EPIPHANY: Setting out anew for Christ...

  “The Magi set out because of a deep desire which 

prompted them to leave everything 

and begin a journey.  It was as though they had

 always been waiting for that star.” 

 Pope Benedict XVI

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Solemnity of the Epiphany

Although the date of the Epiphany on the General Calendar of the Church 

is January 6th, in the USA and some other countries it is celebrated 

on the Sunday after January 1st so more Catholics may attend holy Mass. 

This year it was celebrated on January 4.

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“No one, whether shepherd or wise man,
can approach God here below except 

by kneeling before the manger at Bethlehem 

and adoring him hidden 

in the weakness of a new-born child.”

- Catechism of the Catholic Church, 56

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They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering

the house they saw the child with Mary his mother.

They prostrated themselves and did him homage. - Matt 2:10-11

 "Today we must make our own 

the happiness which filled the Wise Men 

on their journey to Christ... 
Above all, we must imitate them as they 

place at the Child's feet not only three gifts,
but also their lives...
We need to 'set out anew from Christ,'
with the zeal of Pentecost, 

with renewed enthusiasm.

To set out from Him above all

in a daily commitment to holiness,

with an attitude of prayer
and of listening to His word.

To set out from Him

in order to testify to His love
by living a Christian life
marked by communion, charity 

and witness before the world."

Saint John Paul II

O, come let us adore Him -

Christ the LORD!

“In returning to their own land by another way

the Magi suggest something of great significance for us. 

Our true country is paradise.  

Having now come to the knowledge of Jesus, 
we are forbidden to return to it 
on the path by which we left it. 

For we left our land by the path of pride, of disobedience,

by following after wealth, by eating forbidden food.  

So we must now return another way:

by way of tears, by way of obedience, 
by contempt of the world, by restraining the 
desires of the flesh.” - St Gregory the Great

Photo Image above: Christ Our Life Conference, Des Moines, IA ~ USA (2014)

 

Chalking the Door: Blessing Your Home for Epiphany –

The power of His Name...

 Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus

January 3

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At every Mass, before the priest begins the Eucharistic prayer,

we pray: “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”

St Paul proclaims: "God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him 
the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus 
every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, 
to the glory of God the Father.  - Phil 2:9-11

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"To holy people the very name of Jesus is a name to feed upon, 

a name to transport. His name can raise the dead and 

transfigure and beautify the living." - St John Henry Newman

"There are two things that make it easy for souls to adore Our Lord in the Sacrament of His Love: they can seek His Human Face, though it be veiled by the appearance of the Sacred Host; and they can call upon Him by His Human Name.

These are the two things that people crave in a relationship: knowledge of a face and of a name. From these, one experiences the heart of the other, and so a relationship becomes a communion, an exchange in which one finds fulfillment, that is, joy and a response to one's love in the other. ... 

Come close to Him, then, who has made Himself so close to us. ..

This knowledge of Him -- of His Name and of His Face -- comes through Word and Sacrament in His Holy Catholic Church. Only there can souls come to experience Him as the Risen One with whom they can enter into a relationship so real that it is consummated in a Holy Communion, in partaking of His Body and Blood, and in becoming one with Him, even as He is one with His Father. ...

The Sacred Name and Sacred Face of Jesus are fire and light in this world that is becoming colder and darker by the day. In the end, the darkness will be forever vanquished by the fire of His Name and by the light of His Face, and then there shall be peace in His Kingdom fully revealed, and in the company of His saints who will sing praise to His Name and adore His Face, shining more brightly than a thousand suns, and this unto the ages of ages."

Dom Mark Daniel Kirby 
 Silverstream Priory 

Thoughts of St. Bernard of Clairvaux who wrote hymn "Iesu Dulcis Memoria"- sung today on the Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus:

"The sweet Name of Jesus produces in us holy thoughts, fills the soul with noble sentiments, strengthens virtue, begets good works, and nourishes pure affections. All spiritual food leaves the soul dry, if it contain not that penetrating oil, the Name Jesus. When you take your pen, write the Name Jesus: if you write books, let the Name of Jesus be contained in them, else they will possess no charm or attraction for me; you may speak, or you may reply, but if the Name of Jesus sounds not from your lips, you are without unction and without charm. Jesus is honey in our mouth, light in our eyes, a flame in our heart. This name is the cure for all diseases of the soul. Are you troubled? think but of Jesus, speak but the Name of Jesus, the clouds disperse, and peace descends anew from heaven. Have you fallen into sin? so that you fear death? invoke the Name of Jesus, and you will soon feel life returning. No obduracy of the soul, no weakness, no coldness of heart can resist this holy Name; there is no heart which will not soften and open in tears at this holy name. Are you surrounded by sorrow and danger? invoke the Name of Jesus, and your fears will vanish."

