Shepherds of Christ
Daily Writing
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Shepherds of Christ |
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December 17, 2010
December 18th Holy Spirit Novena
Scripture selection is Day 4 Period II.The Novena Rosary Mysteries
for December 18th are Sorrowful.
Pray for Jimmy.
We need funds for the mailing
of Fr. Joe's book
Our Lord wants out.
Call 1-888-211-3041
Give gifts that last.
Please remember us when buying
your Christmas gifts.
Can anyone please help us payoff
our loan on the building?
We need to print the
Tiny Tot Rosary Books.
Can anyone please help us with the this?
1-888-211-3041
We need to reprint the Cycle A Homily Book
Please help us to reprint the book
to send to the priests.1-888-211-3041
December 17, 2010
Genealogy of Jesus is to show
Jesus as the Messiah —
The promise to Abraham
The Messiah, the Son of David
December 17th
The sons of Jacob will have the
scepter and the strength —
Genesis 49: 8-10
Justice shall flourish in His time and
fullness of peace forever
Psalm 72: 1-4, 7-8, 17
Matthew 1: 1-17
show the genealogy of Jesus
December 18th
The name, God is with us, was given to the
future King by Isaiah —
It was Emmanuel —
Jesus alone has fulfilled the words and
hopes of the prophets —
God has come to live with us —
God is all powerful
God free us from the slavery of sin
Jeremiah 23: 5-8
Look, the days are coming,
Yahweh declares,
when I shall raise an upright Branch
for David;
he will reign as king and be wise,
doing what is just and upright
in the country.
In his days Judah will triumph
and Israel live in safety.
And this is the name he will be called, ‘Yahweh–is–our–Saving–Justice.’ "‘So, look, the days are coming, Yahweh declares, when people will no longer say, "As Yahweh lives who brought the Israelites out of Egypt," but, "As Yahweh lives who led back and brought home the offspring of the House of Israel from the land of the north and all the countries to which he had driven them, to live on their own soil." ’
Justice shall flourish in His time and
fullness of peace forever
The focus of Matthew's Gospel is Joseph
Matthew 1: 18-25
This is how Jesus Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to live together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being an upright man and wanting to spare her disgrace, decided to divorce her informally. He had made up his mind to do this when suddenly the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins.’ Now all this took place to fulfil what the Lord had spoken through the prophet:
Look! the virgin is with child
and will give birth to a son
whom they will call Immanuel,a name which means ‘God–is–with–us’. When Joseph woke up he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do: he took his wife to his home; he had not had intercourse with her when she gave birth to a son; and he named him Jesus.
December 19th
Messages I received on December 19, 1996 —
2 days after Mary appeared were
many —
here are a few
December 19, 1996
Mary: My dear children, I give to you, my Son, Jesus, born in a stable in Bethlehem on Christmas morn. He is the Almighty God, the Light of the World.
I appear to you, my children, on a (former) bank in Florida. You have made money your god! Do you know how cold are your hearts? You turn away from my Son, Jesus, for your money. Your money is your god.
I am Mary, your Mother. I do not appear as I once appeared to you. I am asking you today to circulate my message given on a tape on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, December 12, 1996. Please circulate this tape now. Give it to as many people as you can. I am Mary, your Mother. Please circulate my Rosary Book.
end of December 19, 1996
John the Baptist was to prepare
the people for the coming of
the Lord
He preached repentance and
conversion of the heart —
We are to prepare for Christmas —
These days
December 17 - December 24 are
special days to prepare —
Hebrews 10: 37
Only a little while now, a very little while, for come he certainly will before too long.
Father fill us with faith and love —
Help us to understand more the
mystery of God-made-man —
The uncut hair of Samson was to
reveal strength
Judges 13: 2-7, 24-25
There was a man of Zorah of the tribe of Dan, called Manoah. His wife was barren; she had borne no children. The Angel of Yahweh appeared to this woman and said to her, ‘You are barren and have had no child, but you are going to conceive and give birth to a son. From now on, take great care. Drink no wine or fermented liquor, and eat nothing unclean. For you are going to conceive and give birth to a son. No razor is to touch his head, for the boy is to be God’s nazirite from his mother’s womb; and he will start rescuing Israel from the power of the Philistines.’ The woman then went and told her husband, ‘A man of God has just come to me, who looked like the Angel of God, so majestic was he. I did not ask him where he came from, and he did not tell me his name. But he said to me, "You are going to conceive and will give birth to a son. From now on, drink no wine or fermented liquor, and eat nothing unclean. For the boy is to be God’s nazirite from his mother’s womb to his dying day." ’
The woman gave birth to a son and called him Samson. The child grew, and Yahweh blessed him; and the spirit of Yahweh began to stir him in the Camp of Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.
