POST CHRISTMAS- EPIPHANY

Post-Christmas Prayer: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CONNECTIONS, Jan.1, ‘95 "Long after the angels disappear into the heavens, the shepherds return to their flocks, the magi journey home and the great star sets, Jesus remains. The Child in whom we rediscover God’s great love for humanity becomes the adult Redeemer who challenges us to imitate his selflessness and compassion in order that we might transform our world in love… May we allow the miracle of Christmas to continue long after the holiday trappings have been packed away; May we welcome the adult Messiah and his challenging Gospel to recreate our lives, making the peace, justice and hope of this holy season a reality in every season of the new year." Message of Hope . . . . . . . Pope John Paul II, January 1, 2000 Pope John Paul II, in his message "Peace on Earth to Those Whom God Loves!" for January 1, 2000 says: "At the dawn of the new Millennium, we wish to propose once more the message of hope which comes from the stable of Bethlehem: God loves all men and women on earth and gives them the hope of a new era, an era of peace. His love, fully revealed in the Incarnate Son, is the foundation of universal peace. When welcomed in the depths of the human heart, this love reconciles people with God and with themselves, renews human relationships and stirs up that desire for brotherhood capable of banishing the temptation of violence and war." Wise Men, Return to the World . . . . . . . Pope John Paul II (Epiphany homily, 2001) "…we are like the 3 Wise Men who journeyed to Jesus. Now, like those Wise Men, we return to the world from which we came, to the everyday life where we will witness to what we have seen. …"indeed it compels us to start out afresh on a new stage of the journey on which we become proclaimers and heralds.…The Wise Men were in a sense the first missionaries. Their encounter with Christ did not keep them in Bethlehem, but made them set out anew on the paths of the world. "We need to ‘set out anew from Christ,’ with the zeal of Pentecost, with renewed enthusiasm. To set out from him above all in a daily commitment to holiness, with an attitude of prayer and of listening to his word. To set out from him in order to testify to his Love by living a Christian life marked by communion, charity, and witness before the world." Light of the Epiphany . . . . . . . . . . Phyllis A. Tickle, "What the Heart Already Knows" A Book of Christmas, Nashville: Upper Rooms, 1988, p. 13 "The twelve days of Christmas come to an end on January 6, and the season of the Epiphany begins. But Epiphany not only ends Christmas, it also fulfills it by celebrating the revelation of the Christ to the whole world. The coming of Incarnate God to all people, especially to those of us who are Gentiles, is the bridge from birth into life, the event that makes Easter possible for most of us. The light of the Epiphany illuminates the church’s year as it illuminates the human race from whom the kings came."

CHRISTMAS WORK

1 Corinthians 13 – a Christmas Version (Received via email. Source unknown) If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family, I’m just another decorator. If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love to my family, I’m just another cook. If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing. If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir’s cantata but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point. Love stops the cooking to hug the child. Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband. Love is kind, though harried and tired. Love doesn’t envy another’s home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens. Love doesn’t yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the way. Love doesn’t give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in giving to those who can’t. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust, but giving the gift of love will endure. Merry Christmas and lots of love to you and yours! Is Your Family Holy? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mitch Finley, CATHOLIC DIGEST, Jan. 1993, p. 39 "When the Bible says holy it means ‘separate’ or ‘different.’ The word implies being healthy and whole in a world where much is un-healthy and fragmented. The English phrase hale and hearty sums up true holiness. Holiness includes such concepts as humor and laughter, compassion and understanding, and the capacity to forgive and be forgiven, to love and be loved. That’s holiness. Holy families are not free from conflict, nor do they never hurt one another. Holiness in families, rather, comes from learning to forgive and to be reconciled, and learning to face our problems and do something about them. In family life, holy means striving to surrender to God’s light within us when the darkness around us seems overwhelming. It means struggling day after day to bring creative order—if only a bit of it—to the chaos in our lives. When we work at cultivating forgiveness, reconciliation, and community, we embody God’s holy will in the context of family life. A family embodies holiness by striving to be ‘hale and hearty,’ not by trying to be ‘perfect’ according to a set of other worldly standards." Christifidels Laici . . . . . . . . . . . Pope John Paul II, Lay Members of Christ’s’s Faithful People" § 40 "The Family: Where the Duty to Society Begins"…"The family is the basic cell of society. It is the cradle of life & love, the place in which the individual ‘is born’ & ‘grows.’" And he says, "…make the family aware of its identity as the primary social nucleus, & its basic role in society, so that it might itself become always a more active & responsible place for proper growth & proper participation in social life." "Tips for Today’s Parents" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Christopher News Notes, (# 385, June 1996) 1. Prepare children for a world with great diversity by teaching respect & tolerance. 2. Give them opportunities to make responsible decisions, to gain self-esteem. 3. Encourage & praise. But do not be afraid to discipline, to limit freedom of action. 4. Let your children know you are always ready to listen to their questions & problems. 5. Provide sex education & guidance. 6. Offer love that is unconditional but not over-indulgent. 7. Never abuse or allow others to abuse children physically or emotionally. 8. Teach children to pray: strong faith will help them become mature adults. Work of Christmas Begins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Howard Thurman (adapted) "When the song of the angels is stilled, when the star in the sky is gone, when the kings and princes are home, when the shepherds are back with the flocks, then the work of Christmas begins: to find the lost, to heal those broken in spirit, to feed the hungry, to release the oppressed, to rebuild the nations, to bring peace among all peoples, to make a little music with the heart… And to radiate the Light of Christ, every day, in every way, in all that we do and in all that we say. Then the work of Christmas begins. The message of the Feast of Epiphany announces to all people, everywhere: Rise up in splendor…your light has come, The Glory of the Lord shines upon you! Let the work of Christmas begin, and let it begin with you."

I BELEIVE IN CHRISTMAS

Affirmations of Christmas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anonymous I believe that Christmas is more than a time for parties and ornaments; it is a time for remembering Christ and the incarnation of God’s love in human flesh. I believe there are gifts more important than the ones under the Christmas tree, the things we teach our children, the way we share ourselves with friends, and the industry with which we set about reshaping the world in our time. I believe that the finest carols are often sung by the poorest voices; from hearts made warm by the wonder of the season. I believe in the angel’s message that we should not be afraid—that the Child of Bethlehem is able to overcome all anxieties and insecurities. I believe in prayer and quietness as a way of appropriating Christmas—that if I wait in silence I will experience the presence of the one born in the manger, for he lives today as surely as he lived then. I believe in going away from Christmas as the wise men went: "another way." I want to be different when these days are past—more centered, more thoughtful, more caring. And I believe God will help me. Amen 10 Christmas Commandments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anonymous "The following item appeared in a church newsletter and contains some good advice that will help us keep selfishness in check this Christmas: 1. You shall not leave ‘Christ’ out of Christmas, making it ‘Xmas.’ To some, ‘X’ is unknown. 2. You shall prepare your soul for Christmas. Spend not so much on gifts that your soul is forgotten. 3. You shall not let Santa Claus replace Christ, thus robbing the day of its spiritual reality. 4. You shall not burden the shop girl, the mailman, and the merchant with complaints and demands. 5. You shall give yourself with your gift. This will increase its value a hundred fold, and the one who receives it shall treasure it forever. 6. You shall not value gifts received by their cost. Even the least expensive may signify love, and that is more priceless than silver and gold. 7. You shall not neglect the needy. Share your blessings with many who will go hungry and cold if you are generous. 8. You shall not neglect your church. Its services highlight the true meaning of the season. 9. You shall be as a little child. Not until you become in spirit as a little one are you ready to enter into the kingdom of Heaven. 10. You shall give your heart to Christ. Let Him be at the top of your Christmas list. Anyone keeping these commandments is sure to have a blessed Christmas."

