Baptism of the Lord
Yes dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,
You may be wondering now Why did Jesus wait so long to begin His preaching. Why didn’t he begin his preaching in his twenties, rather than wait until he was thirty?
Let me tell you a story: Sharon had been married to Rob for seven years. They had two beautiful children. But Sharon’s mother began to sense that her daughter was starting to go through a hard time in her marriage.
One day she called Sharon and said, “If I pay for a baby sitter, will you go shopping with me tomorrow?’ Sharon jumped at the invitation.
While eating lunch together the next day, after shopping, Sharon’s Mother leaned over and said to her:
“I had a reason for asking you out today. I have something important to tell you. It’s something my mother told me and asked me to tell my daughter when the right time came. My mother called it; “three guidelines to a happy marriage.”
The first guideline is this: Never keep score in marriage. Don’t ever say to your spouse, “I have been doing more than my share. It’s not fair.” The day you begin to keep score is the day your marriage begins to die.
The second guideline is this: Never be too busy for your children. Don’t ever say to them, “Can’t you see I’m busy? Come back later.” The day you become too busy for your children is the day your communication with them begins to die.
The third guideline is this: Never miss a day praying for your family. Don’t ever let 24 hours go by without talking to God about your family. The day you stop conversing with God about your family is the day you deprive them of the greatest gift a mother can give.
Isn’t it a nice story my dear brothers and sisters, as the Mother finished, Sharon took her mother’s hand. Her eyes filled up with tears as she said: “Mom, that’s the most beautiful advice you could give me. But why did you wait seven years to tell me? Why didn’t you tell me the day Rob and I got Married? It would have helped me so much-so very much!’
Sharon’s mother said: “Honey, I wanted to tell you the day you got married. I wanted to tell you with all my heart. But I knew it wasn’t the right time. I knew you weren’t ready then. I had to wait for the right time- when you would understand what I was talking about.”
This is my answer to that question we asked in the beginning. Jesus was waiting for John the Baptist to call the people to repentance. People were not ready for what Jesus had to say. Until they were conscious of their sins and conscious of their need for God, they would not understand Jesus’ message.
Yes, dear brothers and sisters, this is true for us too; Jesus can’t begin to act in our lives and transform them until-like the people of Israel- we are ready to let Him do it. We need to recognize and admit that we cannot do it alone in life and we need Jesus in our Life. Only when we have reached this point of realization can Jesus begin to act in our lives to transform us into what God made us to be.
We don’t think enough about our baptism, this most important event in our lives. If we reflected more on who we are since baptism how different we would be, how differently we would live. Every sacrament has a lasting effect, our baptism was not just a magic formula recited over us by the priest to wash off original sin and give us a chance of getting to heaven. Baptism is like Ordination and marriage, it is something to be lived every day. When we were baptized, it is as if the Father said over us as he said over Jesus, “This is my beloved son, this is my beloved daughter.”
The Sacrament of Baptism emphasizes this new relationship with our Father. After baptism at the font four signs in the sacrament, symbolize for us this new relationship with God. If you listen to the prayers accompanying these four symbols, they tell us about our new relationship with God.
Firstly, the child is anointed with the oil of chrism. This is the holy oil used by the bishop to anoint us on the forehead during Confirmation and to anoint the hands of a priest during his Ordination. Part of the prayer for the anointing during baptism is, “As Christ was anointed Priest, Prophet and King, so may you live always as a member of his body, sharing everlasting life.”
Secondly, the white garment is put on the child. Part of the prayer accompanying putting on the white garment is, “…you have clothed yourself in Christ. See in this white garment the outward sign of your Christian dignity”.
Thirdly, a lighted candle is given to the parents, a symbol of receiving the light of Christ. Part of the prayer accompanying this is, “This child of yours has been enlightened by Christ.”
Fourthly, the ears and mouth of the child are blessed because they will hear the Word of God and the child will profess his/her faith.
Being baptized as children would make no sense and have no meaning if as we grew up we didn’t put our baptism into effect, if we didn’t live like people who have been baptized into the Catholic Church.
Baptism has two fundamental meanings. The first meaning is pretty much known by the majority of those who seek baptism. We have always been taught that through baptism we become part of the church and the nature of our church is that it is open to everybody.
The second meaning of baptism is that when we are baptized Jesus through the Holy Spirit comes to live in us and with us. From that moment we are also destined for eternity. Every morning when you open your eyes give yourself time to hear Jesus saying to you the very words that Jesus himself heard when He was baptized. “Mary, John, Andrew, Judy Sunny you are my beloved son, You are my beloved daughter. My favour, my care, my attention, my presence, everything that I have rests with you today.

12th anniversary of my Priestly ordination

Dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, Today is a special day in my life.12 years ago on 5th of January 1997 Bishop told me When you baptize, you will bring men and women into the people of God. In the sacrament of penance, you will forgive sins in the name of Christ and the Church. With holy oil you will relieve and console the sick. You will celebrate the liturgy, and offer thanks and praise to God throughout the day, praying not only for the people of God but for the whole world. Remember that you are chosen from among God's people and appointed to act for them in relation to God. Do your part in the work Christ the Priest with genuine joy and love, and attend to the concerns of Christ before your own.
Every Anniversaries is a Time to Remember, a Time to Look Ahead
I am never quite sure “when did I decide to be a priest because there was never an instant revelation or a profound moment of decisive insight but I know it is from my childhood onwards I was preparing to follow Christ. No matter what is our vocation in life, as disciples, we begin every morning to answer that call and live it as best we can for another day.
Through the years, the Lord sustained me," He lifted me up when I faltered. To Him be glory! "Looking back to the past, twelve years ago, I cannot but remember with great affection and gratitude so many people that contributed to my life in a meaningful way. I realized that each position I was assigned taught me something. Each person I met on my road helped me to grow and every moment of my life was a providence of God. To my parents I owe much, not only for the life they gave me, but also for the faith and the willingness to serve. God asked them for a big sacrifice when they gave their youngest son to the priesthood.
I also remember today with appreciation, the priests, sisters and teachers who shaped my life and vocation in the many institutions where I have studied and also in the Order of Carmelites. Thank you all for what you are to me .
Every follower of Christ has need of a faith that has overcome the world. It is not only priests and preachers who meet with resistance, and rejection and possibly even hostility. All of us can expect some kind of distress as we live according to the teachings of our Lord. None can predict just what form it might take.
What can separate us from the love of Christ? Distress, pressure, persecution, hunger, nakedness, danger or the sword?… But in all these things we overcome because of the one who loves us (Romans 8: 35- 37).
When we set out on life's journey, we don't know where it will take us. Every time I celebrate the Holy Mysteries, I am fully aware that it is God’s Grace that granted me this privilege. And I pray that God will allow me to die as a holy Priest.
January 5th is the feast of St. John Nepomucene Neumann. St. John Neumann was the fourth bishop of Philadelphia, and held that position from 1852 to 1860. He was the first male canonized saint from the United States. John was born March 28, 1811 in what is now the Czech Republic. On January 8, 1860, he died of a stroke while walking down the street. In 1977 he was canonized by Pope Paul VI and his incorrupt body is displayed in a glass altar in the lower church of St Peter the Apostle.