"My mouth shall be filled with your
praise and I will sing your glory"
Psalm 71: 3-6, 16-17
R. Fill me with your praise
and I will sing your glory!Be a sheltering rock for me,
always accessible;
you have determined to save me,
for you are my rock, my fortress.
My God, rescue me from the clutches of the wicked,
from the grasp of the rogue and the ruthless.For you are my hope, Lord,
my trust, Yahweh, since boyhood.
On you I have relied since my birth,
since my mother’s womb you have been my portion,
the constant theme of my praise.I will come in the power of Yahweh
to tell of your justice, yours alone.
God, you have taught me from boyhood,
and I am still proclaiming your marvels.
The conception of John the Baptist
is linked with the words of the
Old Testament — for example
The births of Samuel and Samson —
"He will be filled with the Holy Spirit
even from his mother's womb" Luke 1: 15
Dear God — we thank you for the
bread of life —
We open our hearts —
Help us to prepare for the coming
of Jesus —
December 20th
Mary was conceived without sin —
Mary is full of grace —
Mary the Mother of the Incarnate Word
Isaiah 11: 1, 40: 5
A shoot will spring
from the stock of Jesse,
a new shoot will grow from his roots.then the glory of Yahweh will be revealed
and all humanity will see it together,
for the mouth of Yahweh has spoken.'
Luke 3: 6
Oh God —
You are love —
You are a God of mercy
have mercy on us —
fill us with Your love —
Help us to follow Mary's example —
Mary conceived Jesus in her womb
through the power of the Holy Spirit —
Isaiah 7: 10-14
Yahweh spoke to Ahaz again and said:
Ask Yahweh your God for a sign,
either in the depths of Sheol
or in the heights above.But Ahaz said, ‘I will not ask. I will not put Yahweh to the test.’
He then said:Listen now, House of David:
are you not satisfied
with trying human patience
that you should try
my God’s patience too?
The Lord will give you a sign in any case:
It is this: the young woman is with child
and will give birth to a son
whom she will call Immanuel.
INTRODUCTION – We read almost every day about the problems in the Middle East. This is nothing new. Seven hundred thirty years before Christ there were problems too. The dominant power in the Middle East at that time was Assyria, an especially cruel and powerful nation whose capital was located in modern day Iraq, about 250 miles north of Baghdad. The king in Jerusalem at the time, King Ahaz felt threatened, not so much by Assyria, but by two smaller nations that were preparing to attack him. He decided to call on Assyria for help. The prophet Isaiah, the author of our first reading, warned: “Don’t do it. It will only cause more problems.” He promised: “God would keep the king and Jerusalem safe.” Ahaz did not have enough faith that God would do so. Isaiah told the king “Ask for a sign, ask for some proof.” But Ahaz, acting very pious, said he would not tempt God by asking for a sign. Isaiah offered one anyway. The sign Isaiah offered was most probably that God would give him a son who would succeed him. At this time he had no offspring for the king had already offered his only son in human sacrifice to Moloch, the pagan god of the Canaanites. God’s gift of another son would definitely be a sign that God would not let his lineage die out. Ahaz’ son would be called by the symbolic name Emmanuel for he would be a sign that God was with his people. It is a good possibility that the son Ahaz eventually had was Hezekiah who turned out to be a good leader and a king who was faithful to God. But St. Matthew saw in this promise of Isaiah a greater depth of meaning. He saw that Jesus fulfilled this promise perfectly by being born of a virgin and by being a sign to us that God is with us.
HOMILY - Both St. Matthew and St. Luke tell us about the unique way in which Jesus was conceived. St. Luke tells us the story in the beautiful gospel of the Annunciation where Mary is the central figure. St. Matthew’s gospel, which we just heard, tells the story as it was experienced by Joseph.
