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December 14/2009 - Monday of 3rd Week of Advent    LITURGICAL/THEME MEDITATION: On Christian Joy and the Nativity Scene UNIVERSAL CHURCH/WORLD EVENT(S): On Christian Joy and the Nativity Scene SAINT OF THE DAY St. John of the Cross  GENERAL MARIOLOGY Book Six - Chapter   VI JESUS BROUGHT BEFORE PILATE. THE SCOURGING AND CROWNING WITH THORNS.  DIVINE MERCY Divine Mercy Diary - Inspirational Quotes Children  TEACHING/TESTIMONY/CONVICTION: Explanation of the Ten Rules of Life

DAILY LITURGICAL MEDITATION

Sunday (12/13): "He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire" Gospel Reading: Luke 3:10-18 10 And the multitudes asked him, "What then shall we do?" 11 And he answered them, "He who has two coats, let him share with him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise." 12 Tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?" 13 And he said to them, "Collect no more than is appointed you." 14 Soldiers also asked him, "And we, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Rob no one by violence or by false accusation, and be content with your wages." 15 As the people were in expectation, and all men questioned in their hearts concerning John, whether perhaps he were the Christ, 16 John answered them all, "I baptize you with water; but he who is mightier than I is coming, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy  to untie; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into his granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." 18 So, with many other exhortations, he preached good news to the people. Old Testament Reading: Zephaniah 3:14-18 14 Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! 15 The LORD has taken away the judgments against you, he has turned away your enemies. The king of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you shall fear disaster no more. 16 On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands grow weak. 17 The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing 18 as on a day of festival. Meditation: Why did thousands come out to hear John the Baptist? And what was so unusual about his message? Luke says that John "preached good news to the people" (Luke 3:17). The people recognized John as an extraordinary man of God and a prophet for their times. John came from the wilderness in the spirit and the power of Elijah (see 2 Kings 1:8). He broke the prophetic silence of the previous centuries when he began to speak the word of God. His message was similar to the message of the Old Testament prophets who chided the people of God for their unfaithfulness and who tried to awaken true repentance in them. Luke mentions in particular two groups of people who came to John for spiritual advice – tax collectors and Jewish soldiers who belonged to the Roman peace-keeping force. Both groups were regarded as questionable by the Pharisees and were treated as outcasts. John's message of repentance was very practical. He told the people three things: First, they must share their goods with one another, especially with those who lacked the necessities of life. Isn't that what it really means to love your neighbor as yourself? True love is sacrificial and generous. Second, they must give each person their due and take no advantage of another because of their position or status. For example, those who have the duty to collect money from others must charge no more than what is rightfully due. (Tax collectors often made handsome profits for themselves by overcharging others.) Those who have authority over others must not demand more than what is right and just. Soldiers in the Roman army could compel any citizen to assist them when needed, such as carrying their weapons for them or giving them food and drink. They often, however, abused their position to force people to do more for them than necessary. John did not tell them to leave their profession, but to be good soldiers. And thirdly, John exhorted his listeners to be content with what they had and to avoid coveting what rightfully belonged to another. John basically called the people to turn back to God and to walk in his way of love and righteousness. Whenever the gospel is proclaimed it has power to awaken faith in people and to change their lives for good. Do you believe that God's word is "good news" for you and has power to change your life? John's message of "good news" inspired many to believe that God was about to do extraordinary things in their midst. They wondered aloud if John himself might be the promised Messiah, the one who would deliver them from their oppression. In comparison with the Messiah, John considered himself lower than the lowest slave. His task was simply to awaken their interest, unsettle them from their complacency, and arouse in them enough good will to recognize and receive the Messiah when he came. With John the Baptist, the Holy Spirit begins the restoration to the human race of the "divine likeness", prefiguring what would be achieved with and in the Lord Jesus Christ.  John's baptism was for repentance – turning away from sin and taking on a new way of life according to God's word. John said that the Messiah would "baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire." Fire in biblical times was associated with God and with his action in the world and in the lives of his people. God sometimes manifested his presence by use of fire, such as the burning bush which was not consumed when God spoke to Moses (Exodus 3:2). The image of fire was also used to symbolize God's glory (Ezekiel 1:4, 13), his protective presence (2 Kings 6:17), his holiness (Deuteronomy. 4:24), his righteous judgment (Zechariah 13:9), and his wrath against sin (Isaiah 66:15-16). John expanded this image with the illustration of the process of separating wheat from chaff. A winnowing fan or shovel was used for tossing the wheat in the air. The heavier kernels of wheat fell to the ground, while the lighter chaff was carried off by the wind. The chaff was then collected and used for fuel (see Isaiah 21:10). In the New Testament, the image of fire is also used of the Holy Spirit who comes to cleanse us from sin and make us holy (Matthew 3:11 and Acts 2:3). God's fire both purifies us of sin and it inspires in us a reverent fear of God and of his word. And it increases our desire for holiness and for the joy of meeting the Lord when he comes again. Do you want to be on fire for God and for the return of the Lord Jesus when he comes in his glory? Our baptism in Jesus Christ by water and the Spirit results in a new birth and entry into God's kingdom as his beloved sons and daughters (John 3:5). Jesus is ready to give us the fire of his Spirit that we may radiate the joy of the gospel to a world in desparate need of God's light and truth. The word of God has power to change and transform our lives that we may be lights pointing others to Christ.  Like John the Baptist, we too are called to give testimony to the light and truth of Jesus Christ. Do you point others to Christ in the way you live, and act, and speak? "Lord Jesus, let your light burn brightly in my heart that I may know the joy and freedom of your kingdom. Fill me with your Holy Spirit and empower me to witness the truth of your gospel and to point others to the light of Christ." Psalms 146:5-10 5 Happy is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, 6 who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them;  who keeps faith for ever; 7 who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry.  The LORD sets the prisoners free; 8 the LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down;  the LORD loves the righteous. 9 The LORD watches over the sojourners, he upholds the widow and the fatherless;  but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin. 10 The LORD will reign for ever, thy God, O Zion, to all generations.  Praise the LORD!   www.dailyscripture.net   RETURN TO TOP

