May the three-fold blessing of the Triune God be upon all who visit my blog.
Pray for me, a sinner.
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Good St. Matthew, pray for me
The General Collect of The Family Uher
O MIGHTY and merciful God, who gavest thy Son Jesus Christ to be born of the Blessed Virgin Mary and to be guarded by the just, venerable, and blessed Saint Joseph, her most chaste spouse: Keep the Holy Family ever before our eyes so that we may rightly order our own family to the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord who with thee and the Holy Ghost art one God in glory everlasting. Amen.
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St Columba, pray for me.
Pilgrimage of Grace
Holy Wounds Banner
ETERNAL Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all of the souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal Church, those within my house, and in my own family. Amen.
Walsingham Abbey
Ave Jesu Christe
Our Lady of the Atonement, pray for us.
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O God of unchangeable Power & eternal Light: Lookfavourably on thy whole Church, that wonderful and sacred Mystery; by the effectual working of thy Providence, carryout in tranquillity the plan of Salvation; let the whole world see and know that things which were cast down are being raised up, and things which had grown old are being madenew, and that all things are being brought to their perfectionby Him through Whom all things were made, thy Son JesusChrist our Lord; who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unityof the Holy Ghost, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
As this year ends and a new one begins, I ask the Blessed Mother to embrace us all and take us to her Son Jesus.
The following setting of Ave Maria by William Gomez is one of the most beautiful settings of the prayer. I include below the video of Elina Garanča, mezzo-soprano, singing this setting of Ave Maria in Vienna during Christmastide A.D. 2007. The text of this setting is in Spanish.
HOLYart thou, O God; holy, Creator : Father most holy: Have mercy upon us.
Holy art thou, O God; holy, most mighty; holy Incarnate: Have mercy upon us.
Holy art thou, O God; holy, immortal; holy, Lifegiver: Have mercy upon us.
Glory be to God on high; And in earth peace, goodwill towards men.
By the archangel's salutation, Grant us thy peace.
By Mary's glad obedience, Grant us thy peace.
By the endless joy of Christmas, Grant us thy peace.
By the love of Mary Mother, Grant us thy peace.
By thy lowly birth and lodging, Grant us thy peace.
By thy cradle in a manger, Grant us thy peace.
By the song of herald angels, Grant us thy peace.
By the homage of poor shepherds, Grant us thy peace.
By the offering of princes, Grant us thy peace.
By thy holy name of Jesus, Grant us thy peace.
Glory be to God on high: And in earth peace, goodwill towards men.
WEthy children do beseech thee to hear us, O Lord God, and to grant that the glad light of the Incarnation may shine throughout the world; Son of Man, we beseech thee to hear us.
That the Gospel of thy love may win the faith and homage of all hearts; Son of Man, we beseech thee to hear us.
That all estates of men may know and find their unity at Bethlehem; Son of man, we beseech thee to hear us.
That the questionings of all minds and the wants of all souls
at Bethlehem may find their peace: Son of Man, we beseech thee to hear us.
That thy birth as Man may hallow the whole life of man: Son of Man, we beseech thee to hear us.
That we may ever wear in honour the robe of flesh which thou hast worn: Son of Man, we beseech thee to hear us.
That thou for whom an inn could find no room may not again be crowded from our lives: Son of Man, we beseech thee to hear us.
That thou for whom a stable-place sufficed wilt not disdain to dwell within our hearts: Son of Man, we beseech thee to hear us.
Glory be to God on high: And in earth peace, goodwill towards men.
THEREFOREwith angels and archangels, with patriarchs and prophets, with Mary and Joseph, with wise men and shepherds, with all men and all creatures, let us bless the Lord; Hosannah in the highest.
For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the governments shall be upon his shoulder; Hosannah in the highest.
And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace; Hosannah in the highest.
For in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God; Hosannah in the highest.
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us; Hosannah in the highest.
And we have seen his glory, glory as of the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth; Hosannah in the highest.
GODthe Father, maker of men; God the Son, born among men; God the Holy Ghost, sanctifying men, bless, preserve, and keep us, evermore and evermore. Amen.
Cambridge Offices and Orisons E. Milner-White, B.T.D. Smith 1921
A hymn text that may be sung during the Twelve Days of Christmas and at New Year's.
NOW LIGHT YOUR LAMPS
Now light your lamps, ye Christians wise and gather 'neath Christ's Star. The Light of lights, the Prince of Peace has come here from afar. No warrior he, the Word made flesh, the servant of us all, the Child whose breathing brings us peace, whose heartbeat saves us all. God's Mother's face reveals his light as moon shines by the sun, And Joseph's eyes filled full with joy gleam bright with God's own Son. O Christ our God, true face of God now cradled in their arms, O please accept what gifts we bring: our hearts, our minds, our love. Child Jesus, hear our fervent prayer for peace to reign on earth, for great and small, for rich and poor, for each to know their worth. Though fallen be the human race and sin and hate abound give peace to all for in each face thy image still is found. O sing, you blessed company of faithful people. Sing for God the Child whose very light demands the darkness flee. O Trinity of endless light, with love our praise we bring where Wisdom found a cave for house to bring forth earth's true king.
