Mary, the Holy Mother of God

This is a beautiful solemnity to celebrate as we conclude the Octave of Christmas and as we prepare to begin a New Year! One thing that you might notice differently in this title is the addition of the word, "Holy." For years, our church calendars read, "Mary, Mother of God." With the unveiling of the Third Edition of the Roman Missal at the beginning of Advent, different titles were once again given their proper usage. Thus, we celebrate the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God. The word "Holy" is a beautiful reminder for all of us because we have a "Universal call to Holiness." We are all called to live faithful, prayerful, holy lives. We always look for examples of holiness and that is why the Church holds up the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the holy men and women who have gone before us. Our Blessed Mother is a beautiful example of holiness because God kept her for a very special mission, to bring forth His only begotten Son as Savior of the world. Mary trusted in the message of the angel and gave herself totally to the will of God. In our lives, we need to do the same. We need to be open to the will of God and always respond to that universal call to holiness. This Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, takes precedence over all the other celebrations going on, like New Year's. We are beginning a New Year, 2012, and it is a wonderful time for all of us to resolve to begin again in living holy and faithful lives. Let us ask our Blessed Mother Mary to intercede for us as we celebrate this beautiful solemnity and begin the new year. As we enter the New Year, may God richly bless you and your families for He truly knows what is best for all of us! Blessings to you this weekend and for the New Year!!!

Feast of the Holy Family

What a beautiful way to commemorate the 400th blog, Daily with Fr. David, by celebrating the Feast of the Holy Family. We belong to a particular immediate and extended family, but we are a big family in the one body of Christ. Families in general have been under attack in our society and this is one foundation, one house that needs to remain strong and vibrant. The family is a very important entity in our society and we need to protect and defend this great gift at all times. As our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI says, "The family is the privileged setting where every person learns to give and receive love... The family is an intermediate institution between individuals and society, and nothing can completely take its place... The family is a necessary good for peoples, an indispensable foundation for society and a great and lifelong treasure for couples. It is a unique good for children, who are meant to be the fruit of the love, of the total and generous self-giving of their parents... The family is also a school which enables mean and women to grow to the full measure of their humanity... 'O God, who in the Holy Family left us a perfect model of family life lived in faith and obedience to your will, help us to be examples of faith and love for your commandments'" (Magnificat, 437). We look to the Grotto of Bethlehem as a beautiful example where we can learn and live our faith to the fullest. May the Holy Family guide us by their prayers and intercession and help us all to truly live as the family of God. Thank you for reading these blogs and for commenting if they have a special meaning in your life. Have a Blessed Day!!!

Octave of Christmas

These are wonderful days following the beautiful Solemnity of Christmas. On December 26, the Church remembers Saint Stephen, the First Martyr. You might find it interesting that the Church celebrates the first martyr after Christmas, but one commentary says this, "Bethlehem is the prelude to Calvary. We may not merely stand adoring at the crib; we must also follow to the cross" (Magnificat, 390). That is why the Liturgical Year goes in cycles, because we celebrate these great events of our salvation. Saint John the Evangelist is remembered on December 27. "Saint John is the evangelist of the incarnation. He proclaims the glory of the Word coming forth from God to take on human flesh and dwell in our midst" (Magnificat, 399). On December 28, the Church remembers the Holy Innocents, all those infants that were killed because of Herod's fury to find the Christ-child. As this commentary states, "The peace of Bethlehem was shattered by the cries of the slaughtered children and the weeping of their mothers. The peace of the world was shattered by the single cry from the cross. Yet through that death and mourning, peace was reborn, indestructible now, in the resurrection of the slain Christ" (Magnificat, 417). Hope springs eternal because of God's great love for us, sending His only Son to be the Savior of the world. The Octave of Christmas continues until we celebrate the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God. Since Christmas fell on Sunday this year, the Feast of the Holy Family will be celebrated on Friday, December 30. On a personal note, I will write my next blog for the Holy Family because that will be blog number 400, so what a great feast to write about and example to follow. Have a blessed Christmas week!!!

Christmas Blessings

I want to extend blessings to family, friends, and readers of my daily blog. Thank you for faithfulness, prayers, and support. This is truly a great and blessed solemnity that we are celebrating. God's great love for us is made manifest in the Mystery of the Incarnation. This blessed time is the most astounding event in history, God becoming man. Be sure and make it to church this weekend and know that the doors are always open for you. Let us sing with joy the hymn of the angels, "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to people of good will..." The Incarnation is truly great news to share with others. May you have a blessed Solemnity as we celebrate the birth of Christ. God Bless You!!!

