Ferial Day in January after the Circumcision
Puer natus in Bethlehem Alleluia!
That's the starting line of one of the verses of my favourite Christmas Chant(Gregorian),
And now, since I have some time, I have decided to post forward since I found a very good meditation reading materiel from the most recent book I was blogging about, Alone with God by Fr J Heyrman S.J.
Here's the extract:
January 5
BETHLEHEM, THE PALACE OF PEACE
1. We kneel before the Child Jesus, whom Mary holds on her lap. We adore the Prince of Peace, and greet Mary, the Queen of Peace.
2. Petition: The grace to enjoy true peace in our hearts, and to spread it around us.
I. The Palace of Peace
God Himself has chosen it, and here peace between heaven and earth has been sealed. It is not a palace built by man: in such a palace Herod keeps his court in Jerusalem. Heaven has carefully prepared all the circumstances that will attend the inauguration of this peace: a stable, a manger, an Infant wrapped in swaddling clothes, a humble carpenter and his wife, so poor that there was no room for them in the inn; there is also a small group of shepherds … and the cave is all dark and damp.
God is wonderful in His works; but here we fail to comprehend His ways; everything here goes counter to our human standards. We are in admiration.
We adore the Prince of Peace.
II. Peace between Heaven and Earth
A peace treaty is inscribed on a parchment, or engraved on bronze or granite. Sheets of parchment, bronze plates and granite tablets are perishable material. Of shorter duration still is the peace engraved on them.
Very different is the peace bestowed on us at Bethlehem: this peace is a pure gift of God, who, at His own initiative, grants it to us out of infinite love and mercy. His own Son, made man, is the living tablet on which this peace is engraved, or rather our peace and reconciliation are made tangible in His Son, in the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world. One day the most precious Blood of the Lamb will seal our peace.
Thou, for the sake of guilty men,
Permitting Thy pure Blood to flow
Didst issue from Thy Virgin shrine
And to the cross a victim go.
-Creator Alme Siderum
III. The Authors of Our Peace
The three Persons of the Blessed Trinity are the Authors of our peace: The Father sends His Son; the Son says, “Behold I come … that I should do thy will, O my God” (Ps.39:8,9); the Holy Ghost who came upon Mary and in her womb fashions the Body of the Word of God. Mary’s role in establishing this peace is subordinate, but profoundly real. After her consent the Son of God descends on earth saying, “Sacrifice and oblation thou wouldst not; but a body thou hast fitted to me” (Heb.10:5).
We greet Mary:
O Gate, through which hath passed the King,
O Hall, whence Light shone through the gloom;
The ransomed nations praise and sing
Life given from the Virgin womb.
-O Gloriosa, Lauds
IV. The Heralds of Our Peace
God’s angels were the first heralds of our peace. They announced it to the shepherds (Lk.2:9-14). Heaven and earth are reconciled; the chasm that yawned between God and man has been bridged. “Today true peace has come down to us from Heaven; this day Heaven overflows with honey over the whole world” (Responsory of Christmas).
Peace on earth to men of good will! God is the giver of peace and He offers it to all men, on one condition: that we be of good will; that humbly and gratefully we accept the peace that is offered us. If we do that, we give glory to God in the highest, and possess in our hearts “that peace which the world can neither give nor snatch away”.
Prayer: “I will hear what the Lord will speak in me, for he will speak peace unto his people, unto his saints, and unto them that are converted to the heart. Surely his salvation is near to them that fear him: that glory may dwell in our land. Mercy and truth have met each other; justice and peace have kissed. Truth is sprung our of the earth; and justice hath looked down from heaven. For the Lord will give goodness; and our earth shall yield her fruit. Justice shall walk before him; and shall set his steps in the way” (Ps. 84:9-14).
BETHLEHEM, THE PALACE OF PEACE
1. We kneel before the Child Jesus, whom Mary holds on her lap. We adore the Prince of Peace, and greet Mary, the Queen of Peace.
2. Petition: The grace to enjoy true peace in our hearts, and to spread it around us.
I. The Palace of Peace
God Himself has chosen it, and here peace between heaven and earth has been sealed. It is not a palace built by man: in such a palace Herod keeps his court in Jerusalem. Heaven has carefully prepared all the circumstances that will attend the inauguration of this peace: a stable, a manger, an Infant wrapped in swaddling clothes, a humble carpenter and his wife, so poor that there was no room for them in the inn; there is also a small group of shepherds … and the cave is all dark and damp.
God is wonderful in His works; but here we fail to comprehend His ways; everything here goes counter to our human standards. We are in admiration.
We adore the Prince of Peace.
II. Peace between Heaven and Earth
A peace treaty is inscribed on a parchment, or engraved on bronze or granite. Sheets of parchment, bronze plates and granite tablets are perishable material. Of shorter duration still is the peace engraved on them.
Very different is the peace bestowed on us at Bethlehem: this peace is a pure gift of God, who, at His own initiative, grants it to us out of infinite love and mercy. His own Son, made man, is the living tablet on which this peace is engraved, or rather our peace and reconciliation are made tangible in His Son, in the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world. One day the most precious Blood of the Lamb will seal our peace.
Thou, for the sake of guilty men,
Permitting Thy pure Blood to flow
Didst issue from Thy Virgin shrine
And to the cross a victim go.
-Creator Alme Siderum
III. The Authors of Our Peace
The three Persons of the Blessed Trinity are the Authors of our peace: The Father sends His Son; the Son says, “Behold I come … that I should do thy will, O my God” (Ps.39:8,9); the Holy Ghost who came upon Mary and in her womb fashions the Body of the Word of God. Mary’s role in establishing this peace is subordinate, but profoundly real. After her consent the Son of God descends on earth saying, “Sacrifice and oblation thou wouldst not; but a body thou hast fitted to me” (Heb.10:5).
We greet Mary:
O Gate, through which hath passed the King,
O Hall, whence Light shone through the gloom;
The ransomed nations praise and sing
Life given from the Virgin womb.
-O Gloriosa, Lauds
IV. The Heralds of Our Peace
God’s angels were the first heralds of our peace. They announced it to the shepherds (Lk.2:9-14). Heaven and earth are reconciled; the chasm that yawned between God and man has been bridged. “Today true peace has come down to us from Heaven; this day Heaven overflows with honey over the whole world” (Responsory of Christmas).
Peace on earth to men of good will! God is the giver of peace and He offers it to all men, on one condition: that we be of good will; that humbly and gratefully we accept the peace that is offered us. If we do that, we give glory to God in the highest, and possess in our hearts “that peace which the world can neither give nor snatch away”.
Prayer: “I will hear what the Lord will speak in me, for he will speak peace unto his people, unto his saints, and unto them that are converted to the heart. Surely his salvation is near to them that fear him: that glory may dwell in our land. Mercy and truth have met each other; justice and peace have kissed. Truth is sprung our of the earth; and justice hath looked down from heaven. For the Lord will give goodness; and our earth shall yield her fruit. Justice shall walk before him; and shall set his steps in the way” (Ps. 84:9-14).
Jesus, Mary, I Love Thee, Save Souls!
Labels: Alone with God by Fr J Heyrman S.J., Ferial Day in January
posted by rachelanne at 1/03/2007 07:14:00 PM
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