December, 2018

The Holy Father's Prayer Intention

Evangelization – In the Service of the Transmission of Faith -- That people, who are involved in the service and transmission of faith, may find, in their dialogue with culture, a language suited to the conditions of the present time.

'Pride deprives us of God's help, making us over-reliant on ourselves and arrogant towards other people.'

St. Thalassios the Libyan

The Angelus

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen.

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.

Hail Mary . . .

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary . . .

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28)

"Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb"
(Lk 1:42).

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/3713800/posts?page=1

Saint of the Day — Blessed Anthony Grassi

Information: St. Winebald,

Feast Day: December 18

Born: Wessex, England

Died: 18 December 761 at Heidenheim, Germany

Information: St. Malachi the Prophet

Feast Day: December 18

Catholic Culture

Advent: December 18th

Tuesday of the Third Week of Advent

MASS READINGS

December 18, 2018 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

O God, who through your Only Begotten Son have made us a new creation, look kindly, we pray, on the handiwork of your mercy, and at your Son's coming cleanse us from every stain of the old way of life. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

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What's in a name? | Dr. Michael P. Foley

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Today is the second of the O Antiphons, O Adonai (O Almighty God). As Moses approached the burning bush, so we approach the divine Savior in the form of a child in the crib, or in the form of the consecrated host, and falling down we adore Him. "Put off the shoes from thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground . . . I am who am." "Come with an outstretched arm to redeem us." This is the cry of the Church for the second coming of Christ on the last day. The return of the Savior brings us plentiful redemption.

O Lord and Ruler
Thou art He "who didst appear to Moses in the burning bush." "I have seen the affliction of My people in Egypt, and I have heard their cry because of the rigor of them that are over the works. And knowing their sorrow, I am come down to deliver them out of the hands of the Egyptians and to bring them out of that land into a good and spacious land, into a land that floweth with milk and honey" (Exod. 3:7 f.). Thus spoke the Lord to Moses from the bush which burned but was not consumed, which is a figure of God's condescension to assume the weakness of human nature. The human nature of Christ is united to the burning divine nature, and yet it is not consumed.

As Moses approached the burning bush, so we approach the divine Savior in the form of a child in the crib, or in the form of the consecrated host, and falling down we adore Him. "Put off the shoes from thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. . . . I am who am" (Exod. 3:5, 14).

O Adonai, almighty God! Mighty in the weakness of a child, and in the helplessness of the Crucified! Thou, almighty God, mighty in the wonders that Thou hast worked! Mighty in guiding, sustaining, and developing Thy Church! "The gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matt. 16:18).

"Come with an outstretched arm to redeem us." This is the cry of the Church for the second coming of Christ on the last day. The return of the Savior brings us plentiful redemption. "Come, ye blessed of My Father, possess you the kingdom prepared for you" (Matt. 25-34).

Excerpted from The Light of the World by Benedict Baur, O.S.B.

2nd O Antiphon:
Symbols: The Tablets

Come and redeem us with outstretched arm.

O Lord and Ruler of the House of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the flame of the burning bush and gave him the law on Sinai: Come and redeem us with outstretched arm.

O Adonai, et dux domus Israël, qui Moyse in igne flammae rubi apparuisti, et ei in Sina legem dedisti: veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento.

The tablets of stone are a picture of the Ten Commandments given by God to Moses on Mt. Sinai. They may be used to represent the whole of God's law, the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible, the Torah), or the entire Old Testament.

Recommended Readings: Micheas 5:1-9

Today is Day Three of the Christmas Novena.

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Matthew 1:18-25

3rd Week of Advent

When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him. (Matthew 1:24)

Like all of the Israelites, Joseph had been waiting for the Messiah. He just never expected that he would be the one the Savior would come to! He was just an everyday small-town carpenter. He probably had no idea what would happen to him if he were to accept this new role. And yet he embraced God’s will without hesitation.

