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December 12, 2009                                     Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Zec 2:14-17 or Rv 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion! See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the LORD.Many nations shall join themselves to the LORD on that day,and they shall be his people,and he will dwell among you,and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you.The LORD will possess Judah as his portion in the holy land,and he will again choose Jerusalem.Silence, all mankind,...

As I left the building I felt sorry for the young lady. She was there the entire evening, had sung in the choir, but had missed the wonder of Christmas. She had not seen Jesus. All she had noticed was a defective flashlight.

At the close of a year justly described as a "Docket-buster" -- 27 appointments on these shores... even more close at hand -- no shortage of new high-hats have had to travel some to reach their new assignments. Yet of them all, none's been called on to undergo a greater change of scenery than Bishop Fernando Isern of Pueblo, who's had to trade Miami's warm sun for a Southern Colorado so frigid that, on his ordination yesterday (photos), the news reported closures due to bursting pipes. The first Cuban exile to lead an American diocese since 1994, the 50...

“Mgr Lawrence John Saldanha, archbishop of Lahore and president of the Bishops’ Conference of Pakistan, told AsiaNews that 2009 is going to end in a ‘silent Christmas’ because the country’s situation is very bad.”

Receiving the Overflow Today's Scripture "…we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance" (Psalm 66:12, NIV) Today's Word from Joel and Victoria Friend, no matter what your circumstances may look like today, God's plan is to bring you through to a place of abundance. He wants you to have an abundance of peace, an abundance of joy, an abundance of resources—He wants you to overflow with His blessings so that you can be a blessing to the people around you. One thing I've learned is that if you want to live in...

Individuality "Jesus said to His disciples, ’If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself . . .’ " —Matthew 16:24 Individuality is the hard outer layer surrounding the inner spiritual life. Individuality shoves others aside, separating and isolating people. We see it as the primary characteristic of a child, and rightly so. When we confuse individuality with the spiritual life, we remain isolated. This shell of individuality is God’s created natural covering designed to protect the spiritual life. But our individuality must be yielded to God so that our spiritual life may be brought forth into...

Several years ago I had the privilege of being given a tour of the grounds of what would later become the campus of “Ave Maria University”. I was given this tour by its President, Nick Healy. The College was already in operation, utilizing the buildings which now house the Law School in Naples, Florida until the campus was built. The tour was of vacant, undeveloped land in what was then a part of the town of Immokalee, in Collier County, Florida. During the tour and over lunch afterward I heard the hopes, the vision and the dynamic mission of this...

December 11, 2009                                     Friday of the Second Week of Advent   Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Is 48:17-19 Thus says the LORD, your redeemer,the Holy One of Israel:I, the LORD, your God,teach you what is for your good,and lead you on the way you should go.If you would hearken to my commandments,your prosperity would be like a river,and your vindication like the waves of the sea;Your descendants would be like the sand,and those born of your stock like its grains,Their name never cut offor blotted out from my presence. Responsorial PsalmPs 1:1-2,...

BATULAO, Batangas, Philippines — It was a heartbreaking 60th birthday for visionary Emma De Guzman when in the early morning of Tuesday, December 8, she chose not to deliver the message from the Virgin Mary unlike so many other times in the past. Close to 5,000 pilgrims joined the trek up the Mountain of Salvation in Batulao, to some observers possibly the biggest delegation to join in the prayers and support of the apparition of the Blessed Virgin to Emma. Emma’s journey from plain overseas Filipino nanny in Canada to visionary exhibiting mystical phenomena like stigmata, bilocation, levitation, the gift...

Media-friendly priests and bishops beware: the Vatican has warned clergy who appear on television to remember they are not glamorous “stars" or “showmen" but only communicators bringing the Christian message to a mass audience. Archbishop Mauro Piacenza, secretary of the Vatican Congregation for the Clergy, said “evangelisation does not need showmen priests who go on television." He was speaking after a conference on “Communication and the Mission of the Priesthood" at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome. “Communication should foster communion in the Church," Monsignor Piacenza said. Television and radio were “not a platform for individuals showing...

"The One greater than Moses has come with a LAW greater than than the Law of Moses. He's not going to lower the bar, he's going to RAISE it. He's going to raise it..." "...But this King is going to come to you, with words quite different than you ever imagined, words that at first will seem almost easier than the Law of Moses. And then as you grow, you'll begin to understand, these are the most difficult sayings I have ever heard. They cost more from me than the Law of Moses ever could." Law of Moses says "Tithe"...

Keep Pressing Through Today's Scripture "And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness'" (II Corinthians 12:9, NKJ) Today's Word from Joel and Victoria We all go through seasons of difficulty that can sometimes feel overwhelming. But during these times, we have to remember that Almighty God is greater than the struggle we face! He'll take those challenges and use them to strengthen us, but we have to do our part and get into agreement with Him. Think about the caterpillar before it becomes a butterfly. When it's wrapped...

The Offering of the Natural "It is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman" —Galatians 4:22 Paul was not dealing with sin in this chapter of Galatians, but with the relation of the natural to the spiritual. The natural can be turned into the spiritual only through sacrifice. Without this a person will lead a divided life. Why did God demand that the natural must be sacrificed? God did not demand it. It is not God’s perfect will, but His permissive will. God’s perfect will was for the natural to...

Hanukkah is sited in the Gospel of John 10:22 as the "feast of the dedication."

December 10, 2009                                Thursday of the Second Week of Advent       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Is 41:13-20 I am the LORD, your God,who grasp your right hand;It is I who say to you, “Fear not,I will help you.”Fear not, O worm Jacob,O maggot Israel;I will help you, says the LORD;your redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.I will make of you a threshing sledge,sharp, new, and double-edged,To thresh the mountains and crush them,to make the hills like chaff.When you winnow them, the wind shall carry them offand the storm shall scatter them.But you shall rejoice in the LORD,and...

LONDON (CNS) -- The Catholic bishops of England and Wales said they could be at risk of prosecution under a proposed law unless they accept women, sexually active gays and transsexuals as candidates to the priesthood. They made their claims in a briefing for Catholic members of the House of Lords, Britain's upper political chamber, ahead of a scheduled Dec. 15 debate on the Equality Bill, which aims to stamp out discrimination in the workplace. The bishops said the bill defines priests as employees rather than officeholders. Under the terms of the bill, the church would be immune from prosecution...

Take the Limits Off Today's Scripture "They turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel" (Psalm 78:41, KJV) Today's Word from Joel and Victoria We serve a God of increase! He wants to do new things in our lives. We should always be rising to new levels, but it's so easy to get stuck in a rut and just settle for the status quo. Sometimes we think, "Well, I've reached my limits. I've gone as far as I can go. This is as happy as I'll ever be." But if we're going to continue to...

The Opposition of the Natural "Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires" —Galatians 5:24 The natural life itself is not sinful. But we must abandon sin, having nothing to do with it in any way whatsoever. Sin belongs to hell and to the devil. I, as a child of God, belong to heaven and to God. It is not a question of giving up sin, but of giving up my right to myself, my natural independence, and my self-will. This is where the battle has to be fought. The things that are right,...

Synaxarion: According to the ancient tradition of the Church, since Saint Anna, the Ancestor of God, was barren, she and her husband Joachim remained without children until old age. Therefore, sorrowing over their childlessness, they besought God with a promise that, if He were to grant them the fruit of the womb, they would offer their offspring to Him as a gift. And God, hearkening to their supplication, informed them through an Angel concerning the birth of the Virgin. And thus, through God's promise, Anna conceived according to the laws of nature, and was deemed worthy to become the...

