† Quote of the Day ""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 Today's Meditation ""Love, by its essence, involves a leap into the unknown, a death to oneself, because genuine love is a love that loves to the end. And to love to the end means to die for those whom you love. It also means to forgive them. This involves the experience, one day or another, of the Cross and, therefore of sacrifice, which will seal the spouses' unity definitively." —Robert Cardinal Sarah, p.25
An excerpt from Couples, Awaken Your Love Daily Verse "The end of all things is at hand. Therefore, be serious and sober for prayers. Above all, let your love for one another be intense, because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining." -1 Peter 4:7-9 | Pope St Anastasius I Pope St. Anastasius I (d. 401 A.D.) was a 4th century Bishop of Rome. The writings of the Church Fathers tell us that he was a distinguished Roman Christian known for his charity and holiness. He was elevated to the Chair of St. Peter in 399 A.D., succeeding Pope Siricius, and his pontificate lasted not quite four years. St. Paulinus of Nola, St. Augustine, and St. Jerome were among his friends. St. Jerome called Pope St. Anastasius "a man of very rich poverty and apostolic zeal." He fought against heresies and heretics that threatened the doctrine of the Church, most notably a popular theologian at the time, Origen, whom he soundly condemned. Pope St. Anastasius I was known as a great Holy Father who governed the Church "with purity of life, abundance of doctrine, and perfect strictness of ecclesiastical authority." His feast day is December 19. | Friday of the Third Week of Advent Reading 1 Judges 13:2-7, 24-25a There was a certain man from Zorah, of the clan of the Danites,
whose name was Manoah.
His wife was barren and had borne no children.
An angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her,
"Though you are barren and have had no children,
yet you will conceive and bear a son.
Now, then, be careful to take no wine or strong drink
and to eat nothing unclean.
As for the son you will conceive and bear,
no razor shall touch his head,
for this boy is to be consecrated to God from the womb.
It is he who will begin the deliverance of Israel
from the power of the Philistines." The woman went and told her husband,
"A man of God came to me;
he had the appearance of an angel of God, terrible indeed.
I did not ask him where he came from, nor did he tell me his name.
But he said to me,
'You will be with child and will bear a son.
So take neither wine nor strong drink, and eat nothing unclean.
For the boy shall be consecrated to God from the womb,
until the day of his death.'" The woman bore a son and named him Samson.
The boy grew up and the LORD blessed him;
the Spirit of the LORD stirred him. Responsorial Psalm Psalm 71:3-4a, 5-6ab, 16-17 R. (see 8) My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory! Be my rock of refuge,
a stronghold to give me safety,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked. R. My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!
For you are my hope, O LORD;
my trust, O God, from my youth.
On you I depend from birth;
from my mother's womb you are my strength. R. My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!
I will treat of the mighty works of the LORD;
O God, I will tell of your singular justice.
O God, you have taught me from my youth,
and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds. R. My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory! Alleluia R. Alleluia, alleluia.
O Root of Jesse's stem,
sign of God's love for all his people:
come to save us without delay!
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Luke 1:5-25 In the days of Herod, King of Judea,
there was a priest named Zechariah
of the priestly division of Abijah;
his wife was from the daughters of Aaron,
and her name was Elizabeth.
Both were righteous in the eyes of God,
observing all the commandments
and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly.
But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren
and both were advanced in years. Once when he was serving as priest
in his division's turn before God,
according to the practice of the priestly service,
he was chosen by lot
to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to burn incense.
Then, when the whole assembly of the people was praying outside
at the hour of the incense offering,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him,
standing at the right of the altar of incense.
Zechariah was troubled by what he saw, and fear came upon him. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah,
because your prayer has been heard.
Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son,
and you shall name him John.
And you will have joy and gladness,
and many will rejoice at his birth,
for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.
He will drink neither wine nor strong drink.
He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb,
and he will turn many of the children of Israel
to the Lord their God.
He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah
to turn the hearts of fathers toward children
and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous,
to prepare a people fit for the Lord." Then Zechariah said to the angel,
"How shall I know this?
For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years."
And the angel said to him in reply,
"I am Gabriel, who stand before God.
I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news.
But now you will be speechless and unable to talk
until the day these things take place,
because you did not believe my words,
which will be fulfilled at their proper time."
Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah
and were amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary.
But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them,
and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary.
