Author: James T.

Feast of the Holy Innocents, martyrs

From the responsorial psalm: “Had not the LORD been with us— When men rose up against us, then would they have swallowed us alive, When their fury was inflamed against us. Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 2:13-18)

When the magi had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.” Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt.

Matthew describes the events surrounding the flight of the Holy Family into Egypt to escape King Herod’s decree to kill all male infants in Bethlehem. An attempt to maintain absolute control, Herod’s decree to kill all male children two years old and under reveals the brutality that results from attempting to control and maintain political power and authority. In contrast to this, Joseph’s obedience to the angel’s command reflects his submission and obedience to God’s divine guidance. Without a single word, Joseph rises from sleep and immediately takes Mary and the Christ Child, fulfilling the prophecy “Out of Egypt I have called my son.” Even in his infancy, Jesus reveals that the path of the Messiah is not one of power and control but complete reliance on God’s divine protection in the face of suffering and adversity.

God, help me recall throughout the day how Joseph responded to the command of an angel. In the face of the unfolding tragedy, he did not question the angel or wake up Mary and confer with her about what the command might mean and whether it was literal. Just as you spoke to Joseph through the message of an angel, I want to be attentive to do what is good in accordance to your will. For me to do that, I have to have ears open to hearing you and a heart that trusts in your divine guidance and protection. Give me the grace to find quiet throughout the day so that I can hear and obey your will. Help me trust that the same God who protected the Holy Family is mine to turn to with absolute faith and trust. Holy Innocents, martyrs, pray for us!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Feast of Saint John, Apostle and evangelist

From the responsorial psalm: “Light dawns for the just; and gladness, for the upright of heart. Be glad in the LORD, you just, and give thanks to his holy name. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (Jn 20:1a and 2-8)

When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed.

John describes the events that take place at the discovery of the empty tomb following the resurrection of Jesus. Mary Magdalene first goes to the tomb and finds that the stone has been rolled away and then tells Peter, the first pope, and John, the disciple whom Jesus loved. Peter and John immediately run to the tomb, and John arrives first and out of respect for his authority of office waits for him to enter first. Going inside the tomb, Peter finds the burial cloths and the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head. John then enters and sees the burial cloths. In John’s own account, which he describes in third person writing about himself, he says, “he saw and believed.” As the first apostles, Mary Magdalene, Peter, and John run to seek out the risen Christ. The risen Christ, present in the Eucharist, is ours to run to today.

God, help me take in the words of Saint John from the first reading as it applies to the Gospel: “what we have seen and heard we proclaim now to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; for our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We are writing this so that our joy may be complete.” Fellowship with you and with Jesus is your gift and mine to receive. Give me the grace to do that through participation in the sacraments of the Church and through the intercession of Saint John and the Blessed Mother. Just as John accepted the invitation of Jesus from the cross to take Mary into his home, show me the way to do the same for the sake of your glory. Saint John, pray for us!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“Do not worry about how you are to speak.” | Feast of Saint Stephen, first martyr

From the responsorial psalm: “Into your hands I commend my spirit; you will redeem me, O LORD, O faithful God. I will rejoice and be glad because of your mercy. Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 10:17-22)

Jesus said to his disciples: “Beware of men, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.”

Jesus describes to the disciples the truth about discipleship, which Saint Stephen experiences as the first martyr in the reading from the Acts of the Apostles. In saying “Beware of men,” Jesus contrasts human sin with supernatural grace. People would hand you over to death; the Holy Spirit would raise you to new life. When certain people confront Stephen but cannot withstand his divine wisdom, they become infuriated and kill him. “But he,” we hear in Acts, “filled with the Holy Spirit, looked up intently to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.” Jesus tells the disciples how to behave when they are attacked because of his name, and he tells them not to worry about finding words but placing trust in the Spirit of his Father who would speak through them.

God, help me see the profound connection between Saint Stephen and the warning of Jesus. Through the Holy Spirit and in proclaiming the Gospel, Stephen saw beyond present suffering, instead beholding your glory and Jesus at your right hand. At the hands of his persecurtors, Jesus accomplished your will perfectly in his life, death, and resurrection as the the Word Incarnate. Each trusted in you, their heavenly Father. As Saint Augustine said of Saint Stephen’s martyrdom: “Watching from above his soldier battling down below, Jesus was supplying him with invincible strength so that he should not fall.” Give me the grace, Lord, to trust that when persecution comes, I will have all the divine assistance needed in proclaiming the Gospel. Saint Stephen, pray for us!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) Mass at Dawn

A merry and blessed Christmas to you and your family!

From the responsorial psalm: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 1:67-79)

So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child.

Luke unfolds the events following the birth of Jesus and the response of the shepherds who are visited by angels. After the angels leave, the shepherds say, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place.” They go in haste to find find Mary, Joseph, and the infant Jesus lying in a manger, an invitation to all people through the shepherds to respond promptly to God’s call. And the shepherds return, “glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.” In their eager response to do as the angel proclaims to them, to witness “an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” Hearing their story and seeing them, “Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.” In the story of the Nativity, God invites to do the same, to reflect on these things in our heart and to examine our own responses to God’s message, sharing in and sharing with others, the joy of Christ’s birth.

