Author Topic: Saint Gabriel, Archangel (Read 901 times)

magdalena · « **Reply #1 on:** March 24, 2015, 05:07:11 AM »

http://catholicharboroffaithandmorals.com/Gabriel.html

Saint Gabriel--Catholic Harbor of Faith and Morals

magdalena · « **Reply #2 on:** March 24, 2015, 05:10:07 AM »

Hymn of Praise to St. Gabriel, the Archangel.

Luke i. 19: "I am Gabriel, who stand before God."

Hail Gabriel, hail; a thousand hails
For thine whose music still prevails
To charm the list'ning ear;
Angelic word, sent forth to tell
How He the Eternal Word should dwell
Amid His creatures here.

Heaven's voice of sweetness, uttered low,
Thy words like strains of music grow
Upon the stilly night;
Clear echoes from the mind of God,
That steal through Mary's blest abode
In pulses of delight.

O voice, dear voice, the ages hear
That hail of thine still ling'ring near,
An unexhausted song;
And still thou com'st with balmy wing,
And still thou sweetly seem'st to sing,
Thine Ave to prolong.

Take up in Heaven for us thy part,
And singing to the Sacred Heart
Thy strains of rapture raise;
And tune with endless Ave still
The voices of the Blest, and fill
The ear of God with praise.

magdalena · « **Reply #3 on:** March 24, 2015, 05:19:18 AM »

Lesson from the book of Daniel
Dan 9:20-23

20 Now while I was yet speaking, and praying, and confessing my sins, and the sins of my people of Israel, and presenting my supplications in the sight of my God, for the holy mountain of my God:
21 As I was yet speaking in prayer, behold the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, flying swiftly touched me at the time of the evening sacrifice.
22 And he instructed me, and spoke to me, and said: O Daniel, I am now come forth to teach thee, and that thou mightest understand.
23 From the beginning of thy prayers the word came forth: and I am come to show it to thee, because thou art a man of desires: therefore do thou mark the word, and understand the vision.

24 Seventy weeks are shortened upon thy people, and upon thy holy city, that transgression may be finished, and sin may have an end, and iniquity may be abolished; and everlasting justice may be brought; and vision and prophecy may be fulfilled; and the saint of saints may be anointed.
25 Know thou therefore, and take notice: that from the going forth of the word, to build up Jerusalem again, unto Christ the prince, there shall be seven weeks, and sixty-two weeks: and the street shall be built again, and the walls in straitness of times.

26 And after sixty-two weeks Christ shall be slain: and the people that shall deny him shall not be his. And a people with their leader that shall come, shall destroy the city and the sanctuary: and the end thereof shall be waste, and after the end of the war the appointed desolation.
27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many, in one week: and in the half of the week the victim and the sacrifice shall fall: and there shall be in the temple the abomination of desolation: and the desolation shall continue even to the consummation, and to the end.

V. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
R. Thanks be to God.

magdalena · « **Reply #4 on:** March 24, 2015, 05:31:40 AM »

A Sermon by St. Venerable Bede, the Priest at Jarrow.
Exposition on Luke 1:11-20

The Angel appeared to Zacharias in the sanctuary of the temple at the right side of the altar of incense. Which same was fitting, thus: he appeared in the sanctuary because he came to proclaim sacrifice; and at the right side thereof, to índicate how joyous was the honour about to be bestowed on mankind by the heavenly gift. The right side is the side of honour, and therefore words índicating a position at the right hand are often used to signify an eternal good, and by the same token, to be at the left side doth sometimes signify only present good. As for example where the Book of Proverbs singeth thus in praise of wisdom: Length of days in in her right hand, and in her left hand riches and honour. First of all the Angel comforteth the trembling Zacharias. Fear not, saith he. For just as it is natural for human frailty to fear spiritual manifestations, so it is natural for Angels to comfort with good words the mortals that be in this wise fearful. Contrariwise, when the devil perceiveth that his audacious manifestations do frighten, he proceedeth to frighten as much as he can, and that with an increasing fearsomeness. There is no better way to overcome his workings than by a courageous faith.

