Christmas Prayers Of The Saints

by Becky Roach

This Christmas, pray as the Saints did with these Christmas prayers!

Let Your Goodness Appear To Us | St. Bernard of Clairvaux

Let your goodness Lord, appear to us, that we, made in your image, may conform ourselves to it. In our own strength we cannot imagine your majesty, power, and wonder, nor is it fitting for us to even try. But your mercy reaches from the heavens, through the clouds, to the earth below. You have come to us as a small child, but you have brought us the greatest gift, the gift of your eternal love. Caress us with your tiny hands, embrace us with your tiny arms, and pierce our hearts with your soft, sweet cries. Amen. 

– St. Bernard of Clairvaux

Christmas: A Means And A Pledge Of Peace | St. Ephraim

The feast day of your birth resembles You, Lord
Because it brings joy to all humanity.
Old people and infants alike enjoy your day.
Your day is celebrated
from generation to generation.
Kings and emperors may pass away,
And the festivals to commemorate them soon lapse.
But your festival
will be remembered until the end of time.
Your day is a means and a pledge of peace.
At Your birth heaven and earth were reconciled,
Since you came from heaven to earth on that day
You forgave our sins and wiped away our guilt.
You gave us so many gifts on the day of your birth:
A treasure chest of spiritual medicines for the sick;
Spiritual light for the blind;
The cup of salvation for the thirsty;
The bread of life for the hungry.
In the winter when trees are bare,
You give us the most succulent spiritual fruit.
In the frost when the earth is barren,
You bring new hope to our souls.
In December when seeds are hidden in the soil,
The staff of life springs forth from the virgin womb

– St. Ephraim the Syrian

God Who Came Down From Heaven | St. Alphonsus

O amiable Infant, though I see you in this cavern, lying on straw poor and despised, yet faith teaches me that you are my God, who came down from heaven for my salvation.

I acknowledge you as my Lord and Savior, but I have nothing to offer you. I have no gold of love, because I have loved creatures; I have loved my own desires, but I have not loved you, O amiable infinite one! I have not the incense of prayer, because I have lived in a miserable state of forgetfulness of you. I have no myrrh of mortification, for I have often displeased your infinite goodness so that I would not be deprived of my miserable pleasures.

What then can I offer you? I offer you my heart, filthy and poor as it is, please accept it and change it. You came into the world for this purpose, to wash the hearts of humanity from their sins by your blood, and thus change them from sinners into saints. Therefore, give me this gold, this incense, and this myrrh. Give me the gold of your holy love; give me the incense, the spirit of holy prayer, give me the desire and strength to mortify myself in everything that displeases you. I am resolved to obey you and to love you, but you know my weakness. Give me the grace to be faithful to you!

Most holy virgin, you who welcomed the Magi with affection, welcome me also, who has come to visit your Son and to offer myself to him. O my Mother, I have great confidence in your intercession. Recommend me to Jesus. I trust to you my soul and my will; bind it forever to the love of Jesus. Amen.

– St. Alphonsus Liguori

O Sweet Child Of Bethelehem | Pope John XXIII

O sweet Child of Bethlehem,
grant that we may share with all our hearts
in this profound mystery of Christmas.
Put into the hearts of men and women this peace
for which they sometimes seek so desperately
and which you alone can give to them.
Help them to know one another better,
and to live as brothers and sisters,
children of the same Father.
Reveal to them also your beauty, holiness and purity.
Awaken in their hearts
love and gratitude for your infinite goodness.
Join them all together in your love.
And give us your heavenly peace. Amen.

– Pope John XXIII

Let The Just Rejoice | St. Augustine

Let the just rejoice,
for their justifier is born.
Let the sick and infirm rejoice,
For their saviour is born.
Let the captives rejoice,
For their Redeemer is born.
Let slaves rejoice,
for their Master is born.
Let free men rejoice,
For their Liberator is born.
Let All Christians rejoice,
For Jesus Christ is born.