Epiphany
My dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,
This Feast, Epiphany, usually celebrated on January 6th, commemorates the manifestation of the glory of Christ that was shown upon the Gentiles in the person of the Magi, as well as His Baptism and the first miracle at Cana. Today's First Reading from the Book of Isaiah [Is. 60:1-6] states, "They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord." [Is. 60:1-6] As the Gospel of Matthew affirms, "wise men (magi) from the East came to Jerusalem" [Mt. 2:1] and offered baby Jesus "gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh." [Mt. 2:11] “the kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts; the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute” {Psalm 72:10}. In 735, St. Bede the Venerable recorded that the three Magi were named Gaspar, Balthasar, and Melchior. He also wrote that they were of different ages and races. It became a tradition that they were from the three known continents of that time, and were of the three stages of a man’s life. Gaspar, depicted in old age, is King of Tarsus and is considered European; Melchior is mature or middle-aged, and is the Ruler of Arabia and Nubia in Asia; Balthasar is a young man, and is the “Moorish” (African) Prince of Seba, a message that Christ came for all the world, all races and nations. Psalm 72:11 prophesied that “All kings shall pay him homage, all nations shall serve him.”
The Magi bring their gifts to the Christ, who is Himself the greatest gift ever given to the world. Have you ever wondered why the three magi offered gold, frankincense and myrrh to baby Jesus? Surely, they could have offered something more valuable such as diamonds, platinum and gold. Now that has value! Obviously, it was not the goal of the three magi to offer baby Jesus valuable items. Their goal was to offer symbolic items. Gaspar presents a chest of gold, a proper tribute to bring a newborn King. The magi did not perceive Jesus as their equal but rather as their King. Melchior holds a thurible (or censer) of frankincense, the smoke of which rises like the prayers and praise of the faithful. This substance, made from the gum of a shrub found in Arabia and India, was used in some cultures to give worship to gods and deified emperors. Here it gives worship to the divinity of Jesus. The magi perceived Jesus to be a priest, one who is an advocate between God and man. Balthasar presents the Child, Who is destined to die as a Sacrifice for the sins of mankind, the most somber of the three gifts: myrrh, used for embalming the dead. While the magi perceived that Jesus was their King and a priest, they also perceived that He would die for the salvation of humankind.
The key to the story of today’s gospel is the scene of Herod, with the scribes and the chief priests, When the travelers asked, “Where is he who is born king of the Jews? Herod was frightened.
Normally Herod was not a man to be easily frightened. History reveals to us that Herod the Great, a satellite king of Judea, reigned from 37 to 4 B.C. He was an efficient ruler and had rebuilt the temple so that it was enlarged and magnificent. So what frightened him?
The wise men are looking for one who is born King of the Jews. Herod was not born King of the Jews! He had been made King by the Roman Emperor. Here is an echo of the story of Solomon. He built the first temple. He was born King of the Jews. His father was David, son of Jesse.
In the genealogy, which opens the story of Jesus, Matthew stresses that Jesus is the son of David, of the line of Jesse, born in Bethlehem, the city of David. The expectations of the Jewish people, so intense in the time of Jesus, were to be fulfilled. That is why Herod was frightened.
Baby Jesus experienced both acceptance from the wise men and rejection from Herod. The wise men and Herod had two opposing attitudes, searching for God and being closed to God.
The wise men and Herod had different attitudes to Jesus, but also they had different attitudes to life. The wise men were generous, Herod was selfish wanting to hold on to his throne. The magi gave gifts to Jesus; Herod killed all boys under two years of age. The magi who sacrificed to put into life were happy, Herod who took all he could from life was unhappy.
The wise men’s journey of a thousand miles or more westwards from Persia which could have taken three months is really a symbol of the inward journey they made in their hearts, a journey from paganism to belief in Jesus as the Savior of the world. They didn’t travel to Bethlehem in limousines on nicely paved roads; they came riding on camels, on rough, treacherous roads with danger around every corner. And when they finally arrived at the house where the Holy Family was, they gave Jesus 3 precious gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh. They came to give, not to receive. Indeed not just the wise men but all of us are on a journey to get closer to Jesus our Savior.
The magi gave: they gave their time, they gave their energy, they gave their resources, they gave the most precious gifts they had—and they found the happiness that selfish Herod did not. They can be an example to us today. In addition to the gold, frankincense, and myrrh, they gave Jesus some gifts we can give him today: their hope, their time, and their worship. When everyone else saw a night sky, this small band of men saw the light.
When the wise men arrived in Jerusalem, it seems they no longer had the guidance of the star; otherwise they would not have had to ask Herod for advice. Sometimes we too feel as if we are in the dark, like the magi. Sometimes what or whom we relied on is not there any more. Sometimes we see only darkness around us. But we know that Jesus is there, and that eternal life awaits us even if sometimes in this world there is no star for us.
Yes dear brothers and sisters, as we move into this New Year the gospel tells us, travel as the Wise Men did, go another way.
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

