And
it came to pass, after the angels departed from them into heaven, the
shepherds said one to another: Let us go over to Bethlehem and let us
see this word that is come to pass, which the Lord hath shewed to us.
And they came with haste: and they found Mary and Joseph, and the
infant lying in the manger. And seeing, they understood of the word
that had been spoken to them concerning this child. And all that heard
wondered: and at those things that were told them by the shepherds.
POPE FRANCIS: “God fulfills his promise by coming
in the flesh, (…) and He gives his people a new hope for humanity:
eternal life”.
VATICAN.VA: MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS FRANCIS FOR THE
CELEBRATION OF THE WORLD DAY OF PEACE 1 JANUARY 2017
YOUTUBE: The
Star of Bethlehem Documentary
ARCHBISHOP CHAPUT: Christmas 2016
CRISIS MAGAZINE MEDITATION: The Christmas Triad: Christ, Church, Eucharist
BESIEGED CHRISTIANS WORLDWIDE
CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS
A Christmas letter from Aleppo
Naked and abandoned before the manger
Vulnerable Ukrainians receive Pope's aid in time for
Christmas
Christ’s impoverished birth echoed in Nicaragua
ALETEIA: 12 Songs of Christmas (from all around the world)
A MOMENT WITH MARY:
God destroyed the empire of the serpent
Christ became man through the Virgin, so that the disobedience caused
by the serpent should end in the same way in which it had begun.
Indeed, Eve, virgin and intact, having conceived the word of the
serpent, bore disobedience and death; the Virgin Mary, having conceived
faith and joy, answered: "Let it be done to me according to your word."
So he was born of her, the One of whom so many Scriptures speak. By Him
God destroyed the empire of the serpent and of those who, angels or
men, have become like him; and he frees from death those who repent of
their sins and believe in Him.
Saint Justin (2nd century)
ORTHODOX FATHER TED BLOG:
“In the first chapter of this book I quoted Origen’s response to
Celsus’s taunt, ‘What is the purpose of God’s descent to human beings?’
Origen answered that God had entered our world in the person of Christ
to ‘implant in us the happiness that comes … from knowing him. . . .
For the knowledge that brings happiness is ours only in love. Unlike
knowledge from a distance, for example, observing an object in the
world, the knowledge of God, says Origen, is ‘fellowship with God
through Christ.’ . . .
Jesus did not teach, ‘It is blessed to know something about God’; he
said that blessedness ‘is possessing God within oneself,’ to be known
by God, not only to know God. Happiness is found not in receiving
something from God but in enjoying the presence of God, what the
psalmists call the ‘face of God’. Love is the one human endowment that
moves us to seek the face of God.” (The Spirit of Early Christian
Thought, pp 292-293)
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 9- "On remembrance of wrongs"
1. The holy virtues
are like Jacob's ladder, and
the unholy vices are like the chains that fell from the chief Apostle
Peter.
For the virtues, leading from one to another, bear him who chooses them
up to Heaven; but the vices by their nature beget and stifle one
another.
And as we have just heard senseless anger calling remembrance of wrongs
its own offspring, it is appropriate that we should now say something
about
this.
Fourth Week of Advent, 2016
(Mat
1:20-21) But
while he thought on these things, behold the Angel of the Lord appeared
to him in his sleep, saying: Joseph, son of David, fear not to take
unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her, is of the
Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son: and thou shalt call his
name Jesus. For he shall save his people from their sins.
POPE FRANCIS:
In the course of this week – I recommend – that we try to find some
time to stop, take a bit of silence, and imagine the Virgin Mary and
St. Joseph, who are going to Bethlehem. Imagine how they go: the way,
the fatigue, but also the joy, emotion, and then the anxiety to find a
place, the worry …, and so on. The Nativity helps, in this way. Let us
enter the true Christmas, that of Jesus, Who approaches us –
God-with-us, close to us – in order to receive the grace of this
celebration, and the grace of closeness, love, humility and tenderness.
OF INTEREST: Did Gen. Mattis pull duty on Christmas so a Marine
could be with his family?
ARCHBISHOP CHAPUT (2015): The Meaning of Christmas, This Year and Every Year
The shepherds of the Judean hills were rough and simple men. But
perhaps only in their simplicity could they hear the message that drew
them urgently in the night toward Bethlehem. They received the words of
the angel with joy and without fear. They acted on this great
revelation of God in a spirit of faith, and that faith led them to Mary
and Joseph and a Child. When they found him, they understood, and they
made known to others the message they had been told about this Child.
And Scripture tells us that all who heard them were amazed.
Today, in our lifetimes, we need to follow in the footsteps of these
shepherds. We should ask God for the grace to be astonished, as they
were, as we draw close to the manger, because the truth of this Child
is beyond anything we could hope for or expect. We should ask God for
the grace to be simple and pure of heart, as the shepherds were; to
radiate the joy of their discovery, as they did. Let us see in this
infant Jesus our true Messiah and the beginning of our salvation.