Joseph learned that Mary, his wife to be, was going to have a baby and he knew he was not the father. It might be worth mentioning that in that culture engagement was as much of a commitment as marriage. That’s why sometimes in the gospel it says Joseph and Mary were betrothed and sometimes Mary is called Joseph’s wife. It’s just that couples didn’t begin to live together until they were formally married. We do not know whether Mary told Joseph that it was by the power of the Holy Spirit that she conceived. I would like to think she did. And I would like to think that St. Joseph believed her and decided he was unworthy to be associated with such special people as Mary and her son to be – a son who was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Joseph decided to end their relationship. But if there were any questions Joseph might still have had, the angel made it clear to him. He was to take Mary into his home and he would be head of the family. As head of the family, Joseph would give Jesus his name, a Hebrew name meaning “Yahweh saves.” The angel makes a point of this when he tells Joseph “you are to name him Jesus because he will save his people from their sins.” It is also Joseph who would give Jesus his social status. That status was indicated by the way the angel greeted Joseph as “Joseph, son of David.” Jesus would belong to the house of David, a royal family. Other than the claim to be part of the family tree of King David, the descendants of King David had no power or authority or royal perks since the Babylonian exile 600 years before Christ. But the fact that Jesus had this social standing is very important for the people expected the Messiah to come from David’s line as God had promised David his kingdom would endure forever.
On this fourth Sunday of Advent, the Church is reminding us of the exulted dignity of the child whose birth we are about to celebrate. Humanly speaking, he is born into a kingly family. But he is more than human. He was conceived in a unique way, through the Holy Spirit, thus he is Son of God. Truly he is Emmanuel, God with us. He is our God who has come to save us as the name Jesus tells us. No wonder we celebrate.
Let us reflect for a moment on the name Emmanuel. St. Matthew tells us here, in the beginning of his gospel, that Jesus’ birth, in the fullest sense of the word, is the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah. Jesus is God with us. If we go to the very end of St. Matthew’s gospel, in the very last verse, as Jesus was ascending into heaven, he told his disciples: “Behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” Jesus is God with us, a theme that begins and ends and runs all through Matthew’s gospel.
With all the evil and suffering in our world, it is a mystery why God would want to be with us. Of course, we know from everyday experience we want to be with those we love, so if that’s why God wants to be with us, and the gospels tell us that is why, then we ask why God would love us so? We have a hard time believing that God does love us at times, especially when we don’t love ourselves very much or when we have to face serious problems or tragedy. At those times we are tempted to feel as if he forgot us. Our only response to times of doubt is to choose to believe him when the tells us: “I am with you always.” There’s no easy way around the fact that we need to have lots of faith sometimes. There’s no easy way to have faith except to take time to pray.
One preeminent sign of his presence with us is the Eucharist. Here too we must choose to believe his words at the Last Supper were true when he said: “This is my body; this is my blood.” May our celebration of Christmas truly be a celebration of our belief in Emmanuel, “God is with us.” And may it lead us to a greater appreciation of the Eucharist we celebrate each week.
Ahaz was weak
Ahaz was a legitimate heir
to the throne —
Isaiah 7: 10-14
Yahweh spoke to Ahaz again and said:
Ask Yahweh your God for a sign,
either in the depths of Sheol
or in the heights above.But Ahaz said, ‘I will not ask. I will not put Yahweh to the test.’
He then said:Listen now, House of David:
are you not satisfied
with trying human patience
that you should try
my God’s patience too?
The Lord will give you a sign in any case:
It is this: the young woman is with child
and will give birth to a son
whom she will call Immanuel.
"Let the Lord enter —
he is the King of Glory"
Psalm 24: 1-6
To Yahweh belong the earth and all it contains,
the world and all who live there;
it is he who laid its foundations on the seas,
on the flowing waters fixed it firm.Who shall go up to the mountain of Yahweh?
Who shall take a stand in his holy place?The clean of hands and pure of heart,
whose heart is not set on vanities,
who does not swear an oath in order to deceive.Such a one will receive blessing from Yahweh,
saving justice from the God of his salvation.
Such is the people that seeks him,
that seeks your presence, God of Jacob. Pause
Mary said
"I am the handmaid of the Lord,
may it be done unto me
according to your word" Luke 1: 38
We see Luke's Gospel —
talking about the conception of
John the Baptist —
now the Annunciation
Jesus is the Bread of Life —
Jesus came in a manger —
December 21st
Our lives are to be servants
of the Lord —
God calls us —
servants and handmaids of
the Good Shepherd —
This is an honor —
He wants this established for future
generations —
to help in the renewal of the
Church and the world —
God loves His people so much —
It is our mission to help bring
this intimate love of Jesus
to the members of
the body of Christ —
Song of Songs 2: 8-14
I hear my love.
See how he comes
leaping on the mountains,
bounding over the hills.
My love is like a gazelle,
like a young stag.See where he stands
behind our wall.
He looks in at the window,
he peers through the opening.My love lifts up his voice,
he says to me,
‘Come then, my beloved,
my lovely one, come.
For see, winter is past,
the rains are over and gone.‘Flowers are appearing on the earth.
The season of glad songs has come,
the cooing of the turtledove is heard in our land.