CHRISTMAS IS THE REASON

Keeping Christmas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Henry Van Dyke There is a better thing than the observance of Christmas day, and that is, keeping Christmas. Are you willing… to forget what you have done for other people, and to remember what other people have done for you; to ignore what the world owes you, and to think what you owe the world; to put your rights in the background, and your duties in the middle distance, and your chances to do a little more than your duty in the foreground; to see that men and women are just as real as you are, and try to look behind their faces to their hearts, hungry for joy; to own up to the fact that probably the only good reason for your existence is not what you are going to get out of life, but what you are going to give to life; to close your book of complaints against the management of the universe, and look around you for a place where you can sow a few seeds of happiness— Are you willing to do these things even for a day? Then you can keep Christmas. Are you willing to stoop down and consider the needs and desires of little children; to remember the weakness and loneliness of people growing old; to stop asking how much your friends love you, and ask yourself whether you love them enough; to bear in mind the things that other people have to bear in their hearts; to try to understand what those who live in the same home with you really want, without waiting for them to tell you; to trim your lamp so that it will give more light and less smoke, and to carry it in front so that your shadow will fall behind you; to make a grave for your ugly thoughts, and a garden for your kindly feelings with the gate open— Are you willing to do these things, even for a day? Then you can keep Christmas. Are you willing to believe that love is the strongest thing in the world— stronger than hate, stronger than evil, stronger than death— and that the blessed life which began in Bethlehem nineteen hundred years ago is the image and brightness of the Eternal Love? Then you can keep Christmas. And if you can keep it for a day, why not always? But you can never keep it alone. Six Days of the Week, NY: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1924 and 1952. A Candy Maker’s Witness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anonymous A candy maker in Indiana wanted to make a candy that would be a witness, so he made the Christmas Candy Cane. He incorporated several symbols for the birth, ministry, and death of Jesus Christ. He began with a stick of pure white hard candy. White to symbolize the Virgin Birth and the sinless nature of Jesus, and hard to symbolize the Solid Rock, the foundation of the Church, and firmness of the promises of God. The candy maker made the candy in the form of a "J" to represent the precious name of Jesus, who came to earth as our Savior. It could also represent the staff of the "Good Shepherd" with which He reaches down into the ditches of the world to lift out the fallen lambs who, like all sheep, have gone astray. Thinking that the candy was somewhat plain, the candy maker stained it with red stripes. He used three small stripes to show the stripes of the scourging Jesus received by which we are healed. The large red stripe was for the blood shed by Christ on the Cross so that we could have the promise of eternal life. Unfortunately, the candy became known as a candy cane—a meaningless decoration seen at Christmas time. But the meaning is still there for those who "have eyes to see and ears to hear." I pray that this symbol will again be used to witness to the wonder of Jesus and his great love that came down at Christmas and remains the ultimate and dominate force in the universe today.

CHRISTMAS SEASON

Christmas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . William Arthur Ward Christmas is more than a time of music, merriment and mirth; it is a season of meditation, managers and miracles. Christmas is more than a time of gaiety, greenery and gifts; it is a season of wonder, worship and wisemen. Christmas is more than a time of tinsel, trees and toys; it is a season of preparation, prayers and peace. Christmas is more than a time of festivities, family and friends; it is a season of generosity, gladness and gratitude. Christmas is more than a time of carols, cards and candy; it is a season of dedication, direction and decision. Christmas is more than Santa, stockings and surprises; it is Christ, care and concern. The Presence of Christmas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . William Arthur Ward "Christmas is not just a season, Christmas is not just a day, Christmas is more than a reason For parties, presents and play. Christmas is truly the essence Of joy that the Savior brings; Christmas is surely the presence Of Jesus, the Kings of Kings!" Act Christmas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anonymous "It is easy to think Christmas, and it is easy to believe Christmas, but it is hard to act Christmas." A Christmas List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anonymous "Fear less, hope more; Eat less, chew more; Whine less, breathe more; Talk less, say more; Hate less, love more; And all good things will be yours." A New Way of Living . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Frederick Buechner "Listening to Your Life," Christianity Today, Vol. 37, no. 15 "The birth of Jesus made possible not just a new way of understanding life but a new way of living it." Christmas Wishes . . . . . . . . . . Judy Bourgeault, Blue Mtn. Arts "In life, there will always be many paths to follow; I hope you always choose the right one…If you give a part of yourself to life, the part you receive back will be so much greater. Never regret the past, but learn by it. Never lose sight of your dreams; a person who can dream will always have hope. Believe in yourself; if you do, everyone else will. You have the ability to accomplish anything, but never do it at someone else’s expense. If you can go through life loving others, you will have achieved the greatest success of all." Where to Search for the Lord . . . . . . . . . . . .James F. Colaianni, Sunday Sermon Masterpiece Collection, Vol. II, p. 694 "The Christmas story reminds us once again it was not man’s idea that the Son of God should be born in a stable. And so the first thing we learn from Jesus’ birth is that the Lord will not always be found where we expect to find Him. We tend to look for Him in the nice, the clean, the warm. We expect Him to be in churches and in the Bible and in hymns of praise and in Christmas cards which have Scripture verses on them…And if these are the only places we search for the Lord, then we’re not looking in the stable. This reality is expressed with dramatic force in these lines from Michael Quoist’s book called Prayers: I am not made of plaster, nor of stone, nor of bronze. I am living flesh throbbing, suffering. I am among men [and women] and they have not recognized Me. I am poorly paid, I am unemployed, I live in a slum. I am sick, I sleep under bridges, I am in prison. I am oppressed, I am patronized. I sweat men’s blood on all battlefields. I cry out in the night and die in the solitude of battle. And yet I said to them: ‘Whatever you do to My brothers [or sisters], however humble, you do to Me.’ That’s clear! The terrible thing is that they know it, but don’t take it seriously." A Prayer for Christmas Morning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Henry Van Dyke The day of joy returns, Father in Heaven, and crowns another year with peace and good will. Help us rightly to remember the birth of Jesus, that we may share in the song of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds, and the worship of the wisemen. Close the doors of hate and open the doors of love all over the world… Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting. Deliver us from evil, by the blessing that Christ brings, and teach us to be merry with clean hearts. May the Christmas morning make us happy to be thy children, And the Christmas evening bring us to our bed with grateful thoughts, forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus’ sake. Amen. from A Treasury of Christmas Stories. Henry Van Dyke edited by James S. Bell, Jr. Harold Shaw Publishers, 1993

CHRISTMAS IS HERE

At Christmas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Edgar Guest "A man is at his finest towards the finish of the year; He is almost what he should be when the Christmas season is here; Then he’s thinking more of others than he’s thought the months before, And the laughter of his children is a joy worth toiling for. He is less a selfish creature than at any other time; When the Christmas spirit rules him he comes close to the sublime. When it’s Christmas man is bigger and is better in his part; He is keener for the service that is prompted by the heart. All the petty thoughts and narrow seem to vanish for awhile And the true reward he’s seeking is the glory of a smile. Then for others he is toiling and somehow it seems to me That at Christmas he is almost what God wanted him to be. If I had to paint a picture of a man I think I’d wait Till he’d fought his selfish battles and had put aside his hate. I’d not catch him at his labors when his thoughts are all of pelf, On the long days and the dreary when he’s striving for himself. I’d not take him when he’s sneering, when he’s scornful or depressed, But I’d look for him at Christmas when he’s shining at his best. Man is ever in a struggle and he’s oft misunderstood; There are days the worst that’s in him is the master of the good, But at Christmas kindness rules him and he puts himself aside And his petty hates are vanquished and his heart is opened wide. Oh, I don’t know how to say it, but somehow it seems to me That at Christmas man is almost what God sent him here to be." from Collected Verse of Edgar Guest NY:Buccaneer Books, 1976, pg. 239 Some Special Gifts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Source Unknown Here are a few suggestions for special gifts: • a firm handshake to a shaky soul, • a kind word to a lonely person, • a warm smile to the disheartened, • a sincere concern for someone troubled, • a feeling of compassion for the neglected, • a comforting thought for the bereaved, • a respect for the dignity of others, • a defense of the rights of individuals, • a word of witness to help a seeking soul, • a Merry Christmas to all. Christmas is… . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Source Unknown Christmas is a gift of love wrapped in human flesh and tied securely with the strong promises of God. Christmas is angelic music in the form of a carol and oratorio with a celestial descant. Christmas is "glory to God," "good will to man," and "joy to the world." Christmas is "peace on earth" for those who accept it and live in unity with God's will. Christmas is a man on duty tending sheep, or machine, who senses the upward call and stops to worship. Christmas is a tall green tree which serves as festive altar for any household which discovers the true meaning behind it all. Christmas is a ringing bell calling a distraught humanity to gladness and hope. Christmas is a glowing hearth gently placed in the winter of man's loneliness. Christmas is an altar to which man can bring his heartache for comfort, his lostness for guidance, and his sin for forgiveness. Christmas is the sparkle of anticipation and the steady light of faith in the eyes of a little child as he hears the old, old story. Christmas is the shining star of hope in the sky of all mankind. Christmas is more than words can tell, for it is a matter for the heart to receive, believe and understand.

