Friday, January 6, 2012

Invenerunt Puerum cum Maria Matre ejus, et procidentes adoraverunt eum.


They found the Child with Mary His Mother, (genuflect)
and falling down they adored Him.
St Matthew ii, 11.

Especially at Christmastide, most especially on the feast of the Epiphany, when I come before the Crib, I love to repeat these words as I kneel to adore the Saviour Whose image I see before me, offering not gold, frankincense nor myrrh, but my heart's oblation, as I find the Child with Mary His Mother, and adore Him with the Magi.

I apply these words when I genuflect before the tabernacle, where He reposes as once in the Manger, within the church, which is the true Bethlehem, verily the "House of Bread".  We must come into the Church to do so: Et intrantes domum, "And entering into the house...".

The above image, a triptych known as the Columba altarpiece, by Rogier van der Weyden (1399/1400-1464), I reproduce here because, in my parish church, a reproduction has been placed above the votive candle stand next to Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, and so I light a candle before her and this representation of the Annunciation, Nativity and Presentation of Our Lord, her Son.

No comments:

Post a Comment