Thursday after Epiphany: Saint Cyril of Alexandria; also prev. MARY, MOTHER OF GOD The most famous Marian homily ...

Breviary

Thursday, 8 January 2015

Thursday after Epiphany

  

       ... recognized Mary's title of Theotokos, Mother of God.     

Dom Donald's Blog: MARY, MOTHER OF GOD The most famous Marian homily ...: Hogmanay New Year CHRISTMASTIDE Octave of Christmas 1 January MARY, MOTHER OF GOD The mos...

Wednesday, 1 January 2014

MARY, MOTHER OF GOD The most famous Marian homily of antiquity

Hogmanay New Year

CHRISTMASTIDE Octave of Christmas 1 January MARY, MOTHER OF GOD The most famous Marian homily of antiquity From a homily by Saint Cyril of Alexandria (Hom. 4: PG 77, 991.995-996) This is the most famous Marian homily of antiquity. It was delivered in the Church of Saint Mary at Ephesus between 23 and 27 June 431, while the third Ecumenical Council was in session there. This Council, at which Cyril presided as papal delegate, condemned Nestorius, and solemnly recognized Mary's title of Theotokos, Mother of God. Mary, Mother of God, we salute you. Precious vessel, worthy of the whole world's reverence, you are an ever-shining light, the crown of virginity, the symbol of orthodoxy, an indestructible temple, the place that held him whom no place can contain, mother and virgin. Because of you the holy gospels could say: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. We salute you, for in your holy womb he, who is beyond all limitation, was confined. Because of you the holy Trinity is glorified and adored; the cross is called precious and is venerated throughout the world; the heavens exult; the angels and archangels make merry; demons are put to flight; the devil, that tempter, is thrust down from heaven; the fallen race of man is taken up on high; all creatures possessed by the madness of idolatry have attained knowledge of the truth; believers receive holy baptism; the oil of gladness is poured out; the Church is established throughout the world; pagans are brought to repentance. What more is there to say? Because of you the light of the only-begotten Son of God has shone upon those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death; prophets pronounced the word of God; the apostles preached salvation to the Gentiles; the dead are raised to life, and kings rule by the power of the holy Trinity. Who can put Mary's high honour into words? She is both mother and virgin. I am overwhelmed by the wonder of this miracle. Of course no one could be prevented from living in the house he had built for himself, yet who would invite mockery by asking his own servant to become his mother? Behold then the joy of the whole universe. Let the union of God and man in the Son of the Virgin Mary fill us with awe and adoration. Let us fear and worship the undivided Trinity as we sing the praise of the ever-virgin Mary, the holy temple of God, and of God himself, her Son and spotless Bridegroom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

iBreviary

http://www.ibreviary.com/m/breviario.php?s=ufficio_delle_lettureSECOND READING

From a commentary on the Gospel of John by Saint Cyril of Alexandria, bishop
(Lib. 5, Cap. 2: PG 73, 751-754)

The gift of the Holy Spirit to all mankind

In a plan of surpassing beauty the Creator of the universe decreed the renewal of all things in Christ. In his design for restoring human nature to its original condition, he gave a promise that he would pour out on it the Holy Spirit along with his other gifts, for otherwise our nature could not enter once more into the peaceful and secure possession of those gifts.

He therefore appointed a time for the Holy Spirit to come upon us: this was the time of Christ’s coming. He gave this promise when he said: In those days, that is, the days of the Savior, I will pour out a share of my Spirit on all mankind.

When the time came for this great act of unforced generosity, which revealed in our midst the only-begotten Son, clothed with flesh on this earth, a man born of woman, in accordance with Holy Scripture, God the Father gave the Spirit once again. Christ, as the first fruits of our restored nature, was the first to receive the Spirit. John the Baptist bore witness to this when he said: I saw the Spirit coming down from heaven, and it rested on him.

Christ “received the Spirit” in so far as he was man, and in so far as man could receive the Spirit. He did so in such a way that, though he is the Son of God the Father, begotten of his substance, even before the incarnation, indeed before all ages, yet he was not offended at hearing the Father say to him after he had become man: You are my Son; today I have begotten you.

