Keep
your eyes open!...
Christmas,
2022
THE TRIB TIMES WILL
RETURN IN MID JANUARY 2023, GOD
WILLING (James 4:15).
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL FROM THE
ZAMBRANO
GRANDDAUGHTERS! BLESSINGS FOR A
JOYOUS NEW YEAR!
(Luk 2:9-11) And
behold an angel of the Lord stood by them and the brightness of God
shone round about them: and they feared with a great fear. And the
angel said to them: Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of
great joy that shall be to all the people: For, this day is born to you
a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David.
VIDEO HOMILY: Merry Christmas in a WORLD GONE BONKERS :) - Fr. Mark Goring, CC
THE CATHOLIC THING: A Proportioned Extravagance
CNA: St. Francis and the story of the first Nativity scene
CATHOLIC ACTION FOR FAITH AND FAMILY: Silent Night: A Christmas Meditation
CARDINAL SARAH: The
word is not just a sound; it is a person and a presence. God is the
eternal Word, the Logos. This is what Saint John of the Cross declares
in his Spiritual Maxims when he writes: "The Father spoke one Word,
which was His Son, and this Word He always speaks in eternal silence,
and in silence must It be heard by the soul." The Book of Wisdom
already pointed out this same interpretation in regard to the way in
which God intervened to deliver his chosen people from their captivity
in Egypt. This unforgettable act took place during the night: "While
gentle silence enveloped all things, and night in its swift course was
now half gone, your all-powerful word leaped from heaven, from the
royal throne" (Wis 18:14-15). Later on, this verse would be understood
by the Christian liturgical tradition as a prefiguration of the silent
Incarnation of the Word in the crib in Bethlehem. The [contemporary
French] hymn for the feast of the Presentation of the Lord in the
Temple also sings about this Coming: "Who among us can understand what
begins here noiselessly, the offering of the grain as the
first-fruits?" Saint John Chrysostom, in his Homilies on the Gospel of
Saint Matthew, does not hesitate to add: "Therefore [the fact] that He
was of us, and of our substance, and of the Virgin's womb, is manifest
from these things, and from others beside; but how, is not also
manifest. Do not either thou then inquire; but receive what is
revealed, and be not curious about what is kept secret." Let us accept
it in silence and faith.
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Self-Control
39. Sisois once said
with confidence, 'For thirty years I have not prayed to God without
sin. When I pray, I say "Lord Jesus Christ, protect me from my tongue."
Even now, it causes me to fall every day.'
FOURTH WEEK OF ADVENT, 2022
(Mat 1:20-23) But while he thought on
these things, behold the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in his
sleep, saying: Joseph, son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary
thy wife, for that which is conceived in her, is of the Holy Ghost. And
she shall bring forth a son: and thou shalt call his name Jesus. For he
shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done that it
might be fulfilled which the Lord spoke by the prophet, saying: Behold
a virgin shall be with child, and bring forth a son, and they shall
call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
THE DIALOG: Fourth Sunday of Advent: Hymns ‘What Child Is This?’ and ‘Child of the Poor’ connect us to the meaning of the birth of Jesus
DENVER CATHOLIC: We’re all sinners in Denver — and Advent is the perfect time for confession
THE EUROPEAN CONSERVATIVE: The O Antiphons: Advent and Europe’s Deepest Yearning
FATHER JOSEPH WAHLMEIER: The O Antiphons
Editor's Note: The Roman Church
has sung the 'O' Antiphons since at least the eighth century. They are
the antiphons that accompany the Magnificat canticle of Evening Prayer
from Dec. 17-23: “O Wisdom,” “O Lord," and so on.
Nothing quite captures the spirit of Advent like the hymn O Come, O
Come, Emmanuel. It echoes the deepest desires of the human heart,
especially for the Savior to come. You will certainly hear this
familiar hymn at some point this Advent, but were you aware that this
song’s seven verses come from a more ancient tradition, the O Antiphons?
These prayers are said in the Liturgy of the Hours during Evening
Prayer in the seven days leading up to Christmas. They express the most
fundamental longings of the human heart, while begging for the Savior
to come and fulfill every desire.
Dec. 17 Sapientia. Wisdom.
