Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
 
            A very Blessed and Merry Christmas to you as this holy season continues!
 
Yes, as it begins and continue.  [Look below to see what it all entails]   The TWELVE DAYS of Christmas begin on Christmas Day, not leading up to it.  [The explanations and real meaning of these twelve days are explained further below.]  Christmas Day begins the Octave of Christmas, that is, the 8-day expansion of Dec. 25th, where we are to live as it is Christmas Day until the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, Jan. 1st.  As I like to say, no one knows how to party like the Church. :o)


       Finally, FIND BELOW, please enjoy other material gathered for your reading enjoyment and spiritual benefit.
​
-"The 12 Days of Christmas"
-FOUR WAYS TO HAVE A MORE JOYFUL CHRISTMAS
-POPE BENEDICT SPEAKS ON NATIVITY SCENE AND TREE, SYMBOLS OF CHRIST'S NATIVITY
-excerpts from the Diary of St. Faustina on the Infant Jesus
Blessings for a Christmas Tree and Manger Scene
A bit of humor… 
           
Peace and prayers in Jesus through Mary, loved by Saint Joseph,
Father Robert
 
P.S.  This coming Sunday is the Feast of the Holy Family .   The readings can be found at:  http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/122919.cfm
December 29 2019
December 29 2019
www.usccb.org

Term Review
Octave of Christmas ( from Latin, feminine of octavus "eighth")
- an 8-day period of observances expanding Christmas Day(Dec. 25th) into an 8-day celebration; the octave begins on Christmas Day and ends on the Solemnity of the Mary, the Mother of God
 ​

​Season of Christmas in the Church

 
SEASON OF CHRISTMAS IN THE CHURCH
Wednesday, December 25. Solemnity of Christmas
December 26. Feast of St. Stephen
December 27. Feast of St. John
December 28. Feast of Holy Innocents
Sunday, December 29. Feast of the Holy Family
December 30. Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas
December 31. Seventh Day in the Octave of Christmas
Wednesday, January 1. OCTAVE DAY Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (Holy day of Obligation)
January 2. Memorials of St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory Nazianzen
January 3. Opt. Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Jesus
January 4. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
Sunday, January 5. Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord
January 6. Optional Memorial of Blessed Andre Bessette
January 7. Optional Memorial of St. Raymond of Penafort
January 8. Wednesday Christmas Weekday
January 9. Thursday Christmas Weekday; Venerable Pauline-Marie Jaricot
January 10. Friday Christmas Weekday
January 11. Saturday Christmas Weekday
Sunday, January 12. Solemnity of the Baptism of the Lord
[Christmas ends and Ordinary Time begins on Monday, January
13th.]




 
Explore the Season of Christmas
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/overviews/seasons/Christmas/
 

​"The 12 Days of Christmas"
~ Origins and Religious Meaning ~


C atholics in England during the period 1558 to 1829 were prohibited by law to practice their faith either in public or private. It was illegal to be Catholic until Parliament finally emancipated Catholics in England in 1829.
"The Twelve Days of Christmas" was written in England as one of the "catechism songs" to help young Catholics learn the basics of their faith. In short, it was a coded-message, a memory aid. Since the song sounded like rhyming nonsense, young Catholics could sing the song without fear of imprisonment. The authorities would not know that it was a religious song.
"The 12 Days of Christmas" is in a sense an allegory. Each of the items in the song represents something significant to the teachings of the Catholic faith. The hidden meaning of each gift was designed to help Catholic children learn their faith. The better acquainted one is with the Bible, the more these interpretations have significance.
T he song goes, "On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me…"
The "true love" mentioned in the song doesn't refer to an earthly suitor, but it refers to God Himself. The "me" who receives the presents refers to every baptized person. i.e. the Church.

1st Day:
The partridge in a pear tree is Christ Jesus upon the Cross. In the song, Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge because she would feign injury to decoy a predator away from her nestlings. She was even willing to die for them.
     The tree is the symbol of the fall of the human race through the sin of Adam and Eve. It is also the symbol of its redemption by Jesus Christ on the tree of the Cross.

2nd Day:
The "two turtle doves" refers to the Old and New Testaments.

3rd Day:
The "three French hens" stand for faith, hope and love—the three gifts of the Spirit that abide (1 Corinthians 13).

4th Day:
The "four calling birds" refers to the four evangelists who wrote the Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke and John—which sing the song of salvation through Jesus Christ.

5th Day:
The "five golden rings" represents the first five books of the Bible, also called the Jewish Torah: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

6th Day:
The "six geese a-laying" is the six days of creation.

7th Day:
The "seven swans a-swimming" refers to the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord.

8th Day:
The "eight maids a milking " reminded children of the eight beatitudes listed in the Sermon on the Mount.

9th Day:
The "nine ladies dancing" were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.

10th Day:
The "ten lords a-leaping" represents the Ten Commandments

11th Day:
The "eleven pipers piping" refers to the eleven faithful apostles.

12th Day:
The 'twelve drummers drumming" were the twelve points of belief expressed in the Apostles' Creed: belief in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, that Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary, made man, crucified, died and arose on the third day, that he sits at the right hand of the father and will come again, the resurrection of the dead and life everlasting.

S o the next time you hear "the Twelve Days of Christmas" consider how this otherwise non-religious sounding song had its origins in keeping alive the teaching of the Catholic faith.   
 

FOUR WAYS TO HAVE A MORE JOYFUL CHRISTMAS

1.  STOP, LOOK, AND LISTEN:

If you discover yourself becoming dulled to the joys of  the season, STOP!  Slow the pace down and become still, taking time to LOOK and LISTEN.  Take a winter walk, curl up in a favorite chair or before the fireplace. Helen Keller once observed, "The seeing see little."  So feel the comfort of the glow of a candle, or the red of the poinsettias.  Listen with new ears to laughter and bells, and to the expression of love found in the story of the first Christmas.   LOOK UPON THE MANGER, the second home of Love after the womb of His Virgin Mother.

2.  BE WILLING TO BE SURPRISED:
     
Remember that God can come in the least likely ways - a Holy Child born in a village stable, a brightly shining star, an angel song in the night sky. Watch for Him to come in equally surprising ways to you, too.  When we live as if God is going to "surprise" us at any moment, in any way, in any place, then He usually does!

3.  FREE YOUR CHILDLIKE SPIRIT:
     
Jesus held up child-likeness as a quality to be cultivated (Mark 10:15 ).  Children are experts at dreaming up simple things as delights that adults don't, or have forgotten how to do.  Can't you picture a little boy singing "Jingle Bells" to a plastic Jesus in a store?  Christmas often comes in precious moments like this, when we spontaneously show our adoration for the Baby in the manger.

4.  SHARE THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS WITH SOMEONE ELSE:

Nothing multiplies the sense of wonder in your life like giving it away.  The more you share (not just things, but yourself) the brighter Christmas grows.

I hope that these simple steps will help you, or someone you can share these with, keep the wonder and excitement of Christmas alive during this blessed season. 

"Jesus is the reason for the season."
 
 
 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"As He was physically formed in her, so He wills to be spiritually formed in you.  If you knew He was seeing through your eyes, you would see in every fellowman a child of God.  If you knew that He worked through your hands, they would bless all the day through.  If you knew He spoke through your lips, then your speech, like Peter's, would betray that you had been with the Galilean.  If you knew that He wants to use your mind, your will, your fingers, and your heart, how different you would be.  If half the world did this there would be no war!"
(Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen)
  +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 

POPE EMERITUS BENEDICT SPEAKS ON NATIVITY SCENE AND TREE, SYMBOLS OF CHRIST'S NATIVITY

VATICAN CITY, (VIS) -  "This ancient fir," said the Pope Emeritus, "cut down without harming the life of the forest, ... will remain standing by the nativity scene until the end of the Christmas festivities. ... It is an important symbol of Christ's Nativity because with its evergreen leaves it recalls the life that does not die. The fir is also a symbol of the popular religiosity in your valleys, which finds particular expression in processions."
 
  "The tree and the nativity scene are elements of that typical Christmas atmosphere which is part of the spiritual heritage of our communities; an atmosphere suffused with religiosity and family intimacy which we must conserve even in our modern societies where the race to consumerism and the search for material goods sometimes seem to prevail.
 
  "Christmas is a Christian feast," added Benedict XVI in conclusion, "and its symbols, especially the nativity scene and the tree hung with gifts, are important references to the great mystery of the Incarnation and the Birth of Jesus, which are constantly evoked by the liturgy of Advent and Christmas."
AC/CHRISTMAS TREE/...                                                             VIS 071214 (240)

Pope Writes Apostolic Letter on the Significance of the Christmas CrèchePope Francis has written an Apostolic Letter on the meaning and importance of the nativity scene. He signed the Letter during his visit on Sunday afternoon to the Italian town of Greccio.By Vatican News
Greccio is the mountain village where Saint Francis of Assisi created the first crib scene in 1223 to commemorate the birth of Jesus. Pope Francis returned to the town on Sunday to deliver his Apostolic Letter entitled, “Admirabile signum”.
An enchanting imageThe Latin title of the Letter refers to the “enchanting image” of the Christmas crèche, one that “never ceases to arouse amazement and wonder”, writes the Pope. “The depiction of Jesus’ birth is itself a simple and joyful proclamation of the mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God”, he says.
A living Gospel“The nativity scene is like a living Gospel rising up from the pages of sacred Scripture”, continues Pope Francis. Contemplating the Christmas story is like setting out on a spiritual journey, “drawn by the humility of the God who became man in order to encounter every man and woman.” So great is His love for us, writes the Pope, “that He became one of us, so that we in turn might become one with Him.”


A family tradition
The Pope hopes this Letter will encourage the family tradition of preparing the nativity scene, “but also the custom of setting it up in the workplace, in schools, hospitals, prisons and town squares.” Praising the imagination and creativity that goes into these small masterpieces, Pope Francis says he hopes this custom will never be lost “and that, wherever it has fallen into disuse, it can be rediscovered and revived.”
The Gospel origin of the crèchePope Francis recalls the origin of the Christmas crèche as related in the Gospels. “Coming into this world, the Son of God was laid in the place where animals feed. Hay became the first bed of the One who would reveal Himself as ‘the bread come down from heaven’.” The nativity scene “evokes a number of the mysteries of Jesus’ life and brings them close to our own daily lives”, writes the Pope.
Saint Francis’ crèche in GreccioPope Francis takes us back to the Italian town of Greccio, which Saint Francis visited in the year 1223. The caves he saw there reminded him of the countryside of Bethlehem. On 25 December, friars and local people came together, bringing flowers and torches, writes the Pope. “When Francis arrived, he found a manger full of hay, an ox and a donkey.” A priest celebrated the Eucharist over the manger, “showing the bond between the Incarnation of the Son of God and the Eucharist.”
The start of the traditionThis is how our tradition began, continues Pope Francis, “with everyone gathered in joy around the cave, with no distance between the original event and those sharing in its mystery.” With the simplicity of that sign, Saint Francis carried out a great work of evangelization, he writes. His teaching continues today “to offer a simple yet authentic means of portraying the beauty of our faith.”
A sign of God’ tender lovePope Francis explains that the Christmas crèche moves us so deeply because it shows God’s tender love. From the time of its Franciscan origins, “the nativity scene has invited us to ‘feel’ and ‘touch’ the poverty that God’s Son took upon Himself in the Incarnation”, writes the Pope. “It asks us to meet Him and serve Him by showing mercy to those of our brothers and sisters in greatest need.”
The meaning of the crèche elements  Pope Francis reflects on the meaning behind the elements that make up the nativity scene. He begins with the background of “a starry sky wrapped in the darkness and silence of night.” We think of when we have experienced the darkness of night, he says, yet even then, God does not abandon us. “His closeness brings light where there is darkness and shows the way to those dwelling in the shadow of suffering.”
The landscapeThe Pope then writes about the landscapes that often include ancient ruins or buildings. He explains how these ruins are “the visible sign of fallen humanity, of everything that inevitably falls into ruin, decays and disappoints.” This scenic setting tells us that Jesus has come “to heal and rebuild, to restore the world and our lives to their original splendour.”
The shepherdsTurning to the shepherds, Pope Francis writes that, “unlike so many other people, busy about many things, the shepherds become the first to see the most essential thing of all: the gift of salvation. It is the humble and the poor who greet the event of the Incarnation.” The shepherds respond to God “who comes to meet us in the Infant Jesus by setting out to meet Him with love, gratitude and awe”, he adds.  
The poor and the lowlyThe presence of the poor and the lowly, continues the Pope, is a reminder that “God became man for the sake of those who feel most in need of His love and who ask Him to draw near to them.” From the manger, “Jesus proclaims, in a meek yet powerful way, the need for sharing with the poor as the path to a more human and fraternal world in which no one is excluded or marginalized.”
Everyday holinessThen there are the figures that have no apparent connection with the Gospel accounts. Yet, writes Pope Francis, “from the shepherd to the blacksmith, from the baker to the musicians, from the women carrying jugs of water to the children at play: all this speaks of everyday holiness, the joy of doing ordinary things in an extraordinary way.”
Mary and JosephThe Pope then focuses on the figures of Mary and Joseph.
“Mary is a mother who contemplates her child and shows Him to every visitor”, he writes. “In her, we see the Mother of God who does not keep her Son only to herself, but invites everyone to obey His word and to put it into practice. Saint Joseph stands by her side, “protecting the Child and His Mother.” Joseph is the guardian, the just man, who “entrusted himself always to God’s will.”
The Infant JesusBut it is when we place the statue of the Infant Jesus in the manger, that the nativity scene comes alive, says Pope Francis. “It seems impossible, yet it is true: in Jesus, God was a child, and in this way He wished to reveal the greatness of His love: by smiling and opening His arms to all.” The crèche allows us to see and touch this unique and unparalleled event that changed the course of history, “but it also makes us reflect on how our life is part of God’s own life.” 
The Three KingsAs the Feast of Epiphany approaches, we add the Three Kings to the Christmas crèche. Their presence reminds us of every Christian’s responsibility to spread the Gospel, writes Pope Francis. “The Magi teach us that people can come to Christ by a very long route”, but returning home, they tell others of this amazing encounter with the Messiah, “thus initiating the spread of the Gospel among the nations.”
Transmitting the faithThe memories of standing before the Christmas crèche when we were children should remind us “of our duty to share this same experience with our children and our grandchildren”, says Pope Francis. It does not matter how the nativity scene is arranged, “what matters is that it speaks to our lives.”
The Christmas crèche is part of the precious yet demanding process of passing on the faith, concludes Pope Francis. “Beginning in childhood, and at every stage of our lives, it teaches us to contemplate Jesus, to experience God’s love for us, to feel and believe that God is with us and that we are with Him.”

