The Christmas Novena begins today December 16th. Prayers from the first to ninth day

Da Paolo Tessione - December 16, 2018

First day

December 16: Jesus our Savior.

Behold, the King will come, Lord of the earth and he will loosen the yoke of our slavery.

First reading From John Paul's bull The Incarnationis mysterium. With its gaze fixed on the mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God, the Church is preparing to cross the threshold of the third millennium. Never as at this moment do we feel we have to make the Apostle's song of praise and thanksgiving our own: "Blessed be God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heaven, in Christ. In him he chose us before the creation of the world, to be holy and immaculate in his presence in charity, predestining us to be his adopted children by the work of Jesus Christ, according to the goodwill of his will. […] He made known to us the mystery of his will, according to what, in his benevolence, he had lent in him to carry it out in the fullness of time: the plan, that is, to recapitulate in Christ all things, those of heaven such as of the earth "(Eph 1, 3-5.9-10).

Second reading From the Book of Genesis 1,26.27; 3, lb-6.14.15. God said: "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness ...". God created man in his image; in the image of God he created it; male and female created them. The snake said to the woman, "Is it true that God said: You must not eat of any tree in the garden?" The woman replied to the snake: "Of the fruits of the trees in the garden we can eat, but of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden God said: You must not eat it and you must not touch it, otherwise you will die." But the snake said to the woman, "You will not die at all! Indeed, God knows that when you eat them, they will open your eyes and you will become like God, knowing the good and the bad ». Then the woman saw that the tree was good to eat, pleasing to the eye and desirable to acquire wisdom, took some fruit and ate it, then also gave it to her husband, who was with her, and he also ate it. Then the Lord God said to the serpent: "Since you have done this, be you cursed ... I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your lineage and her lineage: this will crush your head and you will snatch her heel".

Prayer. Awaken your power and come, O Lord, and help us with great force: and the indulgence of your mercy, hurry, with the help of your grace; the salvation prevented by our sins. For Christ our Lord. Amen.

Recitation of the Holy Rosary.

Homily. God created men out of love and wanted a free adhesion in love from them. Instead, our ancestors refused love. In his fatherhood, God did not abandon us but made a ray of hope shine in the moment of just punishment. The seed of a woman who would have definitively overcome the Evil One is Jesus Christ our Savior. Thus Jesus becomes the awaited of the people who are saved and redeemed by him.

Blessing. Almighty and merciful God, who gives you the grace to commemorate in faith the first coming of his Son and to wait in hope for his glorious advent, sanctify you now with the light of his visit and fill you with his blessing. In the journey of this life God makes you firm in faith, joyful in hope, active in charity. Amen. Christmas carol

Second day

December 17: Jesus in the promise of Eden

O Wisdom, which comes out of the mouth of the Most High, extends to the ends of the world and disposes everything with gentleness and strength, teach us the way to salvation.

First reading From the bull of John Paul II Incarnationis mysterium. From these words it is evident that the history of salvation finds its highest point and supreme meaning in Jesus Christ. In him we have all received "grace upon grace" (Jn 1:16), obtaining to be reconciled with the father (cf. Rom 5:10; 2 Cor 1:18). The birth of Jesus in Bethlehem is not a fact that can be relegated to the past. In fact, the whole human history stands before him: our today and the future of the world are illuminated by his presence. He is "the Living One" (Ap 1, 18), he who is, who was and who is to come "(Ap 1, 4). Before him every knee in the heavens, on the earth and below the ground, must bending, and every tongue proclaiming that he is the Lord (cf. Phil 2: 10-11). By encountering Christ every man discovers the mystery of his own life.

Second reading From the Book of Genesis (22, 15-16.17-18. The angel of the Lord called Abraham from heaven for the second time and said: «I swear for myself, Lord's Lord: I will bless you with all good-sayings and I will make your offspring very numerous, like the stars of the sky and like the sand on the shore of the sea; your offspring will take possession of the cities of enemies. All the nations of the earth will be blessed for your descendants, because you have obeyed my voice ».

