2023 | Evangelium
SAINT Chaeromon
O Rex Gentium !
Bishop of Nilopolis, in Egypt. When the persecution was instituted by Emperor Trajanus Decius, St. Chaeromon was quite elderly. He and several companions fled into the Arabian desert and were never seen again. The bishop and his companions are listed as martyrs.
Entrance Antiphon: Ps 23: 7
O gates, lift high your heads; grow higher, ancient doors. Let him enter, the king of glory!
Collect
O God, who, seeing the human race fallen into death, willed to redeem it by the coming of your Only Begotten Son, grant, we pray, that those who confess his Incarnation with humble fervour may merit his company as their Redeemer. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading: 1 Samuel 1: 24-28
When Hannah had weaned the infant Samuel, she took him up with her together with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and she brought him to the temple of the Lord at Shiloh; and the child was with them. They slaughtered the bull and the child’s mother came to Eli. She said, “If you please, my lord. As you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to the Lord. This is the child I prayed for, and the Lord granted me what I asked him. Now I make him over to the Lord for the whole of his life. He is made over to the Lord.” There she left him, for the Lord.
Psalm: 1 Samuel 2:1,4-8
R/ My heart exults in the Lord my Saviour.
My heart exults in the Lord. I find my strength in my God; my mouth laughs at my enemies as I rejoice in your saving help.
The bows of the mighty are broken, but the weak are clothed with strength. Those with plenty must labour for bread, but the hungry need work no more. The childless wife has children now but the fruitful wife bears no more.
It is the Lord who gives life and death, he brings men to the grave and back; it is the Lord who gives poverty and riches. He brings men low and raises them on high.
He lifts up the lowly from the dust, from the dung heap he raises the poor to set him in the company of princes to give him a glorious throne. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, on them he has set the world.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia! Root of Jesse, set up as a sign to the peoples, come to save us and delay no more. Alleluia!
Gospel: Luke 1: 46-56
Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit exults in God my saviour; because he has looked upon his lowly handmaid. Yes, from this day forward all generations will call me blessed, for the Almighty has done great things for me. Holy is his name, and his mercy reaches from age to age for those who fear him. He has shown the power of his arm, he has routed the proud of heart. He has pulled down princes from their thrones and exalted the lowly. The hungry he has filled with good things, the rich sent empty away. He has come to the help of Israel his servant, mindful of his mercy – according to the promise he made to our ancestors – of his mercy to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.” Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back home.
Prayer over the Offerings
Trusting in your compassion, O Lord, we come eagerly with our offerings to your sacred altar, that, through the purifying action of your grace, we may be cleansed by the very mysteries we serve. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Lk 1: 46,
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, for the Almighty has done great things for me.
Prayer after Communion
May reception of your Sacrament strengthen us, O Lord, so that we may go out to meet our Saviour with worthy deeds when he comes and merit the rewards of the blessed. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Hannah in today’s first can be likened to Elizabeth the mother of John the Baptist. But worthy of note is the fact that her life reflects many articles in the Magnificat of the Virgin Mary. The power of God is made manifest in the lives his humble servants. It is in this light that we live our spiritual poverty, submitting ourselves to the mercy of God. In so doing, we let God continue his salvific mission in us, the salvation which he promised to our fathers in favour of Abraham and to his descendants forever. May the spiritual poverty of Hannah, she who suffered humiliations but always kept her faith in God, animate our lives today and always.
by L'équipe de publication | Dec 20, 2023 | Evangelium
SAINT Peter Canisius,
Priest, Doctor
O Oriens !
He was born in Holland in 1521. He studied at Cologne and joined the Society of Jesus: he was ordained priest in 1546. He worked hard to defend and strengthen the Catholic faith both by writing and by preaching. He wrote many books, of which The Catechism is particularly noteworthy. He died at Fribourg in Switzerland on 21 November 1597.
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Is 7: 14;
The Lord and Ruler will be coming soon, and his name will be called Emmanuel, because he will be called God-with-us.
Collect
Hear in kindness, O Lord, the prayers of your people, that those who rejoice at the coming of your Only Begotten Son in our flesh may, when at last he comes in glory, gain the reward of eternal life. 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: Song of Songs 2:8-14
I hear my Beloved. See how he comes leaping on the mountains, bounding over the hills. My Beloved is like a gazelle, like a young stag. See where he stands behind our wall. He looks in at the window, he peers through the lattice. My Beloved lifts up his voice, he says to me, ‘Come then, my love, my lovely one, come. For see, winter is past, the rains are over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth. The season of glad songs has come, the cooing of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree is forming its first figs and the blossoming vines give out their fragrance. Come then, my love, my lovely one, come. My dove, hiding in the clefts of the rock, in the coverts of the cliff, show me your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet and your face is beautiful.’
Psalm 32(33):2-3,11-12,20-21
R/ Ring out your joy to the Lord, O you just; O sing him a song that is new.
