New Beginnings

We have arrived at the beginning of a New Year, 2013!!! People are always asking, "Where does the time go?" It seems like time is moving faster and faster. These new beginnings give us a wonderful opportunity to look at our lives and see what we need to do better. Many people make New Year's resolutions, but how far do we get with those? The Church provides us with many opportunities to begin again, especially with the Liturgical seasons. We have concluded the Advent season, which is like a mini-Lent, preparing us for the birth of Our Lord. Now, we are in Christmas Time, rejoicing at the coming of the newborn King. In over a month, we will begin the Season of Lent, since Easter is early this year. As we mark these new beginnings, we know that we are not alone. How appropriate to begin the New Year by celebrating the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God. We know that the mother of God's only Son is also our mother as well. She watches over us with her maternal hand, love, and prayers. We also have the communion of saints that we can turn to for assistance. Ultimately, we have the grace of God to help us in all things. Yes, new beginnings afford us a wonderful opportunity to begin again and when we fall short, we know that we can pick ourselves up again and resolve to move forward with a renewed effort. May God bless us as we begin this New Year of 2013. Mary, the Holy Mother of God, Pray for Us!!!

Saint John

The Church celebrates the feast of Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist. He is a saint for this Christmas Time and a saint for the Year of Faith, because we are all called to be evangelizers and live and share the Good News with others. We come to know Christ through John's own experience. This is what one of the Entrance Antiphons for Mass said, "This is John, who reclined on the Lord's breast at supper, the blessed Apostle, to whom celestial secrets were revealed and who spread the words of life through all the world" (Magnificat, 405). There are also two quotes that the Magnificat has for our consideration: our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI says, "Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person." Saint Edith Stein says, "Through John we know how we are to participate as our destiny in the life of Christ" (405). John had a personal encounter with our Lord and that is what he expresses in his gospel and in his preaching. During the Year of Faith, we are asked to work on our deep, personal, intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. We are the evangelizers, the disciples asked to continue our Lord's mission in our present day. Like Saint John, may we be "Joy-Filled Witnesses to Christ" and live and share what the Lord has done in our lives. May our example touch the life of another so that we can make the presence of Christ known to all peoples!!! Saint John, Pray for Us!!!

Saint Stephen

On this day after Christmas, the Church celebrates the feast of Saint Stephen, the First Martyr. This passage from scripture says it all, "You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved" (Matt. 10:22). The virtues of patience and perseverance are key because we are living on God's time and following the will that He has set for us. We may not know where the will of God will lead us, but we need to rely on our faith and trust to sustain us in all circumstances and at all times. The following commentary also puts this feast into perspective as we celebrate it at this time of the year: "Lest we be tempted to sentimentalize the mystery of Christ's birth, the Church today sets before us the example of Stephen, first of martyrs, icon of the Crucified. Bethlehem is the prelude to Calvary. We may not merely stand adoring at the crib; we must also follow to the cross" (Magnificat, 394). A very powerful statement, but it is true. As I mentioned at the Christmas Mass, "To get to the cross and the resurrection, we need to celebrate the birth of Our Lord." God became one of us to set us free and to lead us to safety. As we live our lives, our faith to the fullest, we pray for the intercession of Saint Stephen, so that we will not be afraid, but persevere in the journey to the kingdom!!! God Bless You!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Blessed and Merry Christmas from me to all the blog readers!!! Thank you so much for taking the time to read the blogs and I pray that each entry brings a message of hope, faith, and inspiration to your lives. A beautiful solemnity to celebrate, the birth of Our Lord: the Savior of the world, Prince of Peace, the Light that dispels all darkness. The message that I gave to my parishioners in preparation for Christmas is from our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, and I want to leave his words with you today. "God's sign is the baby in need of help and in poverty. Exactly the same sign has been given to us.... God's sign is simplicity.... God's sign is that he makes himself small for us. This is how he reigns. He does not come with power and outward splendor. He comes as a baby - defenseless and in need of our help. He does not want to overwhelm us with his strength. He takes away our fear of his greatness. He asks for our love: so he makes himself a child. He wants nothing other from us than our love, through which we spontaneously learn to enter into his feelings, his thoughts, and his will - we learn to live with him and to practice with him that humility of renunciation that belongs to the very essence of love. God made himself small so that we could understand him, welcome him, and love him... Christmas has become the Feast of gifts in imitation of God who has given himself to us. Let us allow our heart, our soul, and our mind to be touched by this fact" (Magnificat, 384-85)! May the joy of this Christmas Time fill your minds and hearts with comfort and peace!!!

Light of Christ

"O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light, sun of justice: come, shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death" (Traditional "O" Antiphon). To show how the liturgical year goes in cycles, we look to the Easter Vigil and the lighting of the Paschal Candle. After the candle is lit we process into the dark church and intone "Christ our Light"! Jesus is the Light of the world that dispels the darkness of sin and death. What we await at this Christmas Time is the light to come into the world as we read in the "O" Antiphon for this day! Of course, the light has come and now we ultimately await Our Lord's coming in glory. As we continue our journey may the light of Christ shine in our lives and in our hearts so that we may radiate that light in all we do! Have a blessed day!!!

Open Wide the Doors to Christ

"O Key of David, and scepter of the house of Israel: you open and no one shuts; you shut and no one opens. Come and lead forth from his prison the captive sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death" (Traditional "O" Antiphon). The title of this post was the theme of the new milleniuum when we went from 1999 to 2000. It was a Holy Year in the Church and the Holy Doors were open at various basilicas and churches throughout the world. The symbolism of the Holy Door is to open our minds and hearts to Christ. This is what we are doing as we prepare for the coming feast of Christmas. We are opening our minds, our hearts, our very lives to the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Our Lord will come inside and dwell in our very being. He is the Light of the world who will dispel all darkness. That is a gift that we need in our lives at all times! Do not be afraid to open wide the doors to Christ. He is Savior of the world, Prince of Peace. Our lives will truly be transformed. Let us not be afraid to open the door and welcome Christ because he will work in our lives in a very beautiful and special way!!! Have a blessed day!!!

December 19

"O Root of Jesse, who stood as a sign for the people, before you kings shall remain silent, and to you the Gentiles shall make supplication: come to deliver us, and delay not" (Traditional "O" Antiphon). As I see the word "silent" in our "O" Antiphon, I cannot help but think about the Gospel for today, Luke 1:5-25. The Gospel presents us with Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist. He was a priest and was chosen to burn incense in the sanctuary of God. While he was in there the angel of the Lord, Gabriel, appeared to him and brought him the great news that his wife Elizabeth would conceive and bear a son. The angel even told Zechariah to not be afraid, but he did not believe what was being said. Thus, Gabriel said this, "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 thake place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled at their proper time." Zechariah waited in silence for these things to happen. Once they occurred and he wrote to the people the name of the child, his tongue was freed and he was able to speak. In the midst of our busyness and all the voices around us, we need to find that silence and listen to the voice of God. We look forward to the day when all these things will take place. Let us be silent, listen, and wait with joyful anticipation and hope! Have a blessed day!!!