The picture above is a mural on the Visitation Church in Ein Kerem on the outskirts of Jerusalem which commemorates Mary’s visit to her cousin Elizabeth and the Magnificat
Certainly as we accompany the Church from the First Sunday of Advent to Christmas Eve, we are exposed to many traditional and beautiful readings from scripture and powerful themes for our edification.
We look back historically – and hear the prophets proclaim the Messianic Age.
We look forward prophetically – to the Great Mystery of the Final Coming of Christ.
We live the present expectantly – preparing for Christmas and our encounter with Christ!
In a General Audience in 2002, John Paul II spoke of the Church providing us with 3 guides for Advent: The Prophet Isaiah, John the Baptist and Mary the Mother of Jesus.
In the Penitential Season of Lent – we discover our Savior and our need of Redemption.
In the Penitential Season of Advent – we seek a Baby and contemplate His Incarnation.
One way to travel your Advent weeks to Christmas is to accompany Mary (and Unborn Jesus) on her (and His) nine month journey. Their journey together is gestational and spiritual….but when you join them on their journey it becomes very personal.
Enter into the Mystery of the Incarnation. Mary is overshadowed by the Holy Spirit and conceives the Son of God – then she leaves in haste on a 4 day journey to the hill country of Judah to visit her pregnant cousin Elizabeth. When she arrives remarkable events unfold – her unborn Child right in the middle of it all (CCC #717). On one level, Mary is visiting Elizabeth, on another level, God is visiting His people. You can join in this visit.
Three months later, Elizabeth gives birth to her baby John, and shortly thereafter, Mary (and Unborn Jesus) return to Nazareth. Trusting Joseph encounters Mary (and Child) and becomes perplexed, then resolved upon a course of action. But God introduces into the marvelous mystery of the Incarnation a simple human institution called ‘adoption’. The angel of the Lord visits Joseph in a dream and the rest is salvation history. You can visit Nazareth during the second and third trimesters of this singular Redemptive Pregnancy.
Travel to Bethlehem with the Holy Family. Witness the rejection this young pregnant mother experiences as the door to the inn is closed in her face, and the babe in her womb vigorously stirs within her. Behold Joseph’s resolve now. Watch God the Father provide for the birth of His Son. The angels tell all! The shepherds teach all!
Finally, you can welcome God’s newborn newfound Love at journey’s end with worship and a promise to be childlike yourself, and always respectful of the child.
From Diocese of Witchita Website
Note: We encourage you to double check times and locations with the diocese/parish in your area.
This is a very partial list – if you know of locations that we have not been able to find please leave a comment or email us at info@unbornwordalliance.com
Arizona
Time 4:30 PM Date Saturday, Nov 27 Location SS Simon and Jude Cathedral, Phoenix Presiding Most Reverend Thomas J. Olmsted, Bishop of Phoenix
California
Vigil for All Nascent Human Life (Prayer) Nov 27 Time: 7:00 PM Location: St. Brigid Roman Catholic Church 4735 Cass Street San Diego CA Prayer Service and Benediction for all Nascent Human Life. Bishop Robert Brom Celebrant.
The Franciscan Friars of Old Mission San Luis Rey, 4050 Mission Avenue, Oceanside cordially invite the public to a Solemn Vespers service at 4 p.m. on November 27 in the Historic Mission Church marking the start of Advent and the reopening of the Church to the public for visitation and private prayer. Most Rev. Robert Brom, D.D., Bishop of San Diego, will be the celebrant. Vespers also known as “Evening Prayer,” is part of the tradition of the “Liturgy of the Hours” and provides an opportunity for communal prayer. A reception will follow in the Sacred Garden.
Vigil for All Nascent Human Life – The Pro Life community of Sacramento invites all to participate in a Prayer Service and Benediction for All Nascent Human Life Saturday, November 27, 2010 5:30 p.m., at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe 711 T Street, Sacramento CA . Bishop Soto celebrant.
Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph 80 S Market St, San Jose, CA Bishop Patrick J. McGrath of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Jose invites all the faithful to a special Evening Prayer November 27, 6:00pm to pray for the blessing and protection of new life in our midst.This simple prayer service will include a blessing for all expectant mothers. Expectant mothers of all ages, walks of life, and Christian traditions are especially invited to participate.
Cathedral of the Annunciation 425 West Magnolia Street Stockton, Bishop Stephen E. Blaire will be presiding – November 27, 7:30-8:30
Most Reverend George Niederauer Archbishop of San Francisco has sent a letter to the parishes of his diocese ( Archdiocese of San Francisco letter) asking each parish to participate in this worldwide celebration of prayer at their parish’s Saturday evening Vigil Mass on this First Sunday of Advent. He has suggested in the letter that: “In addition to offering your Mass intention for the protection of all newly-developing human life, you may also wish to include special prayers, the rosary, Eucharistic Adoration or other special devotions after Mass.”
– Holy Family Church , 209 E. Lomita, Glendale, CA will also join the Pope for the hour of prayer. Exposition and benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, Rosary, and prayers will begin immediately after the 5:30 PM Mass on Nov 27.
– St. Denis Catholic Community, 2151 S. Diamond Bar Blvd, Diamond Bar, California will also join Pope Benedict for the hour of prayer. Exposition and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, Rosary and prayers will be at 4:15 – 5:15 p.m., with evening Mass following at 5:30 p.m. Please join Msgr. James Loughnane and us at this vigil on November 27, 2010!
– On Saturday November 27th, Pope Benedict the XVI will celebrate a Solemn Prayer Vigil in St. Peter’s Basilica, lifting up in prayer all children living in the womb. Mother of Life Pro-Life Center will be participating in this special prayer vigil. Please join Fr. Nabil Mouannes and us, along with the universal church throughout the world, in this historic call to defend the unborn with our greatest weapon of Prayer. November 27th 6:30 p.m St Ephrem Church Mother of Life Pro-Life Center 750 Medford Street El Cajon, CA
– St. John the Baptist Church, 11150 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito, CA will hold its vigil after the 5 PM mass on Sat. November 27. Our vigil will involve benediction with prayer and the Joyful mysteries of the Rosary.
St. Peter Chanel Church 12001 E 214th Street (Hawaiian Gardens) will participate in the Vigil for all Nascent Human Life by offering a Rosary, Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, and Benediction following Saturday’s, November 27th, 6:00 PM Regular Vigil Mass (starting approximately 7:05 to 7:15 PM).