CHRISTMAS STORY

The Night Before Christmas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sister St. Thomas, B.N.D. de N A more spiritual version of the famous Christmas story Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the town, St. Joseph was searching, walking up roads and down; Our Lady was waiting, so meek and so mild, While Joseph was seeking a place for the Child; The children were nestled, each snug in their beds, The grown-ups wouldn’t bother, there’s no room they said; When even the innkeeper sent them away, Joseph was wondering, where they would stay; He thought of the caves in the side of the hills, Lets go there said Mary, it’s silent and still; The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow, Made pathways of light for their tired feet to go; And there in a cave, in a cradle of hay, Our Savior was born on that first Christmas Day! The Father was watching in heaven above, He sent for His angels, His couriers of love; More rapid than eagles God’s bright angels came; Rejoicing and eager as each heard his name; Come Power, Come Cherubs, Come Virtues, Come Raphael, Come Thrones and Dominions, come Michael and Gabriel; Now fly to the Earth, where My poor people live, Announce the glad tiding My Son comes to give; The Shepherds were watching their flocks on this night, And saw in the heavens and unearthly light; The Angels assured them, they’d nothing to fear, It’s Christmas they said, the Savior is here! They hastened to find Him, and stood at the door, Till Mary invited them in to adore; He was swaddled in bands from His head to His feet, Never did the Shepherds see a baby so sweet! He spoke not a word, but the shepherds all knew, He was telling them secrets and blessing them too; Then softly they left Him, The Babe in the hay, And rejoiced with great joy on that first Christmas Day; Mary heard them exclaim as they walked up the hill, Glory to God in the Highest, Peace to men of good will! The Gospel Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anonymous There once was a shining Christmas tree Standing out where all could see. Its brilliance captured every eye And seemed to cheer each passer by. "The lights are so bright," they would say And hesitate to walk away. The tree stood proud ablaze with light For every light was burning bright. Then one bulb was heard to say "I’m tired of burning night and day; I think I’ll just go out and take a rest For I’m too tired to do my best; Besides I am so very small I doubt if I’d be missed at all." Then a child lovingly touched the light, "Look, mother, this one shines so very bright. I think of all the lights upon the tree This one looks the best to me." "Oh my goodness," said the light "I almost dimmed right out of sight. I thought perhaps no one would care If I failed to shine my share." With that a glorious brilliance came For every light had felt the same. Our Gospel, like this Christmas tree, With little lights which are you and me, We each have a space that we must fill With love, and lessons and good will. Let’s keep our tree ablaze with light, With testimonies burning bright. For our Gospel is a living tree That lights the way to eternity. The Best Gift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Betty Werth On Christmas Eve, a young boy with light in his eyes Looked deep into Santa’s, to Santa’s surprise And said as he sat on Santa’s broad knee, "I want your secret. Tell it to me." He leaned up and whispered in Santa’s good ear "How do you do it, year after year?" "I want to know how, as you travel about, Giving gifts here and there, you never run out. How is it, dear Santa, that in your pack of toys You have plenty for all of the world’s girls and boys? Stays so full, never empties, as you make your way From rooftop to rooftop, to homes large and small, From nation to nation, reaching them all?" And Santa smiled kindly and said to the boy, "Don’t ask me hard questions. Don’t you want a toy?" But the child shook his head, and Santa could see That he needed the answer. "Now listen to me," He told that small boy with the light in his eyes, "My secret will make you sadder and wise. "The truth is that my sack is magic inside It holds millions of toys for my Christmas Eve ride. But although I do visit each girl and each boy I don’t always leave them a gaily wrapped toy. Some homes are hungry, some homes are sad, Some homes are desperate, some homes are bad. Some homes are broken, and the children there grieve. Those homes I visit, but what should I leave? "My sleigh is filled with the happiest stuff, But for homes where despair lives toys aren’t enough. So I tiptoe in, kiss each girl and boy, And I pray with them that they’ll be given the joy Of the spirit of Christmas, the spirit that lives In the heart of the dear child who gets not, but gives. "If only God hears me and answers my prayer, When I visit next year, what I will find there Are homes filled with peace, and with giving, and love And boys and girls gifted with light from above. It’s a very hard task, my smart little brother, To give toys to some, and to give prayers to others. But the prayers are the best gifts, the best gifts indeed, For God has a way of meeting each person’s need. "That’s part of the answer. The rest, my dear youth, Is that my sack is magic. And that is the truth. In my sack I carry on Christmas Eve day More love than a Santa could ever give away. The sack never empties of love, or of joys `Cause inside it are prayers, and hope. Not just toys. The more that I give, the fuller it seems, Because giving is my way of fulfilling dreams. "And do you know something? You’ve got a sack, too. It’s as magic as mine, and it’s inside of you. It never gets empty, it’s full from the start. It’s the center of light, and love. It’s your heart. And if on this Christmas you want to help me, Don’t be so concerned with the gifts `neath your tree. Open that sack called your heart, and share Your joy, your friendship, your wealth, your care." The light in the small boy’s eyes was glowing. "Thanks for your secret. I’ve got to be going." "Wait, little boy," said Santa, "don’t go. Will you share? Will you help? Will you use what you know?" And just for a moment the small boy stood still, Touched his heart with his small hand and whispered, "I will." Day of Hope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Edgar Guest, The Gift of Christmas Christmas is the one day of the year that carries real hope and promise for all mankind. It carries the torch of brotherhood. It is the one day in the year when most of us grow big of heart and broad of mind. It is the single day when most of us are as kind and as thoughtful of others as we know how to be; When most of us are as gracious and generous as we would like always to be; When the joy of home is more important than the profits of the office; When peoples of all races speak cheerfully to each other when they meet; When high and low wish each other well; And the one day when even enemies forgive and forget.

CHRISTMAS EVE

Christmas Eve Prayer . . . . . . . . . . . . Frank Borman, Apollo 8 space mission, 1968 "Give us, O God, the vision which can see Your love in the world in spite of human failure. Give us the faith to trust Your goodness in spite of our ignorance and weakness. Give us the knowledge that we may continue to pray with understanding hearts. And show us what each one of us can do to set forward the coming of the day of universal peace." Christmas Prayer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Soundings, Vol. 2, # 12 "May the forgiving spirit of Him to whom we dedicate this season prevail again on earth. May hunger disappear and terrorists cease their senseless acts. May people live in freedom, worshiping as they see fit, loving others. May the sanctity of the home be ever preserved. May peace, everlasting peace, reign supreme." A Christmas Prayer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Robert Louis Stevenson "We thank you for this place in which we dwell, for the love that unites us, for the peace accorded us this day, for the hope with which we expect the morrow, for the work, the health, the food and bright skies which make our lives delightful for our friends in all parts of the earth." Christmas Prayer . . . . . . . . LIVING FAITH, Vol. 4, # 3 "Meister Eckhart once said: ‘What good is it that Christ was born 2,000 years ago if he is not born now in your heart?’ "Lord, we do far too much celebrating your actual coming in our hearts. I believe in God, but do I believe in God-in-me? I believe in God in heaven, but do I believe in God-on-earth? I believe in God out there, but do I believe in God-with-us? "Lord, be born in my heart. Come alive in me this Christmas! Amen." The Joy You Give . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John Greenleaf Whittier "Somehow, not only for Christmas But all the long year through, The joy that you give to others Is the joy that comes back to you. And the more you spend in blessing The poor and lonely and sad, The more of your heart's possessing Returns to you glad." Christmas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . William Cullen Bryant "O Father may that Holy Star Grow every year more bright, And send its glorious beams afar To fill the world with light." Christmas Thoughts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anonymous "It’s sharing your gifts, not purchasing gifts; It’s not wrapping presents, its being present and wrapping your arms around the ones you love; It’s not getting Christmas cards out on time, It’s sending any card, anytime, at the right time; It’s not having the biggest and best Christmas light display, It’s displaying the Christ light that comes from your heart; It’s not Santa coming down the chimney, It’s Jesus coming down from heaven, and giving us the gift of eternal life."

