The Meditation The Third Sunday in Advent A.D. 2018 Gaudete Sunday [1] December 16 th A.D. 2018 The Census at Bethlehem (1566) Painting by Peter Bruegel the elder (1525-1569) Dutch/Flemish Renaissance painter. The starkness of the painting reminds one of winter in New England but it is painted of Holland. - fr.k.l.l. + 1
The Gradual Psalm for the Mass for Gaudete Sunday (Advent III) Shew thyself, O Lord, thou that sittest upon the cherubims, stir up thy strength and come. (Psalm 80) Joy in the Lord s Coming Advent is a season for solemn thought, resolution, and repentance, however it should come as no surprise that the general tone of the church s liturgy should be one of hopeful expectation and joy. The Lord is coming to reveal His glory and to save His people. St. Paul writes: Rejoice in the Lord, alway: and again I say rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. (Philippians; Chap. 4, Vs. 5). [2] It s almost as though he is saying to us: Let your hearts be filled with joy and have no cares, just as children who have a good and strong father in whom they trust. The Church, in today s celebration of the liturgy, permits the wearing of rose-colored vestments in place of the penitential violet. The Church, along with her great apostle, calls to us: Rejoice in the Lord, Alway! Mankind was created by God for happiness, and consciously, even unconsciously, we seek it each day. The great tragedy is that many seek it where it isn t to be found in material and sensual pleasures. People seek to satisfy themselves, through the world, the flesh and the devil, by way of their base instincts. The result is always a brief and passing satisfaction that is never really fulfilled, and so the quest continues. They forget that true joy and happiness are only to be found in the source of all love and all good in God. St. Francis of Assisi said of God, that He is complete and perfect goodness, the true and highest Good. He alone is merciful, tender, gentle, loveable. All good comes from Him and without Him nothing is good. Therefore, without God there can be neither joy nor happiness. What great emptiness there must be in the person who denies God and His love. All things were created by God and for God, and all are dependent upon Him. He has given something of His own perfection to every creature. Take a look at a flower for example, and this becomes evident, or for those needing fuller proof, look at the night sky, or the celestial images science now can bring us through powerful telescopes. Those creatures whom God has not endowed with reason, praise His power and greatness merely by their existence. Mankind can and must do more. We must bring to our Lord and Creator a conscious homage that comes from our reasoning, rendering unto Him loving service and submitting to His laws. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all of thy heart, and all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. (St. Matthew: Chap. 22, Vs. 37) [3] Therefore, this is our primary duty, which ought to also be our greatest happiness, but our perennial adversaries, the world, the flesh, and the devil, combine to deceive us into finding happiness in other ways and places. The appearance of good in things, and even certain people, can attract us, and distracts us from our service and even our love of God. Such attractions aren t and will never be enough. We will only find our rest and true contentment in God Himself, and in the law which is almost burned into every soul He has created. Thou shalt worship the Lord 2
thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. (St. Matthew; Chap. 4, Vs. 10). Just as a valley can only be filled by a mountain, so the human heart can only be satisfied by the possession of God. St. Francis of Assisi loved to say: Blessed is he who, pure in heart and soul, despising the earth and aspiring to heaven, never ceases to adore and contemplate the true and living God. Francis love for God s creation is well-known, so when he speaks of despising the earth, we are to understand that he is speaking of worldliness and all the evil that comes from it. Almighty God, in His infinite mercy, sent us His only-begotten Son to teach us, both by word and example how we are to live and love His Father. His rebuke to Martha applies to many of us:...thou art careful and troubled about many things. But only one thing is necessary. (St. Luke; Chap. 10, Vss. 41 & 42.) How can one not be filled with worry and anxieties in these times? Jesus says: For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? (St. Matthew; Chap. 16, Vs. 26). Such is the teaching of our best friend, our eldest brother, Jesus,Who gently takes us by the hand to raise us up from the dust of earth to the joys of heaven. He desires every soul to be His and His Father s. We can be assured that we aren t alone in our struggles. Christ lives and works within each of us. He is the Head, and we are the members. United with Him, all things are possible. It was to sanctify us in His own Person that He took our humanity upon Himself. He didn t have to... He wanted to for us. He, the God-made-man, stands upon the bridge where mortality is absorbed by immortality. Where time and eternity come together. Such love! Such overwhelming love! This, then, is the deepest and richest meaning of the Incarnation: the coming of the Spirit which has renewed the face of the earth. [4] We rejoice in thee, O Lord! Upon you we cast all our cares and worries, so that the peace of God which passes all our understanding may watch over our hearts and minds. We place ourselves totally at your disposition. Grant that we, like St. John the Baptist, may rejoice when we hear the Bridegroom coming. May He grow more and more within each of us, and rid us of our pride and self-will. We desire but to be thine, and thine alone. Come, Lord Jesus! Meditation Notes: [1] Gaudete Sunday: is the liturgical name for the Third Sunday in Advent. It was, at one time, general practice to list a Sunday by the first or first couple of words in the Introit (Entrance), [or, as it is called in Medieval liturgies: The Office] prayer. All services at the time, were in Latin, and so it was easier for both the clergy and laity to keep track of Sundays this way. Calendars often differed from diocese to diocese in both large and small ways, and this was just one way for all to generally follow. This practice is still maintained within the pages of our Anglican Altar Missal and The People s Anglican Missal 3