Connecticut
Vigil for All Nascent Human Life at Villa Maria Guadalupe 159 Sky Meadow Dr., Stamford, CT Saturday November 27, 2010, 4pm-5:30pm Bishop Lori will preside
Vigil for All Nascent Human Life at the Nazareth Spiritual Life Center
1428 Monroe Turnpike, Monroe, CT Saturday November 27, 2010, 7pm-8:30pm Bishop Lori will preside
On Saturday, November 27, 2010, at 7:00 p.m., in the Cathedral of Saint Patrick, 213 Broadway, Norwich – the Most Reverend Michael R. Cote, D.D., Bishop of Norwich, will celebrate a Holy Hour for all nascent human life.
Colorado
November 27 6 pm Cathedral Basilica of Immaculate Conception Denver, CO Archbishop Chuput presiding
Bishop Michael Sheridan will celebrate the vigil ceremony in Colorado Springs, CO at St. Mary Catholic Cathedral (22 W. Kiowa St.) immediately following the 4:00 pm Mass.
Delaware
The Most Rev. W. Francis Malooly, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington, will preside at a special Evening Prayer and Vigil Mass for the Unborn on Saturday, November 27, 2010, at Saint Peter’s Cathedral, Sixth and West Streets in Wilmington, beginning at 4:00 p.m. The event is open to the public.
Florida
November 27th Cathedral of Saint Mary 7525 NW 2nd Avenue, Miami 5:30 pm Holy Mass for the 1st Sunday of Advent 6:30 pm Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament – Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary – Prayer of Pope John Paul II – Evangelium Vitae – Benediction – Archbishop Wenski presiding
Diocese of Venice Respect Life Office will be putting up a list soon, click here
Vigil for All Nascent Human Life will be held Saturday, Nov. 27, at 7 p.m. in the Ave Maria Oratory Ave Maria, FL with Fr. Robert Tatman presiding.
Georgia
In the Archdiocese of Atlanta, Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory will celebrate the prayer service for all nascent human life on Saturday, Nov. 27, at 12 noon at the Cathedral of Christ the King, Atlanta, Georgia Other prayer services may be held at parishes of the archdiocese.
Illinois
Francis Cardinal George, O.M.I. will be leading a vigil at Holy Name Cathedral on Saturday, November 27 at 6:30 p.m. in solidarity with the Holy Father and the faithful throughout the world. Chicago, ILL Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament as well as a special Benediction. Please note the date and plan to attend as we join the Vicar of Christ in demonstrating our respect for all human life.
Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Siegel will be celebrating a vigil “For All Nascent Human Life” at the Cathedral of St. Raymond Nonnatus in Joliet,Illinois on Saturday, November 27, 2010, at 7:30 pm.
Indiana
On Nov. 27, St. Francis of Assisi Newman Center, 1200 W Riverside Ave., Muncie, IN will be celebrating with Exposition, Vespers and the Rosary at 6:45pm in the Worship Space (Vigil for all Nascent Human Life).
Iowa
On Saturday, November 27th, Pope Benedict will preside at a “Vigil for all nascent human life,” and he has asked all bishops around the world to preside at similar celebrations in their own dioceses. Therefore, Bishop Amos will celebrate Vespers at Sacred Heart Cathedral 422-E. 10th Street, Davenport at 7:00 p.m. We are also making available a booklet for families to use at home if they so desire.
Bishop Richard Pates invites the public to join him in a Mass and evening prayer service at St. Ambrose Cathedral 607 High Street Des Moines, IA on Nov. 27 beginning with the regularly scheduled 4 p.m. Mass. Immediately following, there will be a special evening prayer service at the cathedral with benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.
Join us November 27, 7:30-8:30 p.m. at Immaculate Conception-Moville for our Vigil for All Nascent Human Life.
Nov 27 Vigil for All Human life after 4:30 Mass, St. John’s Parish 24043 302nd Place, Adel
Kansas
Diocese of Wichita WSU Newman Center 1810 N. Roosevelt Wichita, KS 4- 7 pm Bishop Michael O Jackels presiding
Archbishop Emeritus James P. Keleher will celebrate the vigil ceremony in the Kansas City area at St. Joseph Church in Shawnee, KS (11311 Johnson Dr) at 7:00 pm on Saturday, Nov. 27th.
Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann will celebrate the vigil ceremony in Topeka, KS at Assumption Church (204 SW 8th Ave) at 7:00 pm on Saturday, Nov. 27th.
November 27th, 5pm, Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Dodge City, KS Bishop Ronald M. Gilmore, presiding.
Kentucky
The Pope, Prayer, and You – Pope Benedict XVI requests world-wide prayer for all nascent (starting to develop) human life on Saturday, November 27. We invite you to pray wherever you may be Thanksgiving weekend. Archbishop Kurtz also invites you to a “Prayer Vigil for Nascent Human Life” (English and Español) on November 27 at 7:00 p.m. at the Cathedral of the Assumption, Louisville, KY.
Our celebration of the First Vespers of the First Sunday of Advent will take place at St. Agnes Church in Fort Wright, Kentucky at 7:30 p.m. I have asked priests of the diocese to join me in this celebration, and I invite all the faithful from across the Diocese to come and pray with us. Most Rev. Roger J. Foys, D.D. Bishop of Covington, KY.
You’re invited to celebrate vespers with Bishop Medley at Saint Stephen Cathedral 610 Locust Street Owensboro, KY at 6:30 pm on November 27. Vespers will be preceded by the regular 5:00 pm Mass and a short period of adoration
Next Saturday November 27 Bishop Gainer will be with us to celebrate the Vigil for All Nascent Human Life. starting with the 5:30 p.m. Mass, followed by an evening prayer with Adoration and Benediction. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, 1730 Summerhill Dr., Lexington, KY.
Louisiana
Maryland
Special Holy Hour on November 27th at 6:30pm At the request of the Pope Benedict XVI, churches all over the world will be celebrating a “Vigil for All Nascent Human Life” coinciding with first vespers of the First Sunday of Advent on November 27th. Jesus the Divine Word Catholic Church 885 Cox Rd Huntingtown Maryland
Massachusetts
Saturday, November 27, 2010 7 p.m. Vigil for All Human Life at its Very Beginnings St. Julie Billiart Church 494 Slocum Road North Dartmouth Mass. Saturday, November 27, 2010 at 4:00 p.m.
