Wednesday of the Third Week of Advent

This third week of Advent, our daily prayer continues to allow us to become much more concrete about naming our desires and preparing the way for the Lord . A week of recognizing ourselves, and recognizing our need for a Savior is a wonderful way to prepare. We can only turn to our God and trust in the safety we find accepting our God as the only god of our lives if we first can name the place in which we are in danger, with the choices we are making. We can surrender our fear of being put to shame by humbly coming face to face with who we can sometimes be. The depths of gratitude and joy come when we can experience the tenderness with which our Lord keeps taking us back.

Father, may the coming celebration of the birth of Your Son bring us Your saving help and prepare us for Eternal Life. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Join me in Christmas Novena ( started on December 16 )

On December 16 started Christmas Novena ( read more on my other journal )


Oh, how I love Thee, Lord of Heaven above!
Too well hast Thou deserved to gain my love;
Sweet Jesus, I would die for love of Thee,
For Thou didst not disdain to die for me.

I leave Thee, faithless world,-----farewell! depart!
This lovely Babe has loved and won my heart.
I love Thee, loving God, Who from above
Didst come on earth, a Babe, to gain my love.

Thou tremblest, darling Child, and yet I see
Thy heart is all on fire with love for me:
Love makes Thee thus a Child, my Saviour dear;
Love only brought Thee down to suffer here;

Love conquered Thee, Great God, love tied Thy hands,
A captive here for me, in swathing-bands;
And love, strong love, awaits Thy latest breath,
To make Thee die for me a cruel death

( St. Alphonsus Liguori Christmas Hymn )

God Bless you all abundantely , now and forever !

Today is the third Monday of Advent and the Feast of Saint Lazarus of Bethany

read more about on my other journal


Christ, Thou who knowest all things,
Thou hast asked to learn where the tomb of Lazarus is,
And arriving there, Thou hast raised him up on the fourth day,
O All-powerful One,
Taking pity, Merciful One,
On the tears of Mary and Martha.

The Master, checking the lamentations of Mary and Martha,
Immediately stilled them when He raised up their brother.
It was possible, then, to see marvel of marvels,
How the lifeless suddenly was seen to be alive.
For when His voice descended,
It caused the bolts of the gate of Hades
To shake; and it broke down the bars of the door of Death;
And on the fourth day, He raised up the dead; as the Merciful One,
He took pity on
The tears of Mary and Martha.

Let us all, with love, hurry to Bethany to see Christ there,
Weeping for his friend.
For wishing all things to be ordained by law,
He controls all things in His dual nature.
He suffers as son of David; as Son of God,
He redeems the whole world from all the evil of the serpent,
And on the fourth day, He raised up Lazarus, taking pity on
The tears of Mary and Martha.

Together sustained by faith,
The two announced to Christ and God the death
Of their brother, saying,
“Hasten, come, Thou who art always present in all places,
For Lazarus whom Thou dost love is ill: if Thou come near,
Death will vanish, and Thy friend will be saved from corruption,
And the Jews will see that Thou, the Merciful One,
Hast taken pity on
The tears of May and Martha.”

The Creator of all spoke on behalf of the disciples, saying:
“Friends and companions, our friend has fallen asleep.”
He was secretly teaching them in advance,
Because He knows and care for all things,
“Let us go, then, let us advance and see the unusual tomb,
And let us cause the mourning of Mary and Martha to cease
As I raise up Lazarus from the tomb,
And as the Merciful One take pity on
The tears of Mary and Martha.”

When the heard these words, the apostles
As with one voice cried out to the Lord,
“Sleep exists for man for his safety
And not at all for his destruction.”
And so He spoke to them openly: “He is dead.
As mortal I am away from him; but as God, I know all things.
If we truly arrive at the opportune time,
I shall resurrect the dead, and cause to cease
The tears of Mary and Martha.”