St John the Evangelist
John was the son of Zebedee and Salome, and the brother of James the Greater. In the Gospels the two brothers are often called after their father "the sons of Zebedee" and received from Christ the honourable title of Boanerges, i.e. "sons of thunder" (Mark 3:17). Originally they were fishermen and fished with their father in the Lake of Genesareth. According to the usual and entirely probable explanation they became, however, for a time disciples of John the Baptist, and were called by Christ from the circle of John's followers, together with Peter and Andrew, to become His disciples (John 1:35-42). The first disciples returned with their new Master from the Jordan to Galilee and apparently both John and the others remained for some time with Jesus (cf. John ii, 12, 22; iv, 2, 8, 27 sqq.). Yet after the second return from Judea, John and his companions went back again to their trade of fishing until he and they were called by Christ to definitive discipleship (Matthew 4:18-22; Mark 1:16-20).
From James being thus placed first, the conclusion is drawn that John was the younger of the two brothers. In any case John had a prominent position in the Apostolic body. Peter, James, and he were the only witnesses of the raising of Jairus's daughter (Mark 5:37), of the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1), and of the Agony in Gethsemani (Matthew 26:37). Only he and Peter were sent into the city to make the preparation for the Last Supper (Luke 22:8). At the Supper itself his place was next to Christ on Whose breast he leaned (John 13:23, 25). According to the general interpretation John was also that "other disciple" who with Peter followed Christ after the arrest into the palace of the high-priest (John 18:15). John alone remained near his beloved Master at the foot of the Cross on Calvary with the Mother of Jesus and the pious women, and took the desolate Mother into his care as the last legacy of Christ (John 19:25-27). After the Resurrection John with Peter was the first of the disciples to hasten to the grave and he was the first to believe that Christ had truly risen (John 20:2-10). When later Christ appeared at the Lake of Genesareth John was also the first of the seven disciples present who recognized his Master standing on the shore (John 21:7). The Fourth Evangelist has shown us most clearly how close the relationship was in which he always stood to his Lord and Master by the title with which he is accustomed to indicate himself without giving his name: "the disciple whom Jesus loved". After Christ's Ascension and the Descent of the Holy Spirit, John took, together with Peter, a prominent part in the founding and guidance of the Church. We see him in the company of Peter at the healing of the lame man in the Temple (Acts 3:1 sqq.). With Peter he is also thrown into prison (Acts 4:3). Again, we find him with the prince of the Apostles visiting the newly converted in Samaria (Acts 8:14).
Christian art usually represents St John with an eagle, symbolizing the heights to which he rises in the first chapter of his Gospel. The chalice as symbolic of St John, which, according to some authorities, was not adopted until the thirteenth century, is sometimes interpreted with reference to the Last Supper, again as connected with the legend according to which St. John was handed a cup of poisoned wine, from which, at his blessing, the poison rose in the shape of a serpent. Perhaps the most natural explanation is to be found in the words of Christ to John and James "My chalice indeed you shall drink" (Matthew 20:23). In his old age, when unable to do more, he was carried into the assembly of the Church at Ephesus, and his sole exhortation was, "Little children, love one another."
The date of his death cannot be fixed with anything like precision, but it is certain that he lived to a very advanced age. The only one to live into old age; and not martyred for his faith. John the Evangelist is associated with Ephesus, where he is said to have lived and been buried.

New Year 2009
Happy New Year 2009 my dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,
The oldest holiday, or holy day, we know in the history of the human race is New Year’s. the ancient Romans celebrated New Year’s by exchanging coins which had the face of the god Janus on them. Janus is where we get the word “January.” The one special thing about the god Janus is he is two-faced. He has a face looking to the past and a face looking to the future. That is why the god Janus became the symbol of New Year’s where, just as we are today, we look at the past and give thanks for that. We look to the future and gather our hopes for that.
This is indeed a time to look back at the year that has just ended and to look forward to the New Year ahead of us.
Yesterday at midnight, the whole place of Times Squire went crazy. The confetti, the balloons, the blizzard of paper, the hundreds of thousands of screaming people on the road – shivering and celebrating and having the time of their lives. There is nothing quite like it. it is almost a ghost town with all the mess.
However, today Times Square is a very different place. The crews had worked through the night and everything is normal. Almost as if, nothing had happened Yesterday night. That is how we try to see our life at New Year’s – almost as if nothing had happened before. We are starting over. let’s begin again.
There is a song by Natasha Bedingfield that captures that kind of spirit. The song is called “Unwritten.” In part, it says:
“Drench yourself in words unspoken.Live your life with arms wide open.Today is where your book beginsThe rest is still unwritten.”
Today is where our book begins. The rest is still unwritten. But this January first, I would challenge you to make a different kind of resolution. Resolve to learn something from the woman we honor today. Resolve to welcome every blank page, every new start, with trust that God will see you through it – and then reflect on it in your heart. Just like Mary did. Today we celebrate Mary the Mother of God – Mary the mother of our salvation. Mary, the one who gave birth to a new beginning. The gospel today presents Mary to us as a model of that new life in Christ that all of us wish for ourselves in the new year.
We read that the shepherds, when they went to adore the Child Jesus in the manger, told all that the angels had said to them. "But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart" (Luke 2:19). Again after the boy Jesus was found in the Temple, we are told that "His mother treasured all these things in her heart" (Luke 2:51). Mary was a woman who valued the word of God, who treasured it and made time to meditate and ponder it. It is true that the holiness of Mary is attributed to the grace of God, but this should not make us forget that she needed to make an effort in order to cooperate with the grace of God. She pondered the word of God in order to discern what God was saying to her at every stage in her life as the handmaid of God.
There are two parts in today’s second reading, taken from Paul’s Letter to the Galatians; the first part dwells on the incarnation, the mystery of the Son of God becoming human (Galatians 4:4-5). The second part dwells on sanctification, that mystery whereby God sends the Spirit of His Son into our hearts to make us God’s own children (verses 6-7).
Paul sees the entire order of nature, from creation up to the coming of Christ, as a preparation. In the fullness of time, when the preparation was complete, then the real thing happened. God sent His Son.
In the incarnation, God gives humanity another chance. We can, therefore, say that God sent His Son to become human like us so that we could become God’s children like he is.
In Second part, God’s first attempt to make us His children through creation failed. God would not want the new creation to be a failure also. To ensure that this does not happen, God sends “the Spirit of His Son” into our hearts to teach us and empower us to be and feel and live as God’s children. This indwelling Spirit helps us to know God as our loving Father and address God with familiarity “Abba! Daddy!” (Galatians 4:6-7). This Spirit helps us to know ourselves as God’s beloved children, not as fearful slaves who have to do God’s will under fear of punishment.
As the new year begins, let us see this year as another chance given to us to get it right, to grow in familiarity with God our loving Father, and to grow in our awareness of ourselves as God’s beloved children, all of us, beloved children of the same loving Father.
Yes dear brothers and sisters, Resolve to count every day – and to make every day count. Because “Today is where your book begins. The rest is still unwritten.” – As you heard from the book of Numbers 6:22-27"May the Lord bless you and keep you; May the Lord let his face shine on you and be gracious to you; May the Lord uncover his face to you and bring you peace". Then, the New Year 2009 will truly be a Happy New Year.
Happy New Year 2009