The Herald of Christmas

Our gospel on this day before Christmas Eve is about the birth of John the Baptist, Luke 1:57-66. When it came time to name the child the relatives and friends of Elizabeth and Zechariah were surprised when they said his name would be John. Of course, Zechariah had to write it down because he was not able to speak after doubting the message of the angel. All of those gathered were frightened when Zechariah was able to speak and he sang the praises of God. Those who heard about this said, "What, then, will this child be? For surely the hand of the Lord was with him." John the Baptist grew up to preach a message of repentance and prepare people for the coming Messiah. We know that John was the forerunner of the Messiah so we can say the he is the herald of Christmas. John prepared the people for the Lord's first coming and what we await is his second coming. That is what we are doing in our present day. We are preparing people to be ready, to stay on guard and be alert. As we approach the Solemnity of Christmas, let us be heralds of the Good News and proclaim with great joy the coming of the Lord. Have a blessed day!!!

Thanksgiving for Christmas

That might sound like an unusual title but Christmas is about thanksgiving. We are giving thanks to God for the best gift that we could receive. God loves the world so much that He sent His only Son to be its Savior. Even though the Mystery of the Incarnation took place many years ago, we still celebrate that event with great joy and anticipation. The joy comes from the love that God has for each of us. The anticipation comes with the reality that we are still waiting for the second coming of Christ. We also take our thankfulness from the Blessed Virgin Mary who sang the praises of God in her Magnificat, Luke 1:46-56. Our Blessed Mother offered these words after greeting her cousin Elizabeth. Mary praised God after Elizabeth said, "Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled." In her response, Mary said, "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior, for he has looked upon his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed; the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name." That is a thankful response that Mary offers and we need to be thankful as well. Mary's yes to the will of God in her life meant salvation for all of us. As we approach this Christmas Time, let us be thankful for the gifts that God gives to us in our life, but most importantly, let us be thankful for the gift of His Son, for Jesus is truly the "Reason for the Season!" Have a Blessed Day!!!

Make Haste to Christmas

We are making our way, in haste, to the Solemnity of Christmas. Each day brings us closer to this beautiful event. The thought for this title comes from the gospel for today, Luke 1:39-45. This gospel depicts the visitation of our Blessed Mother to her cousin Elizabeth. Luke writes, "Mary set out in those days and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah." This came shortly after the Annunciation when the angel Gabriel told Mary that Elizabeth was six months pregnant. Mary knew that she had to be with her relative so she left without delay. When Mary arrived she greeted Elizabeth and we are told that the baby in her womb leaped for joy. Of course, Elizabeth gave birth to John the Baptist, the herald of the Messiah. Even in the womb he knew that the Savior was coming. Elizabeth even knew that Mary would be the mother of God's only Son. Elizabeth says, "And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" The Annunciation and Visitation are blessed events. Mary truly believed in the word that was spoken to her and said yes to the will of God. We are called to do the same in our own lives. God continues to call us to live faithful and holy lives each day. Let us renew our efforts to be faithful and holy as we make haste towards Christmas! Have a blessed day!!!

Drawing Towards Christmas

This Fourth Week of Advent has had some wonderful quotes for us to think about as we draw closer to Christmas Time. Today's quote comes from Blessed Columba Marmion, "Let us then draw near to the Child God with great faith... In the tabernacle as in the Crib, it is the same God full of power, the same Savior full of tender mercy" (Magnificat, 285). This quote also spotlights our faith. We believe that Jesus is the Son of God. That God became a man just like us in all things, but sin. We also believe in the Real Presence! In the tabernacles of our churches, Jesus is truly present in the Blessed Sacrament: Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. When we approach the manger scene and the crib, we come to adore God made man. When we approach the Tabernacle, we come to adore the Real Presence of Christ. As Scripture states, "God so loved the world that He sent His only Son to be our Savior..." (John 3:16). With the birth of the Savior we experience God's great love and mercy. This is what this Christmas Time is all about. We experience the full power of God, as well as His great mercy. Let us rejoice and be glad because the Mystery of the Incarnation is a gift to celebrate each day. May we be renewed in our lives and our faith as we approach the Crib this Christmas Time and each time we approach the Tabernacle because the Savior of the world is truly present! Have a blessed day!!!

