At that time, after eight days were accomplished that the Child should be circumcised: His Name was called Jesus, which was called by the Angel before He was conceived in the womb.
Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) Daily Readings – rosary,team
The psalmist says: “The Lord is great and worthy of praise” (96[95]:4). Who is this ‘Lord’ if not Jesus Christ, great and worthy of praise? You surely know he appeared as man; you know, too, that he was conceived in the womb of a woman; that he was born of that womb, nourished, cradled in her arms, circumcised, that an offering was made for him (Lk 2:24) and that he grew up. You also know that he was struck, covered with spittle, crowned with thorns, crucified, and that he died, pierced by a lance. You know well that he suffered all those things. Yes, “he is great and worthy of praise”. Guard yourselves from despising his littleness; understand his greatness. He became small because you were small: understand how great he is and you will become great along with him. This is how houses are built, how the solid walls of a building are raised. The stones brought to construct the building increase: you, too, increase, understanding how great Christ is and how he who appeared to be small is great, very great indeed… What can poor, human language say in praise of him who is so great? In saying “very” great it is trying to express what it feels and believes…, but it is as if it were saying: “Try to grasp in thought what I am unable to express in words, and yet you must know that whatever you may have grasped is only a fragment.” For how can any language translate something that surpasses all thought? “Great is the Lord and worthy of all praise!” May he be praised, then; may he be preached; may his glory be proclaimed and his dwelling place erected.
Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) Daily Readings – rosary,team
At that time, after eight days were accomplished that the Child should be circumcised: His Name was called Jesus, which was called by the Angel before He was conceived in the womb.
Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) Daily Readings – rosary,team
When one looks at the Immaculate Virgin one senses a need in one’s heart to come closer to her… People who love her and write about her pause to see who she is, even if they don’t know her at any depth. Who is she in relation to God the Father? He is her Creator, of course and she herself declares: “I am the handmaid of the Lord” (Lk 1,38). But who else is she? She is the one chosen by the eternal Father. One cannot conceive this; human words are not adequate to express it. The heavenly Father wanted his Son, the second Person of the Trinity, to have the Immaculate Virgin as his mother in time. She is truly the mother of the Son of God – how difficult this is to grasp! We have to be very united to the Mother of God to understand this mystery at greater depth. The Virgin Mary cannot be compared with other saints by the fact that she is the Mother of God’s Son, truly Mother of God… To be created by God, to be a child by adoption: these things can yet be understood. But really to be the Mother of God is something that exceeds all understanding… It is a truth of faith that the Immaculate one is actually the Mother of God and not just the mother of Jesus’ humanity. With regard to the Holy Spirit: she is his Bride. We can’t conceive this either! The Holy Spirit is united to the Immaculate Virgin to such an extent that He seems to make up a single being with her… In all these things our intellect is not sufficient since the Trinity is infinite. And even were we to have perfect knowledge, there is an infinite distance between what we know of the Blessed Trinity and what it is in reality. Later, in heaven, we shall get a much better idea of this mystery. Even after thousands and thousands of years this understanding will always remain limited to such an extent that eternity will be necessary to come to perfect understanding.
Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) Daily Readings – rosary,team
At that time, after eight days were accomplished that the Child should be circumcised: His Name was called Jesus, which was called by the Angel before He was conceived in the womb.
Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) Daily Readings – rosary,team
The name “Jesus” in Hebrew means “salvation” or “Savior”. It is a name that for the prophets referred to a very specific vocation. From whence came these words, sung with great desire to see him: “My heart will rejoice in your salvation and will be joyful because of his salvation; my soul pines for your salvation” (Ps 12[13]:6 ;34[35]:9 ;118[119]:81). “Yet will I rejoice in the Lord and exult in my saving God” (Hab 3:18). And especially: “O God, by your name save me” (Ps 53[54]:3). It is as though one were to say: “O you who are called ‘Savior’, by saving me manifest the glory of your name.” And so the name of the son born of the Virgin Mary is Jesus, according to the angel’s explanation: “He will save his people from their sins”… As for the word “Christ”, this designates priestly or royal status. Priests and kings were in fact “chrismated”, that is to say anointed with holy oil. By this means they became signs of him who, appearing in the world as true king and high priest, received the anointing of “the oil of gladness above your fellows” (Ps 44[45]:8). It is because of this anointing that he is called Christ and those who share in this same anointing, that of spiritual grace, are called Christians. May he grant through his name of Savior to save us from our sins! May he grant through his anointing as high priest to reconcile us with God the Father. Through his anointing as king may he give us the eternal kingdom of his Father.
Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) Daily Readings – rosary,team
At that time, after eight days were accomplished that the Child should be circumcised: His Name was called Jesus, which was called by the Angel before He was conceived in the womb.
Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) Daily Readings – rosary,team
Under the reign of Caesar Augustus, the quiet silence (Wis 18:14) of universal peace had brought such calm to an age which had previously been sorely distressed that through his decree a census of the whole world could be taken. Under the guidance of divine providence, it happened that Joseph, the Virgin’s husband, took to the town of Bethlehem the young girl of royal descent who was pregnant. When nine months had passed since his conception, the “King of Peace like a bridegroom from his bridal chamber (cf. 1 Chr 22:9; Ps. 18:6), came forth from the virginal womb. He was brought forth into the light without any corruption just as he was conceived without any stain of lust. Although he was great and rich, he became small and poor for us. He chose to be born away from a home in a stable, to be wrapped in swaddling clothes, to be nourished by virginal milk and to lie in a manger between an ox and an ass. Then “there shone upon us a day of new redemption, restoration of the past and eternal happiness. Then throughout the whole world the heavens became honey-sweet” (Roman breviary). Now, then, my soul, embrace that divine manger; press your lips upon and kiss the boy’s feet. Then in your mind keep the shepherds’ watch, marvel at the assembling host of angels, join in the heavenly melody, singing with both voice and heart: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to people of goodwill.”
Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) Daily Readings – rosary,team
At that time the shepherds said one to another: Let us go over to Bethlehem, and let us see this word that is come to pass, which the Lord hath showed to us.
And they came with haste: and they found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger.
And seeing, they understood of the word that had been spoken to them concerning this child.
And all that heard wondered: and at those things that were told them by the shepherds.
But Mary kept all these words, pondering them in her heart.
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) Daily Readings – rosary,team
Come, O Sages, let us wonder at the Virgin Mary, daughter of David, that flower of beauty who has given birth to this marvel. Let us wonder at the spring from which this stream has welled up, the ship laden with bounty bringing us the message of the Father. In her most pure breast she has received and borne that great God who rules all creation, the God through whom peace now reigns on earth and in the heavens. She alone of all creatures has given birth without knowing man. Her soul was full of wonder and joyfully each day she gave glory to God for gifts that seemed incapable of joining in one: her virginal purity and her beloved child. Yes indeed, blessed is he who was born of her!… She carried him and sang his praise in sweet songs…: «My son, your real place is to be raised up above all things but, because you willed it, you have found a place in me. The heavens are too narrow for your majesty, yet I, who am so small, am bearing you! Let Ezekiel come and see you on my lap; let him bow down and worship and acknowledge in you him whom he beheld seated on the chariot of the cherubim (cf. Ez 1). Let him proclaim me blessed, thanks to him whom I bear!… Isaiah, you who proclaimed: ‘Behold, a Virgin shall conceive and bear a son’ (7,14), come and look on me, be glad with me… See how I have given birth while guarding intact the seal of my virginity. Behold Emmanuel who, in former times, was hidden from your sight… Come to me, O Sages, singers of the Spirit, prophets who, in your visions, received the revelation of hidden realities, laborers who, after sowing, slept in hope. Arise, leap for joy as you see the harvest of fruit. See in my arms the grain of life that gives bread to the hungry and satisfies the wretched. Rejoice with me: I have received the wheatsheaf of joy!»
Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) Daily Readings – rosary,team
