The Meditation The First Sunday After Christmas A.D. 2018 December 30 th - A.D. 2018 The Annunciation to the Shepherds (1649) Painting by Nicolaes Pietersez Berchem (1620-1683) Dutch Golden Age Painter 1
The Responsory Verse after the First Reading at the First Nocturn for the Office of Vigils Christmas Day T oday for us, The King of heaven deigned to be born of a Virgin, Recalling fallen mankind to the heavenly kingdom. Let the company of angels be glad, Unto the race of mankind hath dawned endless salvation. Extract from the Medieval Sarum Office of Christmas Vigils England, 1488. Our author of the weekly Meditation, Fr. Kevin steps aside this week to let a masterful writer and Church Father offer some insights on the great feast of the Birth of our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ: From a Sermon by St. Isidore the Bishop of Seville, Spain. - 7 th cent. The Church Fathers did establish the day of our Lord s Birth as a feast of worshipful solemnity for this cause: Thereon did Christ will to be born bodily for the redemption of the world, he that was in his Father s kingdom proceeding from his mother s womb. And the reason for his taking flesh is this: After our first great parent [1] fell, whom the envy of the devil deceived through an empty hope, he, exiled and condemned, at once implanted the root of malice and sin in all his race. Thus all manner of deadliness did swell ever more terribly, spreading everywhere in sins and, in what is worse, all worshipping of idols. God, wishing to bind sin, gave counsel by his word and the law, in prophets, signs, plagues, and wonders. But since the world, even so admonished, would not acknowledge its errors, God sent His Son to put on flesh, to appear unto men, and heal sinners. Therefore did he come as Man, for in himself he could not be known of men. That he might be seen as the Word made flesh; taking flesh, yet not changed into flesh. He put on humanity, but did not lose divinity. Thus is he truly God and truly Man, in his godly nature equal to his Father, in his manly nature made mortal among us, for us, and of us; remaining what he was, receiving what he was not, to deliver that which he had made. 2
This, then, is the great solemnity of our Lord s Birth, this is the new and glorious feast of that day, the Advent of God to mankind. [2] And thus this day, by reason that Christ was born therein, is called the Nativity. Which, therefore, must we keep with festal solemnity through each turning circle of the year, that we may recall in our hearts that Christ is born, who with God the Father and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth, world without end. Amen. And do thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us. O Christ, Redeemer of us all, The Father s sole begotten one, Thou only ere the worlds began Of his own nature was begun. Thou art his light, his brightest ray, Thou the new springing hope of all, Regard the prayers thy servants rise That from each shore on thee do call. This present day doth testify, Which in the year s full course hath run, That thou alone salvation art Who from the Father s throne hast come. As God thine Advent did decree So now by heaven, sea, and earth And all that doth within them live May be praised with tuneful mirth. And we, full debtors to thy blood Which flowed our souls from sin to raise, On this thy holy Day of Birth Do sing in chorus to thy praise. All glory be to thee, O Lord, That deigned to be the Virgin s Son, With Father and with Holy Ghost To reign while endless ages run. Amen. Office Hymn of Vigils for Christmas Day Sarum, England, 1488 & Sung at Our Lady of Seven Sorrows Priory Chapel - 2018 3
Meditation Notes: [1]: Our First Parent = Adam: Ref: Genesis; Chap. 3 [2]: An interesting notation written as a proclamation from the Roman Martyrology, for the 25 th Day of December Christmas-Day. Reprinted consistently into the Twentieth Century from an edition of 1749, and still used by many today and even read aloud in Churches and monasteries: The Twenty-Fifth Day of December In the year, from the creation of the world, when in the beginning God created heaven and earth, five thousand, one hundred and ninety-nine; from the flood, two thousand, nine hundred and fifty seven; from the birth of Abraham, two thousand and fifteen; from Moses and the coming of the Israelites our of Egypt, one thousand, five hundred and ten; from the anointing of King David, one thousand and thirtytwo; in the sixty-fifth week, according to the prophecy of Daniel; in the one hundred and ninety-fourth Olympiad; in the year seven hundred and fifty-two from the founding of the city of Rome; in the fortysecond year of the empire of Octavian Augustus, when the whole earth was at peace, in the sixth age of the world, Jesus Christ, eternal God, and Son of the eternal Father, desirous to sanctify the world by His most merciful coming, having been conceived of the Holy Ghost, and nine months having elapsed since His conception, is born in Bethlehem of Juda, having become man of the Virgin Mary. THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, ACCORDING TO THE FLESH. The Roman Martyrology; Pgs. 395-396 Praying the Office of Christmas Vigils Altar vested for Christmas Midnight Mass 4
Priory Kalendar For the week of: December 30 th A.D. 2018 to January 6 th - A.D. 2019 In Christmas-tide Sunday, December 30 th.... First Sunday after Christmas Monday, December 31 st... St. Sylvester; Po. & C. 4 th cent.... Last day of 2018 Tuesday, January 1 st... Circumcision of Christ... New Year s Day A.D. 2019 Wednesday, January 2 nd............... Octave Day of St. Stephen; Dcn. & Myr. Thursday, January 3 rd................. Octave Day of St. John the Apostle Friday, January 4 th.................... Octave Day of the Holy Innocents Saturday, January 5 th...... Vigil of the Epiphany Sunday, January 6 th... The Epiphany ; The Manifesting of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles Guardian Angel Card of the Week 5
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 ), 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 6
Animal News By Sr. Mary Francis, O.S.B. Christmas Eve 2018 Joy to the World!!! The Lord is come... Our Outdoor Christmas Tree 7
Br. Sylvester enjoying a Christmas treat! Wishing you peace and blessings as we close out the year, with prayers for all for health, joy and kindness in the year to come. PAX 8
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