They all, then, arrived together,
When Mary and her sister came to meet them, crying bitterly,
“Lord, where wert Thou? For he whom Thou lovest has departed,
And lo, he is not here.”
As they cried out these words, He, himself, wept.
But he asked, “Where is the tomb of my friend? Now
I am going to release him from the chains of Hades,
Since as the only lover of mankind, I take pity on
The tears of Mary and Martha.”

When they arrived at the tomb,
He who is in the bosom of His Father, called out:
“Thou hast sent me into the world
That I might bring life to the dead.
I have come, then, to raise up Lazarus
And to reveal to the Jews that I am going to arise from my tomb
On the third day, I who after the fourth day resurrect my friend And now
take pity on
The tears of Mary and Martha.”

In order that He might bring an end to the mourning of Martha,
The Savior of all spoke to her and addressed
These divine words to her:
“I exist as the Light of the world
And the resurrection of all from the dead;
It was for this end that I appeared in order to resurrect Adam
And the descendants of Adam
And on the fourth day to resurrect Lazarus
Taking pity, as a Merciful One, on
The tears of Mary and Martha.”

When the command was given with a nod of His head,
Hades was made to totter,
And also the power of Death and the arrogance of the Devil.
With the sound of His voice,
He raised up from the depths of the earth
The one who was four days dead.
When they saw this, Abraham and all the righteous cried out:
“Now, take courage, since the resurrection of all has come.
He has delivered from the bonds of death
The one whom He loves, as He, the Merciful One, takes pity on
The tears of Mary and Martha.”

Hades, now a prisoner, sees himself despoiled of this Lazarus,
Whom a short time ago he held enchained below;
For when the King of angels came against him,
The strength of demons was destroyed;
And the serpent who trails over the earth on his stomach,
Now, pierced in the mouth by the Wooden Spear, appears as dead.
But Adam rejoices when he sees Christ,
In His goodness, take pity on
The tears of Mary and Martha.

Rising from the tomb, the friend reveals his eyes
And hands bound by a cloth;
They release him — those who have their hearts
Bound by the ill will of slander,
Those who, as they plug up their ears like the adder,
Prepare their hands for most wicked slaughter,
That they may pour out
The harmless and innocent blood of the One
Who raises up the dead, and checks
The tears of Mary and Martha.

Having heard the words of the children,
Which came from pure hearts and innocent lips,
They were all filled with fear
Saying to one another, “Who is this man?”
O madness and complete stupidity!
A short time ago they saw raised from the dead
A corpse who had become fetid,
And they do not know who resurrected him,
And who destroyed with His voice the power of Hades,
And in accord with His merciful nature checked
The tears of Mary and Martha!

O Thy unspeakable compassion, all merciful Jesus!
Who didst consent to come for me and to me,
How didst Thou calmly ride upon the ass
And advance into the city of God-slayers?
Foreseeing their terrible lack of faith, Thou didst command them
To release the bonds of Lazarus, that they might see
The One whom in a short time they wish to put to death
With no pity for
The tears of Mary and Martha.

O Savior, all came with palms on the occasion of Thy arrival,
Crying, “Hosanna!” to Thee,
Now all of us bring hymns to Thee out of piteous mouths,
As we wave the branches of our spirit and cry out:
“O Thou, truly among those on high, save the world
Which Thou hast created, Lord,
And blot out our sins, just as formerly Thou hast dried
The tears of Mary and Martha.

O Lover of mankind, the Holy Church holds a high festival,
Faithfully calling together her children;
It meets Thee with palms and spreads out garments of joy
So that, with Thy disciples and with Thy friend,
Thou mayest advance and legislate a deep peace for Thy servants,
And release them from oppression, as formerly Thou hast checked
The tears of Mary and Martha.

Incline Thy ear, O God of the universe, and hear our prayers,
And snatch us from the bonds of death,
For our enemies who always surround us, visibly and invisibly,
Threaten to have us put to death, and besides,
To deprive us of our faith.
Arise, and quickly let all be destroyed and let them know
That Thou art our God and dost pity us as Thou didst have pity on
The tears of Mary and Martha.

