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Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. – Mt 6:33

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    • Wednesday, June 19, 2013
      Reading 1Second Corinthians 9:6-11Responsorial PsalmPsalms 112:1-2, 3-4, 9GospelMatthew 6:1-6, 16-18

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    Fifth Sunday of Lent

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    Previously Ninth Sunday of Ordinary Time

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    Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

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    Holy Family

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    Christ the King Destruction of the temple = Facing fears and persevere filled with hope

    Not God of the Dead, God of the living Zacchaeus today salvation has come to this house

    Pharisee and the Tax Collector - The Lord Hears the Cry of the Poor

    Persistence and helping each other live faithfully

    Spiritual cleansing - ten were made clean only one came back - gratitude

    Big faith is found in the smallest of things

    Rich Man and Lazarus

    Unjust Steward - The person who is trustworthy in small matters will also be trustworthy in big ones

    God’s Concern for the Lost

    Cost of Discipleship

    Crosses to bear and Narrow Gate Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary

    Mary, the Virgin Mother of God, was from the very beginning free from the taint of original sin, the minds of the faithful were filled with a stronger hope that the day might soon come when the dogma of the Virgin Mary's bodily Assumption into heaven would also be defined by the Church's supreme teaching authority.

    The Liturgy on the 19th Sunday of Ordinary Time prepares us in a certain way for the Solemnity of Mary's Assumption into Heaven, which we will be celebrating on 15 August. Indeed, it is fully oriented to the future, to Heaven, where the Blessed Virgin Mary has preceded us in the joy of Paradise.

    In particular, the Gospel passage, continuing last Sunday's message, asks Christians to detach themselves from material goods, which are for the most part illusory, and to do their duty faithfully, constantly aspiring to Heaven. May the believer remain alert and watchful to be ready to welcome Jesus when he comes in his glory.

    By means of examples taken from everyday life, the Lord exhorts his disciples, that is, us, to live with this inner disposition, like those servants in the parable who were waiting for their master's return. "Blessed are those servants", he said, "whom the master finds awake when he comes" (Lk 12: 37). We must therefore watch, praying and doing good.

    It is true, we are all travellers on earth, as the Second Reading of today's liturgy from the Letter to the Hebrews appropriately reminds us. It presents Abraham to us in the clothes of a pilgrim, as a nomad who lives in a tent and sojourns in a foreign land. He has faith to guide him.

    "By faith", the sacred author wrote, "Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place which he was to receive as an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was to go" (Heb 11: 8).

    Indeed, Abraham's true destination was "the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God" (11: 10). The city to which he was alluding is not in this world but is the heavenly Jerusalem, Paradise.

    This was well known to the primitive Christian community, which considered itself "alien" here below and called its populated nucleuses in the cities "parishes", which means, precisely, colonies of foreigners [in Greek, pároikoi] (cf. I Pt 2: 11). In this way, the first Christians expressed the most important characteristic of the Church, which is precisely the tension of living in this life in light of Heaven.

    Today's Liturgy of the Word, therefore, desires to invite us to think of "the life of the world to come", as we repeat every time we make our profession of faith with the Creed. It is an invitation to spend our life wisely and with foresight, to consider attentively our destiny, in other words, those realities which we call final: death, the last judgement, eternity, hell and Heaven. And it is exactly in this way that we assume responsibility for the world and build a better world.

    May the Virgin Mary, who watches over us from Heaven, help us not to forget that here on earth we are only passing through, and may she teach us to prepare ourselves to encounter Jesus, who is "seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead". source: vatican.va

    Be rich in what matters to God and don’t store up treasures for yourself.

    Seek and you will find knock and the door will be opened

    Previously... The Gospel episode of Jesus' visit to the house of Martha and Mary (cf. Lk 10: 38-42). While Martha is totally taken up with household tasks, Mary is seated at the Master's feet listening to his word. Christ affirms that Mary "has chosen the good portion, which shall not be taken away from her" (Lk 10: 42). Listening to the Word of God is the most important thing in our lives.

    Christ is always in our midst and desires to speak to our hearts. We can listen to him by meditating with faith on Sacred Scripture, by recollection in private and communal prayer, by silent meditation before the Tabernacle, from which he speaks to us of his love.