The Father says of Christ, who was God, begotten of him before the ages, that he has been “begotten today,” for the Father is to accept us in Christ as his adopted children. The whole of our nature is present in Christ, in so far as he is man. So the Father can be said to give the Spirit again to the Son, though the Son possesses the Spirit as his own, in order that we may receive the Spirit in Christ. The Son therefore took to himself the seed of Abraham, as Scripture says, and became like his brothers in all things.

The only-begotten Son received the Spirit, but not for his own advantage, for the Spirit is his, and is given in him and through him, as we have already said. He receives it to renew our nature in its entirety and to make it whole again, for in becoming man he took our entire nature to himself. If we reason correctly, and use also the testimony of Scripture, we can see that Christ did not receive the Spirit for himself, but rather for us in him; for it is also through Christ that all gifts come down to us.

RESPONSORY
Ezekiel 37:27-28; Hebrews 8:8

I will be their God and they shall be my people.
– The nations shall know that I am the Lord, the Sanctifier of Israel,
when my holiness will be established in their midst for all eternity.

I shall bring to fulfillment my new convenant
with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.
– The nations shall know that I am the Lord, the Sanctifier of Israel,
when my holiness will be established in their midst for all eternity.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Let us pray.

God our Father,
through Christ your Son
the hope of eternal life dawned on our world.
Give to us the light of faith
that we may always acknowledge him as our Redeemer,
and come to the glory of his kingdom,
where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
– Amen.

Christmass Weekday January 11, Day 18

http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/overviews/seasons/christmas/christmas_days18.cfmm   January 11, Christmas Weekday Christmas Day 18 In Mexico El Día de Los Tres Reyes (Day of the Three Kings) celebrates the arrival of Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthazar at the place of Jesus' birth. The day is also known as El Día de Los Reyes Magos (Magi) in Spanish and Epiphany in English commemorates the divinity of Christ as manifested to the Magi, the kings who brought him gifts. On the night before El Día de Los Reyes, the children fill their shoes with hay and leave them outside. It is believed that the Wise Men will stop at each home to feed their horses, leaving gifts in exchange for hay. Finally, El Día de Los Reyes arrives, and the whole family wakes up to open the gifts left by the Three Kings. However, this is only the beginning. On that day, family and friends gather, while the children keep busy playing with their new toys. The adults continue with the day's activities by preparing a big dinner and serving a very special dessert, a bread known as La Rosca de Reyes or Three Kings Bread. — by Frances Chaparro, Estela Muñoz and Adrian Zamilpa Day Eighteen activity (Los Posadas) Day Eighteen recipe (La Rosca de Reyes)

January 11 - Christmas Weekday

Christmas Weekday

1 John 5:5-13  +  Psalm 147  +  Luke 5:12-16

January 11, 2013

“So there are three who testify, the Spirit, the water, and the Blood.”  [1 John 5:7-8]

                                                                                                            

The Christmas Season is a time of beginnings.  During Christmastide we hear a great deal in the Sacred Liturgy from the writings of the Beloved Disciple.  St. John the Evangelist outlived all the other apostles.  The Blessed Mother, who had been entrusted to his care on Calvary, had completed her earthly life.  As he writes his Gospel account and epistles, then, he stresses the fundamentals.

If St. John’s epistles sound at times like he’s repeating himself, perhaps he knew that repetition is the key to learning.  He’s hammering home a message with eternal consequences:  the Good News of Jesus Christ.

In today’s First Reading, St. John speaks of “testimony” about the divine Person of Jesus.  He says something intriguing:  that “there are three who testify, the Spirit, the water, and the Blood.”  More than one Church Father suggests these three refer to the Trinity.  Perhaps it’s an imaginative leap, but whatever St. John’s literal intention in writing these words, we could apply his words to the three Sacraments that initiate a human person into the Body of the Church.  Confirmation, Baptism and the Eucharist initiate one into the life of Jesus Christ, and through Him into the communion of the Trinity.  Say a prayer of thanksgiving today for having received the gifts of Baptism and Confirmation, and resolve during the month ahead to attend daily Mass whenever possible.