Journey to Christmas

The Fourth Week of Advent is here and leading us to the great Solemnity of Christmas. There is a quote that I read over the weekend which puts this all into perspective. This quote comes from Blessed John XXIII, "Holy Christmas is approaching. Everything in the grotto of Bethlehem is a living lesson for all who wish to live by our faith, and be faithful to it." That is a beautiful image for all of us! In our churches and our homes, we will be putting our manger scenes up so we can see that lesson each day during Christmas Time. Let us not forget the image of the grotto of Bethlehem because we live with the joy of Christmas everyday of our lives. The Church Year goes in cycles and it is a continual reminder of God's great love for each of us. God loves us so much that He sent His only Son into the world to be our Savior. Jesus came to live among us, to preach and teach, to suffer and die, and ultimately rise from the dead. Through Jesus' death we have the forgiveness of our sins and through his resurrection the hope of eternal life. The Mystery of the Incarnation is the most astounding event in history. That is what we are preparing to celebrate this coming weekend, but the joy of Christmas is with us each day of our lives. We are thankful for the gift of faith and we are called to live it every day. May this Mystery of the Incarnation inspire us to live our faith to the fullest and the image of the grotto of Bethlehem be an example to us all! Have a blessed day!!!

Fourth Sunday of Advent

We have arrived at the Fourth Sunday of Advent and thankfully we get to enjoy the full week since Christmas is next Sunday. As I was talking to my spiritual director about my Advent thus far and what I would still like to do, he said very simply, "You still have next week." Yes, we have one more week to go, but always remember, our time of preparation does not end when Advent does. We are still preparing ourselves for the second coming of Christ. The gospel for this weekend, Luke 1:26-38, prepares us for the first coming of Christ which we will celebrate next Sunday. The gospel is the Annunciation and the great news that Mary has found favor with God and she is to be the mother of God's only Son. There are several moments in this gospel that are important for our journey now. One moment is the initial greeting of the angel Gabriel and Mary was troubled by his words but he says, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God." Our Lord will use that phrase as well, "Do not be afraid." In our present day, Blessed John Paul II proclaimed that message to the world, "Do not be afraid." Those words need to calm our worries and our fears. God is always with us so why be afraid? Another moment is that after the message of how the child will be conceived, Gabriel tells Mary that her kinswoman Elizabeth is also expecting. How can this all be? As Gabriel says, "For nothing will be impossible for God." We know that, with God all things are possible, He is in control. The final moment is Mary's response, her "YES" to following the will of God in her life. She did question but in the end her total faith and trust in God allowed her positive response. That is an example for all of us! We need to have a firm faith and trust in God. That faith and trust will help us to not be afraid, to know that all things are possible with God, and to live His will each day of our lives. A beautiful reminder for all of us as our journey to the kingdom continues! Have a blessed weekend!!!

John the Baptist

The example of John the Baptist abounds for all of us. This week we have heard about John in the gospels. Luke 7:18b-23 talks about John sending two of his disciples to ask the Lord, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?" Jesus' response to those disciples was to tell John what you have seen: "The blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the good news proclaimed to them." John knew that Jesus is the Messiah but there is always that side of us that wants to make sure and he got his answer. Luke 7:24-30 continues with Jesus talking about John and why people went out to see him. Our Lord confirmed that John is the one that scripture speaks about in writing, "Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, he will prepare your way before you." John 5:33-36 shows that John the Baptist is "a burning and shining lamp!" He came to testify to the truth and prepare the way for the Truth. We see John the Baptist preparing the people of his day for the coming of the Messiah, the first time. Now, in our present day, we follow the example of John the Baptist in preparing the people for the second coming of Christ. Like Advent reminds us, we need to be ready and prepared, so do not miss the opportunities that are given to us. Let us follow the example of John the Baptist, announcing the coming of the Lord and making straight the highway for him! Bless You!!!

Saint John of the Cross

The Church remembers another Advent saint who lived and shared the light of Christ. We remember Saint Lucy from December 13 whose name means "Light." Saint John of the Cross, a doctor of the Church, was put in prison for trying to reform his religious order. In the midst of opposition and suffering, Saint John lived his faith and the light of Christ to the fullest. He is an example for us during this Advent Season. In our own lives, when we experience opposition, persecution, suffering, we are not to lose hope or despair, but we let our faith come through loud and clear. Of course, we know that our faith is meant to be lived at all times, not during the bad times, but in our good times. We live our faith all the time. As a priest, I have witnessed peoples faith in action. It is beautiful to listen to people as they talk about their faith and how they would not know what to do if it was not for their faith. Truly an inspiration to me as I strive to live my faith. Yes, the Church holds up for us these holy women and men, like Saint John of the Cross, to follow their example and seek their intercession. We know in our present day that we have people who are examples to us and we are examples to them. We are all on this journey of life and faith together. We help each other out by living our life of faith. Do not be afraid to live your faith! It is truly a great gift that God has given to us! Saint John of the Cross, pray for us!!!

