This is the display that our local K of C put up. It looks much more beautiful at night.
NEW HAVEN, Connecticut, DEC. 8, 2006 (Zenit.org).- The Knights of Columbus are encouraging millions in North America again this year to not lose sight of the real meaning of the holiday season, and to "Keep Christ in Christmas."
The Christmas message is being spread as public service announcements on radio and television in English and Spanish in the United States and Canada, along with hundreds of billboards that have been put up by local Knights of Columbus councils.
"In the midst of an increasingly materialistic and secular society, it is all too easy to lose sight of what Christmas really means. We give gifts to each other because it is the day on which we celebrate the ultimate gift: the Christ child, the savior of mankind," said Supreme Knight Carl Anderson.
"Even those who do not share the Christian faith can and do appreciate the message of peace and hope that this Christian holiday -- holy day -- brings to the world. It is a message that the world needs now more than ever," he added.
The Knights have launched similar campaigns since the 1980s.
Last year, the Knights of Columbus Christmas announcements reached more than 43 million television viewers and up to 37 million radio listeners.
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The following is a beautiful poem that my friend Easter wrote and was published in last week's Hawaii Catholic Herald.
I AWAIT YOUR COMING
By Easter Almuena
My Love,
I await Your coming.
The earth trembles with joy and expectation.
Get ready to sing songs with a merry tune,
All you children of God!
Get ready to clap your hands and to dance with glee.
The mountains are raised toward You, My Love.
Their grandeur height cannot hide their desire
To proclaim Your greatness.
The rivers already roar with sweet laughter
And the oceans sway to the wind's delight.
They all joyfully await Your coming.
In time, all will do their part
To create a harmony of exaltation.
How marvelous and majestic
Your face I perceive in my heart
Its beauty already permeates the land.
I am simply awed and mystified!
I will dance on the rooftop
And my son will reach the top of themountains.
Very soon they will be in unison
With the songs of every son, daughter,
And every creature.
A new dawn breaks.
Welcome, My Love!
Picture courtesy of Catholic Digital Images
The following is from St. Michael Center of the Blessed Virgin Mary
On December 8, the Catholic church celebrates the Solemnity of Immaculate
Conception of Mary- the patronal feast of the United States. It is one of the
few Holy days of obligation on the Church calendar -- that is, all Catholics are
obligated to attend Mass on this day. As this feast occurs early in Advent, it
is a perfect time to consider Mary and her important role in the celebration of
Christmas.
The Immaculate Conception of Mary is a solemn dogma declared
by Pope Pius IX in 1854 which proclaimed that Mary was conceived free from the
stain of original sin. This privilege of Mary derives from God's having chosen
her as Mother of the Savior; thus she received the benefits of salvation in
Christ from the very moment of her conception. This great gift to Mary, an
ordinary human being just like us, was fitting because she was destined to be
Mother of God. The purity and holiness of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a model for
all Christians.
Prayer on the Immaculate Conception of Mary
Father, You prepared the Virgin Mary to be the worthy mother of your Son. You let her share beforehand in the salvation Christ would bring by His death, and kept her sinless from the first moment of her conception. Help us by her prayers to live in your presence without sin. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Bible Quote on the Immaculate Conception of Mary
And he came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord (is) with thee.
- Luke 1:28
Quotable Quote on the Immaculate Conception of Mary
"The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin.”
- Pius IX, Ineffabilis Deus, 1854.
Also, be sure to read "Why the Immaculate Conception?" by by The Rev. Paul Mankowski, S.J. by clicking HERE Thank you Sue for sharing this with me!
"Pure. Whole. Intact. Entire. Spotless. Stainless. Sinless. unsoiled. Unsullied. Unblemished. Uncorrupted. Immaculate!"