    Christians, especially on Sundays, are called to meet and listen to the Lord. This happens most completely through participation in Holy Mass, during which Christ prepares the banquet of the Word and of the Bread of Life for the faithful. But other moments of prayer and reflection, of rest and brotherhood, can also be profitably combined to make the Lord's Day holy.

    When, through the action of the Holy Spirit, God takes up his dwelling in the heart of the believer, it becomes easier for him/her to serve the brethren. This is what happened in a unique and perfect way in Mary Most Holy. To her we entrust this vacation period, to make the most of it as a favourable time to rediscover the primacy of the interior life.

    The Church is God's family in the world. In this family no one ought to go without the necessities of life. Yet at the same time caritas- agape extends beyond the frontiers of the Church. The parable of the Good Samaritan remains as a standard which imposes universal love towards the needy whom we encounter “by chance” (cf. Lk 10:31), whoever they may be. Without in any way detracting from this commandment of universal love, the Church also has a specific responsibility: within the ecclesial family no member should suffer through being in need. The teaching of the Letter to the Galatians is emphatic: “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, and especially to those who are of the household of faith” (6:10). source:vatican.va In the sending of the seventy-two, Jesus confirms that through his disciples, and those who would come to believe in him through their word, his peace and the news that “the kingdom of God has come near to you” would be proclaimed to the world. At their joyful return, despite rejection, Jesus rejoices at their success in the submission of the evil spirits in his name: the message is never to cease, never to give up.

    God’s will is for his people to be one. Like the Christians in Thessalonika, we are urged to “rejoice always” and “pray without ceasing”, trusting that as we commit ourselves wholly to working with God, his purpose of unity will finally be fulfilled.

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    "Religion is not a Technology!" - There needs to be a personal relationship there. - Father Ted Tyler
    If the close relationship between the Last Supper and the mystery of Jesus' death on the Cross is emphasized on Holy Thursday, today, the Feast of Corpus Christi, with the procession and unanimous adoration of the Eucharist, attention is called to the fact that Christ sacrificed himself for all humanity. His passing among the houses and along the streets of our city will be for those who live there an offering of joy, eternal life, peace and love.

    In the Gospel passage, a second element catches one's eye: the miracle worked by the Lord contains an explicit invitation to each person to make his own contribution. The two fish and five loaves signify our contribution, poor but necessary, which he transforms into a gift of love for all.

    "Christ continues today" I wrote in the above-mentioned Post Synodal Exhortation, "to exhort his disciples to become personally engaged" (Sacramentum Caritatis, n. 88).

    Thus, the Eucharist is a call to holiness and to the gift of oneself to one's brethren: "Each of us is truly called, together with Jesus, to be bread broken for the life of the world".

    source: vatican.va

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  • Loving Means Acting Like The Good Samaritan

    Today, for example, the liturgy invites us to reflect on the famous Parable of the Good Samaritan (cf. Lk 10: 25-37), which introduces us into the heart of the Gospel message: love for God and love for neighbour. But the person speaking to Jesus asks: who is my neighbour? And the Lord answers by reversing the question and showing through the account of the Good Samaritan that each one of us must make himself close to every person he meets: "Go and do likewise" (Lk 10: 37).

    Loving, Jesus says, means acting like the Good Samaritan. And we know that he himself is the Good Samaritan par excellence; although he was God, he did not hesitate to humble himself to the point of becoming a man and giving his life for us.

    Love is therefore the "heart" of Christian life; indeed, love alone, awakened in us by the Holy Spirit, makes us Christ's witnesses.
    source:vatican.va

  • Texts of St. Josemaría:

    Our Lady was a guest at one of those noisy country weddings attended by people from many different villages. Mary was the only one who noticed the wine was running out. Don’t these scenes from Christ’s life seem familiar to us? The greatness of God lives at the level of ordinary things. It is natural for a woman, a homemaker, to notice an oversight, to look after the little things that make life pleasant. And that is how Mary acted.

    “Do whatever he tells you.” (John 2:5)

    If our faith is weak, we should turn to Mary. Because of the miracle at the marriage feast at Cana, which Christ performed at his Mother’s request, his disciples learned to believe in him (cf. John 2:11). Our Mother is always interceding with her Son so that he may attend to our needs and show himself to us, so that we can cry out, “You are the Son of God.”

