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!!!