Joseph Kenny OP: Readings 24 December

READINGS ADVENT 24 DECEMBER
מַגִּיד דְּבָרוֹ לְיַעֲקֹב — חֻקָּיו וּמִשְׁפָּטָיו לְיִשְׂרָאֵל
Even Years: Isaiah 51:17—52:2,7-10
17 הִתְעוֹרְרִי הִתְעוֹרְרִי קוּמִי יְרוּשָׁלַםִ אֲשֶׁר שָׁתִית מִיַּד יְהוָה אֶת־כּוֹס חֲמָתוֹ אֶת־קֻבַּעַת כּוֹס הַתַּרְעֵלָה שָׁתִית מָצִית׃
18 אֵין־מְנַהֵל לָהּ מִכָּל־בָּנִים יָלָדָה וְאֵין מַחֲזִיק בְּיָדָהּ מִכָּל־בָּנִים גִּדֵּלָה׃
19 שְׁתַּיִם הֵנָּה קֹרְאֹתַיִךְ מִי יָנוּד לָךְ הַשֹּׁד וְהַשֶּׁבֶר וְהָרָעָב וְהַחֶרֶב מִי אֲנַחֲמֵךְ׃
20 בָּנַיִךְ עֻלְּפוּ שָׁכְבוּ בְּרֹאשׁ כָּל־חוּצוֹת כְּתוֹא מִכְמָר הַמְלֵאִים חֲמַת־יְהוָה גַּעֲרַת אֱלֹהָיִךְ׃
21 לָכֵן שִׁמְעִי־נָא זֹאת עֲנִיָּה וּשְׁכֻרַת וְלֹא מִיָּיִן׃ ס
22 כֹּה־אָמַר אֲדֹנַיִךְ יְהוָה וֵאלֹהַיִךְ יָרִיב עַמּוֹ הִנֵּה לָקַחְתִּי מִיָּדֵךְ אֶת־כּוֹס הַתַּרְעֵלָה אֶת־קֻבַּעַת כּוֹס חֲמָתִי לֹא־תוֹסִיפִי לִשְׁתּוֹתָהּ עוֹד׃
23 וְשַׂמְתִּיהָ בְּיַד־מוֹגַיִךְ אֲשֶׁר־אָמְרוּ לְנַפְשֵׁךְ שְׁחִי וְנַעֲבֹרָה וַתָּשִׂימִי כָאָרֶץ גֵּוֵךְ וְכַחוּץ לַעֹבְרִים׃ ס
52: 1 עוּרִי עוּרִי לִבְשִׁי עֻזֵּךְ צִיּוֹן לִבְשִׁי בִּגְדֵי תִפְאַרְתֵּךְ יְרוּשָׁלַםִ עִיר הַקֹּדֶשׁ כִּי לֹא יוֹסִיף יָבֹא־בָךְ עוֹד עָרֵל וְטָמֵא׃
2 הִתְנַעֲרִי מֵעָפָר קוּמִי שְּׁבִי יְרוּשָׁלִָם הִתְפַּתְּחוּ מוֹסְרֵי צַוָּארֵךְ שְׁבִיָּה בַּת־צִיּוֹן׃ ס...
