Back to our readings, since yesterday I dedicated to St. Thomas, the Apostle. We are almost ready to receive Him in three days. First of all, our beloved abbot has a prayer to God the Father, asking for a healing of the Church, which we STILL need!
'...Remember Thy apostles and Thy martyrs; remember Thy saints who have founded Churches, and honoured them by their virtues and miracles; remember Thy bride the Church, and support her during her earthly pilgrimage, until the number of Thy elect is filled up. She longs to possess Thee in the eternal light of the vision; but Thou hast given her a heart with such mother's love, that she will not leave her children as long as there is one to save, not cease to save until that day come when there shall no more be a militant Church, but the one sole triumphant Church, inebriated with the enjoyment of the sight and embraces of her God. But that last day has not yet come, O Jesus! there is yet time for Thee to descend from heaven and visit Thy vineyard. Restore to the branches of the tree the leaves which have fallen in the storm of iniquity. Let this tree of Thy predilection bud forth new branches; and the old ones, which have separated from it, and have seemed to force Thy justice to cast them in the fire, let them be once more grafted on the parent trunk, so torn by their rupture from her. Come, O Jesus, for the sake of Thy Church; she is dearer to Thee than was the Jerusalem of old.'
Does anyone else think that the Church Militant is pretty much non-existent these days? Seems to me that the time is ripe now for something big to happen.
The following is taken from the Anthology of the Greeks:
Thy womb, O Mother of God, is the heap of wheat of the Canticle; carrying, in an ineffable manner, the ear of corn, which, like no other, grew without being sown; thy Child is the Word, and thou wilt give him birth in Bethlehem's cave: he it is will lovingly feed every creature with the knowledge of God, and free the human race from deadly hunger.
Whence comest thou, O pure Virgin? Thy father and mother, who are they? How dost thou carry thy Creator in thy arms? Mother, and yet a Virgin! These are great graces, and stupendous mysteries, which have been done in thee, all-holy creature! We adorn the cave as it behooves us, and we look for the star in the heavens: the Magi are coming from the east to our western world, to see the Saviour of men shining in thy arms as a bright torch.
O Mary! fair palace of our Master, how is it thou comest into so poor a cave, there to give birth to the King our Lord, O all-holy Virgin, bride of God?
Eve, indeed, by the crime of disobedience brought a curse into the world: but thou, Virgin-Mother of God, by the flower thou bearest, hast made blessing bloom in the world; therefore do we all magnify thee.
The Mother of God, when the birth of Christ was near, spoke thus to her spouse: Be not sad, Joseph, finding that I am Mother; for thou shalt see him who is to be born of me, and thou shalt rejoice and adore him as thy God. Let us commemorate this divine Mother, saying: 'Be glad, O full of grace! the Lord is with thee, and with us by thee.'
And now, our prayer for Holy Communion. This one was written by St. Peter Canisius:
O Almighty God, Ruler of the living and the dead, whose hand holds all things in being, look graciously upon all whom we commend to thy mercy, those who have authority over us, our family, relatives, benefactors, and all who have claims on us by reason of relationship or friendship. Bless our family, our home town, our country, that men and women there in every walk of life may live in peace, and, always earnestly seeking by their manner of life to please thee.
Kyrie, eleison
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