Keep
your eyes open!...
Christmas, 2019
THE TRIB TIMES WILL RETURN IN MID JANUARY 2020, GOD
WILLING (James 4:15).
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL FROM THE ZAMBRANO GRANDCHILDREN! BLESSINGS FOR A JOYOUS NEW YEAR!
(Luk 2:10-14) And
the angel said to them: Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings
of great joy that shall be to all the people: For, this day is born to
you a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David. And this
shall be a sign unto you. You shall find the infant wrapped in
swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. And suddenly there was with the
angel a multitude of the heavenly army, praising God and saying: Glory
to God in the highest: and on earth peace to men of good will.
VATICAN.VA: MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS FOR THE CELEBRATION OF THE 52nd WORLD DAY OF PEACE 1 JANUARY 2019
VATICAN.VA:
HOMILY OF THE HOLY FATHER JOHN PAUL II CHRISTMAS, 24 DECEMBER 2003
UCATHOLIC: Long Lost Poem by J. R. R. Tolkien Is a Beautiful Christmas Prayer to the Virgin Mary
HLI: Seeing Christmas for the First Time by Fr. Shenan J. Boquet
FROM THE MAILBAG
EXCERPT: A Christmas Letter by Dr. Robert Moynihan
REGARDING SIN AND SALVATION
How sin entered into the world, and
how sin may be overcome, is the central mystery of the Christian faith
— the central question confronting all minds which contemplate reality.
Christ answered this question.
He Himself was the answer.
This is why we say that to encounter Him is to be saved.
This is why we wish to witness about Him, tell His story, remember His birth — celebrate Christmas!
Christ was the hope of Israel.
Hundreds of prophecies spoke of His coming. And, finally, he arrived —
at a specific moment, at the center of history, after centuries of
unfulfilled longing.
That, truly, was the fulfillment of
a process in time, which never needs to be repeated, which has
occurred, which saved the world.
And yet, when Christ arrived, he
was immediately in danger, as Herod feared to lose his throne to this
new king, and killed the innocents, hoping to kill Christ.
Joseph, Mary and Jesus fled to
Egypt. We do not know exactly how long they stayed, but the babyhood of
Jesus was in Egypt, and part of his childhood.
Joseph and Mary returned to Israel and settled in Nazareth.
Jesus grew in grace and wisdom during “hidden years,” teaching in the Temple when he was 12.
Then, as an adult man, Jesus was baptized by John, and began to preach.
“Repent,” he said, “for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” Change your lives.
Start a process of change in your life which brings you toward a new destiny.
Do God’s will, at all times, and
prepare for that existence which, in holiness, will bring blessedness,
eternal life, not sorrow, frustration, death.
Christ healed the fallen world, a world that had fallen into sin and corruption, and so into death.
He changed the ontological condition of the space and time of our world from profane to sacred, from sinful to holy.
The Epistle to Diognetus, written
in the second century, understood the ramifications of Christ bearing
our sins. Diognetus seems to have been a tutor of the Emperor Marcus
Aurelius. The text is dated variously from 130 A.D. to 200 A.D. It
shows a certain type of Christian thought about 100 years after the
crucifixion of Christ:
“He Himself
took on the burden of our iniquities, He gave His own Son as a ransom
for us, the holy One for transgressors, the blameless One for the
wicked, the righteous One for the unrighteous, the incorruptible One
for the corruptible, the immortal One for them that are mortal. For
what other thing was capable of covering our sins than His
righteousness? By what other one was it possible that we, the wicked
and ungodly, could be justified, than by the only Son of God? O sweet
exchange! O unsearchable operation! O benefits surpassing all
expectation! that the wickedness of many should be hid in a single
righteous One, and that the righteousness of One should justify many
transgressors!” (Epistle to Diognetus, Chapter 9)
This “unsearchable operation” is what we celebrate at Christmas.
RTO.ORG: Silent Night: The Origin of the Song
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 27- "On holy stillness of body and soul"
27. The monk is one who flees all men, though without
hatred, just as another hastens to them, though without enthusiasm; he
does not wish to be hindered from partaking of the sweetness of God.