    Grant me, dear Jesus, the faith I truly desire. My Mother, sweet Lady, Mary most holy, make me really believe! (Holy Rosary–Appendix, Wedding Feast at Cana)

    The Christian apostolate — and I’m talking about an ordinary Christian living as just one more man or woman among equals — is a great work of teaching. Through real, personal, loyal friendship, you create in others a hunger for God and you help them to discover new horizons — naturally, simply. With the example of your faith lived to the full, with a loving word, which is full of the force of divine truth.

    Be daring. Count on the help of Mary, queen of apostles. Without ceasing to be a mother, Our Lady is able to get each of her children to face his own responsibilities. Mary always does the immense favor of bringing to the cross, of placing face to face with the example of the Son of God, those who come close to her and contemplate her life. It is in this confrontation that Christian life is decided. And here Mary intercedes for us so that our behavior may lead to a reconciliation of the younger brother — you and me — with the firstborn Son of the Father.

    Many conversions, many decisions to give oneself to the service of God have been preceded by an encounter with Mary. Our Lady has encouraged us to look for God, to desire to change, to lead a new life. And so the “Do whatever he tells you” has turned into real self-giving, into a Christian vocation, which from then on enlightens all our personal life. (Christ is Passing By, 149)

    opusdei.us

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    • Jesus Approaches Us June 9, 2013
      Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Father Dave uses an analogy to a cruise ship commercial to make a point about the readings today. (Preached on Sunday, June 9, 2013, 12:15pm, St. Paul the Apostle Church, New York City) The Busted Halo Show with Father Dave Dwyer is on SiriusXM Satellite Radio, Channel 129, Monday through Thursday, 7:00pm to 10:00pm and Fridays […]
    • Two Prayer Tips June 6, 2013
      Thursday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time. When is the best time to pray? When is the worst time to pray? Is there such a thing?  (Preached on Thursday, June 6, 2013, 12:15pm, St. Malachy's Church, 49th and Broadway, Times Square, New York City) The Busted Halo Show with Father Dave Dwyer is on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio, Sirius/XM 129, Monday through […]
    • Are You a Martyr or a Tenant? June 3, 2013
      Memorial of Saint Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs. What does it really mean to be a martyr? (Preached on Monday, June 3, 2013, 12:15pm, St. Paul the Apostle Church, New York City) The Busted Halo Show with Father Dave Dwyer is on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio, Sirius/XM 129, Monday through Friday, 7:00pm to 10:00pm EST. Give us a call with your questions […]
    • Three Parts of God May 26, 2013
      The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. Father Dave by-passes a traditional attempt at explaining the Holy Trinity is, and instead delves into regardless of how we think about it, let's consider how we feel about it. (Preached on Sunday, May 26, 2013, 12:15pm, St. Paul the Apostle Church, New York City) The Busted Halo Show with Father Dave Dwyer is on […]

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    • What Is the Point of Praying? June 12, 2013
      Father Dave takes a poignant question from a listener named James who wants to know, essentially, what is the point of intercessary prayer? The answer may surprise you, and it will definitely edify you. The Busted Halo Show with Father Dave Dwyer is on SiriusXM Satellite Radio, Channel 129, Monday through Thursday, 7:00pm to 10:00pm and Fridays from 2:00pm t […]
    • Why Can't My Wife Take Communion? June 5, 2013
      Father Dave takes a common, yet still potentially, challenging call from a listener who is perturbed by the fact that his non-Catholic wife cannot take Communion. Father Dave's thorough answer elicits an affirming call from another formerly concerned spouse.  The Busted Halo Show with Father Dave Dwyer is on SiriusXM Satellite Radio, Channel 129, Monday […]
    • What Do I Do With A Broken Rosary? Plus, Concomitance and You... May 29, 2013
      Father Dave takes two callers with two totally different questions. The first one is about how to properly dispose of a completely broken rosary. The second is about the concept of concomitance and what it means for you, your church, and the Church. Both are extremely helpful to those curious.  The Busted Halo Show with Father Dave Dwyer is on Sirius/XM Sate […]
    • How Do I Confront My Brother? How About My Priest? May 22, 2013
      Father Dave talks to two different callers about similar issues within two totally disparate situations. Father Dave dispenses some Fatherly Advice about to confront someone else when you have a bone to pick.  The Busted Halo Show with Father Dave Dwyer is on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio, Sirius/XM 129, Monday through Friday, 7:00pm to 10:00pm EST. Give us a ca […]

