The Will of God and Vocation



Christ the King St Emma Monastery

Vocation is an aspect of the Lord's will as it applies to our developing life situation. God does not impose anything on us--- not even divinization. Rather, the Lord interacts and cooperates with us every step of the way, eliciting our free response to the destiny to which God has gratuitously called us.

Called by God, A Theology of Vocation and Lifelong Commitment Marie Theresa Coombs, Hermit and Francis Kelly Nemeck, O.M.I.

How is God interacting with you? How are you interacting with God? 

Happy St Nicholas Day

        Children around the world know and love St. Nicholas—for he brings gifts and treats in December. He is known by different names—and even looks different from place to place. But, it is the same St. Nicholas who delights with small surprises and good things to eat. Nicholas gave in secret, alert to others' needs, and expecting nothing for himself in return. It is this selfless generosity which seeks only the good of the other that made Nicholas' gifts the gifts of a saint.

       Nicholas primary virtue came to be seen as generosity to children—rooted in the stories of rescuing the desperate maidens with gold for their dowries and of saving three children or schoolboys from an evil fate. Nuns in France began leaving treats on St. Nicholas Eve, December 5th, for the small children of poor families. St. Nicholas' gifts were usually good things to eat: apples, oranges, nuts, and eventually cookies and sweets.   

St Nicholas Center ~Gift Giver

Remember:  Who is the greatest gift .......Jesus.......He gave his life for us........

God Bless
and don't forget to put out your shoes.

Mary & baby on the way...

The expecting Mary nativity at St. Emma

Waiting for the birth.

Getting ready for the addition to the family &

 She always pondered  the greatest mystery in her heart. 

God is Present in Our Waiting

     The grace of the season of Advent is a reawakening of our hope in the salvation that has already come, that comes now, and will come in the fullness of the "Day of the Lord." Nevertheless, it is true that insistence on this grace somewhat hides the primordial role of God.  Would we do anything but wait if God were not the Master of the Game? ..... God, then, calls us to him to reestablish our confidence now and always, that we may not be discouraged by delays, tribulations, and troubles of every kind, for he is present in our world.

 Days of the Lord, The liturgical year, vol 1 Advent, Christmas, Epiphany. pg56

Humility and Charity Above All Other Virtues

For humility caused the Son of God to be born of the Virgin, in whom was found humility, not eager embraces or beauty of flesh or earthly riches or gold ornaments or earthly honors.  But the Son of God lay in a manger, because His Mother was a poor maiden.  Humility always groans, weeps and destroys all offenses, for this is its work.  So let anyone who wishes to conquer the Devil arm himself with humility, since Lucifer frevertly flees it and hides in its presence like a snake in a hole; for wherever it finds him, it quickly snaps him like a fragile thread.

And charity took the Only-Begotten of God, who was in the bosom of the Father in Heaven, and placed Him in the wormb of a mother on earth, for it does not spurn sinners or publicans but seeks to save all.  Therefore it often brings forth a fountain of tears from the eyes of the faithful, thus softening hardness of heart.  In this, humility and charity are brighter than the other virtues, since humility and charity are like a soul and body that possess stronger powers than the other powers of soul and bodily members.  How?  Humility is like the soul and charity like the body, and they cannot be separated from each other but work together, just as soul and body cannot be disjoined but work together as long as a person lives in the body.  And as the various members of the body are subject, according to their powers, to the soul and to the body, so also the other virtues cooperate, according to their justice, with humility and charity.  And therefore, O human, for the glory of God and for your salvation, pursue humility and charity; armed with them, you shall not fear the Devil's snares but shall have everlasting life.

Therefore whoever has knowledge in the Holy Spirit and wings of faith, let this one not ignore My admonition, but taste it, embrace it and receive it in his soul.

from Creation and Christ, The Wisdom of Hildegard of Bingen

Note:  On October 7, 2012, Pope Benedict opened the Synod on the New Evangelization by naming St. Hildegard of Bingen as a new doctor of the Church along with St. John of God. 

Advent 2012, First & Second Sunday Vespers

 

Happy New Church Year!!!

 

Advent is a wonderful time to stop and reflect on the incarnation of Christ.

This is the preparation time set aside by the to church to prepare one's heart for the reception of the greatest gift of all Christ! 

 

 

The Monastic Office at St. Emma Monastery

We combine our traditional Monastic Office with the "newer" Roman Office.

We chant the Antiphons and Psalms using simplified Gregorian Chant melodies, and use a different arraignment of Psalms.

 

First Sunday of Advent~

 First & Second Vespers

Psalms from Saturday/ Sunday

 

1st Ant:  In that day the mountains shall drop down sweetness,

 and the hills shall flow with milk and honey, alleluia

 

2nd Ant: Be glad O daughter of Sion, and rejoice exceedingly, O daughter of Jerusalem, alleluia

 

3rd Ant: Behold, the Lord shall come, and all His Saints with Him:

 and there shall be a great light in that day, alleluia

 

4th Ant: Behold, the great Prophet shall come and He shall renew Jerusalem, alleluia.

 

Reading from the First Vol of the Roman Office Book. 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

May the God of peace make you perfect in holiness. May he preserve you whole and entire, spirit, soul, and body, irreproachable at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls us is trustworthy, therefore he will do it.

Short Responsory:

Show us, O Lord, * Your Mercy,

~Show us, O Lord, Your Mercy,

And grant us Your salvation.

~Your Mercy

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit

~Show us, O Lord, Your Mercy,

 

Hymn,

 

Versical

V. Drop down dew, you heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the Just One.

R. Let the earth be opened, and but forth the Savior.

 

I Magnificat Ant:   (Saturday)

Behold the name of the Lord comes from afar, and His glory fills all the earth.

Luke 1:46-55
The soul rejoices in the Lord

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 for ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.

 

 

II Magnificat Ant  (Sunday)

Fear not Mary, for you have found grace with God. Behold, you shall conceive and give birth to a Son, alleluia.

 

Intercessions from the First Vol of the Roman Office Book

 

INTERCESSIONS

Jesus Christ is the joy and happiness of all who look forward to his coming.

Let us call upon him and say:
– Come, Lord, and do not delay!

In joy, we wait for your coming; come, Lord Jesus.
– Come, Lord, and do not delay!

Before time began, you shared life with the Father; come now and save us.
– Come, Lord, and do not delay!

You created the world and all who live in it; come to redeem the work of your hands.
– Come, Lord, and do not delay!

You did not hesitate to become man, subject to death; come to free us from the power of death.
– Come, Lord, and do not delay!

You came to give us life to the full; come and give us your unending life.
– Come, Lord, and do not delay!

You desire all people to live in love in your kingdom; come and bring together those who long to see you face to face.
– Come, Lord, and do not delay!

 

 

Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

 

Concluding Prayer

Grant your faithful,
we pray, almighty God,
the resolve to run forth
to meet your Christ with righteous deeds at his coming,
so that, gathered at his right hand,
they may be worthy to possess the heavenly Kingdom.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
– Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

Hospitality

 

 

You never know who will show up for breakfast.....