UNIVERSAL CHURCH/WORLD EVENTS

On Christian Joy and the Nativity Scene "The Crèche Is a School of Life"   VATICAN CITY, DEC. 13, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the public address Benedict XVI gave today before praying the midday Angelus with the pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square. * * * Dear Brothers and Sisters! We have now arrived at the third week of Advent. In the liturgy today there echoes the invitation of the Apostle Paul: "Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice ... the Lord is near!" (Philippians 4:4-5). Mother Church, while she accompanies us toward the holy season of Christmas, helps us to rediscover the sense and the taste of Christian joy, so different from the world's joy. It is a beautiful tradition that on this Sunday the children of Rome come to have the Pope bless little statues of Baby Jesus, which they will place in their crèches. And, indeed, I see many children and young people, together with their parents, teachers and catechists here in St. Peter's Square. Dear friends, I greet all of you with great affection and I thank all of you for having come. It is a cause of joy for me to know that in your families you continue the custom of making the crèche. But it is not enough to repeat a traditional gesture, however important. It is necessary to try to live every day what the crèche represents, that is, Christ's love, his humility, his poverty. That is what St. Francis did at Greccio: He represented the scene of the Nativity to try to contemplate and adore it, but above all to know better how to put into practice the message of the Son of God, who left everything behind and became a little child out of love for us. The blessing of the "babies" -- as one says in Rome -- reminds us that the crèche is a school of life, where we can learn the secret of true joy. This does not consist in having a lot of things, but in feeling loved by the Lord, in making oneself a gift for others, in loving. We look at the crèche: The Madonna and St. Joseph do not seem to be a very fortunate family; they had their first child in the midst of great hardships; and yet they are full of deep joy, because they love each other, they help each other and above all they are certain that God is at work in their history, God who made himself present in the little Jesus. And the shepherds? What reason would they have to rejoice? That newborn certainly would not change the facts of poverty and marginalization in their lives. But faith helps them to recognize in the "child wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger" the "sign" of the accomplishment of God's promises for all men, "whom he loves" (Luke 2:12, 14), even them! Behold, dear friends, what true joy consists in: It is feeling that our personal and communal existence is visited and filled by a great mystery, the mystery of God's love. To be joyful we do not just have need of things, but love and truth: We need a God who is near, who warms our heart, and responds to our profound desires. This God is manifested in Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary. This is why that Baby, whom we place in the stable or the cave, is the center of everything, the heart of the world. Let us pray that every person, like the Virgin Mary, may welcome into the center of their lives the God who became a Child, font of true joy. [After the Angelus the Pope greeted the pilgrims in various languages. In Italian he said:] This week I received sad news from certain countries in Africa about the murder of four missionaries: the priests, Father Daniel Cizimya, Father Louis Blondel and Father Gerry Roche, and Sister Denise Kahambu. They were faithful witnesses of the Gospel, which they knew how to proclaim, even at the risk of their own lives. As I express nearness to their families and communities, who are grieving, I invite everyone to join in my prayer that the Lord welcome them into his house, console those who weep for them and bring them reconciliation and peace with his coming. TURN TO TOP

