Towards A Truly Spiritual Christmas!

Today is the last Sunday of Advent. The season is about to end and we are closer to Christmas. 

From the first week of Advent, our ears were bombarded with Advent and Christmas songs everywhere we go.

Our celebration of Christmas is not a yearly birthday party for Jesus; it is the celebration of Him who once came in the flesh but who continuously comes. With Christmas around the corner, the days of Advent waiting are almost over. The Lord is coming very soon. 

A special attention is given to Mary. Mary has become more prominence on this last Sunday of Advent because, no one can help us to understand the meaning of Christmas better than Mary.

Mary is truly the model of Advent. God the Father prepared her from the first moment of her conception to be the worthy mother of His Son. Her “fiat”, her wholehearted “yes!” to the Archangel Gabriel, launched the immediate preparation for the birth of Jesus, the Messiah.

Today's Gospel is a story of Mary visits Elizabeth, (LK 1: 39-45). By going to Elizabeth’s aid, Mary was carrying the tiny Jesus in her womb and She became the first missionary, the first bearer of the Good News that would change all of human history. 

To bring joy to others this Christmas, we really have to bring Christ to others. He is the greatest gift we could ever bring to someone we love or to someone we meet. Without sharing Jesus, we are not giving our loved ones anything that is truly lasting. Bring Christ and you bring everything into someone's life.

In this Year of Mercy and as the day of Christmas quickly approaches, is there someone in my family or among my friends who is lonely, who is sick, who is estranged or alienated from me? How my presence can make a difference?

“Come Lord Jesus, come, through Mother of Mercy!"

It’s the first day of the Church's New Year – the very first Sunday in Advent - and as you’ll see, everything is a bit different today. The colours are different, the hymns are different, and there’s a sense of love and festivity in the air.

Advent and Christmas times are always busy with merrymakers around us. They come and go so quickly. But we should give more time and effort to our spiritual lives by living at our full potential is finding strength through Christ, the real meaning of these important liturgical seasons. Advent and Christmas are all about Christ coming to us.

Advent is a wake-up call – Advent confronts and wakes us from our dream. Advent is a time to wake up to Christ in our lives. We are invited to quietly prepare our hearts for His coming on Christmas so that He can be received by us with warmth and joy.

The “coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” is what we should really prepare for. Christmas is about Our Saviour, Our Emmanuel and it begins in our hearts.

The hustle and bustle of the holiday season is fine. The gifts, the shopping, the family gatherings are wonderful.

Pray that the Lord will help us during this Advent Season, which begins today, to see that the priorities in our lives, is preparing ourselves and those around us for a truly “spiritual” Christmas. Let us begin by opening our hearts to God, and humbly asking him, in the quiet of our hearts, for the grace to live this Advent better than the one before. 

Have a Jolly, Merry Advent & Christmas everyone!

Christ the King!

The Feast of Christ the King was established by Pope Pius XI in 1925 as an answer to secularism. This feast is intended to proclaim in a striking and effective manner Christ’s royalty over individuals, families, society, governments, and nations.

Today, on this solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of the Universe, we are to examine what it means to us to have a king and to actually submit ourselves to a ruler in humility.

Catholics are called to give total loyalty to the King, to kneel before Him in adoration and continually give themselves to Him. And Jesus’ mission is to reign as king over all. In the end, “every knee should bow, in heaven and earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil 2:10-11).

A Poor Widow "Mite"

This Sunday’s gospel (MK 12: 38-44) is about the widow who gave her last two “mites” to the temple treasury. She could easily have put one in the offering and kept one for herself but this woman put in everything she had. St Mark makes clear that the widow’s two small coins were the reminder of her earthly wealth.

The English version of the bible says, “She put in all she had to live on.”

The original Greek is a little bit different and gives a better perspective – “She gave her whole life.” 

If she gave her whole life to God, she would walk out of the temple area with absolutely nothing. Nothing, that is, except her faith in God is so great that she gives all she has to God, knowing He will provide.

What would you have done?

Giving frees us from greediness and sets us free to depend on God. A Christian who gives all straight from the heart is a powerful and a true disciple of Christ.

Right Attitude Towards Wealth

The man in the Gospel passage (MK 10: 17-27) is identified as a wealthy man. He is good and honest in every way; he had observed the commandments meticulously and thoroughly. Jesus loved the man because the man had been a good and faithful, that he had kept the commandments from his youth. But, apparently he is not happy; He is not satisfied with his life. Something is missing, something is triggering him and he asks Jesus what it is. Jesus’ answer crushes him, “Go and sell what you have and give to the poor… after that come and follow me.” And he goes away sad, for he had great possessions.