Cathedral of the Holy Cross – Lower Church Boston, Mass
Prayer Vigil with Evening Prayer (Vespers),Rosary and Benediction November 27, 2010 at 4:00 p.m.Presider: Seán Cardinal O’Malley, OFM, Cap. Archbishop of Boston
All are invited to join Bishop McManus at the worldwide Vigil for All Unborn Human Life Sunday, November 28, 2010 7:00 p.m. Cathedral of St. Paul, Worcester
Michigan
Join Archbishop Allen H. Vigneronin a vigil of prayer including the Liturgy of the Hours, exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction. The vigil will coincide with vespers of the First Sunday of Advent, and with reference to the approaching solemnity of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ. When: November 27th 2010 at 7:00 P.M.Where: St. John Neumann Church 44800 Warren, Canton, Michigan.
Chancellor Msgr. Steven Raica – Prayer Vigil – Sat., Nov. 27, 2010 at 7:00 pm at St. Mary Cathedral, 219 Seymour, Lansing, MI.
Bishop Walter A. Hurley – Holy Hour with exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction – Sat., Nov. 27, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. at Cathedral of Saint Andrew, 301 Sheldon Blvd. SE, Grand Rapids, MI
Christ the King Catholic Church, 4000 Ave Maria Dr., Ann Arbor will have a Prayer Vigil for the Unborn on Saturday evening Nov. 27th. The vigil schedule is as follows:
- 8 p.m.: Liturgy of the Hours Evening Prayer, followed by the Divine Mercy Chaplet
- 9 p.m.: Stations of the Cross with Pro-Life Meditations
- 10 p.m.: Rosary with Pro-Life Meditations
- 11 p.m.: Charismatic prayer and intercession
- 11:45 p.m.: Benediction
Each hour will include a time for private prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, which will be exposed in the Worship Space during the vigil. Please Note: Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in the Adoration Chapel will continue as usual.
Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Imlay City will hold a Vigil for All Nascent Human Life Saturday Nov. 27th, 6:10pm. The Vigil will include Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Vespers, the Holy Rosary, Benediction and an opportunity for Confession, with refreshments following in the hall.
Diocese of Gaylord – Services are being planned for Saturday, November 27, 2010 at:
* St. Mary Cathedral in Gaylord (606 North Ohio Avenue)from 4:00-4:45 p.m. Bishop Bernard Hebda will preside at Evening Prayer for the First Sunday of Advent with Exposition and Benediction. Mass will begin at 5:00 p.m. and be followed by Bishop Hebda leading the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary at 6:15 p.m.
* Holy Family Parish in East Tawas (516 West Lincoln) beginning at 2:45 p.m.
* St. Bernard Parish in Alpena (322 West Chisholm) beginning at 7:00 p.m. Fr. Rolando Silva will preside.
* St. Patrick Parish in Traverse City (630 West Silver Lake Road) beginning at 7:00 p.m.
* Holy Rosary Parish in Cedar (6982 S. Schomberg Road) will follow the 4:00 Mass with a Vespers Service beginning at 5:00 p.m. Fr. Donald Libby will preside.
* St. Francis of Assisi in Lewiston (4086 Salling) beginning at 4:00 p.m.
A special service is also planned for Sunday, November 28 at:
* St. Francis Xavier in Petoskey (513 Howard Street) beginning at 7:00 p.m.
NOTE: As services in the Diocese of Gaylord are added they will be posted at http://www.dioceseofgaylord.org/
Minnesota
Worldwide Prayer Vigil for the Unborn – Pope Benedict XVI has asked the entire Church to pray with him for unborn children on the eve of the New Church Year.Saturday, November 27, 6:30-9:00pm at Divine Mercy Catholic Church, 139 Mercy Dr. Faribault.
Several parishes in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis are participating in the Pope’s worldwide Prayer Vigil for All Nascent Human Life and the National Night of Prayer for Life. Click HERE for a list of parishes participating.
Missouri
Bishop John R. Gaydos will lead the Diocese in Vespers Prayer on November 28th, 6:30 pm at the Cathedral of St. Joseph, 2215 West Main Stree. Jefferson City This Prayer is a Vigil for All Nascent Human Life requested by Pope Benedict XVI to be celebrated in every diocese and parish throughout the world. Prayers will include Benediction, the Rosary, and Supplication for Life. Everyone is invited to come as we begin the Advent Season by praying for all human life as we prepare for the birth of the Child Jesus on Christmas Day.
Bishop Robert Finn will celebrate the vigil ceremony in downtown Kansas City at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (416 W 12th St) at 4:00pm on Saturday, Nov. 27th.
St. Joseph parish 106 N. Meramec Ave. Clayton, Missouri will offer a holy hour for all preborn human life from 3-4 pm on November 27. . Benedict XVI has issued a request for prayers worldwide from all pro-life people against abortion on November 27, the vigil of Advent. Confessions will follow the Holy Hour at 4 pm with the vigil mass at 5 pm.
Montana
Bishop Warfel will be celebrating a vigil at St. Ann Cathedral in Great Falls. He is asking that all parishes in the diocese consider doing a similar vigil.
Nebraska
St. Peter Catholic Church, 27th & Leavenworth, Omaha Vigil for Nascent Life, Sat. Nov. 27 the schedule at St. Peters will be; 6 pm Eucharistic Exposition – 6:10-6:40 Solemn Chanted Vespers in Spanish – 6:40 pm Rosary in Spanish -7-7:15 Silent prayer – 7:15 pm Rosary in English – 7:30-8 pm Solemn Chanted Vespers and Benediction in English
Nevada
Bishop Calvo will lead us in “Vigil for All Nascent Human Life” at 7:00 p.m. St Thomas Aquinas Cathedral 310 West Second Street, Reno, Nevada
Saturday, November 27, 2010 – Shrine of the Most Holy Redeemer, 55 E. Reno Ave, Las Vegas, NV at 6:00pm the Diocese of Las Vegas will be holding a Pro Life Vigil consisting of Evening Prayer, a Rosary, and Benediction. All the parishes around the world are asked by Pope Benedict XVI to participate in this vigil.
New Jersey
Bishop O’Connell will be celebrating a Mass for Life at St. James in Pennington, NJ at 5 pm on November 27th.
Diocese of Metichen New Jersey has a list of parishes that will be holding vigils click here
St. Matthias will join in this Prayer Vigil with the Holy Father following the 5:30 Mass on Sat., Nov. 27 with EVENING PRAYER AND BENEDICTION. All are welcome to join us in this worldwide prayer service. 168 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, Somerset, NJ
Nov. 27, 7:30 p.m. Vigil For All Nascent Human Life – Our Lady of Guadalupe, 135 N. White Horse Pike, Lindenwold
New York
Archdiocese of New York Family Life/Respect Life Office has put up a list of parishes participating in this Vigil) – click here
Ohio
Our Lady, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral, 2535 Collingwood Blvd, Toledo Saturday, November 27, 2010 @ 6:00 p.m. Evening Prayer and Benediction with Bishop Blair.
