10 December, Second Sunday of Advent
Station at the Roman Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem
Today’s stational church is the home of my own monastic community, Santa Croce in Gerusalemme. Santa Croce is Jerusalem–in–Rome: the image of the ancient Jerusalem that is the Mother Church; of the Catholic Church that is the Jerusalem open to all peoples; of the interior Jerusalem of the soul; and of the heavenly Jerusalem, the object of all our longings.
GR
People of Sion, behold the Lord shall come for the saving of the nations; and the Lord shall make heard the glory of His voice in the joy of your heart (Is 30: 19, 30). V. O shepherd of Israel, hear us; You Who lead Joseph like a flock (Ps 79:2).
COLLECT
Almighty and merciful God,
let no works of worldly impulse
impede those who are hastening to meet Your Son,
but rather, may the teachings of heavenly wisdom
make us the companions of Him Who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever.
GENERAL INTERCESSIONS
For the holy Church of God, the new Eve;
that she may put on forever the beauty of the glory from God
and gather to herself children from East and from West,
let us pray in silence — for the Lord is near. (Pause for silence.)
For the leaders of nations and all public servants;
that, gifted with knowledge and all discernment,
they may approve what is excellent
and protect what is good,
let us pray in silence — for the Lord is near. (Pause for silence.)
For those who suffer in body, mind, or spirit,
and for those who are clothed in the garments of sorrow and affliction;
that the glorious Advent of Jesus Christ
may fill them with joy and with the promise of unfading beauty,
let us pray in silence — for the Lord is near. (Pause for silence.)
For the Roman community of the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem
and for ourselves;
that we may walk safely on level ground
in the light of the glory of God,
and the shade of the fragrant tree of the Cross,
let us pray in silence — for the Lord is near. (Pause for silence.)
COLLECT AT THE GENERAL INTERCESSIONS
O God of beauty and of glory,
Who wonderfully created the first Adam, clothing him in light,
and more wonderfully still clothed the new Adam
in the imperishable splendour of the resurrection;
mercifully grant that we, exiled children of Eve,
make take off the robe of mourning and misery
to be wrapped in the cloak of justice,
and be found pure and blameless for the Day of Christ
Who is Lord forever and ever.
OFFERTORY ANTIPHON
GR
You will turn, O God, and bring us to life,
and Your people shall rejoice in You:
show us, O Lord, Your mercy,
and grant us Your salvation (Ps 84:7–8).
PRAYER OVER THE OFFERINGS
Be pleased, we beseech You, O Lord
by our humble prayers and sacrificial offerings,
and since we can plead no merits of our own,
let the protection of Your pardon come to help us.
Through Christ our Lord.
PREFACE
Truly it is right and just, our duty and our salvation,
always and everywhere to give You thanks,
Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God,
through Christ our Lord.
Who in His first advent, having taken on the lowliness of our flesh,
accomplished the work You proposed long ago
and opened for us the way of eternal salvation;
so that when He comes again in the glory of His majesty
we may behold at last completed
the promised work for which we now keep watch and dare to hope.
And so with Angels and Archangels.
with Thrones and Dominations,
and with all the powers of heaven,
we sing a hymn to Your glory
and ceaselessly proclaim:
COMMUNION ANTIPHON
GR
Arise, O Jerusalem, and stand on high; and behold the joy that shall come to you from your God (Bar 5:5; 4:36).
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Full-fed with spiritual nourishment,
we humbly beseech You, Lord,
that by our partaking of this mystery
You would teach us to weigh wisely the things of earth
and to cling to those of heaven.
Through Christ our Lord.