December 9, 2009                                    Wednesday of the Second Week of Advent   Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Is 40:25-31 To whom can you liken me as an equal?says the Holy One.Lift up your eyes on highand see who has created these things:He leads out their army and numbers them,calling them all by name.By his great might and the strength of his powernot one of them is missing!Why, O Jacob, do you say,and declare, O Israel,“My way is hidden from the LORD,and my right is disregarded by my God”? Do you not knowor have you...

Inspirational animation!

From the womb of divine grace was born the original human being, the height of creation's journey.

What if They Don't Believe? Today's Scripture "What if some did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?" (Romans 3:3, KJV) Today's Word from Joel and Victoria Have the opinions of others caused you to water down your dreams? There will always be critics and naysayers in life. One of the most important things you can learn is that other people don't have to believe in you in order for your dreams to come to pass. Other people don't set the limits for your life–you do. It's not what others say about you that...

The Impartial Power of God "By one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified" —Hebrews 10:14 We trample the blood of the Son of God underfoot if we think we are forgiven because we are sorry for our sins. The only reason for the forgiveness of our sins by God, and the infinite depth of His promise to forget them, is the death of Jesus Christ. Our repentance is merely the result of our personal realization of the atonement by the Cross of Christ, which He has provided for us. ". . . Christ Jesus ....

Father Jaques Marquette, of the province of champagne, died at the age of 38 years, of which 21 were passed in the Society — namely, 12 in france and 9 in Canada. He was sent to the missions of the upper algonquins, who are called outaouacs; and labored therein with the zeal that might be expected from a man who had proposed to himself st. francis Xavier as the model of his life and death. He resembled that great Saint, not only in the variety of barbarian languages which he mastered, but also by the range of his zeal, which...

December 8, 2009                                 Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception                                 of the Blessed Virgin Mary   Reading 1Responsorial PsalmReading 2Gospel Reading 1Gn 3:9-15, 20 After the man, Adam, had eaten of the tree,the LORD God called to the man and asked him, “Where are you?”He answered, “I heard you in the garden;but I was afraid, because I was naked,so I hid myself.”Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked?You have eaten, then,from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!”The man replied,...

Father John Lipscomb was the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida. He converted to Catholicism in 2007, a few months after his retirement, and was ordained a priest this week. LUTZ — John Lipscomb, the married, 59-year-old former bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida, was ordained a Catholic priest Wednesday.The morning after, he expressed joy and a sense of relief. He’s at peace, spiritually. He’s just a priest now. He’s not the boss.“The part of the job that never fit was sitting in judgment of other people’s lives,� he said. “I’m at a point in my...

Home. What a powerful yet comforting word, that is, if it represents concern, understanding, and the Lord’s kindness. Sadly, some homes are but houses, and some are hardly that. Those shells speak of abuse and sadness, loneliness, and shame. The same with the Big House — planet Earth.

They came wanting to say their Islamic prayers, and ended up praying to Jesus for salvation!

A friend wrote me about a school principal, a religious sister, speaking to a parent and requesting school funds. The gentleman was described as an "ultra-Catholic." My friend asked me: "What is that, do you know?" Evidently, the "non-ultra" principal thought it all right to siphon needed cash from the "ultra" parent. No strings were attached. Once the funds were donated, the non-ultra establishment would go its non-ultra way. The ultra was good for his cash, if he still had any. His ideas were, well, ultra. Clearly, I cannot resist taking a stab at defining what a modern ultra-Catholic...

Vision for Overflow Today's Scripture Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation . . . —2 Corinthians 7:10 Today's Word from Joel and Victoria What is the vision you have for your life? Do you see yourself rising higher? Do you see yourself increasing and growing in the blessing of God? Friend, if we are going to live the abundant, overflowing life that God has promised us, we have to have a vision for it. We have to see ourselves so blessed and so filled that we overflow on to the people around us. We should have so much...

Repentance "Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation . . ." —2 Corinthians 7:10 Conviction of sin is best described in the words:My sins, my sins, my Savior, How sad on Thee they fall.Conviction of sin is one of the most uncommon things that ever happens to a person. It is the beginning of an understanding of God. Jesus Christ said that when the Holy Spirit came He would convict people of sin (see John 16:8 ). And when the Holy Spirit stirs a person’s conscience and brings him into the presence of God, it is not that person’s...