The following is from this article:
I live in an age, and a country, wherein the largest singe cause of death of infants under one year of age is homicide. I live at a time when, according to those who claim to know these things, Ronald McDonald has surpassed Jesus Christ in popularity among children. I live at a time when the best known moral theologians have despaired of leading people to a more virtuous life, but are principally concerned to insulate the sinner from the consequences of his sin; logic has give way to latex as the preferred medium of instruction. I live in a country where, this very day, in the time between my rising and my standing here before you, 4,000 of our fellow citizens, 4,000 human beings with an eternal destiny, were summarily killed by abortion. I live at a time when most promises will be broken, most vows will be repudiated, most marriages will fail. I live at a time when it is virtually impossible to go through a day without using some commodity which, however innocent in itself, is not hawked in terms of some base or venal allure. I am promised prosperous and intriguing companions by the folks who brew my beer; and those who sell my shaving cream are at pains to assure me that it will provoke the women I encounter into sexual frenzy. (The last claim, I might add, is an exaggeration.)...
It may seem pointless at such a time, in such a place, to hold up the Virgin Mary, and especially her Immaculate Conception, as a source of nourishment for our lives as Christians. For her perfection can appear so remote from the moral sweatiness and squalor in which our personal struggles occur that it recedes entirely into the background; it is swallowed up by our furious temptations and enthusiasms, and so is lost to us. This remoteness is widened, and not helped, by a way of speaking which would present the Virgin Mary to us as "the representation of an Ideal", that is, as an abstraction, or at best a personified Virtue, like the Roman goddesses of Wisdom or Moderation. Thus, she, who begins as a real flesh-and-blood woman, "a virgin, betrothed to a man named Joseph", as today's Gospel has it, becomes an the end an abstract noun, a figure of speech.
H/T to Brother John
Hawaii wasn't on the list for showing. Hopefully, you will find it showing in your area.
PICTURING MARY
Picturing Mary is a stunning new, high-definition documentary to debut December 2006 on public television. It explores how images of the Virgin Mary reflect numerous traditions, devotional practices, and cultures. The one-hour program leads viewers on a pictorial journey through history from earliest Christian times to the present day. It presents a fascinating array of art from twelve locations in eight different countries.
The documentary is a joint effort of the United States conference of Catholic Bishops’ Catholic Communication Campaign and New York Public Television station Thirteen/WNET. The program is narrated by actress Jane Seymour and features quotations read by actor James Keach.
For a list of air dates and times, and for background information, visit Picturing Mary.
A Way to Express Belonging to Christ, He Says
VATICAN CITY, DEC. 4, 2006 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI says that it is urgent to emphasize "the sacredness of the Lord's Day and the need to participate in Sunday Mass."
The Pope expressed this in a message sent to Cardinal Francis Arinze, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, on the occasion of a study day organized by the Vatican dicastery.
The study day marked the anniversary of the promulgation of the Second Vatican Council constitution "Sacrosanctum Concilium" of Dec. 4, 1963.
The meeting on the topic "Sunday Mass for the Sanctification of the Christian People" was held Friday in the Vatican.
The Holy Father stressed that, for the early Christians, participation in Sunday Mass "was the natural way to express one's belonging to Christ, his communion with his Mystical Body, in the joyful hope of his glorious return."
This "was manifested in a heroic way in the case of the martyrs of Abitene, who faced death exclaiming: 'Sine dominico non possumus,' that is, we cannot live without gathering on Sunday to celebrate the Eucharist," Benedict XVI said.
Today, it is necessary to emphasize the "sacredness of the Lord's Day," as "the cultural context in which we live, often characterized by religious indifference and secularism … obfuscates the horizon of the transcendent," the Pontiff added.
"Weekends"
"May the Lord's Day, which can also be called the 'Lord of the days,' regain all its importance and be perceived and lived fully in the celebration of the Eucharist," the Holy Father said.
In his opening address to the congress, Cardinal Arinze analyzed some of the cultural challenges that must be addressed to restore the central character of Sunday. He pointed out the negative idea of the "weekend," understood as free time from work which makes of the holiday a day like any other.
The "virus of secularism" cannot be accepted, he insisted, as "religion is not something optional, a superfluous accessory," but a duty to God.