And
let us ask God for the faith and courage to make known to the world
around us all that’s been revealed to us about this miraculous event.
The newborn in the manger grows into the Redeemer who frees us from the
slavery of sin and the fear of death. He comforts us. He encourages us.
He teaches us. He walks with us in our sufferings. He fills us with
hope. He offers us life — eternal life — without charge or obligation
other than to love one another as he loves us. Far from violating
our
freedom, this Child restores it, dignifies our humanity with his own
incarnate holiness, and then adds immeasurably to it with his victory
over death on our behalf, won by dying for our sins on the cross and
then rising from the grave. This infant Jesus will give us God’s
Spirit, who breathes new life into our hearts and invites us to love
even our enemies and persecutors.
Whatever our burdens and worries, these days of Christmas are an
amnesty. This Christmas, in this Year of Mercy, let us go over to
Bethlehem in our hearts to see this Child. And then let us share him
joyfully with the world.
ALETEIA: 11 Christmas hymns & songs that are even better on
YouTube (VIDEO)
ON FATIMA
Pope Francis to visit Fatima for anniversary of
apparitions
Approaching the 100th Anniversary of Fatima: Peril and
Promise
Three ways to obtain an indulgence for the 100-year
Fatima anniversary
USCCB: The "O Antiphons" Of Advent
The Roman Church has been singing the "O" Antiphons since at least the
eighth century. They are the antiphons that accompany the Magnificat
canticle of Evening Prayer from December 17-23. They are a magnificent
theology that uses ancient biblical imagery drawn from the messianic
hopes of the Old Testament to proclaim the coming Christ as the
fulfillment not only of Old Testament hopes, but present ones as well.
Their repeated use of the imperative "Come!" embodies the longing of
all for the Divine Messiah.
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!
CATHOLIC CULTURE:
A
unique Advent/Christmas album sets the O Antiphons to music
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 8- "On Freedom from Anger and on
Meekness"
19. It is bad to
disturb the eye of the heart by
anger, according to him who said: 'Through wrath is mine eye become
troubled'
(Ps. 6:8). But it is still worse to show in words the turmoil of the
soul.
And to come to blows is utterly inimical and alien to the monastic,
angelic
and divine life.
Third Week of Advent, 2016
(Jas
5:7-8) Be
patient therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the
husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth: patiently
bearing till he receive the early and latter rain. Be you therefore
also patient and strengthen your hearts: for the coming of the Lord is
at hand.
POPE FRANCIS:
"Today we are invited to rejoice in the imminent coming of our
Redeemer; and we are called to share this joy with others, giving
comfort and hope to the poor, the sick, the lonely and the unhappy."
FR. BROOM: St. Joseph Teaches Us How to Live Out Advent
VIA MALAYSIA: A People of Patience
The third Sunday of Advent is commonly called "Gaudete Sunday." Gaudete
-- rejoice! It might seem an odd thing that we are called to rejoice in
the midst of the anticipation. We have been waiting so long, and we are
not yet at the end. Why rejoice?
We rejoice because the wait is almost at an end. We know that we are
near the fulfillment of God's promise, that he is coming to save his
people from their sins. What better reason to rejoice could there be?
The second reading is from the Letter of James, which exhorts us to be
patient. "The coming of the Lord is at hand," James tells us, so we
must be patient, we must make preparations, as does the farmer who
waits for the fruits of the earth.
In this passage, James also calls to mind our forebears. "The prophets
who spoke in the name of the Lord" are exemplary models of hardship and
patience.
And this could not be truer: If we look back at the stories recounted
in the Old and New Testaments, what we hear is one overarching story of
God's providence and steadfastness and countless examples of the need
for his people to wait patiently.
We think of Noah and his family on the ark, waiting patiently for the
rains to subside. We think of Moses leading the Israelites through the
desert for 40 years, waiting to reach the Promised Land.
We think of Jonah in the belly of the whale, waiting for three days. We
think of Jeremiah, Isaiah, Joel, Zechariah and the other prophets,
calling on the people to wait patiently and trust in the Lord.
We think of Jesus and his incessant reminders that his time "had not
yet come." We think of the apostles and disciples of Jesus, waiting for
who-knew-what after the crucifixion and, following the Ascension,
waiting for Jesus to come again.
And here, in that great tradition of holy men and women, we wait
patiently, for the advent of our King. Gaudete -- rejoice!
MORE FROM MALAYSIA:
Third Sunday of Advent: Joy
NCR: Gaudete Sunday: 11 things to know and share . . .
ON CATHOLIC PILGRIMAGE
Have you heard about the Aussie camino?
The Camino Finisterre in Spain, Visiting The End of
the World
Walking the Camino de Santiago will change you
ADVENT
RESOURCES
DYNAMIC CATHOLIC:
Best Advent Ever Rediscover Mercy! Are you Ready?