Fourth Week of Advent, 2018
(Mat 1:20-23) 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. Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled which the Lord
spoke by the prophet, saying: Behold a virgin shall be with child, and
bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being
interpreted is, God with us.
A MOMENT WITH MARY: An apparition of the Holy Family in central France in the 5th century
ZENIT.ORG: How Can We Imitate Mary in Our Own Lives? – Fr. Cantalamessa Contemplates in 3rd Advent Sermon of 2019
CRISIS MAGAZINE: This Christmas, Give the Gift of Life by Fr. Frank Pavone
MEDITATION: Incarnation- God is with us
The incarnate God is called Emmanuel, a name which means God-is-with-us.
That fact does not mean immediate
festive joy. Our world remains wounded, and wars, strikes, selfishness,
and bitterness linger. Our hearts too remain wounded. Pain lingers. For
a Christian, just as for everyone else, there will be incompleteness,
illness, death, senseless hurt, broken dreams, cold, hungry, lonely
days of bitterness and a lifetime of inconsummation. Reality can be
harsh, and Christmas does not ask us to make make-believe.
The incarnation does not promise
heaven on earth. It promises heaven in heaven. Here, on earth, it
promises us something else – God’s presence in our lives. This presence
redeems because knowing that God is with us is what ultimately empowers
us to give up bitterness, to forgive, and to move beyond cynicism and
bitterness. When God is with us then pain and happiness are not
mutually exclusive, and the agonies and riddles of life do not exclude
deep meaning and deep joy.
In the words of Avery Dulles: “The
incarnation does not provide us with a ladder by which to escape from
the ambiguities of life and scale the heights of heaven. Rather, it
enables us to burrow deep into the heart of planet earth and find it
shimmering with divinity.” George Orwell prophesied that our world
would eventually be taken over by tyranny, torture, double-think, and a
broken human spirit. To some extent this is true. We’re a long way from
being whole and happy, still deeply in exile.
However, we need to celebrate
Christmas heartily. Maybe we won’t feel the same excitement we once
felt as children when we were excited about tinsel, lights, Christmas
carols, and special gifts and special food. Some of that excitement
isn’t available to us anymore. But something more important is still
available, namely, the sense that God is with us in our lives, in our
joys as well as in our shortcomings.
The word was made flesh. That’s an
incredible thing, something that should be celebrated with tinsel,
lights, and songs of joy. If we understand Christmas, the carols will
still flow naturally from our lips.
POEM: In the bleak midwinter by Christina Rosseti
In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.
Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.
Enough for Him, whom cherubim, worship night and day,
Breastful of milk, and a mangerful of hay;
Enough for Him, whom angels fall before,
The ox and ass and camel which adore.
Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
But His mother only, in her maiden bliss,
Worshipped the beloved with a kiss.
What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.
ADVENT RESOURCES
USCCB ADVENT CALENDAR: Advent 2019
DYNAMIC CATHOLIC: Best Advent Ever!
CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY'S ONLINE MINISTRIES: Praying Advent and Celebrating Christmas
CATHOLIC APOSTALATE CENTER: Advent: the "Little Lent"
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 27- "On holy stillness of body and soul"
23. When the watchman grows weary, he stands up
and prays; and then he sits down again and courageously takes up his former
task.
Third Week of Advent, 2019
(Psa 146:7) The Lord God keeps faith forever, secures justice for
the oppressed, gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets captives free.
POPE FRANCIS:
“May the Virgin Mary help us as we approach Christmas, not to allow
ourselves to be distracted by external things, but make space in our
heart for Him who has already come and wants to come again to heal our
illnesses and give us his joy.”
EXCERPT CATHOLIC PHILLY: God’s love and mercy, in person of Jesus, pierces through darkness
Jesus is the fulfillment of all
hope. In him the healing love of the Father is poured forth on His
people. Jesus becomes the remedy for all that ills humanity.