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Picture courtesy of Aci Prensa
This afternoon I was saying my prayers and something I read really struck me!
Jesus is the ONLY Savior of the world!!
Wow, isn't that awesome? For some reason, God chose today to make me really feel that very powerful truth.
H/T to Sue
I bow down before You, O Bread of Angels, with deep faith, hope and love and from the depths of my soul I worship You.
St. Maria Faustina of the Blessed Sacrament
Picture courtesy of Mother Teresa - Saint of the Gutter
H/T to Sue
"Many people think that having money makes you happy. I think it must be harder to be happy if you are wealthy because you may find it difficult to see God; you'll have too many other things to think about. However, if God has given you this gift of wealth, then use it for His purpose - help others, help the poor, create jobs, give work to others.
Don't waste your wealth.
Having food, a home, dignity, freedom, health and an education are all of God’s gifts too, which is why we must help those who are less fortunate than ourselves. " ...Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta.
Picture courtesy of Biblia
H/T to Sue
A priest friend of a nearby diocese was once accosted by a woman who had purchased a Mass for her deceased father. What upset her was that during the Mass, my friend implied that her father was in purgatory.
Click Here to read the article.
Today, I've noticed a growing number of Catholics speaking out against the movie The Nativity Story. One friend send me an email she received from a Catholic group (whose name I will not mention) going so far as calling it "anti-Catholic" and "heretical".
My son and I spent an hour this morning refuting the harsh condemnation given by fellow Catholics. In essence, we reminded them that the movie was not made by Catholics for Catholics, but was made to reach a wider audience. As Father Fox stated "...at least Hollywood recognizes the value in giving some
recognition to Christianity in the public square..."
I would like to direct your attention to Fr. Robert Fox's blog because Father Fox is a renowned Marian priest. It is a fair critique of this movie.
H/T to my friend Melissa.
BEATITUDES OF MARRIED COUPLES
BLESSED ARE MARRIED COUPLES WHO COMFORT EACH OTHER -- who provide a refuge and sanctuary from the chill winds of the world; whose marriage is a hearth from which comes peace, harmony, and warmth of soul and spirit.
BLESSED ARE MARRIED COUPLES WHO LISTEN TO EACH OTHER -- who listen to not only words, but non-verbal language of tone and expression; who listen to understand rather than to argue.
BLESSED ARE MARRIED COUPLES WHO SHOW AFFECTION -- who warm each other with their soothing touch; who remember that just as babies can die from lack of affection, so can marriages wither from a lack of closeness.
BLESSED ARE MARRIED COUPLES WHO RESPECT EACH OTHER -- who remember that the most important quality in marriage is to HONOR each other.
BLESSED ARE MARRIED COUPLES WHO CAN BE FRIENDS AND PARTNERS -- who remember that friendship can be a peaceful island, in a world of turmoil and strife; who can reflect upon the tranquility of future years shared with a true friend; who are not battling enemies under the same roof.
BLESSED ARE MARRIED COUPLES WHO ALLOW EACH OTHER TO BE UNIQUE -- who do not seek to force each other into a new mold that can only fit with much pain and discomfort; who accept the other as God made us.
BLESSED ARE MARRIED COUPLES WHO ARE OPEN WITH EACH OTHER -- who avoid secretness that causes suspicion and doubt; who trust and reveal themselves to each other even as a budding rose opens to reveal its beauty and fragrance.
BLESSED ARE MARRIED COUPLES WHO CHERISH THEIR UNION -- who let no one separate their togetherness, not another person, nor friend, nor worldly possessions.
BLESSED ARE MARRIED COUPLES WHO GIVE EACH OTHER APPROVAL -- who see that compliments encourage confidence in the other, while criticism divides; who do not point out the other's mistakes, for all too soon each will discover their own faults.
