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Saturday, December 4, 2010

Come Holy Spirit

I love this song, Come Holy Spirit. Isn't God wonderful and marvelous to give us such beauty in music:
Veni, Sancte Spiritus,
et emitte caelitus
lucis tuae radium.
Veni, pater pauperum,
veni, dator munerum
veni, lumen cordium.
Consolator optime,
dulcis hospes animae,
dulce refrigerium.
In labore requies,
in aestu temperies
in fletu solatium.
O lux beatissima,
reple cordis intima
tuorum fidelium.
Sine tuo numine,
nihil est in homine,
nihil est innoxium.
Lava quod est sordidum,
riga quod est aridum,
sana quod est saucium.
Flecte quod est rigidum,
fove quod est frigidum,
rege quod est devium.
Da tuis fidelibus,
in te confidentibus,
sacrum septenarium.
Da virtutis meritum,
da salutis exitum,
da perenne gaudium,
Amen, Alleluia.
Come, Holy Spirit,
send forth the heavenly
radiance of your light.
Come, father of the poor,
come giver of gifts,
come, light of the heart.
Greatest comforter,
sweet guest of the soul,
sweet consolation.
In labor, rest,
in heat, temperance,
in tears, solace.
O most blessed light,
fill the inmost heart
of your faithful.
Without your divine will,
there is nothing in man,
nothing is harmless.
Wash that which is unclean,
water that which is dry,
heal that which is wounded.
Bend that which is inflexible,
warm that which is chilled,
make right that which is wrong.
Give to your faithful,
who rely on you,
the sevenfold gifts.
Give reward to virtue,
give salvation at our passing on,
give eternal joy.
Amen. Alleluia.

Aging



God is preparing me for death -- my death. I had a terrible and profound dream when I was in my late 30's -- I was looking at myself in the mirror from some distance and as I drew closer to the mirror I concluded that it wasn't myself that I was looking at but a very old wrinkled woman. As I peered at this very old and wrinkled face wondering why she was appearing to me, I suddenly realized that it was me! I awoke completely with no trace of sleepiness and began to sob, mourning and grieving for my youth taken from me. What a pity that the beautiful bodies that God gives us decay and die becoming fodder for the earth, the worms, and the plants. But it must be so...otherwise, I fear, that I would be a very vain and proud creature before God's eye. In giving me this knowledge through a dream, a vision that touched the very marrow of my soul, I was profoundly changed and not a day goes by that I don't think of my death and the deaths of those around me.

Thursday, December 2, 2010



The most holy Virgin had more faith than all men and angels. She saw her Son in the crib of Bethlehem, and believed Him the Creator of the world. She saw Him fly from Herod, and yet believed Him the King of kings. She saw Him born, and believed Him eternal. She saw Him poor and in need of food, and believed Him the Lord of the universe. She saw Him lying on straw, and believed Him omnipotent. She observed that He did not speak, and she believed Him infinite wisdom. She heard Him weep, and believed Him the joy of Paradise. In fine, she saw Him in death, despised and crucified, and, although faith wavered in others, Mary remained firm in the belief that He was God.

Of The Virtues of the Blessed Virgin Mary
St. Alphonsus Liguori

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel