FIRST PART OF THE LITURGICAL YEAR: THE CHRISTMAS CYCLE (MYSTERY OF THE INCARNATION).[1]
I. SEASON OF ADVENT
Sunday, 16 December, 2007
Third Sunday of Advent (Gaudete Sunday) (I)
"On this day the Church urges us to gladness in the middle of this time of expectation and penance: the coming of Jesus approaches more and more. St. John, the holy precursor, announces to the Jews the coming of the Saviour, ‘The Saviour’, he says to them, ‘lives already among us, though unknown. He will soon appear openly.’ Now is the time for fervent prayers and for imploring Jesus to remain with us by His mercy. Let us prepare the way for Him by repentance and penance and by a worthy reception of the Sacraments. All the prayers of this Mass are filled with what the Church wishes our souls to possess at the approach of the Saviour.”
Collect: Incline thine ear, we beseech Thee, O Lord, to our petitions: and, by the grace of Thy visitation, enlighten the darkness of our minds: Who livest and reignest with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Ghost, world without end.
Epistle: Bl. Paul the Apostle to the Philippians, 4:4-7.
Gospel: Continuation of the holy Gospel according to St. John, 1:19-28.
St. Eusebius, Bishop, Martyr (III)
“Bishop of Vercelli in Italy, St. Eusebius was exiled to Egypt and Palestine by the Arians. The Church confers on him the title of Martyr, because there he suffered numerous persecutions at the hands of these heretics. His letters hold an important place in Latin literature. He died A.D. 371.”
Collect: O God, who dost gladden us by the annual feast of blessed Eusebius, The Martyr and Bishop: mercifully grant that we, who celebrate his heavenly birthday, may also rejoice in his protection. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who livest and reignest with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Ghost, world without end.
Epistle: Second Letter of Bl. Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians, 1:3-7.
Gospel: Continuation of the holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, 16:24-27.
Monday, 17 December, 2007
Ferial (III)
"On this day the Church urges us to gladness in the middle of this time of expectation and penance: the coming of Jesus approaches more and more. St. John, the holy precursor, announces to the Jews the coming of the Saviour, ‘The Saviour’, he says to them, ‘lives already among us, though unknown. He will soon appear openly.’ Now is the time for fervent prayers and for imploring Jesus to remain with us by His mercy. Let us prepare the way for Him by repentance and penance and by a worthy reception of the Sacraments. All the prayers of this Mass are filled with what the Church wishes our souls to possess at the approach of the Saviour.”
Collect: Incline thine ear, we beseech Thee, O Lord, to our petitions: and, by the grace of Thy visitation, enlighten the darkness of our minds: Who livest and reignest with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Ghost, world without end.
Epistle: Bl. Paul the Apostle to the Philippians, 4:4-7.
Gospel: Continuation of the holy Gospel according to St. John, 1:19-28.
Tuesday, 18 December, 2007
Ferial (III)
"On this day the Church urges us to gladness in the middle of this time of expectation and penance: the coming of Jesus approaches more and more. St. John, the holy precursor, announces to the Jews the coming of the Saviour, ‘The Saviour’, he says to them, ‘lives already among us, though unknown. He will soon appear openly.’ Now is the time for fervent prayers and for imploring Jesus to remain with us by His mercy. Let us prepare the way for Him by repentance and penance and by a worthy reception of the Sacraments. All the prayers of this Mass are filled with what the Church wishes our souls to possess at the approach of the Saviour.”
Collect: Incline thine ear, we beseech Thee, O Lord, to our petitions: and, by the grace of Thy visitation, enlighten the darkness of our minds: Who livest and reignest with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Ghost, world without end.
Epistle: Bl. Paul the Apostle to the Philippians, 4:4-7.
Gospel: Continuation of the holy Gospel according to St. John, 1:19-28.
Wednesday, 19 December, 2007
Ember Wednesday in Advent (II)
Day of Fast (traditional).