7 מַה־נָּאווּ עַל־הֶהָרִים רַגְלֵי מְבַשֵּׂר מַשְׁמִיעַ שָׁלוֹם מְבַשֵּׂר טוֹב מַשְׁמִיעַ יְשׁוּעָה אֹמֵר לְצִיּוֹן מָלַךְ אֱלֹהָיִךְ׃
8 קוֹל צֹפַיִךְ נָשְׂאוּ קוֹל יַחְדָּו יְרַנֵּנוּ כִּי עַיִן בְּעַיִן יִרְאוּ בְּשׁוּב יְהוָה צִיּוֹן׃
9 פִּצְחוּ רַנְּנוּ יַחְדָּו חָרְבוֹת יְרוּשָׁלִָם כִּי־נִחַם יְהוָה עַמּוֹ גָּאַל יְרוּשָׁלִָם׃
10 חָשַׂף יְהוָה אֶת־זְרוֹעַ קָדְשׁוֹ לְעֵינֵי כָּל־הַגּוֹיִם וְרָאוּ כָּל־אַפְסֵי־אָרֶץ אֵת יְשׁוּעַת אֱלֹהֵינוּ׃
Odd Years: Isaiah 44:1-8,21-23
1 וְעַתָּה שְׁמַע יַעֲקֹב עַבְדִּי וְיִשְׂרָאֵל בָּחַרְתִּי בוֹ׃
2 כֹּה־אָמַר יְהוָה עֹשֶׂךָ וְיֹצֶרְךָ מִבֶּטֶן יַעְזְרֶךָּ אַל־תִּירָא עַבְדִּי יַעֲקֹב וִישֻׁרוּן בָּחַרְתִּי בוֹ׃
3 כִּי אֶצָּק־מַיִם עַל־צָמֵא וְנֹזְלִים עַל־יַבָּשָׁה אֶצֹּק רוּחִי עַל־זַרְעֶךָ וּבִרְכָתִי עַל־צֶאֱצָאֶיךָ׃
4 וְצָמְחוּ בְּבֵין חָצִיר כַּעֲרָבִים עַל־יִבְלֵי־מָיִם׃
5 זֶה יֹאמַר לַיהוָה אָנִי וְזֶה יִקְרָא בְשֵׁם־יַעֲקֹב וְזֶה יִכְתֹּב יָדוֹ לַיהוָה וּבְשֵׁם יִשְׂרָאֵל יְכַנֶּה׃ פ
6 כֹּה־אָמַר יְהוָה מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגֹאֲלוֹ יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת אֲנִי רִאשׁוֹן וַאֲנִי אַחֲרוֹן וּמִבַּלְעָדַי אֵין אֱלֹהִים׃
7 וּמִי־כָמוֹנִי יִקְרָא וְיַגִּידֶהָ וְיַעְרְכֶהָ לִי מִשּׂוּמִי עַם־עוֹלָם וְאֹתִיּוֹת וַאֲשֶׁר תָּבֹאנָה יַגִּידוּ לָמוֹ׃
8 אַל־תִּפְחֲדוּ וְאַל־תִּרְהוּ הֲלֹא מֵאָז הִשְׁמַעְתִּיךָ וְהִגַּדְתִּי וְאַתֶּם עֵדָי הֲיֵשׁ אֱלוֹהַּ מִבַּלְעָדַי וְאֵין צוּר בַּל־יָדָעְתִּי׃...
21 זְכָר־אֵלֶּה יַעֲקֹב וְיִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי עַבְדִּי־אָתָּה יְצַרְתִּיךָ עֶבֶד־לִי אַתָּה יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא תִנָּשֵׁנִי׃
22 מָחִיתִי כָעָב פְּשָׁעֶיךָ וְכֶעָנָן חַטֹּאותֶיךָ שׁוּבָה אֵלַי כִּי גְאַלְתִּיךָ׃
23 רָנּוּ שָׁמַיִם כִּי־עָשָׂה יְהוָה הָרִיעוּ תַּחְתִּיּוֹת אָרֶץ פִּצְחוּ הָרִים רִנָּה יַעַר וְכָל־עֵץ בּוֹ כִּי־גָאַל יְהוָה יַעֲקֹב וּבְיִשְׂרָאֵל יִתְפָּאָר׃

Even Years: St. Augustine, Sermon 185
Expergiscere, homo: pro te Deus factus est homo. Surge, qui dormis, et exsurge a mortuis, et illuminabit te Christus. Pro te, inquam, Deus factus est homo. Wake up, O man—it was for you that God was made man! Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light. For you, I say, was God made man.
In aeternum mortuus esses, nisi in tempore natus esset. Numquam liberareris a carne peccati, nisi suscepisset similitudinem carnis peccati. Perpetua te possideret miseria, nisi fieret haec misericordia. Non revixisses, nisi tuae morti convenisset. Defecisses, nisi subvenisset. Perisses, nisi venisset. Eternal death would have awaited you had he not been born in time. Never would you be freed from your sinful flesh, had he not taken to himself the likeness of sinful flesh. Everlasting would be your misery, had he not performed this act of mercy. You would not have come to life again, had he not come to die your death. You would have broken down, had he not come to help you. You would have perished, had he not come.