ADVENT REFLECTIONS IV

The Christmas Woman . . . . . . . . . . William Frebuger, Making Christmas a Saving Event, Catholic Update, 12-85 "Luke’s Gospel account of the Christmas event is full of activity…And yet, in the middle of the frenetic action, here is this woman wrapped in mystical silence…She demonstrates the necessity of a quiet place within ourselves at Christmastime—that place where we are most ourselves in relation to God. "It is a place of silence, not because it is untouched by all the activity of our lives, but because it is capable of wonder. Every prayer begins with silent wonder before it turns to words. Our first response to God is dumbstruck awe at who he is and what he has done for us." The Coming of the Light . . . . . . . . . . . . Sourcebook, 1996, Liturgy Training Publ. …Christmas celebrates the dawn of the Light of the World. The powers of darkness are overcome by his coming to share our life. The long reign of sin is ended and grace has been poured out upon the earth. The Sun of Justice has arisen, and evil is vanquished." Perhaps the hardest thing to remember about Christmas is this. "It celebrates the incarnation, not just the nativity. The incarnation is an on-going process of salvation, while the nativity is the once-for-all-historical event of Bethlehem. We do not really celebrate Christ’s ‘birthday,’ remembering something that happened long ago. We celebrate the stupendous fact of the incarnation, God entering our world so thoroughly that nothing has been the same since. And God continues to take flesh in our midst, in the men and women and children who form his body today. And the birth we celebrate is not just the past historical event but Christ’s continuing birth in his members, accomplished by the power of the Spirit through the waters of baptism. "…What we celebrate is our redemption in Christ and the transformation of all creation by the presence of the divine in our midst." The Whisper of Christmas . . . . . . . . . . . Joe E. Pennel, Jr., Nashville, Upper Room, 1984, p. 61 "There is no evidence of any kind regarding the date of Jesus’ birth. His nativity began to be celebrated on Dec. 25 in Rome during the early part of the fourth century (AD 336) as a Christian counterpart to the pagan festival, popular among the worshipers of Mithras, called Sol Invictis, the Unconquerable Sun. At the very moment when the days are the shortest and darkness seems to have conquered light, the sun passes its nadir. Days grow longer, and although the cold will only increase for quite a long time, the ultimate conquest of winter is sure. This astronomical process is a parable of the career of the Incarnate One. At the moment when history is blackest, and in the least expected and obvious place, the Son of God is born…" Proclamation 2 Frederich Borsch & David Napier The Joy of Christmas . . . . . . . . . . . Christmas Day, cycle A Sunday Sermons, The Millennium Edition, CD-ROM Collection, Voicing Publications "The joy of Christmas is contagious—but not primarily because of our gifts of dolls and trucks, bikes and pretty dresses, sweaters and ties…The joy of Christmas is contagious because of the spirit behind the gifts. The glory of Christmas is that a gracious God became one of us to tell us that He loves us. And, in his or her Christmas giving, the genuine believer symbolizes his or her inner desire to spread this Good News. Today we celebrate Incarnation! Today we rejoice! The eternal God comes into the flesh and blood of humanity. Christmas cards portray the little Babe, the Manger, the Magi, the shepherds. Little children learn that today is Jesus’ birthday. But these pieces of the story only touch the edge of the mysterious event which brings us together. The Good News is that the God of Mercy has come into the history of humanity to bring us perfect peace. For the peace of mind and heart and soul that the world cannot give, follow Jesus. And when you follow Jesus, do not be surprised to see others following you. After all, the spirit of Christmas is contagious." Christmas is for Adults . . . . . . . . . . . William Freburger, The Secret of Christmas," Catholic Update, 12/85 "The real reason for celebrating Christmas is that it happened once. And that one time changed the world. The infant born that first Christmas grew in wisdom and age and strength; he suffered and died and rose again; and he saved his people from their sins. "This saving feast, for once and for all, has given birth to a special child who becomes the model and pattern for our human growth and wholeness. The real secret of Christmas—if we must treat it as a secret—is that the feast is for…adults!" Heart of Christmas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dr. Brian Linard, A Way to the Heart of Christmas "A noted poet was once asked in an interview if he could explain one of his poems ‘in ordinary terms.’ He replied with some feeling, ‘If I could say what I meant in ordinary terms I would not have had to write the poem.’ From the time of Christ’s birth the people of God have ‘had to write a poem’ to Christmas, composing a single multi-stranded paean of praise spanning the centuries, because ultimately the meaning of Christmas resists being fully spelled out ‘in ordinary terms.’" Let Me Not Keep Christmas . . . . . . . . Linda Felver A Book of Christmas, Nashville: Upper Rooms, 1988, p. 48 "Let me not wrap, stack, box, bag, tie, tag, bundle, seal, keep Christmas. Christmas kept is liable to mold. Let me give Christmas away, unwrapped, by exuberant armfuls. Let me share, dance, live Christmas unpretentiously, merrily, responsibly with overflowing hands, tireless steps and sparkling eyes. Christmas given away will stay fresh—even until it comes again." Bells on Christmas Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pulpit Helps, 12-92, p. 23 Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was filled with sorrow at the tragic death of his wife in a fire in 1861. The Civil War broke out the same year, and it seemed this was an additional punishment. Two years later, Longfellow was again saddened to learn that his own son had been seriously wounded in the Army of the Potomac. Sitting down to his desk, one Christmas Day, he heard the church bells ringing. It was in this setting that Longfellow wrote these lines: I heard the bells on Christmas Day Their old familiar carols play, And wild and sweet The words repeat Of peace on earth, good will to men! And thought how, as the day had come The belfries of all Christendom Had rolled along The unbroken song Of peace on earth, good will to men! Till, ringing, singing on its way, The world revolved from night to day, A voice, a chime, A chant sublime Of peace on earth, good will to men! Then from each black, accursed mouth The cannon thundered in the South, And with the sound The carols drowned Of peace on earth, good will to men! It was as if an earthquake rent The hearth-stones of a continent, And made forlorn The households born Of peace on earth, good will to men! And in despair I bowed my head; "There is no peace on earth," I said; "For hate is strong And mocks the song Of peace on earth, good will to men." Then pealed the bells more loud and deep. "God is not dead, nor doth he sleep! The wrong shall fail, The right prevail, With peace on earth, good will to men!"