God, all praise and glory to you for sending your Son to us as a newborn savior, lying in a manger, the Word made flesh for the life of the world. In him, your love is made Incarnate. Blessed be your holy Name. Blessed be the Name of Jesus. Blessed be the Mother of my Lord, Mary most holy. Blessed be Saint Joseph, her most chaste spouse. Blessed are you in your angels and in your saints. The announcement to the shepherds is for the whole world. As Saint John Paul II prayed during midnight Mass: “Look upon us, eternal Son of God, who took flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary! All humanity, with its burden of trials and troubles, stands in need of you. Stay with us, living Bread which came down from heaven for our salvation! Stay with us forever!”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“The dawn from on high.” | Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Advent

From the Gospel acclamation: “O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light, sun of justice: come and shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 1:67-79)

“You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, to give his people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins. In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

Today’s Gospel picks up where yesterday’s passage left off. The friends and neighbors of Zechariah and Elizabeth take to heart the events surrounding the birth and naming of John the Baptist, asking, “What, then, will this child be?” As Zechariah regains his speech, he praises God for fulfilling his promises in freeing his people from the hands of enemies so that they are “free to worship him without fear, holy and righteous in his sight.” In connecting the role that John would have, at the coming of the Messiah in the fullness of time, Zechariah proclaims that God’s mercy and salvation is for all. As he recounts God’s promises throughout salvation history, Zechariah identifies John as the one who will prepare the way of the Lord and through a call for repentance, reveal to God’s people knowledge of salvation.

God, tomorrow is the birth of your Son. As Isaiah prophesied, “A child is born to us, a son is given to us.” I feel as if I’m standing at the edge of a cliff. However much I prepared during each day of Advent, I look back at its smallness. What I’ve done counts for nothing. Not in false humilty but in truthful realization, I have to say that although I have given a little to you, you have given me every good gift—the fullness of grace in the Nativity of your only Son and salvation through his passion, death, and resurrection. Open my eyes, Lord, to your gift of freedom, free to worship the light that came into the darkness. Saint Augustine said of you: ” You called, you shouted, and you burst open my deafness. You flashed, you shone in radiance, and you drove away my blindness.” In your tender compassion, Lord, let your light shine so that all may see.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“John is his name.” | Monday of the Fourth Week of Advent

Today’s antiphon: “O Emmanuel, our King and Giver of Law: come to save us, Lord our God!” (Isaiah 7:14)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 1:57-66)

But they answered her, “There is no one among your relatives who has this name.” So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,” and all were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God.

Neighbors and relatives who are close to Elizabeth and Zechariah witness the blessings and mercy of the Lord at the birth of John. Luke tells us that they rejoiced with Elizabeth. Yet, as close as they are, they remain outside looking in as God’s plan unfolds before them. When the time comes to circumcise the child, the people believe he will be named Zechariah after his father. But Elizabeth says, “No. He will be called John.” As they ask Zechariah, he affirms what Elizabeth has spoken and immediately he begins to speak, blessing God. The amazement and fear that comes upon the witnesses draws them from the periphery of faith to its glorious center, and the word spreads qiuckly throughout the hill country of Judea. In holy fear of the Lord, those who dwell on these events take them to heart, saying, “What, then, will this child be? For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.” John’s role from his birth was to illuminate the way to the Morning Star, to point to its center, the light of the world.

God, help me hear and take to heart the story of John’s birth and his witness to Jesus. The friends and neighbors of Elizabeth and Zechariah went about preparations for the circumcision in the usual way. What shall we call him? Yet, in an unusual and surprising way, you broke into their lives by naming him from on high through the message of an angel. The messenger of God brought to Zechariah the name of the messenger of Jesus, and in writing it Zechariah could speak again and bless you. There’s something spontaneous and gleeful in this. Yet, if the friends and neighbors of Elizabeth and John hadn’t rejoiced with them in the first place, they wouldn’t have witnessed how John’s name was revealed. Give me the grace today, Lord, to notice and rejoice where your mercy shines. Help me take to heart the subtle and surprising ways you prepare me for the light that shines in the darkness that the darkness cannot overcome.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“And how does this happen to me?” | Fourth Sunday of Advent

Today’s antiphon: O King of all nations and keystone of the Church: come and save man, whom you formed from the dust! (Isaiah 9:5; 2:4)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 1:39-45)

“Blessed are you among women,  and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”

At the Visitation, Elizabeth responds to Mary’s greeting with these words and with a question. She tells Mary that at the sound of her greeting, the infant John leaped in her womb. And then she asks a question, which is direct and at the same time full of meditation and wonder. Elizabeth is undoubtedly one of the first to ponder how it is that the Blessed Virgin, the mother of the Lord, would come to her. In pondering, she recognizes that Mary’s visit is a grace she receives, that it happens to her. Mary brings the grace and blessing of Christ to Elizabeth, to the infant John, and to the house of Zechariah. She does the same for us as we ask for her to intercede for us as the Mother of God, whose soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and brings us always to her son and our savior.