 
 
This is a series of excerpts from the Diary of St. Faustina on the Infant Jesus and the Holy Eucharist:
 
After Holy Communion: "I suddenly saw the Infant Jesus standing by my kneeler and holding on to it with His two little hands. Although He was but a little Child, my soul was filled with awe and fear, for I see in Him my Judge, my Lord, and my Creator, before whose holiness the Angels tremble.  At the same time, my soul was flooded with such unspeakable love that I thought I would die under its influence" (Divine Mercy in My Soul, 566).
 
During Mass, "I saw the Infant Jesus near my kneeler. He appeared to be about one year old, and He asked me to take Him in my arms. When I did take Him in my arms, He cuddled up close to my bosom and said, 'It is good for Me to be close to your heart . . . . Because I want to teach you spiritual childhood. I want you to be very little, because when you are little, I carry you close to My Heart, just as you are holding Me close to your heart right now" (1481).
 
"I saw the Infant Jesus who, with hands outstretched toward us, was sitting in the chalice being used at Holy Mass. After gazing at me penetratingly, He spoke these words: 'As you see Me in this chalice, so I dwell in your heart" (1346). 
 
"When Mass began, a strange silence and joy filled my heart. Just then, I saw Our Lady with the Infant Jesus . . . . The most holy Mother said to me, 'Take my Dearest Treasure,' and she handed me the Infant Jesus. When I took the Infant Jesus in my arms, the Mother of God and Saint Joseph disappeared. I was left alone with the Infant Jesus" (608).
 
 "When I arrived at Midnight Mass, from the very beginning I steeped myself in deep recollection, during which time I saw the stable of Bethlehem filled with great radiance. The Blessed Virgin, all lost in the deepest of love, was wrapping Jesus in swaddling clothes, but Saint Joseph was still asleep. Only after the Mother of God put Jesus in the manger did the light of God awaken Joseph, who also prayed. But after awhile I was left alone with the Infant Jesus who stretched out His little hands to me, and I understood that I was to take Him in my arms. Jesus pressed His head against my heart and gave me to know, by His profound gaze, how good He found it to be next to my heart" (1442).

​

A popular custom is to bless the Christmas tree before lighting. This can be done on Christmas Eve.   It is good to remind our children and ourselves of the part a tree played in the sins of our first parents and of the sacred wood of the Tree (the Cross) on which Jesus Christ, whose birthday we are about to celebrate, wrought our redemption.
 
The origin of the Christmas tree goes back to the medieval German mystery plays. One of the most popular 'mysteries' was the Paradise play, representing the creation of man, the sin of Adam and Eve and their expulsion from Paradise. It usually closed with the consoling promise of the coming Savior and with a reference to His incarnation. This made the Paradise play a favorite pageant for Advent, and its closing scenes used to lead directly into the story of Bethlehem.
 
These plays were performed either in the open, or the large squares in front of churches, or inside the house of God. The garden of Eden was indicated by a fir tree hung with apples; it represented both the 'Tree of Life' and the 'Tree of discernment of good and evil' which stood in the center of Paradise.
 
After the suppression of the mystery plays in churches, the Paradise tree, the only symbolic object of the play, found its way into the homes of the faithful, especially since many plays had interpreted it as a symbol of the coming Savior. Following this symbolism, in the fifteenth century the custom developed of decorating the Paradise tree, already bearing apples, with small white wafers representing the Holy Eucharist; thus, in legendary usage, the tree which had borne the fruit of sin for Adam and Eve, now bore the saving fruit of the Sacrament, symbolized by the wafers. These wafers were later replaced by little pieces of pastry cut in the shape of stars, angels, hearts, flowers, and bells.
 
In some homes the tree is blessed on Christmas eve and the crib on Christmas morning. The following form may be used for the Blessing of the Christmas Tree:

 
When the tree has been prepared, the household gathers around it. All make the sign of the cross.
 
The father or leader   begins:
Blessed be the name of the Lord.
 
All respond:
Now and for ever.
 
The leader may use these or similar words to introduce the blessing:
This tree is a blessing to our home. It reminds us of all that is beautiful, all that is filled with the gentleness and the promise of God. It stands in our midst as a tree of light that we might promise such beauty to one another and to our world. It stands like that tree of paradise that God made into the tree of life, the cross of Jesus.
 
FIRST READING :
 
The mother of the family reads:
God said: Let the earth bring forth vegetation: seed-bearing plants and all kinds of fruit trees that bear fruit containing their seed. And so it was. The earth brought forth vegetation, every kind of seed-bearing plant and all kinds of trees that bear fruit containing their seed. The Lord God made to grow out of the ground all kinds of trees pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And God saw that it was good. (Genesis 1:10-13)
 
The reader concludes:
The Word of the Lord.
 
All respond:
Thanks be to God.
 (The family's Bible may be used for an alternate reading such as Psalm 96:11-13.)
 
SECOND READING :
 
One of the children reads:
From the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke:
At that time it came to pass that while Mary and Joseph were at Bethlehem, the days for her to be delivered were fulfilled. And she brought forth her first-born son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were shepherds in the same district living in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by them and the glory of God shone about them and they feared exceedingly. And the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you news of great joy which shall be to all the people: for there has been born to you today in the town of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
 
All recite:
Glory to God on high, * and on earth peace to men whom God has chosen. * We praise you. * We bless you. * We adore you. * We glorify you. * We worship you for your great glory. * Lord God, heavenly king, * God the Father all-powerful! * Lord Jesus Christ, only-begotten Son! * Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father! * You that take away the sins of the world, * have mercy on us. * You that take away the sins of the world, * receive our prayer. * You that sit at the right hand of the Father, * have mercy on us. * For you alone are the Holy One, * you alone are the Lord. * You alone are the Most High, O Jesus Christ, * with the Holy Spirit in the glory of God the Father. * Amen.
 
After a time of silence, all join in prayers of intercession and in the Lord's Prayer (the Our Father).
 
Then the father or leader invites:
Let us now pray for God's blessing upon this tree and all who gather around this tree.
 
After a short silence, the father or leader prays:

Lord our God, we praise you for the light of creation: the sun, the moon, and the stars of the night. We praise you for the light of Israel: the Law, the prophets, and the wisdom of the Scriptures.
 
We praise you for Jesus Christ, your Son: he is Emmanuel, God-with-us, the Prince of Peace, who fills us with the wonder of your love.
 
God of all creation, we praise you for this tree which brings beauty and memories and the promise of life to our home. May the light and cheer it gives be a sign of the joy that fills our hearts. May all who delight in this tree come to the knowledge and joy of salvation.
 
Father, bless this noble tree which we have adorned in honor of the new birth of Your only-begotten Son, and also adorn our souls with the manifold beauties of Your graces that being internally enlightened by the splendor radiating from this tree, we like the Magi may come to adore Him who is eternal Light and Beauty, the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord.
 
R. Amen.


 
The lights of the tree are then illuminated.   And then the tree is blessed with Holy Water.
 
The leader says:
Let us bless the Lord.
 
All respond, making the sign of the cross:
Thanks be to God.
 
Another child concludes:
After the fall of our first parents the earth was bare and desolate; the world stood in the darkness of sin. But when the Savior was born our earth shone with a new brightness; the glory of the Almighty had renewed the world, making it more beautiful than before. This tree once stood dark and empty in a cold world. But now resplendent with lights and bright adornments in its new glory, this Christmas tree reflects the new beauty that God brought to earth when "the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us." By a tree the whole world has been redeemed, and therefore, with great joy we celebrate the glory of this tree.
 ​

The manger scene has a special place near the Christmas tree or in another place where family members can reflect and pray during the Christmas season. It is blessed each year on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.   It is appropriate to have Holy Water available.
 
All make the sign of the cross. The leader begins:
Our help is in the name of the Lord.
 
All respond:
Who made heaven and earth.
 
The leader may use these or similar words to introduce the blessing.
We are at the beginning of the days of Christmas. All through the season we will look on these images of sheep and cattle, of shepherds, of Mary and of Joseph and Jesus.
 
Then the Scripture is read by a reader:
Listen to the words of the holy gospel according to Luke:
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town. And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea , to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.—Luke 2:1-7
 
The reader concludes:
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
 
All respond:
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
 
The figures may be placed in the manger. After a time of silence, all join in prayers of intercession and in the Lord's Prayer (the Our Father).
 
Then the leader invites:
Pray now for God's blessing as we look on these figures.
 
After a short silence, the leader prays the blessing:

O God of every nation and people,
from the very beginning of creation
you have made manifest your love:
when our need for a Savior was great
you sent your Son to be born of the Virgin Mary.
To our lives he brings joy and peace,
justice, mercy, and love.
 
Lord,
Bless this manger and all who look upon it.
Through all the days of Christmas
may these figures tell the story
of how humans, angels, and animals
found the Christ in this poor place.
 
Fill our house with hospitality, joy,
gentleness, and thanksgiving
and guide our steps in the way of peace.
May this manger remind us
of the humble birth of Jesus,
and raise our thoughts to him,
who is God-with-us and Savior of all,
and who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
 
R. Amen.

(Then sprinkle Holy Water on the Crèche or Manger.)
 
The leader says:
Let us bless the Lord.
 
All respond, making the sign of the cross:
And give Him thanks.
 
Then Christmas songs and carols are sung such as:

It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
 
It came upon the midnight clear,
That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth,
To touch their harps of gold;
"Peace on the earth, good will to men,
From Heaven's all gracious King."
The world in solemn stillness lay,
To hear the angels sing.
 
Still through the cloven skies they come
With peaceful wings unfurled,
And still their heavenly music floats
O'er all the weary world;
Above its sad and lowly plains,
They bend on hovering wing,
And ever over its Babel sounds
The blessèd angels sing.
 
Yet with the woes of sin and strife
The world has suffered long;
Beneath the angel strain have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong;
And man, at war with man, hears not
The love-song which they bring;
O hush the noise, ye men of strife
And hear the angels sing.
 
And ye, beneath life's crushing load,
Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps and slow,
Look now! for glad and golden hours
Come swiftly on the wing.
O rest beside the weary road,
And hear the angels sing!
 
For lo! the days are hastening on,
By prophet-bards foretold,
When with the ever circling years
Comes round the age of gold;
When peace shall over all the earth
Its ancient splendors fling,
And the whole world send back the song
Which now the angels sing.
Silent Night
 
Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon Virgin Mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace

Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ, the Saviour is born
Christ, the Saviour is born

Silent night, holy night
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth "
 
Silent night, holy night
Wondrous star, lend thy light;
With the angels let us sing,
Alleluia to our King;
Christ the Savior is born,
Christ the Savior is born!
​

A bit of humor…




Some Thoughts: 


-Chocolate is the best investment. You buy 100 g – you gain 2 kg!
-It’s all a matter of viewpoint. 250 lbs here on Earth is 94.5 lbs on Mercury. Fat? No. I’m just not on the right planet.


-The trouble with being punctual is that nobody’s there to appreciate it.  
-Insanity is hereditary. You get it from your kids.  
-If Wal-Mart is lowering prices every day, why isn’t anything in the store free yet?  
-Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia: Fear of long words.  
-I’m in shape. Round is a shape isn’t it    


Profound Thoughts of Christmas
Santa Claus has the right idea. Visit people once a year.” ~Victor Borge
Once again, we come to the Christmas Season, a deeply religious time that each of us observes,
in his own way, by going to the mall of his choice.  -Anonymous
Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall.  ~Larry Wilde
Nothing's as mean as giving a little child something useful for Christmas.  ~Kin Hubbard
The office Christmas party is a great opportunity to catch up with people you haven’t seen for 20 minutes.


Office Holiday Memo
To: All Employees
From: Management
Subject: Office conduct during the Christmas season
Effective immediately, employees should keep in mind the following guidelines in compliance with FROLIC (the Federal Revelry Office and Leisure Industry Council).
1. Running aluminum foil through the paper shredder to make tinsel is discouraged.
2. Playing Jingle Bells on the push-button phone is forbidden (it runs up an incredible long distance bill)
3. Work requests are not to be filed under "Bah humbug."
4. Company cars are not to be used to go over the river and through the woods to Grandma's house.
5. All fruitcake is to be eaten BEFORE July 25.
6. Egg nog will NOT be dispensed in vending machines.
In spite of all this, the staff is encouraged to have a Happy Holiday.
 
Christmas Gifts
Some mice enter heaven on Christmas.  St. Peter asks them what they would like for Christmas.   They say some roller skates, so he equips them with some.
 
Next, a cat comes to heaven.  St. Peter asks what the cat would like for Christmas.   The cat looking around seeing the mice enjoying their gifts says, "Meals on wheels."


It is all about Communication

-As a little girl climbed onto Santa's lap, Santa asked the usual, "And what would you like for Christmas?"
The child stared at him open mouthed and horrified for a minute, then gasped: "Didn't you get my text, social media post, and E-mail?"

​

Fourth Sunday of Advent

​

Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
         A treasured gift of Christmas for many Catholics is Midnight Mass.  ‘Midnight!?!  Like 12:00AM.  You mean it get’s 12 o’clock twice in one day!’
 
         Yes, midnight.  Why would we celebrate Mass on Christmas at Midnight?  BECAUSE CHRIST WAS BORN IN THE NIGHT.  Some believe right at midnight.  And while so many slept at His birth 2000 years ago, we being awake commemorate His birth at night in the first minutes of the birth-day of His coming forth from the womb of Mary.
 
         There are actually three Masses: at midnight, dawn, and during the day. They were mystically connected with aboriginal, Judaic, and Christian dispensations, or to the triple "birth" of Christ: in Eternity, in Time, and in the Soul.  St. Thomas Aquinas, one of the greatest theologians in the history of the Church, goes into more details:
 
“On Christmas Day, however, several Masses are said on account of Christ's threefold nativity. Of these the first is His eternal birth, which is hidden in our regard. and therefore one Mass is sung in the night, in the "Introit" of which we say: "The Lord said unto Me: Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee." The second is His nativity in time, and the spiritual birth, whereby Christ rises "as the day-star in our [Vulg.: 'your'] hearts" (2 Peter 1:19), and on this account the Mass is sung at dawn, and in the "Introit" we say: "The light will shine on us today." The third is Christ's temporal and bodily birth, according as He went forth from the virginal womb, becoming visible to us through being clothed with flesh: and on that account the third Mass is sung in broad daylight, in the "Introit" of which we say: "A child is born to us." Nevertheless, on the other hand, it can be said that His eternal generation, of itself, is in the full light, and on this account in the gospel of the third Mass mention is made of His eternal birth. But regarding His birth in the body, He was literally born during the night, as a sign that He came to the darknesses of our infirmity; hence also in the Midnight Mass we say the gospel of Christ's nativity in the flesh.”  -Summa Theologica III:83:2
 
     This 4th Sunday of Advent gives us 6 days until Christmas Eve and at Midnight transforms into Christmas Day and thus begins the Christmas Season.  May we be ready to receive all that the Lord so desires to give to us.
 
Peace and prayers in Jesus through Mary, loved by Saint Joseph,
Father Robert
 
P.S.  This coming Sunday is the  Fourth Sunday of Advent.  The readings can be found at:  https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121921.cfm
​

15. To whom is the deposit of faith entrusted? (Catechism of the Catholic Church, CCC 84, 91, 94, 99)
a) the whole Church
b) just the apostles
c) Jesus through the Holy Spirit
d) none of the above

16. To whom is given the task of authentically interpreting the deposit of faith? (CCC 85-90, 100)
a) only the Holy Spirit
b) anyone
c) the living teaching office of the Church alone (Magisterium)
d) all of the above
​
17. What is the relationship between Scripture, Tradition and the Magisterium? (CCC 95)
a) there is no relationship
b) there are connected but it hard to see it
c) connected to the way human beings connect them
d) one of them cannot stand without the other
 (Answers at end of e-weekly)

​

Handel's Messiah Performed Unannounced at Food Court
 
You may have heard of Handel's Messiah, but you have probably never heard it fully performed, or never heard it fully performed in a Food Court.  IT IS AMAZING!!!  Here is a professional choir performing it unannounced in a Food Court to the surprise of many.  Read more at website, then scroll down and click to actually see the performance unfold.  (over 45 million hits) (If link does not let you click it, cut and paste it in web address bar.)
 
Go here and scroll to the bottom and click middle video:

https://www.alphabetphotography.com/index.aspx


Christmas Food Court Flash Mob, Hallelujah Chorus - Must See! - YouTube

​

It perfectly captures the most extraordinary event in all of history: Christ’s sacrifice of Calvary. An endless, continual sacrifice that transcends time and space itself, blending the supernatural world with the natural world.
When we celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, Christ’s Sacrifice of the Cross is renewed, and we become present to that very same timeless sacrifice which occurred 2,000 years ago.
Through the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist by the miraculous process of transubstantiation, Christ offers himself for humankind in the same way he offered himself on the Cross as a Spotless Victim, Pure Victim and Holy Victim.
Just as though the Virgin Mary, the beloved disciple St. John, St. Mary Magdalene, and St. Mary of Clopas stood by the Cross of Jesus 2,000 years ago to witness the extraordinary moment where Christ conquered death by sacrificing Himself once and for all.
During the consecration of the bread and wine in the Mass, the entire congregation also become spiritually present at the foot of the Cross on Calvary.
Although not visible to us, according to Christian tradition, from the moment of the consecration, heaven opens, and a vast multitude of Angels, saints and the faithful departed are also present during the Holy Sacrifice of the Altar to adore Christ as the Sacrificial Lamb.
St. John Chrysostom said, “When Mass is being celebrated, the sanctuary is filled with countless angels who adore the divine victim immolated on the altar.

'A Call From God' - Why These Catholic Couples Became Foster Parents
By Mary Rezac
Denver, Colo., Dec 21, 2018 / 12:30 pm (EWTN News/CNA)
It was a quiet Thanksgiving for Kerry.  She and her husband had just retired from the military, and they were home in Colorado Springs with Kerry’s mother-in-law, whom they were taking care of at the time. 

But the house, with two extra, empty bedrooms upstairs, felt just a little too quiet.  Kerry had no children of her own, but it was around that time that she felt God calling her to foster parenting.  “I just saw this article in the paper for a foster agency and it really spoke to me and I said ‘Ok God this is what you want me to do? Because I’m a little bit old for this.’ But...I felt I was just really made to do this and God said, you can do this!” 
It’s something that many Catholic foster parents have in common - the feeling that God called them to open their homes and hearts to foster parenting.

Kerry and her husband began fostering through a local Christian agency called Hope and Home, and after meeting the licensing requirements, embarked on a six-year foster care journey, in which they fostered a total of 10 kids, adopted two, and provided respite care for several other “kiddos,” as Kerry affectionately calls them. 
“Foster care is a learning experience, and is probably the hardest yet most rewarding thing I've ever done,” Kerry told CNA. 
For foster care awareness month, CNA spoke with four Catholic foster parents about their stories, and the faith that inspired them along the way. Only first names have been used to protect the children who have been or are still in their care. 
“The greatest of our foster-heartbreaks has become my life's work” - Kerry, Colorado Springs
Kerry’s family learned a lot, the hard way, from their first foster care placement, a two-year-old named Alex. 
“It was hard, as Alex had suffered abuse and neglect and was terrified of all things to do with bedtimes,” Kerry said. 

“We spent the first week sitting outside the door of his bedroom, because he was terrified to have us in there and yet terrified to be alone.” 
About seven months after Alex had been placed in their care, he was returned back to his biological father. Kerry strongly objected to that plan, telling their caseworker that she believed the father was not ready to take his son back.  
Kerry’s objections were overruled, and Alex went home with his biological dad. Nine months later, Kerry learned that Alex had died of severe head trauma while in the care of his dad’s girlfriend. 

It was because of Alex that she began to research and advocate for the prevention of child abuse. 
“The greatest of our foster-heartbreaks has become my life's work,” Kerry said. 

“I am part of our county's Not One More Child Coalition, the secretary for our local Safe Kids Colorado chapter, and the Chair of the Child Abuse Prevention Committee for our local chapter of the Exchange Club,” she said. 
“We are also working to establish a child abuse prevention nonprofit called Kyndra's Hope - named for another local foster girl who actually entered foster care in hospice, as she was not expected to live due to the severe physical abuse by her biological parents. Thanks to the prayers of her adopted mom, Kyndra is now a lively 10-year-old who, despite her disabilities, has beaten the odds.” 
Kerry has adopted two of the 10 of her foster children, and provided respite care for numerous others. 
Kerry said she felt relief and belonging in her local Catholic parish, because several other families have adopted children and blended families, “so to just go and sit and be a normal family with all the other people there was just really wonderful some days,” she said. 
One of the main patron saints she leaned on as a foster parent was St. Jude, the patron saint of lost causes. 
“I was always praying to him for myself and for my kiddos who were really lost, just to help us all find ourselves,” she said. 


“What do my pro-life duties entail?” - Scott; Lincoln, Nebraska 


Scott and his wife were newlywed “classic, orthodox Catholics” living in Lincoln, Nebraska. 

While they had no known medical issues, they tried for six years to get pregnant, but it just wasn’t happening. 
After mourning the loss possible biological children, the couple began to talk about adoption. While the idea of foster care surfaced at the time, “It scared us a little bit,” Scott told CNA. 


They knew that many of the children they would encounter would come from difficult situations, and as first-time parents, they weren’t sure they would be able to handle that. 
They adopted a son, Anthony, but they still felt the desire for more children. When they considered a second adoption, they were encouraged to look more seriously into foster care. 
They took the foster parent preparation class, but still felt some hesitation, and so they “kicked the can down the road” a little longer. 

But something happened at their city’s annual Walk for Life that stayed with Scott. 
“We go to the Walk for Life every year, and there’s a lady there every year, she had this sign and it basically said ‘Foster, adopt or shut up.’ That was what she was saying as a counter-protest to a pro-life group,” Scott recalled. 
“It’s something that stuck with me because I thought you know, what do my pro-life duties entail?” 
Soon after, he and his wife felt called by God to open up their home to foster children. They told the agency, thinking they would wait another year or two before getting a placement. 


Ten days later, a little two-year-old named Jonathan came to stay with them. Even though he was young, the family has had to work with him on some deep-seated anger issues and speech delay problems.  
“This is really pro-life,” Scott said of foster care and adoption. “This birth mom chose life, but she can’t raise this child, and so my wife and I are going to take the ball and we’re going to do the hard work and we’re going to get through this.” 
“I really feel like God called us to this, and called us to this little boy,” he added. “You can’t ignore the call - or you shouldn’t - it’s similar to a vocational call in my opinion.” 
Something else that struck Scott throughout the process was how much foster parenting is promoted in Evangelical churches, including those sponsoring their family’s agency- and how infrequently he heard it mentioned in Catholic ones. 
“I would say that [Evangelicals] do a fabulous job in their churches as far as promoting foster care and getting lots of families to participate,” Scott said. 

 “And we’ve got the one true faith, so I want our families and couples to learn about this and possibly participate in it,” he added. 

“I know it’s not for everybody, but there’s lots of different things other than taking a child that you can do,” he said, such as mentoring a child or offering support to other foster parents. 
“We’ve always had a special spot in our heart for kids in foster care” - Jami; Omaha, Nebraska
Jami’s family, like Scott’s family, experienced a time of infertility before deciding to look into foster care or adoption as a way to grow their family. 
But they were also drawn to it in other ways. Before they were married, Jami and her husband had volunteered at a summer camp that united foster care kids with siblings living in other foster homes.


“We volunteered for that as camp counselors, so we’ve always had a special spot in our heart for kids in foster care, so we wanted to try it out for that reason also,” Jami told CNA. 


Jami had also grown up in Omaha, Nebraska, the home of Boystown, a temporary home for troubled boys and youth founded in 1917 by Servant of God Father Edward Flanagan. 
“I have a special relationship with him, even when I was younger, I used to think he was so cool,” Jami said. “And all through us fostering, I would pray to him and through him because he knows, he helped these kids in trauma.”  


Jami and her husband took an infant, Bennett, into their home. His older sister was placed in a different foster home while they waited to see if the children could be reunited with their mother. 


It was an “emotional rollercoaster,” Jami said, because she knew she needed to bond with Bennett, while she also had to be prepared to let him go at any moment. 


“I would pray through Fr. Flanagan and tell him just ‘please.’ I trust God and his choice in whether this kid goes home or not, because that was also really hard - I was feeling guilty for wanting to keep the baby, because it’s not yours. We’re there to help the parents,” she said. 
“So I really believe that (Fr. Flanagan) was holding this whole situation, he just took care of it,” she said. 
“The most challenging thing is letting yourself go, letting yourself bond with the child and not trying to protect your own heart,” Jami said, “and then coping with the emotional roller coaster because that can put a lot of stress on yourself, your husband, the whole family.” 
“But the most rewarding part is helping these families, helping the parents have the time they need to overcome whatever challenges they’re facing,” she said. 
“And getting to bond with the (child) is such a gift because literally if you don’t give it who will? And that is such a gift to give a child.” 
“This is hardcore Gospel living” - Michaela; St. Louis, Missouri
Michaela’s foster parent journey differs from many others. She and her husband already had children - four of them, all in grade school or younger - when she felt God was calling her to consider adoption. 
When the topic of adoption was brought up during her bible study, “my heart just started burning for adoption, the Spirit was moving within me, but I knew that was not something I could just impose on my family or my marriage,” Michaela, who lives in St. Louis, Missouri, told CNA. 

She decided to keep the inspiration quiet, and told God that if this is something he really wanted from her family, then her husband would have to voice the same desires first. 

So she never mentioned it to her husband. But one day, some time later, he came to breakfast and said out of the blue: “I think we’re being called to adoption.”
But as their research into adoption continued, they realized that they didn’t feel called to infant or international adoption - two of the most common routes. They realized that God was actually calling them to foster care. 
“It was exactly the desire of our heart, it was where God was calling,” Michaela said.   
The prerequisites for foster care include classes that prepare foster parents for worst-case scenarios - children who come from broken, traumatic situations who will exhibit difficult behaviors. 


But to Michaela’s surprise, “They come and they’re just the most innocent children, this pure innocence comes from a broken life, they don’t resemble the brokenness that they come from.” 
Michaela’s family is relatively new to fostering - in the first six months, they'd already had four children between the ages of one and seven placed with their family.
One of the most rewarding things about foster parenting has been the lessons her biological children are learning from the experience, Michaela said.  
“These aspects of the Gospel we cannot teach our children - I cannot teach you how to lay down your life for someone else. But I can show you with this,” Michaela said. 
“This is Gospel, this is hardcore Gospel living.” 
The hardest part about foster parenting can be letting go - the goal of foster parenting is not to keep the children, but to provide them a temporary home while their biological family can get back on their feet, Michaela said. 
Michaela said that’s a concern about foster parenting that she often hears: “What if I get too attached? Isn’t it too hard?” 


“These children deserve to be attached to, so they deserve us to love them so that it hurts us when they leave,” she said. 

For this reason, she asks case workers to let herself and her children accompany the foster child to their next home - whether that’s with their parents or with another foster or adoptive family. 


“It’s super hard for us, but it’s really good for the kids to see us cry, to know that they are loved that much, that someone would cry over them,” she said. 


Michaela said she found great support as a foster parent through the Catholic Church and also through other Christian denominations. 
“Our own church totally opened their arms to us, and brings over clothes and car seats and was just hugely supportive and welcoming when new kids come to church,” she said. 
“Other churches have provided meals - there’s just such a community within the church, within foster care. They’re all telling us they’re praying for us - so it’s the bigger body of Christ within the foster community,” she said. 


Michaela encouraged couples who are considering becoming foster parents to trust God and lean on their faith, even when it may seem like a difficult or impossible task. 


“When he calls us to those scary, unknown places he provides, he just shows up in ways that we could have never planned for or imagined,” she said. “He does, he makes a way.” 
Adoption and foster care programs for Catholic families can be found through local Catholic Charities or Catholic Social Service branches. This article was originally published on EWTN News May 18, 2018.'A Call From God' - Why These Catholic Couples Became Foster ParentsBy Mary Rezac
Denver, Colo., Dec 21, 2018 / 12:30 pm (EWTN News/CNA)
It was a quiet Thanksgiving for Kerry.  She and her husband had just retired from the military, and they were home in Colorado Springs with Kerry’s mother-in-law, whom they were taking care of at the time. 

But the house, with two extra, empty bedrooms upstairs, felt just a little too quiet.  Kerry had no children of her own, but it was around that time that she felt God calling her to foster parenting.  “I just saw this article in the paper for a foster agency and it really spoke to me and I said ‘Ok God this is what you want me to do? Because I’m a little bit old for this.’ But...I felt I was just really made to do this and God said, you can do this!” 
It’s something that many Catholic foster parents have in common - the feeling that God called them to open their homes and hearts to foster parenting.