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Devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus:   
http://www.fisheaters.com/holyname.html 
Wonders of the Holy Name of Jesus:  
http://www.olrl.org/pray/wonders.shtml
Spreading devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus:
http://www.nahns.com/
  
  Click here: Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus - YouTube (9:30 mins)

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Act of Reparation for Blasphemies Uttered Against the Holy Name

O Jesus, my Savior and Redeemer, Son of the living God, behold, we kneel before Thee and offer Thee our reparation; we would make amends for all the blasphemies uttered against Thy holy name, for all the injuries done to Thee in the Blessed Sacrament, for all the irreverence shown toward Thine immaculate Virgin Mother, for all the calumnies and slanders spoken against Thy spouse, the holy Catholic and Roman Church. O Jesus, who has said: “If you ask the Father anything in My name, He will give it to you,” we pray and beseech Thee for all our brethren who are in danger of sin; shield them from every temptation to fall away from the true faith; save those who are even now standing on the brink of the abyss; to all of them give light and knowledge of the truth, courage and strength for the conflict with evil, perseverance in faith and active charity! For this do we pray, most merciful Jesus, in Thy name, unto God the Father, with whom Thou livest and reignest in the unity of the Holy Ghost world without end.  Amen. 

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Tenth Day of Christmas

Linked in life and in death...

  Let the peoples recount the wisdom of the Saints, 

and let the Church proclaim their praise.  

Their names will live on and on.  - Cf. Sir 44:15, 14

(Entrance Antiphon, Today's Liturgy)

   

"Eternal Son of the living God, whom I acknowledge 

here as truly present, I adore You with all the powers 

of my soul!  Prostrate with the angels in the most profound 

reverence, I love You, O my Savior; whom I now behold on 

Your throne of love.  O dread Majesty, O infinite Mercy, 

save me!  Forgive me!  Grant that I may never 

more be separated from You!"

St Basil the Great

Bishop, Doctor of the Church

Father of Eastern Monasticism

His single greatest contribution was his insistence

on the divinity and consubstantiality

of the Holy Spirit with the Father and the Son

329-379 AD

Feast Day - January 2

 "We should not accept in silence 

the benefactions of God, but return 

thanks for them." - St Basil the Great

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In the life of St. Basil the Great we find one of the first references 

of the Holy Eucharist being reserved for Adoration. 

At Mass, St. Basil divided the Blessed Sacrament into 3 parts: 

the first, he consumed; the second, he gave to his monks; 

the third, he placed in a special golden dove (like a tabernacle) 

in the Church for veneration.
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Click here: The Life of St. Basil the Great - YouTube (3 mins) excellent!

"Why was St. Basil given the name "Great"? Only a few people 
in the world were ever given the magnificent title, "Great"! 

Alexander the Great was so-called because he conquered the world, 

but St. Basil was called "Great" because he conquered 

the hearts and souls of men for Jesus Christ. 
His whole life was dedicated to Jesus and the message of Christianity. 
He had the humility of Moses, the zeal of Elijah, 

the piety of Peter, the eloquence of John the Theologian, 

and the dedication of Paul." - Fr. George Poulos

Tyburn Convent, England

“Let us remain in adoration: and to Him, who, in order 

to save us, humbled Himself to such a degree of poverty 

as to receive our body, let us offer not only 

incense, gold and myrrh, the first as God, the second 

as king, and the third as one who sought death for our sake, 

but also spiritual gifts more sublime than those 

which can be seen with the eyes” (Oratorio).

St Gregory Nazienzen

Bishop, Doctor of the Church

Father of Eastern Monasticism

Esteemed writer and orator

especially on theme of Trinity

aka "the Theologian"

328 -389 AD

Feast Day - January 2

“God accepts our desires as though they were a great value. 

