December 19

The Month of December Dedicated to Advent and the Coming of Christ

O Radix Iesse!

Saints: Pope Saint Urban V (1310-1370); Pope Saint Anastasius (d. 401)

Readings of the Day

Rule of Saint Benedict: Ch 63:10-19 Community Rank

Mass: Judges 13:2-7, 24-25a; Resp Ps 71; Lk 1:5-25

For you are my hope, O Lord.

MARY, QUEEN OF PEACE,

SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL,

PRAY FOR US.

The Dawn from on high will visit us, guiding our feet in the way of peace.

(Communion Antiphon, Mass)

Welcome to Monday in this Fourth Week of Advent. We continue our countdown to the Nativity of the Lord and celebrate O Root of Jesse, who stand as a sign among the people, before whom kings shall shut their mouths, to whom the nations shall make supplication; come to deliver us, and tarry not.

What with yesterday's Gospel and today's readings for Mass, it seems a good idea to listen to an angel of the Lord if one happens to visit you, whether you are sleeping or awake. The angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and Joseph did as commanded him; Joseph took his wife into his home (Mt 1:20, 24). An angel of the Lord appeared to the barren wife of Manoah and the woman bore a son and named him Samson. The boy grew up and the Lord blessed him; the Spirit of the Lord stirred him (Judges 13:3, 24). The angel of the Lord Gabriel appeared to Zechariah and the poor man did not believe Gabriel. God prevailed in any case, left Zechariah speechless, and blessed Zechariah's wife Elizabeth with a son to be named John. And John's mission was not a small one, as Gabriel said: He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb and he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will go before him in spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of fathers toward children and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to prepare a people fit for the Lord (Lk 1:11, 13-17). Even though it is a bit premature to sing this; it comes to mind anyway: Angels we have heard on high! United in faith and prayer, keep going faithful readers. Thank you for being there.

In the presence of the angels I will sing to you.

(Ps 138:1/RB 19:5)

O dear Saint Joseph, I place myself, then, with full confidence under your protection. Teach me to live as you did, in faith and abandonment to God; teach me to live solely for Him, by consecrating myself entirely to His service.

(Father Gabriel of Saint Mary Magdalene, O.C.D., d. 1952)

POPE SAINT URBAN V,

POPE SAINT ANASTASIUS,

PRAY FOR US.

Today's photo: I always love this one. My trust, O God, from my youth.

© Gertrude Feick 2022