Divine Intimacy

FATHER GABRIEL OF ST. MARY MAGDALEN, O.C.D.

DIVINE INTIMACY

Volume I

First Sunday of Advent through

the Eighth Week of Ordinary Time

IGNATIUS PRESS    SAN FRANCISCO

This enlarged and revised edition was

previously published by Dimension Books, Inc.

Translated from the Sixteenth Italian Edition

Carmelite Monastery of Pittsford, N.Y.

With ecclesiastical approval

© Carmelite Monastery, Pittsford, N.Y. 14534

All rights reserved

Reprinted with permission of Dimension Books, 1987

ISBN 978-0-89870-142-5 (PB)

ISBN 978-1-68149-136-3 (EB)

Library of Congress catalogue number 86-83132

Printed in the United States of America

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ADVENT SEASON

Meditation

1. FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT

     year A

     year B

     year C

2. Called to be Saints

3. Sanctified in Christ Jesus

4. Holiness Through Charity

5. The House on the Rock

6. Living in God’s Will

7. Messengers of Salvation

8. SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT

     year A

     year B

     year C

9. THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION (December 8)

10. This is the Way

11. The Gift of God

12. Come to Me

13. In Search of God

14. Life with God

15. THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT

     year A

     year B

     year C

16. The Desert

17. Salvation Promised to the Poor

18. Seeking God in Faith

19. Seeking God in Love

20. A Burning and Shining Light

21. Seeking God in Creatures

22. FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

     year A

     year B

     year C

23. O Root of Jesse

24. The Virgin of the Incarnation

25. O Radiant Dawn

26. The Great Mystery

27. The Word Was Made Flesh

28. God is With Us

CHRISTMAS SEASON

29. THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD (Dec. 25)

30. FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY

31. Believing in Love (Dec. 26)

32. Returning Love for Love (Dec. 27)

33. Glory to God (Dec. 28)

34. Peace to Men (Dec. 29)

35. Sign of Contradiction

36. Toward Eternity (Dec. 31)

37. SOLEMNITY OF THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD

38. SECOND SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS

39. The Name of Jesus (Jan. 2)

40. Our Only Mediator (Jan. 3)

41. The Firstborn of All Creatures (Jan. 4)

42. Jesus the Universal King (Jan. 5)

43. EPIPHANY OF THE LORD (Jan. 6)

44. Missionary Church

45. The Kingdom

46. Growth of the Kingdom

47. The Basic Unit of the Kingdom

48. Workers of the Kingdom

49. His Kingdom Will Have no End

50. BAPTISM OF THE LORD, SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY

ORDINARY TIME

51. Jesus the True Vine

52. The Mystical Body of Christ

53. I Am the Life

54. The Influence of Jesus

55. Jesus and the Holy Spirit

56. Living in Christ

57. SECOND SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME

     year A

     year B

     year C

58. I Am the Truth

59. The Doctrine of Jesus

60. Jesus Reveals His Father

61. Be Perfect

62. What Jesus’ Teaching Exacts

63. The Interior Teacher

64. THIRD SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME

     year A

     year B

     year C

65. I Am the Way

66. I Am in the Father

67. The Prayer of Jesus

68. The Will of the Father

69. The Words of the Father

70. For the Glory of the Father

71. FOURTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME

     year A

     year B

     year C

72. Jesus and Mankind

73. Living Christ

74. Christ Our All

75. The Church

76. The Ministerial Priesthood

77. The Sacraments

78. FIFTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME

     year A

     year B

     year C

79. Sacramental Life

80. Baptism

81. Confirmation

82. The People of God

83. The Priesthood of the Faithful

84. The Eucharist

85. SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

     year A

     year B

     year C

86. The Eucharistic Sacrifice

87. Penance

88. The Ecclesial Value of Penance

89. Penance as a Virtue

90. The Anointing of the Sick

91. Our Blessed Hope

92. SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

     year A

     year B

     year C

93. Prophetic Function of the Faithful

94. Kingly Function

95. God Calls

96. Divine Gift

97. Purification

98. All for the All

99. EIGHTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME

     year A

     year B

     year C

100. Evangelical Poverty

101. The Spirit of Poverty

102. Voluntary Poverty

103. Chastity a Baptismal Requirement

104. The Vow of Chastity