BLESSED ARE MARRIED COUPLES WHO LOVE ONE ANOTHER -- love is the river of life -- an eternal source of recreating one's self and each other. Above all else -- LOVE ONE ANOTHER, AS CHRIST HAS LOVED US.
Used with permission Beatitudes of Marriage
For the father of a family (who are friends and fellow parishoners of some of our Catholic homeschooling families), who died recently in a helicopter accident in Iraq.
Click here for Article
Also, Homeschool Nations - Hawaii needs our kokua for the Wreaths Across America Project.
Sheri writes that there are still five cemeteries in Hawaii that need volunteers:
E. HI Veterans Cemetery
Kauai Veterans Cemetery
Maui Veterans Cemetery
Molokai Veterans Cemetery
Lanai Veterans Cemetery
If you or your organization can help, please contact Wreaths of America.
Clipart courtesy of Ego4U H/T to Patti
Click Here for a fun and interactive Advent Calendar.
On each day in December, click on the Day Number and discover how Christmas is celebrated in countries around the world.
Picture courtesy of Catholic Resources
11:6. The wolf shall dwell with the lamb: and the leopard shall lie down with the kid: the calf and the lion, and the sheep shall abide together, and a little child shall lead them. Habitabit lupus cum agno et pardus cum hedo accubabit vitulus et leo et ovis simul morabuntur et puer parvulus minabit eos
H/T to my friend EASTER who wrote the poem:
A Time to Listen
Lord,
Quiet my heart that I may listen
To your sweet voice calling my name
Let me hear the whisper of your words
Soft they may be yet melodious
Let me hear the laughter of that voice
As it reaches my ears
And tickles their lobes
And assures me I am yours
That sweet voice permeates my being
And brings me the most indescribable joy
Let me truly hear your words
Make my hands and feet move
To the rhythm of your commands
O shall my joy be complete!
-Easter A.
John 10:27-29
My sheep know my voice. They listen and they follow me.
They will never be lost. I give them eternal life.
God alone is our source of strength and joy.
To make him that
it is important
to take the time to be quiet and
to listen to his voice.
Check out my Advent prayer poem in the latest issue
Hawaii Catholic Herald, page 20.
Picture courtesy of CMRI
H/T to Sue
I beg you to restrain your natural precipitation when saying your
Rosary, and make some pauses in the middle of the Our Father and Hail
Mary, and a smaller one after the words of the Our Father and Hail
Mary which I have marked with a cross, as follows:
Our Father who art in heaven, + hallowed by thy name, + thy kingdom
come, + thy will be done + on earth as it is in heaven. + Give us this day + our daily bread, + and forgive us our trespasses + as we forgive those who trespass against us, + and lead us not into temptation, + but deliver us from evil. Amen.+
Hail, Mary, full of grace, + the Lord is with thee, + blessed art thou among women, + and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. + Holy Mary, Mother of God, + pray for us sinners, now + and at the hour of our death. Amen. +
At first, you may find it difficult to make these pauses because of your bad habit of saying prayers in a hurry; but a decade said recollectedly in this way will be worth more than thousands of Rosaries said in a hurry, without pausing or reflecting. ~ St.
Louis De Montfort
H/T to Sue
"The Sacred Heart is a hidden and infinite treasure desiring to manifest Itself, to be poured out and distributed so as to alleviate our distress."
St. Margaret Mary
H/T to Sue
For in the supper of my passion I gave you My Body and Blood to be eaten and drunk; and so now you may do the same on the altar in memory of Me. Therefore I unfold the truth and say to you, my faithful followers: I will not again drink this cup of anguish in this oppression I now suffer from the Jews until that day when I rise from the dead and death is overthrown, and I bring in the day of salvation. Then I will drink with you the cup of your redemption and show you who are Mine your new reason for rejoicing: that the perdition of the ancient crime is taken away, and the kingdom that My Father has prepared for those who love Him is opened to you.
