“Let my eyes take their sleep, but may my heart always keep watch for You. May Your right hand bless Your servants who love You. May I be united with the praise that flows from You, Lord Jesus, to all Your saints; united with the gratitude drawn from Your heart, good Jesus, that causes Your saints to thank You; united with Your passion, good Jesus, by which You took away our guilt; united with the divine longing that You had on earth for our salvation; united with every prayer that welled from Your divine heart, good Jesus, and flowed into the hearts of Your saints.”  (A Prayer composed by Saint Peter Canisius)

The Third Week in the Season of Advent

Monday, December 18 

O Lord and Ruler of the House of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the flame of the burning bush and gave him the law on Sinai: Come and redeem us with outstretched arm.

Holy Gospel: Matthew 1:18-25 

Prayer: Grant, we pray, Almighty God, that we, who are weighed down from of old by slavery beneath the yoke of sin, may be set free by the newness of the long-awaited Nativity of your Only Begotten Son. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Contemplation: Joseph, a just and God-fearing man, did not wish to embarrass or punish his espoused wife, Mary when he discovered that she was pregnant. To all appearances she had broken their solemn pledge to be faithful and chaste to one another. Joseph, no doubt took this troubling matter to God in prayer. He was not hasty to judge or to react with hurt and anger. God rewarded him not only with guidance and consolation, but with the divine assurance that he had indeed called Joseph to be the husband of Mary and to assume a mission that would require the utmost faith, confidence, and trust in Almighty God. Joseph believed in the divine message to take Mary as his wife and to accept the child in her womb as the promised Messiah. Like Mary, Joseph is a model of faith for us. He is a faithful witness and servant of God’s unfolding plan of redemption. Are you ready to believe in the promises of God, even when faced with perplexing circumstances and what seems like insurmountable problems?

Tuesday, December 19

O Root of Jesse, who stands for an ensign of the people, before whom kings shall keep silence and unto whom the Gentiles shall make supplication: Come to deliver us, and tarry not.

Holy Gospel: Luke 5:1-25  

Prayer: O God, who through your Only Begotten Son have made us a new creation, look kindly, we pray, on the handiwork of your mercy, and at your Son’s coming cleanse us from every stain of the old way of life. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Contemplation: In the annunciation of the birth of John the Baptist, the angel explains to Zechariah the role his son is to play in preparing the way for the Messiah. John will be great in the sight of God. He will live as a Nazarite (read Book of Numbers 6) – a person set apart for the Lord. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even within his mother’s womb. And he shall be sent to the people of God, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers and children to God and one another, by turning the “disobedient to the wisdom of the just.” The name John means “the Lord is gracious.” When God acts to save us, he graciously fills us with his Holy Spirit and makes our faith “alive” to his promises. Do you pray that “the hearts of parents and children may be turned to God and one another”?

Wednesday, December 20

O Key of David, and Scepter of the House of Israel, who opens and no man shuts who shuts and no man opens; Come and bring forth the captive from his prison, he who sits in darkness and in the shadow of death.

Holy Gospel: Luke 1:26-38 

Prayer: Grant, we pray, Almighty God, that the coming solemnity of your Son may bestow healing upon us in this present life and bring us the rewards of life eternal. 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. Amen.

Contemplation: Mary is the “mother of God” because God becomes incarnate when he takes on flesh in her womb.  When we pray the Nicene Creed, we state our confession of faith in this great mystery: “For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven; by the power of the Holy Spirit, he became incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and was made man.” God gives us grace and he expects us to respond with the same willingness, obedience, and heartfelt trust as Mary did. When God commands he also gives help, strength, and means to respond. We can either yield to his grace or resist and go our own way. Do you believe in God’s promises and yield to his grace?

Thursday, December 21 | Saint Peter Canisius

O Dawn, splendor of eternal light, and sun of justice, come, and shine on those seated in darkness, and in the shadow of death.

Holy Gospel: Luke 1:39-45  

Prayer: O God, who for the defense of the Catholic faith made the Priest Saint Peter Canisius strong in virtue and in learning, grant, through his intercession, that those who seek the truth may joyfully find you, their God, and that your faithful people may persevere in confessing you. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Contemplation: You are indeed blessed if you see and recognize the Lord with the “eyes of faith.” The word “blessed” [makarios in Greek] literally means “happiness” or “beatitude.” It describes a kind of joy which is serene and untouchable, self-contained, and independent from chance and changing circumstances of life. There is a certain paradox for those “blessed” by the Lord. Mary was given the “blessedness” of being the mother of the Son of God. That blessedness also would become a sword which pierced her heart as her Son died upon the cross. Mary received both a crown of joy and a cross of sorrow. Her joy was not diminished by her sorrow because it was fueled by her faith, hope, and trust in God and his promises. Jesus promised his disciples that “no one will take your joy from you.” (John 16:22) The Lord gives us a supernatural joy which enables us to bear any sorrow or pain and which neither life nor death can take away. As we move closer to the end of Advent, have you come to know during this time the joy of living a life given over to God in greater faith and trust?

Friday, December 22 

O King of the Gentiles and their desired One, the Cornerstone that makes both one; Come, and deliver man, whom You formed out of the dust of the earth.

Holy Gospel: Luke 1:46-56  

Prayer: Grant, we pray, Almighty God, that we, who are weighed down from of old by slavery beneath the yoke of sin, may be set free by the newness of the long-awaited Nativity of your Only Begotten Son. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Contemplation: Despite what we may think about ourselves, always remember that God has great things in store for his people. It is again a vision of the Kingdom, of God’s will being done on earth. It is indeed Good News. All this is very much in line with the picture of Jesus when one reads the gospels. It is in the gospels where the poor, the weak, the marginalized, the outcast and the sinful have a special place in the eyes of Jesus. We, too, can rejoice with Mary in the long list of good things that we have been gifted with by our loving Lord. Those gifts are not just for our enjoyment. Our task is, in accordance with those God-given gifts, abilities and talents, to make sure that the love of God is tangibly experienced by the poor, the weak, the marginalized, the outcast and the sinful in our own midst. The realization of what Mary sings about in today’s gospel will only take place when we all work together with Jesus to bring it about. With Mary, let us all say a hearty and resounding “Yes” to God’s plans for us, his sons and daughters.

Scripture passages (NAB translation) courtesy of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Daily meditations and contemplations adapted from the Irish Jesuits’ Sacred Space web page and Biblical Medications for Advent by Rev. Carroll Stuhlmueller, C.P.; prayers are from The Roman Missal, Catholic Book Publishing, 2011; information about saints, solemnities, feasts and memorials courtesy of the Catholic Culture website.              frlumpe:2023