We often look at saints like Joseph and think we could never be like them. On one level, this may be true. Joseph played a key role in salvation history, and he did it heroically. But if you boil it down, all Joseph really did was act on what he understood God wanted from him. It wasn’t always easy, but Joseph tried his best to push through.

Today, you will have many opportunities to imitate Joseph’s simple, trusting obedience. Maybe as you’re ready to criticize someone behind his back, your conscience gives you a warning, and you decide to keep quiet. That’s God telling you to push through the negativity. Or maybe you have avoided calling a friend to apologize for something you did, but something in your heart urges you to make that call. That’s God asking you to push through your reluctance. Perhaps you are in the middle of Mass, and you get the sense that God wants you to devote a little more time to prayer. That’s God asking you to push through to a deeper prayer life.

Of course, you can’t always know how things will turn out once you do decide to push through and follow God’s lead. Life doesn’t always go the way we expect. Just ask Joseph! But if he is any indication, we can be sure that a life marked by trust in the Lord is challenging but fulfilling.

You may never know what God will accomplish through you. But you can be sure that if you don’t follow Joseph’s example, you risk missing out on the joy that he knew. Obeying God isn’t meant to be complicated; it isn’t meant to be a burden either. It’s just the right thing to do.

“Heavenly Father, help me to be like Joseph. Lord, I want to be ready to do your will today.”

Jeremiah 23:5-8
Psalm 72:1-2, 12-13, 18-19

Daily Gospel Commentary

Saint John-Paul II
Pope from 1978 to 2005
Apostolic Letter “ Redemptoris Custos ”, § 25-27 (© copyright Libreria Editrice Vaticana)

"When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him"

The same aura of silence that envelops everything else about Joseph also shrouds his work as a carpenter in the house of Nazareth. It is, however, a silence that reveals in a special way the inner portrait of the man. The Gospels speak exclusively of what Joseph "did." Still, they allow us to discover in his "actions" - shrouded in silence as they are - an aura of deep contemplation. Joseph was in daily contact with the mystery "hidden from ages past," and which "dwelt" under his roof...

Why should the "fatherly" love of Joseph not have had an influence upon the "filial" love of Jesus? And vice versa why should the "filial" love of Jesus not have had an influence upon the "fatherly" love of Joseph, thus leading to a further deepening of their unique relationship? Those souls most sensitive to the impulses of divine love have rightly seen in Joseph a brilliant example of the interior life. Furthermore, in Joseph, the apparent tension between the active and the contemplative life finds an ideal harmony that is only possible for those who possess the perfection of charity. Following the -known distinction between the love of the truth and the practical demands of love, we can say that Joseph experienced both love of the truth - that pure contemplative love of the divine Truth which radiated from the humanity of Christ - and the demands of love - that equally pure and selfless love required for his vocation to safeguard and develop the humanity of Jesus.

Marriage = One Man and One Woman Until Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for December 18, 2018:

Advent is a time of waiting, and waiting is hard! Sometimes we wait for something that may never come (restored health, financial security, a child, reconciliation). As Advent shows, what we are really waiting for is Christ, who never disappoints.

Regnum Christi

December 18, 2018 – Just Joseph

18 Dec 2018

Tuesday of the Third Week of Advent

Father Edward McIlmail, LC

Matthew 1:18-25

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means “God is with us.” When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home. He had no relations with her until she bore a son, and he named him Jesus.

Introductory Prayer: Lord, I come before you humbly. As one who has frequently fallen into sin, I am aware of my weakness. Your great love, though, assures me that your grace can keep me on the path to holiness.

Petition: Lord, let me better imitate St. Joseph in the way I deal with the people around me.

No Gloating: Joseph was taken aback to learn that Mary was expecting a baby. Here was a woman he always knew to be beyond reproach. Legally he could have denounced her publicly. Yet he didn’t. He was ready to let the whole matter drop quietly, as if to give Mary the benefit of the doubt. What a great virtue this is: to think the best of others! It reflects a heart of peace and calm. How many friendships have ended ― indeed, how many wars have started ― because people assumed the worst of someone else. Have I ever judged the motives of someone else, only to learn later that things were not as they first appeared? To whom should I be giving the benefit of the doubt?