Catholic Diocese of Youngstown will celebrate this special vigil at St. Columba Cathedral on November 27. Bishop Murry will preside at Evening Prayer and Benediction at 4:30 p.m. Mass for the First Sunday of Advent will follow at 5:30 p.m.
Pope Benedict XVI will be celebrating a “Vigil for all nascent human life” on 27 November 2010. In the Diocese of Cleveland Bishop Lennon will be celebrating Evening Prayer I of the First Sunday of Advent in conjunction with the anticipated Mass of the First Sunday of Advent at the 4:30 p.m. Mass at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, 1007 Superior Avenue East, Cleveland, OH.
A Vigil for all Nascent Human Life Thursday, December 2, 2010 5:15pm Evening Prayer with Exposition will take place at The Athenaeum of Ohio Mount St. Mary’s Seminary Chapel of St. Gregory the Great 6616 Beechmont Avenue Cincinnati, OH
Oklahoma
Please join Bishop Edward J. Slattery for the Nascent Vigil at Holy Family Cathedral 122 West 8th Street Tulsa on Saturday, November 27th after the 5pm Mass. This vigil will coincide with Pope Benedict’s vigil at St. Peter’s.
The Church of Saint Mary 1347 East 49 St., Tulsa, will hold this Vigil request by the Holy Father at 4:00 p.m. in the Chapel on November 27th. All are welcome and invited to participate
Oregon
Vigil for all Nascent Human Life 6:30 pm in the Church. St. Mary’s Catholic Church 501 NW 25th St. Corvallis For more info call 541-757-2788
Pennsylvania
Prayer for the Protection of Nascent Human Life, The observance at St. Peter’s Cathedral 315 Wyoming Avenue Scranton, will begin at 3:30 p.m. with the praying of the Rosary,with a special intention for the protection of all nascent life. Cardinal Justin Rigali, Archbishop of Philadelphia, will be the celebrant of the 4 p.m. Vigil Mass. Following the Mass, the Cardinal will lead a brief prayer service at the monument to the unborn located on the grounds of the Cathedral.
Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI has asked that we join him in a Vigil for Nascent Life on Saturday evening of the first weekend of Advent. Cardinal Rigali has asked that the Holy Rosary be recited in every church one half hour before the Saturday evening Mass. Deacon Jim McAvoy will lead the Rosary in the Chapel of St. Peter’s Catholic Church 2835 Manor Rd., West Brandywine, at 4:30. Our parish will continue the experience of this event with a Holy Hour at the end of the 5:00 PM Mass. The Most Blessed Sacrament will be exposed while the Holy Rosary is recited and Benediction will complete this wonderful time of prayer
The Departments for Worship and Human Dignity are jointly organizing a diocesan celebration at Saint Paul Cathedral Pittsburgh, PA beginning with 6:00 p.m. Mass on Saturday, November 27. There will be Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament at the end of Mass, followed by organized prayer and silence, with Benediction beginning at 7:50 p.m. Bishop William Winter will preside.
Vigil for Nascent Human Life on Saturday, November 27. In response, Bishop Joseph P. McFadden will hold a vigil at Saint Patrick Cathedral Harrisburg, PA at 7:00 p.m. that day. Please come and unite with the Holy Father and our Bishop to pray for all unborn life. Please gather at St. Lawrence Chapel at 110 State Street for the one block Marian procession to the Cathedral. Free parking will be available at the South Street Parking Garage.
Pope Benedict XVI has asked that a “Vigil for All Nascent Human Life” be celebrated on The First Sunday of Advent. To fulfill the Holy Father’s request for prayer, St. Therese Church, 25 Old River Road, Wikes-Barre, PA will have a Holy Hour at Saint Therese Church on Saturday, November 27th, at 2:00 pm, in the Church. All are welcome!
Rhode Island
Nov. 27, Holy Name of Jesus Church, 99 Camp St Providence, RI will be keeping the Vigil with the Holy Father beginning at 5:00 PM following the 4 o’clock vigil Mass. Booklets will be provided for the celebration of Vespers, Rosary and Benediction. Please invite all of your family and friends.
South Dakota
Bishop Paul Swain will preside over a local vigil for all Nascent Human Life at 6 p.m., Saturday, November 27 at the current St. Joseph Cathedral 521 Duluth Ave Sioux Falls, SD worship space (the school gym,entrance on west side of the building).
Tennesse
On Saturday, November 27, at St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Benedict XVI will celebrate a“Vigil for All Nascent Human Life” coinciding with the beginning of Advent. In union with the Holy Father, at 5:30pm, on Saturday, November 27, we will have Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Evening Prayer, and Benediction, followed by Mass at 6:00pm. Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, 414 West Vine Avenue Knoxville.
Texas
Pope Benedict XVI Vigil for All Nascent Human Life Location: Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart 1111 Pierce St. Houston, TX Cardinal DiNardo Presiding Date: Saturday, November 27, 2010 Time: 8:30 PM
A Diocesan Day of Prayer for all Nascent [newly developing] Human Life will be celebrated by Bishop Joe Vásquez on Saturday, December 4th at 1:00 p.m. at St. Helen Parish 2700 East University Avenue, Georgetown
The Catholic Pro-life Committee (Respect Life Ministry of the Diocese of Dallas) has a list of Parishes (about 25 parishes) that are participating in the Vigil – Click HERE
St Dominic Village – Warren Chapel, 2401 Holcombe Boulevard Houston, TX will hold the Vigil for All Nascent Human Life on Nov. 27th after the 6 pm Mass (Vigil and Vespers begin at 7:00 pm).
Virginia
“Vigil for All Nascent Human Life” will be held at St. Joseph’s, 750 Peachtree Street, Herndon, Virginia on Saturday, November 27, 2010 at 6:15 p.m. Please plan to stay or to come after the 5 p.m. Mass for the “Vigil for All Nascent Human Life” in union with our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, and all Bishops and parishes.
Utah
The Most Reverend John Charles Wester (Salt Lake City) sent an email forwarded by the diocesan communications director to all monsignors, priests, and Deacons of his Diocese asking each parish to participate in this worldwide celebration of prayer at their parish’s Saturday evening Vigil Mass on this First Sunday of Advent.