The fig tree is forming its first figs
and the blossoming vines give out their fragrance.
Come then, my beloved,
my lovely one, come.‘My dove, hiding in the clefts of the rock,
in the coverts of the cliff,
show me your face,
let me hear your voice;
for your voice is sweet
and your face is lovely.’
Salvation History —
Jesus is the Savior
Let us Rejoice
Be thankful
Let us Praise Our God —
Psalm 33: 1-3
Shout for joy, you upright;
praise comes well from the honest.
Give thanks to Yahweh on the lyre,
play for him on the ten–stringed lyre.Give thanks to Yahweh on the lyre,
play for him on the ten–stringed lyre.
Exult you just in the Lord —
Sing to him a new song —
Psalm 33: 2-3, 11-12, 20-21
Give thanks to Yahweh on the lyre,
play for him on the ten–stringed lyre.
Sing to him a new song,
make sweet music for your cry of victory.but Yahweh's own plan stands firm for ever,
his heart's counsel from age to age.How blessed the nation whose God is Yahweh,
the people he has chosen as his heritage.We are waiting for Yahweh;
he is our help and our shield,
for in him our heart rejoices,
in his holy name we trust.
Sing: Save us Oh Lord —
Mary goes to visit Elizabeth —
Christ goes to John
December 22nd
Sing: Holy Is His Name
Fr. Carter died and was buried
during these special days —
Let us share in the Divine Plan
Let us celebrate the birth of Jesus!
Samuel is the symbol of a
child dedicated from the womb —
Hannah fulfills her vow
1 Samuel 1: 24-28
When she had weaned him, she took him up with her, as well as a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and took him into the temple of Yahweh at Shiloh; the child was very young. They sacrificed the bull and led the child to Eli. She said, 'If you please, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood beside you here, praying to Yahweh. This is the child for which I was praying, and Yahweh has granted me what I asked of him. Now I make him over to Yahweh for the whole of his life. He is made over to Yahweh.' They then worshipped Yahweh there.
Samuel is consecrated
to God's service —
Jesus is the King of heaven
and earth —
Mary filled with the Holy Spirit
gives us the Magnificat
Mary is the perfect
handmaid of the Lord —
God is mighty
God cares for our needs
December 23rd
John 3: 16
For this is how God loved the world:
he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him
may not perish
but may have eternal life.
Isaiah 9: 6
to extend his dominion
in boundless peace,
over the throne of David
and over his kingdom
to make it secure and sustain it
in fair judgment and integrity.
From this time onwards and for ever,
the jealous love of Yahweh Sabaoth
will do this.
Malachi 3:1-4, 23-24
'Look, I shall send my messenger to clear a way before me. And suddenly the Lord whom you seek will come to his Temple; yes, the angel of the covenant, for whom you long, is on his way, says Yahweh Sabaoth. Who will be able to resist the day of his coming? Who will remain standing when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire, like fullers' alkali. He will take his seat as refiner and purifier; he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they can make the offering to Yahweh with uprightness. The offering of Judah and Jerusalem will then be acceptable to Yahweh as in former days, as in the years of old.
'Look, I shall send you the prophet Elijah before the great and awesome Day of Yahweh comes. He will reconcile parents to their children and children to their parents, to forestall my putting the country under the curse of destruction.'
Luke 21: 28
When these things begin to take place, stand erect, hold your heads high, because your liberation is near at hand.'
Psalm 25: 4-5, 8-9, 10, 14
DIRECT me in your ways, Yahweh,
and teach me your paths.ENCOURAGE me to walk in your truth and teach me
since you are the God who saves me.INTEGRITY and generosity are marks of Yahweh
for he brings sinners back to the path.JUDICIOUSLY he guides the humble,
instructing the poor in his way.KINDNESS unfailing and constancy mark all Yahweh's paths,
for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.ONLY those who fear Yahweh have his secret
and his covenant, for their understanding.
John means
"Yahweh has shown favor"
We see the birth of John the Baptist
described
Revelation 3: 20
Look, I am standing at the door, knocking. If one of you hears me calling and opens the door, I will come in to share a meal at that person's side.
God wants us to have openness —
He asks for openness at Christmas —
Make our heart a place for
the Christ child to lay
His little head —
To have the openness of Mary —
God wants to fill us with Himself —
Mary conceived the Child Jesus
in her womb through
the power of the Holy Spirit
We are to ask that we are open —
an empty vessel —
ready to be filled by Him
From the Prayer for Union
I am Yours to possess. I am Yours to use. I want to be selfless and only exist in You. Help me to spoon out all that is me and be an empty vessel ready to be filled by You. Help me to die to myself and live only for You. Use me as You will. Let me never draw my attention back to myself. I only want to operate as You do, dwelling in me.