Example: The Introit for The Third Sunday in Advent: Latin: Gaudete, in Domino semper... English: Rejoice in the Lord alway... [2]: Speaking of the Introit prayer, this is the first sentence in the Introit (Entrance) prayer of todays Mass. [3]: Ref. also to: Deut: Ch. 6, Vs. 5 & Luke: Ch. 10, Vs. 27 [4]: Ref: Psalm 104, Vs. 30: Send forth thy Spirit, and they shall be made, and thou shalt renew the face of the earth. This excerpt from Psalm 104 is also used as an Office Antiphon in the Breviary throughout the year, but especially at Pentecost. Verbum caro factum est, et habitavit in nobis (And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.) 4
Priory Kalendar For the week of: December 16 th to December 23 rd - A.D. 2018 In the Advent Season & Sapientia-tide * Sunday, December 16 th... Third Sunday in Advent (Gaudete Sunday) O Sapienta...The Great O Antiphons commence at Vespers today! Monday, December 17 th...... O Adonai Tuesday, December 18 th...... Feria in Advent... O Radix Jesse Wednesday, December 19 th... Ember Wednesday...Fast and Abstinence O Clavis David Thursday, December 20 th.... Feria in Advent... O Oriens Friday, December 21 st... St. Thomas; Ap. & M.... Fast and Abstinence O Rex Gentium Saturday, December 22 nd... Ember Saturday... O Emmanuel Sunday, December 23 rd... Fourth Sunday in Advent... O Virgo Virginum *Sapientia-tide: December 16 th 24 th. The period in which the Great O Antiphons are sung before and after the Magnificat at the evening office of Vespers. More on this below... Choir Practice 5
This week we enter a Season within a Season... Sapientia tide, those remaining days of Advent when the Great O Antiphons are chanted or said at the evening Office of Vespers. We enclose this article written by our learned Br. Chip about Sapientia tide for the benefit of our new subscribers. 6
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Guardian Angel Card of the Week God gives us His angels to protect us along the way (Spain) KALENDAR KEY: Abt. = Abbot, Abs. = Abbess, Abp = Archbishop, Anc. = Anchorite, Ancs. = Anchoress, Ap. = Apostle, Bl. = Blessed, Br. = Brother, Bp. = Bishop, Card. = Cardinal, C. or Conf. = Confessor, Comm. = Commemoration/Commemorate, Dcn. = Deacon, Doct. = Doctor of the Church, Ev. = Evangelist, H. = Hermit, LBr. = Lay Brother, LSr. = Lay Sister, K. = King, Mat. = Matron, M. = Monk, M.M. = Month s Mind ( Requiem for the recently departed on the 30 th day after death or burial). Myr. = Martyr, N. = Nun, Obl. = Oblate, P. = Priest, Po. = Pope, Pr. = Prior, Prs. = Prioress, R. = Recluse, RM = Requien Mortuorum, ( Mass and Offices for the departed once a month as designated on Kalendar). SDcn. = Sub Deacon, Q. = Queen, Ven. = Venerable, Vir.=Virgin, W. = Widow. FASTING KEY: A = Abstinence, F = Fast, F & A = Fast and Abstinence RELIGIOUS ORDER ABBREVIATIONS: C.O = Congregation of the Oratory (Oratorians), C.P. = Congregation of the Passion (Passionists), C.S.J. = Congregation of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), Er. Cam. = Camaldolese Hermits, F.P. O. = Franciscans of the Primitive Observance, O. Car. = Carmelite Order, O. Cart. Carthusian Order, O.C.D. = Order of Discalced Friars (Carmelites), O.F.A. = Augustinian Order, O.F.M = Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans), O.F.M. Cap = Capuchin Order, O.P. = Order of Preachers (Dominicans also called Blackfriars ), 8
O. Praem. = Order of Cannons Regular (Norbertines), O.S.B. = Order of St. Benedict (Benedictines), O.Ss. S. = Bridgettines, O.S.U = Ursulines, O.C.O. = Order of the Cistercian Observance (Trappists/Trappistines), O.C.S.O. = Cistercian Order of the Strict Observance (Trappists/ Trappistines). Tert. = Tertiary (Third Order religious) About the Meditation and About Us The Meditation is an online apostolate of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows Priory in Raymond, Maine, USA. We are an Anglican-Catholic Benedictine contemplative community that follows the Holy Rule of St. Benedict, the 5 th century Father of Western Monasticism. We are resident within the Diocese of the Northeast (DNE), of the Anglican Church in America (ACA), a member of the worldwide Traditional Anglican Communion (TAC). The Meditation is a weekly online offering that is sent out free of charge to anyone who desires to receive it. Subscribers may copy and pass along The Meditation to their families and friends, or send us their e-address (with their permission) to add to our subscription list so they may receive it directly from us. Each issue is sent out as a BCC (Blank Copy) in respect to subscriber privacy and online security. To subscribe, contact us at: klamarre@maine.rr.com To read past issues of the Meditation, please go to our website at: www.ourladyofsevensorrows.org and you can find them in the section marked Meditations on the homepage. PLEASE NOTE: In respect to our contemplative vocation and the animals in our rescue and rehab center, we do not have guest or bathroom facilities and do not regularly receive visitors. Fr. Kevin is available to hear confessions and give spiritual direction by appointment only. Please contact via email to make an appointment or to make us aware of your needs, concerns and intentions for our prayerful attention. It is our privilege to pray for you. PLEASE CONSIDER REMEMBERING US IN YOUR ESTATE PLANNING Contact Sr. Mary Francis, O.S.B. for more information via our email address Animal News By Sr. Mary Francis, O.S.B....while we wait...all is calm...all is bright... 9
Every year at this wonderful time, Sr. Mary Francis decorates both the inside and outside of the Priory. Each year, things are a little different. Her little Christmas Village in the farm house changes too, and it s fun to see what she comes up with every year! PAX 10
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