Kerry and her husband began fostering through a local Christian agency called Hope and Home, and after meeting the licensing requirements, embarked on a six-year foster care journey, in which they fostered a total of 10 kids, adopted two, and provided respite care for several other “kiddos,” as Kerry affectionately calls them. 
“Foster care is a learning experience, and is probably the hardest yet most rewarding thing I've ever done,” Kerry told CNA. 
For foster care awareness month, CNA spoke with four Catholic foster parents about their stories, and the faith that inspired them along the way. Only first names have been used to protect the children who have been or are still in their care. 
“The greatest of our foster-heartbreaks has become my life's work” - Kerry, Colorado Springs
Kerry’s family learned a lot, the hard way, from their first foster care placement, a two-year-old named Alex. 
“It was hard, as Alex had suffered abuse and neglect and was terrified of all things to do with bedtimes,” Kerry said. 

“We spent the first week sitting outside the door of his bedroom, because he was terrified to have us in there and yet terrified to be alone.” 
About seven months after Alex had been placed in their care, he was returned back to his biological father. Kerry strongly objected to that plan, telling their caseworker that she believed the father was not ready to take his son back.  
Kerry’s objections were overruled, and Alex went home with his biological dad. Nine months later, Kerry learned that Alex had died of severe head trauma while in the care of his dad’s girlfriend. 

It was because of Alex that she began to research and advocate for the prevention of child abuse. 
“The greatest of our foster-heartbreaks has become my life's work,” Kerry said. 

“I am part of our county's Not One More Child Coalition, the secretary for our local Safe Kids Colorado chapter, and the Chair of the Child Abuse Prevention Committee for our local chapter of the Exchange Club,” she said. 
“We are also working to establish a child abuse prevention nonprofit called Kyndra's Hope - named for another local foster girl who actually entered foster care in hospice, as she was not expected to live due to the severe physical abuse by her biological parents. Thanks to the prayers of her adopted mom, Kyndra is now a lively 10-year-old who, despite her disabilities, has beaten the odds.” 
Kerry has adopted two of the 10 of her foster children, and provided respite care for numerous others. 
Kerry said she felt relief and belonging in her local Catholic parish, because several other families have adopted children and blended families, “so to just go and sit and be a normal family with all the other people there was just really wonderful some days,” she said. 
One of the main patron saints she leaned on as a foster parent was St. Jude, the patron saint of lost causes. 
“I was always praying to him for myself and for my kiddos who were really lost, just to help us all find ourselves,” she said. 


“What do my pro-life duties entail?” - Scott; Lincoln, Nebraska 


Scott and his wife were newlywed “classic, orthodox Catholics” living in Lincoln, Nebraska. 

While they had no known medical issues, they tried for six years to get pregnant, but it just wasn’t happening. 
After mourning the loss possible biological children, the couple began to talk about adoption. While the idea of foster care surfaced at the time, “It scared us a little bit,” Scott told CNA. 


They knew that many of the children they would encounter would come from difficult situations, and as first-time parents, they weren’t sure they would be able to handle that. 
They adopted a son, Anthony, but they still felt the desire for more children. When they considered a second adoption, they were encouraged to look more seriously into foster care. 
They took the foster parent preparation class, but still felt some hesitation, and so they “kicked the can down the road” a little longer. 

But something happened at their city’s annual Walk for Life that stayed with Scott. 
“We go to the Walk for Life every year, and there’s a lady there every year, she had this sign and it basically said ‘Foster, adopt or shut up.’ That was what she was saying as a counter-protest to a pro-life group,” Scott recalled. 
“It’s something that stuck with me because I thought you know, what do my pro-life duties entail?” 
Soon after, he and his wife felt called by God to open up their home to foster children. They told the agency, thinking they would wait another year or two before getting a placement. 


Ten days later, a little two-year-old named Jonathan came to stay with them. Even though he was young, the family has had to work with him on some deep-seated anger issues and speech delay problems.  
“This is really pro-life,” Scott said of foster care and adoption. “This birth mom chose life, but she can’t raise this child, and so my wife and I are going to take the ball and we’re going to do the hard work and we’re going to get through this.” 
“I really feel like God called us to this, and called us to this little boy,” he added. “You can’t ignore the call - or you shouldn’t - it’s similar to a vocational call in my opinion.” 
Something else that struck Scott throughout the process was how much foster parenting is promoted in Evangelical churches, including those sponsoring their family’s agency- and how infrequently he heard it mentioned in Catholic ones. 
“I would say that [Evangelicals] do a fabulous job in their churches as far as promoting foster care and getting lots of families to participate,” Scott said. 

 “And we’ve got the one true faith, so I want our families and couples to learn about this and possibly participate in it,” he added. 

“I know it’s not for everybody, but there’s lots of different things other than taking a child that you can do,” he said, such as mentoring a child or offering support to other foster parents. 
“We’ve always had a special spot in our heart for kids in foster care” - Jami; Omaha, Nebraska
Jami’s family, like Scott’s family, experienced a time of infertility before deciding to look into foster care or adoption as a way to grow their family. 
But they were also drawn to it in other ways. Before they were married, Jami and her husband had volunteered at a summer camp that united foster care kids with siblings living in other foster homes.


“We volunteered for that as camp counselors, so we’ve always had a special spot in our heart for kids in foster care, so we wanted to try it out for that reason also,” Jami told CNA. 


Jami had also grown up in Omaha, Nebraska, the home of Boystown, a temporary home for troubled boys and youth founded in 1917 by Servant of God Father Edward Flanagan. 
“I have a special relationship with him, even when I was younger, I used to think he was so cool,” Jami said. “And all through us fostering, I would pray to him and through him because he knows, he helped these kids in trauma.”  


Jami and her husband took an infant, Bennett, into their home. His older sister was placed in a different foster home while they waited to see if the children could be reunited with their mother. 


It was an “emotional rollercoaster,” Jami said, because she knew she needed to bond with Bennett, while she also had to be prepared to let him go at any moment. 


“I would pray through Fr. Flanagan and tell him just ‘please.’ I trust God and his choice in whether this kid goes home or not, because that was also really hard - I was feeling guilty for wanting to keep the baby, because it’s not yours. We’re there to help the parents,” she said. 
“So I really believe that (Fr. Flanagan) was holding this whole situation, he just took care of it,” she said. 
“The most challenging thing is letting yourself go, letting yourself bond with the child and not trying to protect your own heart,” Jami said, “and then coping with the emotional roller coaster because that can put a lot of stress on yourself, your husband, the whole family.” 
“But the most rewarding part is helping these families, helping the parents have the time they need to overcome whatever challenges they’re facing,” she said. 
“And getting to bond with the (child) is such a gift because literally if you don’t give it who will? And that is such a gift to give a child.” 
“This is hardcore Gospel living” - Michaela; St. Louis, Missouri
Michaela’s foster parent journey differs from many others. She and her husband already had children - four of them, all in grade school or younger - when she felt God was calling her to consider adoption. 
When the topic of adoption was brought up during her bible study, “my heart just started burning for adoption, the Spirit was moving within me, but I knew that was not something I could just impose on my family or my marriage,” Michaela, who lives in St. Louis, Missouri, told CNA. 

She decided to keep the inspiration quiet, and told God that if this is something he really wanted from her family, then her husband would have to voice the same desires first. 

So she never mentioned it to her husband. But one day, some time later, he came to breakfast and said out of the blue: “I think we’re being called to adoption.”
But as their research into adoption continued, they realized that they didn’t feel called to infant or international adoption - two of the most common routes. They realized that God was actually calling them to foster care. 
“It was exactly the desire of our heart, it was where God was calling,” Michaela said.   
The prerequisites for foster care include classes that prepare foster parents for worst-case scenarios - children who come from broken, traumatic situations who will exhibit difficult behaviors. 


But to Michaela’s surprise, “They come and they’re just the most innocent children, this pure innocence comes from a broken life, they don’t resemble the brokenness that they come from.” 
Michaela’s family is relatively new to fostering - in the first six months, they'd already had four children between the ages of one and seven placed with their family.
One of the most rewarding things about foster parenting has been the lessons her biological children are learning from the experience, Michaela said.  
“These aspects of the Gospel we cannot teach our children - I cannot teach you how to lay down your life for someone else. But I can show you with this,” Michaela said. 
“This is Gospel, this is hardcore Gospel living.” 
The hardest part about foster parenting can be letting go - the goal of foster parenting is not to keep the children, but to provide them a temporary home while their biological family can get back on their feet, Michaela said. 
Michaela said that’s a concern about foster parenting that she often hears: “What if I get too attached? Isn’t it too hard?” 


“These children deserve to be attached to, so they deserve us to love them so that it hurts us when they leave,” she said. 

For this reason, she asks case workers to let herself and her children accompany the foster child to their next home - whether that’s with their parents or with another foster or adoptive family. 


“It’s super hard for us, but it’s really good for the kids to see us cry, to know that they are loved that much, that someone would cry over them,” she said. 


Michaela said she found great support as a foster parent through the Catholic Church and also through other Christian denominations. 
“Our own church totally opened their arms to us, and brings over clothes and car seats and was just hugely supportive and welcoming when new kids come to church,” she said. 
“Other churches have provided meals - there’s just such a community within the church, within foster care. They’re all telling us they’re praying for us - so it’s the bigger body of Christ within the foster community,” she said. 


Michaela encouraged couples who are considering becoming foster parents to trust God and lean on their faith, even when it may seem like a difficult or impossible task. 


“When he calls us to those scary, unknown places he provides, he just shows up in ways that we could have never planned for or imagined,” she said. “He does, he makes a way.” 
Adoption and foster care programs for Catholic families can be found through local Catholic Charities or Catholic Social Service branches. 
This article was originally published on EWTN News May 18, 2018.

​
“There will be saints among the children.”
So said St. Pius X, when he lowered the age that children could receive their First Holy Communion. Previously, children had to be 10 or 12, now they are typically in second grade, or about seven or eight years old, though exceptions are made for some who are even younger.


Pope Francis canonized Francisco and Jacinta Marto, two of the child visionaries of the Fatima Marian apparitions, May 13. These shepherds are the first children who were not martyred to be canonized by the Church. Both died before age 12.
Austin Ruse, Catholic author and president of C-Fam, a family research institute, believes that Pope Francis may have just “opened the floodgates” to scores of saints from the littlest among us.


Several years ago, Ruse was struck by the stories of three children he knew - either personally or peripherally - that all seemed to have a common theme: “little children who died young, suffered greatly, and brought many people to Christ and his Church through their suffering.”


“They were just profound stories and they needed to be told,” he said in an interview with CNA.
In his recent book, “Littlest Suffering Souls,” Ruse tells of the short but significant lives of six children, three of them contemporary children whose families he has met.
 
Suffering, with ‘countless graces’
One of those children was Brendan Kelly, whose family went to Ruse’s parish, and whose funeral Ruse attended. While he had never met Brendan, Ruse had been praying for him.


Brendan was born to a devout Catholic family in Virginia. His parents, Frank and Maura, met while working in the George H.W. Bush White House in 1990.


Brendan was born with Down syndrome, and a seemingly innate love for Jesus. By the age of two, he loved to kiss crucifixes and statues of saints.


It was also at that age that a test confirmed Brendan had leukemia. He began a series of intense and painful treatments that would become an off-and-on part of the rest of his life.


“But along with the suffering would come countless graces,” Ruse noted.


One of the biggest graces was the “mystical” friendship that Brendan would develop with the pope at the time, Pope John Paul II.


Former senator and presidential candidate Rick Santorum, a family friend, personally delivered a photo of Brendan to Pope John Paul II while on a state visit to the Vatican. Once Brendan found out the pope was praying for him personally, he started praying for the pope personally too - every night.


Some time later, Brendan was offered a wish from the Make a Wish Foundation, the group that grants wishes to very sick children - typically a visit to Disneyland, or something along those lines.
But Brendan wanted something different.


“Me meet pope!” the toddler exclaimed. The Make-a-Wish officials were not convinced that this request was coming from the little boy, and so they shooed his parents out of the room. After an hour of questioning, Brendan didn’t waiver.
And so he did meet the pope - at the age of four, Brendan was granted an audience with Pope John Paul II. Not satisfied with the standard brief meeting and shaking of hands, Brendan stood by Pope John Paul II as he greeted everyone in the audience that day. As the pope was leaving, Brendan shouted “Bye, Pope!” and was able to shake hands one last time with the spiritual giant and his personal hero.


Other incredible moments of grace and signs of God’s presence occurred throughout Brendan’s short life. On one occasion, one of Frank’s friends, Peter O’Malley, was in the midst of a terrorist attack at Taj Mahal Palace in 2008.
In his moment of crisis, O’Malley knew who to call for prayers. Brendan prayed, and O’Malley escaped unharmed that night, when 164 people were shot.


His parish priest, Father Drummond, said he was first struck by Brendan’s faith and “absolute joy” as he was preparing him for communion and confession. When Father told him he would get to wear the black and white vestments of an altar boy, “He got a faraway look in his eyes and said quietly, ‘I love those’.”
 
Throughout his short life, Brendan would suffer bouts of leukemia, and grueling treatments. Before each one, his parents would ask him for whom he would offer his suffering - and he always had an intention.


One of his most frequent intentions was Bella Santorum, Rick Santorum’s daughter, who was born with a rare genetic disorder, Trisomy 18. She was only supposed to live a few months, but Brendan offered his suffering for her throughout his entire life. “Bella, I love you,” he would repeat during moments of pain. She is still alive today, some nine years longer than she was expected to live.


“(Brendan) very early on grabbed onto the idea of offering up his suffering, and he always would do it cheerfully, even though it was unbelievably painful, or it made him incredibly sick, he just knew that throwing up for the tenth time, this time is going to be for somebody, and it was useful,” Frank told CNA.


At the same time, he was a normal boy. He didn’t want to be sick, he loved to play with his siblings and be the life of the party. And he could school anyone in trivia from his favorite T.V. show “The Office.” He could name the season and the episode of any quote from Michael Scott or Dwight Schrute that his family could lob at him.


And so, when sick from leukemia and quarantined for a bone marrow transplant as a teenager, Brendan and his family played office trivia through a small, grainy T.V. - the only way they could communicate during the sterile procedure. Soon a crowd of doctors and nurses joined in the fun.


But it was his profound faith and joyful personality that impacted almost everyone he met, and that drew people to him.
“He wasn’t just this always smiley, (disabled) little child,” Frank said. “He would have very profound conversations with people, and say things that would profoundly impact people.”