DAILY LITURGICAL SAINT

Monday, December 14, 2009 St. John of the Cross (1541-1591)   John is a saint because his life was a heroic effort to live up to his name: “of the Cross.” The folly of the cross came to full realization in time. “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (Mark 8:34b) is the story of John’s life. The Paschal Mystery—through death to life—strongly marks John as reformer, mystic-poet and theologian-priest. Ordained a Carmelite priest at 25 (1567), John met Teresa of Jesus (Avila--October 15) and like her vowed himself to the primitive Rule of the Carmelites. As partner with Teresa and in his own right, John engaged in the work of reform, and came to experience the price of reform: increasing opposition, misunderstanding, persecution, imprisonment. He came to know the cross acutely—to experience the dying of Jesus—as he sat month after month in his dark, damp, narrow cell with only his God! Yet, the paradox! In this dying of imprisonment John came to life, uttering poetry. In the darkness of the dungeon, John’s spirit came into the Light. There are many mystics, many poets; John is unique as mystic-poet, expressing in his prison-cross the ecstasy of mystical union with God in the Spiritual Canticle. But as agony leads to ecstasy, so John had his Ascent to Mt. Carmel, as he named it in his prose masterpiece. As man-Christian-Carmelite, he experienced in himself this purifying ascent; as spiritual director, he sensed it in others; as psychologist-theologian, he described and analyzed it in his prose writings. His prose works are outstanding in underscoring the cost of discipleship, the path of union with God: rigorous discipline, abandonment, purification. Uniquely and strongly John underlines the gospel paradox: The cross leads to resurrection, agony to ecstasy, darkness to light, abandonment to possession, denial to self to union with God. If you want to save your life, you must lose it. John is truly “of the Cross.” He died at 49—a life short, but full.   Comment: John in his life and writings has a crucial word for us today. We tend to be rich, soft, comfortable. We shrink even from words like self-denial, mortification, purification, asceticism, discipline. We run from the cross. John’s message—like the gospel—is loud and clear: Don’t—if you really want to live!   Quote: Thomas Merton said of John: "Just as we can never separate asceticism from mysticism, so in St. John of the Cross we find darkness and light, suffering and joy, sacrifice and love united together so closely that they seem at times to be identified." In John's words: "Never was fount so clear, undimmed and bright; From it alone, I know proceeds all light although 'tis night."   Patron Saint of: Mystics   http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/SaintofDay RETURN TO TOP

