Wednesday, First Week of Advent, St. Andrew

JMJ

Blessed St. Andrew’s Day!

You can find his story here

The St. Andrew’s Christmas “novena” starts today,
(to use the word “novena” very loosely–this is a lot more than nine days!).

The following prayer is prayed 15 times per day from the feast of St. Andrew until Christmas:

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment
in which the Son of God
was born of the most pure Virgin Mary,
at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold.
In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God!
to hear my prayer and grant my desires,
through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ,
and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.
Imprimatur
+MICHAEL AUGUSTINE, Archbishop of New York
New York, February 6, 1897

I made a set of 15 violet beads
–strung like sacrifice beads but with a simple square knot at the end–
to help us keep track.
I found that praying 15 times a day for days on end for the same intention
has a way of purifying one’s motivation.
It feels awfully silly (or selfish, as the case may be) to pester God that often for something
if what I’m praying for really isn’t all that eternally important!
This is all the more true as the words of the prayer itself
highlight the darkness and “piercing cold” Jesus suffered for my sake.
Compared to His life, mine looks pretty good!

Jesse Tree:
Shem, Genesis 9:20-23
Suggested symbol: blanket, grapes
We attached an image of a cluster of grapes to a small piece of fabric
Clicking this link will open a document with the pictures I’m using: 1jesse-tree-pictures

Sin reared its ugly head
again
when Noah yielded
to the lure
of wine
and passed out
drunk
within his tent.

He squandered
his ability
to lead,
as Adam had.

While Ham
disdained
his father,
Shem and Japheth
modestly
upheld his rank
by covering
his nakedness.

Then Ham was cursed,
the others, blessed,
and Shem took up
the promise
that what he had done
for Noah,
his descendant
would accomplish
for the world.

Thank You, Father,
for Your mercy
on my faults.
Help me to imitate
this Patriarch
in showing mercy too,
when others fail.