Priestly Fraternity of the Dowry of Mary

Thoughts on the Readings for the Third Sunday of Advent (Year C)

By Fr Charles FSDM

Today’s readings move away from the somewhat gloomy forecasts of death and destruction that have run through some of the readings for the last few weeks. There is indeed a lightening of mood even down to the vestments worn by the Celebrant at Holy Mass, which today may be rose (pink) instead of the penitential purple.

Today, traditionally known as Gaudete Sunday, we are exhorted to “Rejoice, for the Lord is at hand”. The name Gaudete Sunday comes from the words of the Introit – “Gaudete in Domino semper”, Rejoice in the Lord Always.

We are reminded of these words in the Second Reading, from St Paul’s letter to the Phillipians. St Paul reminds us that the Lord is very near and tells us that he wants us to be always happy in…

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Thoughts from Mgr Alban for today, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the BVM.

Priestly Fraternity of the Dowry of Mary

Thoughts on the Readings at Mass for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

by Mgr Alban FSDM

Pope Benedict ⅩⅥ, the Bishop of Rome, has said that “on the path of Advent shines the star of Mary Immaculate”, and without her part in history we should not have received our Blessed Lord as the Child-King of Bethlehem. Without Our Lady saying, “I am the handmaid of the Lord, let what you have said be done to me” to the angel Gabriel, in today’s Gospel,  there would have been no conception of Jesus, no Incarnation, no Passion, no Cross, no Resurrection, and no Ascension, and today we would not be waiting for the Second Coming of Christ.

However, it is not the Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and our God that we are celebrating. No, today we are celebrating the beginning of…

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A brief meditation for the First Sunday of Advent

Priestly Fraternity of the Dowry of Mary

By Fr Charles FSDM

On this First Sunday of Advent, the Church begins a new year and begins four weeks of preparation for the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ. All over the place, we see civic Christmas decorations up, Christmas lights lit and people thinking that because we have gone beyond 25th November that Christmas has started.

All a little too early.  It is too easily forgotten in an increasingly secularised world that we are in fact in Advent – a Latin word that means “coming” – a season of which we are reminded during Mass when the Priest says the words “…as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.”

It is a time of preparation and penitence, just as Lent is a time of preparation and penitence for the other great Feast of the Church, Easter.

The Prophet Jeremiah…

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