Christmas 2008

Christmas 2008
Merry Christmas, my dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,
On this great feast of Christmas, together with Fr Sean, Fr Raymond and Fr Jacob, I offer my wholehearted greetings and Christmas best wishes to you .
"In the silence of the night a voice rings out." In the silence of the night a voice echoed across the fields near Bethlehem, linking the glory of God in heaven with the peace of men on earth. Today for you a Savior is Born..”
Tonight we all are overwhelmed and dumbfounded in the face of the divine love which took on human flesh and entered into the human spirit.
A student asked a Christian professor how Confucius and Buddah would differ from Christ. He responded with a parable.
A woman fell into a deep hole. Try as she might, she could not climb out. Confucius looked in. He told her, "Poor woman, if you had paid attention to me, you would not have fallen in there in the first place." Then he went away.
Buddah approached. He too spotted the woman. He said to himself, "If she can just manage to get out of that hole, I can give her genuine aid." He continued his journey.
Along came Jesus. He spotted the woman. He was moved with pity. He jumped into the hole immediately to assist her out. Yes dear brothers and sisters ‘Today for you and me a Savior is Born..”
Today the angels are bringing us the good news of great joy for all the people, for to us is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. This good news of great joy is for all the people of God. However, how do I personally enter into this "great joy" of Christmas? Is it enough that we hang up a banner ‘Joy to the World? Christmas rings out "joy to the world," yes, but how do I make this joy my own? This is an important question.
If you remember what I said earlier using the Word JOY. Look at the word JOY. You see that it is made up of three letters: first J, then O, and lastly Y. J stands for Jesus, O for Others, and Y for You. Joy therefore is: Jesus, Others, before You. To know joy in our lives we need to place Jesus first in everything. Secondly, we need to try to please others before trying to please yourself. That is the recipe for joy. That is how we can convert the Christmas "joy to the world" into a personal "joy in my life”. Yes, today we are all filled with the Christmas joy which comes from the faith that God has been born into the world.
As we look on baby Jesus we think of the mystery of God’s love for us. Why did God who is almighty and all-powerful become small and powerless as a baby? Quite simply, out of love for us. God became human so that we might become more like God.
There is a legend of an African boy called Emmanuel, who was always asking questions. One day he asked the question, “What language does God speak?” No one could answer him. He travelled all over his country to find the answer but did not get a satisfactory answer. Eventually he set out for distant lands to find the answer. For a long time he had no success. At last he came one night to a village called Bethlehem and as there was no room in the local inn, he went outside the village in search of a shelter for the night. He came to a cave and found that too was occupied by a couple and a child. He was about to turn away when the young mother spoke, ‘Welcome Emmanuel, we’ve been waiting for you.” The boy was amazed that the woman knew his name. He was even more amazed when she went on to say, “For a long time you have been searching the world over to find out what language God speaks. Well, now your journey is over. Tonight you can see with your own eyes what language God speaks. He speaks the language of love, that is expressed in sharing, understanding, mercy and total acceptance.” A tiny fish can seek its own food, but a human child depends totally on his mother. God – who created the oceans, the mountains and the night stars - freely chose to become so weak. Today for you a Savior is Born..”
The late Archbishop Fulton J Sheen explained it in terms of the mysterious love of God. We did not deserve a Savior like Christ. There was nothing we could do to compel or merit his intervention. Archbishop Sheen drew a parallel with us and our pets. Is there any one of us who loves his dog enough to be willing to become a dog to save it? God became a man so that by grace we can share in something of his divinity.
Our Lord was placed into a manger, a feedbox for animals. Our altar is also a manger, but it is a place not for the food of animals but for us. Jesus is the bread of life. Jesus also wants to make a manger of our hearts. He seeks a home in our souls. He came down from his heaven so that he might abide with us always.
My dear brothers and sisters, Christmas is an invitation for each one of us to be for our world what Jesus was for His world; a beam of light in the midst of darkness, a ray of hope in the midst of despair.
If Jesus is to be born into today’s world, it must be through us. We must be the bean of light in the midst of darkness. We must be the ray of hope in the midst of despair.
May this Christmas that we are celebrating, increase the birth and presence of God in your souls who prays to the infant Jesus: "Raise your little hand, O Holy Child, and bless our beloved homeland."
Merry Christmas.
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Canticle Of Zacharias

The candles of hope, love, and joy continue to shine and are finally joined by the candle of peace. With its lighting the flame shines brightly inviting the Price of Peace to rule our hearts and minds.
Clearly, Zechariah sees the love of God embodied in the coming Savior of the world. He tells his son "In the tender compassion of our God, the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death and to guide our feet into the way of peace." All that the Father hopes for us is echoed there, his love, his compassion, his care for those who are lost, it is all there and in it we hear the parent's prayer for their children.
For Zechariah, the birth of his son, - despite his advanced age, her wife’s barrenness, and the return of his speech, is divine signs of the dawn of salvation (v.78). This “salvation” (v.71) means (a) the forgiveness and mercy from God for all the sins of the people of Abraham.
God’s grace of salvation or, as graphically pictured in v.73b as God’s rescuing of his people from the hand of enemies, is not be conditioned by any human attitude or comportment. For God, this salvation, has become an “oath” (v.73). He has made a pledge long ago, and he will oblige himself, in spite of and despite human failures. This “oath” (v.73), He will truly fulfill for his people. This is so because God promised, and he will never break his promise. This is because God is faithful, and despite human’s repeated unfaithfulness, God remains to be faithful. This is God’s love beyond condition. There is no human condition that will prevent God from redeeming his chosen people. This was part of the oath he made to Abraham, the father of faith. The challenge then is how to truly commemorate this greatest gift of God. With the birth of his son, we commemorate the advent of our being true sons and daughters of God. Virtually and really, with the birth of Jesus, we were made worthy “to serve him in holiness and righteousness.” This is our life long task: To preserve ourselves and persevere in holiness and in righteousness of God so that we become worthy sons and daughters, slaves and servants of a loving Father.