105. Chastity and Vigilance

106. PRESENTATION OF OUR LORD (Feb. 2)

INDEXES

NOTES

FOREWORD

"Divine Intimacy" is a well known name throughout the world today, which would need no introduction now were it not for the revision of it that has been made in the light of Vatican II.

In actual fact, this present book is not new, and yet at the same time it is new.

Its author, Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, O.C.D. (1893—1953) was a teacher who excelled in the ways of God, joining an enviable experience with souls to a vast and profound knowledge of spiritual theology. He had had such a book under consideration for a long time, when, after weighing favorable and contrary opinions, he finally decided to sketch out a plan, convinced that through this projected work he would be able to reach a greater number of the faithful than through the treatise on ascetical-mystical theology upon which he had already been working for many years, which in its turn had been insistently asked for by many. What carried most weight for him was that it seemed, of the two, that Divine Intimacy would do more good by guiding innumerable souls to that loving colloquy with God, that dialogue in spirit and in truth, which, according to St. Teresa of Avila, is the gate through which all good things enter; it would be for the sanctification of the members of the Mystical Body of Christ, who are called to the spiritual banquet through prayer, in order to draw from it the theological charity which would radiate out from them to their brothers.

Once convinced of this, he sought to find time for the new enterprise in spite of every minute being consumed by the duties in which he was already engaged: teaching, editing the Rivista di vita spirituale, collaborating professionally in various publications and dictionaries, preaching spiritual exercises and giving retreats, in addition to his priestly ministry. After he had studied the project and drawn up a carefully detailed plan, he sought the collaboration of the Carmel of S. Giuseppe in Rome which was especially dear to him. By the beginning of November, 1952 he was able to offer the public the first modest volume. Its simple, unpretentious appearance would scarcely lead one to imagine the burning outburst of grace that it would promote as one magnificent edition after another appeared, first in Italian, soon followed by versions in French, Spanish, German, English, Flemish, Polish, Portuguese, Japanese and Croatian. The author himself, though endowed with a rich vein of natural and supernatural optimism, would never have dreamed of the extraordinary success that Divine Intimacy was destined to have.

Six modest volumes followed one another regularly despite the death of Fr. Gabriel, March 15, 1953. It seemed at first that this would put a stop to the work, but the valuable assistance he had sought from S. Giuseppe Carmel proved providential, and the work continued unabated. The numerous writings of Fr. Gabriel, preserved in the Teresian Carmel on the Via Ancillotto (now moved to Via della Nocetta) were an abundant source of material for planning the entire work, which was soon completed, following the author’s guidelines and thought.

*  *  *

He had desired a gradual and meditative exposition of all the great truths of the spiritual life, one that would be grafted upon and incorporated into the liturgical year and its fundamental themes, so that the faithful might be united to the mystery of Christ and the Church. For this reason topics of spiritual theology were to be proposed and presented in the light of the various liturgical seasons, so that the truths which the liturgy set forth would stand out clearly through prayer. Fr. Gabriel had meditated long upon the Mediator of Pius XII, and was enthusiastic about it. For him the liturgy was not a collection of rubrics, but an encounter with God in the Church and with the Church, and he held that, as much as possible, personal prayer should be grafted onto the public prayer of the Mystical Body, by taking its tone and finding its starting point in the great stages of salvation history as presented by the liturgical year. The finished work corresponded to the ideal he had dreamed of, and many book-reviews, especially in German speaking countries, emphasized the liturgical value of Divine Intimacy, while, at the same time, pointed out that its liturgical spirit was directed toward promoting a personal contact with God. In its turn, the sure spiritual doctrine it contains inspires us to understand and live the treasures of the liturgy in a new manner.

