Saturday, December 17, 2011

4th Sunday of Advent 2011


The Lord is now nigh: come, let us adore Him!

For today's thoughts, I'm going to let our beloved abbot talk to us.

Oh, the joy of Thy coming, dear Jesus! How great it must needs be, when the prophecy says shall be like an everlasting crown upon our heads. And could it be otherwise? The very desert is to flourish as a lily, and living waters are to gush forth out of the parched land, because their God is coming. Come, O Jesus, come quickly, and give us of that water, which flows from Thy sacred Heart, and which the Samaritan woman, the type of us sinners, asked of Thee with such earnest entreaty. This water is Thy grace; let it rain upon our parched souls, and they too will flourish; let it quench our thirst, and we will run in the way of Thy precepts and examples. Thou, O Jesus, art our way, our path, to God; and Thou art Thyself God; Thou art, therefore, both our way and the term to which our way leads us. We had lost our way; we had gone astray as lost sheep: how great Thy love to come thus in search of us! To teach us the way to heaven, Thou hast deigned to come down from heaven, and then tread with us the road which leads to it. No! there shall be no more weak hands, nor feeble knees, nor faint hearts; for we know that it is in love that Thou art coming to us. There is but one thing which makes us sad: our preparation is not complete. We have some ties still to break; help us to do it, O Saviour of mankind! We desire to obey the voice of Thy Precursor, and make plain those rugged paths, which would prevent Thy coming into our hearts, O divine Infant! Give us to be baptized in the Baptism of the waters of penance; Thou wilt soon follow, baptizing us in the Holy Ghost and love.

As a side note, my knees are worse since I became a Catholic 30 years ago, but I need the penance, so I shall have to suck it up and keep on! Also, when I am needed to serve the Traditional Mass, my knees don't seem to hurt so much. Go figure!

Lord, have mercy on us, and keep us in your grace and in your sights.

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