– St. Augustine

O Come, Redeemer Of The Earth | St. Ambrose

O Come, Redeemer of the earth, and manifest thy virgin-birth. Let every age in wonder fall: such birth befits the God of all. Begotten of no human will but of the Spirit, Thou art still the Word of God in flesh arrayed, the promised fruit to man displayed. The Virgin’s womb that burden gained, its virgin honor still unstained. The banners there of virtue glow; God in his temple dwells below. Proceeding from His chamber free that royal home of purity a giant in twofold substance one, rejoicing now His course to run. O equal to the Father, Thou! gird on Thy fleshly mantle now; the weakness of our mortal state with deathless might invigorate. Thy cradle here shall glitter bright, and darkness breathe a newer light where endless faith shall shine serene and twilight never intervene. – St. Ambrose All praise, eternal Son, to Thee, whose advent sets Thy people free, whom, with the Father, we adore, and Holy Ghost, for evermore. Amen.

– St. Ambrose

Never Abandon The Little King | St. Francis

May your soul, like a mystical bee, never abandon the little King and may everything within it be for Him. 

– St. Francis de Sales

 

 

Advent Resources: Prepare To Prepare

Are you ready for Advent? Before you know it, it will be here! This year, Advent begins on November 27 and will end Friday, December 24. 

Take the time now to prepare a plan that will help you prepare the way for the birth of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. If you’re not intentional during this time, it will quickly pass you by. Our suggestion is to choose one thing from each list below to focus on this Advent. This will keep you busy doing the activities needed to make your heart ready to welcome and receive the Baby Jesus.

Daily Prayers, Devotionals, Or Emails

Hallow #Pray25: This Advent walk alongside Mary as you explore the virtues of Hope, Faith, and Joy. Finish the Advent journey with the “O’Antiphons” and invite Jesus to come into your life this Christmas!

The Art Of Living Well Daily Advent Videos

Camp Wojtyla’s Jesse Tree Advent Series with Dr. Scott Powell 

Meaningful Ways To Celebrate With The Kids

Catholic Family Crate Advent Items

Mary On The Mantel

Brother Francis: Let’s Learn About Advent

The Shepherd on the Search

Thousands of years ago the angels visited the shepherds and brought them good news. When the shepherds heard this good news, they set off on an epic journey to search for the newborn baby Jesus. Make this timeless story come alive with YOUR very own shepherd. His journey begins anew every Christmas season and ends on Christmas day as your shepherd finds his way to the manger.

Count Down The Days With An Advent Calendar 

Advent Blocks

Advent Blocks make using an Advent calendar about more than just getting a chocolate treat while counting down the days until Santa comes. This unique family activity will help you count down the days until Jesus is born and keep the focus on the greatest story ever told! An extra bonus is that the blocks will reveal a secret message for Christmas. The Catholic-Link team had an opportunity to review this item and we were so impressed by the quality and attention to detail on these Advent Blocks. Make this a new family tradition and an heirloom that can be passed on for generations.

 

Advent Blocks 2021 from Advent Blocks on Vimeo.

Pray Using An Advent Wreath Or Jesse Tree

Peace Advent Cross | Faith, Hope, Joy – A variation on the ancient tradition of the Advent wreath, this simple but elegant Peace Advent Cross helps you and your family observe the holy season while reflecting on the Advent themes of faith, hope, peace, and joy!

O Come, Emmanuel – Jesse Tree Guide

Books To Read For Advent

Adore A Guided Advent Journal for Prayer and Meditation 

2021 ADVENT GOSPEL REFLECTIONS By Bishop Robert Barron (Free! Just pay shipping)

The Spider Who Saved Christmas

Joseph’s Donkey

In St. Joseph’s Footsteps: 30 Days of Meditations by Fr. Mark Toups

Advent Acts Of Service

Find a way to serve and share the joy of Christ this Advent! Here are a few suggestions:

• Bake cookies for neighbors who don’t have family and friends nearby.
• Donate clothes, food, and toys to those in need.
• Send Christmas cards to those in nursing homes, those who are in prison, or those serving in the military.
• Go Christmas Caroling and share the joy of Christ in your town!
• Pay for someone’s coffee or lunch when going through the drive-thru.
• Offer to babysit for a family that may not be able to regularly afford a babysitter.
• Give money to support local or worldwide missions. Check out MISSIO!
• Volunteer to help decorate and clean your church for Christmas.
• Text or call those who may be lonely or grieving this holiday season.