Epiphany Sky (Carlisle)

Adoration of the Magi Guiseppe Cali Rotunda Malta

                                                                 
 Dear William,

Thank you for the SKY of your Epiphany
and best wishes for Days of Christmas Season.  

fr. Donald                                                                  
                                               

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: William W...
To: Donald...
Sent: Sunday, 6 January 2013, 8:52
Subject: Epiphany sky

Dear Father Donald,

 

The sun this morning (see attachment) was full of mystery, rising to greet the arrival of the "Wise Men from the East" in a blaze of glory!

 

With my love in Our Lord,

William

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Nunraw Vespers.

Pope Astronomer: Much of the Church's tradition has underlined the miraculous nature of the star, as in the writings of Ignatius of Antioch (c. 100 A.D.), who saw the sun and the moon dancing around the star, and likewise in the ancient Epiphany hymn from the Roman Breviary, which states that the star outshone the sun in beauty and brilliance. (Ben XVI)

Kepler calculated that in the year 7-6b.c., which as we have seen is now thought likely to have been when Jesus was born, there was a conjunction of the planets Jupiter, Saturn and Mars. He himself had experienced a similar conjunction in the year 1604. with the further addition of a supernova. This is a weak or very distant star in which a colossal explosion takes place, so that for weeks and months an intensive radiance streams from it. Kepler regarded the supernova as a new star. He took the view that the planetary conjunction at the time of Jesus' birth must also have been accompanied by a supernova, and this was how he attempted

Nevertheless, the question whether or not this was an astronomically identifiable and classifiable celestial apparition was not going to go away. (Ben XVI)

In our story both elements can be seen: in the first instance, the star leads the wise men as far as Judea. It is quite natural that their search for the newborn king of the Jews should take them to Israel's royal city and to the king's palace. That, surely, is where the future king must have been born. Then they need the direction provided by Israel's sacred Scriptures–the words of the living God-–n order to find the way once and for all to David's true heir.  (Ben XVI)

Comment Baptism Epiphany

Monday after Epiphany : Mt 4,12-17, Mt 4,23-25

Dear William,

Monday of Epiphany skips leaps the Weekdays of the Christmas Season the Rome anchored on Epiphany on 6^th January.

Happily you observe that the Commentary of Saint Chrysostom illuminates further the epiphanic (Ben xvi) dimension powerfully illustrates the Gospel.

Thank you.

Donald

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: William J
Sent: Mon, 3 January, 2011 11:39:44
Subject: The Lord's baptism... such a perfectly simple explanation!

Dear Father Donald,

I have often pondered over Jesus' baptism, perhaps requiring that I should always look for theological reasons. DGO has a perfectly simple explanation today:

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Saint John Chrysostom (c.345-407), priest at Antioch then Bishop of Constantinople,
Doctor of the Church
Sermon on the Baptism of Jesus Christ and on the Epiphany 

Christ was manifested to all, not at his birth but at his baptism. Before then, few knew him; almost no one knew he existed or who he was. John the Baptist said: “There is one among you who you do not recognise,” (Jn 1,26). John himself shared the same ignorance of Christ up until his baptism: “I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptise with water told me: ‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptise with the Holy Spirit”…
Indeed, what is the reason John gives for the Lord’s baptism? It was, he said, so that he might be made known to all. Saint Paul says the same thing: “John baptised with a baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him,” (Ac 19,4).

 This is why Jesus receives baptism from John. To have gone from house to house presenting Christ and saying he was the Son of God would have made John’s testimony extremely difficult; to have led him to the synagogue and designated him as the Saviour would have made his testimony hardly credible. But that, in the midst of a large crowd gathered on the banks of the Jordan, Jesus should have received this testimony clearly expressed from heaven above and that the Holy Spirit should have descended on him in the form of a dove: this indeed confirmed John’s testimony without any shadow of doubt. “I myself did not know him,” John said. Who made him known to you, then? “He who sent me to baptise.” And what did he say to you? “On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptise with the Holy Spirit.” Thus, it is the Holy Spirit who reveals to all he whose wonders John had proclaimed, by coming down to designate him, so to speak, with the touch of his wing.
http://www.dailygospel.org  

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