In asking “to give away all,” Jesus is not condemning our material richness neither he did call every one of us to give away everything we have to the poor. He did not want make us guilty about what we have. He knows that every one has thinks of one’s needs and one’s security. The real problem is not so much in possessing wealth but one’s wrong attitude to wealth.

The Wisdom of God, assures us that in return for what we give up, we will be repaid with eternal life and a hundredfold in this life, namely, an inner peace, a deep feeling of fulfillment and interior joy.

CONTINUOUSLY WALKING WITH MARY

As Catholics, we are very blessed to be members of the Church that duly honours and respects the Mother of Our Lord and Saviour.  However we must admit that many of us, even ‘cradle Catholics’, do not really know and appreciate the profound role that Mary plays in the life of the Church. There are even a few groups, among them Christians, who claim that Catholics ‘worship’ Mary!

Mary was born to be the Mother of the Saviour of the world, the spiritual mother of all men and women, and the holiest of God’s creatures. In Mary all human nature is exalted. The Blessed Virgin occupies a unique place in the history of salvation, and she has the highest mission ever commended to any creature! Mary grew of age “treasuring these things in her heart” (Cf. Luke 2:51). Her simple, total dedication to God made her His “highly favoured daughter.”

This month, we’ll be going from house to house either to regular families or lapse Catholics to pray the Rosary. Why the Rosary? To be formed and moulded into Christ with the same loving care that Christ himself received from Mary. But how does Mary form and mould us? By the mysteries of the life of her Son and by the lesson of her own humble, loving and docile attitude before the majesty of God.

Praying the Rosary with Mary does not have to be a solo event. Catholics come together as a family or as a community to ponder the mysteries and to advance in our affection for our Mother. Through our Mother’s eyes, we get to see our Saviour’s love for each one of us.

When we commit to praying the Rosary, Mary walks with us through the scriptures through our meditation, through all our joys and sorrows and sings with us the ‘magnificat’ of our life.

If we begin to walk with Mary each day, our lives will be radically different as she leads us to her Son. Our devotion to Mary will not only be good for our souls but for our bodies - the temple of the Holy Spirit. When we love Mary and the Rosary, we will experience the conversion of our heart.

Go to Mother Mary and pray the Rosary every day for our nation, for the protection of human life and the restoration of family life.

ALL SOULS DAY

On this month of November we are reminded once again to commemorate ALL the faithful departed souls.

All Souls’ Day is a day set aside for honouring the dead. It is a day primarily celebrated in the Catholic Church and a few other Christian denominations. Most protestant denominations do not recognize the commemoration of the Faithful Departed souls and they disagree with the theology behind it.

As Catholics we truly believe that through our traditions and teachings of the Church that one day the faithful departed may be cleansed of their sins so that they may meet God face to face in Heaven.

Our loving prayers and by offering Masses for the souls in purgatory will help them in this transition from purgatory to reach the state of full grace. God wants every one of his child to reach the full state of grace, perfect in holiness. Jesus has promised, “… I shall raise him/her on the last day,” (Jn 6:40).

We shall set aside the whole month of November as a month of intercession to pray for all the souls in Purgatory and all the souls whom we have forgotten to pray for.

On All Souls’ Day we shall visit the cemeteries or columbarium of our departed ones and clean up the premises. We say extra prayers or light up candles and place flowers at the departed souls’ graves.

May all the faithful departed of our loved ones rest in peace.

ONE WITH THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS

On this day All Saints' Day we commemorate the departed who have attained the beatific vision. It is a day when we celebrate ALL of the faithful who are in Heaven.

Saints are ordinary people who have given their hearts to Jesus. They were sinners but they were made a choice to be loyal to God and today they enjoy the rewards in heaven. 

On the All Saints' Day, this is precisely what we believe as Christians: there is an eternal city, a paradise of God, an eternity of rest and being with the Lord and in the communion of saints.

"Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me."

This Beatitude that our Lord speaks describe the life of saints in this world. In this life, the path of sainthood – that is, of being a Christian – is one of hardship and sorrow.

Today we see there is a lack of respect for Christianity and the hated of Christianity. We face our own kind of martyrdom. If we practice love and mercy, we will be mocked.

In this life, we hold forth Christ as the One who calls us saints and who goes with us as we walk by faith. Then, in the life to come, we shall live forever in a paradise without fear, darkness, shame, sin, death, pain, suffering or tears. This is the hope and future of all who are called saints in Christ and to be the heroic witness for Christ.

A Sight to the Blind Man

The Gospel passage (MK 10: 46-52) is a story of Jesus restoring the sight to the blind man Bartimaeus. His knowledge and power are infinitely beyond ours. This miracle has always fascinated me. How frequently we speak about sight impairments/injuries, eye diseases, stigmatisms, cataracts and 20/20 vision! (20/20 vision is considered “normal” vision, meaning you should be able to read a letter at 20 feet).

