This Sunday, the first of the ecclesiastical year, is called in the chronicles and charts of the Middle Ages, Ad te levavi Sunday, from the first words of the Introit: or Aspiciens a longe, from the first words of one of the Responsories of Matins. The Station is at Saint Mary Major’s. It is under the auspices of Mary — in the splendid Basilica which possesses the Crib of Bethlehem, and is therefore called, in ancient documents, Saint Mary’s ad Praesepe — that the Roman Church recommences each year the sacred Cycle. It would have been impossible to select a place more suitable than this for saluting the approach of the Divine Birth, which is to gladden Heaven and Earth and manifest the sublime portent of a Virgin Mother.Epistle – Romans xiii. 11–14
Brethren, knowing that it is now high time for us to rise from sleep. For now our salvation is nearer than when we began to believe, the night is far spent, and the day is at hand. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day: not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and jealousy, but put on the Lord Jesus Christ.Thanks be to God.
Dom Prosper Guéranger:
The Saviour, then, who is coming to us is the clothing which we are to put on over our spiritual nakedness. Here let us admire the goodness of our God who, remembering that man hid himself after his sin because he was naked, vouchsafes Himself to become man’s clothing and cover with the robe of His Divinity the misery of human nature. Let us therefore be on the watch for the day and the hour when He will come to us, and take precautions against the drowsiness which comes of custom and self-indulgence. The light will soon appear. May its first rays be witness of our innocence, or at least of our repentance. If our Saviour is coming to put over our sins a covering which is to hide them forever, the least that we, on our part, can do, is to retain no further affection for those sins, else it will be said of us that we refused our salvation. The last words of this Epistle were those which caught the eye of Saint Augustine when, after a long resistance to the grace which pressed him to give himself to God, he resolved to obey the voice which said to him: Tolle lege, take and read. They decided his conversion. He immediately resolved to abandon the worldly life he had hitherto led, and put on Christ Jesus. Let us begin this very day, and imitate this Saint. Let us long for that dear and glorious clothing, with which the mercy of our heavenly Father is so soon to cover us.Gospel – Luke xxi. 25–33
At that time Jesus said to His disciples: “There will be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, by reason of the confusion of the roaring of the sea and of the waves, men withering away for fear, and expectation of what will come upon them. For the powers of the heaven will be moved; and then they will see the Son of man coming in a cloud with great power and majesty. But when these things begin to come to pass, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is at hand.” And He spoke to them a parable: “See the fig tree and all the trees; when they are shooting forth their fruit, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you will see these things come to pass, know that the kingdom of God is at hand. Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away till all things are fulfilled. Heaven, and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.Praise be to you, O Christ.
Dom Prosper Guéranger:
You are to come, then, O Jesus, in all the terror of the Last Judgement, and when men least expect you! In a few days you are coming to us to clothe our misery with the garment of your mercy, a garment of glory and immortality to us. But you are to come again on a future day, and in such dread majesty, that men will wither away with fear. My Saviour! Condemn me not on that day of the world’s destruction. Visit me now in your love and mercy. I am resolved to prepare my soul. I desire that you should come and be born within me so that when the convulsions of nature warn me of your coming to judge me, I may lift up my head, as you bid your faithful disciples do, who, when the rest of men will tremble at the thunder of your Judgement, will have confidence in you because they have you in their hearts.