December 7, 2009                                 Monday of the Second Week of Advent   Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Is 35:1-10 The desert and the parched land will exult;the steppe will rejoice and bloom.They will bloom with abundant flowers,and rejoice with joyful song.The glory of Lebanon will be given to them,the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;They will see the glory of the LORD,the splendor of our God.Strengthen the hands that are feeble,make firm the knees that are weak,Say to those whose hearts are frightened:Be strong, fear not!Here is your God,he comes with vindication;With divine recompensehe comes...

How many of us --- indeed, all of us --- have at one time or another said, "Ah ... would that I had never done that! Could I only go back in time!Confucius, in one of his well known Analects, summarized it best: "What is said cannot be unsaid." How true. What is more, in so many, many ways, what is done cannot be undone ...We are prisoners of our past --- and Time, the stern warden, it appears, has thrown away the key. We are prisoners to what we have said and to what we have done. In...

The Christmas wreaths were still hung on the walls of the front meeting room, but it was evident that the season's mirth had ebbed away.

"My Rainbow in the Cloud" "I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth" —Genesis 9:13 It is the will of God that human beings should get into a right-standing relationship with Him, and His covenants are designed for this purpose. Why doesn’t God save me? He has accomplished and provided for my salvation, but I have not yet entered into a relationship with Him. Why doesn’t God do everything we ask? He has done it. The point is— will I step into that covenant relationship?...

December 6, 2009                                      Second Sunday of Advent   Reading 1Responsorial PsalmReading 2Gospel Reading 1Bar 5:1-9 Jerusalem, take off your robe of mourning and misery;put on the splendor of glory from God forever:wrapped in the cloak of justice from God,bear on your head the mitrethat displays the glory of the eternal name.For God will show all the earth your splendor:you will be named by God foreverthe peace of justice, the glory of God’s worship. Up, Jerusalem! stand upon the heights;look to the east and see your childrengathered from the east and the...

A Silence That Contemplates and Adores The Apologetic Prayers of the "Ordo Missae" ROME, DEC. 4, 2009 (Zenit.org).- In this article, Father Mauro Gagliardi, a consultor of the Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff, explains the importance and meaning of the "apologetic prayers" said during the celebration of the holy Mass. These "apologetic prayers" are the ones that the priest recites quietly -- in "secret" -- before God, to participate more consciously and worthily in the divine mysteries that he celebrates on behalf of the whole Church. The faithful accompany these prayers with reverent, external silence and...

Traditional Holy Mass Propers † Traditional Sunday Propers ~ Dominica Secunda Adventus ~ Second Sunday of Advent † Statio ad S. Crucem in Jerusalem ~ Station at the Church of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem 6 December 2009 Anno Dómini † Feast of Bishop Saint Nicholas † Missa Populus Sion, ecce Dóminus véniet ad salvándas gentes ( "People of Sion, behold the Lord shall come to save the nations" ) "....Ecce ego mitto angelum meum ante fáciem tuam, qui præparábit viam ante te ~ Behold I send my Angel before Thy face, who shall prepare Thy way before Thee...."...

While in the midst of researching another piece, I ran into some photos of a rather beautiful church near Nepi, Italy; the Basilica of Sant'Elia in Castel Sant'Elia. It is beautiful for reasons of its architecture, its cosmatesque floors, its vibrant wall paintings, its ambone, and its altar with ciborium. The basilica was constructed in either the 10th or 11th century, and the ciborium likewise dates from this period. By tradition, it is suggested that this basilica was erected over the spot of a former pagan Roman temple constructed by Nero for Diana, the Roman goddess of the hunt. In...