What does this mean? That by My death, which I suffered on the cross, you will know the salvation of souls; and when I ascend after My Resurrection, you will receive the Spirit, the Comforter, and you will newly understand true doctrine. And then for My name's sake you will endure many tribulations, and I will endure them with you; not because I will suffer any miseries in the body after this, as I did when I was in the world in the body, but because you will endure them in My name. Therefore I will endure them with you, since you are
in Me and I am in you. ~ St. Hildegard
Painting by Michelangelo
H/T Sue
Set out below is an account of the experience of a priest who died and was shown Hell, Purgatory and Heaven. It is of course only his personal experience but there is nothing in it which is contrary to faith and I trust that some of you might find, as I did, that it was a warning and an encouragement
Priest Taken To Purgatory
On Sunday April 14, 1985, the Feast of the Divine Mercy, Fr Tom Maniyangat was going to celebrate Mass at a mission church in the north part of Kerala, and he had a fatal accident. He had a head on collision with a jeep. He was rushed to a hospital about 35 miles away but he died on the way.
Fr Tom's soul left his body and he experienced death. He saw his body and the people who were carrying him to the hospital. He heard them crying and praying for him.
He then met his Guardian angel. His angel said to him: "I am going to take you to Heaven, the Lord wants to meet you and talk with you." He also said that as part of that journey he wanted to show Fr Tom hell and purgatory. This is how Fr Tom describes his visit to Hell and Purgatory
Hell
"First, the angel escorted me to hell. It was an awful sight! I saw Satan and the devils, an unquenchable fire of about 2,000 Fahrenheit degrees, worms crawling, people screaming and fighting, others being tortured by demons.
I was told there are seven "degrees" or levels of suffering in the netherworld. Those who committed "mortal sin after mortal sin" in life were suffering the most intense heat. They had bodies and looked very ugly, so cruel and ugly, horrifying. They were human but like monsters: fearful, ugly-looking things. The angel told me that all these sufferings were due to unrepented mortal sins.
Then, I understood that there are seven degrees of suffering or levels according to the number and kinds of mortal sins committed in their earthly lives. The souls looked very ugly, cruel and horrific. It was a fearful experience. I saw people whom I knew but I am not allowed to reveal their identities.
The sins that convicted them were mainly abortion, homosexuality [sins of the flesh], euthanasia, hatefulness, lack of forgiveness and sacrilege.
The angel told me that if they had repented they would have avoided hell and gone instead to purgatory. I also understood that some people who repent from these sins might be purified on earth through their sufferings. This way they can avoid purgatory and go straight to heaven.
I was surprised when I saw in hell even Priests and Bishops, some of whom I never expected to see. Many of them were there because they had misled the people with false teaching and bad example.
Purgatory
After the visit to hell, my Guardian angel escorted me to Purgatory. Here too, there are seven degrees of suffering and unquenchable fire. But it is far less intense than hell and there was neither quarreling nor fighting.
The main suffering of these souls is their separation from God. Some of those who are in Purgatory committed numerous mortal sins; but they were reconciled with God before their death. Even though these souls are suffering, they enjoy peace and the knowledge that one day they will see God face to face.
I had a chance to communicate with the souls in Purgatory. They asked me to pray for them and to tell the people to pray for them as well, so they can go to heaven quickly. When we pray for these souls we will receive their gratitude through their prayers and once they enter heaven their prayers become even more meritorious.
Heaven
Next, my angel escorted me to heaven passing through a big dazzling white tunnel. I never experienced this much peace and joy in my life. Then immediately the heaven opened up and I heard the most delightful music, which I never heard before. The angels were singing and praising God. I saw all the saints, especially the Blessed Mother and St. Joseph, and many dedicated holy Bishops and Priests who were shining like stars.
And when I appeared before the Lord, Jesus told me: "I want you to go back to the world. In your second life you will be an instrument of peace and healing to my people. You will walk in a foreign land and you will speak in a foreign tongue. Everything is possible for you with my grace." After these words, the Blessed Mother told me, "Do whatever He tells you. [John 2:5] I will help you in your ministries."