GENERAL MARIOLOGY

THE DIVINE HISTORY AND LIFE OF THE VIRGIN MOTHER OF GOD BOOK SIX The Marriage at Cana; How Most Holy Mary Accompanied the Re- deemer of the World in His Preaching: the Humility shown by the Heavenly Queen in regard to the Miracles Wrought by Her Divine Son;The Transfiguration of the Lord;His Entrance into Jerusalem; His Passion and Death; His Triumph over Lucifer and his Demons by His Death on the Cross; the Most Sacred Resurrection of the Savior and His Wonderful As- cension into Heaven CHAPTER VI. JESUS BROUGHT BEFORE PILATE. THE SCOURGING AND CROWNING WITH THORNS. INSTRUCTION WHICH THE GREAT QUEEN OF HEAVEN GAVE ME. 600. My daughter, great is the neglect and the inat tention of men in failing to consider the works of my most holy Son and to penetrate with humble reverence the mysteries which He has concealed within them for the salvation of all. But many do not know, and others are astonished, that the Lord should have consented to be presented as a criminal before iniquitous judges and be examined by them as a wicked malefactor; that they should have been allowed to treat Him as an ignorant fool; and that He should not have made use of his divine wisdom to defend his innocence, convict the Jews and all his enemies of their malice, since He could so easily have done it. But these sentiments of wonder should be especially united to a deep veneration for the judgments of the Lord, who disposed all things connected with the Redemption according to his equity, goodness and rectitude and in a manner befitting all his attri butes, denying none of his enemies sufficient help to follow the good, if only they wished to use their free dom for that purpose. He wished all of them to be saved (I Tim. 2, 4), and if not all of them attained this salvation, no one can justly complain of his superabun dant kindness. 601. But besides this, I wish, my dearest, that thou understand the instructive lessons contained in these works; for in each one of them my Son acted as ReTHE deemer and Teacher of men. In the silence and the meekness, which He maintained during his Passion, per mitting Himself to be reputed as a wicked and foolish man, He left to mankind a lesson just as important as it is unnoticed and unpracticed by the children of Adam. Because they do not heed the contagion of Lucifer through sin, which is perpetuated in the world, they do not seek in the Physician the medicine of suffering, which the Lord in his immense charity has left to the world in word and deed. Let men then consider themselves conceived in sin (Ps. 50, 7), and let them realize how strong has grown in them the hellish seed of pride, of presumption, vanity, self-esteem, avarice, hypocrisy, deceitfulness, and all other vices. Each one ordinarily seeks to advance his honor and vainglory, struggling to be applauded and renowned. The learned and those who think themselves wise, wish to be applauded and looked up to, bragging about their knowledge. The unlearned try to appear wise. The rich glory in their riches and wish to be respected on their account. The poor strive to be and appear rich, anxious to gain the approbation of the wealthy. The powerful seek to be feared, worshipped and obeyed. All of them are pur suing the same deceit of seeking* to appear what they are not in fact, and fail in reality to come up to what they appear to be. They palliate their faults, extol their virtues and abilities, they attribute to themselves the goods and the blessings as if they had not received them from God. They receive them as if they were their due and not owing to his liberal kindness; instead of being thankful for them they abuse them as weapons against God and against their own selves. Commonly all are swollen up by the mortal poison of the serpent and so much the more anxious to drink it, the more deeply they are already wounded and weakened by his lament able assaults. The way of the cross and imitation of Christ in humble Christian sincerity is deserted, because they are so few that walk upon it. 602. In order to crush the head of Lucifer and over come pride and arrogance, my Son observed this patient silence in his Passion, permitting Himself to be treated as an ignorant and foolish criminal. As the Teacher of this philosophy and as the Physician of the sickness of sin, He would not deny the charges nor defend or justify Himself, nor refute those who accused Him, showing us by his own living example, how to oppose and counteract the intentions of the serpent. In the Lord was that teaching of the wise man put into prac tice: More precious is a little foolishness in its time than wisdom and glory (Eccles. 10, 1) ; for it is better that human frailty be at times considered ignorant and wicked, than that it make a vain show of virtue and wisdom. Infinite is the number of those who are en tangled in this dangerous error, who, desiring to appear wise, speak much and multiply words like the foolish (Eccles. 1, 14). They only lose what they strive so much to attain, since they become known as foolish. All these vices arise from the pride rooted in human nature. But do thou, my daughter, preserve the doc trine of my divine Son and that which comes from me. Abhor human ostentation, suffer in silence and let the world consider thee ignorant; for it does not know where true wisdom dwells.  RETURN TO TOP