In Jesus, the Father breaks through
the barriers of disease, infirmity, isolation, sorrow and distress and
deposits hope. Our hope lies in Him who has come and who will come
again. The second reading from the Letter of St. James encourages us as
we await his arrival saying: “Be patient, brothers and sisters, until
the coming of the Lord… Make your hearts firm, because the coming of
the Lord is at hand.” We are invited to look to the prophets of old who
responded to hardships with patience as they waited in hope.
As we celebrate this Third Sunday
of Advent we are invited to rejoice. As we long for his return and as
we prepare to celebrate his Nativity at Christmas we are reminded today
that he is already here. He is the light that dispels the darkness –
whatever that darkness may be. He is present when we open our hearts to
receive him.
We have been born into the Kingdom
of God which he established. This Kingdom promises life in the face of
death; healing in the face of sickness, deliverance in the face of
trial, solace in the face of distress and joy in the face of sadness.
And so we are invited to “Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say
rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near” (Phil 4:4-5).
FROM THE MAILBAG: Father Rutler's Weekly Column
Gaudete!—Rejoice!—is the name for
the Third Sunday of Advent. The rubrics say the Advent penances and
discipline are somewhat mitigated on this day. Gaudete Sunday is a
respite, rather like one of those “film trailers” that give a
tantalizing glimpse of what is to come. Even so, the sonorous hymns and
rose colors of Gaudete Sunday are awkward vaudeville rather than true
drama, if there is no penance to lighten and no discipline to lessen.
“But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they
already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for
it patiently” (Romans 8:24-25).
Saint Thomas Aquinas spent a lot of
ink describing joy, just as Bach set “the joy of man’s desiring” to
music. Joy is a fact that only the true God can give, and so it is more
than a transient feeling of happiness. At the heart of human nature is
the longing for joy, and this is the case even with miscreants who are
deluded in thinking that sensuality, sloth, and even suicide will
bestow a fugitive kind of happiness.
Advent is the guide to true joy,
and it has become a Lost Season, just as Confession has become a Lost
Sacrament, because our culture is impatient for joy and tries to be
satisfied with tinsel happiness. Dr. Seuss’s “Grinch that stole
Christmas” has a twin in the Grinch that stole Advent. This means that
the beautiful hymnody and literature of Advent is swept away. Even
organizations that claim to be Christian have Christmas parties in
Advent. Excuses for “rushing” Christmas would be amusing were they not
so pathetic. That sober modern prophet, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn said,
“Hastiness and superficiality are the psychic disease of the twentieth
century.” That disease has become epidemic in our new century.
Patience is one of the seven fruits
of the Holy Spirit. It should strengthen the soul that is tempted to
celebrate Christmas before Christmas. The excuse for doing that—“But
everybody expects it”—merely means that the “Long expected Jesus” is
not really expected. In contrast, persecuted Christians in diverse
lands keep a more profound Advent, learning and living “all endurance
and patience with joy” (Colossians 1:11). This has significant results.
While persecution has driven Christianity in Iraq almost to extinction,
the Chaldean Archbishop Najib Mikhael Moussa, has said that his people
“lost everything except our faith in Jesus Christ” and are stronger for
it. Moreover, he said, “many thousands of Muslims discovered the Person
of Jesus Christ” after seeing the patient endurance of Christians.
In Advent, has your example brought
anyone closer to the deep joy of Christ? "Therefore you too have grief
now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one
will take your joy away from you” (John 16:22).
COLLECT: “O
God, who see how your people faithfully await the feast of the Lord’s
Nativity, enable us, we pray, to attain the joys of so great a
salvation and to celebrate them always with solemn worship and glad
rejoicing.”
ADVENT RESOURCES
USCCB ADVENT CALENDAR: Advent 2019
DYNAMIC CATHOLIC: Best Advent Ever!
CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY'S ONLINE MINISTRIES: Praying Advent and Celebrating Christmas
CATHOLIC APOSTALATE CENTER: Advent: the "Little Lent"
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 27- "On holy stillness of body and soul"
22. Take up your seat on a high place and watch,
if only you know how, and then you will see in what manner, when, whence,
how many and what kind of thieves come to enter and steal your clusters
of grapes.