With the flourishing of studies and fuller appreciation of liturgical life, all that Fr. Gabriel had planned could not but seem providential. Testimony to this, pouring in from all sides and from the most diverse parts of the world, bore witness to the author’s wisdom, and manifested the deep gratitude of the many who considered themselves indebted to him for the richness of the spiritual teaching to be found in his work.

*  *  *

Fr. Gabriel had been occupied for many years with theology, and during his last ten years, especially with spiritual theology. For the most part he followed the teaching of St. Teresa of Jesus and St. John of the Cross, whose doctrine he made come alive through the clarity and directness of his explanations, which were made still more effective by his great experience in dealing with souls. For this reason, even when texts or expressions are not directly quoted, one soon discovers a constant echo of the words of these Doctors of Carmel, which had already long been the substance of his doctrine. This can be observed all through Divine Intimacy, where the teaching of St. Teresa and of St. John of the Cross, together with that of other masters of the Teresian Carmel, abounds, not only in numerous explicit citations from their writings, but also in the very flow of expression. This accounts for the effortless ease with which the liturgical text, enriched by facts of spiritual theology, is offered throughout the book, creating an harmonious and beneficial continuity between the liturgy and piety.

*  *  *

This work has been revised and retouched many times, always keeping the spirit and way of thinking of the author in the forefront; he was ever a faithful son of the Church whom he loved with a true passion. For him feeling with the Church was the norm of life, and it is well known how and to what an extent he nurtured this feeling by an assiduous and careful reading of the documents which were promulgated by the hierarchy and especially by the Holy Father. How often, day after day, he could be seen in the choir in prayer, deep in meditation upon the great encyclicals or discourses of Pius XII! He would read carefully, then close the booklet and remain in peaceful, prolonged meditation. From the very outset, the pages of Divine Intimacy clearly bore the imprint of this pontifical teaching which he held to be a means of communion with the Church and an irreplaceable instrument of a sure theological updating.

For all these reasons we feel that this work, just as it is presented, in its spirit as well as in the changes required by the teaching of Vatican Council II and by the liturgical reform which followed it, can and must still be called the work of Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen. The revision of the book fully corresponds with his spirit of fidelity to the Church, to which we have referred; it was a fidelity which made him at one and the same time a meditative reader and an outstanding executor of the pontifical documents. It will be easy for anyone who knew him to imagine the ready smile and the happy gleam in his eyes with which he would have welcomed having in his hand the statutes and decrees of Vatican II; how he would have meditated upon them, studied them, and made them a part of himself, zealously propounding their wealth to all the souls with whom he came in contact. He would have adhered with similar enthusiasm to the Church’s directives for a deeper knowledge and assimilation of Sacred Scripture as the basis of the spiritual formation of the faithful, and he would have wanted the meditations of Divine Intimacy to be inspired as much as possible by scriptural texts. All this is what this new edition has tried to do, in which the spirit, the thought, and the teaching of the author have been respected to the fullest degree. It is true that the work has been redrafted, but its prospectus and its general attitude remain unchanged, as also its themes and the explanatory thought of the individual meditations, although perhaps under different headings more in line with today’s mentality.

It should also be noted that the new edition was made by the same faithful collaborators as before. The Discalced Carmelites of the Monastery of San Giuseppe, Rome, who had helped Fr. Gabriel in producing Divine Intimacy from the first pages of the modest little book that appeared toward the end of 1952, took upon themselves the burdensome task of revising, updating and drawing up the new text. This long and conscientious labor was performed in a spirit of utmost fidelity to him who they call the Father, and who had transmitted to them the richness of his spirit along with his writings. Any one who knew Fr. Gabriel, or had the good fortune to be one of his disciples, or is acquainted with his teaching, can certify that the new pages, still in the freshness of the springtime of grace stirred up by Vatican II and by the renewed impulse given to a more vital return to Sacred Scripture and to liturgical reform, bear the mark and the unmistakable imprint of the great teacher. It is an achievement which redounds to the credit of Fr. Gabriel, and at the same time deserves the gratitude of all toward the hidden hardworking artisans who are responsible for the new edition, and have sought to disappear in order that he might speak.

