 clickable | | A Celebration of Profound Change People usually think of Christmas as a traditional and sentimental festival, but not as a celebration of the Jesus vision it commemorates: a philosophy of profound reform. The child lying in the manger would become perhaps the most radical of all spiritual visionaries, showing how to live more joyfully and communally. Many people today feel an underlying anxiety due to world events and the challenges of getting along in a complicated world. Christmas allows a break from that gray depression, an inner darkness reflected in the winter sky. —from the book The Soul of Christmas |  MorningOffering.com | † Saint Quote
"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 † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"Many of the saints tell us that these times of God-ordained 'desolation' or dryness are very important times of growth if we persevere through them by exercising a deeper faith, hope, and love. It is particularly important, they tell us, not to give up our spiritual practices but to remain faithful. God in His wisdom knows how long and how deeply we must be tried in order to come closer to Him, and we should patiently trust Him during the trial while persevering in our practices."
— Ralph Martin, p.174
AN EXCERPT FROM
Fulfillment of all Desire † VERSE OF THE DAY
"The end of all things is near; therefore be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers. Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining."
1 Peter 4:7-9 |  click to read more | | 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. | Blessed Pope Urban V (1310 – December 19, 1370) In 1362, the man elected pope declined the office. When the cardinals could not find another person among them for that important office, they turned to a relative stranger: the holy person we honor today. The new Pope Urban V proved a wise choice. A Benedictine monk and canon lawyer, he was deeply spiritual and brilliant. He lived simply and modestly, which did not always earn him friends among clergymen who had become used to comfort and privilege. Still, he pressed for reform, and saw to the restoration of churches and monasteries. Except for a brief period he spent most of his eight years as pope living away from Rome at Avignon, seat of the papacy from 1309, until shortly after his death. Urban came close, but was not able to achieve one of his biggest goals—reuniting the Eastern and Western churches. As pope, Urban continued to follow the Benedictine Rule. Shortly before his death in 1370, he asked to be moved from the papal palace to the nearby home of his brother, so he could say goodbye to the ordinary people he had so often helped.
Reflection Simplicity in the midst of power and grandeur seems to define this saint, as he reluctantly accepted the papacy, but remained at heart a Benedictine monk. Surroundings need not negatively influence a person. | Thursday of the Third Week of Advent
Lectionary: 195
Reading 1 Jgs 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 Ps 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 Lk 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." | Meditation: Luke 1:5-25 3rd Week of Advent He will . . . turn the hearts of fathers toward children. (Luke 1:17) As magical as the season of Christmas is supposed to be, it can also bring the pain of family divisions into stark relief. Whether it's a large gathering of relatives who don't see each other very often, arguments over money, or unreasonably high expectations, divisions that have simmered underground can bubble up and even explode. Sometimes it takes very little for a season dedicated to peace on earth to turn into a time of conflict or bitterness. It seems that the angel Gabriel had something of this in mind when he told Zechariah that his son, John the Baptist, would "turn the hearts of fathers toward children" (Luke 1:17). It may seem an odd role for John, though, to talk about family reconciliation. Wasn't he supposed to be calling people to repentance so that they could prepare for the Messiah? That's exactly what John was called to do, and it's exactly why the angel's words were so appropriate. John didn't tell people just to repent to God. He urged them to get right with each other as well. He told those who were well-off to show mercy to the poor by sharing their tunics with them. He told soldiers to stop extorting and falsely accusing the people in their care. And he told tax collectors to stop cheating their fellow citizens. John knew—probably because Zechariah taught him—that our ability to sense God's forgiveness is tied to our willingness to forgive and ask forgiveness of each other. So who better to ask for help with our families than St. John the Baptist? Just as John was sent to prepare people for Jesus through the gift of repentance, you can ask him to help you show mercy when you find it difficult. Ask him for the humility that is at the heart of all repentance and forgiveness. Tell him that you want mercy to flow in your home even more abundantly than any exchange of Christmas gifts. Go on and ask him to pray with you for any wounded relationship you know of. Remember, he knows how to turn divided hearts toward each other. "St. John the Baptist, you led many people to Christ through your call to repentance. Pray for me, that I can take steps toward peace and reconciliation as well." Judges 13:2-7, 24-25
Psalm 71:3-6, 16-17 |  clickable | In each Hail Mary, Elizabeth's greeting is repeated. The joy is always on account of Mary's bringing Jesus, that through her Jesus does not just come into 'the house of Zechariah' but into every house. For Mary is still on her way to bring Jesus, her child, to people. That is what she means to do at Christmas, in every home.
—Christoph Cardinal Schönborn
from Jesus, the Divine Physician | my2cents:
"The boy grew up and the LORD blessed him; the Spirit of the LORD stirred him." - An Angel to Samson's mother. Fast forward a few centuries, and an angel appears on earth again saying: "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."
Saint John the Baptist was anointed with the power of Elijah. What kind of power? Super human powers? Because that's what we think of immediately, right? Like the Avengers, Superman, etc. But no. We are talking about real powers. The kind that transform lives and save souls. The kind that is invisible, yet making all the difference. The kind that drives a man into the wilderness and brings life to the barren, because he himself was from a barren mother, and was graced, for she had said in a way "I was disgraced until I conceived". And today, the world needs to know that moms are graced when having conceived. The grace of God is with you. Yet the world now says you are disgrace. Only if we are apart from God can we fall into that trap. Blaming all evil on God, and all the good on oneself...that is disgrace-full. | The Lord prays with us: "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. My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!"
Let's just say, we must depend on God for everything, even though in our modern autocratic and in our auto-sufficiency mentality, we fail to do so. But what if God said "I'm depending on you with my people"? Then, we must pray for super powers...a grace from God, a total gift that comes only from Him to accomplish His will. | "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."
Daily, our Lord reaches out to countless souls. Words are pronounced, things are revealed, but, still there is doubt, and still there is disbelief. Why? Why are many of us like that? Why is there room for doubt? | Zechariah was supposed to be a leading priest...in the faith. Yet, even with an angel appearing from God, and a terrible sight and message came, he smirked, like Isaac's father. But God has the last laugh. He has the final word. So what happens to Zechariah? He is crippled, like Jacob at the forge. Grappling with God will leave you crippled. You will be severely marked and even beaten, for the greater good. It is necessary for this to happen, for you to believe.
I hope, that I am in the state of belief. I've asked for wisdom, and never again, for trials upon trials began to pour into my life. I asked for purgation so I can enter Heaven and atrocious physical pains entered my life. I am very weary now of what I will ask for.
But not Mary.
Mary was not afraid to ask to be a part of salvation history.
She was not afraid of....the cross.
Isaac carried the cross, he was not afraid...of his father.
This is called complete trust in the Father.
Time and time again I'm having to lead flock to the Shepherd. They are afraid of the Shepherd. But He is a GOOD Shepherd. The others are leading you to slaughter. This one leads to life.
Saint John The Baptist ushered in the Good Shepherd. And, even he, the greatest born of women, had a spec of doubt when he asked, "are you the one that is to come?"
And Jesus had to re-assure Him . . .
"I AM.
I AM God. TRUST ME." |  click to hear a message | Random Bible Verse 1 Matthew 5:18
18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Thank You Lord | |
