“The Church’s deepest nature is expressed in her threefold responsibility: of proclaiming the Word of God, celebrating the sacraments, and exercising the ministry of charity.  These duties presuppose each other and are inseparable.”                  
[Pope Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas Est, 25]

The Christmas Season is a good time to reflect on our love for God’s Word, our desire for God’s sacraments and our willingness to share are time, talent and treasure in Charity with those in need.

The Christmas Season is a good time to reflect on our love for God’s Word, our desire for God’s sacraments and our willingness to share are time, talent and treasure in Charity with those in need.

May God Be Praised!

St. Hilary of Poitiers wrote, "What worthy return can we make for so great a condescension? The One Only-begotten God, ineffably born of God, entered the Virgin's womb and grew and took the frame of poor humanity.

He who upholds the universe, within whom and through whom are all things, was brought forth by common childbirth.

He at whose voice archangels and angels tremble, and heaven and earth and all the elements of this world are melted, was heard in childish wailing.

The Invisible and Incomprehensible, whom sight and feeling and touch cannot measure, was wrapped in a cradle."

What can we do?  Love the Lord our God!

May God Be Praised!

“Let nothing disturb you, Let nothing frighten you, All things are passing away: God never changes.  Patience obtains all things Whoever has God lacks nothing; God alone suffices.”   

[St. Teresa of Avila]

Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, He is the Word made flesh; He is our nourishment, seek Him today!

May God Be Praised!

“The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand.”  [Psalm 37:23-24]

God will pick you up when you stumble or fall, but you must reach out your hand, today forgive some hurt that you endured, give it to God.

May God Be Praised!

"God has done everything; he has done the impossible: he was made flesh. 

His all-powerful love has accomplished something which surpasses all human understanding: the Infinite has become a child, has entered the human family. 

And yet, this same God cannot enter my heart unless I open the door to him."  

[Pope Benedict XVI]

May God Be Praised!

“Whenever I groan within myself and think how hard it is to keep writing about love in these times of tension and strife which may, at any moment, become for us all a time of terror, I think to myself: What else is the world interested in? What else do we all want, each one of us, except to love and be loved, in our families, in our work, in all our relationships?

God is Love. Love casts out fear. Even the most ardent revolutionist, seeking to change the world, to overturn the tables of the money changers, is trying to make a world where it is easier for people to love, to stand in that relationship to each other…There can never be enough of it.”  [Dorothy Day]

To celebrate the Christmas Season look for the good in each person you meet.

May God Be Praised!

 

May the Blessings of Christmas be with you, May the Christ Child light your way, May God’s holy angels guide you, And keep you safe each day.”  
[Traditional Irish Christmas Blessing]

May God Be Praised!

Here we are the 4^th Sunday of Advent, and the antiphon for Morning Prayer reminds us, “Today you will know the Lord is coming, and in the morning you will see his glory.”  

The first candle symbolizes hope and is called the “Prophet’s Candle.”  The second candle represents faith and is called “Bethlehem’s Candle.”  The third candle symbolizes joy and is called the “Shepherd’s Candle.”  The fourth candle represents peace and is called the “Angel’s Candle.”

The (optional) fifth candle represents light and purity and is called “Christ’s candle.” It is placed in the middle and is lit on Christmas Day.

May God Be Praised!

CONCLUDING PRAYER FOR MORNING PRAYER 12/20/18
God of love and mercy, help us to follow the example of Mary, always ready to do your will.  At the message of an angel she welcomed your eternal Son and, filled with the light of your Spirit, she became the temple of your Word, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

May God Be Praised!

 "And I saw that truly nothing happens by accident or luck, but everything by God's wise providence ... for matters that have been in God's foreseeing wisdom, since before time began, befall us suddenly, all unawares; and so in our blindness and ignorance we say that this is accident or luck, but to our Lord God it is not so."  [St. Juliana of Norwich]

Put your faith in the Lord, He wants to walk with you and talk with you and be with you.

May God Be Praised!

"May the Holy Spirit enkindle you with the fire of His Love so that you may persevere, unfailingly, in the love of His service. Thus you may merit to become, at last, a living stone in the celestial Jerusalem."   

[St. Hildegard von Bingen]

 

Our world needs your Advent light, please share it.

May God Be Praised!

Take a few minutes to read and reflect on this story.  “Welcome to the Sandbox”

6-year-old Mikey was having a bad day he knocked over paint running in school, he punched his little sister because she was bugging him while he was playing on the computer, he wanted no part of his lunch a meatloaf sandwich,  & on this particular afternoon, his friends weren’t around to play with. 