From the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah 31, 31.33b, 34 «Here will be days - says the Lord - in which with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah I will conclude a new covenant. I will put my law in their hearts, I will write it on their hearts. Then I will be their God and they my people. They will no longer have to educate each other, saying: "Recognize the Lord, because, everyone will know me, from the smallest to the greatest, says the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity and I will no longer remember their sin."

Homily. The history of our salvation announced in Eden with the "promise of the Savior" is prepared and depicted in the history of Abraham and of all the Jewish people with whom God establishes an alliance of fidelity and love that will have fullness of its realization in the covenant of God with all the peoples of the earth redeemed by the blood of Christ.

Blessing. Almighty and merciful God, who gives you the grace to commemorate in faith the first coming of his Son and to await his glorious advent hopefully sanctify you now with the light of his visit and fill you with his blessing. In the journey of this life God makes you firm in faith, joyful in hope, active in charity. Amen. Christmas carol.

Third day

December 18: new Jesus Adam

Lord, guide of the house of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the fire of the bush and on Mount Sinai you gave him the Law: come to free us with a powerful arm.

First reading From John Paul's bull The Incarnationis mysterium. Jesus is the true novelty that surpasses all expectations of humanity and will remain so forever, through the succession of historical periods. The incarnation of the Son of God and the salvation that he made with his death and resurrection are therefore the true criteria for judging the temporal reality and every project that aims to make man's life more and more human.

Second reading From Psalm 71 God gives your judgment to the king, your justice to the son of the king; - your people and your poor righteously righteously. The mountains bring peace to the people and the hills justice, - will save the children of the poor and bring down the oppressor. His reign will last as long as the sun, as long as the moon, for all ages. - It will come down like rain on the grass, like water that sprinkles the earth. In his days justice will flourish and peace will abound, - until the moon goes out. And it will dominate from sea to sea, from the river to the ends of the earth. - The inhabitants of the desert will bow to him, his enemies will lick the dust. The kings of Tarsis and the islands will bring offerings, the kings of the Arabs and Sabas will offer tributes. - All kings will bow down to him, all nations will serve him. He will free the poor one whom he invokes, and the poor man who finds no help, - he will have pity on the weak and the poor and will save the life of his poor. He will redeem them from violence and abuse, - their blood will be precious in his eyes. He will live and be given gold from Arabia; - we will pray for him every day, he will be blessed forever. Wheat will abound in the country, sway on the tops of the mountains; - its fruit will blossom like Lebanon, its harvest like the grass of the earth. His name lasts forever, his name persists before the sun. - In him all the lineages of the earth will be blessed and all peoples will say him blessed. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, he is the only prodigy. And blessed be his glorious name forever, the whole earth be full of his glory. Amen, amen.

Prayer Awaken your power and come, O Lord, and help us with great strength: and the indulgence of your mercy, hurry, with the help of your grace; the salvation prevented by our sins. For Christ our Lord. Amen. Recitation of the Holy Rosary.

Homily. The whole history of the Old Testament is an expectation of the savior, of the liberator, of the redeemer. The world is dominated by iniquity and injustice because of sin. The Messiah will make his entrance as sovereign who will bring good to man's heart and justice into society. In Christ, the new Adam, we will be restored to friendship with God and with our brothers. Christ is the only mediator between heaven and earth; our only hope of salvation. Like the ancient chosen people and the first Christian generations, we too repeat the invocation: Lord come! Lord come!

Fourth day

December 19: Jesus the expected Messiah

O scion of Jesse, who is like a banner for the peoples before which the kings will fall silent and the people will offer their prayers: come to free us: do not delay.

First reading From John Paul's bull The Incarnationis mysterium. The jubilee time introduces us to that robust language that the divine pedagogy of salvation uses to push man to conversion and penance, the principle and way of his rehabilitation and condition to recover what with his own strength could not achieve: God's friendship, his grace, supernatural life, the only one in which the deepest aspirations of the human heart can be resolved.

