Saturday, December 3, 2011

Advent Daily Dose - 1st Saturday

We pray + in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (9: 35-10:1, 5a, 6-8)
Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, and curing every disease and illness. At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.'
Then he summoned his Twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness.
Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus, 'Go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go make this proclamation: "The Kingdom of heaven is at hand." Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.'

The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Lord!

Reflection: "Believe more and more intensely in God's love. Or better, that God is Love: that, for Him, to be and to love are one and the same thing. Remember what St. Augustine wrote on the text: 'I am, Who am'. Change the word 'being' for 'loving' and you will still be far from reaching the limits of that Truth which is Love. Despite all the penetration of his genius St. Augustine never reached those limits. No one ever will- there are no limits! The Love of God is boundless Light." (from They Speak by Silences, by a Carthusian Monk, Gracewing: Herefordshire, 1955, p. 59).

We pray: O God, who sent your Only Begotten Son into this world to free the human race from its ancient enslavement, bestow on those who devoutly await him the grace of your compassion from on high, that we may attain the prize of true freedom. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us. St. Francis Xavier, pray for us.

In the name + of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

3 comments:

  1. FrC,

    Following Steve Schaeffer's email, I just wanted to test this to see if it works.

    Peace!
    Mitch

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  2. Sometimes it feels like there are few who are battling the influences of society and the media over our families. I suppose it's an ancient opportunity that even the apostles faced. Strength in perseverance and in Jesus.

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  3. Thanks guys. I made a few adjustments on my end too. Should be easier to post comments and see them immediately.

    ReplyDelete