Monday and Thrsday mornings, 12/7 and 10Kohen--Genesis 37:1-3Levi--vs. 4-7Yisra'el--vs. 8-11 Strday 12/12--First Shabbat Chanukkah/First Day Chanukkah/Shabbat Parashat VaYeshevMORNING Kohen--Genesis 37:1-11Levi--37:12-22Shelishi--37:23-36Revi`i--38:1-30Chamishi--39:1-6Shishi--39:7-23Shevi`i--40:1-23Maftir--Numbers 7:1-17Haftarah--Zechariah 2:14-4:7 EVENING Kohen--Genesis 41:1-4Levi--vs. 5-7Yisra'el--vs. 8-14

This mystery woman reminds me of Vi.

Two years ago, the USCCB released a document of revised guidelines for liturgical music titled "Sing to the Mountains" -- er, "Lord." In its 88 mostly tepid pages are found a meditation on the scriptural and theological foundations for the use of music in worship, notes particular to the celebration of special rites within the Mass, and handy tips for ordained and lay liturgical ministers, such as the suggestion that cantors "possess the ability for singing and a facility in correct pronunciation and diction."   And, as with so many products of committee, its prescriptions perform a two-step waltz:...

"The Temple of the Holy Spirit" ". . . only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you" —Genesis 41:40 I am accountable to God for the way I control my body under His authority. Paul said he did not "set aside the grace of God"— make it ineffective ( Galatians 2:21 ). The grace of God is absolute and limitless, and the work of salvation through Jesus is complete and finished forever. I am not being saved— I am saved. Salvation is as eternal as God’s throne, but I must put to work or use...

December 5, 2009                                 Saturday of the First Week of Advent     Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Is 30:19-21, 23-26 Thus says the Lord GOD,the Holy One of Israel:O people of Zion, who dwell in Jerusalem,no more will you weep;He will be gracious to you when you cry out,as soon as he hears he will answer you.The Lord will give you the bread you needand the water for which you thirst.No longer will your Teacher hide himself,but with your own eyes you shall see your Teacher,While from behind, a voice shall sound in...

It was Christmas, but it didn’t seem like Christmas to me. Traditional lights were glistening everywhere, and churches were abuzz with excitement, but I felt a coldness in my heart akin to the freezing rains that hit me as I trudged uphill to the hospital.

It seems like every few years someone’s routine life experiences are interrupted by the sudden appearance of something that requires both a vivid imagination and a heaping portion of faith. These occurrences don’t take place exclusively in Massachusetts, but we’ve certainly had our share of them. The latest in a seemingly endless string of chuckle-inducing incidents happened recently to a 44 year-old medical secretary from Methuen. Engrossed in her usual chores at home last week, Mary Jo Coady’s eyes suddenly focused on, of all things, the underside of her household steam iron. And there it was. What to most of...

Pave the Way for Victory Today's Scripture "In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation" (Psalm 5:3, NIV) Today's Word from Joel and Victoria Did you know that every morning you have the opportunity to set the tone for your whole day? When you put God first and decide to go out with a grateful attitude and a positive frame of mind, you'll not only feel better, but you're going to draw in the good things of God. You are paving the way for success...

The Law of Opposition "To him who overcomes . . ." —Revelation 2:7 Life without war is impossible in the natural or the supernatural realm. It is a fact that there is a continuing struggle in the physical, mental, moral, and spiritual areas of life.Health is the balance between the physical parts of my body and all the things and forces surrounding me. To maintain good health I must have sufficient internal strength to fight off the things that are external. Everything outside my physical life is designed to cause my death. The very elements that sustain me while...

December 4, 2009                                  Friday of the First Week of Advent   Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Is 29:17-24 Thus says the Lord GOD:But a very little while,and Lebanon shall be changed into an orchard,and the orchard be regarded as a forest!On that day the deaf shall hearthe words of a book;And out of gloom and darkness,the eyes of the blind shall see.The lowly will ever find joy in the LORD,and the poor rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.For the tyrant will be no moreand the arrogant will have gone;All who are alert to do evil will be cut off,those whose...