Allocution December 10, 2023

 

Today, December 10, second Sunday of Advent, we hear in all Catholic churches, the gospel according to Saint Mark, chapter 1, verses 1 to 8.

(Gospels)

The Word of God, announced by the prophet Isaiah, begins to come true. The messenger has arrived: John the Baptist, who shows the way, who shouts in the desert the time to prepare, leaving evil behind, a new life.

The Baptist announces the arrival of the Messiah, Savior, who is stronger than he.

To receive the Savior you must pave the path, remove sin and evil and place seeds of love and hope in the veneer. He who comes and will baptize us with the Holy Spirit will annihilate the evil in our people, will make us good to our roots and will turn us into new people, new families, new churches, new towns.

Let us listen to the voice of the Word of God every day. The gospel 2024, which is offered in all churches, will be of great help.

We set out, leaving behind the evil that has made us suffer and looking forward to the Shepherd of our souls who leads us to the pastures of happiness through love and pushes us towards eternal life.

(Song)

We pray with Hugo of Saint Victor:

Oh greatness of love, by which we love God, we prefer Him, we turn to Him, we reach Him, we possess Him! If I ask myself about your characteristics, I realize that you are the master path, which welcomes, directs and guides to the goal; You are man’s way to God and God’s way to humanity.

Oh happy path, only you knew the exchange of great goods, through which our salvation came! You have led God towards men, you lead men towards God. He came down this road when he came to meet us; we travel upwards when we go towards him: neither could God come to us, nor could we go to him, except through Love.

I do not know which is the highest praise that can be said of you, whether to say that you have brought God down from heaven, or that you have raised man from earth to heaven; Great is your power, if through you God has been so humbled and man has been so exalted (Hugh of Saint Victor, In lode del divino amore, Milán 1987, 280-281).

(Song)

The saints tell us about conversion and change of life to prepare for the coming of the Savior, who came 2024 years ago, who comes now, every day, especially in the celebration of Christmas, and who will come at the end of time to bless all the good done by us.

Go to the doctor while you can, lest later you want to and not be able to (Saint John of Naples).

The rich young man did not have enough courage to contain the new wine having an old wineskin, and he broke down with sadness (Saint Cyril).

Now! Go back to your noble life now. —Don’t be fooled: “now” is not too soon… nor too late (J. Escrivá de Balaguer).

[…] the longer we delay leaving sin and returning to God, the greater the danger we put ourselves in of perishing in guilt, for the simple reason that acquired bad habits are more difficult to overcome. Every time we despise a grace, the Lord moves away from us, we become weaker, and the devil takes greater control over us. From this I conclude that, the longer we remain in sin, the greater danger we put ourselves of never converting (holy priest of Ars).

Let us go through all the stages of history and we will see how in any era the Lord has granted the opportunity to repent to all those who have wanted to convert to Him (Saint Clement)

There is no moment as precious to ask God for our conversion as that of the Holy Mass (holy cure of Ars).

We must pray, not only not to fall into evil when we have not fallen, but also to be free from it when we have fallen (Saint Augustine).

In prayer the conversion of the soul towards God takes place, and the purification of the heart (Saint Augustine).

Every thought that takes away our hope of conversion comes from a lack of piety; Like a heavy stone tied to our neck, it forces us to always look down at the earth, and does not allow us to raise our eyes towards the Lord (Rábano Mauro).

(Song)

Once the devil went to reconnoiter to see how the men prayed. Their tour was brief because the men and women who prayed now were rare as whiteflies; It was also a satisfactory return, because they always repeated the same sentences that were totally innocuous.

He was returning home happy, when he noticed that in a field a farmer was gesticulating a lot. Full of curiosity, he hid behind a bush and watched. The man was arguing violently with God: he mistreated him, he told him everything!

At that moment, a priest happened to pass by.

“Good man,” he said to the farmer: “Why do you behave like this? Don’t you know that insulting God is a sin?

The farmer responded: “Reverend, if I take it with God, it is because I believe in him; If I mistreat him, it is because I love him; If I scream, it’s because he hears me!

«”You are raving,” said the priest, walking away.

But the devil, who knows more than a priest, was very alarmed: he had discovered a man who was still capable of praying!

(Song)

One afternoon Mother Teresa of Calcutta, after having worked all day, approached a poor girl. He lifted the few cloths that covered her and washed her.

The girl fixed her eyes on those of the nun. With a soft voice he asked: “Why are you doing this?”

Mother Teresa responded: “Because I love you.”

The girl lit up and whispered three times: “Tell me again! Tell me again!” Tell me again!”.

It is one of the many episodes that are told about Mother Teresa of Calcutta. That it was exactly like that doesn’t count for much. The eternal message tells: it is enough to belong to the human race to be in need of love.

(Song)

Let us pray, brothers, to the Lord of the living and the dead and sing to him: Come Lord, Jesus.

Lord Jesus Christ, who came to save sinners, save us from falling into temptation: Come Lord, Jesus.

You who will come with glory to judge your people, show us your power as Savior: Come Lord, Jesus.

Help us to fulfill the precepts of your Law with strength of spirit so that we can await your coming without fear: Come Lord, Jesus.

You who are blessed forever, grant us by your mercy, that from now on leading a holy life, we may wait with joy for your glorious appearance: Come Lord, Jesus.

Our father…

God save you, Mary…

May the prayers and offerings of our poverty move you, Lord, and when you see us helpless and without our own merits, may you compassionately come to our aid. Amen.

(Song)

We congratulate the people who are named after the Virgin of Guadalupe, whose feast day we celebrate on the 12th.

We congratulate the people who bear the name of Saint Lucia, whose feast day we celebrate on the 13th.

We congratulate the people who are named after Saint Lazarus, whose feast day we celebrate on the 17th.

The blessing of the Lord for all of you who listen to us. We bow our heads to receive the blessing. At the end of each invocation we pray: Amen.

The Almighty God and rich in mercy. Through his Son Jesus Christ, in whose coming in the flesh we believe and whose glorious return we hope, in the celebration of the mysteries of Advent, may he enlighten us and fill us with his blessings. Amen.

May God keep us firm in Faith, joyful in Hope and diligent in Love during this life. Amen.

And so, let us who now rejoice at the coming birth of our Savior, when he comes again in the majesty of his glory, receive the prize of eternal life. Amen.

And the blessing of Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit descend upon you, upon your families, upon those who have made this broadcast possible, and remain forever. Amen.

(Song)