ADVENT REFLECTIONS III

"God Comes" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . First Sunday of Advent Pope Benedict XVI in his homily celebration of First Vespers of the First Sunday of Advent (Saturday, 2 December 2006) said, "At the beginning of a new yearly cycle, the liturgy invites the Church to renew her proclamation to all the peoples and sums it up in two words ‘God comes.’ These words, so concise, contain an ever new evocative power. Let us pause a moment to reflect: it is not used in the past tense—God has come, nor in the future—God will come, but in the present—‘God comes.’ At a closer look, this is a continuous present, that is, an ever-continuous action: it happened, it is happening now and it will happen again. In whichever moment, ‘God comes.’ The verb ‘to come’ appears here as a theological verb, indeed theological, since it says something about God’s very nature. Proclaiming that ‘God comes’ is equivalent, therefore, to simply announcing God himself, through one of his essential and qualifying features: his being the God-who-comes. Advent calls believers to become aware of this truth and to act accordingly. It rings out as a salutary appeal in the days, weeks and months that repeat: Awaken! Remember that God comes! Not yesterday, not tomorrow, but today, now! The one true God, ‘the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,’ is not a God who is there in Heaven, unconcerned with us and our history, but he is the-God-who-comes. He is a Father who never stops thinking of us and, in the extreme respect of our freedom, desires to meet us and visit us; he wants to come, to dwell among us, to stay with us. His ‘coming’ is motivated by the desire to free us from evil and death, from all that prevents our true happiness. God comes to save us. The Fathers of the Church observe that the ‘coming’ of God—continuous and, as it were, co-natural with his very being—is centered in the two principal comings of Christ: his Incarnation and his glorious return at the end of time (cf. Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechesis 15,1: PG 33, 870). The Advent Season lives the whole of this polarity. In the first days, the accent falls on the expectation of the Lord’s Final Coming, as the texts of this evening’s celebration demonstrate. With Christmas approaching, the dominant note instead is on the commemoration of the event at Bethlehem, so that we may recognize it as the ‘fullness of time.’ Between these two ‘manifested’ comings it is possible to identify a third, which St. Bernard calls ‘intermediate’ and ‘hidden,’ and which occurs in the souls of believers and, as it were, builds a ‘bridge’ between the first and the last coming." Joy is the True Gift of Christmas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pope Benedict XVI (12/18/05) Pope Benedict XVI (12/18/05) commenting on the scene of the Annunciation as recounted in today’s Gospel (4th Sunday of Advent). "With the angel’s greeting to Mary —‘kaire’ in the Greek, which means ‘be joyful’—the New Testament begins," he said. "We could say that the first word of the New Testament is ‘be joyful,’ ‘be happy,’ in other words, ‘joy.’ This is the true meaning of Christmas: God is near us, so near that He became a child." The Holy Father then highlighted how "we realize that today’s world, where God is absent, is dominated by fear, by uncertainty." Nonetheless, "the words ‘be joyful because God is with you and with us,’ truly open a new time." "Joy is the true gift of Christmas, not the expensive gifts that call for time and money. We can communicate this joy simply: with a smile, a kind gesture, a little help, forgiveness. And the joy we give will certainly come back to us.…Let us pray that this presence of the liberating joy of God shines forth in our lives." The Christmas Mystery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adrian Nocent, OSB, The Liturgical Year: Advent, Christmas and Epiphany, Collegeville, MN. Liturgical Press, 1977 p. 182 "…God became man, not so that he might be with us, but so that we might be with him. In other words, the incarnation is the starting point of our divinization.…It comes about so that, having become in a sense ‘divine,' we may be capable of effectively working with Christ to rebuild the world for the glory of the father. We are thus not passive bystanders at the incarnation. The incarnation radically transforms the history of the world and the personal history of each of us. Because of it, each of us must measure up to God's plan and play his proper role in it." p. 191 "…What Christmas renders present is the starting point of our salvation; it is ordered toward our redemption, which it already contains. The introduction of the crèche and all the Christmas folklore has been a good thing, and neither can nor should be simply rejected. We must admit, however, that the injection of these elements, especially at a time when both the liturgy and the knowledge of Scripture were in decline, has turned Christmas, for many, into the feast of tender piety; midnight Mass is the most important thing to these Christians, and the feast has no further influence on their lives." p. 218 "The birth of Christ destroys the effects of death, and causes new life to be reborn in us, man is regenerated by Christ's coming as man. This new life consists in our sharing the divine nature. Here again, the Church in her liturgy has been guided by the theology of the Fathers. In the patristic reading for the Office of Readings on Christmas, St. Leo bids us thank God through his Son, in the Holy Spirit, because ‘in his loving mercy he took pity on us, and when we were dead because of sin, he gave us life with Christ so that in Christ we might be a new creation, a new work of his hands.' He then utters the well-known exclamation: ‘Christian, recognize your true dignity, and now that you have become a sharer in the divine nature, do not return to your earlier degradation through evil ways.' The liturgy links the birth of Christ with a renovation, or renewal, with our generation, or birth, and with a novitas, or newness of life, as opposed to a vetustas, or decrepitude (the state of one who is worn, decayed, old, and feeble)." p. 220 "The renewal that Christ's birth effects is not to be thought of as restricted to intelligent beings. The whole of creation benefits from the re-creation that is the fruit of Christ's suffering and resurrection and that is already implicitly contained in his birth. St. Paul told the Ephesians that the aim of God's love-inspired plan was ‘to unite all things in him [Christ], things in heaven and things on earth' (Eph. 1:10)." "…This theme, which has become part of the Eucharistic liturgy, is the best expression we have of the glorification of the cosmos. The whole of creation, and not man alone, experiences the regenerative power of the incarnation." "…we must realize that his [Christ's] presence is a consecration of the world. The world was of course already consecrated to a degree, since God was the one who had made it, but the presence of the Word within the cosmos restores its dignity and gives it the possibility of rebuilding itself with the elements already at its disposal."

ADVENT REFLECTIONS II

The Advent Virus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anonymous via email WARNING……WARNING: ADVENT VIRUS Be on the alert for symptoms of inner Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. The hearts of a great many have already been exposed to this virus and it is possible that people everywhere could come down with it in epidemic proportions. This could pose a serious threat to what has, up to now, been a fairly stable condition of conflict in the world. Some signs and symptoms of The Advent Virus: • A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than on fears based on past experiences. • An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment. • A loss of interest in judging other people. • A loss of interest in interpreting the actions of others. • A loss of interest in conflict. • A loss of the ability to worry. (This is a very serious symptom.) • Frequent, overwhelming episodes of appreciation. • Contented feelings of connectedness with others and nature. • Frequent attacks of smiling. • An increasing tendency to let things happen rather than make them happen. • An increased susceptibility to the love extended by others as well as the uncontrollable urge to extend it. Please send this warning out to all your friends. This virus can and has affected many systems. Some systems have been completely cleaned out because of it. Meanings of Christmas . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fr. Andrew Greeley, Woman’s Day, 12-22-81 "It might be easy to run away to a monastery, away from the commercialization, the hectic hustle, the demanding family responsibilities of Christmas-time. Then we would have a holy Christmas. But we would forget the lesson of the Incarnation, of the enfleshing of God—the lesson that we who are followers of Jesus do not run from the secular; rather we try to transform it. It is our mission to make holy the secular aspects of Christmas just as the early Christians baptized the Christmas tree. And we do this by being holy people—kind, patient, generous, loving, laughing people—no matter how maddening is the Christmas rush…" Christmas…a Living Reality John Paul II, in his Angelus message of December 19, 1999, explained that Christmas is not simply the remembrance of the Event that took place 2000 years ago when, according to the Gospel, the power of God took on the frailty of a baby. It is really about a living reality that is repeated every year in the heart of believers. "The mystery of the Holy Night, which historically happened two thousand years ago, must be lived as a spiritual event in the ‘today’ of the Liturgy," the Pope clarified. "The Word who found a dwelling in Mary’s womb comes to knock on the heart of every person with singular intensity this Christmas." Last Days of Advent . . . . . . . . . . . Pope John Paul II, Dec. 18, 2002 Pope John Paul II in his address on Dec. 18, 2002 said, "The liturgy of Advent…helps us to understand fully the value and meaning of the mystery of Christmas. It is not just about commemorating the historical event, which occurred some 2,000 years ago in a little village of Judea. Instead, it is necessary to understand that the whole of our life must be an ‘advent,’ a vigilant awaiting of the final coming of Christ. To predispose our mind to welcome the Lord who, as we say in the Creed, one day will come to judge the living and the dead, we must learn to recognize him as present in the events of daily life. Therefore, Advent is, so to speak, an intense training that directs us decisively toward him who already came, who will come, and who comes continuously." St. Joseph, a Model of Recollection . . . . . . . . . . . Benedict XVI VATICAN CITY, DEC. 18, 2005 (Zenit.org).- With Christmas approaching, Benedict XVI exhorted the faithful to cultivate a spirit of interior recollection in an often noisy world that makes it hard to listen to God. The Pope today presented St. Joseph, the adoptive father of Jesus, as a model of recollection. Joseph’s silence in the Gospel, the Holy Father said, "does not demonstrate an empty interior, but rather the fullness of faith that he carries in his heart. Let’s allow ourselves to be ‘infected’ by the silence of St. Joseph!" Silence "is so lacking in this world which is often too noisy, which is not favorable to recollection and listening to the voice of God," Benedict XVI said. "In this time of preparation for Christmas, let us cultivate interior recollection so as to receive and keep Jesus in our lives." He suggested that the faithful establish in these days "a kind of spiritual dialogue with St. Joseph so that he helps us live to the fullest this mystery of faith." The Bishop of Rome recalled that his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, "who was very devoted to St. Joseph," dedicated the apostolic exhortation "Redemptoris Custos" (Custodian of the Redeemer) to the adoptive father of Jesus. In that 1989 document, John Paul II gave "a particular importance to the silence of St. Joseph," observed Benedict XVI. Such a silence was "permeated with the contemplation of the mystery of God, in an attitude of total availability to the divine will," Benedict XVI said. "A silence through which Joseph, together with Mary, guard the Word of God, known through sacred Scripture, comparing it continually to the events of the life of Jesus; a silence interwoven with constant prayer, a prayer of blessing of the Lord, of adoration of his holy will and of boundless confidence in his providence." The Holy Father added: "It is not exaggerated to say that Jesus will learn—on a human level—precisely from ‘father’ Joseph this intense interior life, which is the condition of authentic righteousness, the ‘interior righteousness,’ which one day he will teach to his disciples." Wreathed in Flesh . . . . . . . . Wendy M. Wright, "Wreathed in Flesh and Warm" A Book of Christmas, Nashville: Upper Rooms, 1988, p. 35 "A novice master once responded when asked about a life lived in Christian authenticity, said that to be a Christian was not to know the answers but to begin to live in the part of the self where the question is born.…He was speaking of an attitude of listening, of awareness of presence, of an openness to mystery." Message of the Christmas Tree: Life Is "Ever Green" Pope John Paul II in his Angelus message on 12/19/04: The traditional "Christmas tree" is a very ancient custom which exalts the value of life, as in winter the evergreen becomes a sign of undying life. In general, the tree is decorated and Christmas gifts are placed under it. The symbol is also eloquent from a typically Christian point of view: It reminds us of the "tree of life" (see Genesis 2:9), representation of Christ, God’s supreme gift to humanity. The message of the Christmas tree, therefore, is that life is "ever green" if one gives: not so much material things, but of oneself: in friendship and sincere affection, and fraternal help and forgiveness, in shared time and reciprocal listening. A St. Nicholas’ Note . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Edward Hays, A Pilgrim’s Almanac (adapted) "It is fitting that the feast of St. Nicholas comes at the beginning of Advent and the beginning of the shopper’s season. As the patron saint of shoppers he proclaims, ‘Keep it simple!’ Keep it simple enough to fit in a shoe or a stocking. "One gift that could fit in a…shoe, or in a stocking hanging on the fireplace, is a note that speaks of one of our most precious gifts, the gift of time. Such a St. Nicholas note might read: ‘The gift I give to you is half an hour of quality conversation each night right after the dishes are done.’ Or, ‘The gift I give to you is one Saturday a month to be with you and do whatever you want to do.’ We can appreciate the value of such a gift if we keep in mind that according to a recent survey, the average married couple in America has only 30 minutes a week of communication outside of exchanges that take place at the dinner table, and between parent and child is only 14 minutes. As you can see, the possibilities are almost unlimited for these St. Nicholas shoe gifts. "Come, St. Nicholas, patron of shoppers and gift-seekers, and make Christmas this year fun, creative and love-filled."