We want wisdom. We want to understand the greater meaning and purpose
behind things. More than just knowing things, we also want to know
persons, ultimately God Himself. Thus, this antiphon echoes the verse
from the book of Wisdom, “[Wisdom] reaches mightily from one end of the
earth to the other, and she orders all things well,” (Wis. 8:1).
Jesus is the Word of God, through whom all things were ordered in the
beginning. In Jesus, there is the true Wisdom of God by which we can
know God and be known by Him.
Dec. 18 Adonai. Lord.
How often we have attached ourselves to earthly things, many of which
become our masters? Just as Israel fell into slavery in Egypt, so we
also fall into a spiritual form of slavery through sin.
But, this antiphon gives us hope. It echoes the Exodus story, when God
revealed His Name “LORD” to Moses, when He reached down and drew Israel
out from Egypt; where He established them in worship of the true God.
Likewise, in Jesus, there is the true service of the greatest good.
Dec. 19 Radix. Root.
This antiphon quotes Isaiah's prophecy, “A shoot shall sprout from the
stump of Jesse, and from his roots a Branch will bear fruit,” (Is.
11:1-10). As humans, we desire to grow and bear fruit, fruit that will
last. But so often our potential is cut short, and we are left as a
stump. Yet Jesus can always provide new life: “I am the vine, you are
the branches.” (Jn. 15:5). In Jesus, there is connection and growth.
Dec. 20 Clavis. The Key of David.
“I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David” (Is.
22:22). This Key was in possession of the King unless he went away on
mission, when it was to be left in the hands of a steward. Hence,
Christ gives Peter “the keys to the kingdom of heaven,” (Mt. 16:9).
In both prophecies, the Key will open and close, bind and loosen. This
reminds us that true freedom is not the ability to do whatever we want,
but to pursue what we must. We are stewards of this freedom, not kings;
that belongs to Christ. Yet with Christ as Key, we can unbind ourselves
from anything holding us back, and attach ourselves to the true source
of our happiness.
Dec. 21 Oriens. The Dawn of the East.
It is remarkable that on this day, the darkest day of the year, we pray
for Jesus, the Light of the World, to come. Light guides us, to show us
the way when we are lost in the darkness. When our lives feel
directionless and meaningless, we need this light the most. And so the
Church prays this antiphon as did Zechariah, finding the light at the
birth of his son, “The Dawn from on high shall break upon us,” (Lk.
1:78).
Dec. 22 Rex. King.
This is the proper task of a king: to provide for the people’s hunger
for justice and peace. This antiphon begs the “Desire of Nations,”
Jesus the King, to make us one in peace and unity, where lesser kings
in their false judgments have brought division.
It also references Christ the Cornerstone as in the prophet, “See, I am
laying in Zion a foundation stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure
foundation,” (Is. 28:16). It reminds me of Daniel’s prophecy, that a
stone “untouched by human hands” would crush the statue of the kingdoms
of the earth and would grow into a mountain, meaning, “In the lifetime
of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never
be destroyed,” (Dn. 2:31-45). Christ is the foundation on which the
Kingdom of God is built, on earth as it is in heaven.
Dec. 23 Emmanuel. God-with-us.
Perhaps the greatest desire of every human heart is the simple desire
for God. Having nothing else, if we simply knew we had God with us, we
know we have everything we need.
Thus, it is God’s constant promise throughout the Old Testament, “I
will be with you,” (cf. Is. 7:14, Ex. 3:12, Deut. 31:6, Ps. 46:7,
etc.). It was for this reason that in the fullness of time, “the Word
was made flesh and dwelt among us,” (Jn. 3:14).
'Tomorrow'
Thus, the O Antiphons reach their completion. There is no
antiphon for the evening of Dec. 24 since that is Christmas Eve, but
that does not mean we should skip our reflection for this day.
So far, the Church has expressed the deepest desires of the human
heart. If only Jesus will come, then we can know and be known, serve
the greatest good, grow and bear fruit, live in true freedom, be guided
in truth, set things right, and have God with us. Now, it is Jesus’
turn to speak. His response is hidden in our seven-fold petition,
“Come.”
Taking the first letter of the title word for each antiphon,
starting at the end and working toward the beginning, we get
E.R.O.C.R.A.S, which spells ero cras, or in Latin, “I will, tomorrow.”
