PRAYER OF THE DAY

Intercession to Saint Nicholas

Give me, Lord,

Nicholas as my intercessor,

your great confessor whom you had glorified with the name of blessed throughout the world.

Saint Nicholas,

I pray to you through him who has made your name venerated throughout the world;

do not refuse to help a needy suppliant.

Why, Sir,

are you called upon by all men in all the world unless you are to be an advocate of all who pray to you?

Why does this sound in all ears,

"My Lord, Saint Nicholas,"

"My Lord, Saint Nicholas,"

unless it means,

"My advocate, Saint Nicholas,"

"My advocate Saint Nicholas?"

Why is your name poured forth everywhere except that the world may have some great good poured into it?

Your fame calls to me,

your miracles send me to your intercession,

your works draw me to seek your help.

But why do I speak about your miracles,

when your power now is greater than them all?

Why do I recount what you have done,

when before God you now have supreme grace?

Why recount the help that you gave to many

when you are able to give spiritual help now that you live in heaven,

of more value than the corporal help that you gave during your pilgrimage upon earth?

For it is not as if you were able to do those things then and can no longer do them.

No, I say,

you could not have power only in those things that come to nothing,

and to be powerless in those that go on into eternity.

Indeed, you did not only accomplish the former,

you did not ascend merely that you might grant them.

Bestow upon us the spiritual things in which you glory,

the joys of eternity in which you rejoice,

pour upon us the heavenly things to which you have turned.

Through you we needy ones come to know that abundance which you receive fully in a perpetual stream.

O your plenitude of goodness,

and my abundance of badness!

How far they are from each other!

How vehemently the first makes you happy,

how greatly does the latter make me unhappy.

The first comes down from the plenitude of God,

the latter goes up from the need of myself;

The first flows from the abundance of God,

the latter surges up from my poverty.

O if only that super-abundance would overflow and flood into my abundant ills!

O if only that full plenitude would fill the emptiness of my need!

I do not doubt, Sir,

that you can do this for me,

if you are willing to ask that much for me of my judge who is your beloved friend.

Saint Anselm

Archbishop of Canterbury (1093–1109)

Doctor of the Church 

DAILY MASS READINGS

Friday of the First Week of Advent

Reading

IS 29:17-24

Thus says the Lord GOD:

But a very little while,

and Lebanon shall be changed into an orchard,

and the orchard be regarded as a forest!

On that day the deaf shall hear

the words of a book;

And out of gloom and darkness,

the eyes of the blind shall see.

The lowly will ever find joy in the LORD,

and the poor rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

For the tyrant will be no more

and the arrogant will have gone;

All who are alert to do evil will be cut off,

those whose mere word condemns a man,

Who ensnare his defender at the gate,

and leave the just man with an empty claim.

Therefore thus says the LORD,

the God of the house of Jacob,

who redeemed Abraham:

Now Jacob shall have nothing to be ashamed of,

nor shall his face grow pale.

When his children see

the work of my hands in his midst,

They shall keep my name holy;

they shall reverence the Holy One of Jacob,

and be in awe of the God of Israel.

Those who err in spirit shall acquire understanding,

and those who find fault shall receive instruction.

Responsorial Psalm

PS 27:1, 4, 13-14

R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.

The LORD is my light and my salvation;

whom should I fear?

The LORD is my life’s refuge;

of whom should I be afraid?

R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.

One thing I ask of the LORD;

this I seek:

To dwell in the house of the LORD

all the days of my life,

That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD

and contemplate his temple.

R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.

I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD

in the land of the living.

Wait for the LORD with courage;

be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.

R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.

Gospel

MT 9:27-31

As Jesus passed by, two blind men followed him, crying out,

“Son of David, have pity on us!”

When he entered the house,

the blind men approached him and Jesus said to them,

“Do you believe that I can do this?”

“Yes, Lord,” they said to him.

Then he touched their eyes and said,

“Let it be done for you according to your faith.”

And their eyes were opened.

Jesus warned them sternly,

“See that no one knows about this.”

But they went out and spread word of him through all that land.

SAINT OF THE DAY

December 6

St. Nicholas (d. 350?)

The absence of the “hard facts” of history is not necessarily an obstacle to the popularity of saints, as the devotion to St. Nicholas shows. Both the Eastern and Western Churches honor him, and it is claimed that, after the Blessed Virgin, 

he is the saint most pictured by Christian artists. And yet, historically, 

we can pinpoint only the fact that Nicholas was the fourth-century bishop of Myra, a city in Lycia, 

a province of Asia Minor.

As with many of the saints, however, we are able to capture the relationship which Nicholas had with God through the admiration which Christians have had for him—an admiration expressed in the colorful stories which have been told and retold through the centuries.