Next, the Angel saith that the prayer of Zacharias was heard, and then straightway promiseth that the wife of Zacharias should bear a child. We are not to understand that he had been praying for the birth of a son whilst he was offering the sacrifice according to the liturgy of that time, for we are told that he had given up hope of a son, and no one prayeth for that which he hath no hope of obtaining. Yea, so hopeless was he of ever having children of his own, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both now well stricken in years, that he did not even believe the Angel's promise. Therefore the words of the Angel: Thy prayer is heard: refer to the redemption of the people, for which Zacharias had prayed in the pleading of the sacrifice. And the words: Thy wife shall bear a son: do shew the manner of that redemption, for he addeth that the son of Zacharias shall go before the Redeemer as a herald, to make ready his way amongst the people. Thus, in this saying that the prayer of supplication offered by Zacharias was heard of God, the Angel sheweth in what manner the people can be brought to salvation and perfection; namely, by repentance at the preaching of John, whereby they are to be led to faith in Christ.

But Zacharias hesitateth because of the sublime things which have been promised. Wherefore he asketh for a sign, that he may believe, albeit the coming of the Angel and his words of promise ought to have been a sufficient sign. Hence he was stricken dumb as a just penalty for his slowness of belief: to be dumb was both a sign to stir him up to the faith which he sought, and the penance which he deserved for his unbelief. We may thus understand that if a man of earth had promised such things, it would be lawful to seek for a sign, but that when an Angel is sent from heaven to give God's promise, there should have been no occasion for doubt. And yet the Angel giveth the desired sign, so that he who spake from disbelief may learn from silence to believe. Note that the Angel saith : I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God, and am sent to speak unto thee these glad tidings. Doubtless when Angels come to us they fulfill this active and outward ministry in such a way that they yet do always remain in God's presence by contemplation. Wherefore, they stand in his presence even though they be sent from him on a mission. An Angel is a created spirit, and therefore hath many limitations. But God hath no limitations, and is everywhere. Thus when he sendeth his Angels from his presence, they yet do stand therein, for whithersoever they go on a mission, they go in him. - This Feast of the Archangel Gabriel was extended to the universal Church by Pope Benedict XV.

V. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
R. Thanks be to God.

magdalena · « **Reply #5 on:** March 24, 2015, 05:40:15 AM »

A Homily by St. Bernard the Abbot
Homily 1 on Missus est, no. 2

Consider that this Angel was not one of lesser rank, even though such are, on one account or another, often sent on embassies to this earth. That he was an Angel of greater rank is indicated by his name which signifieth: Strength of God: and by the fact that he was sent, not by some Angel perhaps more excellent than he (as is usual), but from God himself. Therefore for this reason it is said: From God. Or, it might be for another reason, namely, lest it should be thought that God had discourteously revealed his counsel to any of the blessed spirits, except only the Archangel Gabriel, before he did so to the Virgin. For Gabriel alone was found so eminent among his compeers as to be held worthy both of such a name and message.

Neither do his name and his message disagree. For whom did it more behove to announce Christ, who is the Power of God, than him who is honoured by a like name? For what else is power than strength? Neither doth it appear to be unbecoming or unseemly that the Lord and his messenger should be known by a like title. Christ is called the power or strength of God in a very different sense from that in which this appellation is given to the Angel. In the Angel it is but a name. In the case of Christ, it is also an eternal attribute.

V. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
R. Thanks be to God.

magdalena · « **Reply #6 on:** March 24, 2015, 12:57:22 PM »

PerEvangelicaDicta · « **Reply #7 on:** March 24, 2015, 02:24:22 PM »

Magnificent picture, and the most edifying of meditations, Magdalena, as usual.

Just an inconsequential story:
We've observed a cat in our neighborhood for almost a year, thinking he's someone's pet. It finally dawned on us in the dead of a record cold winter that he was homeless. We started to put out the leftover food that our cat didn't eat. Not much, but food for fuel to help him stay warm. A few weeks ago I noticed a pretty good gash on the side of his head. Tangling with a racoon or possum no doubt, from the look of it.
We asked Saint Francis and the BVM who stand guard in our yard to intercede with God for mercy on his cold half starving little body. And somehow he survived the brutal winter.

A few days ago he was limping very badly. So, we trapped him and he's now being 'rehabilitated' for adoption. He's as gentle as a lamb, despite all his hardship and lack of human interaction/affection.

We named him Gabriel.