Divine Intimacy has done an immense amount of good. It has spread quietly throughout the world, bringing everywhere in the name of the spirituality of the Teresian Carmel, a desire and renewed resolution for communion and dialogue with God, which is for the good of the entire Church. This new edition will undoubtedly continue in the same line. By inspiring the faithful to converse with God, it will make them more generous and more available in serving the Church and their brothers.

Fr. Valentino di S. Maria, O.C.D.

Rome, August 15, 1971    

A WORD OF THANKSGIVING

As this new English edition of Divine Intimacy goes to press we feel it a duty to express our gratitude to the many friends throughout the world who, by making known their interest in having a new edition, have played a real part in its publication.

We owe particular gratitude to Mr. J. Gregory Doyle who first suggested the project and who has assisted and encouraged us on every step of the way; to Gerard de Blasi whose invaluable cooperation with the translation from beginning to end has made our work much easier; in a special way to Fr. Gabriel Gates, O.C.D. who patiently reviewed the entire manuscript; and also to the ICS Publications in Washington, D.C. who gave permission to use excerpts from The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila, Volumes I and II 1976, 1980

The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross, 1964 both translated by Kieran Kavanaugh, O.C.D. and Otilio Rodriguez, O.C.D.

The Story of a Soul, 1975, 1976

St. Therese of Lisieux: Her Last Conversations, 1977 both translated by John Clarke, O.C.D.

and last, but by no means least, a word of appreciation to Tom Coffey of Dimension Books, Inc. for his sustained help and guidance.

Monastery of Our Lady and St. Joseph of the

Discalced Carmelites in Pittsford, N.Y.

November 14, 1982

NOTICE

1. On the Sundays and Solemnities for which there is a triennial cycle of readings, three meditations are offered, respectively, for Year A, Year B, and Year C. In 1983 the meditations for Year C are used, and for the succeeding years according to the following table:

Year A    1984    1987    1990    1993    etc.

Year B    1985    1988    1991    1994    etc.

Year C    1986    1989    1992    1995    etc.

For Sundays and Feasts on which the first two readings or the Gospel are the same for the three years (e.g. Feast of the Holy Family, Palm Sunday, etc.) only one meditation is given.

2. During Lent and the weeks of Eastertime, the daily meditations are in harmony with the Liturgy; as also—although a little less strictly—during Advent and for the time between Ascension and Pentecost.

3. The colloquies—the prayers or elevations which follow each meditation—are almost exclusively taken from these sources: Holy Scripture, the Liturgy, the writings of the Saints or worthwhile spiritual writers. Although these texts are quoted with a certain freedom in order to make them more adapted to prayer, and not infrequently the explanatory form of the original has been changed into more direct colloquy, they have been kept as close as possible to the thought and letter of the author. When an accommodation has been necessary, it is indicated by the sign cf.

PREFACE¹

Mental prayer is indispensable to the spiritual life; normally it is, so to speak, its very breath. However, this spontaneity in prayer is usually realized only if the soul applies itself to meditation for some time by its own personal effort. In other words, one must learn how to pray. It is to teach souls this devout practice that various methods of meditation have arisen.

There are many methods, each with its own merit; among them is the Teresian method, so called because it is based on the teachings of St. Teresa of Jesus, the Foundress of the Discalced Carmelites and the great mistress of the spiritual life.²

The idea of mental prayer which St. Teresa has left us is well known today. In her Life she defines it as an intimate sharing between friends . . . . taking time frequently to be alone with him who we know loves us (Life 8).

In these words St. Teresa reveals the affective spirit of mental prayer which is its special characteristic. It is a friendly sharing and exchange of mutual benevolence between the soul and God, during which the soul converses intimately with God—intimacy, as we know, is the fruit of love—and the soul speaks with him whose love she knows. Each element of the definition contains the idea of love, but at the end the Saint mentions that the soul ought also to know and be conscious of God’s love for her: this is the part which the intellect plays in prayer.