Celebremus laeti nostrae salutis et redemptionis adventum. Celebremus festum diem, quo magnus et aeternus dies ex magno et aeterno die venit in hunc nostrum tam brevem temporalem diem. Let us joyfully celebrate the coming of our salvation and redemption. Let us celebrate the hallowed day on which the great eternal day came from the great eternal day into this, our so short and temporal day.
Hic est nobis factus iustitia, et sanctificatio, et redemptio: ut, quemadmodum scriptum est: Qui gloriatur in Domino glorietur. He has become our justice, and our sanctification, and our redemption. And so, as Scripture says: Let him who glories, glory in the Lord.
Veritas ergo de terra orta est: Christus qui dixit: Ego sum veritas, de Virgine natus est. Et iustitia de caelo prospexit: quoniam credens in eum qui natus est, non homo a se ipso, sed a Deo iustificatus est. Truth, then, is sprung out of the earth: Christ who said, I am the truth, is born of a virgin. And justice looked down from heaven: man, believing in him who has been born, has been justified not by himself, but by God.
Veritas de terra orta est: quia Verbum caro factum est. Et iustitia de caelo prospexit: quia omne datum optimum et omne donum perfectum desursum est. Truth is sprung out of the earth, for the Word was made flesh. And justice looked down from heaven, for every best gift, and every perfect gift, is from above.
Veritas de terra orta est, caro de Maria. Et iustitia de caelo prospexit: quia non potest homo accipere quidquam, nisi fuerit ei datum de caelo. Truth is sprung out of the earth—flesh born of Mary. And justice looked down from heaven, for a man cannot receive anything, unless it be given him from heaven.
Iustificati ex fide, pacem habeamus ad Deum: quia iustitia et pax osculatae sunt invicem. Per Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum: quia Veritas de tera orta est. Per quem et accessum habemus in gratiam istam, in qua stamus, et gloriamur in spe gloriae Dei. Non ait: "gloriae nostrae;" sed, gloriae Dei: quia iustitia non de nobis processit, sed de caelo prospexit. Ergo qui gloriatur, non in se, sed in Domino glorietur. Hinc enim et nato ex Virgine Domino praeconium vocis angelicae facum est: Gloria in excelsis Deo, et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis. Being justified by faith, let us have peace with God, for justice and peace have kissed each other, through our Lord Jesus Christ, for Truth is sprung out of the earth. Through him we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, and we glory in our hope of sharing the glory of God. Saint Paul does not say, our glory, but the glory of God; because justice does not proceed from us, but has looked down from heaven. Let him who glories then, glory, not in himself, but in the Lord. Because of this, when the Lord was born of the Virgin, the angels announced, Glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace to men of good will.
In terra enim pax unde, nisi quia Veritas de terra orta est, id est, Christus de carne natus est? Et ipse est pax nostra qui fecit utraque unum: ut essemus homines bonae voluntatis, suaviter conexi vinculo unitatis. Whence is peace on earth, if not from the fact that Truth is sprung out of the earth, that is, Christ is born of flesh? And he is our peace, who has made both one, that we might be men of good will, bound together by the sweet bonds of unity.
In hac igitur gratia gaudeamus, ut sit gloria nostra testimonium conscientiae nostrae: ubi non in nobis, sed in Domino gloriemur. Hinc enim dictum est, Gloria mea, et exaltans caput meum. Nam quae maior gratia Dei nobis potuit illucescere, quam ut, habens unigenitum Filium, faceret eum hominis Filium, atque ita vicissim hominis filium faceret Dei filium? Let us, then, rejoice in this grace, that our glory may be the testimony of our conscience, and we may glory, not in ourselves, but in the Lord. Obviously, it was because of this that it was said, my glory, who lifts up my head. For what greater grace could have dawned upon us from God, than that he, who had only one Son, made him the son of man, and so in turn made the son of man a son of God.
