Sunday within the Octave of Christmas

Sunday 27 December 2009

DOMINICA INFRA OCTAVAM NATIVITATIS
Sunday within the Octave of Christmas
2nd Class, White


Oremus:

Omnipotens sempitérne Deus, dírige actus nostros in beneplácito tuo: ut in nómine dilécti Fílii tui mereámur bonis opéribus abundáre:
Qui tecum vivit...

Let us Pray:

O Almighty and everlasting God, direct our actions according to Thy good pleasure; that in the Name of Thy beloved Son we may deserve to abound in good works:
Who with Thee...

~~*~~

Commentary on the Collect for Sunday (Fr John Zuhlsdorf, The Wanderer 2005):

In the functionally superior Lewis & Short Dictionary we learn that beneplacitum means "good pleasure, gracious purpose". The preposition in using the ablative case indicates a condition, situation or relation rather than a reference to space where or time when something was occurring. In the Vulgate beneplacitum translates the original Greek eudokia in, e.g., Eph 1:9; 1 Cor 10:5. Other phrases are used for eudokia too (e.g., bona voluntas in Luke 2:14, the famous "peace on earth to men of good will" or "peace on earth good will toward men"). Paul wrote eudokia at the beginning of 2 Thessalonians (1:11-12), rendered as voluntas bonitatis in the Vulgate:

...oramus semper pro vobis ut dignetur vos vocatione sua Deus et impleat omnem voluntatem bonitatis et opus fidei in virtute ut clarificetur nomen Domini nostri Iesu Christi in vobis et vos in illo secundum gratiam Dei nostri et Domini Iesu Christi… we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his call, and may fulfill every good resolve (omnem voluntatem bonitatis) and work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ (RSV).

We can find connections between 2 Thessalonians and our Collect at several points: mereamur in the Collect with dignetur in Paul (both having to do with meriting or being worth of), beneplacitum with voluntas bonitatis, bona opera with opus fidei (good works flowing from lived faith), nomen Filii with nomen Domini Iesu Christi. Taken in the sense of "gracious purpose" we can make a connection to Paul's vocatio too, our "calling" or the purpose for which God placed us on this earth with a part of His plan to fulfill.

Abundo means, "to overflow with any thing, to have an abundance or superabundance of, to abound in." If we go back to the idea of the preposition in and the ablative indicating place or location in space, (in beneplacito tuo) we have an image of our good works originating in God and, coming from Him, overflowing out from us. Some Protestants are under the false impression that Catholics think we can "earn" our way to heaven by our own good works, as if our good works had their own merit apart from God. Catholics believe, however, that true good works always have their origin in God, but the works are truly our works as well since we cooperate with God in performing them. Therefore, having their origin and purpose in God, they merit the reward of God's promises. Whenever we find a reference to works in these liturgical prayers, do not forget the Catholic understanding of good works.

Links:

• Fr Goffine's The Church's Year
• Gregorian Chant propers
• What Does the Prayer Really Say?
  

(image: breviary.net)