And tomorrow is Christmas Day; what a beautiful answer! And so, we keep
singing O Come, O Come, Emmanuel with the Church this Advent and
receive from Him the fulfillment of every desire.
ST. AUGUSTINE:
“Unless he had a human birth, we would never attain to the divine
rebirth; he was born that we might be reborn….His mother bore him in
her womb; let us bear him in our hearts. The virgin was big with the
incarnation of Christ; let our bosoms grow big with the faith of
Christ. She gave birth to the Savior; let us give birth to praise. We
mustn’t be barren; our souls must be fruitful with God.”
ADVENT
RESOURCES
ARCHDIOCESE OF SINGAPORE: The Word Anew Amongst Us 2022 – 2023 Advent to Christmas Reflection Booklet
ICBC: Advent
Calendar 2022
DYNAMIC CATHOLIC: Best
Advent Ever!
CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY'S ONLINE MINISTRIES:
Praying Advent and Celebrating Christmas
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Self-Control
28. Macarius the
Great said, 'If you are stirred to anger when you want to reprove
someone, you are gratifying your own passions. Do not lose yourself in
order to save another.'
THIRD WEEK OF ADVENT, 2022
(Mat 11:4-6)
And Jesus making answer said to them: Go and relate to John what you
have heard and seen. The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are
cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead rise again, the poor have the gospel
preached to them. And blessed is he that shall not be scandalized in me.
MONASTERY OF CHRIST IN THE DESERT: Third Sunday of Advent
NCR: The Perfect Gift Is the Grace and Mercy of Jesus
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT: Rejoice and have patience
This weekend we celebrate the third
Sunday in Advent. One of the few times of the year that we see a unique
color used in the liturgy, namely rose.
Rose is used only twice a year in the Church’s liturgical calendar,
Gaudete Sunday in Advent and Laetare Sunday in Lent. Both times we are
told to rejoice and have patience. Rejoice because we have been
promised great things from our heavenly Father and we see that these
things are nearby. In this case, the birth of Christ at Christmas and
Christ’s second coming at the end of time. We see them near, and we
rejoice.
These events are promised to us by
God to be accompanied by many signs and wonders. We have been hearing
about these signs and wonders for many weeks, but this week we are
given very specific signs. Signs of reversal.
“The desert and the parched land
will exult; the steppe will rejoice and bloom … Strengthen the hands
that are feeble, make firm the knees that are weak, say to those whose
hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not! Here is your God, he comes
with vindication.” Reversal: a change from what was to its opposite. At
the coming of Christ, he will reverse many things of this world, all
the way from healing the corruption of the natural world (deserts
blooming with flowers) to correcting the corruption of the
institutional world (the mighty being cast down from their thrones and
lifting up the lowly.) However, the greatest sign of reversal at the
coming of Christ is the reversal that happens in the hearts of people.
Only he can truly reverse the directions and tendencies of our hearts
way from evil toward what is good, what is of God. So, when we see this
reversal take place in our world and in our hearts, we rejoice, for
they are a sign of the coming of Christ.
However, we are also told this week
to have patience. Paul talks about how the coming of the Lord is near,
but not here yet. He says that we must be like farmers who know the
harvest is coming soon but cannot harvest yet. He is filled with
anticipation, nervous energy, and joy, but he must wait. But this time
of waiting is not idle. Whether it is waiting for Christmas, for the
end of time, or for our own salvation, this time is meant to be
fruitful. We are to spend it learning to live in hope. This hope is not
simply wishful thinking or trying our best for whatever goals. Hope
means to live now as though we already possess the divine gifts we have
been promised by God. Living here and now, like we are already in
heaven. This is hope. God has promised many great things, like eternal
life, happiness, and love to those who follow him here and now. We
already have these gifts partially. But living in hope means living
with the joy of knowing we have been promised these things and living
like we already possess them fully. This is only possible when we have
patience.
Rejoice because Christ is coming.
We see his signs in the changing of this world and of our hearts. Have
patience because he has not yet come — but live in hope and rejoice.
ADVENT
RESOURCES
ICBC: Advent
Calendar 2022
DYNAMIC CATHOLIC: Best
Advent Ever!
CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY'S ONLINE MINISTRIES:
Praying Advent and Celebrating Christmas
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Self-Control
22. One of the
brothers asked Isidore, the priest of Scetis, 'Why are the demons so
afraid of you?' He said, 'Ever since I became a monk, I have been
trying not to let anger rise as far as my mouth.'
SECOND WEEK OF ADVENT, 2022
(Mat 3:11-12)
I indeed baptize you in water unto penance, but he that shall come
after me, is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he
shall baptize you in the Holy Ghost and fire. Whose fan is in his hand,
and he will thoroughly cleanse his floor and gather his wheat into the
barn; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.
MANILLA TIMES: When Christ returns, will the world even care?
CATHOLIC STAND: In God’s Good Time: Thoughts about Advent
CARDINAL RAYMOND BURKE: Advent and the Door of our Hearts
ARCHDIOCESE OF SINGAPORE: The Advent Gift of the Jesse Tree
The medieval
tradition of the Jesse Tree is a great way to break the epic story of
Salvation History – the history of God’s efforts to save His people
from sin and restore them to Paradise – down into bite-sized pieces for
children and their families to ponder at Advent.
The Jesse Tree comes from the
prophet Isaiah. We will hear about it in the First Reading for the
Second Sunday of Advent this year (Isaiah 11:1-10).
From Jesse to Jesus
Isaiah lived eight centuries before the birth of Jesus, when the Jewish
people were deeply troubled. Not only was their kingdom threatened by
the powerful Assyrian empire; but even their own king Ahaz had begun
worshipping Assyrian idols. Did God love them enough to lead them out
of the mess they were in?
God revealed many promises to
Isaiah to encourage the people not to lose faith. Among them was the
prophecy that a saviour – the Messiah – would come forth like “a shoot
from the stump of Jesse” (Isaiah 11:1) to rule with righteousness and
usher in an era of peace and justice. This meant the Messiah would be a
descendant of David, the son of Jesse and the greatest king Israel had
ever known.
Indeed, this prophecy was fulfilled
in Jesus, who traced His ancestry to King David through Joseph, His
earthly father. (Mt 1:1-17)
The Art of the Jesse Tree
The Jesse Tree is usually drawn as a tree trunk sprouting from the
torso of a sleeping Jesse, with his famous descendants among the
branches, which rise until they culminate in Our Lady and Jesus Christ.
(This is where the genealogical concept of the ‘family tree’ comes
from!)
It was very popular in medieval
Europe, with the oldest known illustration of the Jesse Tree found in a
Bohemian book of the Gospels from 1086 AD. In an age where few people
could read, the people and events depicted on the Tree reminded them
that God had watched over humanity for thousands of years, and
continued to love and guide them to this day.
The Jesse Tree at Advent
Over the centuries, the Jesse Tree came to be associated with Advent,
the season of preparing for the coming of Christ. Catholics devised
various symbols to recall key events in Salvation History from the
moment of Creation up to the birth of Jesus Christ.
The Bible is so huge and covers so
much history that many of us struggle to read it or introduce it to our
children. The Jesse Tree gives us a bird’s-eye view of God’s plan
without being bogged down by details.
And since Advent is also about
preparing for the Second Coming of Christ, and not just His First,
reading Christian history reminds us that we too are part of God’s
amazing plan. The last book of the Bible was written 2,000 years ago,
but Salvation History certainly did not end there; it unfolds even
today, with God inviting each of us to play an active role in building
His Kingdom.
Meditating upon the struggles and
the temptations faced by our forefathers in the faith brings hope that,
with God’s help, we too will find the strength and courage to face our
own difficulties.
Advent 2022
Jesse Tree
Each day this Advent, the Archdiocese’s Facebook
and Instagram pages will provide a meditation on a key person or event
in Salvation History. It will suggest Scripture verses for further
reading, and pose a question for personal reflection.
The first three weeks of Advent
will focus on the Old Testament, while the week leading up to Christmas
looks at the key people in the Nativity story. (There is no “official”
Jesse Tree canon, so other books or websites may list different ones.)
ADVENT
RESOURCES
ICBC: Advent
Calendar 2022
DYNAMIC CATHOLIC: Best
Advent Ever!
CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY'S ONLINE MINISTRIES:
Praying Advent and Celebrating Christmas
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Self-Control
19. John the Short
said, 'If a king wants to take a city filled with his enemies, he first
captures their food and water, and when they are starving he subdues
them. So it is with gluttony. If a man is sincere about fasting and is
hungry, the enemies that trouble his soul will grow weak.'
FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT, 2022
(Rom 13:11-12) And that, knowing the season, that it is now the hour
for us to rise from sleep. For now our salvation is nearer than when we
believed. 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.
REGINA PROPHETARUM: Advent Enables Us to Avoid Spiritual Shell Shock
CATECHETICAL CORNER: First Sunday of Advent: We are called, like Mary, to ‘laud and magnify His holy name’
MANILA STANDARD: Padre Pio and Advent
CATHOLIC STAR HERALD: Advent: waiting in joyful hope
In his novel, “The Screwtape Letters,” C.S. Lewis recounts the advice
of a wise, old demon, Screwtape, to his young, inexperienced nephew,
Wormwood, about how to tempt a certain unnamed “patient” and win him
over to Satan. So he asks Wormwood what his thoughts are about how he
might proceed.
Wormwood begins, “Tell the patient there is no God.” “Oh, no,”
Screwtape says. “That’s much too big.” He continues, “So tell him
there’s no such thing as hell.” “Also too big,” Screwtape replies.
His nephew goes on, “Then how about telling the patient he’s got plenty
of time to put his house in order?” “Ah, now you’re on the right
track,” Screwtape says approvingly. “That plays on the human tendency
to procrastinate. It’s nothing big, but it can yield big results in the
long run.” So Screwtape advises Wormwood to begin working on evil on a
small scale. Forget the big stuff for now. That will come later when
the patient is duly conditioned.
The liturgical season of Advent has something quite different to say to
us than the lie Wormwood proposes to put in the mind of his patient.
The fact is, we do not have unlimited time until judgment day; so it is
best to be prepared.
Advent is a tough sell. Always has been. First of all, it is a very
short liturgical season, usually between three and four weeks long.
Second, competition with the preparation and celebration of secular
Christmas is overwhelming.
So many voices vie for our attention in Advent – voices of materialism,
consumerism and hedonism. In fact, there is no such thing as Advent in
the world outside the Church. The voice of Advent has a hard time
breaking through to us. We have to struggle and even consciously decide
if we wish to hear it.
One way to make such a decision is to reflect prayerfully on the
readings for Mass during Advent. Generally speaking, we will discover
there are a number of powerful voices that make an urgent appeal to us
during the season. And the stage is set at the Mass for the first
Sunday of Advent.
The voice of Isaiah, who is the premier prophet of Advent, invites us
to consider what heaven is like so that we might more ardently desire
to go there. He paints it as the house of God on the highest of
mountains to which people of every nation stream in order to enjoy
eternal peace.
The voice of the Apostle Paul cries out that it is time to wake up
because the day of our salvation is fast approaching. We need to be
prepared by casting off “works of darkness” (carnal desires) and
putting on the “armor of light” (virtuous conduct).
The most important Advent voice, of course, is the voice of Jesus. It
is not the cry of an infant calling us to commemorate the human birth
of the Son of God, the first Christmas, 2,000 years ago. It is rather
an urgent plea of the adult Jesus, beckoning us to prepare for the
second Christmas, his coming in glory and majesty at the end of time.
He advises us to be watchful and ready since he will come like a thief
in the night when we least expect him. That, of course, is the real
Christmas that Advent calls us to prepare for.
The Church considers preparation for second Christmas so crucial that
we pray for it at each and every Mass. Immediately after the Our Father
the priest prays: “Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil,
graciously grant peace in our days, that, by the help of your mercy, we
may always be free from sin and safe from all distress, as WE AWAIT THE
BLESSED HOPE AND THE COMING OF OUR SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST.
This Advent, let us not fall into Screwtape’s trap of procrastination.
Instead, let us be mindful to tune out secular distractions and prepare
our hearts for Christ’s return.
ADVENT
RESOURCES
ICBC: Advent
Calendar 2022
DYNAMIC CATHOLIC: Best
Advent Ever!
CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY'S ONLINE MINISTRIES:
Praying Advent and Celebrating Christmas
CNA: Advent 2022: Check out some of our favorite Advent calendars for 2022
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Self-Control
7. They said of Agatho that for three years he kept a stone in his mouth in order to teach himself silence.
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