Say to God
"I am the handmaid of
the Lord"
Have Mary's modeling —
Put nothing in God's way
Galatians 4: 4
but when the completion of the time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born a subject of the Law,
Come, Oh Lord Jesus —
do not delay
Come into our hearts
December 24th
2 Samuel 7: 1-5, 8-12, 14, 16
Once the king had settled into his palace and Yahweh had granted him rest from all the enemies surrounding him, the king said to the prophet Nathan, 'Look, I am living in a cedar' wood palace, while the ark of God is under awnings." Nathan said to the king, 'Go and do whatever you have in mind, for Yahweh is with you.' But that very night, the word of Yahweh came to Nathan: 'Go and tell my servant David, "Yahweh says this: Are you to build me a temple for me to live in?
"Yahweh Sabaoth says this: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be leader of my people Israel; I have been with you wherever you went; I have got rid of all your enemies for you. I am going to make your fame as great as the fame of the greatest on earth. I am going to provide a place for my people Israel; I shall plant them there, and there they will live and never be disturbed again; nor will they be oppressed by the wicked any more, as they were in former times ever since the time when I instituted judges to govern my people Israel; and I shall grant you rest from all your enemies. Yahweh furthermore tells you that he will make you a dynasty. And when your days are over and you fall asleep with your ancestors, I shall appoint your heir, your own son to succeed you (and I shall make his sovereignty secure.
I shall be a father to him and he a son to me; if he does wrong, I shall punish him with a rod such as men use, with blows such as mankind gives.
Your dynasty and your sovereignty will ever stand firm before me and your throne be for ever secure." '
David's dynasty will last
forever
"Forever I will sing the goodness
of the Lord"
Psalm 89: 2-5, 27, 29
I shall sing the faithful love of Yahweh for ever,
from age to age my lips shall declare your constancy,
for you have said: love is built to last for ever,
you have fixed your constancy firm in the heavens.
‘I have made a covenant with my Chosen One,
sworn an oath to my servant David:
I have made your dynasty firm for ever,
built your throne stable age after age.' PauseThe heavens praise your wonders, Yahweh,
your constancy in the gathering of your faithful.So I shall make him my first-born,
the highest of earthly kings.I have established his dynasty for ever,
his throne to be as lasting as the heavens.
Luke 1: 67-79
His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke this prophecy:
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
for he has visited his people,
he has set them free,
and he has established for us
a saving power
in the House of his servant David,
just as he proclaimed,
by the mouth of his holy prophets
from ancient times,
that he would save us from our enemies
and from the hands of all those
who hate us,
and show faithful love to our ancestors,
and so keep in mind his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore
to our father Abraham,
that he would grant us, free from fear,
to be delivered
from the hands of our enemies,
to serve him in holiness and uprightness
in his presence, all our days.
And you, little child,
you shall be called
Prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord
to prepare a way for him,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins,
because of the faithful love of our God
in which the rising Sun
has come from on high to visit us,
to give light to those who live
in darkness and the shadow dark as death,
and to guide our feet
into the way of peace.
Christ is the "Son of Justice"
We celebrate, the life, death
and resurrection of Christ in
our lives —
The incarnation goes on in us —
We empty ourselves to be filled
by God —
From the Spirituality Handbook by Fr. Edward J. Carter, S.J.
An Overview of the Spiritual Life
... Into such a depraved condition Jesus entered, with a full and generous Heart, to lead the human race from the depths of sinfulness to the vibrant richness of a new life in Himself. Through His enfleshment, this Christ became the focal point of all history. The authentic hopes and dreams of the human family, now so overshadowed by the ugliness of sin, came converging upon this Christ. He would gather them up in Himself, give them a new luster and brilliance and dynamism, and would lead the human family back to the Father in the Holy Spirit.
Christ was radically to release us from the dominion of sin and elevate us to a new level of existence. This life Christ has given us is not a type of superstructure which is erected atop human existence. Although nature and grace are distinct, they do not lie side by side as separate entities. Rather, grace permeates nature. The Christian is one graced person. The Christian is one who has been raised up, caught up, into a deeper form of life in Christ Jesus. Nothing that is authentically human in the life of the Christian has been excluded from this new existence. Whatever is really human in the life of the Christian is meant to be an expression of the Christ-life. The simple but deep joys of family life, the wonderment at nature's beauty, the warm embrace of a mother for her child, the agony of crucial decision making, the success or frustration that is experienced in one's work, the joy of being well received by others, and the heartache of being misunderstood—all these experiences are intended to be caught up in Christ and made more deeply human because of Him.
