9781644135945

The Light of the World
our true stature and enlarge our capacity for grace at the coming of Christmas. “He that shall
find me shall find life.” Indeed, we should submit ourselves entirely to the Church. It is she who
is “full of grace.” We unite our weakness to her strength, and thus strengthened, we become
profitable servants.
In our union with the Church we may expect the grace of final perseverance. How the
Church longs for the second advent of Christ! The feast of Christmas stirs again in her heart
that longing for completion of the work of redemption. “Show us Thy salvation” in the eternal
life of heaven. This we can obtain only through Mary and the Church. Sorry indeed is the state
of the man who separates himself from the communion of the Church and from her mystical
life. If we unite ourselves daily to the Church in faith and prayer, we may expect to find Christ
a Redeemer instead of a Judge.
Prayer
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is
the fruit of thy womb.
Show us Thy mercy, O Lord, and send us Thy salvation. Through Mary and through Thy
holy Church manifest Thyself, and we shall be saved. Amen.
Second Sunday of Advent
The Mass
The stational church for the second Sunday of Advent is the church of the Holy Cross in
Jerusalem. Of old, salvation was of the Jews, and through them it was given to the Gentiles.
The Jerusalem of today’s liturgy is the Holy Catholic Church, but through it salvation is made
available to all men.
Today we enter the chambers of the house of God ( Jerusalem) and join in the triumphant song:
“People of Sion, behold the Lord shall come to save the Gentiles” (Introit). The Redeemer,
sprung from the blessed race of Israel, the Savior promised by the prophets, advances beyond
the borders of the land of the Israelites into the land of the Gentiles. “The Lord shall come to
save the Gentiles” and complete the redemption of mankind, in the Church, in us, and among
the heathen.
In the Kyrie and the Collect we pray for the salvation of the entire Church, for the
sick, the blind, the lame, and the unredeemed. In the Epistle, Paul, the Apostle of the
Gentiles, informs us of their call to salvation. “Christ Jesus was minister of the circumcision
for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers. But the
Gentiles are to glorify God for His mercy.” The Jews, therefore, had a right to expect
the coming of Christ and salvation. This the Gentiles cannot expect in justice. If Christ
visits them and brings them salvation, it is a singular grace, an act of pure mercy. For
this reason we look forward to the coming of Christ with deep gratitude. His glory
already shines on us from the heavenly Sion. We have already received the invitation to
assemble and prepare ourselves for His coming (Alleluia verse). John, the forerunner,
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