The Naming Of John the Baptist

In the Middle East, they pick names based on different criteria than we do. For them, the way the name sounded was not that important. It was also not that important if the name was popular or unpopular. Generally, they picked names in one of two ways.
First, they most often named firstborn sons after the father, and other sons after some other relative. Similarly, girls were often named after the mother or grandmother. But sometimes, they chose different names for their children, and in these cases the names were chosen for what they mean. You see, names are like all words, they have definitions. And the people of the Middle East often looked upon the meaning of the name of a child as a prediction or prophecy for what kind of person that child would grow up to be.
Now Zacharias would have been a good name. It was his father's name, and it means "the one whom Yahweh remembers." That's a good name to have. But just at the priest was praying this prayer, Elizabeth jumps in, she interrupts, and says, "No! Wait! He is not be named Zacharias.
"His name is John." John, by the way , is a good name too. It means, "God has been gracious." And God was gracious, to Zacharias and Elizabeth, and to all who encountered John later in life. God himself gave John that name and it was revealed to his father Zachary in a vision (Luke 1:13). That this name was given to the child already before his birth shows that God has a purpose and plan for the child. The words of Isaiah apply equally to John: “The lord called me before I was born, while I was in my mother's womb he named me. … he formed me in the womb to be his servant (Isaiah 49:1, 5).
You know, most of the time, almost all of the time, gossip is bad. But there are a few instances where gossip is good. We could call it "good news gossip" or "Gospel Gossip."

This good kind of gossip is when God does something amazing for us, or in our church, or for somebody else, and we just want to spread it all over town. It is so amazing that we want to call everybody in the phonebook, and say, "Wow! Did you hear what God did for Zacharias?"

Or, "You'll never believe what happened! We prayed for Harry and Sally at the prayer meeting and Bible study on Wednesday night, and not one week later, our prayer was answered! Isn't that incredible?" I hope you can do that at work and in your neighborhood. Godly gossip. Gospel gossip. Just letting your mouth speak from the overflow in your life of what exciting things God is doing.

Magnificat
What is truly remarkable is the fact that she is fully conscious of that fact, acknowledges it, and praises God for that incomparable and unique privilege that consists in being the mother of the Savior of all ages to come.
The first object for which she lifts her voice in praise is for salvation. In verse 47, she declares her dependence upon God in Heaven for salvation. She is simply praising the Lord for the salvation she possesses.
Mary is telling Elizabeth that she is a nobody, but she has experienced the grace of God first hand. Mary knows that she does not deserve wonderful favor of the Lord that has been extended to her. Yet, the Lord did it anyway. Think of the change He made in your life, 2 Cor. 5:17. Think of the blessings you have enjoyed. Think of the benefits that are yours as a child of God. Think of the glory that awaits out there in the future. We have been blessed abundantly! Like Mary, we all have reason to praise the Name of the Lord!
Only those who are willing to humble themselves before the Lord can expect anything from the Lord. Salvation comes to the humble - Matt. 18:3. Before we can expect anything from the Lord, we must be willing to humble ourselves in His sight. When we do, we can experience His grace in a very real way.
Many are like the "church crowd" down in Laodicea, Rev. 3:14-22. They thought they had everything they needed, but failed to see that they were the neediest people of all. With all they possessed, they still lacked everything. Because to have the entire world and not have Jesus is to be eternally doomed to the fires of Hell. Yet, to have Him and nothing more is to have the greatest treasure that Heaven can afford. If you have all the goods of this world in your hand and do not have the Lord Jesus Christ in your heart, you are destitute and headed to Hell - Mark 8:36-37.
Mary praises the Lord for remembering to do what He has promised to do. She exalts His Name because He did not forget her people. The Lord still keeps His promises. He will never allow anything He has promised to do go undone, Rom. 4:21! That is why He can be trusted in every situation in life. Whether it be for salvation, 2 Tim. 1:12, or for daily provision, Phil. 4:19. God will do what He has said He will do. Therefore, learn to trust Him and learn to praise Him for His goodness, even if the answer has not yet been seen! If there is one thing we can be sure of this morning/evening, it is that we can depend on the Lord, He will never let one of His promises fall to the ground - 2 Pet. 3:9.

O Mary ma...

My second song in St John the Martyr- O Mary ma...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouqxmdgUIis&feature=channel_page

double click on the link please.

