A GREAT DAY FOR US, WE PILGRIMS OF HOPE

CHRISTMAS TIME 5

MAY THE COMING OF THE LORD FILL ME WITH HIS SPIRIT SO THAT I WILL SHINE INFRONT OF ALL FOR THE BENEFIT OF MANKIND AND SPREADING OF HIS KINGDOM

CHRISTMAS TIEM 4

THIS CHRISTMAS JESUS IS INVITING HIMSELF: Here I stand, knocking ……. If anyone …. opens the door, I will enter his house and have supper with him………….Rv 3:20

REFLECTION - Speak to Jesus and you will give joy to His heart.

Your own heart will open up to the ray of this Sun of Goodness like humid and chilled flowers on a spring morning……..St Peter Eymard

CHRISTMAS TIME 3

AND THIS CHRISTMAS WHEN CHRIST COMES WILL HE FIND A WARM HEART?

CHRISTMAS TIME 2

CHRISTMAS TIME

IT IS ONLY JESUS WHO OFFERS US TRUE PEACE.

ANY OTHER PEACE OUTSIDE JESUS IS SUPERFICIAL AND DOES NOT LAST LONG.

WHAT SHOULD CHRISTMAS MEAN FOR ME...............

I. To make my Christmas a holy day with Christ—–not a holiday without Him.
2. To observe Christmas as the birthday of Christ—–not a day to give and receive material gifts.
3. To remember that the real symbols of Christmas are the Star, the Stable and the Crib—–not Santa Claus and his reindeer.
4. To teach my children that “Santa Claus” is the nickname of St. Nicholas—–who gave to the poor in honor of Christ.
5. To help one poor family—–in honor of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, the Holy Family of Bethlehem.
6. To send Christmas cards remindful of Him, the Infant Savior—–not decorated only with candy canes, dogs, ribbons and wreaths.
7. To make room in my home for Him—–with a Christmas Crib to remind me that He was born in a stable.
8. During the Christmas season, in a special way, to honor Mary, His mother—–who kept the first Christmas vigil beside the manger.
9. To begin Christmas by leading my family to His altar—–to receive the Bread of Life.
10. Today and every day, to give “Glory to God in the highest”—–to work and pray for “Peace on earth to men of good will.”

HAPPY CHRISTMAS

LIKE THE SHEPHERDS OF BETLEHEM, LET US ADORE HIM AND GIVE HIM OUR HEARTS SO THAT HE MAY SET UP HIS ABODE IN THEM.

THE TRUE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS

THE CHRISTMAS CRIB

DO NOT FORGET TO PUT ON THE CHRISTMAS CRIB AT HOME.

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

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

MEANING OF CHRISTMAS