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  • Ordinary Time Prayer

    Heavenly Father You are the One from Whom every family derives its origin. Grant that, in keeping with Your glorious riches we may be strengthened with power through the Spirit for the development of our inner selves. Help us to develop our natural potentialities to the full while at the same time growing in Your likeness to Your Son Jesus Christ. Amen Lord Jesus I know that all human relations take time if they are to grow and deepen. This is also true of my relations with You, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, which must grow over the course of my life. However, this growth is not automatic; time alone means nothing unless I add earnest efforts to it. You have inspired Your Church to set aside special times when this growth can develop more intensely - the special seasons of the Church Year. If I fail to move toward You during these times, I waste precious opportunities and endanger my spiritual life. Help me to take them seriously and make a real attempt to use them well, so that I may grow into the person You want me to be. New Saint Joseph People's Prayer Book Lenten Prayer Almighty and Everlasting God,
    You have given the human race
    Jesus Christ our Savior as a model of humility.
    He fulfilled Your Will by becoming Man
    And giving His life on the Cross.
    Help us to bear witness to You
    By following His example of suffering
    And make us worthy to share in His Resurrection.
    We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son.

    Amen.
    Our Father...
    MARY, Mother of Jesus,
    you were Jesus’ gift for us from the Cross.
    He gave you to us as our mother.
    Intercede for all our needs.
    Hail Mary...
    Glory Be...

  • The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light

    pope benedict address to diplomatic core - vatican.va As a new year begins, our own hearts and the entire world continue to echo the joyful message proclaimed twenty centuries ago in the night of Bethlehem, a night which symbolizes humanity’s deep need for light, love and peace. To the men and women of that time, as to those of our own day, the heavenly hosts brought the good news of the coming of the Saviour: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined” (Is 9:1). The mystery of the Son of God who became the son of man truly surpasses all human expectations. In its absolute gratuitousness this saving event is the authentic and full response to the deep desire of every heart. The truth, goodness, happiness and abundant life which each man and woman consciously or unconsciously seeks are given to us by God. In longing for these gifts, each person is seeking his Creator, for “God alone responds to the yearning present in the heart of every man and woman” (Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Verbum Domini, 23). Humanity throughout history, in its beliefs and rituals, demonstrates a constant search for God and “these forms of religious expression are so universal that one may well call man a religious being” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 28). The religious dimension is an undeniable and irrepressible feature of man’s being and acting, the measure of the fulfilment of his destiny and of the building up of the community to which he belongs. Consequently, when the individual himself or those around him neglect or deny this fundamental dimension, imbalances and conflicts arise at all levels, both personal and interpersonal.

  • Each of us has dignity

    The Parables of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Prodigal Son are reminders that each one of us has dignity and are worth everything to God who wants a relationship with us and for us to be happy forever.

  • The Multitudes Were Following After Him

    The crowds were following Jesus when he turned around and made them think about something. Easy is it to follow him when it is convenient. Hard is it to follow him when doing so will cause us discomfort. Sometimes doing the right thing will cause us some discomfort but it is the cross that we are asked to bear.

  • Narrow Gate

    There is a question that has always nagged believers: Will there be many or few people saved? During certain periods this problem became so acute as to cause some people terrible anxiety.

    This Sunday's Gospel informs us that Jesus himself was once asked this question. "Jesus passed through towns and villages, teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, 'Lord, will only a few people be saved?'"

    The question, as we see, focuses on the number -- How many will be saved? Will it be many or few? In answering the question, Jesus shifts the focus from "how many" to "how" to be saved, that is, by entering "through the narrow gate."

    We see this same attitude in regard to Jesus' second coming. The disciples ask "when" the return of the Son of Man will happen and Jesus answers indicating "how" we should prepare ourselves for that return, and what to do during the time of waiting (cf. Matthew 24:3-4).