Quaere meritum, quaere causam, quaere iustitiam; et vide utrum invenias nisi gratiam. Ask yourself whether this involved any merit, any motivation, any right on your part; and see whether you find anything but grace!

Odd Years: Cyril of Alexandria, On Isaiah, Lib 3:4 (PG 70, 802-803)
Λελυτρῶσθαι λέγων τὸν Ἰσραὴλ, ἀπηλλάχθαι δὲ καὶ τῶν ἰδίων πταισμάτων τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ παρακληθῆναί τε προστεταχὼς αὐτὴν, μονονουχὶ κατὰ πόδας τῶν εἰρημένων ἰόντα τε, καὶ τρέχοντα τὸν τῆς παρακλήσεως ὑποφαίνει καιρόν· ἔστι δὲ οὗτος τῆς τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἐπιδημίας, οὗ καὶ πρόδρομος εἰσβέβηκεν ὁ θεσπέσιος Βαπτιστὴς ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ τῆς Ἰουδαίας, διακεκραγώς τε καὶ λέγων· Ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδὸν Κυρίου· εὐθείας ποιεῖτε τὰς τρίβους τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν.
Τοῦτό τοι προεγνωκὼς ἐν πνεύματι, καὶ ὁ μακάριος Ζαχαρίας ὁ αὐτοῦ γεγονὼς Ἰωάννου πατὴρ προεφήτευσε, λέγων· Καὶ σὺ, παιδίον, προφήτης Ὑψίστου κληθήσῃ· προπορεύσῃ γὰρ πρὸ προσώπου Κυρίου ἑτοιμάσαι τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτοῦ. Καὶ περὶ αὐτοῦ πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἔφασκεν ὁ Σωτήρ· Ἐκεῖνος ἦν ὁ λύχνος ὁ καιόμενος καὶ φαίνων. Ὑμεῖς δὲ ἠθελήσατε ἀγαλλιασθῆναι πρὸς ὥραν ἐν τῷ φωτὶ αὐτοῦ. Ἥλιος μὲν γὰρ δικαιοσύνης, καὶ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινόν ἐστιν ὁ Χριστός.
Λύχνῳ δὲ παρεικάζει τὸ Γράμμα τὸ ἱερὸν, τὸν μακάριον Βαπτιστήν. Ὡς γὰρ πρὸς τὸ θεῖόν τε καὶ ἄῤῥητον φῶς, πρὸς τὴν ἄφραστόν τε καὶ ὑπερμεγέθη λαμπρότητα, παρεικάζοιτο ἂν εἰκὸς τῷ λύχνῳ τῷ βραχεῖ τὸ τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης διανοίας μέτρον, καὶ εἰ πλῆρες γένοιτο φωτὸς καὶ σοφίας. Τί τοίνυν ἐστὶ τὸ, Ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὀδὸν Κυρίου, καὶ τό γε δὴ δεῖν εὐθείας ποιεῖσθαι τὰς τρίβους αὐτοῦ; Σαφηνίζει προστιθείς· Πᾶσα φάραγξ πληρωθήσεται, καὶ πᾶν ὄρος καὶ βουνὸς ταπεινωθήσεται, καὶ ἔσται πάντα τὰ σκολιὰ εἰς εὐθεῖαν, καὶ ἡ τραχεῖα εἰς πεδιάδα.