He was gesturing to them but remained mute. Then, when his days of ministry were completed, he went home. After this time his wife Elizabeth conceived,
and she went into seclusion for five months, saying,
"So has the Lord done for me at a time when he has seen fit
to take away my disgrace before others."
| Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: Luke 1:5-25 How shall I know this? (Luke 1:18) Today's Gospel recounts a two-thousand-year-old story that still resonates with us today: a story about doubt. The angel Gabriel brings Zechariah incredibly good news. After years of waiting and praying, his wife, Elizabeth, is finally expecting a child! But instead of giving God praise and singing his glory, as we do in today's responsorial psalm, Zechariah's first inclination is to doubt the angel. You would think he would respond with joy and relief, but instead he asks, "How shall I know this?" (Luke 1:18). For years upon years, God's chosen people had waited in anticipation for the one who would free them, the Messiah and Son of David, who would be their king. When Jesus finally came, many people responded like Zechariah, with doubt and cynicism. They probably thought, "This guy? A carpenter? From Nazareth? How can this be?" Does this sound familiar to you? Perhaps like Zechariah and Elizabeth, you also have been waiting a long time for something, and you worry that it will never come. Perhaps you're waiting for a loved one to return to the Lord, for forgiveness from a friend, or the fulfillment of your vocation. "Why not now?" or "Why not me?" can be a constant refrain in your dialogue with the Lord. Perhaps you've given up hope that your situation will ever change, and you doubt that God will ever fulfill the desires of your heart. This is a very human reaction, but God wants to help you respond with patience and hopeful anticipation instead. He wants to help you trust in him as you wait to see what he will do. So take hope in Gabriel's words to Zechariah: "Do not be afraid . . . because your prayer has been heard." (Luke 1:13). You have a God who hears your prayers! He hears your cries, he knows your pain, and he is working out something good in your life, even now. The saying goes, "If you want to grow in patience, God will give you an opportunity to practice it." So today, try to practice waiting with hope and anticipation, not only for what you want to receive from God, but also waiting for God himself, who will be born for you in Bethlehem. "Jesus, Savior of the world, teach me to wait in hopeful anticipation." Judges 13:2-7, 24-25
Psalm 71:3-6, 16-17 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Audio of 2 Cents | From today's Holy Gospel: "... Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah
and were amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary.
But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them,
and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary.
He was gesturing to them but remained mute. Then, when his days of ministry were completed, he went home. After this time his wife Elizabeth conceived,
and she went into seclusion for five months, saying,
"So has the Lord done for me at a time when he has seen fit
to take away my disgrace before others...." Word of the Lord. | From Roberto Juarez:
"Zechariah's silence is not empty; it is fruitful. It is the time in which God acts, even if it is not seen. While Zachariah is silent, life begins to grow in Elizabeth's womb.
This silence speaks to us of Advent. Before Christmas, God asks us for interior silence, patient waiting, trusting openness. Not everything is immediately understood. Not everything is controlled. We must let God do his work.
The Gospel ends with Elizabeth's discreet joy, who recognizes God's action: "The Lord has done great works for me."
Isabel does not boast, she does not exhibit herself. Be grateful. He recognizes that God has looked upon his humiliation. This attitude is the prelude to Christmas: a humble heart that knows how to recognize the gift received.
On this December 19, when Christmas is so close, this Gospel invites us to trust even when the wait is long, to accept God's silences as times of preparation and to believe that He continues to act even if we do not see Him." end quote.
That last line from Roberto's reflection "...even if we do not see Him", reminds me of last night at the last house in the Posadas, the 9 nights of traveling to houses with the youth, reenacting the journey of looking for a place to stay the night as Joseph and Mary, we were let in at the 3rd house as is the custom. We finished reading scripture and enjoying snacks, and as I said goodbye, the house family mother recounted a story of the day before, about her daughter in CCD class saying how they had a great birthday party, sang Happy Birthday Jesus, had a cake, and games, and their 4 year old daughter said to mommy, "yeah...but Jesus didn't even show up!". LOL. Even if we do not see Him, we believe. Amen? In the bible, we hear of many miracle births, right?
Saint John the Baptist, is the whole ordeal in today's Scripture, with his mother and dad being the key figures of discussion, and all about the temple...and the Messiah. They go into silent mode, and then, an explosion of jubilee at the birth of Saint John, who, Sister Anne Emmerich says, he grew up and as a youth had to see his father pass away, and eventually his mother, and he grew up bringing about the news of the Messiah. That purpose, is a great calling. Isn't it? It is dedication. It is a vocation. It is the living out of God's will, from a well trained child.
It starts in the home. Are you opening up to the unseen Jesus....He comes and knocks, even in the night, in the total silence... |  Click for Audio | Random Bible Verse 1
1 Peter 2:2–3 "Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good." . . . . . . . . Word of the Lord! | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
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