Jesus has come, then, not to destroy anything that is authentically human, but to perfect it by leading it to a graced fulfillment. This is the meaning of the Word's becoming flesh, the meaning of the Incarnation. The more God-like we become through Christ, the more human we become.
We, through our incorporation into Christ which occurs at Baptism, are meant to relive the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. In doing so, we are not only accomplishing our own salvation, but we are assisting in the salvation of others also. The Incarnation continues all the time. Christ, of course, is the one Who fundamentally continues the Incarnation. But He enlists our help. The world no longer sees Jesus, no longer is able to reach out and touch Him. We are the ones who now, in some way, make Christ visible and tangible. In union with the invisible, glorified Christ, and depending on Him as our source of life, we continue the Incarnation in its visible and temporal dimensions. This is our great privilege. This is our great responsibility.
The Christian is initiated into the mystery of Christ, into his or her role in prolonging the Incarnation, through Baptism. In the words of St. Paul: "Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were buried therefore with Him by Baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life." (Rom. 6: 3-4).
It is not sufficient, however, that we be incorporated into Christ through Baptism. All forms of life require nourishment. So, too, our life in Christ must be continually nourished. How can we continually keep in contact with Christ? There are various ways. We contact Christ in a most special way through the liturgy, above all in the Eucharistic liturgy. Here the entire course of salvation history, as centered in Jesus, is sacramentally renewed and continued. Through our most special and most personal meeting with Jesus in the Mass, we are more deeply incorporated into Christ. Also, we should remember that all the sacraments make up part of the Church's liturgy.
The reading of Scripture provides another special opportunity for meeting Jesus. This is true for both Old and New Testaments. The Old Testament prefigures the New Testament and leads to it. It is obvious, however, that we meet Christ especially in the pages of the New Testament. How true it is to say that not to be familiar with Scripture is not to know Jesus properly. We should resolve to read from Scripture daily.
We also meet Jesus in our interaction with others. Everyone we meet, everyone we serve, is in the image of Jesus. We have to take the means to grow in this awareness. If I truly believe that everyone has been redeemed by the blood of Jesus, how should I treat everyone?
These, then, are some of the ways we keep in contact with Jesus. Common to the various ways of meeting Jesus is a certain degree of prayerful reflection. Our contact with Jesus in the liturgy, in Scripture, and in our interaction with others, and so forth, will not be all that it should be unless we are persons of prayer. The light and strength of prayer enables us to keep in contact with Jesus as we should.
We live out our Christ-life in an atmosphere of love. Indeed, the life Jesus has given us is centered in love. It has its origins in the mysterious love of God: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life" (Jn 3: 16).
Our new life in Jesus has arisen out of God's fathomless love. Christ, in His descent into human flesh, has established a milieu of love. The life He came to give can flourish only in the framework of love. Indeed, we can summarize the meaning of the Christian life by stating that it is our loving response to God's love. The pierced Heart of Jesus, this Heart which shed its last drop of blood in the greatest love for each one of us, is the symbol of God's tremendous love for us. Christ's Heart also calls us to respond by giving ourselves in love to God and neighbor. Yes, Jesus invites us to respond to God's love by giving ourselves in love to Him in an ever closer union. The more closely we are united to Him, the greater is our capacity to love God and neighbor. The more closely we are united with Jesus, the more closely He unites us to the Father in the Holy Spirit, with Mary our Mother at our side.
end of excerpt
We want that fuller realization
of Christ's presence in us —
The Word made flesh —
Jesus is the Servant of Yahweh
a baby
The Prince of Peace
The Light
Excerpt from Response to God's Love by Fr. Edward Carter, S.J.
... In reference to Christianity, God himself is the ultimate mystery. Radically, God is completely other and transcendent, hidden from man in his inner life, unless he chooses to reveal himself. Let us briefly look at this inner life of God.
The Father, in a perfect act of self-expression, in a perfect act of knowing, generates his son. The Son, the Word, is, then, the immanent expression of God's fullness, the reflection of the Father. Likewise, from all eternity, the Father and the Son bring forth the Holy Spirit in a perfect act of loving.
At the destined moment in human history, God's self-expression, the Word, immersed himself into man's world. God's inner self-expression now had also become God's outer self-expression. Consequently, the mystery of God becomes the mystery of Christ. In Christ, God tells us about himself, about his inner life, about his plan of creation and redemption. He tells us how Father, Son, and Holy Spirit desire to dwell within us in the most intimate fashion, how they wish to share with us their own life through grace. All this he has accomplished and does accomplish through Christ.
