The Lord is now at hand:
O come, let us worship Him.
Homily by Pope St. Saint Gregory (the Great)
Dearly beloved brethren, the first thing which striketh us in todays Gospel is the lowly-mindedness of John. He was so great that it was thought he might be the Christ; yet he soberly chose rather to seem only what he really was than to let the believers of men invest him with a dignity which did not belong to him; for "he confessed, and denied not, but confessed, I am not the Christ," at the same time he would not deny what he was in reality; and thus his very truth-speaking made him a member of Him Whose title he would not by falsehood take. In that he arrogated not to himself the name of Christ, he became a member of Christ. While he humbly strove to confess his own weakness, he earned by his simplicity a part in the grandeur of his Master.
Resolution: We should live righteously and godly, looking for that blessed hope and the coming of the Lord
Spiritual Bouquet: "Behold, the Lord of hosts, thy God, cometh with great power!"
The Memorare by St. Bernard
Remember, O most merciful Virgin Mary, that it is unheard of, that any one flying to thee for protection, imploring thy help, or seeking thy intercession, was ever forsaken. Animated by this unerring confidence, I hasten to thee, Virgin of virgins; I fly to thee, O sweet Mother, a wretched sinner, I prostrate myself sighing at thy feet; despise not my prayer, O Mother of the Divine Word, but graciously hear and grant the same. Amen.
Remember, O most merciful Virgin Mary, that it is unheard of, that any one flying to thee for protection, imploring thy help, or seeking thy intercession, was ever forsaken. Animated by this unerring confidence, I hasten to thee, Virgin of virgins; I fly to thee, O sweet Mother, a wretched sinner, I prostrate myself sighing at thy feet; despise not my prayer, O Mother of the Divine Word, but graciously hear and grant the same. Amen.
The Roman Breviary
18th Century, London
18th Century, London
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