Let us, who are dead because of our sins, and who dwell in the tomb
Because of our knowledge of evil,
Imitate the sisters of faithful Lazarus as we cry to Christ
With tears, in faith and in love:
“Save us, Thou who didst will to become man.
And resurrect us from the tomb of our sins, Thou, alone immortal,
Through the prayers of Thy friend, Lazarus,
Whom Thou didst raise up, O Lord, in checking
The tears of Mary and Martha.”

Let us depart the mere material world, which is always in a state of flux,
And hasten to meet Christ the Savior in Bethany.
Let us then dine with Him
And with his friend Lazarus and the apostles
So that we may, by their prayers, be delivered from our past sins.
If we cleanse every stain from our hearts, we shall see perfectly
His divine resurrection, which He offered to us when He took away
The tears of Mary and Martha.

—St. Romanos the Melodist 6th century

Tomorrow is the Third Sunday of Advent , may God bless you all

Nine days until Christmas !
Now, as we approach the third Sunday of Advent 8 only one day and we shall lite the third candle , we must remind us that Advent truly is a beginning and a preparation. It is a beginning that, like all true beginnings, we make from nothing .
It is a soul preparation for great joy and light of Christmas .


Lord,
let Your glory dawn to take away our darkness.
May we be revealed as the children of Light
at the coming of Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Lord ,
Let me be a child of Your light
and feel the fire of Your love
and the glory of Your words.
Most of all, let me be grateful to You
For the greatest gift of Christmas .
Amen

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.

Feast of Saint John of the Cross

read more about Saint John of the Cross and his life on my other journal


Let us pray and ask his intercession :

Father, you endowed John of the Cross with a spirit of self-denial and a love of the cross. By following his example, may we come to the eternal vision of your glory. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

The Litany of St. John of the Cross

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God, the Father of Heaven,
Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
Queen and Beauty of Carmel,
pray for us.
Saint John of the Cross,
pray for us.
St. John, our glorious father, pray for us
Beloved child of Mary, the Queen of Carmel, pray for us
Fragrant flower of the garden of Carmel,
Admirable possessor of the spirit of Elias,
Foundation stone of the Carmelite reform,
Spiritual son, and beloved father of St. Teresa,
Most vigilant in the practice of virtue,
Treasure of charity,
Abyss of humility,
Most perfect in obedience,
Invincible in patience,
Constant lover of poverty,
Dove of simplicity,
Thirsting for mortification,
Prodigy of holiness,
Mystical Doctor ,
Model of contemplation,
Zealous preacher of the Word of God,
Worker of miracles,
Bringing joy and peace to souls,
Terror of devils,
Model of penance,
Faithful guardian of Christ's vineyard,
Ornament and glory of Carmel,
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us.

Holy father Saint John of the Cross, pray for us,
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let Us Pray.
O God, Who didst instill into the heart of Saint John of the Cross,
Thy confessor and our father, a perfect spirit of self-abnegation and a
surpassing love of Thy Cross, grant that assiduously following in his footsteps,
we may attain to eternal glory. Through Christ Our Lord.
Amen.

Saint Lucy Feast

more about this feast on my other journal


We present ourselves before thee, O virgin Martyr, beseeching thee to obtain for us that we may recognize in His lowliness that same Jesus Whom thou now seest in His glory. Take us under thy powerful patronage. Thy name signifies Light; guide us through the dark night of this life.
O fair light of virginity! enlighten us; evil concupiscence has wounded our eyes: pray for us, O thou bright light of virginity! that our blindness be healed, and that rising above created things, we may be able to see that true light, which shineth in darkness, but which darkness cannot comprehend.
Pray for us, that our eye may be purified, and may see, in the Child who is to be born at Bethlehem, the new Man, the second Adam, the model on Which the life of our regeneration must be formed.
Pray too, O holy virgin, for the Church of Rome and for all those which adopt her form of the holy Sacrifice; for they daily pronounce at the altar of God thy sweet name; and the Lamb, Who is present, loves to hear it. Heap thy choicest blessings on the fair Isle, which was thy native land, and where grew the palm of thy Martyrdom.
May thy intercession secure to her inhabitants firmness of faith, purity of morals, and temporal prosperity, and deliver them from the disorders which threaten her with destruction . Amen

A picture is worth a thousand words

When it's peace of mind you're seeking,
And from worldly problems you must depart
To the Old White Church on the hill ,
Where you bring a weary and troubled heart.