So, Mikey found himself exiled to the sandbox, pushing his toy dump truck through the sand.  After a while, he saw his dad come around the corner.  And he thought Mom must have told him about the day’s adventures.  Mikey didn’t look up; he didn’t say a word.   He just kept pushing his truck through the sand – and prepared himself for the worst.

His Dad bent down @ the edge of the sandbox, next to Mikey.  He took a pail, filled it with sand, and carefully turned it over at one end of the rut Mikey had cut through the sand.  He continued making one perfect mound of sand, after another. 

Mikey smiled for the first time all day.  For an hour or two, Mikey and his dad transformed the sandbox into an elaborate network of roads and bridges.  Then his Dad said, “It’s been a bad day all around”.   “Yup!” Mikey agreed as he made a new road with his truck.  Like Mikey’ s Dad, Jesus gets into the sandbox of life with us.

Today we are reminded that our baptism calls us, invites us to repent by: blessing each person we meet, blessing each moment we have, and blessing each action we take, and then giving them to the Lord.

May God Be Praised!

St. Therese and Her Little Way

What is the meaning of "the little way" of St. Therese? 

It is her understanding about being a disciple of Jesus Christ, of seeking holiness of life in the ordinary and the everyday.

Therese based her "little way" on two fundamental convictions: 1. God shows love by mercy and forgiveness and 2. She could not be perfect in following the Lord.

If you live the “little way” like St. Teresa, you will find the JOY of Jesus no matter what happens to you in this life.  

May God Be Praised!

Pray the O Antiphons this week and grow closer to the Lord!

December 17

O Wisdom of our God Most High,
guiding creation with power and love:
come to teach us the path of knowledge!

December 18

O Leader of the House of Israel,
giver of the Law to Moses on Sinai:
come to rescue us with your mighty power!

December 19

O Root of Jesse’s stem,
sign of God’s love for all his people:
come to save us without delay!

December 20

O Key of David,
opening the gates of God’s eternal Kingdom:
come and free the prisoners of darkness!

December 21

O Radiant Dawn,
splendor of eternal light, sun of justice:
come and shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the
shadow of death.

December 22

O King of all nations and keystone of the Church:
come and save man, whom you formed from the dust!

December 23

O Emmanuel, our King and Giver of Law:
come to save us, Lord our God!

[From Catholic Household Blessings & Prayers]

 

“It is now the hour for you to wake from sleep, for our salvation is closer than when we first accepted the faith. The night is far spent; the day draws near. Let us cast off deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.”   
[Romans 13:11-12]

Today reflect on how our culture has dulled your love and fervor for the Lord, Advent reminds us to 

put Our Lord and Savior front and center in our lives and in our actions.

May God Be Praised!

 

Today remember that everyone you meet and everything you do will be allowed by Our Lord, so live today with tonight's PRAYER in mind.

“My Day is Ending” [St. Francis de Sales]

Thank you for all the gifts of the day,
for the place I spent it
And for those with whom I spent it, for all its joys
and all its sorrows, for the troubles overcome
and for those that remain.

I offer you the silence of this night, its darkness and its solitude.
Whether you chose
under the cover of this night to take away the problems of this day, or leave them for tomorrow,
I will bless your name.

Thy will be done.  Amen.

May God Be Praised!

"Jesus has many lovers of His heavenly kingdom, but few cross-bearers. Many desire His consolation, but few His tribulation. Many will sit down with Him at table, but few will share His fast. All desire to rejoice with Him, but few will suffer for Him. Many will follow Him to the breaking of the bread, but few will drink the bitter cup of His Passion. Many revere His miracles, but few follow the shame of His cross. Many love Jesus when all goes well with them, and praise Him when He does them a favor; but if Jesus conceals Himself and leaves them for a little while, they fall to complaining or become depressed. They who love Jesus purely for Himself and not for their own sake bless Him in all trouble and anguish as well as in time of consolation. Even if He never sent them consolation, they would still praise Him and give thanks.  Oh how powerful is the pure love of Jesus, when not mixed with self-interest or self-love!" [Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis, p. 88-89]

May God Be Praised!

"He who carries God in his heart bears heaven with him wherever he goes."  [St. Ignatius of Loyola]

Today each of us can bear heaven to our families, our friends and our world, let's do it and make the world a little better.

May God Be Praised!