Intro to the day:  “In this the Charity of God has appeared to us, that God sent His only Begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.” –1 John 4:9

Today is Thursday of the Third Week of Advent. We are praying for the faculty, staff, and families of St. Isaac Jogues Catholic School in St. Clair Shores, MI.

Today is the Feast of Blessed Giulia Valle, a Sister of Charity born in the mid 1800s in Aosta, Italy. After her own turbulent childhood, Giulia was filled with love for the children she educated and cared for in Tortona, and was called “our angel” by locals. Her motto was "[...] God Alone ! To Him the glory, to the others joy,[...] I shall be very strict with myself and full of charity towards the others: love gratuitously offered is the only thing that remains."

Gospel: Matthew 1:18-25

Saint of the Day: St. Thomas Aquinas on the Gift of the Son of God in the Incarnation (Commentary on the First Epistle of St. John, Chapter 4)

Marian prayer for the day: Alma Redemptoris Mater

Mother of Christ, hear thou thy people's cry

Star of the deep and Portal of the sky!

Mother of Him who thee made from nothing made.

Sinking we strive and call to thee for aid:

Oh, by what joy which Gabriel brought to thee,

Thou Virgin first and last, let us thy mercy see.

V. The Angel of the Lord announced unto Mary.

R. And she conceived by the Holy Spirit.

Let us pray: Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts: that as we have known the incarnation of Thy Son Jesus Christ by the message of an Angel, so too by His Cross and passion may we be brought to the glory of His resurrection. Amen.

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