Our Monthly Devotions :: Considerations and Prayers for Every Day. (12)

Considerations and Prayers for Every Day. (12)

First Day.

Advent is the season in which we are taught to look forward to the coming of Our Lord into [pg 505] the world at Christmas, and also to His second coming at the end of time, to judge the living and the dead. His first coming was to seek and to save that which was lost; the second will be to gather in the fruits of His labors, the souls that are saved. The sacred time of Advent is therefore a preparation for Christmas, established by the Church, and at the same time it leads us to look for the coming of Christ at the end, and to conform our lives to the life of Christ, so that when we meet Him on the Last Day it will not be in fear and trembling, but with joy, because we have been selected to return with Him to heaven. We will, then, with alacrity enter into this employment during this month, knowing that if we have prepared well for His first coming, we shall be in a fit state to receive Him at His second advent. The time of Advent, according to the Church, is a time of penance, not so great as Lent, but the spirit should be the same. Every morning, if possible, attend Mass in honor of the coming of Christ, and on Fridays impose a slight penance on yourself.

Prayer.

O Lord Jesus, Who didst, for the love of us, vouchsafe to reduce Thy incarnated divinity and most divine humanity to the humiliating state of birth and infancy: grant that we, acknowledging Thy infinite wisdom in Thy infancy, Thy power in Thy weakness, and Thy majesty in Thy littleness, may adore Thee, a little one on earth, and behold Thee great in heaven. Who livest and reignest with God the Father, in unity with the Holy Ghost, world without end. Amen.

[pg 506]

Second Day.

Of all the miracles in the world, never was there one to be compared to that of the coming of the Son of God on earth, in the humble form of a child. It was a miracle so entirely above our reasoning, that unless we knew it by faith established by revelation, we would say it was impossible and believe it as little as many of the unbelieving Jews did. That the infinite God should take the form of a poor creature: that God should so unite Himself to that creature of His, as to assume its lowliness, clad in the dust and clay of the earth, is a very great miracle. It was, however, the infinite power of the Almighty that did this. “For us men, and for our salvation, He came down from heaven. He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross.” Who can now refuse to believe in the love of God for His creatures? Men looking at life in a certain light, have doubted God's goodness to humanity; but let them once contemplate the world from our point of view and they will necessarily admit that He loved us to excess, and that He still continues to love us. Oh, shall we not then return Him love for love?

Prayer.

O Lord Jesus, Who didst, for the love of us, etc., etc.

Third Day.

What was it that induced God to work such a miracle in behalf of mankind, as to send His only-begotten Son to this world? It was man's sin. [pg 507] From all eternity the Blessed Trinity had decreed that in consequence of sin there was a necessity of redemption; that the eternal Word should be born into the world, if man was not to be left to the fate of everlasting perdition. Man could not redeem himself; an angel could not give sufficient satisfaction; none but God Himself could offer atonement for man. Hence, God, in His great goodness and mercy, resolved to do this work of redemption. He provides a remedy for all the sins and follies of men, even before they are committed. We do the harm, and God has to undo it. Has He not often thus averted from me the consequences due to my evil deeds? What have I done in my life but wickedness, and very little good? My life has been so filled with iniquity, that shame fills my heart when I think of the past. I have not only to bear the sins of Adam and Eve, but I have to atone for my own sins. So great have these sins been, that the Son of God had to descend very low to reach our level.

Prayer.

O Lord Jesus, Who didst, for the love of us, etc., etc.

Fourth Day.

The Fathers of the Church, and the Church herself, exclaim, “O happy fault, that caused the Word to be made flesh, and to dwell among us! O happy transgression, which earned a Redeemer such as this!” We gained more than we lost. Adam and Eve were perfect for a time in the sight of God, but when they fell, they lost all. Then came the redemption, and we were admitted into the Church of [pg 508] God, a fountain so full of graces, by means of the sacraments. Our places were secured in heaven by the blood of the Lamb. What a great gift was that blood of Jesus Christ, poured over our soul! What a glorious wound was that which was cured by so adorable a power! We have hope once more, again we breathe freely in the bright trust of being children of God, and heirs of the kingdom of heaven. So that from the time of Adam and Eve, there had been a hope in the human breast that God would come to redeem mankind. Adam and all his children were ever looking and praying for His coming; and now during Advent we are preparing for the coming of Him Who is to rejoice every heart. “Come quickly, O Lord Jesus.”