Saint Lucy

The Church celebrates the Memorial of Saint Lucy! She was a virgin and martyr who remained strong in her faith. In Latin, Lucy's name would be translated as "Light!" Her example truly made the light of Christ shine in the midst of darkness. During the Advent Season, the candles on the wreath dispel the darkness. We know that Jesus is forever the light of the world. At baptism, our parents and godparents were entrusted with the light of Christ. They were told to keep that light burning brightly. As adults, we are entrusted with the same call. We need to keep the flame of faith burning brightly in our lives. We can do our part through prayer, the sacraments, scripture and spiritual reading. God gives us the gifts, graces, and tools that we need. Our challenge is to use those gifts and use them to the fullest. The Church also holds up these holy men and women that we can look to and ask their intercession as we journey through life and faith. Saint Lucy is truly an Advent saint. She kept the light of Christ burning in her life and in a world that was living in darkness. Times have changed but the world is still in darkness and it needs that light more than ever. May we do our part to keep the light of Christ burning brightly and may our example help others in their journey of life and faith! Saint Lucy, pray for us!!!

Our Lady of Guadalupe

A blessed feast day to everyone as we celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Patroness of the Americas. As it reads in the Book of Revelation, "A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was with child" (12:1-2). The corresponding commentary goes along with that passage. "In Tepeyac, the Mother of God, ark of the new covenant who is Christ, reveals the beauty of the redeeming Christ in the beauty of humanity at its lowliest. Appearing to an Aztec as a pregnant Aztec maiden rather than one of the conquering Spaniards, she echoed the message of the incarnation: Christ took on our lowly mortal flesh to transform us according to God's mercy" (Magnificat, 169). We know that God loves the world so much that He sent His only Son to be our Savior. We have been redeemed by the birth, death, and resurrection of Christ. This is a time for us to rejoice and be glad and keep that momentum with us at all times. We ask our Blessed Mother to intercede for us, help us to always be aware of God's love for us, and share that joy and goodness with others. Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us!!!

Third Sunday of Advent

"Gaudete Sunday!" Rejoice in the Lord always!!! That is our call on this Third Sunday of Advent as we have come to our half way point in this Advent Time. With Christmas being on a Sunday this year, we can say that we have completed two weeks in Advent and have two weeks to go. So, how is your Advent going? This is a good time to re-evaluate what we have or have not done in our journey through Advent. As I said two weeks ago, what Christmas gift do you want to give yourself when Advent concludes? Of course, this gift has nothing to do with material items, but it is personal and spiritual. This gift has to be something that we need in our lives and our faith. I know I still need to be working on that gift for myself and that is what I come up with as I evaluate my Advent Time thus far. Perhaps I need to take the words of Saint Paul this weekend to heart, "Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus" (I Thes. 5:16-24). Yes, rejoice in the Lord at all times and pray without ceasing. Prayer is the gift that will help us wrap up the gift that we need for our Christmas celebration. We need to use the gift of prayer at all times and do not be afraid to ask, to seek, and to knock. The Lord is always there to answer our prayer and in doing so we need to rejoice and be thankful. Let us rejoice and be glad on this Third Sunday of Advent and let us continue the work that needs to be done in our lives and in living our faith! Have a blessed and joy-filled weekend!!!

Saint Juan Diego

It was on this day in 1531 that the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Juan Diego on Tepeyac Hill in Mexico. She wished that a church be built on this site and a sign would be provided so the bishop would give his blessing. Juan Diego gathered roses in his tilma or cloak and went to the bishop. When the tilma was unfolded the image of Mary as Our Lady of Guadalupe was imprinted on it. What a beautiful miracle and the church now sits on that location, the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Even though Our Lady of Guadalupe is celebrated on December 12, we can begin our celebrations now as we remember Saint Juan Diego. As we celebrate this memorial, I think back with fondness to the last Knights of Columbus Supreme Convention that I attended as the State Chaplain of Kansas. The Supreme Convention was held in Phoenix, Arizona. Following the convention a Guadalupe Festival was held and the focus was on Saint Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe. At the closing prayer service, a relic of Saint Juan Diego was brought in and placed around the statue of Our Lady. Those bishops and priests who were present for the Guadalupe Festival received a beautiful chausible with Our Lady of Guadalupe printed on the front and the Knights of Columbus logo on the back. It was a beautiful gift and I wore it for Mass this morning. Once again, we thank God for the gift of the Blessed Virgin Mary and her title, Our Lady of Guadalupe. Pray that Saint Juan Diego will intercede for us that our faith and trust will be strong because those are gifts that he lived in his own life. Saint Juan Diego, pray for us!!!

