† Quote of the Day "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 Today's Meditation ""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." —St. Hilary of Poitiers, p. 364
An excerpt from A Year with the Church Fathers Daily Verse "For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead came also through a human being. For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life, but each one in proper order: Christ the firstfruits; then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ; then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to his God and Father, when he has destroyed every sovereignty and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. -1 Corinthians 15:21-26 | Adam Eve Adam and Eve, the first man and woman created by God as recounted in the Old Testament book of Genesis, are the father and mother of all humanity. Through their willful disobedience to the command of God, sin came into the world. To redeem mankind which was thereby separated from the perfect communion with the Holy Trinity for which they were created, God became man, born of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and died on a Cross. Jesus is the New Adam, and Mary is the New Eve. Christian tradition recognizes that Adam and Eve were rescued by Christ in virtue of His death, burial, and resurrection, and are with God and the saints in heaven. Their feast day is celebrated together on December 24th. | Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Advent Reading 1 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16 When King David was settled in his palace,
and the LORD had given him rest from his enemies on every side,
he said to Nathan the prophet,
"Here I am living in a house of cedar,
while the ark of God dwells in a tent!"
Nathan answered the king,
"Go, do whatever you have in mind,
for the LORD is with you."
But that night the LORD spoke to Nathan and said:
"Go, tell my servant David, 'Thus says the LORD:
Should you build me a house to dwell in? "'It was I who took you from the pasture
and from the care of the flock
to be commander of my people Israel.
I have been with you wherever you went,
and I have destroyed all your enemies before you.
And I will make you famous like the great ones of the earth.
I will fix a place for my people Israel;
I will plant them so that they may dwell in their place
without further disturbance.
Neither shall the wicked continue to afflict them as they did of old,
since the time I first appointed judges over my people Israel.
I will give you rest from all your enemies.
The LORD also reveals to you
that he will establish a house for you.
And when your time comes and you rest with your ancestors,
I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins,
and I will make his Kingdom firm.
I will be a father to him,
and he shall be a son to me.
Your house and your Kingdom shall endure forever before me;
your throne shall stand firm forever.'" Responsorial Psalm Psalm 89:2-3, 4-5, 27 and 29 R. (2) For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
The favors of the LORD I will sing forever;
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness.
For you have said, "My kindness is established forever";
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness. R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
"I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant:
Forever will I confirm your posterity
and establish your throne for all generations." R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
"He shall say of me, 'You are my father,
my God, the rock, my savior.'
Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him,
and my covenant with him stands firm." R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord. Alleluia R. Alleluia, alleluia.
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.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Luke 1:67-79 Zechariah his father, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied, saying: "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
for he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty Savior,
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his prophets he promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hand of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace."
| Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: Luke 1:67-79 The dawn from on high shall break upon us. (Luke 1:78) Have you ever taken the time to sit and enjoy an early-morning sunrise? It's almost haunting the way the sky gradually shifts from pitch black to deep gold. Now imagine you were an astronaut on the International Space Station. First, you see the Earth's horizon and, above it, the complete darkness of space. Then, in almost an instant, the brilliant light of the sun breaks over the horizon, blanketing the Earth in light. This shift from darkness to light is the analogy that Zechariah used to describe the birth of his son, John, and the coming Messiah whom John was called to announce. The "dawn from on high" was just about to break upon the people of God (Luke 1:78). What a beautiful image for where we are right now! Jesus is just about to appear! He's just about to dispel the darkness of sin, division, and all that is opposed to his message of salvation. The dawning of his light, prefigured by the star of Bethlehem, contains the promise of everything that humanity had longed for from the moment our ancestors first sinned. Even today, God longs to shine the light of his love into every person's heart. The need is so great! Millions around the world are still caught in darkness—and some don't even know that they are looking for him! So on this Christmas Eve, contemplate the light that will break upon the world tomorrow. It's the light of joy, of peace, of tranquility, that came when God first entered the world as one of us. And it's still shining today, as bright as ever. As you await the dawning of that light, keep praying for those lost in darkness. Pray that the men and women who have not yet encountered the light of the gospel will be touched by its good news during this Christmas season. Pray that those who have closed themselves off from the light will now be open to receiving it. May we all be set on fire with the light of Christ's love! "Come, Lord, and shine your light on the hearts of all your people this Christmas! May the radiance of your love dispel all darkness!" 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8-12, 14, 16
Psalm 89:2-5, 27, 29 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Audio of 2 Cents | From today's Holy Gospel: "...You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace." ...." Word of the Lord. | From Bishop Barron: "Friends, today's Gospel contains the prayer of Zechariah at the birth of his son, John the Baptist. This prayer is especially precious to priests, religious, and all those who pray the Liturgy of the Hours on a daily basis. It's called the "Benedictus," from its first word in Latin, or the "Canticle of Zechariah." What's wonderful about this prayer (and why the Church asks its ministers to pray it every day) is that it sums up magnificently the whole history of salvation, putting Jesus and John in the context of the great story of Israel. I would like to explore two lines of that great prayer today. The God of Israel, Zechariah prays, "has come to his people and set them free." This is what God always wants to do. He hates the fact that we've become enslaved by sin and fear, and accordingly, he wants to liberate us. The central event of the Old Testament is an event of liberation from slavery. We are, as sinners, enslaved to our pride, our envy, our anger, our appetites, our greed, our lust—all of which wrap us up and keep us from being the people that we want to be. Zechariah continues: "He has raised up for us a mighty savior, born of the house of his servant David." God will effect this liberation through the instrumentation of a mighty Savior. This should be read against the background of Israel's long history of military struggle against its enemies. A great warrior has come, and he is from the house of Israel's greatest soldier, David. God had promised that he would put a descendant of David on the throne of Israel for all eternity, and Zechariah is prophesying that this will take place." end quote.