 

60 Seconds: Advent – Preparing to Die

5 Ways To Prepare The Way Of The Lord: An Advent Spiritual Exercise

7 Advent Resources The Whole Family Will Love

Preparing To Prepare: Everything You Need To Get Ready For Advent

Advent: What is it that I want to prepare for?

4 Ways The Old Testament Reveals The Eucharist

by Will Wright

What is Typology?

Since the time of the Apostles, the Church has shown how intimately interconnected the Old and New Testaments are in the plan of God. This unity is highlighted by typology which “discerns in God’s works of the Old Covenant prefigurations of what he accomplished in the fullness of time in the person of the incarnate Son (CCC 128).”

Typology shows us a reality in the Old which is revealed in its fullness in the New. As St. Augustine said, “The New is hidden in the Old and the Old is revealed in the New.” A very clear example of typology would be when St. Paul speaks of Jesus Christ as the “new Adam.” Jesus is not Adam but, rather, He is the fulfillment of Adam.

Jesus is also the new Abraham, Moses, and David. And Mary is the fulfillment of the Jewish role of the Queen Mother. And Peter is the new Steward of the Kingdom. But these are topics for another day.

The New Covenant, which is the central message of the New Testament, is the Most Holy Eucharist. However, we see foreshadowing and preparations or “types” of the Eucharist in the Old Testament.

Most Catholics are used to hearing about how the Eucharist is the fulfillment of the Passover sacrifice. But what are some of the other types of the Eucharist in the Old Covenant?

Fruit in the Garden of Eden

There were two trees in the Garden of Eden: the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life. The former brought death and expulsion from the Garden and the latter was eternal life naturally offered to Adam and Eve.

The Eucharist is the fulfillment of the Tree of Life. It is for us a remedy for sin and death. Jesus Christ gives us His Body and Blood as a pledge of eternal life with Him in Heaven. When Adam and Eve ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, they made themselves like God. When this happened, the new forbidden fruit was the Tree of Life.

Only through the Cross and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, offered to us as a communion in the Sacrament of Baptism is the way to the Tree of Life opened again. In a state of grace, we can worthily receive the Blessed Sacrament as union with Almighty God and the medicine of immortality. This typology is not lost on the Church Fathers who spoke of the Cross of Christ as the new Tree of Life.

The Strange Priest-King Melchizedek

After a battle, Abraham came across the priest-king of Salem, a man named Melchizedek (cf. Gn. 14). This strange figure enters and exits the biblical narrative swiftly and his presence is strange. He offers a sacrifice of bread and wine for Abraham. The Psalmist would later say you are “a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.” This Psalm speaks directly of Jesus Christ, our new and greatest High Priest.

The Priesthood of Jesus Christ is a perfection and fulfillment of the Temple priesthood of Aaron, but it more specifically a continuation of the priesthood of Melchizedek. We see this most clearly at the Last Supper when Jesus Himself institutes the Eucharist as an offering of bread and wine.

Manna in the Desert

Jesus refers to the Manna in the desert in the sixth chapter of the Gospel of John. He says,

“47 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh (Jn. 6:47-51).”

The Lord is doing a bit of typological exploration here. The Manna in the wilderness was this miraculous food left like dew on the ground each night. Each morning, the Israelites wandering in the desert would gather up the Manna and be sustained. This miraculous food appeared without fail and was sufficient. In the New Covenant, the fulfillment of Manna is the Eucharist. The Eucharist is freely given by God for our spiritual nourishment, and it is sufficient to give life. As the fulfillment of the type, it is truly more than sufficient.

The Thank Offering – The Todah

In the Old Testament, there is a particular kind of sacrifice of praise called the todah or “thank offering.” First there would be a lament and cry for help. Then, God would save the person crying for help and bring them out of their trouble. In fact, the cry for deliverance is not from death but through death. The natural response would then be praise and thanksgiving accompanied by a sacrifice of bread and wine and then a shared meal.

There are multiple parts here which should quickly and clearly point us to the Most Holy Eucharist. Eucharist literally means “thanksgiving” in Greek and follows in this same todah tradition; thanksgiving is at the center of the celebration of Eucharist.

The Passover sacrifice and todah sacrifice are in the same category of offerings of peace and praise. The todah sacrifice was offered by an individual but the Passover was really a collective todah offered by the whole community. The New Passover, and therefore the new todah, is the Eucharist.