Immaculate Conception!!!

A Blessed and Happy Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception to everyone. This is truly a beautiful and holy day. I even learned something today as I was making communion rounds. The Church knows how to use numbers when it comes to feast days and they always make sense. For example, the Annunciation, which we hear in the gospel today, Luke 1:26-38, is celebrated on March 25. That means, nine months later we celebrate the Nativity of our Lord. However, there is an example that is right underneath my nose and I did not even think about it. The solemnity today celebrates Mary being immaculately conceived in the womb of her mother, St. Anne, which means Mary would be born nine months later and she is on September 8, the day the Church celebrates the birth of Mary. I should have known that but guess it never registered until today. We are always learning about our faith and it does not matter how young or old we happen to be. What we learn on this solemnity is how to follow the will of God in our lives and to place our complete faith and trust in Him. Mary did that by responding to the angel's message with a resounding "YES." We need that same reaction as we live God's will in our own lives and faith. Mary, as the Immaculate Conception, is the patroness of the United States. Pray that our Blessed Mother will intercede for us and help us to alway have that same unwavering faith and trust that she models for us so well! Have a blessed day!!!

Saint Ambrose

The prayers for the Roman Missal, Third Edition are definitive and beautiful. I like how the Collect for Saint Ambrose is written, "O God, who made the Bishop Saint Ambrose a teacher of the Catholic faith and a model of apostolic courage..." That explains what we need to be doing in our lives. As I told our Catholic School students, one day you will be in our roles- as priest, teacher, administrator- passing on the Catholic faith to the next generation so we, who are in those roles now, need to be doing our part. Like one commentary says, "Saint Ambrose proclaimed the coming of Christ, the long-awaited Savior, in troubled times not so different from our own" (Magnificat, 99). When we look around we see how troubled our times are and how worse they might become. That is why we need to bring a message of faith, hope, comfort, and peace to our brothers and sisters. Saint Ambrose did that for the people of his time, we need to do this for our own time, and we need to instill that message in our young people so that when they get to our ages, they will be doing the same for those who will come after them. Always remember the words of our Lord, "Do not be afraid." Let us not be afraid to share our faith and live the Good News because these times need to hear it. Pray that Saint Ambrose will intercede for us in this time and in the generations to come! Bless You!!!

Saint Nicholas

Happy Feast day of Saint Nicholas. I always remember from the seminary that on the night before December 6 we would put a shoe outside the door and when we awoke the next morning fruit and candy would have been placed in it. A sign of the generosity of Saint Nicholas who was very giving of his time, talent and treasure. This is a beautiful example for all of us to follow. The gospel for today, Matthew 18:12-14 is a wonderful example of what it means to be a shepherd. The shepherd will leave the ninety nine sheep and go in search of the stray. We can imagine that Saint Nicholas would do the same thing. Just like the entrance antiphon states, "I will look after my sheep, says the Lord, and I will appoint a shepherd to pasture them, and I, the Lord, will be their God" (Ez 34:11, 23-24). Jesus is the Good Shepherd and he calls shepherds to pasture the sheep and look after them. We thank God for the blessing of Saint Nicholas and for the example that he provided. We pray that during this time we can pattern our lives after Saint Nicholas so we can be loving and generous disciples and stewards of the Lord. Saint Nicholas, pray for us!!!

Don't Get Tied Down...

