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The Christmas Cycle
frailty. His daily imperfections and his repeated departures from his good resolutions have
convinced him of his human weakness.
What, then, can we do? We must turn to Him who alone can rescue us from this frailty. “The
right hand of the Lord hath wrought strength; the right hand of the Lord hath exalted me; I
shall not die, but live, and shall declare the works of the Lord” (Offertory). With this prayer on
our lips we await the coming of Christ in the Consecration and in Communion. By ourselves
we are small, miserable, and insignificant; but in Holy Communion, He draws us to Himself,
and His strength becomes our strength, His life becomes our life. When He is with us, we may
well say, “I shall not die, but live”; and in spite of the dangers that threaten us, we may assert
with full confidence, “I can do all things in Him that strengtheneth me” (Phil 4:13).
This is, indeed, a manifestation of the Lord and His power. “Power is made perfect in
infirmity” (2 Cor 12:9). “Why are you fearful, O ye of little faith? Then rising up, He commanded
the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. But the men wondered, saying:
What manner of man is this, for the winds and the sea obey him?” (Gospel.) “The Lord hath
built up Sion.” Christ has regenerated men who, distrusting their own frailty, have turned to
Him for help.
Prayer
O God, who knowest that we are beset by perils such as our human frailty cannot withstand:
grant us health of mind and body, that by Thy help we may overcome the things which we suffer
for our sins. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Friday
The Gospel gives a full account of the Lord’s intervention during the storm which was threatening
to sink the boat in which He and His disciples were crossing the Lake of Genesareth.
A word from Him, and a great calm comes over the sea. Amazed like the apostles, we now
stand waiting for the appearance of this same Lord, who is about to return to us in the Holy
Sacrifice of the Mass. “The right hand of the Lord hath wrought strength. . . . I shall not die,
but live” (Offertory).
“Without Me you can do nothing.” “As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abide
in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you the branches; he
that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit; for without Me you can do
nothing” ( Jn 15:4 f.). Of ourselves we can accomplish nothing, but with God we can live
His life, know with His divine knowledge, see with His eyes. He stirs up in us the desire
to make our wills conform to His divine will. By His holiness we are purified, and in His
strength we become strong. This transformation can be accomplished, however, only if we
are prepared to abandon our own will and subject ourselves completely to Him. If we seek
our own will, we shall find only ourselves. As long as we rely on our own strength, we shall
be too weak to raise ourselves to God. But by means of His graces He makes it possible for
us to participate in His life and to live supported by His strength. If we fail to make use of
this opportunity, we are left to our own devices and accomplish nothing. We are like the
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