miniZibaldone

  The Third Sunday of Advent has traditionally been marked by the note of joy. As we shall see, the joy has two causes: the proximate coming of the Lord in the incarnation and his return at the end of time. The collect for this Sunday speaks of God’s people, who “faithfully await the feast of the Lord’s Nativity,” while the collect for Wednesday of this week asks: “that the coming solemnity of your Son may bestow healing upon us in this present life and bring us the rewards of life eternal.” In fact, the prayers on the whole are clearly inspired by joyful expectation of the Nativity. Moreover, this week thinks of the kingdom as already present. ( Adrien Nocent Paul Turner,  The Liturgical Year Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, vol. 1 )

  But “the Lord does not delay in keeping his promise.” He is on his way, constantly, and, like a fisherman, he hauls the giant net of world history to shore. Viewed from within the world, whether the world’s end will be catastrophic disturbs neither God’s plan nor the Christian’s confidence. Christians simply need to strive to be “unblemished” and “to be at peace in his sight” at the homecoming. This peace prepares the way for Advent.  (Hans Urs von Balthasar,  Light of the Word: Brief Reflections on the Sunday Readings)

from: Balthasar, Hans Urs von.  Light of the World: Brief Reflections on the Sunday Readings . San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1993.

To you glory and praise forevermore.

Lord God, I take refuge in you.

O blessed are those who fear the Lord.

How great is your name, O Lord our God, through all the earth!

May the Lord rejoice in his works!

From the General Audience It’s good to stress that we confess, be it to God or to brothers, that we are sinners: this helps us to understand the dimension of sin that, while it separates us from God, also divides us from our brethren and vice versa . The words we say with the mouth are accompanied by the gesture of beating our breast, acknowledging that I have sinned by my own fault, and not that of others. It often happens in fact that, out of fear and shame, we point the finger to accuse others. It costs to admit that we are culpable, but it does us good to confess it sincerely, to confess our sins. I remember a story, which an old missionary told, of a woman who went to confession and began to tell the errors of her husband; then she went on to tell the errors of her mother-in-law and then the sins of neighbors.  At a certain point, the confessor said to her: “But, lady, tell me, have you finished?  — Very good: you have finished with others’ sins. Now begin to...

July 16, the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel DARK NIGHT Exposition of the stanzas describing the method followed by the soul in its journey upon the spiritual road to the attainment of the perfect union of love with God, to the extent that is possible in this life. Likewise are described the properties belonging to the soul that has attained to the said perfection, according as they are contained in the same stanzas. PROLOGUE In this book are first set down all the stanzas which are to be expounded; afterwards, each of the stanzas is expounded separately, being set down before its exposition; and then each line is expounded separately and in turn, the line itself also being set down before the exposition. In the first two stanzas are expounded the effects of the two spiritual purgations: of the sensual part of man and of the spiritual part. In the other six are expounded various and wondrous effects of the spiritual illumination and union of love with God. STAN...

Christ is the Answer by John Saward What Is God Like? by James Schall   Introduction to Liturgical Theology by Alexander Schmemann   Church World Mission by Alexander Schmemann   Ultimate Questions: An Anthology of Modern Russian Religious Thought by Alexander Schmemann    God Sent His Son: A Contemporary Christology by Christoph Schonborn   Essays in Diakonia by Robert Slesinski   The Holy Transfiguration by Robert Slesinski   The Holy Encounter by Robert Slesinski   The Holy Pentekostarion by Robert Slesinski   The Holy Theophany by Robert Slesinski   A Primer on Church and Eucharist by Robert Slesinski   The Essential Pope Benedict XVI by John Thornton   Mary the Mother of Jesus by Franz William   Jesus and the Victory of God by N. T. Wright   The Resurrection of the Son of God by N. T. ...

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