4th sunday Advent Year B

Amen to God’s Will
My dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,
During Advent, we have been thinking of Mary bearing Jesus in her womb. Now on this last Sunday of Advent we think more particularly about Mary.
In order for us to appreciate better God’s choice of Mary and her fiat to God’s call, it is helpful for us to have a general picture of Jesus’ time. Women at Jesus’ time were regarded as pieces of property to be owned and disposed of by men as the men deemed fit. In courts of law, the testimony of a woman was not admissible. Every morning, a Jewish man would thank God that, among other things, he was not a woman!
We believe that the conception of Jesus in the womb of Mary took place at the moment she said “Yes” to God. That is why the feast of the Annunciation is placed on March 25, nine months before Christmas. She said ‘Yes’ to the angel Gabriel to become the mother of Jesus. Think of the consequences it could have had for her.
How old was Mary at the time? We don’t really know, but that hasn’t stopped people from speculating. The minimum age for marriage under Jewish law is 13 for boys, 12 for girls. The official betrothal could take place a year prior to the full-fledged marriage. The Talmud recommends that a man marry by the age of 18. Therefore, it would not have been unusual for Mary to have been betrothed to Joseph by the age of 15.
She was betrothed to Joseph. That meant they were legally bound to each other although they did not live together. In Israel a woman who was unfaithful during betrothal was stoned to death (Deut 22:20-21). Mary responded to God’s Call saying: “Be it done unto me according to your word.” Her response was faith. She believed. We have always regarded Mary as a model believer, an example of faith. But when we consider that the possibility that being stoned to death awaited Mary for saying yes to the angel, we see how strong her faith really was. She was willing even to risk death for the sake of obeying God. Apart from that, we can easily imagine all the many nasty things that were said about Mary, all the nasty looks that she had to endure, and all the hushed whisperings that she knew were about her. She was indeed a woman of great faith.
Nazareth is a village whose population was perhaps 200 to 400 people, all of whom were most likely Jewish, in terms of size, the largest Nazareth could have been was a little less than 30 acres with human beings inhabiting perhaps only 10 of those acres. Lots of space separated the houses—which were very small—to provide for each family’s livestock pens and small garden.
Reflecting on these conditions, it is quite likely that everyone knew everyone else and everyone else’s private affairs and personal business as well. Therefore, it is not easy for Mother Mary to cover her pregnancy. Personal strengths as well as personal weaknesses and failures were likely known by all. As a result, it would be difficult for any Nazarene to be pretentious.
“Amen.” One word in Aramaic, the language of Palestine, says it all, “Amen.” It means, “So be it”, “be it done unto me according to your word.” Mary literally said, “Amen”, and then she conceived Jesus in her womb. St. Augustine says Mary believed by faith and conceived by faith, i.e. conceived Jesus in her mind through faith before conceiving him in her womb. Every time we say “Amen” to God, we conceive Jesus in faith as Mary did. Then when we act on Jesus’ words, we bring Jesus in to the world as Mary did.
Mary knew that from the human point of view she may not even be able to bring her pregnancy to its full term but she had faith to believe that what is impossible for us is possible for God. And so, with that faith she said yes. She surrendered into the hands of God, and it really was surrendering because she did not know what the consequences would be. But she had faith to believe that no matter what difficulties would follow God would provide a way out and a remedy. Mary’s final words to the angel are a model for each of us, “I am the Lord’s servant, let what you have said be done to me.” And because Mary surrendered to God, Jesus came.
Mary was humble, that was why she was able to make the greatest act of faith in history. We could pick up four fundamental attitudes of Mary for her to say Amen to God’s call to be the Mother of Jesus. She has unlimited trust in whatever God wills. She does not demand that first she must ´understand´; she accepts that God´s ways, even in their human ramifications, necessarily surpass us. She has no preconceived personal plans that are non-negotiable and to which God´s plan must be adjusted. To know and do His will is the hinge on which her life turns.
My dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, We are the glass through which the light of Christ is to shine. Whether it is blacked-out, smudged or crystal clear depends on our response to Christ’s invitation to be His disciples. So, in these final days of preparation to celebrate Christmas, may others see our deeper vision of Christ reflected in the manner in which we celebrate our Christmas.
Mary shows us how to be a follower of Jesus, making a loving surrender into the hands of God who loves us. The angel left Mary. She was on her own now, or so it seemed. In fact she was not really on her own, God was with her and in her. It is like that for us too sometimes. God calls us, we answer and then we feel on our own. But we are not really alone because God is with us.
Let us pray now asking for help to continue responding to God’s call even when we think we’re on our own but we are not in fact on our own, he is with us.....
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Luke 1:26-38 Angel Gabriel
What do we know about Gabriel? The name Gabriel means “strong one of God” (the -el at the beginning or end of many Hebrew names refers to God). He appears in Scripture twice in Daniel, and twice in Luke. We know that he has the appearance of a man, but causes fear when he appears. We know that he spends almost all of his time standing in the presence of God.But if there's one thing we've learned about angels as we've traveled through the Bible, it's that the important thing is not the man, but the mission and the message. In fact, the word "angel" means "messenger". What is Gabriel's mission? What is Gabriel's message? In the Old Testament the angel Gabriel was twice sent to Daniel, first to give him a message from God and, then, to help him understand the message (Daniel 8:16, 9:21). This is his second of two appearances in the New Testament, the first being to Zachariah announcing the birth of John the Baptist. When Zacharias was at the altar of incense in the Holy of Holies,(Luke 1:5-25) Gabriel appeared and told him that in their old age, he and his wife Elizabeth would have a son, who would go as a forerunner to the Messiah.So far, we've seen that Gabriel's mission and his message is always Messianic. And now, as we look at our portion of Scripture this morning, we see Gabriel's mission climaxing by announcing the Messiah Himself - conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary. In Isaiah 7, the Lord spoke to Ahaz, king of Judah, saying:Isa. 7:14 "...The Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.Sure, the Messiah must be born from a virgin. Now the name Jesus is quite interesting. It was the most common name of the day, much like the name "John" is today. It was the Greek version of the Hebrew name "Joshua". Yehoshua - meaning "Yahweh is salvation". When Joseph

was thinking about divorcing Mary, an angel appeared to him in a dream, saying:Matt. 1:20-21 "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for that which has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins.What is not obvious in the English is the statement that it is God Himself in Mary's womb. The angel said, "You shall call His name 'Yahweh is salvation', because it is He who will save His people." That baby inside of Mary is Yahweh Himself! God said in Isaiah that the virgin will call His name Immanuel, "God with us." Truly, Jesus Christ was, and is, God with us.

Unanswered prayer
We All face a common problem – Prayers that seem to go unanswered.
If you are too busy to pray, then you are simply too busy!
Prayerlessness is one reason prayer is not answered. God cannot and will not answer a prayer that is not prayed!
Today’s Gospel that relates the story of Zacharias and Elisabeth, and the birth of John the Baptist, reveals a few reasons why prayer goes unanswered.
v. 6 SOMETIMES THE ANSWER IS DENIED
There are times when God will say “No” to the prayers we pray.
1 John 5:14-15 address another reason why our prayers are not answered. Prayer is not about getting our will done in Heaven, but about God getting His will done on earth!
v. 13 SOMETIMES THE ANSWER IS DELAYED
There are times when God says “wait” when we pray.
Zacharias and Elisabeth had been praying and praying and praying for years. When they were young they prayed for a son. As they grew older they continued to pray for a child. When the angel appeared and confirmed the answer, Zacharias had even ceased to believe that his prayer could or would be answered. Sometimes we think our prayers have gone unanswered. In reality, they have been heard and they have already been answered. It just isn’t God’s time to reveal the answer.
V. 15-17 SOMETIMES THE ANSWER IS DIFFERENT
Sometimes God says “watch”. Sometimes He will take our prayers and make them better!
If He withholds something from us or changes it to something different, it is because what we asked for wasn’t good for us. God always gives us His best when we leave the choices to Him! God provides for our best.
When prayer seems unanswered, be sure that your heart is right with God, Psa. 66:18; and be sure that you are asking according to His will. Advent invites us to enter the silence of Zechariah and to wait and see the Words of God come to their fulfillment at the proper time.