“On the Wednesday of Ember week in Advent, the Mystery of the Annunciation is commemorated by many Churches. The Mass is sung early in the morning. That Mass is sometimes called the Golden Mass, Rorate Mass, or Messias Mass. On that occasion the Church is lit up, as a token that the world was still in darkness when the Light of the world appeared. The Mass is called the Golden Mass possibly because in the Middle Ages the whole of the Mass or at least the initial letters were written in gold, or on account of the golden magnificence of the solemnity, or more probably on account of the special, great, ‘golden’ grace which, at that time, is obtained by the numerous prayers. It is called Rorate Mass after the first words of the Introit of the Mass: Rorate Caeli (‘Drop down dew, ye heavens’); and Messias Mass because the Church, like Our lady, expresses on that day her longing for the arrival of the Messias.”
Collect: Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that the coming solemnity of our redemption may both confer upon us assistance in this present life and bestow the rewards of everlasting blessedness. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who livest and reignest with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Ghost, world without end.
Lesson: From the Prophet Isaias, 2:2-5.
Second Collect: Hasten, we beseech Thee, O Lord, tarry not: and grant us the help of Thy heavenly power, that they who trust in Thy loving kindness may also be relieved by the consolations of Thy coming: Who livest and reignest with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Ghost, world without end.
Lesson: From the Prophet Isaias, 7:10-15
Gospel: Continuation of the holy Gospel according to St. Luke, 1:26-38.
Thursday, 20 December, 2007
Ferial (III)
"On this day the Church urges us to gladness in the middle of this time of expectation and penance: the coming of Jesus approaches more and more. St. John, the holy precursor, announces to the Jews the coming of the Saviour, ‘The Saviour’, he says to them, ‘lives already among us, though unknown. He will soon appear openly.’ Now is the time for fervent prayers and for imploring Jesus to remain with us by His mercy. Let us prepare the way for Him by repentance and penance and by a worthy reception of the Sacraments. All the prayers of this Mass are filled with what the Church wishes our souls to possess at the approach of the Saviour.”
Collect: Incline thine ear, we beseech Thee, O Lord, to our petitions: and, by the grace of Thy visitation, enlighten the darkness of our minds: Who livest and reignest with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Ghost, world without end.
Epistle: Bl. Paul the Apostle to the Philippians, 4:4-7.
Gospel: Continuation of the holy Gospel according to St. John, 1:19-28.
Friday, 21 December, 2007
Ember Friday in Advent (II)
Day of Fast (traditional).
Collect: Stir up Thy might, we beseech Thee, O Lord, and come: that they who trust in Thy loving kindness may be the more speedily freed from all adversity: Who livest and reignest with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Ghost, world without end.
Lesson: From the Prophet Isaias, 11:1-5.
Gospel: Continuation of the holy Gospel according to St. Luke, 1:37-47.
St. Thomas, Apostle (III)
“St. Thomas doubted the Lord’s Resurrection. But invited by our Lord to place his fingers into the Holy Wounds, he passed suddenly from incredulity to ardent faith, exclaiming: ‘My lord and my God!’ He became one of the greatest Apostolic missionaries and died in India in the first century.”
Collect: Give us, Lord, we beseech Thee, a share in the glory of today’s festival of Thy blessed Apostle Thomas: and grant that we may be uplifted by his patronage and drawn with fitting devotion to equal him in faith. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who livest and reignest with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Ghost, world without end.
Epistle: From Bl. Paul the Apostle to the Ephesians, 2:19-22.
Gospel: Continuation of the holy Gospel according to St. John, 20:19-31.
Saturday, 22 December, 2007
Ember Saturday in Advent (II)
Day of Fast (traditional).
Collect: O God, who seest that we are afflicted because of our iniquity, mercifullay grant that we may be comforted by Thy visitation: Who livest and reignest with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Ghost, world without end.
Lesson: From the Prophet Isaias, 19:20-22.
Second Collect: O God, who didst deaden the flames of fire for the three children: mercifully grant that the flame of vice may not consume us Thy servants. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who livest and reignest with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Ghost, world without end.
Epistle: From Bl. Paul the Apostle to the Thessalonians, 2:1-8.
Gospel: Continuation of the holy Gospel according to St. Luke, 3:1-6.
[1] Remarks are abstracted from The Daily Missal and Liturgical Manual, from Editio Typica of the Roman Missal and Breviary, 1962
(Baronius Press Limited, London, 2004, in conjunction with the Fraternal Society of St. Peter, www.baroniuspress.com)
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