9781644135945

The Light of the World
Inspire us with a thirst for God’s holy will, help us seek God’s guidance and direction, enlighten
us in the teachings of the holy gospel, make us submissive to Thy holy Church. Strengthen us
in the forgetfulness of self, and help us to resign ourselves to a position of obscurity if that be
Thy holy will. Detach our hearts from resurgent pride. Give us wisdom that we may understand
that “but one thing is necessary” (Lk 10:42). “For what doth it profit a man if he gain the whole
world and suffer the loss of his own soul?” (Mt 16:26.) The Holy Spirit would have us know
that one degree of grace is worth more than all worldly possessions.
“The sensual man,” with only his natural ability, his unaided human talents, “perceiveth not
these things that are of the Spirit of God” (1 Cor 2:14). Eternal Wisdom is foolishness to such
a man. He cannot understand because he is not spiritually minded. The spiritual man who is
guided by the Holy Ghost, penetrates and values all things in the light of divine Wisdom, who
“Himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct
Him? But we have the mind of Christ,” the eternal Wisdom (1 Cor 2:15 f.).
The wisdom of God appears to us in the crib, in poverty, in silence, in the weakness of
childhood, in the gospel message: Blessed are the poor in spirit, the meek, those who suffer persecution
for Christ’s sake. The wisdom of God is made manifest in the foolishness of the cross.
Prayer
O Wisdom, who camest out of the mouth of the Most High, reaching from end to end and
ordering all things mightily and sweetly, come to teach us the way of prudence.
O Mary, virgin most prudent, pray for us.
December 18, O Adonai
“O Adonai (O almighty God), and leader of the house of Israel, who didst appear to Moses in
the burning bush and didst give him the law on Mount Sinai, come with an outstretched arm
to redeem us.”
O Adonai! The Redeemer whom we await was already the Redeemer in the Old Testament. He
it was who appeared to Moses in the burning bush in the desert and gave him the commission
to lead Israel out of the bondage of Egypt. Through Moses, He wrought great signs in Egypt
and rescued His people from the power and the tyranny of the Pharaohs. He led His people
with power through the Red Sea and gave them the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. He
led them through the desert, provided food and drink, and ushered them into the Promised
Land. He appears now also as the Redeemer of the Church of the New Law. He is the Savior
and guide of those who have been baptized in the Church. Little child of the crib, so small, so
weak, so silent, how mighty must You be to rescue us from passion, from temptation, and from
the power of Satan! We believe in Your power, we trust in the strength of Your arm, we follow
with confidence Your leadership and Your guidance.
O Adonai, O almighty God, stretch forth Thy arm and save us. The enemy of our salvation,
the enemy of souls, the enemy of the Church rises with great power seeking to destroy belief
in God, in Christ, and in the Christian religion. Men have wandered far from the true God;
they have turned their backs on Him and have made for themselves graven images. They have
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