Vermont
There will be a Vigil for All Nascent Life on Saturday, Nov. 27, at 4 p.m. at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Burlington VT
Wisconsin
With joyful hope, Bishop Robert Morlino invites the faithful of the Diocese of Madison to observe this Vigil with him, in communion with the Holy Father, at St. Patrick’s Church of the Cathedral Parish 404 E. Main Street, Madison on November 27, at 7 p.m. Reception following prayer vigil.
Archdiocese of Milwaukee: Archbishop Listecki will preside at Evening Prayer, Rosary and Benediction on Saturday, November 27, at 5 p.m. hosted by St. Anthony Church, Ninth & Mitchell, Milwaukee.
Next weekend we begin a new liturgical year with the First Sunday of Advent. Pope Benedict XVI is calling for a Vigil for All Nascent Human Life to be observed on Saturday evening, November 27. “Nascent” means “embryonic, growing, being born.” During Advent we recall the period when Jesus was nascent. We will observe this vigil after the 5:10 Mass on Sat. Nov. 27 with a Marian Procession, Rosary and Benediction. Please come and join us. St. Joseph the Workman Cathedral, 530 Main Street, La Crosse, WI
Wyoming
St. Barbara’s Catholic Church, 3rd & Absaroka Street, Powell, Wyoming will be having a vigil for All Nascent Human Life following the 5:45 pm Mass on Sat., November 27. Eucharistic Adoration, Evening Prayer, and praying the Rosary will take place.
Filed under: Advent, Evangelium Vitae, Pope Benedict XVI, Prayer, Pro-life
Mary Kept All These Things and Pondered Them in Her Heart by Robert Anning Bell from Mary, The Mother of Jesus (Alice Meynell)
On the eve of the first Sunday of Advent – Saturday evening, November 27, 2010 – the Pope will lead a VIGIL FOR NASCENT HUMAN LIFE at St. Peter’s in Rome, and he has asked the world’s Bishops and priests to do the same in their own dioceses and parishes.
The Pope describes the intention of the Vigil as follows:
“The time of preparation for Holy Christmas is a favorable moment to invoke Divine protection over each human being called to existence, also as thanksgiving to God for the gift of life received from our parents.”
Americans please note the appropriate theme of thanksgiving which also relates to the national holiday weekend.
The call for this worldwide Vigil by our Pope is a breakthrough of momentous proportions for many reasons. But one not so obvious reason is that the Church tends to lean on her traditions, perhaps at times being slow to implement brand new ones. The Church has stood prophetically, time and again, for respect for human life from conception to natural death. But the Church has been slow to turn her coordinated worldwide liturgical prayer directly at the worldwide scourge of abortion. No longer!
Benedict’s Pro – Life Prayer Vigil is to prayer, what John Paul II’s encycylical Evangelium Vitae “The Gospel of Life” is to teaching. Our U.S. Chairman for the Catholic Bishops Committee on Pro – Life Activities, Cardinal DiNardo, says this Papal request is “unprecedented” – but that is an understatement.
By making this worldwide Vigil an Advent event, the Pope has now linked in our Catholic Christian consciousness the concept of the solidarity between Unborn Jesus and all unborn children. There is no turning back now!
Tis the Season of ‘The Gospel of Life’
I have been really looking forward to being born in Bethlehem – just as Micah prophesied. I know my parents have been anxious. I wanted to take the same nine month journey in the womb that other unborn children take, in solidarity with ALL unborn children (and their mothers). Its all about love really…and I know my parents love me with a love beyond all telling. And my Father so loved the world that He sent me, His only Son… This will be a sign of great joy! But there will be a shadow – the shadow of bad politicians and bad judges who should know better – they have sent their forerunner Herod to destroy me, but they will all fail! My birth will signal a great victory for Life and Love!
Meditation
“The sun sets on the twenty-fourth of December on the low roofs of Bethlehem, and gleams with wan gold on the steep of its stony ridge. The stars come out one by one. Heaven is empty of angels, but they show not their bright presences up among the stars. Rude men are jostling God in the alleys of that Oriental village, and shutting their doors in his Mother’s face.
Time itself, as if it were sentient, seems to get tremulous and eager, as though the hand of its angel shook as it draws on towards midnight. Bethlehem is at that moment the veritable centre of God’s creation. Still the minutes pass. The plumage of the night grows deeper and darker. How purple is the dome of heaven above those pastoral slopes duskily spotted with recumbent sheep, and how silently the stars drift down the southern steep of the midnight sky! Yet a few moments, and the Eternal Word will come.”
Rev. Frederick W. Faber, Bethlehem, Chapter Two, page 97.
Tis the Season of ‘The Gospel of Life’
The Virgin and St. Joseph Refused Shelter in Bethlehem by Jan Massys 1558
We showed up at the Inn in Bethlehem but there was no room. The Innkeeper turned us away – my mother (nine months pregnant) and me, a little ‘preborn’ baby! I was rejected by humanity, so we sought shelter with animals, rodents and insects in the cave manger near the fields. I forgave this Innkeeper because he didn’t know what he was doing. Everyone should be more welcoming to pregnant mothers and unborn babies. Lk 2:6-7
Meditation
We come now to another aspect of the Unborn Christ Child’s solidarity with many unborn children of our day, His rejection in His time of need. Caesar wanted a census taken throughout the Roman Empire for utilitarian purposes concerning power and wealth. Everyone’s lives got caught up in his imperial desire, including Joseph of Nazareth and his family. Mary was probably in her ninth month when they made this evangelical journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem.
According to scripture, and a star in the sky, Bethlehem is where the Messiah would be born. But the welcome the pregnant woman and her husband received in the City of David was disappointing. All that scripture relates is that Mary’s baby was placed “in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn” (Lk 2:7). For two thousand years Christians have wrestled with this scene and it always seems to spell ‘rejection’ loud and clear. Rejection by the local inn keeper, implied rejection by unmentioned relatives in the vicinity and rejection by humanity in general, since they end up with animals (and angels) marginalized in a manger of rejection.
But who is rejected? A pregnant woman and her unborn child! Mary and Unborn Jesus are rejected. The Unborn Christ Child is rejected before He is even born. He shares with hundreds of millions of unborn children through the years, rejection before birth. A sad, unborn solidarity in human rejection. But, of course, baby Jesus had loving parents and was born. The birth occurs in subdued seclusion in a manger with animals, probably some rodents, lots of insects, and so on. Welcome Savior, into our human community.
Tis the Season of ‘The Gospel of Life’
Census at Bethlehem by Pieter Bruegel (1566)
The Journey with Joseph
Setting the flask of water down,
he gave his arm to Mary,
and gently, cautiously,
helped her up.
Then her smile…
for she had remembered…
and now held thoughtfully
the swaddling clothes.