God, help me prepare for the birth of Jesus in the example of Mary and Elizabeth. Mary brought the grace of the infant Christ to Elizabeth and John. Elizabeth responded in wonder that the mother of her Lord should come to her, rejoicing with youthful exuberance at the visit of Jesus and Mary. The Advents and Christmases of past years have led me to certain expectations and old habits, ways of doing things. Let that change. As I take in the Visitation, grant me a good measure of the overwhelming jubilation that Mary and Elizabeth experienced in the nearness of Jesus, present within Mary and brought to the whole world through the Immaculate Conception and in the nativity of Jesus.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“Blessed are you who believed.” | Saturday of the Third Week of Advent

Today’s antiphon: O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light, sun of justice: come and shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death. (Isaiah 9:1)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 1:39-45)

“Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”

Luke narrates Mary’s visit to her cousin Elizabeth after the Annunciation. It reveals the significance of Mary’s pregnancy and Elizabeth’s recognition of Jesus’ divine role even before his birth. Mary travels to visit Elizabeth in haste, expressing the level of joy she must have felt in the angel Gabriel’s message and the fulfillment of it in her pregnancy. In responding to Mary’s greeting, Luke tells us that Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and cried out in a loud voice, “Most blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” Mary exudes the joy of faith in the Lord; Elizabeth affirms it, saying “Blessed are you who believed.” From these two faithful women, God’s tender compassion begins to break through darkness and the shadow of death, a dawn from on high that will illuminate the entire world.

God, by my faith and in my participation of the sacraments, help me be a means of bringing Christ to others. Mary visited Elizabeth, bearing your Son with overwhelming joy. Through fervent participation in my faith, help me know and share the same joy in carrying within me the Incarnate Word. In the Song of Songs is a kind of irony reflecting your mastery over nature, that in the dead of winter and at the longest night, the readings speak of new light that dawns from on high, bringing the peace that only Christ gives: “For see, the winter is past, the rains are over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of pruning the vines has come, and the song of the dove is heard in our land.” Splendor of eternal light, shine on us and on the whole world.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“For you have found favor with God.” | Friday of the Third Week of Advent

Today’s antiphon, O Clavis David (O Key of David): O Key of David, opening the gates of God’s eternal Kingdom: come and free the prisoners of darkness! (Isaiah 9:6; 22:22)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 1:26-38)

“He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”

The angel Gabriel visits the Virgin Mary to announce that she will conceive the Son of God. In the Annunciation, he describes Jesus as great, the Son of the Most High, and that he will inherit the throne of David and reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will have no end. Seeing that Mary is troubled, the angel says to her: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” He tells her that the Holy Spirit will come upon her, and the power of the Most High will overshadow her in the conception. Over any plans Mary could have made for her life, God’s will for Mary is that she fulfills his promises to all of humanity through the birth of Jesus. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Mary says yes.

God, help me realize throughout the day that my role in doing your will has Mary as a perfect example. It is to say yes to you. Help me have the conviction that just as with Mary, the Holy Spirit comes at my consent with overshadowing love. In order for me to say yes, I need an attentiveness to faith that listens out for you in the thrum and turmoil of the day. The psalmist prays, “Let the Lord enter; he is the king of glory.” And you do enter with superabundant love, as when Gabriel reveals that Elizabeth would bear a son who would prepare the way of Jesus. Make clear to me your love, Lord, your desire to enter.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“Do not be afraid, Zechariah.” | Thursday of the Third Week of Advent

Today’s antiphon, O Radix Jesse: O Root of Jesse’s stem, sign of God’s love for all his people: come to save us without delay! (Isaiah 1:1; 11:10)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 1:5-25)

But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John.”

Luke recounts the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth. During Zechariah’s service in the sanctuary of the temple, the angel Gabriel appears to him, causing Zechariah to be troubled and afraid to announce the birth of their son, John the Baptist. The angel describes John’s role as a great prophet who will prepare the way for the Lord and “turn the hearts of fathers toward children and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous.” When Zechariah expresses doubt and fear, he is made mute until the fulfillment of the angel’s words in the birth of John. Elizabeth then conceives and in seclusion delights in what the Lord has done for her in his divine intervention.

God, the O Antiphon for today ends with “come to save us without delay!” It brings to mind the familiar prayer said in the Liturgy of the Hours, “O God, come to my assistance; O Lord, make haste to help me.” Keep my faith supple, Lord, able to discern your works even as I wrestle with doubt and fear. Not by my own power can I save myself, Lord, but by you alone, the giver of all good gifts. Gabriel tells Zechariah what the outcome of John’s consecrated birth will bring: “And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.” Help me be attentive to what you bring to fruition today; let me be a witness to the joy and gladness that follow as you come to my assistance.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Maximilian Kolbe Shrine—Blessed Sacrament