First Sunday of Advent

Traditional Propers:

INTROIT
Psalms 24: 1-3
To Thee, O Lord, have I lifted up my soul: in Thee, O my God, I put my trust; let me not be ashamed. Neither let my enemies laugh at me: for none of them that wait on Thee shall be confounded. Ps. Show, O Lord, Thy ways to me, and teach me Thy paths. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. To Thee...

COLLECT - Bestir, O Lord, Thy might, we pray Thee and come; That, defended by Thee, we may deserve rescue from approaching dangers brought on by our sins, and being set free by Thee, obtain our salvation. Who livest and reignest with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.

EPISTLE
Romans 13:11-14
Brethren, knowing the time, that it is now the hour for us to rise from sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we believed. The night is past, and the day is at hand; let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and impurities, not in contention and envy; but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Gradual
Psalms. 24: 3-4
None of them that wait on Thee shall be confounded. Show, O Lord, Thy ways to me, and teach me Thy paths.

LESSER ALLELUIA - ALLELUIA, alleluia. V. Ps. 84, 8. Show us, O Lord, Thy mercy: and grant us Thy salvation. Alleluia.
GOSPEL
Luke 21:25-33

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples: There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, by reason of the confusion of the roaring of the sea and of the waves: men withering away for fear and expectation of what shall come upon the whole world. For the powers of heaven shall be moved; and then they shall see the Son of man coming in a cloud with great power and majesty. But when these things begin to come to pass, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is at hand. And He spoke to them a similitude: See the fig tree, and all the trees; when they now shoot forth their fruit, you know that summer is nigh; so you also, when you shall see these things come to pass, know that the kingdom of God is at hand. Amen I say to you, this generation shall not pass away till all things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.

OFFERTORY
Psalms 24:1,-3
To Thee have I lifted up my soul: in Thee, O my God, I put my trust, let me not be ashamed: neither let my enemies laugh at me: for none of them that wait for Thee shall be confounded.

SECRET - May, O Lord, these Sacred Rites enable us, whom by Thy mighty power Thou hast cleansed from sin, to come pure in heart before Thee who art their author. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.. .

PREFACE (Preface of the Most Holy Trinity) - It it truly meet and just, right and for our salvation, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks unto Thee, O holy Lord, Father almighty, everlasting God; Who, together with Thine only-begotten Son, and the Holy Ghost, art one God, one Lord: not in the oneness of a single Person, but in the Trinity of one substance. For what we believe by Thy revelation of Thy glory, the same do we believe of Thy Son, the same of the Holy Ghost, without difference or separation. So that in confessing the true and everlasting Godhead, distinction in persons, unity in essence, and equality in majesty may be adored. Which the Angels and Archangels, the Cherubim also and Seraphim do praise: who cease not daily to cry out, with one voice saying:

COMMUNION
Psalms 84: 13
The Lord will give goodness: and our earth shall yield her fruit.

POST COMMUNION - May we in the midst of Thy holy temple, O Lord, receive of Thy mercy, who seek with fitting honour to welcome the coming festival of our Redemption. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.

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Catholic Thanksgiving Day Prayer

Happy Thanksgiving!

Let us remember to thank God today for the many blessings we have received. Remember to say a special Blessing before your Thanksgiving meal today. If you have no other commitments volunteer to help serve Thanksgiving dinner at a place that is serving the poor. Or, if you are hosting a dinner, invite friends or family who have nowhere else to go.

Today is an appropriate day to add to our prayers the collect prayer from the Votive Mass of Thanksgiving:

O God of Whose mercies there is no number, and of Whose goodness the treasure is infinite: we render thanks to Thy most gracious Majesty for the gifts Thou hast bestowed upon us, always beseeching Thy clemeny; that as Thou grantest the petitions of them that ask Thee, Thou wilt prepare them for the greater rewards that still await them.

Source: 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal

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Pope Benedict XVI: Recent Comments on Condom Usage

In the past few days, the Internet and much of the media has been focusing on the recent comments of Pope Benedict XVI, when he said that condom usage may be appropriate for male prostitutes (not female prostitutes) as a means to reduce the spread of H.I.V, the virus responsible for AIDS.  His comments were not issued in support for contraception by females and was not intended under any circumstance to be used for the purpose of birth control.

I wish to direct your attention to these previous posts of mine on the topic:

• Why not contraception?
• The Church will never recommend condoms
• Uganda's Abstinence Program will Work
  

Image Source: AP Photo/Andrew Medichini

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Consistory for the creation of new cardinals

As I had mentioned several weeks ago, the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, has chosen 24 new cardinals, including 4 new Americans.  Included among these 24 are Archbishop Raymond Burke, Archbishop Donald Wuerl, Archbishop Kurt Koch, and others.

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New Translation of the English Roman Missal: A Comprehensive Guide and Explanation

CatechismClass.com has recently unveiled a new lesson on their website to help explain the New Translation of the Roman Missal. The lesson is available as a 60-page document outlining the changes in the Liturgy from the perspective of the priest and the congregation. The text goes through the changes in the Liturgy over the past 2,000 years to best explain the reasons for the changes in this New Translation.