Therefore, according to St. Teresa, there is an exercise of both the intellect and the will in mental prayer: the intellect seeks to convince the soul that God loves her and wishes to be loved by her; the will, responding to the divine invitation, loves. That is all. There could be no clearer concept of prayer.

But how translate it into practice? This is the task of the method.

*  *  *

In order to understand the structure of the Teresian method clearly, we must keep in mind the definition of prayer given above; then we shall easily see that it is fully realized by such a method, that it truly means conversing lovingly with our Lord, once we understand that he loves us.

We cannot speak to God intimately unless we are in contact with him. For this reason, we make use of preparation, which consists in placing ourselves more directly in the presence of God, turning to him by means of a good thought.

In order to convince ourselves that God loves us, we choose for the subject of meditation one of the truths of faith which can make his love evident: this is the purpose of the reading of an appropriate passage.

However, it does not suffice merely to read the matter, we must examine it thoroughly, and there is no better way of doing this than by reflecting upon it—by meditating.

All revealed truth can manifest God’s love for me, but today I try to understand it by reflecting on the theme I have chosen in my reading. I make use of the good thoughts contained in the subject of the meditation to actually convince myself of his love, so that love for him will come spontaneously into my heart, and words perhaps, to my lips.

Thus my colloquy with God begins; I tell Him in every way possible (using the words which come to me most spontaneously) that I love him, that I want to love him, that I want to advance in his holy love, and that I wish to prove my love for him by my actions, by doing his holy will.

And now we are at the center, the heart of prayer.

For many souls, nothing more is needed.

Some, however, prefer greater variety; therefore to facilitate the prolonging of our loving conversation with God, the three final steps of the method are offered. These, however, are optional.

Thanksgiving: After having told Our Lord again that we love him, we thank him for all the benefits we have received from him and show him we are grateful.

Offering: Aware of having received so many favors, we try to repay our debt as far as we can by making some good resolution. It is always useful to end our prayer in this way.

Petition: The consciousness of our weakness and frailty urges us to implore the help of God.

This is the whole Teresian method, divided into seven steps:

Two introductory: the preparation (presence of God) and reading.

Two essential: the meditation and the colloquy.

Three optional, to help in prolonging the colloquy: the thanksgiving, the offering, and the petition.

The meditations in this book are based on this method.

We begin with the presence of God, rather, with an appropriate thought which brings us into contact with God and orientates us toward him.

The reading provides the subject for the meditation. And as many spiritual persons apply themselves to meditation twice a day, each meditation offers two points.

The soul then begins to reflect, using freely the text already read.

In this way it will pass spontaneously to the colloquy which, according to the Teresian concept, is the heart, the center of prayer.

That is why our meditations are directed toward helping souls especially on this point. To this end we have tried to give the colloquies a form that is sufficiently ample; nevertheless, they may be used freely as desired, each soul choosing whatever corresponds to the need of the moment. To make the colloquies more efficacious, we have selected suitable ardent expressions and thoughts taken by preference from the writings of the saints and other loving souls. Very often we have been obliged to make slight modifications in these texts, in order to adapt them to the intimate form of a colloquy. However we always indicate their source.

The colloquies consist of expressions of love, alternating with petitions, acts of thanksgiving, and transports of the soul toward God; these are made concrete in resolutions.

We hope that these meditations, written in this way, will help souls to apply themselves efficaciously to mental prayer according to the Teresian idea and method.

*  *  *

Teresian spirituality is the spirituality of divine intimacy, that is, it tries to nourish in souls the ideal of intimacy with God and it directs them toward this ideal, principally by means of mental prayer. Mental prayer should be attuned, therefore, to this great and lofty aspiration.

This is the tone we have tried to give our meditations, and the title, Divine Intimacy, indicates our intention to help souls as far as possible to attain this great end.

