Bethlehem, House of Bread, Advent Reflection – Br. Gabriel
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Ave Maria!
Br. Gabriel gives the talks for the December First Saturday, which is also our Advent Day of Reflection, titled "Bethlehem, House of Bread", where he combines the theme of the Eucharist with the coming of Christ at Christmas in his own poem and them reflects on it line by line.
Poem
1. I thank you, Lord, with all my heart, My Eucharistic Friend
You promised you would not depart, Right up to the end
2. You wait for us both day and night, When men have all gone home
When only candles flicker bright, You wait there all alone
3. A prisoner of love divine, In walls of gold detained
Only during Communion time, You’re freed and uncontained
4. Only God could so invent, This way to demonstrate
So gentle and benevolent, Love so affectionate
5. This is my body given up, For you to all partake
My blood poured out for you to drink, My cup your thirst to slake
6. Your birth took place in Bethlehem, A town called House of Bread
A prophecy which now as then, Reveals now how we’re fed.
7. A manger too; a feeding trough, Is where you chose to rest
On this bed and in this croft, Our Host becomes our guest
8. Your flesh indeed would be our food; Your Blood would be our drink
Your cradle and your Cross of wood, Is told with pen and ink
9. The Father wanted all along, To give us God the Son
Christ’s gift of self began in song, At the brook of Kedron.
10. Eden’s test we failed to meet, And death had entered in
The new command is now to eat, The Bread come down from Heaven
11. Earnestly have I desired, To eat this Pasch with you
I’ve come to cast on earth a fire, And kindle hearts anew
12. The Manna which our Fathers ate, Foreshadowed Bread to come
Eternal life will be our fate, If we partake of some.
13. Like the snow from up above, Christ came down to us
Purest white just like a dove, We say Merry Christmas
14. We shall not forget to think, Nor sing her praise who said
“Son, they have no wine to drink”, These grapes must now be tread.
15. Three measures of the finest flour, This faithful woman kneads
And takes this loaf from out the fire, And all her children feeds
16. Drawing close to Christmas time, We tell all the youth
For this reason Christ was born, To witness to the truth
17. Everyday is Christmas Day, At every Eucharist
Jesus always wants to stay, And as our food consist
18. What should we all learn from this, If not how love was shown
This great Sacrament confess, And how this wheat was sown.
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Also on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ZeS6WYXxSKU
Playlist on this event and other Marian Days: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeS6WYXxSKU&list=PLejh_e0-LN4xsZ1g-7fXXFCH22CWA6mfK
- CONF 590