When he passed away in 2013, at the age of 16, the line at his wake had to be cut short after three hours of people filing past to pay their final respects to Brendan.


“We had to go outside and thank everybody because it was too long, and there was almost an equal number of people at the funeral Mass the next day,” Frank said.


Since that day, they’ve had hundreds of requests for prayer cards of Brendan.


Frank said it has been a “surreal” experience to have a child whose impact is so great that there are people asking for his prayers.


He said he hopes that people who read Brendan’s story and are experiencing suffering themselves understand that they are never alone.


“Brendan never felt alone, and he knew that people were praying for him, starting with Pope John Paul II to the builders who were working on our house, to people he never knew,” Frank said. Even people in other countries who had never met Brendan had offered their prayers. 


A witness amid the ‘culture of death’
Another suffering soul, Margaret Leo, also had a dad who worked in the Washington, D.C. political scene. Leonard Leo is the executive vice president of the Federalist Society - a law organization to which several federal and Supreme Court justices belong. He also worked for President George W. Bush’s administration at one time.


Though Margaret suffered throughout her life from spina bifida and related complications, she bore everything with a cheerful smile and a simple but profound faith. Her photo now sits on the desk of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
Ruse names the people impacted by these suffering souls in his book intentionally.


These were not peasant children, like Sts. Francisco and Jacinta Marto, Ruse noted, and that’s important.


“They were born into influence and affluence, into a modern day (moral) desert, and they have a message for the modern day desert - all lives are worth living, there are no useless lives, even short, painful lives have a great deal of meaning,” Ruse said.
“We live in an age that people call the culture of death, aimed largely at the defenseless: children, the elderly, the disabled, the intellectually disabled, and these children are witnesses to the fact that all lives are worth living, even ones that are judged not to be worth living.”


It’s something that Margaret’s mom, Sally, hopes that people understand as they read her daughter’s story.


“Especially because such a high percentage of children with spina bifida and other disabilities are aborted these days, and we barely even ever see them,” she told CNA.


“If that wasn’t the case, we would see these kids walking around, we would see kids with braces or crutches or Down syndrome all the time, but 80-90 percent of them are killed, they’re not even given the chance.”


But in Sally’s experience, “It was a gift.”


Margaret taught them about faith and love in the simplest of ways. She gently pestered her dad until he became a daily Mass attendee. She would ask people when they were going to baptize their new baby, or if they had been confirmed.


“Her faith would invariably come up in any discussion that was more the perfunctory, and it would have an impact on people,” her father, Leonard, told CNA.


But she wasn’t a mystic, her parents insist. She just had a strong attraction to holy and beautiful things, and an intense but simple joy that was attractive to those around her. She loved coloring, and being involved in her siblings’ antics, and holding babies. 


“In other words, you wouldn’t necessarily go away thinking, ‘Oh wow, I just met a saint.’ But she would say to you, ‘Hi, how are you? How was your day? How was your birthday? When’s your confirmation?’ She wanted to know about you, which was really what touched people most about her, because you don’t necessarily find that among strangers,” Sally said.


“Charity and kindness and friendship, but at its most pure and most intense level,” Leonard added.


Margaret’s spina bifida meant that she had to have titanium rods placed in her back to straighten her spine. But instead, Margaret’s back bent the titanium rods - so much so that they ended up protruding from her neck. Despite it all, Margaret did not complain.


“It’s ok,” she would cheerfully say, even when it was clear that it was not.


Today, Leonard keeps the rods on his desk - “to remind me what a real bad day looks like.” 


After Margaret passed away and her story spread, the Leos were surprised at the impact their simple but faithful little girl was having on the people around them. When Ruse published an article about Margaret, they received hundreds of requests for a prayer card of her. 


What continues to draw people to Margaret is how she suffered with joy and trust in God, Leonard said.


“I think at some level that when we’re faced with adversity and suffering, we wish that we could be filled with joy, and we could be able to confront it in a way that brings us closer to God and closer to other people, and make the very best of it,” he said.


“And so when you saw her, it was impossible not to be reminded of the fact that we should be filled with joy, we should be thankful to God. As her tombstone says, we should be praying and thanking God without ceasing.”


Tears of inspiration
The third contemporary little suffering soul whose story Ruse tells is that of Audrey from France.
Although her parents were lukewarm Catholics when she was born, Audrey was “spiritually precocious” from a young age.


She practiced mortification by carrying home her school pencils in her shoe. She begged to receive Holy Communion at the age of five. Upon examining her, her priest found her ready to do so, because she understood that Holy Communion is Jesus, “And I want to receive Jesus.” She insisted that her family say grace before meals and a prayer for vocations every night.


She was also sure from a young age that she had a Carmelite vocation, “Caramel” as the little girl pronounced it.


This surprising faith scared Lillian, Audrey’s mom, who wasn’t sure where Audrey was getting her ideas.
“Follow her,” a priest told Lillian.


But she was also scared that her daughter’s spiritual maturity meant great trials were ahead - and they were. At a very young age, Audrey was diagnosed with leukemia.


When Lillian broke the news to Audrey, “She got this very wise, very gentle sort of look” and told her mother that they were “going to do what Jesus says. We’re going to be like the birds in the sky, and we’re just going to take one day at a time.”
“I can’t say that without weeping,” Ruse said.


And indeed, “Littlest Suffering Souls” is a book that will make you weep. But not in a sad way.


“We’re not crying out of sadness, we’re crying out of inspiration,” Ruse said.


“They’re neither tears of joy nor sadness, they’re some other kind of tear, that I don’t have the name for, but it’s just being moved by these inspiring stories.”


Audrey battled leukemia for several years, and, like Brendan, made it on the personal prayer list of Pope John Paul II after her dad was able to hand him a photo of her.


Audrey too offered her sufferings for specific intentions, and, like Brendan, people began flooding her with prayer requests. She had a special heart for vocations, and prayed especially for her Uncle Mick - who is now a priest today.


A bone marrow transplant for Audrey eventually proved ineffective. Knowing she was near death, her family took her to Lourdes, and then to Rome, where she was able to meet Pope John Paul II.  


They spoke together for several minutes, captured by a photo of Audrey’s swollen head next to the bent-down head of the now-Saint.


While no one knows what was said between the two of them, for the rest of the day, John Paul II could be heard around the Vatican muttering her name: “Audrey, Audrey, Audrey.”


She also asked to be confirmed, and insisted that the party be an “elegant” event - one of her favorite words, but one that she meant in beautiful simplicity, rather than extravagance.


In her final weeks, which she was able to spend at home, Audrey spent hours in the family’s chapel, where the bishop had allowed them to keep the blessed sacrament. She told her grandma that she spent her days praying and waiting.


She passed away at 3 p.m., the hour of mercy, on August 22, 1991, the Feast of the Queenship of Mary. Her father Jerome had prayed she would pass away on a Marian feast day.


Audrey’s cause for canonization has been opened, and her story has spread throughout France and indeed throughout the world. Seminarians pray for her intercession for their vocations. A Carmelite convent in Spain has her First Communion dress on display, with permission of the family.


Lessons learned
The suffering of children is a difficult subject, but one that captures the attention of all, Ruse said.


“It seems to us to be profoundly unfair that children suffer, and that’s a common human reaction,” he reflected.


“Moreover, the reaction of these particular children to their suffering and maladies is confounding to those of us who cannot even handle the simple contradictions of the day very well,” he said.


“The simplest things can vex us, and yet these are kids who had bone marrow transplants and while they had them, Audrey was singing songs to Mary, and Brendan was offering his suffering for others - they’re just astounding.”


At the end of his book, Ruse offers what he believes are several lessons that can be learned from the stories of little suffering souls - forbearance, simplicity, a love for God, particularly in the Eucharist.


Moreover, he said, we learn that each life has dignity.


“Our modern man might see a child suffering from leukemia who has died young and see nothing but a misbegotten tragedy, a life with no meaning,” he wrote.


“In the simplest terms, modern man is wrong. The Littlest Suffering Souls stand as witnesses to the proposition that all human life has meaning and dignity, even and especially those lives we may not fully understand.”


 

A bit of humor…
 Some Thoughts - 
-What is pointless?  To tell a bald guy a hair-raising story. 
- It’s cleaning day today. I’ve already polished off a whole chocolate bar.
-There are two kinds of friends : those who are around when you need them, and those who are around when they need you.  
-A celebrity is someone who works hard all his life to become known and then wears dark glasses to avoid being recognized. 
-What is the most important thing to learn in chemistry?  Never lick the spoon.  
-Lite: the new way to spell “Light,” now with 20% fewer letters!  
-I was such an ugly kid. When I played in the sandbox the cat kept covering me up.
An I.Q. Too High To BuyA Thought
I heard a report about a bad outbreak of the tummy bug, apparently 9 out of 10 people there suffered from diarrhea. I can’t stop thinking about that tenth person who apparently enjoyed it.


A scientist tells a pharmacist, “Give me some prepared tablets of acetylsalicylic acid.”
“Do you mean aspirin?” asks the pharmacist.
The scientist slaps his forehead. “That’s it!” he says. “I can never remember the name.”
 
 
The Cost of Vinyl
  Most of our music store customers have a story about their old vinyl collection. Once, a man asked how much a record cost. My coworker quoted him the price, then added, “But there’s a surcharge if we have to listen to how your mother made you throw out all your old vinyl records.”
 
SOME THOUGHTS-My friends tell me that cooking is easy, but it’s not easier than not cooking.
-How can you ever be late for anything in London? They have a huge clock right in the middle of the town.
 
 
Christmas Gifts
Some mice enter heaven on Christmas.  St. Peter asks them what they would like for Christmas.  They say some roller skates, so he equips them with some.
 
Next, a cat comes to heaven.  St. Peter asks what the cat would like for Christmas.  The cat looking around seeing the mice enjoying their gifts says, “Meals on wheels.”


A Sign of the Times
As a little girl climbed onto Santa's lap, Santa asked the usual, "And what would you like for Christmas?"
The child stared at him open mouthed and horrified for a minute, then gasped: "Didn't you get my E-mail?"
 
None of that Allowed Here 
A minister was completing a temperance (no drinking alcohol) sermon. With great emphasis he said, "If I had all the beer in the world, I'd take it and pour it into the river." 
 
With even greater emphasis he said, "And if I had 
All the wine in the world, I'd take it and pour it into the river." 
 
And then finally, shaking his fist in the air, he said, "And if I had all the whiskey in the world, I'd take it and pour it into the river." 
 
Sermon complete, he sat down. 
 
The song Leader stood very cautiously and announced with a smile, nearly laughing, "For our closing song, Let us sing Hymn #365, 'Shall We Gather at the River'."
 

Prayer for the Final Days of Advent
 
O Come, O Come, Emmanual!
 
Holy Mass (Missa), because the liturgy in which the mystery of salvation is accomplished concludes with the sending forth (missio) of the faithful, so that they may fulfill God's will in their daily lives.  Catechism of the Catholic Church 1332
 
 ​

+JMJ+
SUNDAY MASS READINGS AND QUESTIONS
for Self-Reflection, Couples or Family Discussion
Fourth Sunday of Advent – Sunday, December 19th, 2021

The First Reading- Micah 5:1-4A
Thus says the LORD: You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah too small to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel; whose origin is from of old, from ancient times. Therefore, the Lord will give them up, until the time when she who is to give birth has borne, and the rest of his kindred shall return to the children of Israel. He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock by the strength of the LORD, in the majestic name of the LORD, his God; and they shall remain, for now his greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth; he shall be peace.
Reflection
Micah was a prophet in the second half of the 8th century, and this particular oracle is a prophecy of a king to come. Bethlehem is the traditional birth site of Rachel, as well as the hometown of King David. The name means House of Bread, and it is situated just a few miles from Jerusalem. The Hebrew word for “from of old” alludes to divine implications. The coming king will shepherd his flock, his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth, and he shall be peace. These are all Davidic images - David was the great shepherd to whom God promised an everlasting and everlasting kingdom that would bring peace to the nations. This prophecy will ultimately be fulfilled in Christ.
Adults - Spend some time this week in prayer with the O’Antiphons. Information is available online, and if you have the parish app a reflection on them will be available each day from the 17th-23rd.
Teens -Pray this week with the knowledge that Jesus was prophesied for thousands of years. Consider the immense power and knowledge of the Lord, and give thanks.  
Kids - Bethlehem was a very small town in which very big things happened! What little things can you do to make a big difference?

Responsorial- Psalm 80: 2-3, 15-16, 18-19
R.Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
O shepherd of Israel, hearken,
from your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth.
Rouse your power,
and come to save us.
R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
Once again, O LORD of hosts,
look down from heaven, and see;
take care of this vine,
and protect what your right hand has planted
the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
May your help be with the man of your right hand,
with the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
Then we will no more withdraw from you;
give us new life, and we will call upon your name.
R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
Reflection
-This Psalm is speaking of the Davidic King. It asks God to bless the “son of man” who is the king in the line of David. This is because the people knew that their fate was intertwined with the fate of their king. This remains true today - our fate is tied to the fate of Christ. He has risen from the dead and that is a promise that we will do the same.
-Pray this week about the resurrection, and meditate on what it will be like to be alive in your body, with those you love, and to see God face to face.

The Second Reading- Hebrews 10:5-10
Brothers and sisters: When Christ came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; in holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight. Then I said, 'As is written of me in the scroll, behold, I come to do your will, O God.'" First he says, "Sacrifices and offerings, holocausts and sin offerings, you neither desired nor delighted in." These are offered according to the law. Then he says, Behold, I come to do your will." He takes away the first to establish the second. By this "will," we have been consecrated through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Reflection
This reading largely quotes and explains Psalm 40. The author of Hebrews hears Psalm 40 as the voice of Christ and interpret it as such.  We read that God desires obedience over sacrifice. This doesn’t mean that God doesn’t look upon the sacrifices with favor - after all He is the one who instituted them. It was lack of obedience however, particularly the sin with the Golden Calf, that caused the sacrifices to be instituted. The Second Reading tells us the reason for the incarnation of Christ is to be the definitive sacrifice that will put an end to all of the sacrifices of the Old Covenant, and to institute a New Covenant that will be able to change man’s heart through grace.
-Meditate this week of the great love Jesus has for us.  