Prayer.

O Lord Jesus, Who didst, for the love of us, etc., etc.

Fifth Day.

The children of Adam had to lament the deadly effects of the evil they had committed. As generation followed generation, thicker grew the darkness in the minds and hearts of the people, and farther and farther away did they wander from that eternal Light, which was to guide them to heaven. Thus it is that sin goes on, spreading its painful consequences throughout the world, even long after the evil-doer is dead and gone. Gradually the world lost all regard for virtue, or for God, until it became so wicked that unless the Redeemer appeared when He did, mankind would have been plunged into absolute barbarism, and worked its own destruction. If [pg 509] I had lived then, what kind of a human being would I have been?—who even now, while enjoying the light of civilization and the freedom with which God has enriched me, am such a poor specimen of a Christian. I who have been made by God, for God, and in the image of God.

Prayer.

O Lord Jesus, Who didst, for the love of us, etc., etc.

Sixth Day.

Our life is a circle. We came from God, and to God we must return. If we have deserted Him we must go back, if our life is to be a success in the end. We can never find repose or lasting satisfaction in anything but God. Until we make Him the end and aim of our life, we shall feel that we are wandering about in the dark. This was the case with the world, which had gone from its Creator; deeper and deeper it sank in the mire of iniquity. We must do as Christ bids us, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God.” We seek Him by a thorough preparation for His coming, for He will come to meet us, and will be ready to receive us and take us back into His affection. God comes to us repeatedly in life; but we do not know His fulness. Yet it is a sad loss that we are so blind. It is the only real misery in life, that we are meeting God every day, and do not know Him when we meet Him.

Prayer.

O Lord Jesus, Who didst, for the love of us, etc., etc.

[pg 510]

Seventh Day.

At length, on the distant horizon, can be discerned the dawn of the Sun that has been so long desired to enlighten the world. The happy Mother of the Messias was to be born before He could come. This is the eve of the feast of the Immaculate Conception; the earth has now a pledge that the coming of the Messias will no longer be delayed, the Son of man is near at hand. The conception of Mary takes place under the direct providence of God; she receives the breath of life from God, without any stain of sin. The feast of the Blessed Virgin's Immaculate Conception is the most solemn of all those which the Church celebrates during the holy season of Advent. We will, then, honor the feast of the Blessed Virgin with joy. The intention of the feast is not only to celebrate the anniversary of the happy moment in which began, in the womb of the pious Ann, the life of the ever glorious Virgin Mary: but also to honor the sublime privilege by which Mary was preserved from the stain of original sin—which, by the curse of God on our first parents, darkened the souls of all the descendants of Adam and Eve at the very first moment of their conception.

Prayer.

O Lord Jesus, Who didst, for the love of us, etc., etc.

Eighth Day.

The faith of the Catholic Church on the conception of Mary, is this: that, at the very instant when God united the soul of Mary, which He had [pg 511] created with a special regard to the Mother of His divine Son, to the body which it was to animate, this ever blessed soul not only did not contract the stain of that curse which defiles every human soul, but was filled with an immeasurable grace, which rendered it from that moment the mirror of sanctity of God Himself, as far as this is possible to a creature. It was due to His own infinite sanctity that God should suspend, in this instance, the law which His divine justice had passed upon all the children of Adam. The relations which Mary was to bear to the divinity could not be reconciled with her undergoing the humiliations of man's punishment. She was not only the Daughter of the eternal Father: she was destined also to become the very Mother of the Son, and the Bride of the Holy Ghost. Nothing defiled could be permitted to enter, even for the shortest time, that sacred structure.

Prayer.

O Lord Jesus, Who didst, for the love of us, etc., etc.

Ninth Day.