He longs ardently for us to desire and love Him. 

He accepts our petitions for benefits as though we were 

doing Him a favor. His joy in giving is greater than 

ours in receiving. So let us not be apathetic in our asking, 

nor set too narrow bounds to our requests; nor 

ask for frivolous things unworthy of God’s greatness.”

 St Gregory of Nazienzen

Click here: "The Theologian":Gregory of Nazianzus - YouTube (9 mins)

      A sweet tidbit: St. Gregory marveled at the depth of his mother 

Nonna’s faith in God on the altar. While in Our Lord's presence, 

she would never turn her back on the Blessed Sacrament.

Sts Basil and Gregory, pray for us!

Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen are linked in this feast day, as they were in life; they were schoolmates, co-defenders of the orthodox teaching on the Trinity, and dear friends.  Both served as Bishops and suffered hostility from the politically powerful Arians.  In 379 Gregory preached at Basil's funeral:   "Do you, Basil, there also welcome me in your dwelling, when I have departed this life that we may live together and gaze more directly and perfectly at the Holy and Blessed Trinity.  Thus we shall attain the fruition of our desire, and receive the reward of the battles we have fought and the attacks  we have resisted."  - Magnificat - Vol 21, No 11, January 2020

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Ninth Day of Christmas

 

TODAY is the Anniversary of the birth of 

St Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face

St Therese, the Little Flower, please pick for me a rose

from the heavenly garden
and send it to me with a message of love;

ask God to grant me the favor I thee implore and tell 

Him I will love Him each day more and more. Amen.

De Maria numquam satis ...

 Octave of Christmas

Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God

and World Day of Peace

January 1

Hail, Holy Mother, who gave birth to the King,

who rules heaven and earth for ever.

(Entrance Antiphon, Today's Liturgy)

Our Lady Divine Providence Mother

“And is not the enraptured gaze of Mary

as she contemplated 

the face of the newborn Christ

and cradled Him in her arms 

that unparalleled

model of love 

which should inspire us every time 

we receive Eucharistic communion?"

St John Paul II

Jesus' Mother, Our Mother

The purity of our Lord Jesus' first perfect food 

of human need

comes forth in streams of gold.

Hail Mary, full of grace!

The queenly milk of sweetness, sorrow and suffering

flows with unremitting love.

The sanctified milk of comfort, consolation and cure

brings us to the Son of God.

Holy Mary, Mother of God!

The banishment of doubt and weakness 

with a drop of this heavenly milk

satisfies our every need.

We sit on Mary's lap as weaned children

in calm expectation of Our Father's Love.

Weaned through the glorious and gracious gift

of Christ's true food and true drink;

His precious Body and Blood.

Mary places us in the presence of

the Father, Son and Holy Spirit!

Terri Gaffney

Virgin Immaculate, you are the perfect model of adorers of the Blessed Sacrament. You adored Jesus in the little white Host with the same faith, reverence and wonder with which you adored Him on the first Christmas night and during all the years you lived with Him. Teach us not to forget that the small white Host is truly our God, infinite, eternal and omnipotent. Help us to conduct ourselves at all times in His presence with the modesty and reverence we owe to our God...

Virgin Immaculate, perfect lover of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, we ask you to obtain for us the graces we need to become true adorers of our Eucharistic God. Grant us, we beg of you, to know Him better, to love Him more, and to center our lives around the Eucharist, that is, to make our whole life a constant prayer of adoration, thanksgiving, reparation, and petition to Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. Amen.

V. Pray for us, O Virgin Immaculate, Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament.

R. That the Eucharistic Kingdom of Jesus Christ may come among us!

From "Treasury of Prayer: Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament"

Giovanni Battista Salvi de Sassoferrato (1600s)

"We serve a Mother who seems to grow more beautiful
as new generations call her blessed."  - GK Chesterton

"Never be afraid of loving the Blessed Virgin too much.

You can never love her more than Jesus did." 

St Maximilian Kolbe

Click here: Holy Mary Mother of God - YouTube (4 mins)

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De Maria numquam satis ...
"Concerning Mary there is never enough"

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us!

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Eighth Day (Octave) of Christmas