Gospel Acclamation: Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God

In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets; in these last days, He has spoken to us through the Son.

Today's Gospel acclamation emphasizes the amazing new thing God has done in these “last days.” God has always spoken to His people. He sent messages through the prophets. He inspired Scripture. He guided Moses and David and the Maccabees. He manifested His will in many different ways.

Yet all of this was building toward a climax. Every message was preparing the way for something brand new, something never before seen or heard or experienced. Every word God spoke to His people was, in some way, getting them ready for the coming of His Word, His only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ.

Today as we mark the beginning a new year, we should take the time to reflect on how we will let God's Word speak to us anew each day by opening our minds and hearts to our encounters with our Lord in the sacraments and in Scripture, in the depths of our conscience and in other people. These may seem like many and varied ways, but in reality, they are all interactions with God's Word, come to us as Jesus Christ, God incarnate.

Gospel Acclamation: Christmas

A holy day has dawned upon us. Come, you nations, and adore the Lord. For today a great light has come upon the earth.

On this Christmas, take some time out for quiet worship that you may bask in the great light that has come upon the earth. Let the light of Christ fill your mind, your heart, your soul, and your whole being. Step back from the busyness of the holiday to adore Him. Place yourself in an attitude of awe and wonder before the Baby in the manger, for indeed a holy day has dawned upon us.

Gospel Acclamation: Fourth Sunday of Advent

The virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel.

These words come from Isaiah 7:14 but are applied directly to Jesus in Matthew 1:23. Isaiah meant the words as a prophetic sign, and of course, those prophetic signs operate on many different levels, most of which are not evident to the prophet and his contemporaries. Isaiah likely never imaged how his words would ultimately be fulfilled by God incarnate, coming among us Himself to save us from our sins and open the way to Heaven.

Jesus is truly Emmanuel, God-with-us. The Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, the only-begotten Son of the Father, has become a human being, a tiny baby, in fact, born of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He has laid aside His glory to embrace suffering. He has become poor that we might become rich. Out of His infinite love, He has given Himself up for our salvation. He entered into our human condition in everything except sin so that He could make us God's beloved children, people of the New Covenant, and temples of the living God.

Gospel Acclamation: Third Sunday of Advent

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor.

Our Gospel acclamation today comes from Isaiah 61:1. It is the beginning of a passage about a year of favor from God, a time when the brokenhearted will be healed, captives freed, and mourners comforted. The prophet is to proclaim joy and peace and love, and the people will worship God.

Jesus takes these words as His own at His baptism in the Jordan river. He is the fulfillment of this prophecy. He is anointed directly by the Holy Spirit, Who descends upon Him like a dove, and He enters into His public ministry to bring glad tidings to the poor.

Now Jesus passes this duty on to us. We, too, have been anointed by the Spirit. When we are baptized and confirmed, we become vessels of God. His indwelling presence is within us, and His grace fills us. We are called and commissioned to bring glad tidings to the poor, to tell people the good news of the Gospel, to introduce them to God, to proclaim His love for all of us, and to guide them on the path to God. We are to cooperate with our Lord in this important work as the Spirit of the Lord rests upon us, guiding us and filling us with His gifts.

Gospel Acclamation: Second Sunday of Advent

Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight His paths: all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

In today's Gospel, we hear about John the Baptist and his proclamation of Isaiah's prophetic message. John and Isaiah both call us to prepare the way of the Lord and make straight His paths. But how do we do this?

First, we pray. This does not mean just mumbling a few prayers now and then but really opening the heart and mind to God and connecting with Him. Prayer is about intimacy with God. It is, as we read in the Catechism, “the raising of one's mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God” (#2559). It is, as St. Thérèse of Lisieux so beautifully remarked, “a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.” In prayer, we make straight the path of God right into our lives and minds and hearts and souls.

Second, we receive the sacraments. We go to Confession and lay down our sins before God with contrite hearts. We receive the Eucharist with devotion, greeting our Lord with joy when He comes to us and allowing Him to burn away our venial sins in the fire of His love and strengthen us against mortal sins.

Third, we read and study the Scriptures. We listen closely to what God has to say to us in His Word, and then we make that message our own, embracing it, meditating on it, and putting it into practice.

Fourth, we do penance. We deny ourselves some things that are good so that we are ready to accept things that are better. The things of this world, even when they are good, can become a distraction. They can draw our minds and hearts away from God. So we deliberately set them aside so that we can focus on God first and foremost and then enjoy everything else in proper order and with gratitude.

Thus, we can prepare the way of the Lord and make straight His paths so that we can be ready to greet Him at Christmas, to embrace the salvation He brings, and one day, to joyously see Him face-to-face in Heaven.