The Holy Gospel according to Luke 1: 39-45
Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled."
Reflection
In this account we find the first address of Mary as the Queen Mother, as well as the first recorded veneration of her as such. “The Mother of my Lord” was a title for the Queen Mother. In ancient Israel the kings mother, not his wife, reigned as queen. She was a powerful intercessor for the people, taking their requests to the king, and it was well known that the king would not refuse her (see 1 Kings 2:19-20). Why else is Mary particularly venerated by Elizabeth? For her great faith - “blessed is she who believed what was spoken to her by the Lord.” This is a great example for us to follow - are we known for our faith?
Adults - Take some time in silent prayer this week, asking the Lord to speak to your heart. Open the Scriptures and listen to Him speak to you.
Teens  -Did you recognize some of the words that Elizabeth said to Mary? They are part of the Hail Mary. The other few lines come from the angel Gabriel at the Annunciation and the rest is us asking her to pray for us. Read over the words to the Hail Mary. Think about them a bit. What does the prayer mean to you?
Kids - Or have you ever seen a newborn baby? What are some words you would use to describe that experience?

LIVING THE WORD OF GOD THIS WEEK! – “The feast of Christmas should draw the hearts of every child of God towards the furnace of divine love. In the manger, the infinite love of God for us miserable sinners is dramatically and forcefully portrayed before our eyes. In that helpless Baby, represented by a statue, we know that the person, and the power, of the omnipotent Creator and sustainer of the universe lie hidden "He emptied himself, taking the form of a slave" for us. He became a creature, like ourselves, so that he would make us sharers in his divine nature. He came on earth to bring us to heaven. He hid his divine nature so that he could cover us with it.  "Unsearchable indeed are the judgements of God, and inscrutable his ways." But though we are unworthy of his infinite love, it nevertheless stands out as clear as the noonday sun in the Incarnation. We realize that we can never make ourselves worthy of this infinite love, but let us imitate Joseph and accept the honor which God is giving us, as we trust that he will continue to make us daily less unworthy.”  --Excerpted from The Sunday Readings by Fr. Kevin O'Sullivan, O.F.M.


15. To whom is the deposit of faith entrusted? a) the whole Church
The Apostles entrusted the deposit of faith to the whole of the Church. Thanks to its supernatural sense of faith the people of God as a whole, assisted by the Holy Spirit and guided by the Magisterium of the Church, never ceases to welcome, to penetrate more deeply and to live more fully from the gift of divine revelation.


16. To whom is given the task of authentically interpreting the deposit of faith? c) the living teaching office of the Church alone (Magisterium)
The task of giving an authentic interpretation of the deposit of faith has been entrusted to the living teaching office of the Church alone, that is, to the successor of Peter, the Bishop of Rome, and to the bishops in communion with him. To this Magisterium, which in the service of the Word of God enjoys the certain charism of truth, belongs also the task of defining dogmas which are formulations of the truths contained in divine Revelation. This authority of the Magisterium also extends to those truths necessarily connected with Revelation.


17. What is the relationship between Scripture, Tradition and the Magisterium? d) one of them cannot stand without the other
Scripture, Tradition, and the Magisterium are so closely united with each other that one of them cannot stand without the others. Working together, each in its own way, under the action of the one Holy Spirit, they all contribute effectively to the salvation of souls.

​

Third Sunday of Advent

​

​✟✟✟✟✟✟ Catholic Questions and Catholic Answers✟✟✟✟✟✟ 
9. What is the full and definitive stage of God's Revelation? (Catechism of the Catholic Church, CCC 65-66, 73) 
a) reached its height with King David 
b) it will only occur at the end of time 
c) Jesus Christ coming among us 
d) no one person or thing is the full and definite Revelation 
10. What is the value of private revelations? (CCC 67) 
a) there is no value 
b) valuable only to the easily confused 
c) these are tricks of the devil trying to confuse devout believers 
d) they may be helpful to individuals living out the Faith in particular times 
The Transmission of Divine Revelation 
11. Why and in what way is divine revelation transmitted?(CCC 74)  
a) through Jesus Christ 
b) the proclamation of the followers of Christ 
c) Apostolic Tradition (teaching of the apostles and their successors) is essential 
d) all of the above     (Answers on back) 

Catholic Term of the Week

Gaudete Sunday (from Latin gaudete “(you all) Rejoice!”)
- the Third Sunday of Advent marking with subdued joy that we are over half way in our waiting for Christmas; Rose-colored vestments may be worn while the rose candle is lit on the Advent wreath (Gaudete comes from the opening of the Mass: Gaudete in Domino semper –“Rejoice in the Lord always”)
 
 
Term Review
Laetare Sunday - the fourth Sunday of Lent marking that Lent is over half way completed;  (Laetare – Latin meaning “Rejoice” comes from the opening of the Mass "Laetare Jerusalem" -- "Rejoice, O Jerusalem") 
​

 
(As we mark the ninth year time from the Newtown tragedies, we take comfort again in the words of peace.)

"My soul is bereft of peace;
I have forgotten what happiness is;
so I say, "Gone is my glory,
and all that I had hoped for from the Lord."
The thought of my affliction and my homelessness
is wormwood and gall!
My soul continually thinks of it
and is bowed down within me.



But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
"The Lord is my portion," says my soul,
"therefore I will hope in him."
The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
to the soul that seeks him.
It is good that one should wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord."
-Lamentations (3:17-26)

"See there's this place in me where your fingerprints still rest, your hugs still linger, and your loving whispers softly echo. It's the place where the best part of you will forever be a part of me." -Anonymous
​

For this reason the Church, especially during Advent and Lent and above all at the Easter Vigil, re-reads and re-lives the great events of salvation history in the "today" of her liturgy. But this also demands that catechesis help the faithful to open themselves to this spiritual understanding of the economy of salvation as the Church's liturgy reveals it and enables us to live it.    Catechism of the Catholic Church #1095

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Catholic Parents Online

 
http://www.catholicparents.org


Catholic Parents Online has as its mission "to build a network of faithful, dynamic, and informed parents, students, and alumni, committed to working with Catholic schools and other programs of education to ensure the authentic teaching and protection of the Catholic Faith." They recognize parents' role as the primary educators of their children.  All in all this is an excellent site and Catholic parents will find it most useful and informative. 
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Mexico City, Mexico, Dec 11, 2021 / 14:00 pm
Just inside the entrance to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City is a small area with a bas-relief sculpture of the Virgin Mary on display, designed especially for the blind to encounter Our Lady.
Fr. Umberto Mauro Marsich, an Italian Xavarian missionary priest, explained to ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish language news partner, that the image is made of highly durable nylon fiber and is a gift from the Institute of Italian Culture and the Italian Embassy.
The sculpture is a “gift to the Archdiocese of Mexico so the blind can come here” and venerate Our Lady of Guadalupe, he said.
“They first read the entire description in Braille, the Nahuatl symbology of the image” on a panel to the side, “and then they come over and touch the image with their hands,” he explained.
Marsich, who holds a doctorate in moral theology and teaches at the Pontifical University of Mexico, played a key role in having the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe for the blind made and donated.
The idea came about in 2008 during an exposition of a painting of the Virgin de la Pera in Mexico which was brought to the country along with a much simpler bas-relief version.
The head of an association for the blind was in attendance at the exposition. When he touched the bas-relief image he said, “Why can't we do something similar with Our Lady of Guadalupe?”
Fr. Marsich, who was also there at the time, said he worked with two other Italians to have a bas-relief of Our Lady of Guadalupe made.
“My friend Faranda went back to Italy and looked for people to make donations” for the work of art, Marsich said.
The sculpture was produced in the city of Faenza, Italy, in 2009. It cost about $22,000 to make.
A few days after its completion, it was brought to Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, where Pope Benedict XVI blessed it. It was then transported to Mexico and placed in the Guadalupe Basilica on Dec. 9, 2009.
More than 100 visually-impaired people gathered on the day the statue was installed in the basilica. Marsich said he was touched by their emotion, as, “finally being able to touch her, [they] discovered the beauty of the message conveyed to them by the Nahuatl symbology, which is a very luminous symbology.”
“People were so obviously moved that they were weeping,” he recalled.
However, the image is not just to be contemplated by visually impaired people, he pointed out.
The priest stressed that everyone can express “in some way our affection, our love, our tenderness for Mary, the Virgin of Guadalupe.”
Marsich hopes other bishops will be encouraged to ask for a replica of the image of the Virgin Mary for their dioceses, which he said would cost significantly less than the original.

A bit of humor…
Some Thoughts:
-Progress is made by lazy men looking for an easier way to do things.  
-I read recipes the same way I read science fiction. I get to the end and I think, “Well, that’s not going to happen.”  
-Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are getting weak?  
-What if there were no hypothetical questions?  
-For every action, there is a corresponding over-reaction.  
-I’m a humble person, really. I’m actually much greater than I think I am.  
-A celebrity is someone who works hard all his life to become known and then wears dark glasses to avoid being recognized.  
-I don’t have a solution, but I do admire the problem.
Kids Marry The Darnedest ThingsMy young son declared, “When I grow up, I’m going to marry you, Mommy.”
“You can’t marry your own mother,” said his older sister.
“Then I’ll marry you.”
“You can’t marry me either.”
He looked confused, so I explained, “You can’t marry someone in your own family.”
“You mean I have to marry a total stranger?!” he cried.
 
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


A woman went to the Post Office to buy stamps for her Christmas cards.

"What denomination?" asked the clerk.

"Oh, good heavens! Have we come to this?" said the woman. "Well, give me 50 Catholic and 50 Baptist ones."
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Wife :       'Do you want dinner?'   
 
Husband:       'Sure! What are my choices?'   
 
Wife:          'Yes or no.'      
 
--------------------------------------------------------   
 Stress Reliever
Girl:       'When we get married, I want to share all your worries, troubles and lighten your burden.'   

Boy:       'It's very kind of you, darling, but I don't have any worries or troubles.'   
 
Girl:       'Well that's because we aren't married yet.' 
  ________________________________ 
 
A newly married man asked his wife, 'Would you have married me if my father hadn't left me a fortune?'   
 
'Honey,' the woman replied sweetly, 'I'd have married you, NO MATTER WHO LEFT YOU A FORTUNE!'   ​

[On the Third Sunday in Advent, Gaudete Sunday, the Church can no longer contain her joyful longing for the coming of the Savior. We light the rose candle and rejoice that our redemption is so close at hand. Gaudete comes from the Latin Antiphon, which begins, "Gaudete in Domino semper: iterum dico, gaudete.." [Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say, rejoice...]. On this day, rose-colored vestments may be worn, and flowers may decorate the church. ]
 ​

​+JMJ+
SUNDAY MASS READINGS AND QUESTIONS
for Self-Reflection, Couples or Family Discussion
Third Sunday of Advent -
Gaudete Sunday – Sunday, December 12th, 2021

The First Reading- Zephaniah 3:14-18A
Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! Sing joyfully, O Israel! Be glad and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! The LORD has removed the judgment against you he has turned away your enemies; the King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst, you have no further misfortune to fear. On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem: Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged! The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior; he will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love, he will sing joyfully because of you, as one sings at festivals.
Reflection
The prophecy that this reading is taken from is prophesying a restoration that God will enact in the future. The faithful people of God are referred to as “Daughter Zion” and the Lord is described as a Bridegroom. How is this fulfilled? The incarnation - God becoming man in Christ Jesus - is a wedding of two natures, Divine and human. Jesus is also the promised Davidic King, who was often referred to as a bridegroom. Jesus is the Bridegroom King who is to come. In Him, humanity is united with God forever, and Divine Life is given to us through the Sacraments, which will be ultimately fulfilled at the Second Coming when the Lord takes the members of His Body to be with Him, body and soul, forever.
Adults - How often do you consider the joy that you bring to God, just because you exist?
Teens - Have you ever felt so happy that it made you sing? Did you ever think of God being so happy about you that he would sing? Did you ever think that God would sing at all?
Kids - What is something that makes you so happy you want to sing?

Responsorial- Isaiah 12: 2-3, 4, 5-6
R. Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
God indeed is my savior;
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water
at the fountain of salvation.
R. Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;
among the nations make known his deeds,
proclaim how exalted is his name.
R. Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;
let this be known throughout all the earth.
Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,
for great in your midst
is the Holy One of Israel!
R. Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
Reflection
-It’s a rare occasion that the Responsorial Psalm comes from a book other than the Book of Psalms. These joyful doxology taken from the book of Isaiah fits the mood of this litrigucal day, and ties in with the first reading, of God being with his people.  Does being in the presence of God bring you joy?

The Second Reading- 1 Philippians 4:4-7
Brothers and sisters: Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Reflection
This reading reminds us that the Lord is near! Saint Paul gives us some very practical advice on how to live a life of joy. He puts a special emphasis on thanksgiving, which can sometimes be forgotton amongst the other things that we take to prayer.
How can you intentionally live out Saint Paul’s advice this week?

The Holy Gospel according to Luke 3:10-18
The crowds asked John the Baptist, “What should we do?” He said to them in reply, “Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise.” Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?” He answered them, “Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.” Soldiers also asked him, “And what is it that we should do?” He told them, “Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages.” Now the people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Christ. John answered them all, saying, “I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” Exhorting them in many other ways,  he preached good news to the people.
Reflection
This week the focus on John the Baptist will switch from his teaching to his prophecy about the one who is to come after him. How does this sobering Gospel reading fit into the theme of rejoicing? We have to remember that the Good News preached by Christ and the Church is ultimately not about temporal comforts, but about eternal life. This doesn’t mean that God won’t bless us with many things in this life, it just means that our eyes should always be on the prize that will last for all of eternity - life with God, in our resurrected bodies, in heaven forever - and taking as many people with us as possible! We are to be heralds of this good news that we are blessed to know and live out.
Adults - The values we hold as Christians are different from the values of the world. Where is this most apparent in your life, and how do you address it in day to day life?
Teens  -Which teachings of the Church challenge you? How can you overcome those challenges?
Kids - Why is it important to be honest?

LIVING THE WORD OF GOD THIS WEEK! – “Can you still fail to see why Isaias and the Baptist compare the hardships of the way of the world's Messiah-King to souls with a rough, crooked, and almost impassable road up steep hills and down precipitous valleys and through dangerous mountain passes? Do you wonder that these prophets of His coming insist so strongly that merely sentimental longings and routine prayers, however multiplied, cannot prepare us worthily for the entrance He must expect and the welcome He craves?  Pray very honestly, therefore, that you may begin to see the practical reasons for the Church's crying out in the desert world, and even into your own interior soul and heart:
"Prepare ye the way of the Lord: Make straight in the wilderness His paths; Every valley shall be exalted; Every mountain and hill shall be made low; And the crooked shall be made straight; And the rough ways plain" (Is. 40:3, 4). Then shall you see the salvation of God!”   --Excerpted from Our Way to the Father by Rev. Leo M. Krenz, S.J.



