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Friday of the Third Week of Advent: O Root of Jesse
Today’s readings As I mentioned yesterday, in these late days of Advent, we pray the “O Antiphons.” Today’s antiphon is “O Root of Jesse” and it is found as the antiphon for the Magnificat in Vespers: “O Flower of Jesse’s stem, you have been raised up as a sign for all peoples; kings stand silent…
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Friday of the Third Week of Advent: O Sacred Lord
Today’s readings I love these late days of Advent. The expectation of the Savior is heightening, the time of deliverance is at hand, the Lord is near. During these days, we sing the “O Antiphons:” the call for Christ to come and visit us under his many titles. Yesterday was “O Sapientia” or “O Wisdom.”…
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Wednesday of the Third Week of Advent
Today’s readings “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” John the Baptist was certainly voicing the question others probably were asking; they may have been envisioning quite a different kind of savior, one who was strict and zealous, who sought to restore Israel to international greatness. But Jesus…
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Tuesday of the Third Wek of Advent
Today’s readings I was watching a television show called “Chopped” on the Food Network Sunday night. On this show, they start with four chefs, and they give them a basket of really different ingredients, all of which they have to use, to make either an appetizer, main dish, or dessert, depending on the round. The…
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St. John of the Cross
Today’s readings St. John of the Cross was ordained a Carmelite priest at age 25, in 1567. With St. Teresa of Avila, he undertook to reform the Carmelite order. His personal pursuit of holiness by embracing the cross of Christ, living up to his name. He had the opportunity to embrace that cross, because his…
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Thursday of the Second Week of Advent
Today’s readings One of the amazing truths to ponder in this season of Advent is the nature of and reason for the incarnation. Why did God choose to save the world by entering into it as a creature? Why did he assume our fickle flesh in the lowliest form? There is a theological principle that…
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The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Today’s readings Blessed Pope Pius IX instituted the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary on December 8, 1854, when he proclaimed as truth the dogma that our Lady was conceived free from the stain of original sin. This had been a traditional belief since about the eighth century, and had been…
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Monday of the Second Week of Advent
Today’s readings What the Pharisees were missing in this gospel story was that there is something that paralyzes a person much worse than any physical thing, and that something, of course, is sin. And if you’ve ever found yourself caught up in a pattern of sin in your life, of if you’ve ever struggled with…
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The Second Sunday of Advent [Cycle C]
Today’s readings The other day, I was trying to get out of the driveway of the rectory, but traffic was pretty backed up on Duane Street, so I was having a hard time. It didn’t take very long to realize that the culprit was that Prospect Avenue was closed at the railroad tracks. So everyone…
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Friday of the First Week of Advent
Today’s readings We are approaching one of the darkest times of the year. I think that’s why we so desperately need Advent. If we didn’t have the hope of a light that could shatter the darkest of darkness, winter would be much more ponderous than it already is. There are all kinds of darkness in…
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