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Post by Elizabeth on Dec 17, 2019 4:08:27 GMT
DECEMBER 16 Clean Faces
Have we sinned? Let us correct ourselves! The way has not yet ended; the day is not over. For human and tolerable sins, God has established in the Church a time of mercy for distributing a daily medicine. It occurs at Mass when we say: "Forgive us our trespasses. . . ." By these words, therefore, with a face washed clean we approach the table to receive Christ's Body and Blood. - Sermon 17, 5
Prayer. May Christ perfect His gifts in us, since He did not hesitate to take our faults on Himself. And may He make us children of God, since for our sakes He chose to become the Son of human beings.
- Sermon 184, 3
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Post by Elizabeth on Dec 17, 2019 4:15:49 GMT
DECEMBER 17 Born of a Woman
Just imagine the incredible kindness and mercy! He was the only Son, but He did not want to remain alone. So that humans might be born of God, God was born of humans. Begotten of God is He through Whom, we were created; born of a woman is He through Whom we are to be re-created. The Word first wished to be born of humans, so that you might be assured of being born of God. - Sermon on John 2, 13
Prayer. O Word before all time, by Whom time was made, born in time although Thou are eternal life, Thou call us who are bound by time and make us eternal. - Commentary on Psalm 101 (2), 10
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Post by Elizabeth on Dec 18, 2019 17:54:08 GMT
DECEMBER 18 Christ Our Mediator
Christ is the spouse, the mediator between God and humanity - this inasmuch as He is man. For inasmuch as He is God, He is no mediator but is equal to the Father. How ever could we come to God when such distances had to be traversed? God Himself remains God; humanity is assumed by God. There results a single person. Here is God, our liberator; here is man, our mediator. - Sermon 293, 7
Prayer. Lord, within the bulwark of Thy love and mercy, protect me.
- Commentary on Psalm 16, 8
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Post by Elizabeth on Dec 19, 2019 19:35:23 GMT
DECEMBER 19 Toward the Father
Essentially, what is the way through which we run? Christ said: "I am the Way." What is the homeland to which we are running? Christ said: "I am the Truth." You run through Him, you run to Him, and you rest in Him. We were sick and could not move. And so the Physician came to the patient; the way was prepared for the wanderers. Let us be saved by Him; let us walk through Him. - Sermon on 1 John 10, 1
Prayer. Lord, my God, listen to my prayer, and may Thy mercy hear my desire. - Confessions 11, 2
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Post by Elizabeth on Dec 22, 2019 4:34:16 GMT
DECEMBER 20 The Way Comes to You
Our Lord said: "I am the Way, I am the Truth, I am the Life." The Truth, all the while remaining with the Father, became the Way also when He assumed our flesh. No one says to you: "Labor and find the Way" so that you may come to the Truth and the Life. Get up, lazy one! The Way Himself has come to you and roused you from slumber. - Sermon 142, 1
Prayer. How great was Thy love for us, kind Father! Thou did not spare Thy sole-begotten Son but surrendered Him for the sake of us sinners! - Confessions 10, 43
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Post by Elizabeth on Dec 22, 2019 4:38:56 GMT
DECEMBER 21 Time of Healing Recall that the human race lay sick, because of its sins.
To heal this great body of the sick the Almighty Physician came down from heaven. He humbled Himself to take mortal flesh to Himself, coming to the sick bed. Come to this Physician. This is the time to be healed, not the time for vain pleasure. - Sermon 87, 13
Prayer. Lord, thou are my helper and the helper of everyone who reaches out to Thee. Indeed, Thou are my Redeemer for the very purpose of enabling me to reach to Thee. - Commentary on Psalm 18, 15
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Post by Elizabeth on Dec 23, 2019 3:54:26 GMT
DECEMBER 22 Humility Does the Will of God
Mere human being that you are, why are you proud! God became humble for your sake! Perhaps you would be ashamed to imitate a humble man; then at least imitate a humble God. The Son of God came as a man and became humble. Your whole humility consists in knowing yourself. Pride does its own will; humility does the will of God.
- Sermon on John 25, 16
Prayer. Thou come, O Christ, humble in appearance! Filled with Thy love, Thy followers preached in praise of Thy humility throughout the world of the nations. - Commentary on Psalm 53,4
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Post by Elizabeth on Dec 24, 2019 3:57:15 GMT
DECEMBER 23 You Can Now Reach Out
God became a man for this purpose: since you, a human being, could not reach God, but you can reach other humans, you might now reach God through man. And so the man Christ Jesus became the mediator of God and human beings. God became a man so that following a man - something you are able to do - you might reach God, which was formerly impossible to you. - Commentary on Psalm 134, 5
Prayer. Lord, Thou are delightful food for the pure of heart. - Confessions 13, 21
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Post by Elizabeth on Dec 25, 2019 4:44:46 GMT
DECEMBER 24 Humble yet Extraordinary
Assuredly, Christ's human birth was both humble and extraordinary. Why humble? Because as man He was born of a human creature. Why extraordinary? Because He was born of a virgin. Virgin She conceived, virgin She gave birth, virgin She remained! - The Creed 3, 6
Prayer. Come, let us adore Him Whom the Virgin conceived without concupiscence, to Whom She gave birth as a virgin and remained thereafter a virgin. - Sermon 231, 2
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Post by Elizabeth on Dec 25, 2019 4:48:27 GMT
DECEMBER 25 It is Christ's Birthday
Rejoice you who are just. It is the birthday of Him Who justifies. Rejoice you who are weak and sick. It is the birthday of Him Who makes people well. Rejoice you who are in captivity. It is the birthday of the Redeemer. Rejoice you who are slaves. It is the birthday of the Master. Rejoice you who are free. It is the birthday of Him Who makes us free. Rejoice all you Christians. It is Christ's birthday.
- Sermon 184, 2
Prayer. Let us devoutly celebrate this day. For just as the first ones to share our faith adored Christ lying in the manger, let us adore Him reigning in heaven.
- Sermon 203, 3
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Post by Elizabeth on Dec 28, 2019 3:32:42 GMT
DECEMBER 26 God Became Man
Awake, mankind! For your sake God has become man. Awake, you who sleep, and rise from the dead, and Christ will enlighten you. I tell you again, for your sake Christ has become man. If He had not been born in time, you would have been dead for all eternity. - Sermon 185, 1
Prayer. Rise up, Lord, help us, and redeem us because of Thy name.
- Commentary on Psalm 43, 26
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Post by Elizabeth on Dec 28, 2019 3:36:59 GMT
DECEMBER 27 Love One Another after Christ's Example
Unquestionably, the Lord marked out for us the fullness of love we ought to have for on another when He told us: "There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friend." The evangelist John, in his first letter, tells us that we ought to lay down our lives for others in the same way as Christ laid down His life for us. We ought to love one another after the example of Christ. - Sermon on John 84, 1
Prayer. Lord, Thou are my helper that I may dwell in Thy love, my redeemer that Thou may deliver me from my wrongdoing. - Commentary on Psalm 18(2), 16
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Post by Elizabeth on Dec 30, 2019 2:42:46 GMT
DECEMBER 28 Take Advantage of Little Things
See, we are heading toward great things. Let us take advantage of the little things and we will become great. Do you want to reach the heights of God? Take hold first of the humility of God. Put on the humility God. Put on the humility of Christ. Learn to be humble; do not grow proud. - Sermon 117, 17
Prayer. Alas for me, O Lord, how high Thou are in the heights, and how deep in the depths! Nowhere do Thou withdraw, yet we scarcely return to Thee! - Confessions 8, 3
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Post by Elizabeth on Dec 30, 2019 2:45:59 GMT
DECEMBER 29 A Great Event
Now the Lord established a civilization into which to be born, just as He created a mother from whom to be born. These events we have all celebrated. This He has done Who raises up the poor to place them in the company of princes. This is a great event, a great joy!
- Commentary on Psalm 86, 7-8
Prayer. Let Christ help you, the Son of the Virgin and the spouse of virgins, physically born of the virginal womb and spiritually joined in virginal marriage! - Holy Virginity 2, 2
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Post by Elizabeth on Jan 1, 2020 4:00:11 GMT
DECEMBER 30 Mary and the Word
Mary, whence does this great good happen to Thee? Thou are a virgin, Thou are holy, and Thou have made a vow. Whence does this happen to Thee? He Who made Thee is formed in Thee. Yes, He by Whom heaven and earth were made, by Whom all things were made, He the Word of God, takes flesh in Thee and assumes it without losing His divinity. - Sermon 291, 6
Prayer. Let our beautiful God, the Word with God, come to us that we may gaze upon Him with the eyes of our minds. He was beautiful in the womb of the Virgin where, in taking on our humanity, He nonetheless did not lose His divinity.
- Commentary on Psalm 44, 3
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