It is there that biblical words are flowing
Like the rays of the early dawn's light,
Bringing soothing comfort to your restless soul,
And reassurance and composure back in sight.

You'll find strength and courage to face the future,
And thankful for the lessons learned this day.
The solace of the Old White Church will remain,
But your faith will be restored in a glorious way.

( by Joseph T. Renaldi )

my other journal about this day feast : Our Lady of Guadalupe



"Hear me and understand well, my son the least, that nothing should frighten or grieve you. Let not your heart be disturbed. Do not fear that sickness, nor any other sickness or anguish. Am I not here, who is your Mother? Are you not under my protection? Am I not your health? Are you not happily within my fold? What else do you wish? Do not grieve nor be disturbed by anything."
— Our Lady to Juan Diego

Let us pray and meditate , through the Chaplet of Our Lady of Guadalupe :

Crucifix ~~ Mystical Rose Prayer
One Our Father.
Four Hail Marys in honor of her four apparitions to Blessed Juan Diego.
Glory Be.

First Apparition: Our Lady of Guadalupe appears to Blessed Juan Diego.
Our Lady requests a temple in her honor.
One Our Father.

Meditation: Our Lady of Guadalupe, my Queen and my Mother, "I thank thee for thy first apparition to Blessed Juan Diego when thou didst reveal that thou art the Most Pure Virgin, Mary, Mother of the True God and Mother of all mankind. I thank thee for requesting a temple to be built where thee stood, to bear witness to thy love, thy compassion, thy aid and thy protection for all who would love thee, trust thee, and invoke thy help.

Three Hail Marys, Glory be.

Second Apparition: Our Lady of Guadalupe gives Blessed Juan Diego encouragement after his return from the Bishop's house.
One Our Father.
Meditation: Our Lady of Guadalupe, my Queen and my Mother, I thank thee for thy second apparition to Blessed Juan Diego when, upon his return from the Bishop's house, he knelt in humiliation and defeat before thee since he was unable to accomplish thy mission. I thank thee for the courage and encouragement thou gavest to Blessed Juan Diego to make a second appeal to the Bishop.

Three Hail Marys, Glory be.

Third Apparition: Our Lady of Guadalupe promises a sign to Blessed Juan Diego for the Bishop.
One Our Father.
Meditation: Mother, I thank thee for thy third apparition to Blessed Juan Diego when, after this unsuccessful attempt to have a temple built, thou didst say to him, "So be it, son. Return tomorrow in order that thou mayest secure for the Bishop the sign for which he hath asked. When this is in thy possession, he will believe thee; he will no longer doubt thy word and suspect thy good faith. Be assured that I shall reward thee for all that thou hast undergone."

Three Hail Marys, Glory be.

Fourth Apparition: Our Lady of Guadalupe fulfills her promise by showing herself on the tilma of Blessed Juan Diego.
One Our Father.
Meditation: Our Lady of Guadalupe, my Queen and my Mother, I thank thee for thy fourth apparition to Blessed Juan Diego when thou didst order him to pick the roses he would find on the summit of the hill and bring them to thee. I thank thee for arranging them in his tilma when didst say, "This cluster of roses is the sign that thou shalt take to the Bishop. Thou art to tell him, in my name, that in this he will recognize my will and that he must fulfill it. Thou wilt be my ambassador, wholly worthy of my confidence. Only in the presence of the Bishop shalt thou unfold thy mantle and disclose that which thou doth carry." I thank thee for thine image printed on the tilma which appeared when the roses were released.

Three Hail Marys, Glory be and Memorare