ADVENT REFLECTIONS

Memory Awakens Hope. . . . . . . . . Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Seek That Which Is Above,1986 "Advent is concerned with that very connection between memory and hope which is so necessary to man. Advent’s intention is to awaken the most profound and basic emotional memory within us, namely, the memory of the God who became a child. This is a healing memory; it brings hope. The purpose of the Church’s year is continually to rehearse her great history of memories, to awaken the heart’s memory so that it can discern the star of hope.… It is the beautiful task of Advent to awaken in all of us memories of goodness and thus to open doors of hope." Fire of Advent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Edward Hays, A Pilgrim’s Almanac, p. 187 "Advent, like its cousin Lent, is a season for prayer and reformation of our hearts. Since it comes at winter time, fire is a fitting sign to help us celebrate Advent…If Christ is to come more fully into our lives this Christmas, if God is to become really incarnate for us, then fire will have to be present in our prayer. Our worship and devotion will have to stoke the kind of fire in our souls that can truly change our hearts. Ours is a great responsibility not to waste this Advent time." Take Time to be Aware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Edward Hays, A Pilgrim’s Almanac, p. 196 "Take time to be aware that in the very midst of our busy preparations for the celebration of Christ’s birth in ancient Bethlehem, Christ is reborn in the Bethlehems of our homes and daily lives. Take time, slow down, be still, be awake to the Divine Mystery that looks so common and so ordinary yet is wondrously present. "An old abbot was fond of saying, ‘The devil is always the most active on the highest feast days.’ "The supreme trick of Old Scratch is to have us so busy decorating, preparing food, practicing music and cleaning in preparation for the feast of Christmas that we actually miss the coming of Christ. Hurt feelings, anger, impatience, injured egos—the list of clouds that busyness creates to blind us to the birth can be long, but it is familiar to us all." An Advent Examination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Edward Hays, A Pilgrim’s Almanac, p. 196 "Advent is the perfect time to clear and prepare the Way. Advent is a winter training camp for those who desire peace. By reflection and prayer, by reading and meditation, we can make our hearts a place where a blessing of peace would desire to abide and where the birth of the Prince of Peace might take place. "Daily we can make an Advent examination. Are there any feelings of discrimination toward race, sex, or religion? Is there a lingering resentment, an unforgiven injury living in our hearts? Do we look down upon others of lesser social standing or educational achievement? Are we generous with the gifts that have been given to us, seeing ourselves as their stewards and not their owners? Are we reverent of others, their ideas and needs, and of creation? These and other questions become Advent lights by which we may search the deep, dark corners of our hearts. Life Is an Advent Season . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CONNECTIONS, 11-28-93 "Life is a constant Advent season: we are continually waiting to become, to discover, to complete, to fulfill. Hope, struggle, fear, expectation and fulfillment are all part of our Advent experience. "The world is not as just, not as loving, not as whole as we know it can and should be. But the coming of Christ and his presence among us—as one of us—give us reason to live in hope: that light will shatter the darkness, that we can be liberated from our fears and prejudices, that we are never alone or abandoned. "May this Advent season be a time for bringing hope, transformation and fulfillment into the Advent of our lives." St. Andrew—Nov. 30 . . . . . . . . . . Priscilla Marck, THE MAGNIFICAT Advent Collection, p. 18 "The feast of Saint Andrew invites us to ponder his response to Christ’s call: "Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men. At once they left their nets…" (Mt. 4:19-20). With his brother Peter, Andrew immediately left his fishing nets to catch souls for the Kingdom. Are we hesitating to respond to Christ this Advent because we are waiting for just the right moment, those perfect circumstances that will allow us to be just as quick as Andrew? Sadly, we may discover that while we were waiting for that illusive moment, we failed to be attentive to the here and now invitations of everyday life, missing opportunities to respond with the generosity of a true follower of Christ." Called to be Witnesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CONNECTIONS, 12-11-94 "…[W]e are called to be witnesses of God’s by the love we extend to others; precursors of his justice by our unfailing commitment to what is right and good; lamps reflecting the light of God’s Christ in our forgiveness, mercy and compassion; harvesters of souls through our humble and dedicated servanthood." An Advent Reflection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fr. Brian Cavanaugh, TOR "During Advent opportunities for works of charity abound calling out for Christians from every side: a sack of food for a needy family, money dropped in a Salvation Army kettle, a donation to an Indian school, a toy for ‘Toys-for-Tots,’ etc. Unfortunately, these works of charity so easily can assuage the Christian conscience, while doing nothing to being about a solution to the root causes of the problem. "Works of justice, on he other hand, follow the road less traveled of Advent’s hope to pursue solutions for difficult problems. Hope comes through works of justice rather than simply performing works of charity." Gift of Wonder . . . . . . . . . . . Rev. Alfred McBride, O. Praem.,THE PRIEST, Oct. ‘87, p.26 "Each year, God asks us to shed one more coat of awareness, one more dream state and come alive to the vision of God’s plan for each of us and the world-at-large. "The older we get, the harder this is to do. As children we had a sense of wonder. Our eyes were wide open and drinking in the fascinating gifts we beheld…Our thirsty souls could not have enough of the wonders of creation. "Then, somehow, we grew too old to dream. We tired of the abundance of the world, or at least grew weary of keeping up with the feast of life, and stepped away from the banquet of life. "The natural gift of wonder God gave us as children was meant to be kept alive.…Instead we let wonder go to sleep. We entered the typical dream state of most humans. "Why else does Jesus tell us today, ‘Stay awake!’…Advent says, ‘Wake up and realize the gifts of love you have received.’ "…Psychology says, ‘Let go.’ Spirituality says, ‘Wake up.’ In both cases there is a withdrawal from the busyness of daily life (our dream state) and a waking up to the subconscious and spiritual depths of ourselves."