DIVINE MERCY

Children  Once, after an adoration for our country, a pain pierced my soul, and I began to pray in this way: "Most merciful Jesus, I beseech You through the intercession of Your dearest Mother who nurtured You from childhood, bless my native land. I beg You, Jesus, look not on our sins, but on the tears of little children, on the hunger and cold they suffer. Jesus, for the sake of these innocent ones, grant me the grace that I am asking of You for my country. At that moment, I saw the Lord Jesus, His eyes filled with tears, and He said to me, You see, My daughter, what great compassion I have for them. Know that it is they who uphold the world. (286)   Once when I was having a long talk with Jesus about our students, encouraged by His kindness, I asked Him, "Do You have among our students any who are a comfort to Your Heart?" The Lord answered [that] He has, but their love is weak, and so I put them in your special care - pray for them. (288)   (St Faustina's confessor) ... a child does not worry about the past or the future, but makes use of the present moment.(333)

CATHOLIC  TEACHING/CONVICTION/TESTIMONY

Explanation of the Ten Rules of Life   Archbishop Nguyen Van Thuan 1. I will live the present moment to the fullest On August 15th 1975, on the Feast of the Assumption of Our Lady, I was invited to the Palace of Independence, the President's Palace in Saigon, only to be arrested. The motive was that Pope Paul VI had transferred me from my diocese in Nhatrang where I had been bishop for 8 years, between 1967 and 1975, to Saigon, to become Archbishop Coadjutor. For the Communist government this transfer, made one week before their arrival in Saigon, on April 30, 1975, was proof of a conspiracy between the Vatican and the Imperialists. From the very first moment of my arrest, the words of Bishop John Walsh, who had been imprisoned for 12 years in Communist China, came to my mind. On the day of his liberation Bishop Walsh said, "I have spent half my life waiting" It is true. All prisoners, myself included, constantly wait to be let go. I decided then and there that my captivity would not be merely a time of resignation but a turning point in my life. I decided I would not wait. I would live the present moment and fill it with love. For if I wait, the things I wait for will never happen. The only thing that I can be sure of is that I am going to die. I was removed far from my diocese and was taken to the village of Cay-Vang, 400 km from Saigon. Day and night I was obsessed with the thought of my people. How was I going to stay in touch with my people? Just at the time when they needed their pastor most. The separation was heart-breaking. One night, light came: "It's simple, imitate the example of Saint Paul when he was in prison. he wrote letters to the various communities. The very next morning, I called to Quang, a little boy who was coming home from Mass. "Go and tell your mother to buy some old calendars". When evening came, Quang brought me the calendars and every night during the months of October and November 1975, I wrote down my message from captivity for my people. Every morning the boy took the torn-off pages home and his brothers and sisters recopied the message. That is how the book "The Road of Hope" came to be written, and it has been published into eight languages: Vietnamese, English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Chinese and Korean. God's liberating power gives energy to work to accomplish even in the most desperate moments. No, I will not spend time waiting. I will live the present moment and fill it with love. "A straight line consists of millions of little points". Likewise, a lifetime consists of millions of seconds and minutes joined together. If every single point along the line is rightly set, the line will be straight. If every minute of a life is good, that life will be holy. The Road of Hope is paved with small acts of hope along life's way. A life of hope is born of every minute of hope in that lifetime.     RETURN TO TOP

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