    Jesus' way of responding to these questions is not strange or discourteous. He is just acting in the way of one who wants to teach his disciples how to move from a life of curiosity to one of true wisdom; from the allure of idle questions to the real problems we need to grapple with in life.

    From this we already see the absurdity of those who, like the Jehovah Witnesses, believe they know the precise number of the saved: 144,000.

    This number, which recurs in the Book of Revelations has a purely symbolic value (the square of 12 -- the number of the tribes of Israel -- multiplied by 1,000) and is explained by the expression that immediately follows: "A great multitude that no man could number" (Revelations 7:4, 9).

    Above all, if 144,000 is really the number, then we can both close up shop. Above the gate to heaven there must be a sign like the ones parking lots put up: "Full."

    If, therefore, Jesus is not so much interested in revealing to us the number of the saved as he is in telling us how to be saved, we can understand what he is trying to tell us here. In substance, there are two things: one negative and the other positive.

    It is useless, or rather it is not enough, to belong to a certain ethnic group, race, tradition, or institution, not even the chosen people from whom the Savior himself comes. What puts us on the road to salvation is not a title of ownership ("We ate and drank in your presence..."), but a personal decision, followed by a consistent way of life. This is even more clear in Matthew's text which contrasts two ways and two gates, one narrow and the other wide (cf. Matthew 7:13-14).

    Why are these ways respectively called "narrow" and "wide"? Is it perhaps that the way of evil is always easy and pleasant to follow and the way of goodness always hard and tiresome?

    Here we must be careful not to cede to the usual temptation of believing that here below everything goes magnificently well for the wicked and everything goes terribly for the good.

    The way of the wicked is wide, but only at the beginning. As one goes down this way it gradually becomes narrow and bitter. In any case, it becomes very narrow at the end because it finishes in a blind alley.

    The joy that is experienced in it has the characteristic of diminishing more and more as one tastes it, and it finally causes nausea and sadness. We see this in certain forms of intoxication experienced in drugs, alcohol and sex. A larger dose or stronger stimulation is needed each time to produce pleasure of the same intensity.

    Finally the organism no longer responds and it begins to break down, even physically.

    The way of the just is instead narrow at the beginning, when one starts off on it, but it then becomes a spacious boulevard because hope, joy and peace of heart are found in it.

    Father Cantalamessa

  • Faithfully Waiting

    Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

    Be watchful for you know not the day nor the hour

    You also must be ready for the Son of man is coming at an unexpected hour

    To whom much is given much will be expected

    Keep your lamps burning

    Watchful Servants/Faithful or Unfaithful Servant

    Are you faithful to God?

  • Thoughts on Greed

    Greed and envy focus a person on self. Those who pursue wealth seek security and safety. They use their riches to shield themselves from life's vicissitudes and to find comfort and confidence in material things. In the pursuit of wealth they lose sight of the real meaning of life because they are seduced by the illusion that with their fortune they can control their lives. Yet one day everyone will die - possessions cannot protect against that day. source: Catholic-Bible-School.org

    Novena Prayer to St Martha "St. Martha, I resort to thy protection and aid and as a proof of my affection and faith I offer this light which I shall burn every Tuesday. Comfort me in all my difficulties and through the great favor thou didst enjoy when the Savior was lodged in thy house,. Intercede for my family that we may always hold God in our hearts, and that we may be provided for in all our necessities, I ask, St. Martha, to overcome all difficulties as thou didst overcome the dragon at thy feet."

  • Pope Benedict XVI on the sinful woman redeemed by love

    The manner in which she chose to come before Jesus, bathing his feet with tears and drying them with her hair, kissing them and sprinkling scented oil upon them, was done to shock those who viewed people in her condition with the merciless eye of the judge. What is striking, on the other hand, is the tenderness with which Jesus treated this woman, exploited and judged by so many. In Jesus she found at last a pure eye, a heart capable of loving without exploiting. In the gaze and heart of Jesus she received the revelation of God-Love!

    To avoid any misunderstanding, it should be noted that Jesus' mercy was not expressed by putting moral law in parentheses. For Jesus, good is good and evil is evil. Mercy does not change the connotations of sin but consumes it in a fire of love.

