Category Archives: Saints and Blesseds

Holy Family Novena

Novena . WEB

Lord Jesus Christ, being subject to Mary and Joseph, You sanctified family life by Your beautiful virtues. Grant that we, with the help of Mary and Joseph, may be taught by the example of Your holy Family, and may after death enjoy its everlasting companionship.

Lord Jesus, help us ever to follow the example of Your holy Family, that in the hour of our death Your glorious Virgin Mother together with Saint Joseph may come to meet us, and we may be worthy to be received by You into the everlasting joys of heaven. You live and reign forever. Amen.

O Come Divine Messiah . VID

1 . O come, divine Messiah;
The world in silence waits the day
When hope shall sing its triumph
And sadness flee away.

Refrain

Dear Savior, haste! Come, come to earth.
Dispel the night and show your face,
and bid us hail the dawn of grace.

O come, divine Messiah;
the world in silence waits the day
when hope shall sing its triumph
and sadness flee away.

2 . O Christ, whom nations sigh for,
Whom priest and prophet long foretold,
Come, break the captive’s fetters,
Redeem the long-lost fold.

3 . You come in peace and meekness
And lowly will your cradle be;
All clothed in human weakness
Shall we your Godhead see.

Fourth Week of Advent

On the Eve of our Lord’s Birth

Yes one is coming who will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea, who will heal all our ills, who will carry us back to the source of our original worth. Great is the might but more wonderful is the mercy in that the One who could help us willed to come to our assistance! Today Scripture says you shall know that the Lord will come.

Well then, I know how great is the tribulation you endure for Christ. If only your consolation through him may be great. To offer you worldly consolation I neither wish nor am I allowed. ( 2 Cor 1 5-6 ) Consolation of that kind is cheap and does no good and we must fear even more that it is a hindrance to true and salutary consolation. So then the One who is the delight and glory of the angels has himself become our salvation and consolation.

As we are about to celebrate the ineffable mystery of the Lord’s birth we are rightly bidden to be prepared in all holiness. The Holy of holies is present; Present is the one who said, Be holy for I the Lord your God am holy.

This is the right time then for perfect holiness to be pointed out to you – an inner washing is enjoined on us, a spiritual purifying is required. As the Lord says. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. For this we live to this have we been called, for this day has today dawned upon us. Once it was night when no one could work. It was night throughout the whole world before the rising of the true light before the birth of Christ.

The herald of the day then is also the one who cries out, be sober, be vigilant. ( John 12:32 ) The night is far gone the day is near. Let us cast off the world of darkness and put on the armor of light !

Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this word which the Lord has brought to pass and revealed to us. It is the house of bread and it is good for us to be there. We live in Christ and Christ lives in us. He is drawing all things to himself , he who is over all, God Blessed forever. Amen.

St Bernard of Clairvaux
the Advent Sermons

St John of the Cross

“In tribulation immediately draw near to God with confidence and you will receive strength, enlightenment, and instruction.”

“It is great wisdom to know how to be silent and to look at
neither the remarks, nor the deeds, nor the lives of others.”

From a Spiritual Canticle of St John of the Cross

We must then dig deeply in Christ. He is like a rich mine with many pockets containing treasures: however deep we dig we will never find their end or their limit. Indeed, in every pocket new seams of fresh riches are discovered on all sides. 

Saint Paul therefore urges the Ephesians not to grow weary in the midst of tribulations, but to be steadfast and rooted and grounded in love, so that they may know with all the saints the breadth, the length, the height and the depth – to know what is beyond knowledge, the love of Christ .. The gate that gives entry into these riches of his wisdom is the cross

St John of the Cross