9. What is the full and definitive stage of God's Revelation? c) Jesus Christ coming among us
The full and definitive stage of God’s revelation is accomplished in his Word made flesh, Jesus Christ, the mediator and fullness of Revelation. He, being the only-begotten Son of God made man, is the perfect and definitive Word of the Father. In the sending of the Son and the gift of the Spirit, Revelation is now fully complete, although the faith of the Church must gradually grasp its full significance over the course of centuries.   “In giving us his Son, his only and definitive Word, God spoke everything to us at once in this sole Word, and he has no more to say.” (Saint John of the Cross) 


10. What is the value of private revelations?d) they may be helpful to individuals living out the Faith in particular times
While not belonging to the deposit of faith, private revelations may help a person to live the faith as long as they lead us to Christ. The Magisterium of the Church, which has the duty of evaluating such private revelations, cannot accept those which claim to surpass or correct that definitive Revelation which is Christ.           The Transmission of Divine Revelation 


11. Why and in what way is divine revelation transmitted?d) all of the above
God “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4), that is, of Jesus Christ. For this reason, Christ must be proclaimed to all according to his own command, “Go forth and teach all nations” (Matthew 28:19). And this is brought about by Apostolic Tradition. 

Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
 
           During the weeks of Advent we prepare for Christ coming as the word made flesh beginning December 25.  But we also prepare for His final coming at the end of time called His Second Coming, we prepare for this especially during the first two weeks of Advent.


 
            While much is said about Christ’s Second Coming in the Holy Bible and elsewhere, the most important thing to remember is that when He comes, time and the world as we know it, ends.  It does not mean Christ reigning on earth as we know it.  The Second Coming means the end of time, the Final Judgment, Heaven or Hell forever.  The Church puts it this way:

 
On Judgment Day at the end of the world, Christ will come in glory to achieve the definitive triumph of good over evil which, like the wheat and the tares, have grown up together in the course of history. (Catechism of the Catholic Church #681)

 
      Today and everyday of our lives, but especially during Advent, we give thanks for His first coming and prepare for His Second Coming!


 
Peace and prayers in Jesus through Mary, loved by Saint Joseph,
Father Robert
 
P.S.  This Sunday is the Second Sunday of Advent, the second week of the new Church liturgical year!  The readings can be found at: 
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120521.cfm

​

9. What is the full and definitive stage of God's Revelation?(Catechism of the Catholic Church, CCC 65-66, 73)
a) reached its height with King David
b) it will only occur at the end of time
c) Jesus Christ coming among us
d) no one person or thing is the full and definite Revelation


10. What is the value of private revelations?(CCC 67)
a) there is no value
b) valuable only to the easily confused
c) these are tricks of the devil trying to confuse devout believers
d) they may be helpful to individuals living out the Faith in particular times


The Transmission of Divine Revelation
11. Why and in what way is divine revelation transmitted? (CCC 74)
a) through Jesus Christ
b) the proclamation of the followers of Christ
c) Apostolic Tradition (teaching of the apostles and their successors) is essential
d) all of the above     


(Answers at end)

​

Second Coming (also called the Parousia)
- the glorious return and appearance of Christ Jesus as judge at the end of time
[At the second coming, Christ will judge the living and the dead. History and all creation will achieve their fulfillment.  References to it are frequent in the New Testament, as the writers describe the ultimate triumph of Jesus and the establishment of his kingdom (I Thessalonians 4:15-17; Matthew 24:3-14; II Peter 1:16).]
​

Reflections For The Second Week of Advent

And With Your Spirit
 
In the United States, we mark both the second week of Advent and our third week of our sixth year with a new English translation of the Roman Missal. Every day while traveling this week, I have found myself at a different parish fumbling with both the pages and the words on the page. Though excited and (seemingly) prepared for these changes, I have been jolted a bit by the communal experience of proclaiming two of the new responses.
 
Four times now in the liturgy, we respond to the priest with "And with your spirit." I've joked for years with my audiences how the response "And also with you" is so imbedded in us that we would start it reflexively from a dead sleep or in a crowded supermarket if provoked by, "The Lord be with you!" That is going to take a while to undo.
 
The second is the Communion response formed from the Scriptural response of the Roman Centurion to Our Lord: "Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed." Beautiful.
 
I find both of these responses simply beautiful to hear and proclaim together in the English even with a familiarity with "Et cum spiritu tuo"  and "Domine, non sum dignus..."  from the Latin.
 
I do harbor a mild fear, I suppose, that these distinctive appeals to "spirit" and "soul" risk affirming, in some, that ever-present false dualism regarding our human personhood. One that claims an "either/or" separation instead of a "both/and" integration of our spiritual and bodily natures.
 
What these changes invite is a deeper participation in the true mystery of God, His Bride the Church, and our own likeness to Him. Paradoxes, tensions, and apparent contradictions are old friends to believers: fully God and fully Man; Unity and Trinity; faith and reason; body and soul. The list goes on.
 
Entertaining such a dualism during this season of Advent is ironic, of course, since this is when we prepare to encounter once more "the fact that the Word of God became flesh" and "the body entered theology...through the main door" (TOB 23:4). Amen. Alleluia!
 


Damon Owens is a speaker with the Theology of the Body Institute.  Damon and his wife Melanie have been teaching and promoting Natural Family Planning (NFP) from Seton Hall University and throughout New Jersey since 1993. They serve as NFP Program Coordinators for the Archdiocese of Newark (N.J.), and are founders of the 
New Jersey Natural Family Planning Association. Damon keeps a full speaking schedule at national conferences, marriage seminars, high schools, seminaries, and youth groups on the good news of sexuality, chastity, Theology of the Body, Theology of the Family, and NFP. Damon currently lives in New Jersey with his wife Melanie, and their seven children.

​

by NEWS DESK
   
 December 3, 2021
   
in US NEWS

The album was recorded over two days in September, and was released the following month.
The recording and sound engineering was done by William Crain of BRC Audio in Kansas City, the abbess said. “We did the editing and production, and Will brought it all together along with the mastering.”
Life in the community is marked by obedience, stability, and “continually turning” towards God. They have Mass daily according to the ancient use of the Roman rite, and chant the psalms eight times a day from the 1962 Monastic Office.
The nuns also support themselves by producing made-to-order vestments, as well as greeting cards.
Since the abbey’s last album release, its church has been built, as has a guest house for families and those wishing to make a silent retreat. The community’s foundress, Sr. Mary Wilhelmina, “went to her heavenly reward at 95 years old,” Mother Cecilia added. The abbess said Sr. Wilhelmina’s “life and the amazing circumstances of her death” were both “a grace beyond our imaginings.”
The community has been blessed with abundant vocations in recent years, Mother Cecilia said.
A group of eight sisters was sent to found a daughter house in southern Missouri, and “We now number 55 Sisters between the two houses, and young women continue to knock on our door,” she related.
The sisters at the daughter house “are living in a temporary residence, and one which does not lend itself to growth. So the construction of this monastery is imperative, as we have no more room here at the abbey either. We certainly do not want to turn away young women who are called to this life on account of no space!”


Carl Bunderson is managing editor of Catholic News Agency. He holds a BA in economics from the University of Colorado Boulder and a BPhil from the Pontifical Lateran University.

​

Sister Lorayne Caroline Tinti smiles while holding the trophy for her victory in the 17th episode of MasterChef Brasil Aug. 7, 2020. Sister Tinti, a member of the Sisters of Our Lady of Resurrection, is now scheduled to compete in the show's 2020 final contest at the end of December. (CNS photo/Carlos Reinis, courtesy BandTV)
By: Lise Alves
Date: December 3, 2020
SAO PAULO (CNS) — A Brazilian nun who has moved into the finals of a TV cooking show said she received “divine help” and prayed the entire time she was cooking.
The “divine help,” she said, helped her notice that the shrimp she was supposed to cook were not deveined.
“If I had left them the way they gave them to me I would not have won,” said Sister Lorayne Caroline Tinti, a member of the Sisters of Our Lady of Resurrection. She prepared shrimp stroganoff and tiramisu for the episode of MasterChef Brasil. Sister Tinti is now scheduled to compete in the show’s 2020 final contest, at the end of December.
“Many people mentioned how calm I was throughout the episode, and I tell them it was because I was praying for Our Lord to help me get through it. That gave me confidence,” Sister Tinti told Catholic New Service.
Sister Tinti said she learned to cook early, with members of her family.
“My mother, aunt and grandmother always cooked so I learned from them. My father also was interested in the preparation of food,” she told CNS.
Her culinary skills, she noted, improved while living in the order’s mission house in the state of Minas Gerais.
“We had a bakery there which the sisters ran, so I learned about making pastries and bread,” she added.
While looking at her social media, Sister Tinti came across a call for participants for MasterChef Brasil and decided to register.
“I needed authorization and, at first, the mother superior was not very keen on me leaving the convent to go on TV, but the sisters here convinced her,” she said with a chuckle.
Asked what motivated her to sign up for the contest, Sister Tinti said the show gave her a chance to talk about the social projects that the sisters do with the elderly and children, and to encourage young people into looking to religious life as an option.
“After the show we had many lay persons call up asking how they could help our projects, and a few young people wanting to know more about religious life in general,” she said.
But it was not only laypeople who reached out to Sister Tinti after the cooking challenge: “I received calls congratulating me for my participation from many religious, including two bishops.”
Asked about her favorite food to prepare, Sister Tinti was quick to say eggplant.
“It is so versatile, you can fry it, you can bake it, you can grill it,” she said.
Those who eat her meals, however, say she excels in pastries and deserts.
“Whenever there is a celebration, it is always ‘let Sister Lorayne bake the cake,'” she said as she laughed.
Sister Tinti says she does not know what the organizers will ask her to cook for the finals, but she is certain of two things: She will once again ask for divine help and will pray while cooking.

Everyday Heroes: Army Officer Donates Part of Liver to Save Priest’s LifeCatholic News Service | Andrew Fowler | November 27, 2019 | 0 Comments
Father Dennis Callan’s health was rapidly declining. His situation was so dire that his dentist refused to even pull a tooth out of fear that the he would bleed to death.The cause? Advanced cirrhosis of the liver.

A Divine Word missionary, Father Callan was stationed in South Korea, serving as a military chaplain. He would have to leave Korea to return to the United States for treatment.
When he announced to his parishioners in November 2015 that he had to leave for “personal reasons,” one parishioner took notice: his friend U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer Chris Moore.
Moore and his wife, Heidi, met Father Callan in 2014 at Camp Humphreys. The Moores and Father Callan would share meals together and socialize after Mass, particularly at Knights of Columbus council meetings — both men were members of Bishop John J. Kaising Council 14223 on the base. Father Callan was a spiritual guide as the Moores welcomed two children into their growing family.
“He was a support during our time in Korea because my wife was new to Catholicism,” said Moore, currently stationed at Fort Knox, Kentucky, while his two children and his wife live in Arizona. “Father Dennis was there to guide us and strengthen us in our relationship and help us to get to where we are today.”
When Father Callan returned to the U.S., his hepatologist in Chicago told him that he was lucky to have survived the trip from South Korea. His only chance of survival was a liver transplant.
Members of family were tested to see if they could donate, but no one was compatible. By the end of December 2016, Father Callan’s health began free-falling.
He began arranging his funeral.
“I decided I did not want to go on this (donor) list,” Father Callan said. “I figured, I’m a priest and I would accept whatever the Lord had in mind for me and I did not want to take the opportunity away from another to receive a liver.”
Throughout the process, Father Callan and the Moores kept in touch. When Father Callan told the Moores that every option seemed exhausted, they offered to be tested to see if one of them was a compatible donor.
Father Callan was completely shocked at the Moores’ offer. Especially because it would not be easy for Chris to donate, due to Army regulations regarding organ donations.
It turned out that navigating these regulations was worth it. Chris was a match.
In May 2017, Moore and Father Callan went in for surgery at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.
“We said our ‘goodbyes’ and I told (the Moores), ‘I’ll see you on the other side,'” Father Callan said. “The next morning I woke up and I said, ‘I feel 100% better already.'”
Father Callan was in surgery for 10 hours and received more than two-and-a-half pounds of his brother Knight’s liver. Moore noticed the immediate health differences in his friend when he visited him the day following the surgery.
“We call each other brothers now because we share something in common, our livers,” Moore said with a smile. “We share a special bond and he’s able to do what he does, continue to be able to do what he wants to do which is minister to people.”
The brotherhood between Father Callan and Moore is shown in “Everyday Heroes,” a video series produced by the Knights of Columbus. The series showcases ordinary men acting in extraordinary ways, who are strengthened by their Catholic faith and membership in the Knights of Columbus.
“One of the things that I felt very strongly about is that the brotherhood among the members of the Knights of Columbus is important because men need a lot of support in the faith,” Father Callan said.
Father Callan and the Moores attended the Warriors to Lourdes pilgrimage — an international event co-sponsored by the Knights of Columbus along with the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services to bring healing to military personnel and their families at the Marian shrine in France.
When reflecting on this period in his life, Father Callan sees God’s providence.
“What we have to realize is that God is present with us,” Father Callan said. “God is leading us, guiding us through the many, many things, many trials that we face. God is always present, caring and loving for us in ways that we don’t necessarily understand.”
Father Callan remains close with the Moores, visiting them at their home in Arizona.
But when apart, the brother Knights still contact each other to talk.
“For me, simply being with Chris or talking with him inspires me and encourages me,” Father Callan said. “We are brother Knights in every sense of the word.”
To see more Everyday Heroes videos go to kofc.org/heroes

How One Diocese is Inviting People Back to the Church This Christmas
​By Perry West