The readings right now, are the readings for the 24th of December, not yet the Christmas Eve or Christmas Day Mass readings. But they are important...because they are breaking in the message, of the new dawn that is breaking the darkness, that started with John the Baptist, the Elijah, the voice in the wilderness that prophesied through his own father Zechariah.
And the message is wonderful, for the rest of us, that are truly called to do the same, "....for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace."
And, as Bishop Barron says today ". A great warrior has come, and he is from the house of Israel's greatest soldier, David. God had promised that he would put a descendant of David on the throne of Israel for all eternity, and Zechariah is prophesying that this will take place."
A warrior is about to be born. The complete fullness of light. Jesus, the name above all names, and as I told the crowd in the Posadas last night, that angels in Heaven bow down just at the Holy Name of Jesus.
Jesus the King of all Angels. The one who said that He could call down a legion of angels if He so desired to eradicate the demonic spirits that are among us.
But God sent only one angel to change the course of humanity, Archangel Gabriel at the Annunciation to Mother Mary. It was just the Word of God.
God decided to do something spectacular before our eyes.
Instead of Him doing all the work, we would be honored to share in this work of salvation, with Him, in Him, and through Him...Jesus, God, Jesus, Holy Spirit.
It took one Archangel to cast down evil that was taking root in Heaven, and it took one Archangel to bring in the Word to Mary.
Yet, the angels tremble before Jesus.
This evening, will be the last night of the Posadas. We've traveled through the cold dark streets looking for a place, with Mary and Joseph, and even a live donkey traveled with us, just like it did when they walked this earth.
Joseph cried when he couldn't provide.
Sister Anne Emmerich said Mother Mary consoled the older man, who I would compare to a 60 year old in our day in age because of the shorter life expectancy. He was probably about 45 years or older. Mary comforted him. As if to say "Yaweh, Yireh" that is, God will provide. And He did.
They were allowed a cave like place, with the animals, where creation began, the restoring of humanity began. From animals, to mankind, the image of likeness of God Himself. God is born. Light is born. Truth is born. Life is born. The way is born.
The warrior begins to live in souls that consume Him, the animals become alive, aware of the consciousness of God's Divine and most Holy Will. That we may break from our animal nature of relying on bodily functions and desires, and partake of His divine nature by doing His Holy will of tending to His call and desire. It is also my birthday, I was born on this day. But my birthday has disappeared as I've grown older.... I've only asked one person for something this Christmas, others have asked me what I want, and I have no answer, what I want nobody can do but God. Conversions. Salvation. I want what Mother Mary wants, and so I looked at her crying statue at my house, which has been weeping for years, "Mother Mary, stop crying for my birthday, please, don't cry for us anymore that day".
And if she does not stop, then, I want to convert souls for her, for people to usher in the joy of the Lord, salvation of souls. Children of God, that have a room in Heaven. So many rooms are empty in Heaven, and so Mother cries for Jesus, she sees the suffering all over the world, and the suffering in purgatory.
And so, Christmas they say, is the greatest day in Heaven, where many souls from purgatory are finally entering Heaven this day.
Let us enter into the joy of the Lord, this feast, this day of love, this day of exuberance....where more souls in Heaven can join in Heavenly union, to pray for us...and also, like Mary, guide us to God our Father, in Jesus name..... |  Click for Audio | Random Bible Verse 1
Philippians 2:3 "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves." . . . . . . . . Word of the Lord! | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