St. Anselm, a Doctor of the Church, tells us, in his time, when the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception had not yet been declared, that, “It was just that this holy Virgin should be adorned with the greatest purity which can be conceived, after that of God Himself, since God the Father was to give her as her Child that only-begotten Son, Whom He loved as Himself, as being begotten to Him from His own bosom, and this in such a manner that the self-same Son of God was by nature the Son [pg 512] of both God the Father, and of this Blessed Virgin. This same Son chose her to be substantially His Mother: and the Holy Ghost willed that in her womb He would operate the conception and birth of Him from Whom He Himself proceeded.” When we remember that Mary is the “Mother of God,” so far from being surprised at the privileges which we see the Church giving her, we approve of all. That the Almighty would shower down upon her the choicest graces of heaven, and by special privileges distinguish her from all the children of God, seems only just. Mary was so surrounded and strengthened by grace that she never committed the least sin during her life.

Prayer.

O Lord Jesus, Who didst, for the love of us, etc., etc.

Tenth Day.

The closeness of the tie between Mother and Son gave Mary all the privileges and distinctions which she enjoys. This closeness was to unite the Son of God with Mary, and was to elicit from Him the most tender love and the most filial reverence. All this had been present to the thought of God from all eternity, and the conclusion forces itself upon our mind, that therefore the divine Word had, for His future Mother, a love infinitely greater than that which He bore for all other creatures. Mary's honor was infinitely dear to Him, because she was to be His Mother, chosen to be so by His eternal and merciful decrees. The Son's love protected the Mother. She, indeed, in her sublime humility, willingly submitted to whatever the rest of God's creatures [pg 513] had brought on themselves, and obeyed every tittle of those laws which were never meant for her. “O Mary, O marvellous, mystical creature! O resplendent mote, lost almost to view in the upper light of the supernal fountains! Who can sufficiently abase himself before thee, and weep for the want of love to love thee rightly, thou whom the Word so loved eternally?” (Faber.)

Prayer.

O Lord Jesus, Who didst, for the love of us, etc., etc.

Eleventh Day.

Mary was conceived without sin, because the eternal Father would not do less for the second Eve than He had done for the first; yet the latter was created, as was also the first Adam, in the state of original justice, which she forfeited by her disobedience. The Son of God would not permit that Mary, from whom He was to take the nature of man, should be deprived of that gift which He had given to Eve. The Holy Ghost, Who was to overshadow Mary, and through whose operation she was to become the Mother of the Incarnate Word, would not permit that foul stain of sin in which we are all conceived to rest even for an instant on His Bride. All men were to contract the sin of Adam. The sentence was universal, the condemnation went out against all the race; but God's own Mother could not be included. God, Who is the Author of that law; God, Who was free to make it as He willed, had power to save her from its effects; His omnipotence could exempt her, and it was nothing [pg 514] more than proper, even according to our frail reason, that she was exempted.

Prayer.

O Lord Jesus, Who didst, for the love of us, etc., etc.

Twelfth Day.

Certainly God's omnipotence came into active operation when He created the soul of Mary. When Adam and Eve stood before Him in the garden of paradise, the Lord said to the woman, “Why hast thou done this?” She replied, “The serpent deceived me, and I did eat.” Then God was angry, and turning to the serpent He said, “I will put enmity between thy seed and her seed; she shall crush thy head.” Thus was salvation promised to the human race, under the form of a victory over Satan, and it is to be gained by the woman. The second Eve is to be worthy of the second Adam, conquering Satan and sin. The human race is one day to be avenged, not only by God made man, but also by the woman miraculously exempted from every sin, in whom the primeval creation, which was in justice and holiness, will thus reappear, as though original sin had never been committed. Raise up your hands then, ye children of Adam, and shake off your chains. On this day of the Immaculate Conception the humiliation which weighed you down so heavily is annihilated.

Prayer.

O Lord Jesus, Who didst, for the love of us, etc., etc.

[pg 515]

Thirteenth Day.

