Episode Details

Please Note: In light of increasingly frequent inquiries, I want to assure all listeners that the voice in these recordings is *NOT AI generated*; it is my (InPrincipio Podcast’s) own human voice, unworthy as it is. Thank you. Chapter 6 of the Introduction to the Season of Christmas: On Holy Communion during Christmas, from Volume II of "The Liturgical Year" by Dom Prosper Guéranger.Music: “The First Noel” (Latin)Performed by Corpus Christi WatershedUsed with permissionVisit ccwatershed.org for more beautiful chants, hymnals, scores, and liturgical resources. Please pray for their good work!In On Holy Communion during Christmas, Dom Guéranger teaches that Communion now leads the soul beyond expectation into intimate possession of the Incarnate Word, who no longer comes hidden and awaited, but revealed as the Divine Infant of Bethlehem. Receiving the Eucharist during this season is likened to welcoming the Child Jesus into the heart as into a living crib, where humility, simplicity, and love prepare Him a dwelling. The mystery invites the faithful to approach with the faith of the shepherds, the adoration of the Magi, and the tenderness of Mary, recognizing in the humble Host the Creator who asks for room in our souls. Holy Communion at Christmas thus deepens knowledge of Christ, inflames charity, and calls the soul to become little and childlike, so as to be united more perfectly to Him who became a child for our salvation.Dom Prosper Guéranger's The Liturgical Year, a monumental fifteen-volume work, offers a comprehensive exploration of the Catholic Church’s liturgical calendar, guiding readers through the spiritual and historical richness of the Church’s worship. Written in the 19th century, the series provides daily meditations, historical context, and liturgical texts for the Mass and Divine Office, covering the entire cycle of seasons—Advent, Christmas, Lent, Passiontide, Easter, and the Time after Pentecost—as well as feast days of saints. Guéranger’s work, rooted in a deep contemplative spirit, aims to immerse the faithful in the Church’s prayerful life, emphasizing the unity of faith through the axiom lex orandi, lex credendi ("the law of prayer is the law of belief"), and remains a cherished resource for Catholics seeking to deepen their spiritual lives. Dom Prosper Guéranger (1805–1875) was a French Benedictine monk, liturgical scholar, and founder of the Solesmes Abbey, renowned for his pivotal role in reviving the Benedictine Order in France and restoring the Roman liturgy after the disruptions of the French Revolution. Born in Sablé-sur-Sarthe, he entered the priesthood in 1827 and, inspired by a vision to restore monastic life, reestablished the Benedictine community at Solesmes in 1833, becoming its first abbot. A staunch defender of ultramontanism and traditional Catholic worship, he also championed the revival of Gregorian chant, significantly influencing the liturgical renewal movement.Link to the Dom Guéranger's Liturgical Year playlist (updated daily, unless a Ferial day): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZKdyYnV_bkh7rH6piW0ShgsdcefFoOvJIf you would like to support this channel, consider becoming a channel member, and get early access to all new readings:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEYRtJac7oQZQ4C0MSHT5WA/join