GRATITUDE AND REPENTANCE

Let us show our gratitude to Jesus by thanking him for what he has done for us, namely, became man to die on the cross for our salvation.

Let us show our repentance for the times when we transgressed his law.

Let us pray: Thank you O Lord and forgive me my sins and shower your  mercy on me. AMEN

THE SACRAMENT OF CONFESSION

Pray to God to enlighten you to make a good examination of conscience since your last confession

Make an act of contrition on your sins

Make a firm resolve not to commit further sins

Confess them all without leaving purposely any of them.  If you recall some serious sin you forgot to tell, rest assured that it has been forgiven with the others, but be sure to confess it in your next Confession

Perform the penance assigned by the confessor.

After receiving the sacrament of penance make sure to render thanks to the Lord.

SUNDAY DURING THE CHRISTMAS OCTAVE

In today's reading St Joseph is the protagonist:

We note two qualities in this passage: (1) He was open to hear the voice of God, and (2) he was prompt in obedience.

Practically speaking, being open to hear the voice of God in our own lives usually requires certain habits, among which we may list: (1) devoting adequate time to prayer, including silence in prayer when we can let our heart be moved by God; (2) reading and meditating on Scripture, through which God speaks to us; (3) the counsel of a holy confessor or spiritual director; (4) the practice of penance and (at least small) mortifications, through which we develop detachment from the material goods and pleasures that often dull our spiritual senses.

Hearing the word of God for us must lead to action, however.  

St. Joseph sets an example for all Christian fathers in particular, and for all believers generally, of how to hear God’s Word and obey it.  St. Joseph, pray for us!

PRAYER

"We pray to obey God, not to “play God”.

We pray, not to change God’s mind, but to change our own;
not to command God, but to let God command us.

We pray to “let God be God”.

Prayer is our obedience to God even when it asks God for things, for God has commanded us to ask."

B.I.B.L.E. MEANING

HAVE YOU EVERF THOUGHT WHAT THE LETTERS IN THE WORD BIBLE STAND FOR?

Then it is better to follow these instructions before we are judged by God on what we have done during our lifetime.

FAITH

Don’t give up just because things seem hard. You’ve invested so much, and you never know, just a few more days of believing, another few weeks of doing the right thing, another few months of staying in faith, and you could see that situation turn around. Remember, God is on your side! Keep standing and keep believing because you are closer than you think to fulfilling every desire He’s placed inside of you!

CHRISTMAS DAY

ST. PADRE PIO’s MEDITATIONS ON CHRISTMAS
Far into the night, at the coldest time of the year, in a chilly grotto, more suitable for a flock of beasts than for humans, the promised Messiah – Jesus – the saviour of mankind, comes into the world in the fullness of time.

There are none who clamour around him: only an ox and an ass lending their warmth to the newborn infant; with a humble woman, and a poor and tired man, in adoration beside him.

Nothing can be heard except the sobs and whimpers of the infant God. And by means of his crying and weeping he offers to the Divine justice the first ransom for our redemption.

He had been expected for forty centuries; with longing sighs the ancient Fathers had implored his arrival. The sacred scriptures clearly prophesy the time and the place of his birth, and yet the world is silent and no one seems aware of the great event. Only some shepherds, who had been busy watching over their sheep in the meadows, come to visit him. Heavenly visitors had alerted them to the wondrous event, inviting them to approach his cave.

So plentiful, O Christians, are the lessons that shine forth from the grotto of Bethlehem! Oh how our hearts should be on fire with love for the one who with such tenderness was made flesh for our sakes! Oh how we should burn with desire to lead the whole world to this lowly cave, refuge of the King of kings, greater than any worldly palace, because it is the throne and dwelling place of God! Let us ask this Divine child to clothe us with humility, because only by means of this virtue can we taste the fullness of this mystery of Divine tenderness.

Glittering were the palaces of the proud Hebrews. Yet, the light of the world did not appear in one of them. Ostentatious with worldly grandeur, swimming in gold and in delights, were the great ones of the Hebrew nation; filled with vain knowledge and pride were the priests of the sanctuary. In opposition to the true meaning of Divine revelation, they awaited an officious saviour, who would come into the world with human renown and power.