Second reading From the Book of the Prophet Isaiah 11, 1-10. "A scion will emerge from the boiled throne, and a sucker will sprout from his roots. The spirit of the Lord will rest upon it, spirit of salvation and discernment, spirit of counsel and fortitude, spirit of knowledge and fear of God and in the fear of the Lord is his inspiration. Not according to appearance will he do justice, nor will he give judgment according to what he hears, but with equity he will do justice to the poor and will pronounce righteously for the humble of the country; he will strike upon the violent with the rod of his mouth and with the sound of his lips he will bring death to the wicked one. He will have justice for belt to loins and loyalty for band to hips. The wolf and the lamb will be together, and the pardo next to the kid will lie down; the bullock and the young lion will graze together and a little boy will feed them; the cow and the bear will keep company and together their hatchlings will crouch, the lion and the ox will also eat straw; the infant will indulge in the pit of the aspire and in the den of the viper a spoiled man will put his hand. They will not hurt or break anyone in all my holy mountain because the knowledge of the Lord will fill the earth, as the waters will cover the sea. At that time the nations will turn anxiously to the scion of Jesse, erected as a signal for the peoples and its seat will be surrounded with glory ».

Homily. Sin, the refusal of love, has troubled not only man's heart, but all the harmony of creation. St. Paul writes that all creation groans pending redemption. Jesus the expected Messiah, is foreseen by the prophet Isaiah as the restorer of harmony, order, peace. In Christ all things are summarized. And it is only in adherence to Christ that we are restored to friendship with God and with the creatures that surround us.

Blessing. Almighty and merciful God, who gives you the grace to commemorate in faith the first coming of his Son and to hope for his glorious advent hopefully sanctify you now with the light of his visit and fill you with his blessing. In the journey of this life God makes you firm in faith, joyful in hope, active in charity. Amen. Christmas carol.

Fifth day

December 20: Jesus the man of sorrows

O key of David and scepter of the house of Israel, which you open and nobody can close; that you close and nobody can open: come and take from the prison the wretch who lies in darkness and in the shadow of death.

First reading From John Paul's bull The Incarnationis mysterium. In the Council, the Church became more aware of her own mystery and of the apostolic task entrusted to her by the Lord. This awareness commits the community of believers to live in the world knowing that it must be "the ferment and almost the soul of human society, destined to be renewed in Christ and transformed into the family of God". To respond effectively to this commitment, it must remain in unity and grow in its life of communion. The imminence of the jubilee event constitutes a strong stimulus in this direction.

Second reading From the book of the prophet Isaiah 53, 2-7. He grew up like a shoot in front of him and like a root in arid land. He has no appearance or beauty to attract our eyes, no splendor to delight in him. Despised and rejected by men, a man of pain who knows well how to suffer, like someone in front of which you cover your face, he was despised and we had no respect for him. Yet he took on our sufferings, took on our pains and we judged him chastised, beaten by God and humiliated. He was pierced for our crimes, crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that gives us salvation has fallen on him; for his wounds we have been healed. We were all lost like a flock, each of us followed his own path; the Lord made the iniquity of us all fall upon him. Abused, he let himself be humiliated and did not open his mouth; he was like a lamb brought to the slaughterhouse, like a silent sheep in front of the shearers, and he did not open his mouth.

Prayer. Show your power and come, Lord: in the dangers that threaten us because of our sins, your protection frees us, your help saves us. You who live and reign forever and ever. Amen. Recitation of the Holy Rosary.

Homily. The Messiah who must free men from sin and bring them back into friendship with God will be the man of pain. Through the suffering and sacrifice of his own life, Christ will redeem the world. This great mystery of redemption in pain makes us aware of the gravity of the fall. Our sin cost the Redeemer blood. It is a thought that should make us more accountable and less superficial in fighting against the temptations of the Evil One.

Sixth day

December 21: Jesus Son of God and Mary

O rising star, splendor of eternal light, sun of justice: come, illuminate who lies in darkness and in the shadow of death.