  • Life is not just a succession of events or experiences; it is a search for the true, the good, and the beautiful. It is to this end that we make our choices; it is for this that we exercise our freedom; it is in this - in truth, in goodness, and in beauty - that we find happiness and joy. -PB16 Message for the 43rd World Communications Day May 24, 2009

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    • More Friends Than You Can Count: Why Catholics Pray With the Saints June 19, 2013
      When I ask you, “How many friends do you have?” what pops into your mind? Is it … How many “true” friends? How many Facebook friends? How many friends in my whole lifetime? Actually, it’s far more than any of those numbers. In truth you have more friends than you can count. The saints in heaven are the best friends you could ask for – and they’re pulling for […]

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    • Praying for God’s Will June 20, 2013
      St. Paul preached the truth. And he was concerned when the people he taught began accepting messages that deviated from the truth. He addresses this in today’s first reading from 2 Corinthians 11. Our Gospel reading is from Matthew 6, where Jesus teaches His disciples how to pray. We know it as the Lord’s Prayer, or [...]
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      Our Gospel reading today is the same one we read on Ash Wednesday. In Matthew 6, Jesus teaches about almsgiving, prayer and fasting. Always lessons that we need to be reminded of. In the first reading today from 2 Corinthians 9, St. Paul says, “Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion, for [...]
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    • Daily Catholic Mass Readings for Tuesday 18 June 2013
      2 Corinthians 8: 1 - 9 1 We want you to know, brethren, about the grace of God which has been shown in the churches of Macedo'nia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth ...
    • Daily Catholic Mass Readings for Monday 17 June 2013
      2 Corinthians 6: 1 - 10 1 Working together with him, then, we entreat you not to accept the grace of God in vain. 2 For he says, "At the acceptable time I have listened to you, and helped you on the day of salvation." Behold, now is ...
    • Daily Catholic Mass Readings for Sunday 16 June 2013
      2 Samuel 12: 7 - 10, 13 7 Nathan said to David, "You are the man. Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, `I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul; 8 and I gave you your master's house, ...
    • Daily Catholic Mass Readings for Saturday 15 June 2013
      2 Corinthians 5: 14 - 21 14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live might live no longer for themselves but for him who ...
    • Daily Catholic Mass Readings for Friday 14 June 2013
      2 Corinthians 4: 7 - 15 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, ...
    • Daily Catholic Mass Readings for Thursday 13 June 2013
      Wisdom 7: 7 - 14 7 Therefore I prayed, and understanding was given me; I called upon God, and the spirit of wisdom came to me. 8 I preferred her to scepters and thrones, and I accounted wealth as nothing in comparison with her. 9 Neither ...
    • Daily Catholic Mass Readings for Wednesday 12 June 2013
      2 Corinthians 3: 4 - 11 4 Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our competence is from God, 6 who has made us competent to be ...
    • Daily Catholic Mass Readings for Tuesday 11 June 2013
      Acts 11: 21 - 26; 13: 1 - 3 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number that believed turned to the Lord. 22 News of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. ...
    • Daily Catholic Mass Readings for Monday 10 June 2013
      2 Corinthians 1: 1 - 7 1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother. To the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Acha'ia: 2 Grace to you and peace ...
    • Daily Catholic Mass Readings for Sunday 09 June 2013
      1 Kings 17: 17 - 24 17 After this the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became ill; and his illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. 18 And she said to Eli'jah, "What have you against me, O man ...

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Posts Tagged ‘repent’

Second Sunday of Advent

Posted by prepareformass on November 30, 2008


Prepare for Mass – Second Sunday of Advent – 12/7/2008
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This week we might ask ourselves a few questions: Who am I?  Why am I here?  What sort of person ought I be?

I was disturbed after seeing the news about the Walmart worker being trampled to death by the mob of shoppers entering the store after they busted down the doors this past Black Friday.  There were reports that some were actually pushing the ones providing medical attention to the dying worker. This tragedy showed a lack of respect for human life by some. It put me in a sour mood. It made me feel gloomy going into the Advent season. I thought about how I would feel to be that person receiving the gift purchased by one of those people. Imagine how it would be to accept a gift from someone who cared less about the dying man they trampled over – and the big assumption here is that it was a gift – than the pursuit of the perfect gift.  I also thought about the man who died.  Was he prepared to die when he woke up and went to work?