 

As Jesus, His disciples, and a crowd were leaving Jericho. They encountered a blind beggar, Bartimaeus, sitting by the roadside. The buzz from the crowd told Bartimaeus that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. He began to cry out, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me.”

 

Bartimaeus is an example of what our faith and trust in Jesus has to be. He has been persistent and is not put off by the abuse of the crowd telling him to keep quiet. But he was shouting and waving all the more – “Son of David, have pity on me.” This attracts the attention of Jesus. Then, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?”

 

His only prayer was, “Lord, I want to see.” With that desire and with the healing of Jesus, a whole new world opens up and he is ushered into the light of the day. Bartimaeus’ faith has healed him and immediately he received his sight and threw his blanket rather his security and he started to follow Him up the road.

 

We all have eyes to look but do not see what is important in life? And at times we all fail to experience or to see the hand of God at work in our lives. God’s gift of life to our response is: “The Lord has done great things for me, and we are filled with joy,” (Ps 126:3).

Power of the Rosary

GThe Rosary is a traditional vocal prayer loved by countless saints and encouraged by the Church. It is a prayer and devotion that has changed the lives of many.

 

St. John Paul II’s Apostolic Letter, Rosarium Virginis Mariae, was promulgated on 16 October 2002, just a couple of years before his death. He referred to devotion to the Rosary as a “genuine training in holiness” that guided Christians in the contemplation of the great mysteries of our Faith. The Rosary has been a unique weapon in spiritual warfare and especially in praying for peace throughout the world.

 

The Rosary is also a great defender of family life at a time when divorce, “gay marriages”, contraception and abortion have caused disunity, diluted family values and disrupted the sanctity and beauty of the family.

 

It is essential that we pray the Rosary for peace in the world and for the family; but more than anything, the Rosary guides us on our journey to holiness. What gives meaning to our life? To know that God loves us and wants us to know and love Him in return, to love one another, to serve Him and to join Him in heaven.

 

The Rosary serves as a guide and constant reminder of how our lives must be shaped by our desire to be more and more like Christ. Our Mother quietly shares this truth with us in the movements of the Rosary through the Mysteries of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection and helping us to be conformed ever more closely to Christ until we attain true holiness.

 

The Rosary is capable of healing the wounds in our family, whether caused by violence or the breaking up of the family unit. It is not a mindless rote prayer. It is a prayer that focuses on Christ by seeing through the eyes of His Mother who is also Our Mother.

 

As you begin your journey with the Rosary, be sure to read through meditatively, so that you can truly understand the fruits of this great spiritual weapon.

 

Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for us.

Rosary is Catholics' Favorite Prayer

October is here and the month of the Rosary has begun.  As we come to the end of the year of the Family (themed: Jesus: The Heart of The Family), let us never forget that family life is a privilege that requires the service of prayer and sacrifice. The Rosary is a prayer of healing and of deliverance from crisis in marriage and family life. It is a weapon of prayer because it contains the Gospel mysteries.

A woman was once asked why she prayed the Rosary every day. “All I can tell you is if I say a Rosary, the day works; and if I don’t, nothing works.” This is true not because of magic or superstition but because of Mary’s maternal intercession and the power of the mysteries of the life of Christ. Each mystery of the Rosary is a wondrous opportunity to become more present to Christ.

During the last two centuries, people have witnessed more Church-approved Marian apparitions than during all other centuries combined. Why such an increase? Because of the difficulties of modern times. Mary has been coming to earth and appearing to people in our day to give warning about bad things that will happen if people don’t repent and pray the Rosary.

    

Our Blessed Mother loves her children and doesn’t want us to suffer calamities, so she encourages us to pray the Rosary. She wants us to experience peace in our families, societies, and nations … she desires that sinners be converted and people experience the abundant life in Christ, … so she tells us to pray the Rosary. 

The Rosary isn’t just an instrument for world peace. Pope St. John Paul II, the great modern saint, had said at the start of his pontificate that the Rosary was his favorite prayer and he strongly encouraged the world to pray it. He insisted that we pray the Rosary for the sake of the family which is under attack (widely by the irresponsible use of modern technology) and the crisis in marriage.

In his book, “Praying the Rosary with Pope Francis”, our Holy Father reminds us that praying the Rosary prepares our hearts to receive God’s grace and teaches us to place ourselves in the hands of God, allowing Him to guide our steps along the path of our faith journey.  Praying the Rosary allows us to make room for God, to glorify His name, and to make Him truly present in our lives.

Mary, Mother of the Church, and the “Mother of the Church of the Home” guard, protect and enlighten our families.