First reading From John Paul's bull The Incarnationis mysterium. The step of believers towards the third millennium is not at all affected by the tiredness that the weight of two thousand years of history could bring with it; Christians feel rather refreshed because of the awareness of bringing the true light to the world, Christ the Lord. The Church announcing Jesus of Nazareth, true God and perfect Man, opens up the prospect of being "divinized" and thus becoming more man to every human being. This is the only way by which the world can discover the high vocation to which it is called and fulfill it in the salvation wrought by God.

Second reading From the Gospel according to Luke 1, 26-38. In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth to a virgin bride of a man from the house of David named Joseph. The virgin was called Maria. Entering her, he said: "I salute you, full of grace, the Lord is with you." At these words she was disturbed and wondered what was the meaning of such a greeting. The angel said to her: «Do not be afraid, Mary, because you have found grace with God. Behold you will conceive a son, you will give birth to him and you will call him Jesus. He will be great and called Son of the Most High; the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David and will reign forever over the house of Jacob and his kingdom will have no end. " Then Mary said to the angel, "How is this possible? I don't know man ». The angel replied: "The Holy Spirit will descend on you, the power of the Most High will cast his shadow over you. The one who will be born will therefore be holy and called the Son of God. See: Elizabeth, your relative, in her old age, has also conceived a son and this is the sixth month for her, which everyone said sterile: nothing is impossible for God ». Then Mary said, "Here I am, I am the handmaid of the Lord, let what you have said be done to me." And the angel left her.

Homily. In the fullness of time the awaited Messiah places his tents among men. But God wants men also to collaborate in their salvation. He therefore asks a creature to give human nature to his Only Begotten Son. Maria freely and generously answered yes. In that instant she conceived Jesus the Savior and an intimate and profound union was established between the Mother and the Son in the work of the Redemption which will continue until the end of time.

Seventh day

December 22: Jesus the only mediator with Mary

O King of the Gentiles, awaited by all nations, the cornerstone that brings people together, come and save the man you formed from the earth.

First reading From John Paul's bull The ncarnationis mysterium. The years of preparation for the Jubilee were placed under the sign of the Holy Trinity: for Christ - in the Holy Spirit - to God the Father. The mystery of the Trinity is the origin of the journey of faith and its final term, when finally our eyes will eternally contemplate the face of God. By celebrating the Incarnation, we keep our gaze fixed on the mystery of the Trinity. Jesus of Nazareth, revelator of the Father, has fulfilled the desire hidden in the heart of every man to know God. What creation kept imprinted in itself as a seal by the creative hand of God and what the ancient Prophets had announced as a mass, in the revelation of Christ it comes to a definitive manifestation.

Second reading From the Gospel according to Luke 1, 39-45. In those days, Mary set off for the mountain and hurriedly reached a city of Judah. Entering the house of Zechariah, she greeted Elizabeth. As soon as Elizabeth heard Maria's greeting, the baby jumped in her womb. Elizabeth was full of the Holy Spirit and exclaimed in a loud voice: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! To what must the mother of my Lord come to me? Behold, as soon as the voice of your greeting reached my ears, the child exulted with joy in my womb. And blessed is she who believed in the fulfillment of the words of the Lord ».

Homily. The only mediator of grace and friendship with God is Christ Jesus. Despite being "humble servant of the Lord, all relative to God and to Christ our mediator and redeemer", Mary participates by a mysterious divine plan in this work of salvation of mankind. In the encounter with Elizabeth it is Christ who directly sanctifies John the precursor even before he was born, but it is Mary who bears Christ and gives it to men. In this perspective of mystery, God "needed" and "needs" Mary to save us.

Eighth day

December 23: Jesus is the God with us

O Emmanuele (God with us) our King and legislator, hope and salvation of peoples: come and save us, O Lord our God.