Perhaps the best-known story about Nicholas concerns his charity toward a poor man who was unable to provide dowries for his three daughters of marriageable age. Rather than see them forced into prostitution, Nicholas secretly tossed a bag of gold through the poor man’s window on three separate occasions, thus enabling the daughters to be married. Over the centuries, this particular legend evolved into the custom of gift-giving on the saint’s feast. In the English-speaking countries, St. Nicholas became, by a twist of the tongue, Santa Claus—

further expanding the example of generosity portrayed by this holy bishop.

OFFICE OF READINGS

O Lord, open my lips,

and my mouth will proclaim Your Praise!

Invitatory Psalm

Psalm 94 (95)

Let us adore the Lord,

the King who is to come.

Come, let us rejoice in the Lord,

let us acclaim God our salvation.

Let us come before him proclaiming our thanks,

let us acclaim him with songs.

Let us adore the Lord,

the King who is to come.

For the Lord is a great God,

a king above all gods.

For he holds the depths of the earth in his hands,

and the peaks of the mountains are his.

For the sea is his: he made it;

and his hands formed the dry land.

Let us adore the Lord,

the King who is to come.

Come, let us worship and bow down,

bend the knee before the Lord who made us;

for he himself is our God and we are his flock,

the sheep that follow his hand.

Let us adore the Lord,

the King who is to come.

If only, today, you would listen to his voice:

“Do not harden your hearts

as you did at Meribah,

on the day of Massah in the desert,

when your fathers tested me –

they put me to the test,

although they had seen my works.”

Let us adore the Lord,

the King who is to come.

“For forty years they wearied me,

that generation.

I said: their hearts are wandering,

they do not know my paths.

I swore in my anger:

they will never enter my place of rest.”

Let us adore the Lord,

the King who is to come.

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

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

Let us adore the Lord,

the King who is to come.

Hymn

The Advent of our God

With eager prayers we greet

And singing haste up on the road

His glorious gift to meet.

The everlasting Son

Scorns not a Virgin’s womb;

That we from bondage may be won

He bears a bondsman’s doom.

Daughter of Zion, rise

To meet thy lowly King;

Let not thy stubborn heart despise

The peace he deigns to bring.

In clouds of awful light,

As Judge he comes again,

His scattered people to unite,

With them in heaven to reign.

Let evil flee away

Ere that dread hour shall dawn.

Let this old Adam day by day

God’s image still put on.

Praise to the Incarnate Son,

Who comes to set us free,

With God the Father, ever One,

To all eternity.

Psalm 34 (35)

The Lord, a savior in time of persecution

O Lord, arise to help me.

Judge, Lord, those who are judging me:

attack those who are attacking me.

Take up your shield and come out to defend me.

Brandish your spear and hold back my pursuers.

Say to my soul, “I am your deliverance.”

Let them be thrown into confusion,

those who are after my life.

Let them be weakened and put to flight,

those who plan harm to me.

Let them be like chaff blowing in the wind,

when the angel of the Lord scatters them.

Let their paths be dark and slippery,

when the angel of the Lord harries them.

For it was without cause that they spread out their nets to ensnare me,

without cause that they dug a pit to take my life.

Let death come upon them suddenly,

may they be entangled in their own nets.

But my soul will exult in the Lord

and rejoice in his aid.

My bones themselves will say

“Lord, who is your equal?”

You snatch the poor man

from the hand of the strong,

the needy and weak

from those who would destroy them.

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

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

O Lord, arise to help me.

Psalm 34 (35)

Lord, plead my cause;

defend me with your strength.

Lying witnesses rose up against me;

they asked me questions I could not answer.

They paid me back evil for the good I did,

my soul is desolation.

Yet I – when they were ill, I put on sackcloth,

I mortified my soul with fasting,

I prayed for them from the depths of my heart.

I walked in sadness as for a close friend, for a brother;

I was bowed down with grief as if mourning my own mother.

But they – when I was unsteady, they rejoiced and gathered together.

They gathered and beat me: I did not know why.

They were tearing me to pieces, there was no end to it:

they teased me, heaped derision on me, they ground their teeth at me.

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

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

Lord, plead my cause;

defend me with your strength.

Psalm 34 (35)

My tongue shall speak of your justice,

all day long.

Lord, how long will you wait?

Rescue my life from their attacks,

my only life from the lions.

I will proclaim you in the great assembly,

in the throng of people I will praise you.

Let not my lying enemies triumph over me,

those who hate me for no reason,

who conspire against me by secret signs,

who do not speak of peace,

who plan crimes against the innocent,

who cry out slanders against me,

saying “Yes! Yes! We saw it ourselves!”

You see them, Lord, do not stay silent:

Lord, do not leave me.