Johann Roh's hymn Gottes Sohn ist kommen has been known in several English translations as a traditional hymn of Advent and Christmastide. The following is the well known English translation by Catherine Winkworth that I believe first appeared in The Chorale Book for England, 1863, and it appears at No. 86 in the excellent Wartburg Hymnal: For Church, School, and Homepublished by the Wartburg Publishing House, Chicago in 1918 for the Norwegian Lutheran Church of America:
Once He came in blessing,
all our ills redressing;
came in likeness lowly,
Son of God most holy;
bore the cross to save us,
hope and freedom gave us.
Still He comes within us,
still His voice would win us
from the sins that hurt us;
would to Truth convert us
from our foolish errors
ere He comes in terrors.
Thus, if thou hast known Him,
not ashamed to own Him,
but wilt trust Him boldly
nor dost love Him coldly,
He will then receive thee,
heal thee, and forgive thee.
He who thus endureth
bright reward secureth.
come, then, O Lord Jesus,
from our sins release us;
let us here confess Thee
till in heaven we bless Thee.
Text: Jan Roh, 1544
Translation: Catherine Winkworth, 1863
This hymn and tune appear as No. 74 in The Lutheran Hymnal 1941 (an outstanding hymnal as sacred to some Lutherans as The Hymnal 1940 is sacrosanct for some Episcopalians). Some newer hymnbooks have butchered the text or abandoned it, but the Editors of The Hymnal 1982 of the Episcopal Church (USA) very gently retouched the text in a masterful way that kept the integrity of Winkworth's original poetic translation and which encouraged congregations to embrace it as a seasonal favourite:
1 Once He came in blessing,
All our ills redressing;
Came in likeness lowly,
Son of God most holy;
Bore the cross to save us,
Hope and freedom gave us.
2 Still he comes within us,
still his voice would win us
from the sins that hurt us;
would to Truth convert us:
not in torment hold us,
but in love enfold us.
3 Thus if thou canst name him,
not ashamed to claim him,
but wilt trust him boldly,
nor dost love him coldly,
he will then receive thee,
heal thee, and forgive thee.
4 One who thus endureth
bright reward secureth.
Come then, O Lord Jesus,
from our sins release us;
let us here confess thee,
Till in heaven we bless thee.
I would be remiss not to include the tune sometimes used in the Moravian Church in the USA. The tune is found in an older Moravian hymn book, and for a number of generations the following tune was "the right tune" and still is "the right tune" according to a retired pastor friend of mine:
My hymn below is sung to the tune OLD 113TH which once was well known in Wesleyan and Methodist circles as the tune for "I'll praise my Maker while I've breath". My text is appropriate for Christmastide and all feasts of the Incarnation and the Holy Family.
Mother of the Saviour! "Yes!" said she to Gabriel's plea, "Yes!" to God forever. "Yes!" for every woman born. "Yes!" for every nation. "Yes!" for all of the unborn. "Yes!" for all creation.
The following are three verses from a much longer hymn of mine upon the theme of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to St Elisabeth especially appropriate at this time of year:
Lo, how she brings Life with her Concealed beneath her heart, Eve's daughter, brave and chosen, God's partner to his art. Her will knit with divine will Desires his Word be done. For God she weaves within her The body of their Son. All ages call her blessèd Just as she once foretold. Blest is she amongst women, Her Child blest from of old. Blest is she who believes God Who carries God's true Word. Her Son both God and human Fulfils great Gabriel's word. Our Saviour, God of mercy, Remembers Abraham's fold. Praise God who casts down tyrants. Rejoice! Our God is bold. So sing we with blest Mary To magnify the Lord Who raised up his handmaiden. Oh, holy is the Lord!
Here is an excellent eucharistic prayer by the Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen commended by Fr. Sebastian White, OP to the readers of Magnificat magazine:
Here is my body. Take it. Here is my blood. Take it.
Here is my soul, my will, my energy, my strength, my property, my wealth—all that I have. It is yours. Take it! Consecrate it! Offer it with yourself to the heavenly Father.... Consecrate these trials of my life which would go unrewarded unless united with you; transubstantiate me so that like bread which is now your Body, and wine which is now your Blood, I too may be wholly yours.... My station in life, my routine duties, my work, my family—all these are but the species of my life which may remain unchanged; but the substance of my life, my soul, my mind, my will, my heart—transubstantiate them, transform them wholly into your service, so that through me all may know how sweet is the love of Christ.
The Feast of Blessed Miguel Pro is on the 23rd of November. ¡Viva Cristo Rey!
Too often this feast gets overlooked in the USA because of the secular national observance of Thanksgiving Day. It is a blessing that this year the feast day of Blessed Miguel Pro falls on the Saturday before Thanksgiving Day.
Christ the King,
through the intercession of Blessed Miguel Pro,
I beg you to answer my prayers.
Give me the grace and the strength necessary
to
follow his heroic example,
and to live my Catholic faith. Amen.
On the Church's liturgical calendar the 21st of November is the Commemoration of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The 22nd of November is the Feast of Saint Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr. And then on Saturday we have the feast day of Blessed Miguel Pro, Priest and Martyr.