The dignity of the human race is well portrayed when we see that God so blessed its members. The Lord loves the human race, and was pleased to be called the Son of man. He still loves this guilty earth, since He has deigned to enlighten it with one of the brightest rays of His Mother's glory. How the world ought to exult on this feast of the Immaculate Conception! The present generation will never forget the enthusiasm with which the entire universe received the tidings of the definition of the dogma. It was an event of mysterious importance, which thus marks this second half of our century, and we shall look forward to the future with confidence. For the Holy Ghost bids us tremble for the days when truths are diminished among the children of men. He would consequently have us look on these times as blessed by God, in which we receive an increase of truth, and an increase both in light and authority. The Church always professed belief in the Immaculate Conception; it is not a new doctrine. She had always kept the 8th of December as the feast of the conception of Mary. Now we add, “Immaculate” Conception.

Prayer.

O Lord Jesus, Who didst, for the love of us, etc., etc.

Fourteenth Day.

There have been no new doctrines added to the dogmas of the Church. People are sometimes scandalized when they hear, from Protestant and infidel [pg 516] sources, that the Church is continually adding to her faith without any warrant from God. Such, however, is not a fact. The present living Church can add nothing to the revelation of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. St. Bernard and the Angelic Doctor, St. Thomas, both teach that the Church cannot celebrate the feast of what is not holy. From time immemorial the feast of the Immaculate Conception has been celebrated; it was considered holy then, and is now no new doctrine. The nativity of the same holy Virgin is kept as a solemnity in the Church, because Mary was born full of grace. Therefore, had the first moment of Mary's existence been one of sin, as that of all the other children of Adam, it never could have been made the subject of reverence by the Church. O Mary, thou bright ray of hope, penetrate our hearts, that we may rejoice in thy motherhood; thou art the dearest, purest, holiest Mother, whom we love most tenderly.

Prayer.

O Lord Jesus, Who didst, for the love of us, etc., etc.

Fifteenth Day.

How thy gentle light gladdens our weary eyes, sweet Mother! Generations had followed generations on this earth of ours; men looked up to heaven through their tears, hoping to see on the horizon the Star which they had been told should disperse the gloomy horrors of the world's darkness. O thou fair Morning Star, which dost shed thy blessed rays on the sea, and dost bring calm after long stormy night, prepare our eyes, that they may behold the divine [pg 517] Sun which will soon follow in thy path, and give to the world His reign of light. To see Jesus in truth our hearts must be pure; purify them, then, O Mother, especially during this sacred time of Advent, that we, the children of the Church, reflecting on the jealous care wherewith God preserved thee from every stain of sin, because thou wast to be the Mother of His divine Son, might prepare to receive this same Jesus by the most perfect renouncing of every sin, and every attachment to it. Cease not to bless and protect all these that honor thy great privilege of being conceived without sin. May this feast fit us for the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. Thou art all beautiful, O Mary, and there is no stain of sin in thee.

Prayer.

O Lord Jesus, Who didst, for the love of us, etc., etc.

Sixteenth Day.

The Church cries out a welcome to the advent of Christ, during this time; making us feel as if we sat in darkness, as if we were as degraded as was man before the coming of the Messias: “O Wisdom,” she cries out, “Who camest forth from the mouth of the Most High, reaching in Thy strength from end to end, and sweetly disposing all things, come teach us the way of prudence.” The first title given to Jesus is that of Wisdom, the eternal Wisdom of God, and the source of all wisdom to men for all time. The eternal Word disposes all things sweetly: everything that happens in heaven and on earth is arranged by Him, not unkindly, nor harshly, but sweetly. We invite Him to come and [pg 518] teach us the ways of prudence, because where there is prudence all must be well. Teach me, O Jesus, the lesson of prudence, which will guide me safely to the kingdom of heaven. The prophet Micheas says of the Child to be born in Bethlehem: “His going forth is from the beginning from the days of eternity.” O divine Wisdom, how strong art Thou, in thus reaching Thine ends by means which are infallible though hidden!

Prayer.

O Lord Jesus, Who didst, for the love of us, etc., etc.

Seventeenth Day.