But God, always ready to confound the wisdom of the world, shatters their plans. Contrary to the expectations of those lacking in Divine wisdom, he appears among us in the greatest abjection, renouncing even birth in St. Joseph’s humble home, denying himself a modest abode among relatives and friends in a city of Palestine. Refused lodging among men, he seeks refuge and comfort among mere animals, choosing their habitation as the place of his birth, allowing their breath to give warmth to his tender body. He permits simple and rustic shepherds to be the first to pay their respects to him, after he himself informed them, by means of his angels, of the wonderful mystery.

Oh wisdom and power of God, we are constrained to exclaim – enraptured along with your Apostle – how incomprehensible are your judgements and unsearchable your ways! Poverty, humility, abjection, contempt, all surround the Word made flesh. But we, out of the darkness that envelops the incarnate Word, understand one thing, hear one voice, perceive one sublime truth: you have done everything out of love, you invite us to nothing else but love, speak of nothing except love, give us naught except proofs of love.

The heavenly babe suffers and cries in the crib so that for us suffering would be sweet, meritorious and accepted. He deprives himself of everything, in order that we may learn from him the renunciation of worldly goods and comforts. He is satisfied with humble and poor adorers, to encourage us to love poverty, and to prefer the company of the little and simple rather than the great ones of the world.

This celestial child, all meekness and sweetness, wishes to impress in our hearts by his example these sublime virtues, so that from a world that is torn and devastated an era of peace and love may spring forth. Even from the moment of his birth he reveals to us our mission, which is to scorn that which the world loves and seeks.

Oh let us prostrate ourselves before the manger, and along with the great St. Jerome, who was inflamed with the love of the infant Jesus, let us offer him all our hearts without reserve. Let us promise to follow the precepts which come to us from the grotto of Bethlehem, which teach us that everything here below is vanity of vanities, nothing but vanity.

A HAPPT CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL.

THE THREE ACTORS IN THE CHRISTMAS DRAMA

In the incarnation drama there are mainly three actors or stars: the prime star is JESUS, the co star is his mother, the HOLY VIRGIN MARY, whose without her love, labour and dedication, the event could not have happened and the best supporting actor ST JOSEPH who though not his biological father accepted parental responsibilities.

St. Joseph teaches us that when we find ourselves in critical circumstances, let God handle them for us. He is in charge. Joseph trusted God's mysterious ways and found incredible blessings in what he had not planned. And so he followed.

Each one of us is invited to listen to God's Word and to understand how this word works in our lives.

Let us know that we cannot respond to this challenge WITHOUT a daily dose of scripture reading.

MEANING OF CHRISTMAS

MEANING OF NATIVITY OF CHRIST

Christ was born in the first century, yet he belongs to all centuries.

He was born a Jew, yet He belongs to all races.

He was born in Bethlehem, yet He belongs to all countries.

 - George Truett

LOOK FOR JESUS

o

THE LORD IS NEAR

In these days of Advent, in company with the holy and immaculate Mother of God, let us prepare to welcome her Son into our lives and into our hearts.
- Pope Benedict XVI

AND THE LORD DWELTH AMONGST MAN

OUR GREATEST NEED

 

MEANING OF CHRISTMAS

MEANING OF HOPE

3RD SUNDAY OF ADVENT YEAR A

This Sunday, the third one in Advent is known as Gaudete Sunday Rejoice Sunday.

The readings force us to ask ourselves: what makes us really happy?

The answer is : We have Jesus to make us happy. He wants to be our companion. His companionship and friendship is an encounter with God himself, who is Love and whose love is real for each of us.

Our encounter with Christ is happiness everlasting.


May the final days before Christmas be for you and your families days of authentic joy, His Joy.

A TIMELY REMINDER BEFORE CHRISTMAS

Note to self: don’t wear a cross around your neck if all you’re going to do is complain about the one on your back. Prayer is where the cross changes shoulders.