Second Week of Advent, 2019
(Mat 3:7-10) And seeing many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to
his baptism, he said to them: Ye brood of vipers, who hath shewed you
to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of
penance. And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham for
our father. For I tell you that God is able of these stones to raise up
children to Abraham. For now the axe is laid to the root of the trees.
Every tree therefore that doth not yield good fruit, shall be cut down,
and cast into the fire.
VIA A MOMENT WITH MARY: Advent is THE light of the world, hidden in the Virgin Mary’s womb
Brother Francis Huot: "I see
Advent as a budding life, hidden like a baby growing in the womb. It is
a light that rises and that we can only see through hope and the
certainty of faith. But it is more than a light: it is THE light of the
world, hidden in the Virgin Mary’s womb. In Mary, God is thus already
present in our midst. It is up to us to discover him, to be aware of
the mystery that is taking place. It's about opening up our ears to the
secret that he whispers to our hearts, asking us to prepare ourselves
to welcome him.
And we must not forget that it is also
a time of preparation for the return of Christ. Jesus, still an infant
(etymology in-fans: who cannot speak), is already the Word of God in
his silence, and filled with the Holy Spirit. He comes to bring us back
to the Father, to hasten the day of his last Advent (Coming) where,
having fulfilled all the prophecies of the first Covenant and having
submitted to all things, he will submit to the Father, to take us into
the eternal Covenant and immerse us forever in the life of God."
APOSTOLIC LETTER ADMIRABILE SIGNUM OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS: ON THE MEANING AND IMPORTANCE OF THE NATIVITY SCENE
VATICAN NEWS: Reflections for the II Sunday of Advent
CATHOLIC HERALD: Advent is a time to think about Christ’s judgment
MSGR. POPE: A Prophet Who Prepares
VIA UNIVERSALIS: From a sermon of St Bernard of Clairvaux The word of the Lord will come to us
We know that the coming of the Lord
is threefold: the third coming is between the other two and it is not
visible in the way they are. At his first coming the Lord was seen on
earth and lived among men, who saw him and hated him. At his last
coming All flesh shall see the salvation of our God, and They shall
look on him whom they have pierced. In the middle, the hidden coming,
only the chosen see him, and they see him within themselves; and so
their souls are saved. The first coming was in flesh and weakness, the
middle coming is in spirit and power, and the final coming will be in
glory and majesty.
This middle coming is like a road
that leads from the first coming to the last. At the first, Christ was
our redemption; at the last, he will become manifest as our life; but
in this middle way he is our rest and our consolation.
If you think that I am inventing
what I am saying about the middle coming, listen to the Lord himself:
If anyone loves me, he will keep my words, and the Father will love
him, and we shall come to him. Elsewhere I have read: Whoever fears the
Lord does good things – but I think that what was said about whoever
loves him was more important: that whoever loves him will keep his
words. Where are these words to be kept? In the heart certainly, as the
Prophet says I have hidden your sayings in my heart so that I do not
sin against you. Keep the word of God in that way: Blessed are those
who keep it. Let it penetrate deep into the core of your soul and then
flow out again in your feelings and the way you behave; because if you
feed your soul well it will grow and rejoice. Do not forget to eat your
bread, or your heart will dry up. Remember, and your soul will grow fat
and sleek.
If you keep God’s word like this,
there is no doubt that it will keep you, for the Son will come to you
with the Father: the great Prophet will come, who will renew Jerusalem,
and he is the one who makes all things new. For this is what this
coming will do: just as we have been shaped in the earthly image, so
will we be shaped in the heavenly image. Just as the old Adam was
poured into the whole man and took possession of him, so in turn will
our whole humanity be taken over by Christ, who created all things, has
redeemed all things, and will glorify all things.
ADVENT RESOURCES
USCCB ADVENT CALENDAR: Advent 2019
DYNAMIC CATHOLIC: Best Advent Ever!
CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY'S ONLINE MINISTRIES: Praying Advent and Celebrating Christmas
CATHOLIC APOSTALATE CENTER: Advent: the "Little Lent"
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 27- "On holy stillness of body and soul"
21. Those whose mind has learned true prayer converse
with the Lord face to face, as if speaking into the ear of the emperor.