Words can not express the beauty of heaven. There we find so much peace and happiness, which exceed a million times our imagination. Our Lord is far more beautiful than any image can convey. His face is radiant and luminous and more beautiful than a thousand rising suns. The pictures we see in the world are only a shadow of His magnificence. The Blessed Mother was next to Jesus; she was so beautiful and radiant. None of the images we see in this world can compare with her real beauty. Heaven is our real home: we are all created to reach heaven and enjoy God forever.
Back to Earth
As they were moving my dead body to the morgue, my soul came back to the body. I felt an excruciating pain because of so many wounds and broken bones. I began to scream and then the people became frightened and ran away screaming.
One of them approached the doctor and said: "The dead body is screaming." The doctor came to examine the body and found that I was alive. So he said: "Father is alive. It is a miracle - take him back to the hospital."
Kind regards
Ben Forshaw
FOSS (Friends of the Suffering Souls)
23rd November 2006
Thank you Echair
Novena In Honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Dec. 3rd to Dec 11th
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
V. Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful, and kindle in them
the fire of Thy love.
R. Send forth Thy Spirit, and they shall be created, and Thou shalt renew
the face of the earth.
Let us Pray
O God, Who by the light of the Holy Spirit, dost instruct the hearts of Thy
faithful, grant us by this same Spirit to relish what is right, and ever to rejoice
in His consolation, through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Memorare
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary of Guadalupe, that in thy celestial
apparitions on the mount of Tepeyac, thou didst promise to show thy compassion
and pity toward all who, loving and trusting thee, seek thy help and call upon thee
in their necessities and afflictions. Thou didst promise to hearken to our supplications,
to dry our tears and to give us consolation and relief. Never was it know that anyone
who fled to thy protection, implored they help, or sought thy intercession, either for the
common welfare, or in personal anxieties, was left unaided.
Inspired with this confidence, we fly unto thee, O Mary, ever Virgin Mother of the True
God! Though grieving under the weight of our sins, we come to prostrate ourselves
in thy August presence, certain that thou wilt deign to fulfill thy merciful promises. We
are full of hope that, standing beneath thy shadow and protection, nothing will trouble or
afflict us, nor need we fear illness, or misfortune, or any other sorrow. Thou hast desired
to remain with us through thy admirable image, thou who art our Mother, our health and
our life. Placing ourselves beneath they maternal gaze and having recourse to thee in all
our necessities we need do nothing more. O Holy Mother of God, despise not our petitions,
but in thy mercy hear and answer us. Amen.
(Here mention your petition)
Five Hail Marys.......in gratitude for the four apparitions to Juan Diego and the one to
Juan Bernardino.
"Hail, O Virgin of Guadalupe, Empress of America! Keep forever under thy powerful
patronage the purity and integrity of our holy faith on the entire American continent." (once)
(Pope Pius XII)
Let us Pray
Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mystical Rose, make intercession for Holy Church, protect
the Sovereign Pontiff, help all those who invoke thee in their necessities, and since
thou art ever Virgin Mary, and Mother of the True God, obtain for us from thy most
Holy Son the grace of keeping our faith, of sweet hope in the midst of the bitterness
of life, of burning charity, and the precious gift of final perseverance. Amen.
One Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be to the Father....in gratitude for the Miraculous
Portrait as a continuing miracle and testimony.
Act of Consecration
The following Act of Consecration might be said on each day of the Novena.
It may be used at any time by individuals or groups who desire to make an act
of consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Our Lady of Guadalupe. All the
preceding prayers serve as a fitting introduction for a consecration.
For Family Consecration the recitation should be made by all the members
kneeling before an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the head of the family
leading the prayers and afterwards enthroning the Picture of Our Lady.
O most Holy Virgin Mary, Mother of God, I (mention your name) although most
unworthy of being they servant, yet moved by thy wonderful mercy and by the
desire to serve thee, consecrate myself to thy Immaculate Heart, and choose thee
today, in the presence of my Guardian Angel and the whole heavenly court, for my
especial Lady, Advocate and Mother, under the title of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the
name given to the heavenly image left us as a pledge of they motherly kindness.
