Monday of the Second week of Advent

Book of Isaiah

The desert and the parched land will exult; the steppe will rejoice and bloom.
They will bloom with abundant flowers, and rejoice with joyful song. The glory of Lebanon will be given to them, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; They will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God.
Strengthen the hands that are feeble, make firm the knees that are weak,
Say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not! Here is your God, he comes with vindication; With divine recompense he comes to save you.
Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared;
Then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the dumb will sing. Streams will burst forth in the desert, and rivers in the steppe.
The burning sands will become pools, and the thirsty ground, springs of water; The abode where jackals lurk will be a marsh for the reed and papyrus.
A highway will be there, called the holy way; No one unclean may pass over it, nor fools go astray on it.
No lion will be there, nor beast of prey go up to be met upon it. It is for those with a journey to make, and on it the redeemed will walk.
Those whom the LORD has ransomed will return and enter Zion singing, crowned with everlasting joy; They will meet with joy and gladness, sorrow and mourning will flee.

Psalms

I will hear what God proclaims;
the LORD –for he proclaims peace to his people.
Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,
glory dwelling in our land.
Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
and justice shall look down from heaven.
The LORD himself will give his benefits;
our land shall yield its increase.
Justice shall walk before him,
and salvation, along the way of his steps.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke

One day as Jesus was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem, and the power of the Lord was with him for healing.
And some men brought on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed; they were trying to bring him in and set (him) in his presence.
But not finding a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on the stretcher through the tiles into the middle in front of Jesus.
When he saw their faith, he said, "As for you, your sins are forgiven."
Then the scribes and Pharisees began to ask themselves, "Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who but God alone can forgive sins?"
Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them in reply, "What are you thinking in your hearts?
Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise and walk'?
But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins''--he said to the man who was paralyzed, "I say to you, rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home."
He stood up immediately before them, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home, glorifying God.
Then astonishment seized them all and they glorified God, and, struck with awe, they said, "We have seen incredible things today."

St. María Maravillas de Jesús (1891-1974)()

SAINT MARÍA MARAVILLAS DE JESÚS (Pidal y Chico de Guzmán)Professed Nun of the Order of Discalced Carmelites (1891-1974) María de las Maravillas was born at Madrid, Spain, on November 4, 1891. She was the daughter of Luis Pidal y Mon, the Marquis of Pidal, and Cristina Chico de Guzmán y Muñoz. Her father was the Spanish Ambassador to the Holy See; and she grew up in a devout Catholic family. María made a vow of chastity at the age of 5 and soon devoted herself to charitable work. After reading the works of St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Jesus, she felt called to become a Discalced Carmelite. Her father, whom she assisted when he became ill, passed away in 1913. Her mother was reluctant to accept her entry to a Carmelite monastery. On October 12, 1919, María entered the Discalced Carmelites of El Escorial at Madrid. She made her simple vows on May 7, 1921. Before her final profession on May 30, 1924, Sr. María discerned God's will to found the Carmel of Cerro de los Ángeles. Sr. María's foundation was inaugurated on October 31, 1926, with three other Carmelites. It was the first of the series of Teresian Carmelite Monasteries that she established. She was not being called to found a new order or to branch off from the Discalced Carmelites as she pointed out. She sought to live deeply and to transmit the spirit and ideals of St. Teresa of Jesus and St. John of the Cross. On June 28, 1926, the bishop of the Diocese of Madrid-Alcalá appointed her prioress of the new monastery. In 1933, she established another foundation in Kottayam, India. From there, other foundations began. Mother Maravillas' role as prioress would be permanent in the various monasteries she founded throughout her life: notwithstanding the natural apprehension she feltin accepting positions of responsibility. Her spirit of obedience and love for the Church and for her Carmelite sisters gave her the discipline and prudence to carry out this duty courageously. Mother Maravillas was criticized for the poverty of the convents she founded. Some alleged that they were not solid, small in size and unfurnished, with bare walls on which hung Bible verses or writings of the Carmelite saints. She would reply, "It is not our concern to plant a seed, since the Discalced Carmelites have already been founded." During the Spanish Civil War, the nuns of Cerro de los Ángeles lived in an apartment at Madrid. In September 1937, another Carmel in the Batuecas, Salamanca, was founded. In 1939, the monastery of Cerro de los Ángeles was restored. Amid deprivations, Mother Maravillas was courageous and happy: being an example of holiness to her daughters. Mother Maravillas was a mystery to the sisters closest to her in the sense of interior trials. Only her spiritual directors knew the "dark night of the soul" that she lived throughout her life, which kept her in profound spiritual aridity; and made total faith and abandonment to the will of God her guide. In the following years, foundations were established in other parts of Spain. Mother Maravillas also restored and sent nuns to the Carmel of El Escorial and to the venerable Monastery of the Incarnation at Avila. To unite the monasteries founded by her and others, she founded the Association of St. Teresa, which received official approval from the Holy See in 1972. On December 8, 1974, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, Mother Maravillas was anointed and received Holy Communion. On December 11, surrounded by her community in the Carmel of La Aldehuela, Madrid, she passed away. At the time of her passing, her sisters reported that Mother Maravillas kept repeating the phrase, "What happiness to die a Carmelite!" She was beatified on May 10, 1998, and canonized on May 4, 2003, by Pope John Paul II.

St. Damasus I(Pope († 384))

SAINT DAMASUS IPope( 384) St. Damasus was born at Rome in the fourth century. He was the archdeacon of the Roman Church in 355 when Pope Liberius was banished to Berda. Damasus accompanied Pope Liberius into exile; and returned afterward. On Pope Liberius' passing, Damasus was consecrated pope. Ursinus, a competitor for the office, incited a revolt, but Pope Damasus only took such action that was becoming a father of the Church. After freeing the Church of schism, Pope Damasus began extirpating Arianism in the West and Apollinarianism in the East. Thus he convened several councils. He rebuilt the church of St. Laurence, known as St. Laurence in Damaso, anddonated the lands in its vicinity. He also diverted springs running over Vatican tombs and decorated the sepulchers of martyrs. Pope Damasus passed away on December 10, 384, after serving as pope for eighteen years and two months. He was nearly 80.

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Category: Mass by Year / Catholic Missal 2023 / Catholic Missal of december 2023