For the homily that I gave this past weekend, I came out with a microphone cord as a prop. Whenever props are used, people wonder how this is going to fit into the readings that we just listened to. I told the story of a priest who was preaching a fine homily one Sunday morning and he was really into it. The Holy Spirit was truly at work but what the priest did not realize is that each time he moved around he was getting tangled in the microphone cord. Eventually he realized that he was tied down and started to kick and throw his arms about so he could get free. During the outburst, a little girl in the front pew said to her mother, "Mommy, if he gets loose we are all in trouble." The priest made it out, no one got hurt, and the homily went on. I think about that preaching story as John the Baptist appeared in the desert on the Second Sunday of Advent. An early evangelizer, John the Baptist was preparing the people of his day for the coming of the Messiah. He came preaching a message of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Even though times have changed, the message is still the same as we await the second coming of our Lord. We need to prepare ourselves for his coming! We need to repent of our sinfulness and turn back to God and receive His forgiveness. There is always that sense of urgency because we do not know the day nor the hour so we need to be ready, now!!! Advent is a wonderful time for us to renew our lives and our faith. Don't get tied down with the voices of the world because there is one voice that is loud and clear, the voice of our Lord. Listen to the words of Jesus Christ in the gospels! Listen to those who preach the Good News! These are the words that will lead to eternal life. Let us continue to make the most of this Advent Time as we continue our preparation for the Lord's coming, not just at Christmas, but in glory! God Bless You!!!

Second Sunday of Advent

This is the weekend where we meet John the Baptist- the herald, the forerunner of the Messiah. In fact the first reading, Isaiah 40:1-5,9-11 and the gospel, Mark 1:1-8 go hand in hand. Mark even writes the passage from Isaiah to reinforce the role of John the Baptist. The prophet Isaiah writes, "A voice cries out: In the desert prepare the way of the Lord! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!" Here is Mark's version, "Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way. A voice of one crying out in the desert: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths." There is a little more added on to Mark's version but it says the same thing. John the Baptist was sent to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord. His message was also one of repentance and being forgiven of our sins. That is a wonderful call for us during this Advent Time. We need to prepare ourselves for the coming of the Lord, at the end of time, and receive the forgiveness of our sins that comes from God. John the Baptist is a tremendous example of the new evangelization. He came to prepare the highway for the Messiah, the first coming, and it is our task to help our brothers and sisters prepare for the second coming. As we heard our Lord say, "Only the Father knows the day and the hour." As we gather around the table of God's Word and Eucharist this weekend, let us heed the call to prepare and evangelize because in our present day we are still making straight a highway for the Lord. Have a blessed weekend!!!

Advent Sight!

In Matthew 9:27-31, Jesus heals two blind men. When the mean approached Jesus, he asked them, "Do you believe that I can do this?" "Yes, Lord," they said to him. Then Jesus touched their eyes and said, "Let it be done for you according to your faith." Their eyes were opened and they were able to see. Of course, Jesus tells the men at the conclusion of the gospel not to tell anyone about what happened and what did they do? They went and spread the word about him. An early form of evangelization, which we are all called to do. We need to proclaim the Good News about Jesus and help others, as we prepare ourselves, for his second coming in glory. We can also think about the miracle that occured in the gospel. We know there is physical blindness but there is also spiritual blindness. The eyes of faith go dim or they lose sight altogether. This is a beautiful time for us to regain our sight when it comes to the eyes of faith. During Advent, we are preparing ourselves for the coming of Christ and we do so with the gifts that we recently heard about from Blessed John Paul II, "Vigilance, Prayer and Conversion." God gives us the grace that we need to live our lives and our faith. What do you want Jesus to do for you? Do we have the faith to be accepting of the gifts that we receive? Allow the Lord to touch our minds, hearts, and eyes so that we can be open to the gift of Advent sight! Blessings to you!!!

Advent Time

This is a beautiful time of the year, especially as we are preparing ourselves to celebrate the Nativity of the Lord. We know that our Lord has come once and we look for him to come again. What makes Advent a special time? I think this quote from Blessed John Paul II, "Advent is a time of vigilance, prayer and conversion." That truly says it all because that is what we are to be doing during this holy time. However, our time of vigilance, prayer and conversion is not confined to Advent but needs to be every day of our lives. Conversion, as I learned in my Foundational Theology course in the seminary, is a life-long process. It can be said that vigilance and prayer is the same. God gives us each day to live our lives and our faith. Many times we take those gifts for granted. We have the hope each day that we will rise from sleep, but we don't know, so we are thankful each time that we can wake up. We are thankful that God has given us another day to live the gift of faith and to share His love with one another. Don't think that I don't have to do this because someone else will. No, we are responsible for our lives and our faith and we need to do what we can to grow in both. We don't know how long our life-long process will be, but we do know this, today is the day to make all things new and right because we don't know what tomorrow will bring. Thank God for the time that we have been given, especially Advent, and do your part to make vigilance, prayer and conversion an important part of your daily life and spirituality! God Bless You!!!