I firmly resolve that I will love and serve thee always, and do whatever I can to induce
others to love and serve thee. I pray thee, Mother of God, and my most kind and amiable
Mother, that thou wilt receive me into the number of thy servants for thy child and servant
forever. Assist me in all my thoughts, words and actions at every moment of my life, that
every step and breath may be directed to the greater glory of God; and through thy most
powerful intercession obtain for me that I may never more offend my beloved Jesus, that
I may glorify Him in this life, and that I may also love thee, and enjoy thee, in the company
of the Blessed Trinity through eternity in holy Paradise.
In order to live this consecration as another Juan Diego, I promise to renew it frequently,
especially on the twelfth day of each month; and mindful of thy messages to us at
Lourdes and Fatima, I will strive to lead a life of prayer and sacrifice, of fidelity to thy
Rosary and of reparation to thy Immaculate Heart. Amen
First Sunday of Advent Matthew Reinhardt, Consecrated Member of Regnum Christi
Luke 21:25-28, 34-36
Jesus said to his disciples:"There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand. Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man."
Introductory Prayer: Heavenly Father, I come before you today to spend a few minutes with you, to be close to you, because you know how much I need your presence and grace in my life. My only intention during this time of prayer is to give you glory on your day, Sunday. Today, Lord, I accompany the whole Church as we begin the Advent Season and begin to prepare for your coming to earth as a baby on Christmas morning.
Petition:Lord, prepare my heart for Christmas
1. The World Then and Now. Dismay, perplexity, and fright could all be attitudes of nations and people around the world today. When Christ came to earth 2,000 years ago he encountered a world similar to the one we live in: far from God and full of anxiety. Many people of Christ’s time lived lives devoid of meaning because God had not yet sent his Son into the world. Today, as then, our world often lives as if Christ had never come to earth. Is all hope lost? Of course not, Christ is our hope!
2. Christ Is Coming. “They will see the Son of Man coming with power and great glory.” This is what Advent and Christmas is all about: Christ coming to earth to give us hope. On that cold, quiet, star-filled winter’s night in a little, poor cave in Bethlehem, God was born into our world. The Almighty came into the world as a small, poor, innocent baby adored only by his mother and father and some animals. Yes, this child is the reason for our hope, infinite hope, because he is an infinite God making an infinite act of love for us.
3. A Heart Checkup. Surprises can be pleasant, like an unexpected birthday party or a shocking close on a business deal. But they can also be unpleasant, like the pop quiz you were given at school or an unforeseen car accident. Will Christmas take me by surprise this year? The good news is that I know that it is coming: only 23 days away. Christ tells us, “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy and thus allow that day catch you by surprise.” Advent is a time to wake up to Christ in our life. We need to prepare our hearts for his coming on Christmas morning so that he can find in us a place where he is welcome and loved. Christ is the reason for the season!
Dialogue with Christ: Lord, help me during this Advent Season, which begins today, to see that the priority in my life is preparing myself and those around me for a truly “spiritual” Christmas. I know it is a busy time of year. Help me remain focused on what is essential -- you being born into our hearts.
Resolution: I will begin some form of daily reminder for myself and those I live with that we are in Advent so as to prepare our hearts for Christmas: Advent wreath, Advent calendar, Jesse Tree etc.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Today is the First Day of Advent and it is also begins a new liturgical year...so...
Happy New Year and I hope you have a joyous Advent!
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Refrain
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
Who orderest all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go.
Refrain
O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory over the grave.
Refrain
O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Refrain
O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Refrain
O come, O come, great Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times once gave the law
In cloud and majesty and awe.
Refrain
O come, Thou Root of Jesse’s tree,
An ensign of Thy people be;
Before Thee rulers silent fall;
All peoples on Thy mercy call.
Refrain
O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace.
This is the display that our local K of C put up. 