HIS NAME IS PEACE- III

III: -- The one dimension of peace that remains for us to discuss this morning is peace among men and women. Once more there is a logical connexion with the dimensions of peace that we have probed so far: those who know and enjoy peace with God and who are beneficiaries of the peace of God are commissioned to work indefatigably for peace on earth. Jesus maintains that his people are ever to be peacemakers; peacemakers, we should note, not peacewishers or peacehopers or pseudo-peace manipulators. There are several pretenders to peace among men and women that are just that: pretenders. Pretend-peace, make-believe peace, is simply a matter of pretending that injustice and exploitation, savagery and enforced wretchedness don’t exist. Pretend-peace, make-believe peace; Jesus says he has come to expose this; expose it and eradicate it. And of course there’s another form of pretend-peace; it arises not from pretending that injustice and abuse don’t exist; it arises from the deliberate lie, the cleverly-couched deception, intentional duplicity, even out-and-out propaganda. I am told that those used car dealers who are unscrupulous are adept at a technique known as “paperhanging.” A used car has a rust-hole in the fender. The hole isn’t fixed properly. Instead, paper is glued over the hole and the paper is painted the same colour as the rest of the car. Anyone could poke her finger through the paper, of course, but it’s hoped that the paper deception will hold up long enough to get the car off the lot. Paper-hanging abounds everywhere in life. Much peacemaking, so called, is little more than a smooth tongue smoothing over a jagged wound. Paperhanging peacemaking never works in the long run, of course, but it’s used all the time in the short run to get us quickly past conflicts that will otherwise be publicly visible (and therefore embarrassing) in a family or a group or a meeting. In six weeks paperhanging peacemaking gives way to worse conflict than ever, conflict now marinated in bitterness and frustration; it then gives way to worse conflict still six weeks after that. When Paul writes, “Let us pursue what makes for peace”; when the author of Hebrews counsels, “Strive for peace with everyone”; when Jesus urges his people to make peace; in all of this we can’t fail to hear the note of urgent doing even as in all of this there’s no suggestion at all of paperhanging. Then how are we to make peace among our fellows? In the first place we must always be concerned to see that justice is done. The Hebrew prophets denounce anything else not only as ineffective but as an attempt at magic. God himself castigates the religious leaders of Israel as he accuses them, according to Jeremiah, “They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace.” It’s often assumed that naming something thus and so makes it thus and so. It’s assumed that pronouncing “peace” over glaring injustice will yield peace. But it never does. Peace cannot be made unless injustice is dealt with first. Please don’t think I am suggesting something impossible for most people, such as ensuring justice in the Middle East or in Latin America or in war-torn countries of Africa . I’m speaking of situations much closer to home. And in this regard I’m convinced that we fail to name injustice for what it is out of fear: we’re afraid that to identify injustice or abuse or exploitation is to worsen conflict. Likely it will worsen conflict, in the short run. But often conflict has to worsen if any genuine peace is to be made eventually. To expect anything else is to want magic. There’s no shortcut here. The psalmist cries, “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of God’s throne.” There’s more to God’s throne than righteousness and justice, to be sure, but without them, the foundation, there would be no throne at all. In our efforts at peacemaking it’s important for us to examine carefully the earthly ministry of our Lord. Whenever he himself is made to suffer, he simply absorbs it. On the other hand, wherever he sees other people made to suffer unjustly, he acts without hesitation. He will go to any lengths to redress the suffering of those who are victimised. He will stop at nothing to defend the defenceless and protect the vulnerable and vindicate the vilified. Yet whenever he is made to suffer himself he simply absorbs it. You and I will be the peacemakers he ordains us to be if we can forget ourselves and our minor miseries long enough to be moved at someone else’s victimisation. But if we are going to remain preoccupied with every petty jab and petty insult and petty putdown, most of which are half-imagined in any case, then so far from promoting peace we are going to be forever rationalising our own vindictiveness. Remember: when our Lord sees other people abused he’s mobilised, acting instantly on their behalf; when he’s abused himself, however, he pleads for his benighted tormentors. We are always a better judge of that injustice which afflicts others than we are of that injustice which we think we are suffering ourselves. We retain an objectivity in the former that we abysmally lack in the latter. Peacemaking requires more than a little wisdom. We are told that he whose coming we celebrate at this season has a unique name: “Prince of Peace.” As we are bound to him in faith we are rightly related to God and therein know peace with God. Secure in our peace with God, we are the beneficiaries of the peace of God. Possessed of the peace of God, we are freed from our self-preoccupations to work for peace among men and women. The prophet Isaiah anticipated Jesus of Nazareth as the “Prince of peace.” Centuries after Isaiah our Lord’s birth constrained angels to cry, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased.”

HIS NAME IS PRINCE OF PEACE - II

II: -- Knowing and enjoying peace with God, Christ’s people are now blessed with the peace of God. The peace of God is that peace which every last individual desires. The peace of God is that “eye” of rest at the centre of the hurricane, the oasis in the midst of the desert storm, the calm in the midst of convulsion, the tranquillity that no turbulence can overturn ultimately. The peace of God is that peace which God grants to his people as they face life’s assaults. No one is surprised to hear that peace with God issues in the peace of God; a peace with God that didn’t issue in a peace deep inside us would be an exceedingly hollow peace. The peace of God needs to be renewed moment-by-moment throughout life. The peace of God isn’t static, isn’t a state; the peace of God is dynamic, a constantly renewed gift blessing those constantly waiting upon God. Why the emphasis on “moment-by-moment” and “dynamic”, on “constantly renewed” and “constantly waiting upon”? Because disruption without us and disturbance within us; these unfold moment-by-moment too. The doctrine of creation reminds us that creation occurs as God suppresses chaos so as to allow life to arise. In a fallen world, however, chaos always threatens to reassert itself; in a fallen world, chaos always laps at creation, always nudges it, sometimes jars it. A fallen world unfailingly reminds us that the political chaos of disorder, the biological chaos of disease, the mental chaos of unforeseen breakdown: these are ever-present door-knocks of a chaos that ceaselessly knocks at the door of everyone’s life. Many of the assaults that leave us craving the peace of God are not merely unforeseen but even unforeseeable. They resemble the “blind side hit” that leaves the football player momentarily stunned. The football player is running full-tilt down the field, looking back over his shoulder for the quarterback’s pass. Just as the ball touches his outstretched fingertips an opponent, running full-tilt up the field towards him, levels him. The collision is devastating physically because of the full-speed, head-on impact; it’s devastating psychologically because it wasn’t expected. The worst feature of the blind side hit isn’t the pain of the impact, or even the helplessness of temporary prostration; worse is the disorientation that accompanies it; worst of all is the fear that may arise from it, for if the player becomes fearful of the blind side hit he’ll never want to look back for the quarterback’s pass. In other words, the fear of subsequent blind side hits has taken the player off the field; he no longer plays the game. As life unfolds for you and me we are blind-sided again and again. We are clobbered by circumstances we couldn’t foresee and therefore didn’t expect. Because we didn’t expect them we weren’t particularly armed and equipped to deal with them. Pain of some sort is inevitable; momentary disorientation is likely. And fear? It would be unrealistic never to fear life’s blind side hits. The ultimate issue here isn’t whether or not we fear; it’s whether or not our fear is allowed to take us off the field, induce us to quit. Plainly, the peace of God has everything to do with our ardour for life and our commitment to kingdom-work in the face of the clobbering we can’t avoid. To his fellow-Christians in the city of Philippi Paul writes, “The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” The Greek word for “keep” (phulassein) is an expression drawn from the realm of military engagements. “Keep”, in ancient military parlance, has two major thrusts. In the first place it refers to the action of an army whereby the army repels attackers, holding attackers at bay so that while attackers may assault, even assault repeatedly, they never gain entry, never overrun, never triumph and therefore never annihilate. In the second place phulassein, “keep”, refers to the protection an army renders inhabitants of a besieged city so as to prevent the city’s inhabitants from fleeing in panic. The apostle draws on both aspects of the military metaphor: the peace of God prevents life’s outer assaults from undoing us ultimately and thereby prevents us from fleeing life in inner panic. The apostle says one thing more about this peace of God: it “passes understanding”. In fact, it passes “all understanding.” It passes understanding inasmuch as it isn’t natural; it isn’t generated by anything the sociologist or psychologist or neurologist can account for; it isn’t circumstantial. In a word, there’s no earthly explanation for it. Peace of mind that arose in the midst of peaceful circumstances would be entirely understandable and therefore entirely explicable. On the other hand, innermost peace in the midst of turbulence and treachery and topsy-turvyness; this is peace that occurs for no apparent reason. There are parallels, of course, everywhere in the Christian life. Jesus says to his disciples, “In the world you are going to have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Our good cheer arises in the midst of tribulation just because Jesus Christ has triumphed over everything that doesn’t make for good cheer, even as he gathers his people into his triumph. In exactly the same way peace arises in the midst of turbulence and treachery just because Jesus Christ has triumphed over everything that doesn’t make for peace, even as he includes his people in his triumph. It is the prince of peace who gives us that peace of God which passes all understanding.