In addition, Teresian spirituality is also doctrinal. St. Teresa of Jesus, the great mistress of the spiritual life, always desired—and endeavored to put her desire into practice—that the ascetical and mystical life of those who were dear to her be based on solid doctrine, for the Saint greatly loved theology. That is why we have desired to build these meditations upon a sound theological basis. We have attempted to arrange them in such a way that, in the course of one year, the most important problems of the spiritual life and all the supernatural realities met with in the interior life will have been reviewed.

May the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of love, who deigns to dwell in our souls in order to bring them gradually under his complete influence and direction, kindle in us, with abundant effusion, that love of charity which will lead us to intimacy with God! May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of fair love, whose soul, filled with grace, was ever moved by the Holy Spirit, obtain for us from this divine Spirit the favor of remaining docile to his invitations, so that we may realize, with the help of an assiduous, effective practice of mental prayer, the beautiful ideal of intimate union with God.

Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, O.C.D.

Rome, Feast of the Sacred Heart, 1952.

ADVENT SEASON

1 — FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT

YEAR A

Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord (Is 2:5)

The central theme of Advent is the coming of the Lord, considered under various aspects. First of all we see the expectation of the Old Testament, which is constantly directed toward the coming of the Messiah. The prophecies that the Liturgy presents to us during this season, all speak to us of his coming in such a way as to awaken in our hearts that deep desire and need of God which is so alive in the prophetic writings. At the same time they invite us to thank God for the great gift of salvation, which no longer appears on the horizon as a future event that is only promised and hoped for, but as one which has been a consoling reality ever since the incarnation of the Son of God and his birth in time. The Redeemer has come; in him the hopes of the Old Testament have been fulfilled and those of the New opened up. This then is the new expectation: the coming of the Savior must be actualized in the heart of each of us, for now all human history points toward the parousia, that is, to the return of Christ in glory at the end of time. It is in this context that we must listen to and meditate upon the readings of Advent.

Isaiah stresses the messianic era in which all peoples will converge on Jerusalem to adore the one God: All nations shall stream toward it and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob that he may teach us his ways’  (Is 2:3). Reunited in the one true faith, all men will become brothers and shall not learn war anymore (ib. 4). Jerusalem is the figure of the Church, constituted by God the universal sacrament of salvation (LG 48); she opens wide her arms to all men to lead them to Christ, so that by following his teachings they may live as brothers in harmony and peace. But how long a road still lies ahead of us before this can be fully realized! Every Christian should be a voice calling men with the ardor of Isaiah to the one faith and to brotherly love. The prophet concludes with a forceful invitation, Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord (2:5).

In the second reading, St. Paul tells us exactly what we must do to walk in that light: cast off the works of darkness (Rom 13:2), that is, sin in all its forms, and put on the armor of light (ibid) which means, clothe ourselves with virtue, especially with faith and love. This is all the more urgent for salvation is nearer. . . . . to us now (ibid); in fact history is heading toward its last phase: the final coming of the Lord. The time that remains for reaching that goal must be expeditiously spent; the Lord who has already come in his earthly birth at Bethlehem, who is continuously present in the life of each and every man, and who is to come at the end of time, must be welcomed and followed and awaited in faith and hope, and in living and active charity. Jesus himself spoke of the attitude of vigilant expectancy which should characterize the entire life of the Christian: Watch, you, therefore; for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming (Mt 24:42). This indicates not only the parousia, but also that coming of the Lord which will take place for each of us at the end of our fife, when we shall meet our Savior face to face, and which should be the most beautiful of days, the beginning of eternal life. Therefore, you must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect (ib. 44).

We beg you, all-powerful God, to increase our strength of will for doing good that Christ may find us waiting for his coming and may call us to his side in the kingdom of heaven (Collect).

O Lord, may our Communion teach us to love heaven. May its promise and hope guide our way on earth. (After Communion).