Angelic Explanation: Notice that the angel appears to Joseph only after he decides to do the charitable thing and send Mary away quietly. So it often goes in the spiritual life: God reveals more of his plan to us only if we respond to a crisis with charity. It is as if Jesus says, “Treat others well and you will begin to understand me better.” In a crisis, is charity my first response?

Jesus’ Portal: This Gospel passage could be called a second Annunciation. At the first Annunciation, Mary said “yes” to the angel. Now, Joseph’s “yes” was needed in order to ensure that Jesus would have the appearance of an earthly father (and a reputable lineage). Jesus often wants to come back into the world, so to speak, to touch lives: through a work of charity, a word of kindness ― or even a new baby. He counts on our help though. What help could Jesus be asking of me so as to carry out his plans? Could I be thwarting his plans because of laziness, stubbornness, or selfishness? Is he asking me to cooperate with someone? With a loved one? A classmate? A co-worker?

Conversation with Christ: You wonderfully invite me to help you in your mission to save souls, Lord. You respect my freedom, and you want me to respond out of love. Let me appreciate that truth fully and let me be generous with you.

Resolution: I will agree to one request (big or small) today to help someone.

Homily of the Day

December 18, 2018

In the first reading the prophet Jeremiah speaks of the coming of the “spiritual” Israel after the defeat and destruction of Israel. Jeremiah’s message gives hope for the triumph of God’s justice.

In the Gospel reading we hear “how Jesus Christ was born.” Mary was with child with Jesus and Joseph her husband, “an upright man,” “made plans to divorce her in all secrecy.”

God intervened and an Angel told Joseph not to divorce Mary: her child “was conceived by the Holy Spirit.”

An unknown author once wrote that “a house is made of walls and beams, but a home is built by people with faith, hope and love.” As we prepare to celebrate Christmas, we are all invited not just to live in a house but in a home. To be at home is to be united with loved ones. More than giving of material gifts this season, may love be felt in the very presence of our loved ones. After all, the Christmas story is the story of God gifting the world with his only begotten Son for the salvation of mankind.

One Bread, One Body

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Jeremiah 23:5-8
View Readings

Psalm 72:1-2, 12-13, 18-19

Matthew 1:18-25
Similar Reflections

JOSEPH, AN EXPERT ON CHRISTMAS

"Joseph, son of David, have no fear about taking Mary as your wife. It is by the Holy Spirit that she has conceived this Child. She is to have a Son and you are to name Him Jesus." �Matthew 1:20-21

To prepare us for Christ's Christmas coming, the Church introduced us yesterday to Judah (Gn 49:8). We have already been introduced to John the Baptizer, Elijah, Francis Xavier, Juan Diego, Lucy, John of the Cross, and other Advent saints. Of course, Mary, the immaculately conceived mother of God and our Lady of Guadalupe, is the major saint the Lord has chosen to prepare us for His Christmas coming.

Also, St. Joseph is being more and more recognized as exceptionally important to the Church and her preparation for Christ's Christmas coming. St. Joseph was present for the first Christmas, and he is greatly anointed by his Foster-Son to help us be present for this Christmas season. Joseph teaches us to have faith in the Lord even when we don't or can't understand what He's doing. Joseph models fearless (see Mt 1:20) obedience to the Lord's call (Mt 1:24). Joseph shows us an example of poverty at the manger (Lk 2:7), forgiveness for enemies, and courage in decision-making (see Mt 2:13ff).

This Christmas more than ever, St. Joseph, pray for us!

Prayer: Father, deepen my devotion to St. Joseph so as to deepen my worship of You.

Promise: "I will raise up a righteous Shoot to David." —Jer 23:5

Praise: "O sacred Lord of ancient Israel, Who showed Yourself to Moses in the burning bush, Who gave him the holy law on Sinai mountain: come, stretch out Your mighty hand to set us free."

Angel in the Waters -- New Pro-Life book for children [Tissue Alert]