HIS NAME WILL BE CALLED PRINCE OF PEACE -1

Isaiah 9:2-6 Luke 2:21-32 Everyone (everyone, that is, except the manifestly unbalanced) craves peace. We long for peace among nations, peace within our own nation, peace within our family, and, of course, peace within ourselves. In our psychology-driven age it’s the lattermost, peace within ourselves, that’s the pre-eminent felt need. The pharmaceutical companies have profited immensely from our preoccupation with inner peace. Prominent preachers like Norman Vincent Peale and Robert Schuller have made a career and attracted a following through preaching the same sermon over and over for forty years; namely, how to acquire inner peace. And yet a moment’s reflection reminds us there’s a peace we ought not to have. There’s a peace born not of inner contentment but rather of inertia. Several years ago an Anglican bishop penned a greeting to all the parish clergy in the diocese wishing them peace. One clergyman wrote back, “My parish doesn’t need peace; it needs an earthquake.” There’s another kind of “peace” (so-called) that God doesn’t want for us and which he’s determined to take from us: that peace which is the bliss of ignorance, the bliss of indifference, the bliss of the deafened ear and the hardened heart in the face of suffering and deprivation, abuse and injustice. Our Lord himself cried to detractors, “You think I came to bring peace? I have news for you. I came to bring a sword.” We mustn’t forget that the metaphor of soldiering, of military conflict, is one of the commonest apostolic metaphors for discipleship: to follow Jesus is to follow him in his strife. Nonetheless, he whose coming we celebrate at this season is called Prince of Peace. He himself says, “My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, give I unto you.” Then what is the nature of the peace he longs for us to have? I: -- The first aspect of such peace is “peace with God.” The apostle Paul writes to his fellow-Christians in Rome , “Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” To be justified by faith is to be rightly related to God in a relationship of trust, love and obedience. To be rightly related to God is to have and enjoy peace with God. Plainly, not to be rightly related to God is have enmity with God. Is it also to be aware of enmity with God? Not necessarily. Most people who lack peace with God and therefore live in enmity towards God remain unaware of it. When they are told of it they smile patronisingly and remark, “Enmity towards God? I have nothing against him. I’ve never had anything against him.” Such people need to be corrected; they need to be told that even if they think they have nothing against God, he has much against them. He reacts to their indifference; he resists their disdain; he opposes their disobedience; he is angered by their recalcitrance. Yet even as God rightly resists the indifference of ungodly people (indifference that is actually contempt of him), and even as God reacts as he must, it distresses him to do so. He longs only to have the stand-off give way to intimacy, the frigidity to warmth, the defiance to obedience, the disdain to trust. For this reason his broken heart was incarnated in the broken body of his Son at Calvary ; for this reason his Spirit has never ceased pleading. Sometimes in the earthquake, wind and fire like that of his incursion at Sinai, at other times in the “still small voice” that Elijah heard, God has pleaded and prodded, whispered and shouted, shocked and soothed: anything to effect the surrender of those who think they have nothing against him but whose indifference in fact is enmity. What God seeks in all of this, of course, is faith. Not faith in the popular sense of “belief”; faith, rather, in the Hebrew sense of “faith-fulness”, faith’s fulness: faith’s full reliance upon his mercy, faith’s full welcome accorded his truth, faith’s full appropriation of his pardon, faith’s full love now quickened by his ceaseless love for us. It all adds up to being rightly related to him. With our hostility dispelled, ignorance gives way to intimacy and cavalierness to commitment. We simply abandon ourselves to him. “Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” He who is the Prince of Peace effects our peace with God.

HOLY HOUR FOR LIFE

  OPENING SONG AND EXPOSITION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT: The opening song is concluded and a period of silent prayer follows. OPENING PRAYER
Lord Jesus Christ,

We worship you living among us in the sacrament of your body and blood May we offer to our Father in heaven a solemn pledge of undi-vided love. May we offer to our brothers and sisters a life poured out in loving service of that kingdom where you live with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

All: Amen.

LITURGY OF THE WORD
FIRST READING


A reading from the Book of Genesis 9:1-7 LFM 338

From man in regard to his fellow man I will demand an account-ing for human life.
God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them:
"Be fertile and multiply and fill the earth. Dread fear of you shall come upon all the animals of the earth and all the birds of the air, upon all the creatures that move about on the ground and all the fishes of the sea; into your power they are delivered. Every creature that is alive shall be yours to eat; I give them all to you as I did the green plants. Only flesh with its lifeblood still in it you shall not eat. For your own lifeblood, too, I will demand an accounting: from every animal I will demand it, and from man in regard to his fellow man I will demand an accounting for human life. If anyone sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has man been made. Be fertile, then, and multiply; abound on earth and subdue it."

The word of the Lord.

Psalm 139: 1b-3, 13-14b, 23-24 LFM 440 R. Guide me Lord, along the everlasting way.

O Lord, you have probed me and you know me; You know when I sit and when I stand; You understand my thoughts from afar. My journeys and my rest you scrutinize, With all my ways you are familiar. R. Guide me Lord, along the everlasting way.

Truly you have formed my inmost being; You knit me in my mother’s womb. I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made; wonderful are your works. R. Guide me Lord, along the everlasting way.

Probe me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my thoughts; See if my way is crooked, And lead me in the way of old. R. Guide me Lord, along the everlasting way

After a period of silent prayer:
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
 R. Alleluia, alleluia. Jn 6:39
  And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me,
 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
  GOSPEL
+A reading from the holy Gospel according to John 6:35-40

Jesus said to the crowds: "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst. But I told you that although you have seen me, you do not believe. Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and  I will not reject anyone who comes to me, because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it on the last day.

For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day."
The Gospel of the Lord.
  All: Thanks be to God.

At this point there is a period for extended Silent Prayer (15-20 minutes) At the conclusion of this time there may be a SPIRITUAL REFLECTION: offered by the presider.

INTERCESSIONS Standing at the chair, the presiding minister invites the people to pray:

Presiding Minister: God is the author of life. In Him we place our trust and hope as we pray:




All: Lord, hear our prayer.
  Deacon or other Minister: That justice, truth, and a love for the gift of life might inspire all legislators, governors, and our President, we pray to the Lord:




All: Lord, hear our prayer.
  Deacon or other Minister: For all who do not embrace the rights of the unborn that, in love, they may come to know the dignity of every person in the eyes of God, we pray to the Lord:




All: Lord, hear our prayer.
  Deacon or other Minister: For those preparing to receive the Sacrament of Marriage: that they might embrace their role as sharers in God’s crea-tive love, we pray to the Lord:




All: Lord, hear our prayer.
  Deacon or other Minister: For all who touch the lives of the condemned, the old, and the forgotten, that they might have compassion, respect, and appreciation for the dignity of all human life, we pray to the Lord:



All: Lord, hear our prayer.

Deacon or other Minister: For the dying that through the love, care, and devotion of others they may know the beauty of life in their dying moments, we pray to the Lord:



All: Lord, hear our prayer.
 Deacon or other Minister: For all the victims of the culture of death that like Lazarus, forgotten and poor, they may be welcomed into God’s eternal peace, we pray to the Lord:



All: Lord, hear our prayer.
 After a period of silent prayer

Litany for Life — USCCB Pro Life Activities Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

God of all creation. Lord, have mercy.



Christ, through whom all things were made.
 Lord, have mercy.
 Spirit of life and truth, Lord, have mercy.

On each child just conceived, Lord, have mercy.

For their safety and health, Lord, have mercy.

For nine months of growth, Lord, have mercy.

That an angel may protect them, Lord, have mercy.

For peace and for hope, Lord, have mercy.

On all new fathers, Lord, have mercy.

On fathers who are alone, Lord, have mercy.

On fathers unemployed, Lord, have mercy.

On fathers who are suffering, Lord, have mercy.

On young fathers who are in pain, Lord, have mercy.

On all new mothers, Lord, have mercy.

On mothers who are alone, Lord, have mercy.

On mothers unemployed, Lord, have mercy  On mothers who are suffering, Lord, have mercy.

On young mothers who are afraid, Lord, have mercy.

On mothers who are in pain, Lord, have mercy.

On those who defend life, Lord, have mercy.

On those who love the child in the womb, Lord, have mercy.

On those who pray for the unborn child, Lord, have mercy.

On all who work to change unjust laws, Lord, have mercy.

On all who live the Gospel of Life, Lord, have mercy.

On all legislators who work for life, Lord, have mercy.

On all national and state officials, Lord, have mercy.

On all who are too little to vote or persuade, Lord, have mercy.

On all people who work for life, Lord, have mercy.

On doctors who gaze on life's mysteries, Lord, have mercy.

On physicians who see into the womb, Lord, have mercy.

On surgeons who heal the unborn child, Lord, have mercy.

On nurses and nursing students, Lord, have mercy.

On those who first hear the heartbeat, Lord, have mercy.

On nurses who cradle the newborn, Lord, have mercy.

On all who protect defenseless life, Lord, have mercy.

On the unborn child whose life rests in the hands of others, Lord, have mercy.

On all victims of abortion, Lord, have mercy.

On all who seek mercy, Lord, have mercy.

On all who seek peace, Lord, have mercy.

On all who seek justice, Lord, have mercy.

On all who seek healing, and mercy, and perfect peace, Lord, have mercy.

God our loving Father, grant wisdom to those who govern us, compas-sion and courage to those who work to defend human life, and safety and care to every human being, for You alone who formed us in our mothers’ wombs, and who call us home to heaven, are God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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