STEUBENVILLE
FUEL: Project Advent
CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY'S ONLINE
MINISTRIES: Praying Advent and Celebrating Christmas
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 8- "On Freedom from Anger and on
Meekness"
14. If the Holy
Spirit is peace of soul, as He
is said to be an as He is in reality, and if anger is disturbance of
heart,
as it actually is and as it is said to be, then nothing so prevents His
presence in us as anger.
Second Week of Advent, 2016
(Mat
3:1-3) And
in those days cometh John the Baptist preaching in the desert of Judea.
And saying: Do penance: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this
is he that was spoken of by Isaias the prophet, saying: A voice of one
crying in the desert, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight his
paths.
POPE FRANCIS:
“With the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, it is God himself who has come
to dwell among us, to free us from selfishness, from sin and
corruption.”
CATHOLIC WORLD REPORT:
St. John the Baptist, prophet of Advent and preacher
of repentance
NCR: Poland's Bishops, People, and President Formally
Declare Christ Their King
SIGNS IN THE HEAVENS
Why Catholics Built Secret Astronomical Features Into
Churches to Help Save Souls
Apocalypse Now? Another Great Sign Rises in the Heavens
Could we be entering upon a "Time of Justice"?
FAITH MATTERS: The Season of Second Chances
Advent is a season of starting again, of once again focusing our lives
on what is truly important and letting go of the things that cloud and
distract us (and isn’t it so easy this time of year to get distracted).
One of the great things about God is the fact that He is the God of
second chances. And not only second chances but third, fourth, fifth
and seventy times seven chances (Mt. 18:22).
In God’s immense love and mercy, we are never stuck with our past
faults and failures. We can always come to Jesus, lay our struggles and
weaknesses at His feet and know that His forgiveness and grace will
always be ours, simply for the asking.
Jesus says to us in the Gospel, “Come to me all who are weary and heavy
burdened and I will give you rest” (Mt. 11:28). We all carry heavy
burdens; work, family, financial, and we also carry the burdens of our
past; choices we have made, poor relationships, selfish and
self-centered lifestyles. To all of this, Jesus promises rest if we but
come to Him.
Jesus said “I have come so that you may have my joy and have it to the
full” (Jn. 17:13). Jesus desires our true joy and knows that we can
only experience the true joy He came to bring when we allow Him to
remove our burdens and sins, our selfishness and conceit, when we come
to Him trusting in His promises of joy in this world and for all
eternity.
Advent is a great opportunity to give up the futile struggle of trying
to carry the burdens of life all alone. Now is the time to come to
Jesus and let Him give us His rest. May we all make use of this
exciting and holy time to prepare well for the great celebration of
Christmas and to come to Jesus or if we have been away, to come back to
Jesus, and let Him give us His rest and joy.
EXCERPT FR. RON ROLHEISER, OMI:
STAYING AWAKE
All of us know how difficult it is for us to be inside the present
moment, to not be asleep to the real riches inside our own lives. The
distractions and worries of daily life tend to so consume us that we
habitually take for granted what’s most precious to us: our health, the
miracle of our senses, the love and friendships that surround us, and
the gift of life itself. We are very much asleep, both to God and to
our own lives.
The distractions, cares, and pressures of everyday life will invariably
have their way with us and we will, in effect, fall asleep to what’s
deeper and more important inside of life. But it’s for this reason that
every major spiritual tradition has daily rituals designed precisely to
wake us from spiritual sleep, akin an alarm clock waking us from
physical sleep.
It’s for this reason we need to begin each day with prayer. What
happens if we don’t pray on a given morning is not that we incur God’s
wrath, but rather that we tend to miss the morning, spending the hours
until noon trapped inside a certain dullness of heart. The same can be
said about praying before meals. We don’t displease God by not first
centering ourselves in gratitude before eating, but we miss out on the
richness of what we’re doing. Liturgical prayer and the Eucharist have
the same intent, among their other intentions. They’re meant to,
regularly, call us out of a certain sleep.
None of us lives each day of our lives as if it was his or her last
day. Our heartaches, headaches, distractions, and busyness invariably
lull us to sleep. That’s forgivable; it’s what it means to be human. So
we should ensure that we have regular spiritual rituals, spiritual
alarm clocks, to jolt us back awake – so that it doesn’t take a heart
attack, a stroke, cancer, or death to wake us up.
ADVENT
RESOURCES
DYNAMIC CATHOLIC:
Best Advent Ever Rediscover Mercy! Are you Ready?
STEUBENVILLE
FUEL: Project Advent
CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY'S ONLINE
MINISTRIES: Praying Advent and Celebrating Christmas
SAINT BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX:
"We know that there are three comings of the Lord. ... In His first
coming, our Lord came in our flesh and in our weakness; in this middle
coming, He comes in spirit and in power; in the final coming, He will
be seen in glory and majesty."
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 8- "On Freedom from Anger and on
Meekness"
13. It is a mark of
extreme meekness, even in the
presence of one's offender, to be peacefully and lovingly disposed
towards
him in one's heart, then it is certainly a mark of hot temper when a
person
continues to quarrel and rage against his offender, both by words and
gestures,
even when by himself.
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