December 20
And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: “The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the keys of David, who opens and no one shall shut, who shuts and no one opens, I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut; I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name... Because you have kept my word of patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial which is coming on the whole world... I am coming soon; hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. Revelation 3:7-11
We must put the Infant Christ in our souls, into the Father’s arms. We must trust Him to hold us in His hands, to put us wherever we should be, to arrange the environment that is best for us, to rock us to sleep when we should sleep, to wake us when we should wake, to ease our pain when our pain should be eased, to feed us when we should be fed, to lift us up and put us down according to the wisdom of everlasting love. Caryll Houselander
HYMN
O come, thou Key of David, come, and open wide our heavenly home,
The captives from their prison free,
and conquer death’s deep misery,
and conquer death’s deep misery,
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
MAGNIFICAT
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, he has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he has remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children forever.
He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he has remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children forever.
PRAYER
Small victories grant, O Lord, to those who wait and love.
Small victories grant to those who wait and weep.
Small victories grant to those who wait in weakness.
The tiniest flicker of hope sustains those
who are content to wait
for your coming.
Gate of Heaven, pray for us.