Together they had prepared….
her hands moving deftly to weave them;
he, cutting, plying, sanding wood… a cradle crib.
Now, fastening water flask, a little sack of food
bread, a few figs, he sensed
the sadness of her smile for him; they’d leave
without the crib.
One glance back; he untied the beast of burden,
privileged to carry her, and he began the psalm
“My heart is ready…Lord.”;
their prayer of trust,
their prayer of assurance.
Hoofbeats clicked the rhythmic clod
for God’s prophet had readied them…
‘twas Bethlehem.
Mi- cah; Mi-cah;
Town – of – Da – vid
yet…. was BETHLEHEM prepared?
(Sister M. Linus Coyle PBVM)
Tis the Season of ‘The Gospel of Life’
Mary and Joseph carved by Jacques Bourgault
The prophet Micah had prophesied as to where I would be born. So when the news came that Caesar had called for a worldwide census and my mother and adoptive father realized that we would all have to travel to Bethlehem, they rejoiced, knowing that God’s ancient promises were about to be fulfilled. Here we are on the way to Bethlehem. This was the third long journey my poor mother had to take while pregnant – she had a much harder time of it than I did. (Lk 2:1-5)
Meditation
We can picture Mary, now in the final trimester of her pregnancy, perhaps working at home or on an errand out in the town center, when she suddenly hears the news ‑ a census decree by Caesar requiring Joseph and her to travel to Bethlehem. A wave of joy and relief breaks upon her soul as she sees God intervening not only in her life, not only in the history of her own people, but with one universal sweep of His Almighty Hand in the history and destiny of the entire world! She is in awe, realizing that yet another prophecy is to be fulfilled ‑ not abstractly or disinterestedly, as some “head count” might be ‑ but intimately in her own life, in her own person and body and family, in the city of David.
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
who are little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.
Therefore he shall give them up until the time
when she who is in travail has brought forth;
then the rest of his brethren shall return
to the people of Israel. Micah 5:2‑3
The words of this prophecy could now be more fully appreciated by four Israelites; Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth and Zechariah. Particularly the more obscure words ‑ “whose origin is from of old, from ancient days” now held a remarkable meaning. God’s Son, eternal like God His “Father”; together their origin reaches back through time, beyond time’s beginning, into some old ancient unknown “days” before days were defined or numbered, before the earth existed. Eternally uncreated! (As the Nicene Creed states: “…eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father.”)
Based on her astonishing experiences thus far and those words of the prophet Micah, Mary understood that her pregnancy (and unborn child) was different from all other pregnancies: a constant mystery of faith to her. This pregnancy of her’s had been the subject of prophecy, explained in scripture; angels had come to earth to reveal its holy hidden meanings. Her baby, in some sense existed before King David was conceived, before Abraham was called. As her now unborn child would explain it thirty years hence: “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” (Jn 8:58) From Unborn Jesus Our Hope
Tis the Season of ‘The Gospel of Life’
Mary and Joseph lived in Nazareth and got ready for my birth. Like most parents they prepared their home to receive a new baby but they were also being prepared for the unique mission that God had set before them. As St. Thomas Aquinas wrote, “Mary and Joseph needed to be instructed concerning Christ’s birth before He was born, because it devolved on them to show reverence to the child conceived in the womb, and to serve Him even before He was born.”
Meditation
“We should like to penetrate into those remaining months, which Mary and Joseph spent together, before the birth of the Holy Child. Scripture is silent about them, but it is not difficult for a sanctified imagination to picture something of what was taking place…
The house at Nazareth was in very deed God’s Sanctuary, containing the Altar of Repose, where the Savior of the world was resting. Angels were in constant adoration before their King. The faithful consisted of Mary and Joseph, whose thought and conversation could be about nothing else but the Child Who was coming into the world. And who shall measure the graces and blessings, which that Child was showering upon Mary and her faithful spouse, during those months of waiting and prayer and holy converse,while they planned and arranged with such care and minuteness, as parents are wont to do, every detail connected with the birth of the firstborn?” Mother St. Paul, Ortus Christi
Tis the Season of ‘The Gospel of Life’
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father…And from His fullness have we all received, grace upon grace” (John 1:14,16).
Detail on fresco of Virgin Mary “of the Sign”: she is carrying Jesus in her womb found in The Mezquita of Cordoba, a Roman Catholic cathedral and former mosque, situated in the Andalusian city of Córdoba, Spain.
Meditation
“I put myself on the side of childhood – on the side of the assassinated child, Abel as well as on the side of the victorious child David; of the child Joseph who reigned in Egypt and of the Hebrew children who sang their joy in a furnace and were subjected to lions and flames. I am above all on the side of the Infant God who promised happiness to the meek.” From The Son of Man by François Mauriac who won the Nobel Prize in Literature, 1952
“When He came into the world as a tiny unborn baby, Jesus placed Himself squarely “on the side of childhood”. He demonstrated His solidarity with all unborn children, and later with children at every stage of life. Would that all were pledged to be “on the side of childhood” ‑ with the Infant God ‑ throughout all of its many stages, from conception and early life in the mother’s womb to late adolescence when the child prepares to go out on his own. If the world were truly on the side of childhood, we would live in a much more innocent and receptive world.” From Unborn Jesus Our Hope
Tis the Season of ‘The Gospel of Life’
I am now beginning the third trimester of my development in the womb. Here is a 14th or 15th century sculpture discovered in a German Cistercian convent (founded in 1248 A.D.). See how the sculptor emphasized that I was a distinct Person by hollowing out the womb area so devout Christians could see me before birth and have their hearts lifted up in thanksgiving for the mystery of the Incarnation. It’s amazing that people living 600 years ago could demonstrate such profound respect for my prenatal life and yet many people in the 21st century have no respect at all for my life in the womb of my mother.
Meditation
“What was the essence of His (Christ’s) prayer (during those nine months)? What was it which lay behind all? It was the intention. And what was that? We have meditated on it many times: “Behold I come to do Thy Will O my God.” (Hebrews 10:7)
Naturally there are many different ways of doing that Will, and many different degrees in the perfection with which it is done; and that is why we are quite safe in picturing to ourselves Jesus in the womb of His mother forgetting no single detail; or perhaps a truer picture would be a union with His Father so perfect that there was no need to talk about what was so evident.
Now let us apply this to myself and I will find that instead of being discouraging , it is most encouraging, instead of making my prayers harder it will make them far easier.
What is the intention in my prayers? Is it not to please God and to do His Will? …Now let me see how this works out in practice. I pay a visit to our Lord, perhaps I am too tired to think about Him, I may even sleep in His Presence; perhaps I am so busy that I find it impossible to keep away distracting thoughts…the time is up and I go, thinking, perhaps, what is the good of paying Him a visit like that?
There is great good even in that visit which all the same might have been so much more perfect. What was my intention in paying it? Certainly to please Him. Then I have pleased Him. It was a pleasure to Him to see me come in and sit with Him, even though I was occupied with my own concerns most of the time. We are too much taken up with asking how we say our prayers, but the important question is why do we say them.
To go and sit in His presence because He is lonely or because I am tired and I would rather sit with Him than anyone else is prayer even if I say nothing. What God is doing for me is of far more importance to my soul than what I am doing for God; and all the time that I am there, whether I am thinking of Him or not, He is impressing His image on my soul…”
Mother St. Paul, Ortus Christi, pp 92-93
Filed under: Adoption, Advent, Biblical Reflections, Evangelium Vitae, Unborn Jesus
Tis the Season of ‘The Gospel of Life’
The Dream of St. Joseph (with unborn Christ Child) by Francisco Rizi (1608-1685)
My mother was betrothed to Joseph the carpenter, but he was unsure of what to do about me. Here is a picture of him sleeping and an angel of the Lord explaining everything to him in a dream. You can see my mother and I in the background. Joseph awoke from the dream and adopted me while I was still an unborn baby! (Mt 1:18-25)
Meditation
In Joseph’s midnight angelic revelation John Paul II sees Joseph’s “personal Annunciation” and the moment of his “Divine election….His place in the history of salvation is defined”. The Pope, continuing his observations, points out that the response of Joseph was exemplary: “’When Joseph woke from sleep ‑ we read in Matthew ‑ he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him’ (Mt 1:24). In these few words there is everything. The whole description of Joseph’s life and the full characteristic of his holiness: ‘He did’. Joseph, the one we know from the Gospel, is a man of action.”
Pope John Paul II, General Audience, March 19, 1980
“In these days of Advent, the liturgy invites us to contemplate in a special way the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph, who lived with a unique intensity the time of waiting and preparation for the birth of Jesus. Today, I want to direct our gaze toward the figure of St. Joseph… The one who gives the most importance to the adoptive father of Jesus is the Evangelist Matthew, emphasizing that thanks to him, the Child was legally introduced into the lineage of David fulfilling the Scriptures, in which the Messiah was prophesied as the ’son of David’.”
Pope Benedict, Angelus address, December 18, 2005
It pleased God to bring the beauty of human adoption into the heart of the Incarnation mystery. Adoption is a noble institution and has been a major theme of the Pro-Life message, but it was God’s idea and He relayed it to us. So we can find here another experience of solidarity, that is, a solidarity between God the Father and adoptive parents – His blessing upon their commitment to embrace a little one and, like Joseph, raise the child to the best of their abilities to fullness of life.
Tis the Season of ‘The Gospel of Life’
Mary Contemplating (click here to find out about this design)
My mother returned home to her parents and to Joseph. This was a time when she opened her heart to me. So often she told me of her love for me and of her concern for Joesph. Oh, how I opened my Heart to my beloved mother. And of course, I was praying to my Father for Joseph and my Father would soon be sending an angel to announce His plans to him.
Meditation
Here is a wonderful quote from Mother St. Paul (1861-1940) about Mary’s life with Jesus during her pregnancy.
“She was ever holding colloquies with her God within her, pondering things over in her heart, that is, talking them over with Him from Whom she had no secrets and between Whom and her soul she put no obstacles.
Her life was spent with Him; whatever her duties might be, everything was done with Him, which is prayer. If duties or conservation demanded all her attention for a while, did it matter? No, for He was there all the same. He, in her, carried on the blessed converse with His Father; there was never any separation between Mary and the Blessed Fruit of her womb, Jesus. She would come back to Him…
…When we think of Jesus praying for nine months to His Father, when we think of Mary’s nine months colloquy with Jesus, we begin to think that there is something wrong about our methods of prayer, that they need re-modeling.
Let us try to understand something of what His prayer was. We think of Him, and quite rightly, as talking over with His Father all His plans for man’s salvation, praying for each individual thing that would be connected with it through all time. We love to think that He prayed particularly for each one of us.“
From Ortus Christi:Meditations for Advent (1921) by Mother St. Paul
Tis the Season of ‘The Gospel of Life’
Mary Taking Leave of Elizabeth and Zacharias by Lorenzo Salimben
My mother took leave of cousin Elizabeth, Zacharias and newborn John. It had been a wonderful visit but she felt it was time to leave now that John had been born. She wanted to get back to her life in Nazareth and Joseph.
Meditation
“It seems not unlikely that, during the course of this prolonged journey by foot or donkey back to Nazareth , Mary’s thoughts would wander to Messianic scripture passages ‑ searchingly, expectantly. Granted, we can not know the exact nature of Mary’s thoughts and reflections in these circumstances, but we know she loved the scriptures and knew them well. They were alive for her! She was living out age‑old prophecies. That is, she was physically, maternally linked to the One in her womb fulfilling all prophecy! To guide our reflections let’s consider some of the Messianic texts from the Prophet Isaiah which were widely known throughout Israel.
Her mind would have naturally gravitated to chapters 7‑12 of Isaiah which form a distinct section ‑ the Book of Immanuel ‑ in which we find repeated references to the Messiah. Within this “Book of Immanuel”, there are a number of references to the Messiah as a baby and small child. This unique prophetic perspective on the Child Messiah would have fascinated Mary, and should be of great interest to our modern world. Let’s consider some of these verses:
Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14 (NAB)
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”…. Isaiah 9:6
The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. Isaiah 11:6
Isaiah, under the influence of the Spirit of God, focuses on a “child” (a son) who is the Messiah and more, he is Immanuel (God with us), Mighty God and Prince of Peace. And in some real way, this “little child shall lead” us. Not by mere coincidence has the Church come to love these prophetic passages with a tender passion. The Church sees the incarnational mystery revealed here in beauty, hope and peace.
Now if Isaiah was attracted by this “child”, Mary was completely mesmerized. A shiver probably ran up her spine whenever she recalled the words: “…the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and name him Immanuel”. For Mary was the virgin chosen by God to fulfill this prophecy and her unborn baby was the promised One. But all Christians should share in that same prophetic shiver of anticipation at hearing “to us a child is born” and “to us a son is given”. To us Unborn Jesus was sent as a sign of hope ‑ and for every vulnerable unborn child: He is their only Hope.
