(from https://fisheaters.com/epiphanyeve.html)
The Eve of the Feast of the Epiphany is the twelfth day of Christmas, and tonight is known as”Twelfth Night” (or “Twelfthnight”). It begins the celebration of Christ’s revealing His Divinity in three ways, which is formally celebrated tomorrow:
In many Catholic homes (especially Italian ones), it’s not Christmas Day that is for giving presents to children, but the Feast of Epiphany, when the gifts are given in a way related to the Magi. So today will have a “feel” of Christmas Eve, and because of the Epiphany’s association with the Magis’ gift-giving, tomorrow is often referred to colloquially as the “Little Christmas.”
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The 4th Sunday of Advent originally did not have a Roman Station church because of the linkage between Ember Saturday and Sunday. Eventually, to bring the Sunday into harmony with other great Sundays it gained a Station at the Basilica of the Twelve Apostles.
The 4th Sunday of Advent arrives on the heels of Ember Saturday with its preceding vigil readings and meditations in the night. Ember Saturday was in the ancient Church of Rome the day for priestly ordinations at St. Peter’s in the Vatican, the ceremonies of which lasted into Sunday morning. They took things seriously back then. In a sense, this Sunday is an extension of the Ember Day.
The Sunday Mass texts can be seen as a summation of our Advent preparation with the three great figures whom the Church chose to accompany us as we approach the arriving Lord. In the first chant of the Mass, the Introit, we hear the Prophet Isaiah cry out, “Shower, O heavens, from above, and let the skies rain down righteousness (Hebrew sedeq – righteousness, justice); let the earth open, that salvation [Hebrew yêsha – “deliverance, salvation”; Latin Vulgate salvator – “a savior” ] may sprout forth”. The Vulgate personifies both the justice of God, justice being “the just one”, and the saving action of God, “savior”, which is what we sing in the Introit and the characteristic Advent Antiphon from Isaiah 45: Rorate caeli desuper et nubes pluant iustum.
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If our holy mother the Church spends the time of Advent in this solemn preparation for the threefold coming of Jesus Christ; if, after the example of the prudent virgins, she keeps her lamp lit ready for the coming of the Bridegroom; we, being her members and her children, ought to enter into her spirit, and apply to ourselves this warning of our Saviour: ‘Let your loins be girt, and lamps burning in your hands, and ye yourselves be like unto men who wait for their Lord (St. Luke xii. 35, 36. )!’ The Church and we have, in reality, the same hopes. Each one of us is, on the part of God, an object of mercy and care, as is the Church herself. If she is the temple of God, it is because she is built of living stones; if she is the bride, it is because she consists of all the souls which are invited to eternal union with God. If it is written that the Saviour hath purchased the Church with His own Blood (Acts xx. 28. ), may not each one of us say of himself those words of St. Paul, ‘Christ hath loved me, and hath delivered Himself up for me (Gal. ii. 20.)’? Our destiny being the same, then, as that of the Church, we should endeavour during Advent, to enter into the spirit of preparation, which is, as we have seen, that of the Church herself.
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O God, who didst wondrously preserve the Mother of Thine only-begotten Son from original sin in her Conception: grant, we beseech Thee: that strengthened by her intercession we may be ready with clean hearts to take part in her festival. Through the same Lord Jesus Christ Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.
(Collect of the Vigil Mass)
O Most Holy Virgin who wast pleasing to God and didst become His Mother. Immaculate in your body, in your soul, in your faith and in your love, we beseech thee to look graciously upon the wretched who implore thy powerful protection. The wicked serpent, against whom the primal curse was hurled, continues nonetheless to wage war and to lay snares for the unhappy children of Eve. Ah, do thou, our blessed Mother, our Queen and Advocate, who from the first instant of thy conception didst crush the head of our enemy, receive the prayers that we unite single-heartedly to thine and conjure thee to offer at the throne of God, that we may never fall into the snares that are laid for us, in such wise that we may all come to the haven of salvation; and in the midst of so many dangers may holy Church and the fellowship of Christians everywhere sing once more the hymn of deliverance, victory and peace. Amen.
–Novena prayer
Source: Saint Louis Catholic (https://stlouiscatholic.wordpress.com/)
Rom. xiii. 11: “Know that it is now the hour to rise from sleep.” Luke iii 4: “A voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight His paths.”
On Jordan’s banks the Baptist’s voice
Now loudly strikes the ear,
“Prepare His ways, make straight His paths,
The Lord Himself is near.”
Rise, then, from sleep, and in your hearts
Let these his words prevail;
Behold the heavens, the earth and seas,
Their Maker’s coming hail!
Oh! let us then our souls prepare,
To meet so great a guest,
For ’tis our God Himself who comes,
To make us truly blest.
Rise, then, from sleep, and in your hearts
Let these his words prevail;
Behold the heavens, the earth and seas,
Their Maker’s coming hail!
Oh! may our souls again revive
By His refreshing grace;
Then may He bind our stubborn wills,
And every stain efface.