Genealogy of Christ by St Mathew
St. Matthew opens his Gospel account with a formal, stylized listing of Jesus’ ancestors. His purpose is to make it clear that our Lord is truly and fully a member of the Jewish race, a true descendant of Abraham according to the flesh. Consequently, he is a man like all the rest of us in his humanity while being in his person fully divine.
It has been observed that:
a. Matthew wrote for the Jews
b. Mark wrote for the Romans
c. Luke wrote for the Greeks
d. John wrote for the church
Matthew's gospel was designed to convince Jews that Jesus is the Messiah. Whatever else Jesus may have done, if He was not a descendant of Abraham and David, He could not be the Messiah. So a gospel directed especially to the Jews would naturally settle this issue before proceeding.
This genealogy SHOW THAT JESUS FULFILLS TWO MESSIANIC PREREQUISITES...
1. The Messiah had to be a descendant of Abraham - cf. Gen 22:18
2. The Messiah had to be a descendant of David - cf. Isa 11:1-2, 10
-- Mt 1:1 proclaims this to be true of Jesus.
The most striking point is the fact that he lists the genealogy of Joseph rather than that of Mary, while concluding with the observation that it is of Mary that Jesus took flesh. He will then continue his narrative by showing in detail that Joseph was not the father of Jesus according to the flesh for he was conceived by the Holy Spirit in a unique and divine manner. Joseph is commissioned, however, by God through the dream, to adopt Jesus as his legal son. This is indicated by the directive he is given to name the child Jesus, for in Jewish practice, the imposing of the child’s name by the father was the public expression of recognition of the child as his own. Accordingly, Jesus is presented by Matthew as the son of David’s descendent, Joseph, by adoption, and the son of Abraham according to the flesh through his mother, Mary.
So Jesus is both "legal" and "fleshly" heir to the throne of David...
a. "Legal" heir by virtue of His adoption by Joseph,
descendant of Solomon
b. "Fleshly" heir by virtue of His birth by Mary, descendant
of Nathan
He introduces the names of four women contrary to Jewish practice, each of whom have in common the fact that they conceived and gave birth by virtue of a special divine intervention. His intent here is to prepare for the still more marvelous divine conception of Jesus by Mary through the Holy Spirit.
Jesus indeed is our Messiah, our savior .Let us prepare our hearts and minds to welcome our King. The season of Advent, of God coming to us, we experience it each day as we bow before our Lord Jesus and submit to his rule in our hearts, minds, and lives. The peaceful rule of Christ is coming. Watch. Pray. Smile and be happy.

Two sons of the Father

In order for our faith to be alive and authentic, our deeds must match our words and our words must be of God.
In the Parable of the Two Sons (Matthew 21:28-32), Jesus teaches us that simply saying the right words in an attempt to gain favor without backing them up with good works is both hypocritical and prideful disobedience. These two sons represents us.
The disobedient younger son spoke the right words, but his deeds did not match them. He represents Israel, particularly those scribes and Pharisees who gave a good show of pious observance of their religion, but who were interiorly prideful, self-centered and disobedient. When faced with the truth proclaimed by John the Baptist, they clung to self instead of humbly submitting themselves to their God.
The other son repented of his sinful words and obeyed his father, thus humbly doing the father’s will in the end. He represents all who repent and walk humbly with the Lord to do the right thing.
The first of the sons in the parable did not want to go and work in the vineyard: he did not want to suffer... This son also had two loves: the love of self, and the love of his father. First it is the love of self that has the upper hand, then it is the love of his father that dominates. Here he begins by loving himself, and replies to his father, "I will not." But, as this son has a upright conscience, it reproaches him for his attitude toward his father and, finally, it is his love for his father that wins out: he goes to work in the vineyard, he does the will of his father!
The two sons in the gospel stand for the two directions of the spiritual life: one moving closer to God’s will, the other moving away from it. The first son starts poorly. He refuses to do what the father asks. But in time he comes around and does the father’s will. The other son begins well. He says that he will do what is asked. But he does not follow through and ends in failure. There is a principle in the spiritual life which states, “Unless you are moving forward, you are falling backward.” What you do not use, you lose.
This excerpt from the Universal Prayer of Pope Clement XI seems very appropriate to this endeavor.
[Lord God] I adore You as my first beginning, I long for You as my final end. I praise You as my constant helper, and call on You as my loving protector. Guide me by Your Wisdom, correct me with Your Justice, comfort me with Your Mercy, protect me by Your Power… Lord, enlighten my understanding, enflame my will, purify my heart, sanctify my soul. Help me to repent of my past sins and to rise above my human weaknesses and to grow stronger as a Christian…

Monday

What Authority You have
Public questioning and debate between religious teachers was a popular sport in Judaism. Yet, it is likely that these representatives of the Sanhedrin were more into entrapment than debate. In seeking to identify the authority by which Jesus exercised his ministry, they were hoping to gather further evidence for a charge of blasphemy.We get hit with a question and we waffle rather than answer the question honestly because we fear the consequences of being truthful.
“Honey, what do you think of my new hairdo?” “Wow, that certainly is different.”
“Do you think we can win the big game?” “I’m sure you’re going to give it your best
shot.”
“Did you like my sermon?” “It gave me a lot to think about.”
We waffle to be kind. We waffle so we don’t look stupid. We waffle to protect ourselves.
We waffle because we don’t want other people to know what we really think and believe.
At first glance you might think Jesus is waffling in today’s Gospel lesson. Jesus isn’t waffling. He agrees to answer their question, but first, they must answer a question. And it is a simple question with two possible answers, “from heaven” or “from man.
Jesus’ question is no simple debating tactic. He’s not buying time so he can think of an answer to their question. Jesus’ question gets to the heart of the proclamation of Jesus as the Messiah.
John’s whole ministry was about preparing the way and pointing to the one who would come after him; Jesus of Nazareth. After all, John had proclaimed that Jesus was the Lamb of God. So if John’s Baptism was from heaven, well then his words must have been from heaven too. If John’s words had heavenly authority, then Jesus must be the Christ.
They couldn’t admit that John’s baptism was from heaven; otherwise Jesus will ask them why they didn’t believe him. They couldn’t say from man, because John had been immensely popular with the people, and they were afraid of the crowd.
The interrogation of Jesus by the leaders of the Jews demonstrates their prideful hearts. It is a lesson to us to be careful so that our own pride doesn’t let our authority outweigh that of Christ. Martin Luther wrote that ‘ambition is the mother of all heresies and sects.’ We also learn from this text that what we need is humility before Christ, not our own self-esteem.

