The Heavenly Physician
                  I cannot resist offering a little commentary on the Collect of the day, one of Advent’s most beautiful prayers: Omnipotens Deus, qui nos praecipis iter...
                
                              
        
           Ave, liber incomprehensus
                  At Matins this morning I listened, enchanted, to Saint Epiphanius’ rapturous praises of the All-Holy Mother of God. The witness of Saint Epiphanius is precious:...
                
                              
        
           Ioannem quaerit, Ioannem desiderat, ad Ioannem vadit
                  At Matins this morning there were two stupendous readings from Benedictine sources: one from Saint Peter Damian, Bishop (1007-1072), and the other from Saint Bede...
                
                              
        
           Non transalpinare necesse est
                  Non te opportet, o homo, maria transfretare, non penetrare nubes, non transalpinare necesse est. Non grandis, inquam, tibi ostenditur via: usque ad temetipsum occurre Deo...
                
                              
        
           Invenisti gratiam apud Deum
                  Advent and the Annunciation Our Lady, the glorious Virgin of Isaiah’s prophecy (Is 7:14), is everywhere present in the liturgy of Advent, and this from...
                
                              
        
      	
		