Christ - in - us
Luke 2: 7, 16
and she gave birth to a son, her first-born. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the living-space.
So they hurried away and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger.
We welcome Christ as Our Redeemer
Christmas — the feast of our salvation —
Our Father is all good —
Christmas — the dawn of salvation
— the birth of Jesus,
the Son of God
Oh God we thank You —
Oh God thanks for sharing Your
life with us
Oh God thanks for the Church —
Oh God thanks for the Sacraments —
Oh God thanks for Your grace —
God help us to live as You desire —
Help us to forgive
Isaiah 62: 1-6
The splendour of Jerusalem
About Zion I will not be silent,
about Jerusalem I shall not rest
until saving justice dawns for her
like a bright light
and her salvation like a blazing torch.
The nations will then see
your saving justice,
and all kings your glory,
and you will be called a new name
which Yahweh's mouth will reveal.
You will be a crown of splendour
in Yahweh's hand,
a princely diadem in the hand of your God.
No more will you be known as 'Forsaken'
or your country be known as 'Desolation';
instead, you will be called
'My Delight is in her'
and your country 'The Wedded';
for Yahweh will take delight in you
and your country will have its wedding.
Like a young man marrying a virgin,
your rebuilder will wed you,
and as the bridegroom rejoices in his bride,
so will your God rejoice in you.
On your walls, Jerusalem, I have posted watchmen;
they will never fall silent, day or night.
No peace for you, as you keep Yahweh's attention!
Sing: Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord
Acts 13: 16-17, 22-25
Paul stood up, raised his hand for silence and began to speak:
'Men of Israel, and fearers of God, listen! The God of our nation Israel chose our ancestors and made our people great when they were living in Egypt, a land not their own; then by divine power he led them out
he deposed him and raised up David to be king, whom he attested in these words, "I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will perform my entire will." To keep his promise, God has raised up for Israel one of David’s descendants, Jesus, as Saviour, whose coming was heralded by John when he proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the whole people of Israel. Before John ended his course he said, "I am not the one you imagine me to be; there is someone coming after me whose sandal I am not fit to undo."
We see the genealogy of Jesus Christ,
Son of David in Matthew
from Abraham to Jesus
Let us be filled with Joy —
Sing: Joy to the World
Psalm 2: 7
I will proclaim the decree of Yahweh:
He said to me, ‘You are my son,
today have I fathered you.
Let us celebrate the birth of Jesus —
Let His splendor shine —
He is the true light —
Jesus, the Savior of the World —
Sing: A Song from Jesus
Isaiah 9: 1-6
The people that walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
on the inhabitants of a country
in shadow dark as death
light has blazed forth.
You have enlarged the nation,
you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
as people rejoice at harvest time,
as they exult
when they are dividing the spoils.For the yoke that weighed on it,
the bar across its shoulders,
the rod of its oppressor,
these you have broken
as on the day of Midian.For all the footgear
clanking over the ground
and all the clothing rolled in blood,
will be burnt, will be food for the flames.For a son has been born for us,
a son has been given to us,
and dominion has been laid
on his shoulders;
and this is the name he has been given,
Wonder-Counsellor, Mighty-God,
Eternal-Father, Prince-of-Peace'
to extend his dominion
in boundless peace,
over the throne of David
and over his kingdom
to make it secure and sustain it
in fair judgment and integrity.
From this time onwards and for ever,
the jealous love of Yahweh Sabaoth
will do this.
Sing: Sing a New Song
Sing: See the Eyes That Look at Mary
John 1: 14
The Word became flesh,
he lived among us,
and we saw his glory,
the glory that he has from the Father
as only Son of the Father,
full of grace and truth.
Isaiah 9: 2, 6
You have enlarged the nation,
you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
as people rejoice at harvest time,
as they exult
when they are dividing the spoils.to extend his dominion
in boundless peace,
over the throne of David
and over his kingdom
to make it secure and sustain it
in fair judgment and integrity.
From this time onwards and for ever,
the jealous love of Yahweh Sabaoth
will do this.
Sing: All the Ends of the Earth —
The shepherds found Mary and
Joseph and the infant —
Rejoice heart and soul, daughter of Zion!
Shout for joy, daughter of Jerusalem!