Curiously, in this same passage from Isaiah we are once again given His “name”: “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”! Actually these four words speak to the identity of this most special Child. Mary, the pregnant mother, would have meditated on these words often, perhaps recalling as she did, the singular Divine titles given to her Son by the Angel Gabriel, Elizabeth, Zechariah, and yes, even by the great prophet Isaiah! These witnesses unfold the Divine Identity of the tiny Person she carries within her womb. She was overcome by this reality ‑ peacefully overwhelmed by the Prince of Peace.”
Taken from Unborn Jesus Our Hope by George Peate
Tis the Season of ‘The Gospel of Life’
Finally, Elizabeth gave birth to John the Baptist. Here is a picture of Elizabeth after giving birth. My mother is seated in the foreground holding newborn John. (You can’t see me.) Lk 1:57
Meditation
The first three months of Jesus’ life were spent with unborn John. He stayed till John was born.
What does that say to our world?
Could it be that Unborn Jesus was sanctifying the unborn state and hallowing the journey that all unborn infants take from conception to birth? For three months all appears ordinary even though the presence of Christ Unborn is extraordinary. It is precisely the ordinariness of their lives now and the nearness of the two unborn infants to each other that underscores the solidarity that exists between Unborn Jesus and all unborn infants. He is, in an incomprehensible way, a steadfast companion to this little one growing towards birth.
Finally, John is born. The end of his gestation brings celebration. The birth of a child is one of the most profound experiences a woman and a couple can undergo. Unborn Jesus waited for unborn John’s journey to end and this new beginning.
And the Incarnate Word “saw that it was good”, the two hundred and eightieth day.
Tis the Season of ‘The Gospel of Life’
Mary Visits Elizabeth, Andrei Severetnikov
My mother and I stayed with cousin Elizabeth, Zechariah and unborn John for three months. Our parents spent this time in fellowship, prayer and reflection.
Meditation
The tone established for this ninety‑day visit might simply be stated as joy. Joy in the fulfillment of God’s promises! Messianic Joy!
The focus of the ninety‑day visit was preparation. God had called all of these individuals to serve Him in a most extraordinary manner, and before proceeding further God prepared them for the months and years ahead. Elizabeth and Zechariah were well disposed, after six quiet months spent in large measure listening, praying and reflecting. Mary was young and eager to continue as the Lord willed. But all three needed this special time with the Word Incarnate. And paradoxically, unborn John would now be prepared by the unborn Lord to years later return the favor and “prepare the way of the Lord” (Is 40:3).
We can not say definitively what Unborn Jesus did while still in the womb of His mother. But we can ponder these events with faith and love. What was this Divine Presence like within Mary’s womb, nestled under the beacon of her heart? “The flame of fire in the burning bush was a figure of Jesus in Mary’s sacred womb…. So He still speaks as if concealed in Mary’s womb…”*
… Perhaps another analogy might help us to further appreciate the power of this Unborn presence. Consider how the fire in a fireplace within a small cabin draws all who enter towards its glowing warmth. In a similar spiritual sense, the Unborn Son of God would have attracted His hosts ‑ Elizabeth and Zechariah ‑ to Himself. For their part, remaining humble and receptive, they would sense the tranquility of His Being and their open hearts would be enflamed by His nearness. Similarly, recall how the woman who touched the hem of His garment, while a crowd bustled about Him, was instantly healed by the Power in Him. Crowds were attracted to Him. For those of good will, His presence was attractiveness itself, and no doubt His physical presence would have become the new focal point of this small home. Excerpt from Unborn Jesus Our Hope, George Peate.
*This quote taken from Richard F. Clarke, S.J., “The Coming Of Christ”, pamphlet D446 (London: Catholic Truth Society, 1964), 38
Tis the Season of ‘The Gospel of Life’
Mary in the House of Elizabeth by Robert Anning Bell (1863-1933)
My mother and I visited with cousins Elizabeth (unborn John) and Zechariah for three months (Luke 1:56). Here are my mother and Elizabeth sewing baby clothes.
Meditation
“We live in an age of impatience, an age which in everything, from learning the ABC to industry, tries to cut out and do away with the natural season of growth. That is why so much in our life is abortive. We ought to let everything grow in us, as Christ grew in Mary….. No man should ever make anything except in the spirit in which a woman bears a child, in the spirit in which Christ was formed in Mary’s womb, in the love with which God created the world.”
“In this contemplation there is great virtue in practicing patience in small things until the habit of Advent returns to us.”
Caryll Houselander (1901 – 1954)
The Reed Of God
Tis the Season of ‘The Gospel of Life’
From Salzburg Cathedral exhibit Mary Expectant with Child November 25, 2006 – January 7, 2007
My mother’s joy and happiness could not be contained. She was filled with wonder and began to rejoice in God’s magnificent plan of Salvation. Listen to her beautiful prayer the Magnificat.
Meditation
“Mary also anticipated, in the mystery of the incarnation, the Church’s Eucharistic faith. When, at the Visitation, she bore in her womb the Word made flesh, she became in some way a “tabernacle” – the first “tabernacle” in history – in which the Son of God, still invisible to our human gaze, allowed himself to be adored by Elizabeth, radiating his light as it were through the eyes and the voice of Mary….”
“In the Eucharist the Church is completely united to Christ and his sacrifice, and makes her own the spirit of Mary. This truth can be understood more deeply by re-reading the Magnificat in a Eucharistic key. The Eucharist, like the Canticle of Mary, is first and foremost praise and thanksgiving.
When Mary exclaims: ‘My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour’, she already bears Jesus in her womb. She praises God ‘through’ Jesus, but she also praises him ‘in’ Jesus and ‘with’ Jesus. This is itself the true ‘Eucharistic attitude’. At the same time Mary recalls the wonders worked by God in salvation history in fulfillment of the promise once made to the fathers (cf. Lk 1:55), and proclaims the wonder that surpasses them all, the redemptive incarnation.
Lastly, the Magnificat reflects the eschatological tension of the Eucharist. Every time the Son of God comes again to us in the “poverty” of the sacramental signs of bread and wine, the seeds of that new history wherein the mighty are ‘put down from their thrones’ and ‘those of low degree are exalted’ (cf. Lk 1:52), take root in the world.
… The Magnificat expresses Mary’s spirituality, and there is nothing greater than this spirituality for helping us to experience the mystery of the Eucharist. The Eucharist has been given to us so that our life, like that of Mary, may become completely a Magnificat!”
John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Ecclesia de Eucharistia, sectionz 55, 58
UNBORN WORD of the day 