Please be satisfied with what you have and what you are. You will never be happy if you constantly worry about what others think about you.

If this Christmas season finds you away from the Church, angry at God or fearful of him, I invite you to remember this one simple fact: God became a tiny baby for you. See the child shivering in the cold manger and ask yourself if you are truly angry at him. Are you fearful of a baby? God is not angry with you either. He waits for you and invites you to give him your heart, your love. What greater gift could you give this Christmas?

FAITH REMOVES WORRIES

COURAGE

So, you failed at living out your faith in some way yesterday, huh? Didn’t hold your tongue? Didn’t act with love? Didn’t pray enough…or at all?

Well, the good news is - God’s not done with you yet. Every new day brings new opportunities and offers the Master Sculptor another chance to chisel away those rough edges.

Be still and let Him. “David” wasn’t carved in a day.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT (2)

l. You sin? God forgives if you repent.
 You worry? God's in control.
You're empty? God restores.
You're alone? God is with you.

2. A friend told me they left the Church because it’s so full of sinners & hypocrites…which is actually one of the reasons I stay… I fit right in.

Heaven is for finished products; the Church is for works in progress!

3.

DEALING WITH OUR IMPERFECTIONS

So,you failed at living out your faith in some way yesterday, huh? Didn’t hold your tongue? Didn’t act with love? Didn’t pray enough…or at all?

Well, the good news is - God’s not done with you yet. Every new day brings new opportunities and offers the Master Sculptor another chance to chisel away those rough edges.
 
Be still and let Him. “David” wasn’t carved in a day.

ARM YOURSELF WITH PRAYER

2nd SUNDAY OF ADVENT YEAR A FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE MARY

Can we just stop for a moment and recognize how amazing our Mother is?

 

- Antiphon for the Immaculate Conception

Tota pulchra es, Maria,
et macula originalis non est in te.
Vestimentum tuum candidum quasi nix, et facies tua sicut sol.
Tota pulchra es, Maria,
et macula originalis non est in te.
Tu gloria Jerusalem, tu laetitia Israel, tu honorificentia populi nostri.
Tota pulchra es, Maria

You are all beautiful, Mary,
and the original stain [of sin] is not in you. Your clothing is white as snow, and your face is like the sun. You are all beautiful, Mary,
and the original stain [of sin] is not in you. You are the glory of Jerusalem, you are the joy of Israel, you give honour to our people. You are all beautiful, Mary.

 

THE WORD OF GOD

 

The Word of the Lord remains for ever.

 

What you spiritually learn and gain is yours for ever.

 

Read the Bible everyday and learn in what way the Lord speaks to you.

JESUS IS ALL TO ME

do not read the scripture quote hastily and close  down your computer. meditate upon it throughout the day.

Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. (Matt 11:28)

ADVICE

“No one in the world can change Truth. What we can do and should do is to seek truth and to serve it when we have found it.” -  st maximilian kolbe

“May a commitment to walk in faith & live the Gospel accompany you in this time of Advent. Live authentically in the commemoration of the birth of the Lord.” - pope francis

“Patience with others is love. Patience with self is hope. Patience with God is faith.”

TRUST IN GOD

NEVER LOOSE A MOMENT TO PRAY

 

 

Like an earthly father who loves to communicate with his son, so does God, our Heavenly Father.

 

Please speak to HIM.

HUMILITY

1ST SUNDAY OF ADVENT YEAR A

 

In verse 42 of this Sunday Gospel, Jesus warns us: "Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come."

Yes, "...stay awake!" Remember, that the way to heaven is one that we have to walk, hand in hand with the Savior Himself. It is the one way to stay awake and ready to respond to His incessant infusion of Grace into out hearts and souls.

  It is only when we are awake that we can spread the Word, feed the orphans, care for the sick, support the widows, transport the invalids, clean the houses of our old shut-ins, carry communion to the faithful who crave it, etc.

So it is not enough to stay awake, but while awake, we have to obey the direction of God..."Do something!" We will be reminded again by Matthew that those who do nothing will not get to heaven.  