O Adonai and Leader of the house of Israel, Who didst appear to Moses in the fire of the flaming bush, and didst give him the Law on Sinai, come and save us with a stretched forth arm! O sovereign, almighty Lord, come to redeem us! Heretofore Thou didst show Thyself to Moses in a fiery bush, Thou didst give Thy Law to Thy people amidst thunder and lightning on Mount Sinai; come and redeem us now in the goodness of Thy Heart, in kindness and love. Thy chaste Mother, having heard the emperor's edict, which obliges her and Joseph, her spouse, to repair to Bethlehem, prepares everything needful for Thy divine birth. She makes ready the humble swaddling-clothes which are to cover and protect Thee from the cold of that midnight hour. Thus it is that Thou willest to deliver us from the slavery of pride, and to show man that Thy divine arm is never stronger than when he thinks it powerless. Everything is prepared for Thy reception, [pg 519] except our hearts, which still await Thy holy grace, which is to change them, and make them fit temples for Thy abode.

Prayer.

O Lord Jesus, Who didst, for the love of us, etc., etc.

Eighteenth Day.

The expectation of the birth of Our Lord is a fact which is celebrated throughout the Church. The expectation of the world is now at its greatest tension. Nobody knows whether the event of the birth of Christ is going to take place to-day, or to-morrow; but soon it will be accomplished. Everything is in readiness; the earth groans for need of the Lord, the holy people pray that they may see the great day; we, too, on this feast, will pray for the coming of the Lord. We wish with all our hearts that the Messias would come. Most just indeed it is, O holy Mother of God, that we should unite in that ardent desire thou hadst to see Him, Who had been concealed for nine months in thy chaste womb; to know the features of the Son of the heavenly Father; to come to that blissful hour of His birth, which will give glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace to men of good-will. Yes, dear Mother, the time is fast approaching, though not fast enough to satisfy thy desires and ours. Make us, O Mary, redouble our attention to this great mystery; complete our preparation by thy powerful prayers for us, that when His hour has come, Jesus may find no obstacle to His entry into our hearts.

[pg 520]

Prayer.

O Lord Jesus, Who didst, for the love of us, etc., etc.

Nineteenth Day.

O Root of Jesse, Who standest as the standard of the people, before Whom kings shall not open their lips; to Whom the nations shall pray, come and deliver us: tarry now no more. At length, O Son of Jesse, Thou art approaching the city of Thy ancestors! The ark of the Lord has arisen, and is journeying with the God that is in her to the place of rest. “How beautiful are thy steps, O thou daughter of the Prince,” now that thou art bringing to the cities of Juda their salvation! The angels escort thee, heaven delights in thee, and earth thrills with joy to bear thus upon itself, its Creator and its Queen. Blessed is the womb of the Virgin Mary, which bore the invisible God; there did He deign to dwell, Whom even thrones cannot hold, and she bore Him as a light weight. Our hearts, O Mary, are with thee. Like thy royal ancestor, David, “we will enter not into the dwelling, our house, nor go up to bed whereon we lie, nor give sleep to our eyes, nor rest to our temples,” until we have found the place in our hearts for the Lord Whom thou bearest, a tabernacle for this God of Jacob. Then will be silenced the enemies of thy name, and nations will offer thee their prayers.

Prayer.

O Lord Jesus, Who didst, for the love of us, etc., etc.

[pg 521]

Twentieth Day.

O Key of David and Sceptre of the house of Israel! Who openest and no man shutteth; Who shuttest and no man openeth; come and lead the captive from prison, sitting in darkness, and in the shadow of death. O Gabriel! blest messenger of heaven, thou camest through closed doors, and didst announce the word “Thou shalt conceive and bear a Son, and He shall be called Emmanuel”! O Jesus, Son of David, heir to his throne and his power, Thou art now passing over, on Thy way to Bethlehem, the land that once was the kingdom of Thy ancestors, but now is tributary to the Gentiles. Not an inch of this ground about Bethlehem, historic for many centuries, but has witnessed the miracles of the justice and mercy of Jehovah, Thy Father, to the people of that Old Covenant which is so soon to end. Before long, when Thou hast come from beneath the virginal cloud which now hides Thee, Thou wilt pass along this same road, doing good, healing all manner of sickness and every infirmity; and yet having not whereon to lay Thy head. Thou art now about to come forth, Thou art now to shine in the midst of this world's darkness. Open the gates then, with this all powerful Key of David.

Prayer.

O Lord Jesus, Who didst, for the love of us, etc., etc.

Twenty-first Day.