• Chapter 1: The Source and Summit of the Christian Life
• Chapter 2: A Brief History of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
• Chapter 3: The Need for a New Translation of the Roman Missal
• Chapter 4: What We Will Say (Changes for the Participants)
• Chapter 5: What We Will Hear (Changes for the Celebrant)

This work is intended for the average Catholic to read and is a great tool for pastors to purchase and share with their congregations, CCD classes, RCIA students, etc, etc.

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St Mary Magdalen Wandsworth: Solemn Mass

Below are a few of the recent images uploaded by Joseph Shaw of a Solemn Mass at St. Mary Magadalene in Wandsworth.  Fr Martin Edwards, parish priest of St Mary Magdalen's, Wandsworth, arranged for the recently ordained Fr Ian McDole to celebrate a Solemn Mass in his Church. Fr John Zuhlsdorf was deacon for this Mass.

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Pope: Church Needs Creativity to Reach Digital Age

If the Church is going to fulfill its mission to proclaim the truth of Christ to all peoples, it must use its "creative intelligence" to overcome certain challenges of the digital age, says Benedict XVI.

The Pope reflected on the Church's constant search for better means to proclaim the Gospel on Saturday upon receiving in audience participants in the Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Council of Culture, which took place last week in Rome. The theme considered at the plenary was "Culture of Communication and New Languages."

"A profound cultural transformation is under way," the Pontiff affirmed, "with new languages and new forms of communication" being developed.

"In this context," he added, "pastors and the faithful notice with concern certain difficulties in the communication of the evangelical message and the transmission of the faith within the ecclesial community itself."

The Holy Father acknowledged that it can be difficult to address men and women who are "distant from or indifferent to an experience of faith," and to whom the message of the Gospel arrives "in a way that has little effectiveness or attractiveness."

But, he recalled, the Church is the "recipient of the mission to communicate to all the nations the Gospel of salvation," and it "does not remain indifferent."

Source: Zenit

I am sure that our Holy Father would be rather pleased if he began to look through the wealth if information available through Catholic blogs and faithful Catholic websites. This blog in particular has been around since 2004 and has seen an influx not only in Catholic blogs but also an influx in quality Catholic blogs.

Similarly, it is fantastic to see the Church continue to spread the Faith through online catechism lessons. CatechismClass.com operates with the singular goal of being nothing short of the best online Catholic catechesis program in the world.  All actions of the company are ultimately directed to the purpose of saving souls.  In the words of the holy apostle Paul, “And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard?”  (Romans 10:14).  

Let us pray for a continued influx of evangelization using new technologies.

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Diaconate Ordination at Clear Creek Monastery

The New Liturgical Movement blog featured some stunning photographs of a recent (October 3, 2010) diaconate ordination at Clear Creek Monastery.  I wish to share some of these outstanding photos.  Remember - pray for vocations.

Source: NLM

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Zenit: Pope Points to Liturgy as Education on the Gospel

Benedict XVI is urging a greater appreciation of the liturgy as a source of education about the "good life of the Gospel."

The Pope made these statements in a letter sent to Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, president of the Italian Episcopal Conference, on the occasion of the Plenary Assembly being held through Thursday in Assisi.

One focus of the assembly is the review of the Italian translation of the newest edition of the Roman Missal.

"The rites speak through their intrinsic rationality," the Pontiff noted, "and educate to a conscious, active and fruitful participation."

He continued, "The correspondence of the prayer of the Church (lex orandi) with the rule of the faith (lex credendi) molds the thought and the feelings of the Christian community, giving shape to the Church, Body of Christ and Temple of the Spirit."

"No human word can do without time, even when, as in the case of the liturgy, it constitutes a window that open beyond time," the Holy Father affirmed. "Hence, to give voice to a perennially valid reality calls for the wise balance of continuity and novelty, of tradition and actualization."

"The Missal itself is placed within this process," he added.

Source: Zenit

Image Source: A Missa Cantata in the Ancient Form of the Roman Liturgy, offered in the parish church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, by Fr. Ervin Kovács

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Rorate Coeli

Rorate caeli desuper, et nubes pluant iustum.
Rorate caeli desuper, et nubes pluant iustum.
Ne irascaris Domine, ne ultra memineris iniquitatis: ecce civitas Sancti facta est deserta: Sion deserta facta est: Jerusalem desolata est: domus sanctificationis tuae et gloriae tuae, ubi laudaverunt te patres nostri.
Rorate caeli desuper, et nubes pluant iustum.

Peccavimus, et facti sumus tamquam immundus nos, et cecidimus quasi folium universi: et iniquitates nostrae quasi ventus abstulerunt nos: abscondisti faciem tuam a nobis, et allisisti nos in manu iniquitatis nostrae.
Rorate caeli desuper, et nubes pluant iustum.

Vide Domine afflictionem populi tui, et mitte quem missurus es: emitte Agnum dominatorem terrae, de Petra deserti ad montem filiae Sion: ut auferat ipse iugum captivitatis nostrae.
Rorate caeli desuper, et nubes pluant iustum.

Consolamini, consolamini, popule meus: cito veniet salus tua: quare maerore consumeris, quia innovavit te dolor? Salvabo te, noli timere, ego enim sum Dominus Deus tuus, Sanctus Israel, Redemptor tuus.
Rorate caeli desuper, et nubes pluant iustum.

Note: Rorate Coeli is an Advent Hymn

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