First reading From the bull of John Paul II Incarnationis mysterium. Jesus reveals the face of God the Father "rich in miserable cordiality and compassion" (Jas 5, 11), and by sending the Holy Spirit he makes the mystery of love of the Trinity manifest. It is the Spirit of Christ who works in the Church and in history: we must listen to him to recognize the signs of the new times and make the expectation of the return of the glorified Lord ever more alive in the hearts of believers. The Holy Year, therefore, must be a single, uninterrupted song of praise to the Trinity, High God.

Second reading From the Gospel according to Luke 1, 67-79. At that time, Zechariah, father of John, was full of the Holy Spirit, and prophesied saying: «Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, because he visited and redeemed his people, and raised up for us a powerful salvation in the house of David , his servant, as he had promised through the mouth of his old prophets of the past: salvation from our enemies, and from the hands of those who hate us. So he granted mercy to our fathers and remembered his holy covenant, the pledge made to our father Abraham, to conceive us, freed from the hands of enemies, to serve him without fear, in holiness and justice to his in the presence, for all our days. And you, child, will be called prophet of the Most High because you will go before the Lord to prepare the roads, to give his people the knowledge of salvation in the remission of his sins, thanks to the merciful-godly goodness of our God, so a sun will come to visit us from above to light up those who are in the darkness and shadow of death and direct our steps on the path of peace ».

Homily. The forerunner John the baptizer is the last prophet who announces Christ and prepares his ways. He invites men to penance so that they can receive salvation for Christ and in Christ. The sun is about to come up: it is necessary to open one's hearts to be invested by its light and its warmth. Christ is the sun "which rises to illuminate those who lie in the darkness and shadow of death".

Blessing. Almighty and merciful God, who gives you the grace to commemorate the first coming of his Son in faith and to await his glorious advent in hope, sanctify you now with the light of his visit and fill you with his blessing. In the journey of this life God makes you firm in faith, joyful in hope, active in charity. Amen. Christmas carol.

Ninth day

December 24: Jesus enters human history to raise him to the heights of God

When the sun rises, you will see the King of kings, as the bridegroom from the bridal chamber comes from the Father.

First reading From John Paul's bull The Incarnationis mysterium. «Glory to God the Father and the Son. King of the universe. Glory to the Spirit, worthy of praise and all holy. The Trinity is one God who created and filled everything: the heaven of heavenly beings and the earth of earthlings. The sea, the rivers and the sources he filled with water, everything vivifying with his Spirit, so that every creature praises his wise Creator ».

Second reading From the Gospel according to Luke 2, 1-14. «In those days a decree of Caesar Augustus ordered that the census of the whole earth be made. This first census was made when Quirinius was Governor of Syria. They all went to be registered, each in his city. Joseph, who was from the house and family of David, from the city of Nazareth and from Galilee, also went to Judea to the city of David, called Bethlehem, to be registered together with Mary his wife, who was pregnant. Now, while they were in that place, the days of childbirth were fulfilled for her. He gave birth to his firstborn son, wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the hotel. There were some shepherds in that region who watched over the night guarding their flock. An angel of the Lord appeared before them and the glory of the Lord enveloped them in light. They were greatly frightened, but the angel said to them: “Fear not, behold, I announce to you a great joy, which will be of all the people: today a savior, who is Christ the Lord, was born in the city of David. This is the sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger ”. And immediately a multitude of the heavenly army appeared with the angel who praised God and said: "Glory to God in the highest heaven and peace on earth to the men he loves".

Homily. «Let us therefore give thanks, dear friends, to God the Father through his Son in the Holy Spirit. For the great love with which he loved us, He took pity on us; and since we had died in sin, he re-established our life in Christ, so that we would be in him a new creation and a new work in his hands. Let us therefore strip ourselves of the old man with his ways of acting, and since we have been admitted to participate in the lineage of Christ, we renounce the works of the flesh ». The words of St. Leo the Great are a warning and an invitation: the Son of God enters the history of men by becoming man so that men enter the family of God becoming deiform. We Christians are divine lineage. We cannot and must not forget this sublime vocation: we live as children of God!