He Has Come

Minute Meditations Cherished Memories As the midnight hour approaches and we greet Christmas day, let us be committed to create new memories that we keep and cherish and bless the Lord for. Our memories take us into a future where we will be gathered around an eternal banquet table and celebrate there forever the visitation of God, Emmanuel, the God who calls us into the holiness and the fullness of life. — from Let Us Adore Him Christmas at Greccio     What better way to prepare for the arrival of the Christ Child than to take a brief journey to Greccio, the spot in central Italy where St. Francis of Assisi created the first Christmas crib in the year 1223. Francis, recalling a visit he had made years before to Bethlehem, resolved to create the manger he had seen there. The ideal spot was a cave in nearby Greccio. He would find a baby (we're not sure if it was a live infant or the carved image of a baby), hay upon which to lay him, an ox and an ass to stand beside the manger. Word went out to the people of the town. At the appointed time they arrived carrying torches and candles. One of the friars began celebrating Mass. Francis himself gave the sermon. His biographer, Thomas of Celano, recalls that Francis "stood before the manger...overcome with love and filled with a wonderful happiness.../" For Francis, the simple celebration was meant to recall the hardships Jesus suffered even as an infant, a savior who chose to become poor for our sake, a truly human Jesus. Tonight, as we pray around the Christmas cribs in our homes, we welcome into our hearts that same Savior. Comment: God's choice to give human beings free will was, from the beginning, a decision to be helpless in human hands. With the birth of Jesus, God made the divine helplessness very clear to us, for a human infant is totally dependent on the loving response of other people. Our natural response to a baby is to open our arms, as Francis did, to the infant of Bethlehem and to the God who made us all.   Saint of the Day Lives, Lessons and Feast By Leonard Foley, O.F.M.; revised by Pat McCloskey, O.F.M.       Presence The more we call on the Lord the more we can feel his Presence. Day by day he draws us closer to his loving heart. Freedom "I am free." When I look at these words in writing They seem to create in me a feeling of awe. Yes, a wonderful feeling of freedom. Thank You, God. Consciousness Where do I sense hope, encouragement, and growth areas in my life? By looking back over the last few months, I may be able to see which activities and occasions have produced rich fruit. If I do notice such areas, I will determine to give those areas both time and space in the future. The Word of God   Reading 1 2 sm 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 ps 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 lk 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."   Conversation What is stirring in me as I pray? Am I consoled, troubled, left cold? I imagine Jesus himself standing or sitting at my side, and share my feelings with him. Conclusion Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Meditation: Psalm 89:2-5, 27, 29 View NAB Reading at USCCB.org Subscriber? Login to view archives. 4th Week of Advent Forever I sing the goodness of the Lord. (Psalm 89:2) Picture yourself perched excitedly at the top of the stairs on Christmas morning, like a little child who is waiting to come down and look at his presents. When the moment finally arrives, you rush down the stairs to find a whole stack of gifts with your name on them. Some are in a neat little pile, while others are hidden, waiting for you to find them. Even though all the gifts are beautifully wrapped, the contents of each package are clearly labeled on the front: Patience. Wisdom. Fortitude. Humility. Peace. And then there is the biggest box of all: Joy. You immediately understand where these gifts came from—your heavenly Father. He knows just what you need and has given it all to you. Which gift will you open first? Why not start with the biggest gift? So you go to the package that has "Joy" written on the side and open it excitedly. Immediately you are filled with a beautiful warmth, a heartfelt, sincere delight that emanates from the center of your soul. This is more than just happiness, for that is a more fleeting and superficial feeling. This joy is deep-rooted, life affirming, and wholesome. It's like having an eternal flame of contentment inside that can't be extinguished. What a marvelous gift! Joy is the perfect gift to open first. From the Annunciation to Mary to the birth of Jesus, we have heard the angels reminding us of the joy that God wants us to have. "Joy to the World!" is not just a popular Christmas carol but God's promise to us. He is offering us the joy that comes because Jesus has not only entered the world; he has entered our hearts! In a sense, joy is also the basis for all the other gifts. With joy come peace, patience, courage, and so much more. This Christmas Eve, rejoice in God's goodness. Then take that gift of joy with you as you enter the new year so that you can share it with all the people God puts in your path. "Lord, thank you for your gift of joy! Help me carry this gift with me and pass it on to all my friends—even my enemies!"   2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8-12, 14, 16 Luke 1:67-79 my2cents: It was a quiet room when I asked the people at the Posadas last night about the scripture we had just read in John 1:14-16 after reading that the Word was made Flesh it said "and made His dwelling among us" so I asked everyone "what does that mean that He made His dwelling among us?"  Even the reflection we just read is from the website and magazine Word Among Us.  What does it mean He made His dwelling among us?  In today's 1st Holy Scripture it said that King David said the Ark of the Covenant, the dwelling of the Lord would have to change...be made better seeing as King David's was already a dwelling of cedar and not just a tent.  God answered through the prophet about the dwelling among many things said "I have been with you wherever you went".  Now can you begin to answer the question I asked everyone last night?  The Psalm sang "Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord".  It also said He would establish His covenant forever, and the dwelling continues forever.  The Holy Gospel read "He promised to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant."  Now we are going deep into the dwelling, where the Lord dwells among us.  Zechariah prophecied the life of his miracle son, a man that would prepare the way to prepare His people by the forgiveness of their sins.  Indeed, John would prepare and make room in people's hearts for the Son of God.  And so too, these scriptures were written of you and for you, for our Lord.  Because we too can prepare the way, the hearts of those around  us, beginning with our own.  Jesus will come, bring salvation and forgiveness, and forgiveness and salvation, hand in hand.  I brought up to the Posadas for some odd reason the end of John's life, his head served on a platter so Herod wouldn't look bad along with his wife (pride).  I said that John's life had not been taken, because when we live our life for the Lord unafraid to proclaim the truth, we in actuality are giving our life to the Lord and every moment to the end is filled with an unstoppable and an unspeakable joy.  And joy is among us...forever PRAISE YOU LORD JESUS Merry Christmas, Keep Christ keep, Mass first and foremost, the coming of the Lord is among us He dwells in our souls, therefore making everyone precious PRAISE YOU LORD JESUS my birthday is December 25th, and all I can think about is Jesus.  When I am asked when my birthday, I get to evangelize speaking about the birth of our Lord.  A Christmas baby forever.  I ask for my birthday, that the Holy Spirit that stirred Johnn the Baptist stir your heart with zeal to evangelize the world we live in, preparing a way with holiness the life of Christ that fills the dwelling place prepared in our lives adrian Subscribe to the Going4th mailing list. 

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