Roman Missal

Our love for you, O Lord, rests upon the firm foundation of the love which is its reward. This love can no longer be doubted since it was shown so openly and with so many sufferings and trials, and with the shedding of your blood even to the point of death in order that we might have no doubt about it . . . Be pleased, Lord to give us your love before you take us out of this life, for it will be a great thing at the hour of death, to see that we are going to be judged by you whom we have loved above all things. We shall be able to proceed securely with the judgment concerning our debts. It will not be like going to a foreign country but like going to our own, because it is the country of you whom we love so much and who loves us.

St. Teresa of Jesus, Way 40:7-8

YEAR B

O Lord, you are our father . . . Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down!           (Is 63:16-19)

Since the day of the first sin when God held out to Adam the promise of a redeemer, the hopes of mankind have been directed toward that longed-for salvation. The prophets were its untiring heralds. You, Lord, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is your name. . . You were angry and we sinned, in our sins we have been a long time. . . Yet, O Lord, you are our Father (see Is 63:16; 64:5, 8). Man’s deep sense of sin and of his powerlessness to raise himself up are mingled with his yearning for salvation and with his confidence in God, which is expressed in almost evangelical terms, you are our Father. Isaiah seems to be trying, through his moving prayer, to hasten the coming of the Lord: Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down! (64:1). We learn from history how this cry was heard and God’s promise fulfilled: the heavens were really opened, and man received his Savior, the Lord Jesus. Yet Isaiah’s prayer is still timely and the Liturgy cries out during Advent: Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down! (64:1). The Son of God has already come historically; with his passion, death and resurrection he has already saved sinful mankind. Nevertheless, although this mystery is fulfilled in itself, it must be repeated for every man and continuously renewed in him until it brings him into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord (Cor 1:9). Until this fellowship is perfect, in fact, until we are completely possessed and transformed by grace, we are still waiting for our Savior. He comes continually through the Sacraments, in his word spoken by the Church, by interior inspirations and impulses. We must not cease welcoming him and desiring his coming in ways that are ever more intimate, profound and transforming. The Spirit and the Bride (the Church) say: ‘Come!’  and all the faithful repeat: Come, Lord Jesus! (Rev 22:17, 20).

While St. Paul congratulates the Corinthians on the grace of God that they have received in Christ, because in him they have been enriched in everything and in him possess every gift, at the same time he summons them to prepare for the revealing of our Lord (1 Cor 1:4-7). The grateful remembrance of the birth of our Lord and of all the gifts we have received from him, and his glorious manifestation at the end of time are two pillars over which the arch of Advent extends. If this interval is really filled with vigilant expectancy, accompanied by good works, God himself, as the Apostle says, will make us who believe staunch to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ (ib. 8). To the fidelity of him who lives in expectation of his God, corresponds the fidelity of God who unfailingly keeps his promises.

Man’s fidelity must be of the kind the Gospel proposes; a generous service in the fulfillment of duty without giving in to weariness or laziness. He must be like the diligent servant who does not go to sleep during his master’s absence, but attends to the duties entrusted to him, so that when the master returns, whether it be in the evening, or at midnight, or at the cock crow, or in the morning (ib. 35) he will always be found at his post, intent on his work, not frightened like one who is caught in a fault, but happy to see him again. Since for the Christian God is not only master, but father, this meeting will be full of joy.

You, O Lord, are our Father, our Redeemer, from of old is your name. O Lord, why do you make us err from your ways and harden our heart, so that we fear you not? Return for the sake of your servants. . . O that you would rend the heavens and come down.

You meet him that joyfully works righteousness, those that remember you in your ways. Behold you were angry and we sinned . . . We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like polluted garments. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

There is no one that calls upon your name, that bestirs himself to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us and have delivered us into the hand of our iniquities. Yet, O Lord you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand Be not exceedingly angry, O Lord and remember not our iniquity forever. Behold consider we are all your people.