  Yes, my fellow Christians, this is going to be a challenging year with the Gospel of Jesus Christ being drummed into us by our friend Matthew. Remember, it's not just symbolic, it is real. Do it.

SIN

 

 

 

St John Chrysostom said that we do not mourn and fast because Jesus was crucified. This is a cause for joy, because it brings salvation.He said we mourn and fast because we are sinners and our sins caused it.O felix culpa quae talem et tantum meruit habere redemptoremO happy fault that merited such and so great a Redeemer!

PRAY FOR SINNERS

The painting commissioned by Fr. Alphonse Ratisbonne in thanksgiving for his conversion by Our Lady.

If only, like Fr Alphonse Ratisbornne, we would pray to our Holy Mother, for the conversion of sinners.

We should pray fervently and incessantly for sinners to abandon their evil life and turn to God.

The Holy Mother at Fatima solicited us to pray and make sacrifices so that her Sacred Heart together with the Sacred Heart of her Son would triumph over evil.

This request has been repeated to Sister Faustina by Christ of the Divine Mercy.

JESUS IS ALL

 

Young people are trying to find their way in this world, and Jesus tells them they can do that only by keeping their eyes on another world and giving their hearts to a King who will be fully seen as himself only at the end of time.

Cardinal Francis George (Chicago)

TU ES PETRUS

 

The Bones of Saint Peter Displayed by the Vatican for the First Time

To mark the end of the Year of Faith, the Vatican has for the first time publicly displayed the bones of St. Peter. While no pope has ever definitively declared the fragments to belong to the apostle Peter,  Pope Paul VI in 1968 said fragments found in the necropolis under St Peter’s Basilica were “identified in a way that we can consider convincing”.

The bones were discovered in 1939 in an excavation of the Vatican Necropolis below the main altar at Saint Peter’s Basilica, which has been the consistent traditional burial place of the first Pope since antiquity. The excavation, ordered by Pope Pius XII, found the bones in a first century funerary wall creche, with a Greek inscription of ”Petros eni”, or “Peter is here”.

The bones were found wrapped in purple and gold threaded cloth. Scientific study of the bones showed them to be of a “robust” man in his 60′s-70′s at the time of death.

RIGHT AND WRONG

 

THREE ADVICES

34th SUNDAY YEAR C FEAST OF CHRIST THE KING

Today the Catholic Church ends her liturgical year by celebrating the Feast of Christ the King.

But I would rather say it is the celebration of Christ Our King  and not the King. He is no ordinary king. He is the king of the Universe, of all Creation and of all mankind.

At Baptism we pledged our allegiance to Him. And every Easter and certain Sundays of the year we renew our vows to HIM.

We promise Him that we shall serve Him and only Him since He is the Way, Truth and Life. He is our shepherd who leads his sheep and lambs to green pastures .

We must do our best to be the light of the world so that we may spread His message and Kingdom amongst our brethren.

CHRIST OUR KING

'Can you expect to go to Heaven for nothing? Did not our dear Saviour and King track the whole way to it with His Blood and tears?'

 St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

O Jesu! Light of all below!
Thou font of life and fire!
surpassing all the joys we know,
and all we can desire.

May every heart confess Thy name,
and ever Thee adore;
and seeking Thee, itself inflame
to seek Thee more and more.

LOVE

SUFFERING AND CONTRITION

ADORATION

 

ADORATION IS ESSENTIALLY AN EMBRACE WITH JESUS IN WHICH I SAY TO HIM: " I AM YOURS AND I ASK YOU, PLEASE, STAY WITH ME."

 

POPE BENEDICT XVI

LIGHT AND DARKNESS

 

When was the last time you walked into a room and saw light and darkness struggle? No, never. When light comes, darkness must go.

Either you are for Christ or against Christ.

One cannot serve two master, one either loves one and hates the other.

IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER

Prayer is to our soul what rain is to the soil. Fertilize the soil ever so richly, it will remain barren unless fed by frequent rains.
-- St John Vianney