Give thanks to the Lord upon the harp, with a ten-stringed lute sing him songs. O sing him a song that is new, play loudly, with all your skill.
His own designs shall stand for ever, the plans of his heart from age to age. They are happy, whose God is the Lord, the people he has chosen as his own.
Our soul is waiting for the Lord. The Lord is our help and our shield. In him do our hearts find joy. We trust in his holy name.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia! Key of David, who open the gates of the eternal kingdom, come to liberate from prison the captive who lives in darkness. Alleluia!
Gospel: Luke 1:39-45
Mary set out and went as quickly as she could to a town in the hill country of Judah. She went into Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. Now as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and said, ‘Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Be pleased, O Lord, to accept the offerings of your Church, for in your mercy you have given them to be offered and by your power you transform them into the mystery of our salvation. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Lk 1: 45
Blessed are you who have believed, that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.
Prayer after Communion
Lord, may participation in this divine mystery provide enduring protection for your people, so that, being subject to your glorious majesty in dedicated service, they may know abundant health in mind and body. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Today, the Church invites us to meditate on an aspect of Elizabeth’s life; her openness to the will of God. We are told that during Mary’s visit to Elizabeth, when Elizabeth heard Mary’s greetings, the child in her womb leapt for joy and, filled with the Holy Spirit, Elizabeth cried out to Mary: you are blessed among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb…” In welcoming the grace of God, Elizabeth remained opened to the Holy Spirit, an openness which let her to discover the wonders God had accomplished in the lives of others like Mary. What is our attitude when we discover the grace of God working in our lives and those of others? Do we bless others who have received the grace of God or are we envious of them? Do we become proud and egoistic or humble and open to sharing with others?
by L'équipe de publication | Dec 19, 2023 | Evangelium
Blessed Scubilion
O Clavis David !
Born in France in 1797, He joined the Brothers of Christian Instruction and was given the name Scubilion. In 1833 he was sent to the Isle of Réunion, where he remained until his death in 1867. In Réunion he was named “the catechist of the slaves” on account of his ministry among them
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Is 11: 1; 40
A branch shall sprout from the root of Jesse, and the glory of the Lord will fill the whole earth, and all flesh will see the salvation of God.
Collect
O God, eternal majesty, whose ineffable Word the immaculate Virgin received through the message of an Angel and so became the dwelling-place of divinity, filled with the light of the Holy Spirit, grant, we pray, that by her example we may in humility hold fast to your will. 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 7: 10-14
The Lord spoke to Ahaz and said, “Ask the Lord your God for a sign for yourself coming either from the depths of Sheol or from the heights above.” “No,” Ahaz answered, “I will not put the Lord to the test.” Then Isaiah said: “Listen now, House of David: are you not satisfied with trying the patience of men without trying the patience of my God, too? The Lord himself, therefore, will give you a sign. It is this: the maiden is with child and will soon give birth to a son whom she will call Immanuel, a name which means “God-is-with-us.”
Psalm 23(24):1-6
R/Let the Lord enter! He is the king of glory.
The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness, the world and all its peoples. It is he who set it on the seas; on the waters he made it firm.
Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord? Who shall stand in his holy place? The man with clean hands and pure heart, who desires not worthless things.
He shall receive blessings from the Lord and reward from the God who saves him. Such are the men who seek him, seek the face of the God of Jacob.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia! Emmanuel, our king and lawgiver, come and save us, Lord our God. Alleluia!
Gospel: Luke 1:26-38
The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. He went in and said to her, “Rejoice, so highly favoured! The Lord is with you.” She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, “Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God’s favour. Listen! You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.” Mary said to the angel, “But how can this come about, since I am a virgin?” “The Holy Spirit will come upon you,” the angel answered, “and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God. Know this too: your kinswoman Elizabeth has, in her old age, herself conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God.” “I am the handmaid of the Lord,” said Mary. “Let what you have said be done to me.” And the angel left her.
Prayer over the Offerings
Look, O Lord, we pray, upon the one sacrifice of your Son, that, by participating in this mystery, we may possess at last the gifts we have awaited and for which our faith bids us hope. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Lk 1: 31
The Angel said to Mary: Behold, you will conceive and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.
Prayer after Communion
Grant divine protection, O Lord, to those you renew with this heavenly gift, that to those who delight in your mysteries you may give the joy of true peace. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
The Blessed Virgin Mary is one of the most emblematic figures of the Advent season. Today’s Gospel nourishes us with information on her personality. But much about her is found in her response to the angel Gabriel: “I am the handmaid of the Lord, let what you have said be done to me”. All of Israel was expecting the Messiah, but what did they think if him? Many in Israel, even Jesus’ disciples thought of the Messiah in their own conception of liberty and salvation, and not in accordance with God’s redemptive plan. Just few of them were expecting the Messiah in the attitude of true children and servants of God amongst whom was Mary. She highlights for us how we should behave while expecting the grace of God. But seeing man’s disobedience today, would it be that the servants of God are now those who order God to become faithful to their own human and egoistic desires?