Rise up and keep watch at my trial:

my God and my Lord, watch over my case.

Judge me according to your justice,

Lord: my God, let them not rejoice over me!

Let them not think to themselves,

“Yes! We have what we wanted!”

Let them not say,

“We have swallowed him up.”

But let those who support my cause rejoice,

let them say always “How great is the Lord,

who takes care of his servant’s welfare.”

And my tongue too will ponder your justice,

and praise you all day long.

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

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

My tongue shall speak of your justice,

all day long.

Lord, let your loving kindness be upon me:

– your salvation, as you have promised.

First Reading

Isaiah 19:16-24

That day, the Egyptians will become like women, fearful, terrified, when they see the uplifted hand that The Lord of Hosts will raise against them. The land of Judah will become the terror of Egypt. Whenever Egypt is reminded of this, she will be terrified, because of the fate The Lord of Hosts has prepared for her. That day, in the land of Egypt there will be five towns speaking the language of Canaan and swearing oaths in the name of The Lord of Hosts; Ir Haheres will be one of them. That day, there will be an altar to The Lord in the centre of the land of Egypt and, close to the frontier, a pillar to The Lord, which will be both sign and witness of The Lord of Hosts in the land of Egypt. When in oppression the Egyptians cry to The Lord he will send them a savior to protect and deliver them. The Lord will reveal himself to them, and that day the Egyptians will acknowledge The Lord and worship him with sacrifices and offerings. They will make vows to The Lord and perform them. Then, though The Lord has struck the Egyptians harshly, he will heal them. They will turn to The Lord who will listen to them and heal them. That day, there will be a road from Egypt to Assyria. 

Assyria will have access to Egypt and Egypt have access to Assyria. Egypt will serve Assyria.

That day, Israel, making the third with Egypt and Assyria, will be blessed in the centre of the world.

Responsory

The Egyptians will know the Lord in that day,

and they will worship him with sacrifice and burnt offerings.

Men will come from east and west, and from north and south,

and sit at table in the kingdom of God,

and they will worship him with sacrifice and burnt offerings.

Second Reading

From the "Proslogion" of Saint Anselm

Longing to see God

Little man, rise up! Flee your preoccupations for a little while. Hide yourself for a time from your turbulent thoughts. Cast aside, now, your heavy responsibilities and put off your burdensome business. 

Make a little space free for God; and rest for a little time in him.

Enter the inner chamber of your mind; shut out all thoughts. Keep only thought of God, and thoughts that can aid you in seeking him. Close your door and seek him. Speak now, my whole heart! Speak now to God, saying, I seek your face; your face, Lord, will I seek.

And come you now, O Lord my God, teach my heart where and how it may seek you, where and how it may find you.

Lord, if you are not here, where shall I seek you when you are absent? But if you are everywhere, why do I not see you present? Truly you dwell in unapproachable light. But where is unapproachable light, or how shall I come to it? Or who shall lead me to that light and into it, that I may see you in it? Again, by what signs, under what form, shall I seek you? 

I have never seen you, O Lord, my God; I do not know your face.

What, O most high Lord, shall this man do, an exile far from you? What shall your servant do, anxious in his love of you, and cast out far from your presence? He is breathless with desire to see you, and your face is too far from him. He longs to come to you, and your dwelling-place is inaccessible. He is eager to find you, but does not know where. 

He desires to seek you, and does not know your face.

Lord, you are my God, and you are my Lord, and never have I seen you. You have made me and renewed me, you have given me all the good things that I have, and I have not yet met you. I was created to see you, 

and I have not yet done the thing for which I was made.

And as for you, Lord, how long? How long, O Lord, do you forget us; how long do you turn your face from us? 

When will you look upon us, and hear us? 

When will you enlighten our eyes, and show us your face? 

When will you restore yourself to us?

Look upon us, Lord; hear us, enlighten us, reveal yourself to us. Restore yourself to us, that it may be well with us, yourself, without whom it is so ill with us. 

Pity our toilings and strivings toward you since we can do nothing without you.

Teach me to seek you, and reveal yourself to me when I seek you, for I cannot seek you unless you teach me, nor find you unless you reveal yourself. Let me seek you in longing, let me long for you in seeking; 

let me find you by loving you and love you in the act of finding you.

Responsory

Henceforth we will never forsake you: grant us life,

and we shall live only to invoke your name.

Smile upon us, and we shall find deliverance.

Remember us, Lord,

with loving thoughts towards your people.

Come among us with your saving power.

Smile upon us, and we shall find deliverance.

Let us pray.

Call forth your power, Lord:

come and save us from the judgement

that threatens us by reason of our sins.

Come, and set us free.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Let us praise the Lord.

– Thanks be to God.