December 22, 2021 Reflection – O Come, Desire of Nations, bind…
O Come, Desire of Nations, bind… December 22, 2021 Dear Family of Mary! Novena for Christmas, Day 8 O come, Desire of Nations, bind In one the hearts of all mankind; Bid thou our sad divisions cease, And be thyself our King of Peace. Rejoice, Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel! December 25, 2019 “Dear children! I am carrying my Son Jesus to you, for Him to bless you and reveal to you His love, which comes from Heaven. Your heart yearns for peace, of which there is less and less on earth. That is why people are far from God and souls are sick and heading towards spiritual death. I am with you, little children, to lead you on this way of salvation to which God calls you. Thank you for having responded to my call.” Our Lady comes to us in Medjugorje because she cares about us. She desires the well being of each one of us in an intense way, a way that impels her to keep coming every day to Medjugorje. In this message Our Lady tells us that she brings her Son, Jesus, for Him to bless us and reveal His love for us. She longs for us to be blessed and healed by His Love. She goes on to compassionate with us because there is less and less peace on earth. She knows how this is affecting us. We are hurting. And many souls are sick and headed towards “spiritual death”. We all feel it. The powers of darkness are so strong in these days. So Our Lady comes to lead us back to God. She comes to mother us into Heaven. Our Lady demonstrates in a huge way the genius of woman which St. John Paul II described in his Apostolic Letter Mulieris Dignitatem (on the Dignity and Vocation of Women). Msgr. Robert Batule in the December 19, 2021 “Catholic Thing” tells us: “Midway through the document, the pontiff says that motherhood gives women a new attitude that profoundly marks their personalities. Here he is not just referring to the mother vis-a-vis the child she is carrying; the bond between the two of them is undeniable. The reference is also to how a mother relates to people more generally. There is an increased sensitivity, the pope posits, that a mother has toward those around her once she has conceived and is with child.. At the end of the letter, the pope calls this increased sensitivity ‘a manifstation of the genius which belongs to ‘women’.” (MD,30) You can read the article by Msgr. Batule at this link: https://www.thecatholicthing.org/2021/12/19/mary-motherhood-and-world-history/ This increased sensitivity to the welfare of others offers a huge grace to the family and the greater society. Becoming mothers makes women sources of love for countless others. And we can see that in Our Lady! She received such an increase of sensitivity after conceiving Jesus, that she could love even at the foot of the Cross. And she loves us now through that gift of her motherly love. So today let’s allow Our Lady to lead us on the way of salvation to which God calls us. This is why she is with us!! Let us pray:Novena Litany of the Infant Jesus Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Christ, have mercy, Christ, have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord, have mercy. Infant Jesus, hear us, Infant Jesus, graciously hear us. God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us; God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us;. God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us; Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us;. Infant Jesus, Response: Have mercy on us. Infant, very God, Infant, Son of the Living God, Infant, Son of the Virgin Mary, Infant, begotten before the morning star, Infant, Word made flesh, Infant, Wisdom of Thy Father, Infant, Purity of Thy mother, Infant, only Son of Thy Father, Infant, First-Born of Thy mother, Infant, Image of Thy Father, Infant, Creator of Thy mother, Infant, Splendor of Thy Father, Infant, Honor of Thy mother, Infant, equal to Thy Father, Infant, subject to Thy mother, Infant, Joy of Thy Father, Infant, Riches of Thy mother, Infant, Gift of Thy Father, Infant, Offering of Thy mother, Infant, precious fruit of a virgin, Infant, Creator of man,Infant, Power of God, Infant, our God, Infant, our Brother, Infant, perfect Man from Thy conception, Infant, ancient in wisdom from Thy childhood, Infant, Father of ages, Infant, of days, Infant, giving life, and nourished at the breast, Infant, Eternal Word, and making Thyself dumb, Infant, weeping in the crib, Infant, thundering in Heaven, Infant, terror of hell, Infant, Joy of Paradise, Infant, dreaded by tyrants, Infant, desired by the Magi, Infant, exiled from Thy people, Infant, King in exile, Infant, Destroyer of idols, Infant, Vindicator of the glory of God, Infant, strong in weakness, Infant, powerful in abasement, Infant, Treasure of Grace, Infant, Fountain of Love, Infant, Author of the blessings of Heaven, Infant, Repairer of the evils of earth, Infant, Head of the angels, Infant, Stem of the patriarchs, Infant, Word of the prophets, Infant, Expectation of nations, Infant, Joy of the shepherds, Infant, Light of the Magi, Infant, Salvation of children, Infant, Hope of the just, Infant, Teacher of doctors, Infant, First-fruits of the saints,Be merciful, Response: Spare us, O Infant Jesus, Be merciful, Response: Graciously hear us, O Infant Jesus.From the bondage of the children of Adam, Response: Infant Jesus, deliver us. From the slavery of the devil, From the corruption of the world, From the lust of the flesh, From the pride of life, From the immoderate desire of knowledge, From the blindness of mind, From the perversity of will, From our sins,Through Thy most pure conception, Through Thy most humble birth, Through Thy tears, Through Thy most painful circumcision, Through Thy most glorious epiphany, Through Thy most devout presentation, Through Thy most innocent conversation in the world, Through Thy most holy life, Through Thy poverty, Through Thy sorrows, Through Thy labors and travails.Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Infant Jesus, Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Infant Jesus, Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us, O Infant Jesus. Infant Jesus, hear us, Infant Jesus, graciously hear us. LET US PRAY O Lord Jesus, Who allowed the greatness of Thy incarnate divinity and most sacred humanity to be born in time, to become a little child, and to suffer bitter death, grant that we may acknowledge infinite wisdom in the silence of a child, power in weakness, majesty in abasement, so that adoring Thy humility and littleness on earth we may contemplate Thy glories in Heaven. We ask this of Thee, who, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, lives and reigns God, forever and ever. Amen In Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Cathy Nolan (c)Mary TV 2021