EMBER WEDNESDAY IN ADVENT
SIMPLE / PURPLE
Three days of fasting, prayer, and charity consecrate to God each of the four seasons of the year. "Let the abstinence of him that fasts become the meal of the poor man," says St. Leo, reminding us that we fast not only for ourselves but for our neighbors. These are also days of praying and meriting grace for those to be ordained on Saturday. The Epistle in the Mass deals with the promise of the Saviour, and the Gospel with the announcement of His coming. So these Advent Ember Days are, finally, a spiritual preparation for His advent.
INTROIT Isa. 45:8
Three days of fasting, prayer, and charity consecrate to God each of the four seasons of the year. "Let the abstinence of him that fasts become the meal of the poor man," says St. Leo, reminding us that we fast not only for ourselves but for our neighbors. These are also days of praying and meriting grace for those to be ordained on Saturday. The Epistle in the Mass deals with the promise of the Saviour, and the Gospel with the announcement of His coming. So these Advent Ember Days are, finally, a spiritual preparation for His advent.
INTROIT Isa. 45:8
Ps. 18:2. The heavens show forth the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims His handiwork.
V. Glory be . . .
PRAYER
V. Let us pray. Let us kneel.
R. Arise
O Almighty God, may the coming feast of our redemption bring us Your help in this life and the reward of everlasting happiness hereafter. Through our Lord . . .
LESSON Isa. 2:2-5
In those days, the prophet Isaias said:
In the last days the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be prepared on the top of mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go, and say: Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob, and he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall come forth from Sion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he shall judge the Gentiles, and rebuke many people: and they shall turn their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into sickles: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they be exercised any more to war. O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord our God.
GRADUAL Ps. 23:7, 3, 4
Lift up your gates, O princes, and be lifted, O eternal gates; and the king of glory shall enter in.
V. Who can ascend the mountain of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean.
COLLECT
Make haste to come, O Lord, we beg You! Grant us Your heavenly aid, so that those who trust in Your goodness may be consoled by Your coming; who lives and rules with God the Father . . .
Commemoration of the EXPECTATION OF OUR LADY
O God, Who didst will that at the message of an angel Thy word should take flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary: grant that we, Thy suppliants, who believe her to be truly the Mother of God, may be helped by her intercession with Thee. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God,
world without end.
R.Amen.
EPISTLE Isa. 7:10-15
In those days, the Lord spoke again to Achaz, saying:
"Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God, either unto the depth of hell, or unto the height above."
And Achaz said: "I will not ask, and I will not tempt the Lord." And he said: "Hear ye therefore, O house of David: Is it a small thing for you to be grievous to men, that you are grievous to my God also? Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son and his name shall be called Emmanuel. He shall eat butter and honey, that he may know to refuse the evil, and to choose the good."
GRADUAL Ps. 144:18, 21
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.
V. My lips shall speak the praise of the Lord; let all men bless His holy name.
GOSPEL Luke 1:26-38
At that time, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David: and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel being come in, said unto her: "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women." Who having heard, was troubled at his saying and thought with herself what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said to her: "Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God. Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb and shalt bring forth a son: and thou shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father: and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever. And of his kingdom there shall be no end."
And Mary said to the angel: "How shall this be done, because I know not man?" And the angel answering, said to her: "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And behold thy cousin Elizabeth, she also hath conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her that is called barren. Because no word shall be impossible with God." And Mary said: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord: be it done to me according to thy word."
OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Isa. 35:4
Take courage, and be afraid no longer. Behold, our God will render justice; He Himself will come and save us.
SECRET
May our fasting be acceptable to You, O Lord. Let it atone for our sins and make us worthy of Your grace, so that we may attain the fulfillment of Your everlasting promises. Through our Lord . . .
Commemoration of the EXPECTATION OF OUR LADY
Strengthen in our minds, O Lord, we beseech Thee, the mysteries of the true faith, that, confessing Him Who was conceived of the Virgin to be true God and true man, we may deserve, through the power of His saving resurrection, to attain everlasting joy. Through the same Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, Forever and ever.
R.Amen.
COMMUNION ANTIPHON Isa. 7:14
Behold, a virgin shall conceive and shall bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel.
POSTCOMMUNION
O Lord, may the banquet of salvation, of which we have partaken with joy, bring us a new life. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and rules with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit; one God forever and ever.
Commemoration of the EXPECTATION OF OUR LADY
Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ Thy Son was made known by the message of an angel, may, by His passion and cross, be brought to the glory of His resurrection. Through the same Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God
Forever and ever.
R. Amen.
EXPECTATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARYTRADITIONAL FEAST DAY DECEMBER 18
Today is one of the most inspiring days preceding Christmas! It is the feast of "Our Lady of Expectation," mostly unknown to many in these modern times, but still kept alive in many countries like Spain, Portugal, Italy and Poland as well as in a few religious orders. In older editions of missals, this feast is still listed as a votive Mass.
The feast is celebrated on the 18th of December, a week before Christmas Day. Our Blessed Lady, well advanced in pregnancy, is portrayed in the highest dignity of her Divine Motherhood. Dressed in royal apparel as daughter of David the King, she awaits with joy the arrival of her divine Son, Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Her whole posture suggests how she remains wholly consumed in contemplation of her Son under her heart. Her immaculate womb has become a living portable sanctuary of divinity. There are special prayers and novenas to "Our Lady of Expectation" available for women who cannot conceive or bear a child.
The votive Mass of "Our Lady of Expectation" is theologically enlightening and spiritually enriching for the time of Advent and Christmas. With the entrance antiphon, the Church prays with the prophet for the coming of the Just One from heaven that the earth may be ready to welcome the Savior: "Send victory like a dew, you heavens, and let the clouds rain down the just. Let the earth open for salvation to spring up" (Is 45:8). In the opening prayer, the Church offers the prayer to God through Mary's intercession: "O God who wished that your Word would take the flesh from the womb of the Virgin as announced by the Angel and whom we confess to be the true Mother of God, may we be helped by her intercession."
This wonderful feast also reminds us that it has been almost nine months since the Annunciation/Incarnation (March 25) and that Jesus developed in Mary's womb just like we did in our mother's womb. Think of all the millions of babies who never make it through the nine months because their mothers have aborted them. May God, through the intercession of the Expectant Mother Mary, take their souls into His Kingdom.
Our Lady of Expectation: Pray for us!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please no anonymous comments. I require at least some way for people to address each other personally and courteously. Having some name or handle helps.
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.