As part of a recent evangelization outreach, the Archdiocese of Detroit is launching a Christmas campaign to welcome Catholics who may have been away from the Church. 
“This is the way that we are responding to the invitation to share the Gospel with others. This is part of the transformation of being a mission-oriented diocese,” Edmundo Reyes, the archdiocese’s communication director, told EWTN News.
The campaign is called “Part of the Family.”  Its goal is to create a welcoming environment at Mass and encourage evangelization among the parishioners through virtual tools. 
Reyes said these efforts are an extension of the pastoral letter “Unleash the Gospel” released at Pentecost last year. The letter followed several years of preparation, including a year of prayer in 2014 and a synod meeting in 2016.
He said the campaign includes three parts: evangelization training, videos, and a newly published website, specifically focused on Christmas Mass times. 
“Our hope is that, with these combined efforts, people that attend Mass once a year or are there for the first time, they experience what we are calling radical hospitality,” he said. 
“We target at Christmas knowing there are people who come there for the first time or they haven’t been with us for a while,” he said. “One of the things is we want to be unusually gracious and hospitable for people that come to our churches.”
The first component of the campaign was a day-long evangelization event that included discussions, training, and resource material. More than 800 people from over 120 parishes in the archdiocese attended.
According to the Detroit Catholic, one of the speakers broke down the Gospel into four essential parts. Fr. John Riccardo, pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in Plymouth, said the Gospel’s message is on the goodness of God found in his creation, sin and its repercussions, God’s response to sin, and mankind’s response to God. 
Hospitality was another major focus of the event, which was held Nov. 16. Regular Mass-goers were presented with simple steps to make people feel welcome, like greeting strangers and sitting in the middle of the pews to allow room on the outsides. 
The second element of the campaign is a series of Christmas videos, focusing on the universal Catholic family and God’s incarnation, Reyes said.
“We are all part of the same family, and it’s hard to imagine, but we are celebrating God becoming part of our family. So let’s do it together,” says the narrator in the video. “This Christmas, we are thankful that you are one of us, a Catholic, part of the family.”
The first video was released on Saturday, Reyes said, and it has already received roughly 30,000 views. He said more videos will be released weekly. 
In addition, paid ads will be run on spotify, youtube, and social media, inviting people to attend Christmas Mass and bring their friends and family. The ads will use geoparameters to reach people in areas near churches in the archdiocese. 
The third aspect of the campaign, Reyes said, is a new website, massfinder.org, to help people navigate Christmas Mass times in the Archdiocese of Detroit. He said the website is accessible, giving people an easy way to discover Mass times and invite friends and family. 
“If we want to be truly hospitable, the first encounter the people have with us is going to be trying to find out what time Christmas Mass happens.”
The website includes “share buttons” for people to send links of a specific Mass time via social media, email, or text. When it is shared, the user has access to a virtual reminder of that Mass and a map to the parish. 
Especially during this season of giving, Reyes said, the most important gift that can be given is the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the love of the Father. 
“This is a time we celebrate the Nativity of the Lord, God becoming part of the family. And that's the theme - Part of the Family. We want make sure that people feel welcome and invited in the celebration of Jesus' birth.”
Pope Francis Praises the 'hidden holiness' of Everyday SaintsVatican City, Dec 4 / 11:57 am (EWTN News/CNA) - Pope Francis cautioned against the false appearances of those who are proud or vain, saying that true holiness is found in the silent, everyday witness of the poor and humble.

“We should think about so much hidden holiness there is in the Church; Christians who remain in Jesus,” the Pope told those present in the Vatican's Saint Martha guesthouse for his Dec. 4 Daily Mass.

While there are there are some Christians who put on appearances, many others are true saints, he said, noting that they are not necessarily “canonized saints, but saints (who) put the love of Jesus into practice.”

The Pope centered his reflections on the day's first reading from the prophet Isaiah, who speaks of the importance of founding oneself on the rock of the Lord, and foretells the destruction of the high and “lofty” cities, who will be trampled by the poor and needy.

When it comes to being a true Christian, the Pope said, we should not be “Christians in appearance,” whose make-up comes off as soon as the rain begins.

“So many 'apparent Christians,' collapse at the first temptation (because) there is no substance there,” so it's not enough to simply belong to a Catholic family, an association or to be a benefactor if we don’t follow God’s will.

However, there are also many who do follow God’s will and put his love into practice every day, Pope Francis noted, pointing to those who are considered small but who offer their daily suffering to the Lord.

“Let us consider the sick who offer their sufferings for the Church, for others. Let us consider so many of the elderly who are alone, who pray and make offerings,” he said, also recognizing the many families who work hard to raise children and who don’t “strut about,” but bear their problems with hope.

These people are “the saints of daily life,” the Pope said. He also lauded the witness of the many parish priests who carry out their work with love, and without being seen.

Priests who work hard catechizing children, caring for the elderly and the sick, and preparing couples for marriage do the same thing every day, he said, but never get bored “because their foundation is the rock. It is Jesus, it this that gives holiness to the Church, it is this that gives hope!”

Even these hidden saints are still sinners, because we all are, he observed, saying that when a good Christian sometimes falls and commits a grave sin but is penitent and asks forgiveness, it is a good thing.

“Not confuse sin with virtue,” the Pope said, explaining that it’s good to “know well where virtue is, and where sin is, (but) these (people) are founded on rock, and the rock is Christ.”

The proud and the vain are those who have built their house on sand, the Pope said, noting that as the prophet Isaiah said in the first reading, they will be “demolished” while the poor and those who consider themselves nothing in the sight of God will triumph.

He concluded his reflections by encouraging all present to use the time of Advent, in which we prepare for the coming of Jesus at Christmas, to place our foundation on the Lord, who is our rock and our hope.

“We are all sinners, we are weak, but if we place our hope in Him we can go forward. And this is the joy of a Christian: knowing that in Him there is hope, there is pardon, there is peace (and) there is joy.”



A bit of humor…
Some Thoughts:


-My dog is an awesome fashion adviser. Every time I ask him what I look like in my clothes, he says “WOW!” 
-Dentist: "You need a crown." Patient: "Finally someone who understands me"


-Isn’t it odd the way everyone automatically assumes that the goo in soap dispensers is always soap? I like to fill mine with mustard, just to teach people a lesson in trust.  
-The right to be heard does not automatically include the right to be taken seriously.  
-Why do people keep running over a string a dozen times with their vacuum cleaner, then reach down, pick it up, examine it, then put it down to give their vacuum one more chance?  -Only in America… do banks leave both doors open and then chain the pens to the counters.

 
Confessions of a Store Santa
While I was working as a store Santa, a boy asked me for an electric train set. “If you get your train,” I told him, “your dad is going to want to play with it too. Is that all right?”
The boy became very quiet. So, moving the conversation along, I asked, “What else would you like Santa to bring you?”
He promptly replied, “Another train.”

 
4-Year Old
A 4-year-old boy was asked to return thanks before a big dinner. The family members bowed their heads in expectation. He began his prayer, thanking God for all his friends, naming them one by one. Then he thanked God for Mommy, Daddy, brother, sister, Grandma, Grandpa, and all his aunts and uncles. Then he began to thank God for the food. He gave thanks for the turkey, the dressing, the fruit salad, the cranberry sauce, the pies, the cakes, even the Cool Whip.
Then he paused, and everyone waited--and waited. After a long silence, the young fellow looked up at his mother and asked, "If I thank God for the broccoli, won't he know that I'm lying?"
 
I Don't Want to Go
Thanksgiving day was approaching and the family had received a Thanksgiving card with a painting of a pilgrim family on their way to church.
Grandma showed the card to her small grandchildren, observing: "The Pilgrim children liked to go to church with their mothers and fathers."
"Oh yeah?" her young grandson replied, "So why is their dad carrying that rifle?"


 
The Sunday School Teacher asks, "Now, Johnny, tell me frankly do you say prayers before eating?"
"No sir," little Johnny replies, I don't have to. My mom is a good cook."
 
Sign on a church bulletin board: "Merry Christmas to our Christian friends. Happy Hanukkah to our Jewish friends.  And to our atheist friends, good luck.  
 
 
“St. Chromatius reminds us that Advent is a time of prayer, in which we must enter into contact with God.  God knows us, He knows me, He knows each of us.  He loves me, He does not abandon me. Thus trustingly, let us proceed into the liturgical time that has just begun."
-Pope Benedict XVI

Collects (Opening Prayers) for Advent
These prayers, faithful translations of the Latin Collects, or opening prayers, may be said every evening when the Advent wreath is lit.
 
First Week
Stir up your power, O Lord, and come, that by your protection we may be rescued from the dangers that beset us through our sins; and be a Redeemer to deliver us; Who live and reign with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
 
[In English-speaking countries, this Sunday was called "Stirrup Sunday", because the "stir-up" of the Collect was the signal to begin to "stir-up" the fruits for the baking of Christmas cakes and puddings.]
 
 
Second Week
Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to prepare the paths of your Only-begotten Son: that we may worthily serve you with hearts purified by His coming: Who live and reign with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
 
Third Week
We beseech you to listen to our prayers, O Lord, and by the grace of your coming enlighten our darkened minds: You who live and reign with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.
 
 
[On the third Sunday in Advent, Gaudete Sunday, the Church can no longer contain her joyful longing for the coming of the Savior. We light the rose candle and rejoice that our redemption is so close at hand. Gaudete comes from the Latin Antiphon, which begins, "Gaudete in Domino semper: iterum dico, gaudete.." [Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say, rejoice...]. On this day, rose-colored vestments may be worn, and flowers may decorate the church. ]
 
Fourth Week
Pour forth your power, O Lord, and come: Assist us by that mighty power, so that by your grace and merciful kindness we may swiftly receive the salvation that our sins impede: Who live and reign with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
 ​

+JMJ+
SUNDAY MASS READINGS AND QUESTIONS
for Self-Reflection, Couples or Family Discussion
Second Sunday of Advent – Sunday, December 5th, 2021

The First Reading- Baruch 5:1-9
Jerusalem, take off your robe of mourning and misery; put on the splendor of glory from God forever: wrapped in the cloak of justice from God, bear on your head the mitre that displays the glory of the eternal name. For God will show all the earth your splendor: you will be named by God forever the peace of justice, the glory of God’s worship. Up, Jerusalem! stand upon the heights; look to the east and see your children gathered from the east and the west at the word of the Holy One, rejoicing that they are remembered by God. Led away on foot by their enemies they left you: but God will bring them back to you borne aloft in glory as on royal thrones. For God has commanded that every lofty mountain be made low, and that the age-old depths and gorges be filled to level ground, that Israel may advance secure in the glory of God. The forests and every fragrant kind of tree have overshadowed Israel at God’s command; for God is leading Israel in joy by the light of his glory, with his mercy and justice for company.
Reflection
Today’s first reading from the prophet Baruch offers the image of Israel who had been led off in slavery being returned to their homeland in security, making the path easier for us “… God is leading Israel in joy by the light of his glory, with his mercy and justice for company.” This reading also looks forward to a future exodus, which we know will be inaugurated in Christ.
Adults - Have you ever wondered off the path to God? How did you find your way back? Who or what helped you?
Teens - Do you ever think about your faith as a heritage? One that has been, or will be passed down through many generations of your family?
Kids - How does God show mercy?

Responsorial- Psalm 126: 1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion,
we were like men dreaming.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with rejoicing.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Then they said among the nations,
"The LORD has done great things for them."
The LORD has done great things for us;
we are glad indeed.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like the torrents in the southern desert.
Those who sow in tears
shall reap rejoicing.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Although they go forth weeping,
carrying the seed to be sown,
They shall come back rejoicing,
carrying their sheaves.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Reflection
-Spend extra time in prayers of thanksgiving each day this week.

The Second Reading- 1 Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11
Brothers and sisters: I pray always with joy in my every prayer for all of you, because of your partnership for the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus. God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer: that your love may increase ever more and more in knowledge and every kind of perception, to discern what is of value, so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.
Reflection
In the second reading, Paul prays for us that our “… love may increase ever more and more in knowledge and every kind of perception, to discern what is of value.” He calls us to continue to live our faith well as we wait for the coming of Christ. This is also encouragement by the Church to choose and practice a small penance for the season of Advent.
What practices have you implemented for Advent?

The Holy Gospel according to Luke 3:1-6
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert. John went throughout the whole region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah: A voice of one crying out in the desert: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The winding roads shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”
Reflection
In the Gospel, Luke recalls a passage from the prophet Isaiah, similar to Baruch, which invites us to prepare the way of the Lord. In our preparation, God will remove the obstacles that would prevent us from being with God. “Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The winding roads shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” Here is the point: When we make an effort to invite Jesus into our hearts, God begins to remove anything that would stand between us and God. God wants to be close with every one of us. He is always there, waiting for us to turn to him. When we do — when we seek to become what God dreams for us to be —God helps us in every way to get there.
Adults - The key to having God remove our obstacles is shown to us in these readings— that we would “discern what is of value.” How can knowing what is really of value, and making those things a priority help you to prepare your heart for receiving Jesus as you prepare for Christmas?
Teens  -Are there any obstacles in your relationship with God? What about in your other relationships? God is not a provider of obstacles — God is a provider of restoration. What needs to be restored in your relationships, and how can God help you with that?
Kids -Did you ever try to do something that was just too big for you, that you couldn’t do on your own? Who helped you to accomplish it? Why do you think they helped you? How did it make you feel to know that you didn’t have to do it all by yourself?

LIVING THE WORD OF GOD THIS WEEK! – “Finally, there may be recognized a fourth Jerusalem, our souls in sanctifying grace. This city too must be adorned and prepared, for the King will want to enter. That is our present task.  On Epiphany, the climax to the current season, the Church will cry out: "Arise, shine, O Jerusalem, for the glory of the Lord has risen upon thee." That is the goal. Today we must prepare for the great King's visit to our city. The whole coming week must be devoted to it. The Church prays: "Awaken our hearts to prepare the way for Your only-begotten Son that we may serve Him with purified hearts."  In the time of the Roman Empire, rulers rode from city to city for the purpose of official visitations. Their appearance, called epiphany or parousia, was a great event, one preceded by months of preparation. Something analogous takes place in the Jerusalem of our souls. From a high watchtower we see the Lord coming afar off. Suddenly John the Baptist appears; he hurries into the city to announce the King's approach. God condescends to manifest Himself to us in grace; but He demands the proper reception.”  --Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace by Pius Parsch


 





9. What is the full and definitive stage of God's Revelation? c) Jesus Christ coming among us
The full and definitive stage of God’s revelation is accomplished in his Word made flesh, Jesus Christ, the mediator and fullness of Revelation. He, being the only-begotten Son of God made man, is the perfect and definitive Word of the Father. In the sending of the Son and the gift of the Spirit, Revelation is now fully complete, although the faith of the Church must gradually grasp its full significance over the course of centuries.   “In giving us his Son, his only and definitive Word, God spoke everything to us at once in this sole Word, and he has no more to say.” (Saint John of the Cross)


10. What is the value of private revelations? d) they may be helpful to individuals living out the Faith in particular times
While not belonging to the deposit of faith, private revelations may help a person to live the faith as long as they lead us to Christ. The Magisterium of the Church, which has the duty of evaluating such private revelations, cannot accept those which claim to surpass or correct that definitive Revelation which is Christ.          


The Transmission of Divine Revelation
11. Why and in what way is divine revelation transmitted? d) all of the above
God “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4), that is, of Jesus Christ. For this reason, Christ must be proclaimed to all according to his own command, “Go forth and teach all nations” (Matthew 28:19). And this is brought about by Apostolic Tradition.


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