Marriage is Designed by God

Today’s Gospel (MK 10: 2-12) is more concerning and reflecting on the dignity of marriage and marriage commitment. There are people who will die for their marriage because of the promises they have taken and the respect they have for the Church teaching and for the designs of God, “what God has joined together, let no man breaks apart.” Jesus emphasizes that marriage is designed by God and it has to be a lifelong union between one man and one woman.

Therefore, a man and woman must keep up the high point of sacramental bonding – fidelity, permanence of marriage and the oneness what God has joined and man and woman must not divide.

How to work for a happy and faithful marriage?

i)  Never both get angry.

ii) If you have any criticism makes it lovingly. Don’t forget to give compliments and congratulations to each other.

iii) Never bring up past mistakes. When you have made a mistake, talk it out and ask for forgiveness.

iv) Every spouse needs to love and to be loved and to respected.

v) Have a healthy communicate.

vi) We are love one another as Jesus loves us.

Entering Into Life!!!

Today's gospel speaks of "Entering into life...." (Mk 9: 38-48). Three times in our text, verses 43, 45, and 47, Jesus refers to “entering into life”. It refers to entering into a faith relationship with Jesus. 

The steps for entering life in Christ are very simple. They are by recognizing the fact that we are sinners and to understand the penalty that God has placed on sin. Jesus invites us to come to the place where we are willing to turn from our sins and place our faith in Jesus alone for our salvation.

Jesus speaks of amputating body parts if necessary to make a clean break with sin and temptation. Being saved will probably not require us to pluck out our eye, or cut off our hand or foot. Coming to Jesus will almost certainly cost us dearly as we take the necessary steps to cut ourselves off from the old life of sin. Getting to Jesus is worth the cost. Don’t let anything to stand between us and our getting into Jesus' life.

NURTURE LOVE IN THE HOME

Catholic families differ in some ways from other families in the manner we build our marriages and raise our children. It isn’t necessary to have a degree in theology or higher education to nurture a wholesome family.  What then sets a Catholic family apart from others?

The Five Marks of a Catholic Family

1.  Catholic Families Worship Together:

As a family, we attend Sunday masses weekly and on Holy Days (and whenever we are able) as we believe the Eucharist is the source and summit of our love and the sign of the intimacy to which families are called.  We are active in parish life - our spiritual home away from home, and we go to confession regularly to seek God’s healing grace to be the loving community we are called to be.

2. Catholic Families Pray Together.

Besides individual prayer life, we gather together as husband and wife and also as a family for prayer each day. We praise and thank God for his numerous blessings and we ask for the grace to be faithful, loving people. We pray for both our needs and the needs of the Family of God. “The family that prays together, stays together.”

 3. Catholic Families are Called to Intimacy:

We recognize that families are “Schools of Love” and so we discover new ways to be more loving and open within the family.  Children are a visible sign of the loving union between husband and wife and we work to make this a reality. We cultivate marriage and parenting practices that help family members build a “community of love” and practise virtues that help us live life as a gift.

4.  Catholic Families Put Family First:

To protect this intimacy, we recognize the importance of regular family rituals such as family dinner, family prayer and worship, a family day and regular time for one-on-one communication and relationship-building. Spouses sacrifice for the sake of the family and for the sense of well-being in the home.

 5.  The Catholic Family is a Witness and Sign:

 We allow ourselves to be part of God’s plan to transform the world through our daily interactions as husband and wife, parents and children and to carry our love outside the home by serving the world at large. We respect the integrity of the family unit by committing ourselves and our families to the practice of the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. 

Together with the Church, we make every effort to evangelize families and to enter more deeply into the Catholic vision for marriage and family life.

Who Do You Say I Am?

In Mark's Gospel (MK 8: 27 - 35), it is a gradual revelation or unveiling of the Person of Jesus and his mission.

“Who do you say that I am?” Who is Jesus Christ? Who is this Person of Jesus? Peter, spokesperson for the apostles, gives the pointed and correct answer: “You are the Messiah," (MK 27 -30).

Now, the second half of this Gospel today (MK 31 - 35), it has to do with the practical things. Christ speaks about suffering, rejection and death, after three day rise again!

Faith is seen as a protection against evil or suffering. People who have faith aren't supposed to have hard times or hard lives although they do. And, if we truly made a choice to follow Jesus Christ, there will be many trials. We must make a choice to do good and to put outside many evils and courageously say, "Get behind me, Satan!"

The Lord is teaching us a real life and the real life is really tough and suffering is part of it. He never explains why we have to suffer but He does give meaning and value and show us the proper way of approaching to suffering, rejection and death.

Jesus kept walking into our lives and encourages and affirms us, “He has kept my soul from death, my eyes from tears and my feet from stumbling and I will walk in the presence...” (Psalms 114)