Orient Splendor of eternal light, and Sun of justice! Come and enlighten them that sit [pg 522] in darkness, and in the shadow of death. O Jesus, bright light from heaven, the brightness of God Himself, the Splendor of the early Sun: we welcome Thee. We need Thy light, for we sit in darkness: all are in darkness who commit sin, and the world is full of sin. Jesus, the great Sun, must rise over this darkness, that it may be dissipated, and a new life may be infused into it; then the angel of darkness will fly away; then will grow the life of light. Nothing prospers in darkness; man sleeps and does not work, plants fade and die; so that, O Light of the splendid Orient, arise in our hearts! We beseech Thee, O God, to remove from us all that resists Thee, so that with a believing heart we may in such a manner bring forth the branches of Thy gifts bestowed on us, that the root of humility may never dry up within us.

Prayer.

O Lord Jesus, Who didst, for the love of us, etc., etc.

Twenty-second Day.

O King of nations and their desired One, the corner-stone that joinest the two walls! Come and save man, whom Thou didst form out of slime. O King of peace! Thou wast born before all ages! come by the golden gate; visit those whom Thou hast redeemed, and lead them back to the place from whence they fell by sin. The journey of Our Lord to Bethlehem is nearly over, and our blessed Mother is engrossed entirely in the expectation of the coming of her divine Son. She adores His majesty; she gives thanks for His mercy; she rejoices that she has been chosen for the sublime ministry of motherhood [pg 523] towards the Son of God. Mary longs for that happy day when her eyes will look upon Him, and yet she fears that moment, too. How will she be able to serve her God in His human life? How will she dare to raise Him up in her arms—the King of nations, and she but a humble Virgin? When she reflects that the hour is approaching in which she is to see the Light of the world, her heart almost fails her, for on the one hand she knows that she bears her God, and on the other she is full of love because she is His Mother. Come, then, speedily we beseech Thee, come and save us!

Prayer.

O Lord Jesus, Who didst, for the love of us, etc., etc.

Twenty-third Day.

O Emmanuel, Our King and Lawgiver, the expectation of the Gentiles and their Saviour, come and save us, O Lord, Our God! O Jerusalem, city of the great God! lift up thine eyes round about, and see thy Lord, for He is coming to loose thee from thy chains. As Mary and Joseph passed Jerusalem they surely did not omit to visit the Temple of the Lord. This was the first visit which Our Lord paid to His Father's house. Then was fulfilled for the first time the prophecy of Aggeus. “Great shall be the glory of this last house, more than of the first.” Now was standing in this second Temple the Ark of the New Covenant, greater by far than the Ark of Moses. The angels that lived in the Temple were roused to special prayer on that occasion. Mary and Joseph, when their devotions were ended, hastened on their [pg 524] way in order that they might seek suitable shelter, but they were to be disappointed everywhere. Thus Jesus Christ, the Son of God, comes into the world.

Prayer.

O Lord Jesus, Who didst, for the love of us, etc., etc.

Twenty-fourth Day.

Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem. They knocked at several doors for admittance or for information, but were invariably turned away; for great was the crowd that was going the same way. The rich had their houses engaged; the poor had to look for shelter in any place. Joseph, mindful of Mary, his spouse, was much concerned for her comfort, and he did the best he could. After great industry he at last found a cave where she might have shelter from the open sky, and the darkness and chilliness of the night. This holy eve is indeed full of grace and hope, and we ought to spend it in spiritual communion and joy. Let us enter into the spirit of the Church, and prepare ourselves in all the joy of our hearts to meet the Saviour Who is about to be born to us. Let us dispose our hearts with great simplicity, for to-morrow we shall see the glory of God. Let us delight in the thought that before we lie down again to rest, we shall see the promised Redeemer born in the solemn midnight: “Sanctify yourselves to-day, and be prepared, because in the morning you shall see the majesty of God among you.”

[pg 525]

Prayer.

O God, Who makest us to rejoice in the yearly expectation of the feast of the redemption: grant that we, who joyfully receive Thy only-begotten Son as a Redeemer, may behold without fear the same Lord Jesus Christ, coming as our Judge: Who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.

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