Rise, then, from sleep, and in your hearts
Let these his words prevail;
Behold the heavens, the earth and seas,
Their Maker’s coming hail!
Jesus, Thou art our only hope,
Sole comfort in our grief;
like the parched clay our hearts must be,
Unless Thou bring’st relief.
Rise, then, from sleep, and in your hearts
Let these his words prevail;
Behold the heavens, the earth and seas,
Their Maker’s coming hail!
To Him who came the world to save,
Eternal glory be!
The Mighty Father, equal praise,
And Holy Ghost to Thee!
Rise, then, from sleep, and in your hearts
Let these his words prevail;
Behold the heavens, the earth and seas,
Their Maker’s coming hail!
The Preaching of St. John the Baptist
by Domenico Ghirlandaio (1449 – 1494)
Stir up Thy might, O Lord, we beseech Thee, and come: that by Thy protection we may deserve to be rescued from the threatening dangers of our sins and be saved by Thy deliverance: Who livest and reignest world without end. Amen
The First Warning of Advent: Christ is nigh!Rom. xiii. 12: The night is passed, and the day is at hand:
“Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and put on the armour of light.”
| Startled at the solemn warning, Let the earth-bound soul arise; Christ her Sun, all sloth dispelling, Shines upon the morning skies. “Christ is nigh,” it seems to say; “Cast away the dreams of darkness, O ye children of the day!” | So when next He comes with glory, Wrapping all the earth in fear, May He then, as our Defender, On the clouds of heaven appear. “Christ is nigh,” it seems to say; “Cast away the dreams of darkness, O ye children of the day!” |
| Lo, the Lamb so long expected, Comes with pardon down from heaven; Let us haste with tears of sorrow, One and all to be forgiven. “Christ is nigh,” it seems to say; “Cast away the dreams of darkness, O ye children of the day!” | Honour, glory, virtue, merit, To the Father and the Son, With the Everlasting Spirit, While Eternal ages run. “Christ is nigh,” it seems to say; “Cast away the dreams of darkness, O ye children of the day!” |
Beloved, just two weeks following our truly wonderful move to Tyler, Texas, I had the great honor and happiness to be part of LifeSiteNews’ 25th Anniversary Gala in Naples, Florida.
Here is LifeSite’s own brief video of the history and highlights of this most worthy apostolate. The entire article with photos from the Gala can be seen at: https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/look-all-the-best-moments-from-lifesites-25th-anniversary-gala/.
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Beloved, we wrote the article below 9 years ago! I still love it because it shows how Catholicism is indeed the fulfillment of Judaism. I pray you will enjoy it and wish you and your loved ones a most blessed and glorious Shavuot/Pentecost.
Mother Miriam of the Lamb of God, O.S.B. and Sisters
Dear Mother Miriam, I know that Pentecost celebrates the birth of the Church, but I was taught also that the Church was born from the pierced side of Christ on Calvary. Can it be both?
Perhaps in a sense, dear Zelda. Just as with human birth, life begins at the moment of conception in the mother’s womb. Yet the fullness of its manifestation, so to speak, takes place nine months later at the birth of that child from its mother’s womb.
In his encyclical, Mystici Corporis Christi (the Mystical Body of Christ), Pope Pius XII, quoting Leo XIII, writes:
“The Church which, already conceived, came forth from the side of the second Adam in His sleep on the Cross, first showed Herself before the eyes of men on the great day of Pentecost.”
Saint John Chrysostom, in his teaching on the power of Christ’s blood, writes:
“There flowed from His side water and blood . . . symboliz(ing) baptism and the Holy Eucharist. From these two sacraments the Church is born: from baptism, the cleansing water that gives rebirth and renewal through the Holy Spirit, and from the Holy Eucharist.” (Liturgy of the Hours, Vol. II, p. 474)
In his homily on the Solemnity of Pentecost, (Sunday, June 12, 2011), our beloved Pope emeritus Benedict XVI said:
In the liturgy of Pentecost Psalm 104[103], which we have heard, corresponds with the account in the Acts of the Apostles of the birth of the Church (cf. Acts 2:1-11, emphasis mine): a hymn of praise of the whole creation which exalts the Creator Spirit who has made all things with wisdom . . . This is what the Church wants to tell us: the Spirit Creator of all things and the Holy Spirit whom the Lord caused to come down from the Father upon the community of the disciples are one and the same. Creation and redemption belong to each other and constitute, in depth, one mystery of love and of salvation. The Holy Spirit is first and foremost a Creator Spirit, hence Pentecost is also a feast of creation.
“If I am lifted up,”said our Lord, “I will draw all men to myself” (John 12:32). God, through His Son’s death on the Cross, rescued humanity from sin and death. But it was the coming of the Spirit into human hearts and minds on the Day of Pentecost that would enable and empower the People Israel to become a new people in Christ – a new Israel – an Israel of the Spirit (Galatians 6:16) that would include Jews and Gentiles alike.
Pope Emeritus Benedict’s homily goes on to say:
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