Εἰσὶ μὲν γὰρ λεωφόροι τινὲς, ἤτοι τρίβοι βάσιμοι μὲν ἥκιστά γε, τραχεῖαι δὲ αὗται καὶ δυσπόρευτοι, ὡς πῆ μὲν ἀνίστασθαι πρὸς ὄρη τε καὶ βουνοὺς, πῆ δὲ αὐτὰς καταφέρεσθαι, καὶ εἰς κρημνοὺς ἀποκρεμᾶσθαι βαθεῖς. Εἰ δὲ δὴ γένοιτό πως ὑφιζῆσαι μὲν τὰ ὑψοῦ καὶ ἀνάντη, ἀναπίμπλασθαι δὲ τὰ ἐν κοίλῳ καὶ βάθει, τότε δὴ, τότε πάντη τε καὶ πάντως εἰς εὐθεῖαν ἔσται τὰ σκολιὰ, καὶ εἰς ψιλὰ πεδία, καὶ οἶον ὕπτιον ἔχοντα τὴν ὁδὸν τὰ τραχέα τε, καὶ φαραγγώδη. Πότε τοῦτο; τοῦτο γέγονε νοητῶς διὰ τῆς τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἰσχύος. Πάλαι μὲν γὰρ ἅπασιν, ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν, ἀνθρώποις δυσπόρευτος ἦν ἡ ἐξαίρετος ζωὴ, καὶ τῆς εὐαγγελικῆς πολιτείας ἡ τρίβος ἀνεπιτήδευτος, διάτοι τὸ κεκρατῆσθαι τὸν τῶν ἁπάντων νοῦν κοσμικαῖς καὶ γεώδεσιν ἐπιθυμίαις, καὶ τοῖς τῆς σαρκὸς ἐκτόποις κινήμασιν ὑποφέρεσθαι. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ γεγονὼς ἄνθρωπος, ἤτοι σὰρξ, κατὰ τὰς Γραφὰς, κατήργηκε τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ, καθεῖλε δὲ καὶ ἀρχὰς καὶ ἐξουσίας, καὶ τοὺς κοσμοκράτορας τοῦ κόσμου τούτου, λείαν ἡμῖν καὶ εὐδρομωτάτην ἀπέφηνε τὴν εἰς εὐσέβειαν ὁδὸν οὐδὲν ἔχουσαν τὸ ἄναντες, ἢ καὶ ἠρμένον ὑψοῦ, οὐδὲν τὸ κοῖλον τὸ κάτω, ἀλλ' εἰς πεδία μᾶλλον ἐψιλωμένην.
Πάντα τὰ σκολιὰ γεγόνασιν εἰς εὐθεῖαν. Καὶ οὐχὶ τοῦτο μόνον, ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ ὀφθήσεται, φησὶν, ἡ δόξα Κυρίου, καὶ ὄψεται πᾶσα σὰρξ τὸ σωτήριον τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὅτι Κύριος ἐλάλησε. Δόξαν δὲ φησὶν ὀφθήσεσθαι, πῶς ἢ τίνα τρόπον; Ἦν μὲν γὰρ, καὶ ἔστιν ὁ μονογενὴς τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος, ἅτε δὴ καὶ Θεὸς ὑπάρχων, καὶ ἐκ Θεοῦ Πατρὸς ἀποῤῥήτως γεγεννημένος ἐν ταῖς τῆς θεότητος ὑπεροχαῖς ὑπεράνω πάσης ἀρχῆς καὶ ἐξουσίας, θρόνων τε, καὶ κυριοτήτων καὶ παντὸς ὀνόματος ὀνομαζομένου, οὐ μόνον ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι· καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ τῆς δόξης Κύριος, ἐγνώκαμεν δὲ καὶ ἡμεῖς τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, καίτοι πάλαι μὴ εἰδότες, ὅτε καθ' ἡμᾶς γενόμενος ἄνθρωπος οἰκονομικῶς ἔδειξεν ἑαυτὸν, ἰσοσθενῆ, καὶ ἰσουργὸν, καὶ ἰσοκλεᾶ τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατρὶ, φέρων τὰ πάντα τῷ ῥήματι τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ, καὶ κατορθῶν εὐκόλως τὰς θεοσημίας, ἐπιτιμῶν τῇ κτίσει, νεκροὺς ἀνιστὰς, καὶ τὰ ἕτερα δὲ τῶν θαυμάτων ἀμογητὶ κατορθῶν.
Ὤφθη τοίνυν ἡ δόξα Κυρίου· τεθέαται δὲ καὶ πᾶσα σὰρξ τὸ σωτήριον τοῦ Θεοῦ, δῆλον δὲ ὅτι τοῦ Πατρός.

ON SUNDAY 4: GOSPELS FOR THE THREE CYCLES
*A* , *B* , *C*
Te Deum - if Sunday [English]

Prayer