Look, your king is approaching,
he is vindicated and victorious,
humble and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Oh such joy is ours —
Oh God increase our faith —
Oh God we celebrate the birthday
of Your Son —
Oh God let us praise and thank
You for coming to this
earth —
God is love —
God created us —
We are His —
Darkness covered the earth and
The Word was made flesh —
Oh God help us to be people
of the light —
Hebrews 1: 1-6
At many moments in the past and by many means, God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets; but in our time, the final days, he has spoken to us in the person of his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things and through whom he made the ages. He is the reflection of God's glory and bears the impress of God's own being, sustaining all things by his powerful command; and now that he has purged sins away, he has taken his seat at the right hand of the divine Majesty on high. So he is now as far above the angels as the title which he has inherited is higher than their own name.
To which of the angels, then, has God ever said:
You are my Son, today I have fathered you,
or:
I shall be a father to him and he a son to me?
Again, when he brings the First-born into the world, he says:
Let all the angels of God pay him homage.
John 1: 1-18
In the beginning was the Word:
the Word was with God
and the Word was God.
He was with God in the beginning.
Through him all things came into being,
not one thing came into being
except through him.
What has come into being in him was life,
life that was the light of men;
and light shines in darkness,
and darkness could not overpower it.A man came, sent by God.
His name was John.
He came as a witness,
to bear witness to the light,
so that everyone might believe
through him.
He was not the light,
he was to bear witness to the light.The Word was the real light
that gives light to everyone;
he was coming into the world.
He was in the world
that had come into being through him,
and the world did not recognise him.
He came to his own
and his own people did not accept him.But to those who did accept him
he gave power to become children of God,
to those who believed in his name
who were born not from human stock
or human desire
or human will
but from God himself.
The Word became flesh,
he lived among us,
and we saw his glory,
the glory that he has from the Father
as only Son of the Father,
full of grace and truth.John witnesses to him. He proclaims:
‘This is the one of whom I said:
He who comes after me
has passed ahead of me
because he existed before me.’Indeed, from his fullness
we have, all of us, received—
one gift replacing another,
for the Law was given through Moses,
grace and truth have come
through Jesus Christ.
No one has ever seen God;
it is the only Son,
who is close to the Father’s heart,
who has made him known.
From the Spirituality Handbook by Fr. Edward J. Carter, S.J.
Consecration to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary
We have already spoken of how we are incorporated into Christ at Baptism. Now we shall speak of the life which comes to us in Baptism in terms of consecration:
"To consecrate means to make sacred, to make holy. Only God can make a being holy. So to speak of our consecration is to speak of God's activity in making us holy, His activity of giving us a share in His own holiness. At Baptism we receive a share in God's life, a share in His holiness. Christ is the Mediator of this grace life. We are baptized into Christ, into His death and resurrection. In Baptism we become holy by sharing in the holiness of Christ. We become consecrated, sealed with the divine holiness. We belong to the Father, through Christ, in the Holy Spirit.
"On our part, we must respond to God's consecration of us. We must live out the consecration of Baptism. We must realize what God has done for us in Christ and live according to this awareness. We need to live the life of holiness and grow in it. In other words, we must develop the life of grace, the Christ-life.
"What God has done for us in Christ involves Mary. God has given us a Christ-life, our life of grace, and Mary is the Mother of this Christ-life. Consequently, living out our life of consecration to God—living out the Christ-life—includes allowing Mary to increasingly be the Mother of our Christ-life.
"Consecration to Mary, therefore, is an aspect of our consecration to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is entrusting ourselves entirely to her maternal love so that she can bring us ever closer to Jesus, so that we can increasingly live out our consecration to God in Christ.
"At Fatima, Our Lady asked that we consecrate ourselves to her Immaculate Heart. Mary shows us her heart as a symbol of her love for God and us. She asks us to make a return of love to her, to consecrate ourselves to her, to give ourselves to her completely. She wants us to entrust ourselves to her completely so that she may help us love God and neighbor.
"As stated above, consecration to Mary is an aspect of our consecration to God in Christ and she has asked for consecration to her Heart so that she may assist us. Christ, in turn, invites us to live out this consecration to Him through consecration to His Sacred Heart. We see the divine symmetry: consecration to the Immaculate Heart helps us to live out consecration to Christ Who reveals His Heart as symbol of His life of love in all its aspects, including His tremendous love for each of us individually. His Heart also asks for our love in return, a return which ideally is summed up in consecration to Jesus' Heart. Through this consecration we give ourselves completely to Jesus through the Immaculate Heart. In this consecration to Jesus, we promise to strive to live according to His Father's will in all things." (2)
2. Edward Carter, S.J., Mother at Our Side, Faith Publishing, Milford, Ohio, 1993, pp. 15-17.
Song: In My Heart
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