This type of tragedy reminds us that we don’t need to look too hard before we find things that make us gloomy.  There’s the economy.  There are all those annoyances.  We let ourselves down sometimes.  Others let us down too.  There are relationship issues.  There are the many stresses we encounter during life.  There are worries about the health of ourselves and loved ones.  This can be all the more difficult to bear during the holiday season.

What if a different outlook on preparing for Christmas prevailed?  A lot of us don’t have much money in these difficult times.  Would our lives be better if we weren’t under the dictated control of investor’s expectations?  What if there would not be a lot of presents under the tree?  Would we be gloomy?  Would our gloom lead to our doom?  Or would we be changed by our situation?  We might be moved to offer gifts in more creative and less expensive ways.  What if we had to rely more on other’s goodwill?  What if because of this we were in turn moved with gratitude to react charitably?  What if we saw the Christmas GIFT as being Jesus’ birth bringing forth LOVE and JOY?  How good would Christmas be then?  Christmas wouldn’t be viewed just as some trite tradition reserved only for children.  It would be more meaningful to us.

 

If we didn’t have Christmas, our gloom would in fact lead us to doom.  Advent is a time we can reflect on the fact that despite our many problems, our gloom will never lead to our doom.  God chose to identify with us in such a way as to take upon a human existence, like us in every way except sin. 

The GIFT of Christmas can change us if we prepare to receive it worthily.  The Love Boat theme song said that “love is life’s sweetest reward”.  The words of this song could very well be the words of Jesus at the time of our death – “come aboard, we’re expecting you” followed by “well done my good and faithful servant”.  Advent is a time for us to shape up before we ship out.

 

Our faith is calling us to be better Christians. We are being called to share the love of the baby Jesus despite all our problems. 

John the Baptist at first glance may have looked like some sort of nut.  A deeper look at his message makes a lot more sense.  Or at least it does to me.  Time is short.  I think we do need to prepare ourselves for life’s final destination.  We should have our eyes fixed on heaven and do everything in our power to make it there.  We may get the news validating that our time is shorter than we think.  We may even wake up and go to work one day not realizing it will be our last on earth.  

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There are those who would quote Billy Joel and say they’d “rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints”.  My take is that Billy Joel had it all wrong.  I’d rather laugh with the saints than cry with the sinners any day of the week. I happen to know that the saints have much more fun. And FUN IS GOOD. 

There are many who believe that the more gloomy we are, the better off we’ll be.  May God deliver us from these gloomy saints.  Gloominess will find us easy enough.  We don’t need to go out searching for it.  The saints understood that life isn’t always a bowl of cherries. They relied on God to deliver them from their miseries. They bore their hardships by “offering it up”.  They had insight into the whole faith story.  They realized their hardships were only temporary.  Offering it up may not make things any easier to bear.  But it speaks volumes to the virtue of HOPE.  

Here is a nice reflection on the beauty of Advent by Laura – The Beauty of Advent

PRAYER: Lord don’t let our gloom lead to our doom.  Allow your light to shine through our hardened hearts this Advent and lead us to the JOY of Christmas morning.  Help us to prepare for your coming this Christmas by helping us to understand who we are, where we are going, and what it is that you will for us.  AMEN

The Advent season reminds us that it really is true that “The Waiting is the Hardest Part”. Tom Petty was right. Here’s a video courtesy of The Big Quiche, Tom Kiesche, that pretty much sums it up. Have a good time in Advent preparing for Christmas. God Bless.

A song by Chris Tomlin that reminds us that it’s God’s kindness that leads us to repentance.

He Shall Feed His Flock

Thief in the Night

Father Musaala : Prepare the way 4 da lord

Father Ted Tyler – Freedom and Salvation – catholic-church.org/ejtyler

Psalm 85 Let Us See Your Kindness

God will speak peace to his people

Posted in Advent, Advent 2008, be prepared, catholic, catholicism, christianity, overwhelm me, Perseverance, Prepare for Christmas, Prepare for Mass, second sunday of advent, Year B 2008 | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

 
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