Seasons of Celebration Thomas Merton OCSO

Mass and Night Office,  

Mosaic-St.-Mark-Evangelist-
Basilica-Saint-Peter-Vatican-Rome-Italy

  

The Mass Introduction had the illuminating commentary on the Gospel. Mark 6:45-52, "And having seen that they were troubled and tormented in [their] rowing, for the wind was against them, about the fourth watch of the night [between 3:00-6:00 a.m.]" Verse 48, AMP. Mark had his writing of the Gospel in Rome  and was aware of the persecution of Christians at the time. He recalled the occasion of Jesus coming to his disciples, 'troubled and tormented' in the boat out in the middle of the lake.

A Two Year Patristic Lectionary for the Divine Office 

Edited by Stephen Mark Holmes

University of Edinburgh School of Divinity

For Pluscarden Abbey, Scotland

At the Night Office, following the surprise from yesterday, we are able to use the  Reading from the Patristic Lectionary.

Oops! The wrong horse. This is the 1981 Edition of  'A WORD IN SEASON'.
What I am looking forward is the Night Office Reading by Thomas Merton, obviously the 2001 Edition of the Patristic Lectionary, before. 

A Word in Season

Advent to Christmas

Edition 2001

Epiphany to Baptism Year II

Wednesday 08 January 2014

First Reading Isaiah 56: 1-8

Second Reading

From the writings of Thomas Merton, O.CS.O.
(Seasons of Celebration 111-112)

Answer to the prayers of all

If we wish to see Christ in his glory, we must recognize him now in his humility. If we wish his light to shine on our darkness and his immortality ty to clothe our mortality, we must suffer with him on earth in order to be crowned with him in paradise. If we desire his love to transform us from glory to glory into his perfect likeness, we must love one another as he has loved us, and we must take our places at that blessed table where he him­self becomes our food, setting before us the living bread, the manna which is sent to us from heaven, this day, to be the life of the world.

Jesus, who has come to nourish our spirit with his own body and blood, does so not to be transformed into us, but in order to transform us into himself. He has given himself to us in order that we may belong to him. For the centre of this great mystery is the eternal Father's design to re-establish all things in Christ. This, says Saint Paul, is the mystery of his will ... in the dispensa­tion of the fullness of time, to reestablish all things in Christ that are in heaven and on earth.

This child and redeemer who comes amid the songs 'of angels to answer the prayers of all the patriarchs and prophets, and to satisfy the unrecognized longings of the whole lineage of Adam exiled from paradise, comes also to quiet the groanings of all creation. For the whole world has been in labour and in mourning since the fall of the human race. The whole created universe, with all its manifold beauty and splendour, has travailed in disorder, longing for the birth of a saviour. Every creature groans and travails in pain even until now ... for the expectation of the creature waits for the revelation of the children of God.

The patriarchs and prophets prayed for the coming of Christ in Bethlehem, bu t this first coming did not silence the groanings of creation. For, according to the words of the apostle which we have just heard, while men and women waited for the birth of  Jesus in Judea, the rest of the universe still waits for the revelation of Christ in his Church.

The mystery of Christmas therefore lays upon us all a debt and an obligation to the rest of the human race and to the whole created universe. We who have seen the light of Christ are obliged by the greatness of the grace that has been given us to make known the presence of the Savior to the ends of the earth. This we will do not only by preaching the glad tidings of his coming, but above all by revealing him in our lives. Christ is born to us in order that he may appear to the whole world through us. This one day is the day of his birth, but every day of our mortal lives must be his manifestation, his divine epiphany, in the world which he has created and redeemed.

Responsory Is 66:18-19; In 17:6.18

Behold I come to bring together all nations and tongues. + They shall come and see my glory and proclaim it to the far-off lands.

V. I have revealed your name to those you have given me out of the world. As you have sent me, so now I send them.+ They shall come ...