Isaiah 63:16-17; 64:1, 5-9

Show me, O Lord, your mercy and give me your salvation . . . O infinite Wisdom, come and lead me in the ways of heaven. O Splendor of the glory of the Father, come and enlighten me with the brightness of your virtue. O Sun of Justice, come and give light and the warmth of life to one who sits in the shadow of death. O King of Kings, come to rule me. O Teacher of the Nations, come teach me. O Savior of the world, come and bring me salvation.

Da Ponte, Meditazioni II, 15, 2.

YEAR C

O Lord confirm our hearts without blame, in holiness . . . at the coming of our Lord Jesus          (1 Thess 3:13)

Behold the days are coming—says the Lord—when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel . . . I will cause a righteous branch to spring forth for David (Jer 33:14-15). Jeremiah announces God’s intention of fulfilling the promise of the Savior who is to be born from the seed of David, here symbolized as a righteous branch. He will reestablish justice on earth, that is, he will save men from sin and lead them back to God.

The realization of the great event which was accomplished through the birth of the Savior by the Virgin Mary is one of the focal points of Advent. The Church is concerned that the people of God do not limit themselves to a superficial commemoration; instead she wants them to prepare themselves to relive in depth the ineffable mystery of the Word of God made man for our salvation (Creed). And since salvation will be completed, or will have reached all mankind, only at the end of time, when they will see the Son of Man coming . . . with power and great glory (Lk 21:27), the faithful are urged to live in a continual Advent. The remembrance of our Lord’s birth must be lived in the expectation of the blessed hope and coming of our Savior Jesus Christ (RM). The Lord has come, is coming, and will come; we need to thank him, welcome him and wait for him. If the life of a Christian deviates from this orbit, it fails.

When the Church begins Advent by reading the Gospel that speaks of the end of the world and of the parousia of the Lord, her intention is not that of frightening her children, but of warning them that time is fleeting and earthly life is temporary; that the object of our hope and desire cannot be the earthly city, but the heavenly one. If the present world is convulsed by war, disorders, false philosophies and depraved customs, all this should be a warning that in rejecting God man perishes; by him alone can we be saved. Therefore, look up, and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near (Lk 21:28). The Church aims at awakening in our hearts the desire and need for salvation, and an ardent longing for the Savior. Instead of allowing ourselves to be overwhelmed and carried away by worldly pursuits, we need to dominate them and to live with the Lord’s coming ever before our eyes. Take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly (ib. 34). We need therefore to pray and to watch at all times (ib. 36) and make use of time to progress in love toward God and toward our neighbor. This is what St. Paul desires when he exhorts: Brothers, may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all men . . . may he establish your hearts, unblamable in holiness. . . at the coming of our Lord Jesus (1 Thes 3:12-13). The justice and holiness which the Lord came to bring upon earth must take root and grow in the heart of the Christian and from there spread over the world.

"For you I wait all the day long, O Lord Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord and of your steadfast love for they have been from of old . . . Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies."

Psalm 25:5-6, 8-10.

Of what use is it to me, who am mindful of my sins, if you come, O Lord and yet do not come into my soul and into my spirit; if you, O Christ, do not live in me, nor speak within me? It is to me that you must come, for me that your coming advent must become a reality.

Your second coming, O Lord will take place at the end of the world; then we shall be able to say: For me the world has been crucified and I for the world.

Oh see to it, Lord that the end of the world finds me . . . occupied with heaven . . . Then wisdom, virtue and justice, and the redemption will all become truly present for me. O Christ, you indeed died but once for the sins of your people, but with the purpose of ransoming them every day from their sins.

cf. St. Ambrose, Commento al Vangelo di S. Luca (10:7-8)

2 — CALLED TO BE SAINTS

"Stir up your might, O Lord and come to save us" (Ps 80:2)

1. With the fall of Adam, sin shattered the divine plan for man’s sanctification. Our first parents, created in the image and likeness of God, in a state of grace and justice which made them children of the Most High, fell into the depths of misery, dragging all mankind with them. For centuries man groaned in his sin; it dug an insurmountable abyss between humanity and God; man lay in