Those who make vocal prayer fall down before Him as if int he presence
of the who senate. But those who live in the world petition the emperor
amidst the clamour of all the crowds.
First Week of Advent, 2019
(Mat 24:42-44) Watch ye therefore, because you know not what hour your
Lord will come. But this know ye, that, if the goodman of the house
knew at what hour the thief would come, he would certainly watch and
would not suffer his house to be broken open. Wherefore be you also
ready, because at what hour you know not the Son of man will come.
MONSIGNOR RONALD KNOX:
“The drama of Advent is that when we see everything going wrong with
the world, we are tempted to be indifferent about it all.”
ALETEIA: Preparing for the light of Christmas in the darkness of Advent
CATHOLIC GENTLEMAN: Be Not Afraid: 5 Ways to Have Hope in Dark Times
VIDEO BETHLEHEM
- The Custos of the Holy Land, Fr. Francesco Patton, holding the relic
of the Holy Crib of the Child Jesus, marching in Star Street in the Old
City of Bethlehem, which according to tradition, was the path Joseph
and Mary took on their way to what today is known as the Nativity
Grotto. The Custos’s entrance to Bethlehem kicks off Advent and
Christmas celebrations.
EXCERPT CATHOLIC PHILLY: Prepare for Christ’s coming with vigilance, persistence
Today we begin the season of Advent and a new liturgical year. One of
the themes associated with Advent is preparation. Certainly, many
people can relate to preparations for the variety of holiday
celebrations this time of the year — planning for meals and gatherings,
setting up decorations and shopping for gifts all entail preparation.
The preparations of Advent deal with the Lord’s coming.
St. Bernard speaks of the three comings of Christ that are remembered
in the season: the remembrance of his first coming at Christmas, his
return at the end of the world and the continual coming of the Lord
into our hearts. The first part of the season focuses on the second
coming of Christ. In this coming, the Lord will usher in a new heaven
and a new earth. Evil will be destroyed. Peace will reign. The Father’s
plan for all creation will reach its perfection and the kingdom of God
will be fully manifest for all to see. In this sense Advent is the
season of hope.
Isaiah describes the Lord’s reign in terms of a “holy mountain,” a
beautiful image that fills the mind with hope. He says this mountain
will be higher than all others. All nations and peoples will find a
home on this mountain and the Word of the Lord will find a home in all
nations and peoples. War, hatred and enmity will be replaced by peace:
“They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into
pruning hooks; one nation shall not raise the sword against another,
nor shall they train for war again.” The last words of that passage —
“O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!” — call
us to vigilance.
Preparing for the Lord’s return is thus an exercise in vigilance and
persistence. Jesus speaks to the disciples in the Gospel passage for
today’s liturgy about vigilance and preparation. “Stay awake,” he says.
Being alert and focused helps us to be ready. Sometimes this is
difficult in a busy world with many responsibilities that could
distract us; not just the seasonal tasks, but the demands of life,
work, and raising a family. Vigilance is not just for Advent but part
of our lives as disciples of Christ. However, the Advent season helps
us to focus our attention on vigilance and to strengthen this aspect of
our faith.
Loving God and neighbor, choosing good and avoiding evil, and living
our faith in word and deed are some of the most basic ways we “keep
vigil.” St. Paul, in the passage from today’s second reading, gives us
some practical advice. Vigilance is heightened when we “cast off deeds
of darkness” and “put on the armor of light.” He urges us to “conduct
ourselves properly as in the day, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in
promiscuity and lust, not in rivalry and jealousy. But put on the Lord
Jesus Christ.”
CATHOLIC WORLD REPORT: “All time belongs to him”: On Advent and the liturgical year
ADVENT RESOURCES
USCCB ADVENT CALENDAR: Advent 2019
DYNAMIC CATHOLIC: Best Advent Ever!
CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY'S ONLINE MINISTRIES: Praying Advent and Celebrating Christmas
CATHOLIC APOSTALATE CENTER: Advent: the "Little Lent"
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 27- "On holy stillness of body and soul"
20. Do not fear the noises of prankish demons,
for mourning does not know cowardice and is not scared by them.
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