Rejoice always
My dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,
The 3rd Sunday of Advent is called “Gaudete Sunday.” Gaudete is Latin for “rejoice.” It is a command taken directly from Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians, as in today’s second reading: “Rejoice always” (1 Thessalonians 5:16). It is a positive command, one that we are supposed to keep at all times and in all circumstances.
As we sing in the Lord of the Dance, “It’s hard to dance with the devil on your back.” As followers of Christ, we know that life on earth is not always rosy, but life after death is bliss. Our hope is not in this life only. That is why we are able to rejoice in good times and in bad, as Jesus himself did.
Author Leo Buscaglia tells a story about his mother which shows that it takes a lot of faith to rejoice. His father came back from work one day and announced that he had lost all his money because his business partner had duped him and ran away with their firm's funds. That same evening, his mother went out, sold some of her expensive jewelry, and bought food for a sumptuous feast. People criticized her for reckless spending at a time when poverty was staring her in the face. But she told them that "the time for joy is now, when we need it most, not next week." Her courageous act rallied the family and gave them the hope they needed to face the future with confidence and trust that God was in control.
The call to be joyful does not mean a call to overexcitement. Christian joy is profound, deep, unshakeable, and permanent. And being a joyful Christian doesn’t mean that we cannot feel sorrow, grief, or sadness. The truly joyful person feels these emotions very deeply – and expresses them without embarrassment.

We may all wonder: Is it possible to be happy all the time? On the other hand, what do we need to do to have the disposition to rejoice always? First of all, the realistic Catholic knows well that honest striving for holiness involves suffering. And suffering threatens to take away our happiness.
Christmas time is a time of great joy for Christians. Paul says it quite clearly, in our second reading today: “Brothers and sisters: Rejoice in the Lord always!” It seems an odd thing for a man to write who is in prison and on the way to execution to see so much cause for joy. What is the secret for Paul? What is it that causes him, in the face of prison and possible death to see joy when others in the face of the holidays are depressed? I think the key to understanding the difference between the two outlooks lies two sentences further on. Paul says The Lord is near. For St. Paul, his nearness to Christ is what brings him his joy. He tells other Christians it should be their joy as well. The nearness of Christ to our hearts is the deciding factor upon whether we look on our life with joy or with gloom.
A fully human life is one that is turned outward toward others and toward God. It is oriented toward community and others rather than self. St. Therese of Lisieux compared herself to a little flower and I think that analogy for the soul is a good one here. A flower turned in upon itself is wilted and dead. A flower turned outwards toward others and the Sun is living, vibrant and in bloom. In the same way a soul turned in upon itself is dying, dead or in a state of decay. A living, vibrant and healthy soul is turned outwards toward God and others. That is why St. Paul can so easily tell us: Brothers and sisters: Rejoice in the Lord always. For St. Paul his joy is Jesus Christ. He carries that joy within him wherever he goes. His situation or the things he have cannot shake the foundations of his joy, which is Jesus Christ. If we too want the same, unshakeable joy that he has, then we must build upon the same foundation which is Jesus Christ. The key to happiness or unhappiness lies in our relationship with the Lord. The only thing that will make us truly happy is God. If our relationship is good then we are joyful. If it is bad then the joy we experience in life is fleeting at best and in most cases not true joy. The things we seek in the world other than God are not the keys to our happiness. Things or people cannot bring us lasting happiness because they are breakable, they can be lost, and they can change. Only the unbreakable, the unshakeable and the unchangeable God can bring us the joy we seek. Only in God can we find the firm foundation that brings us the joy we all hope for. Even in the midst of difficult situations, we can be joyful, if we have Jesus.
Another tool for happiness is to ‘Be humble’. if we listen to today’s Gospel we see the importance of humility in our lives and as a way to make sure that we don’t lose our joy and peace when difficult times come our way.
St. John the Baptist gives us a great example of humility. People were coming to him to be baptized and the “Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to him to ask him, ‘Who are you’ he admitted and did not deny it, but admitted, ‘I am not the Christ’
He could have given importance to himself and talk about the importance of his life and mission. He defers and talks about Jesus, ‘there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie’
He shows us the value of humility. The humility of knowing who he was, accepting the Will of God for him and being happy to forget about himself, to the point of asking his own disciples to go and follow Jesus.
Finally, to remain in joy, St. Paul encourages us to ‘pray without ceasing’. Let us not forget that Advent and then Christmas are a time to intensify our prayer. As St. Paul says in today’s second reading: ‘May the God of peace make you perfectly holy and may you entirely, spirit, soul and body, be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ’

Yes, dear brothers and sisters, it is hard for us to live a life of rejoicing always, but the One who calls us to this life is one who always provides us what we really need to follow His commands. He is faithful, and He will do it in our lives. Rejoice always. Whether we are joyful or sad, One day we are going to die. Be happy and help others to be happy.

St. Lucy
St. Lucy (Santa Lucia) was a young Sicilian girl who took a secret vow to consecrate her virginity to Christ. Thus, her mother was quite dismayed when Lucy, as a teen, refused marriage to a young pagan. When Lucy's mother developed a hemorrhage, Lucy persuaded her to visit the tomb of St. Agatha to pray for healing. When her mother was healed, Lucy revealed her vow of virginity and asked permission to bestow her fortune on the poor. Joyful at her cure, Lucy's mother agreed, but Lucy's pagan suitor was incensed. With the persecution of the emperor Diocletian at its height, the jilted young man accused Lucy, before a judge, of being a Christian. When Lucy refused to relinquish her faith, the judge ordered her to a brothel. However, guards who attempted to drag her to the house of sin were unable to budge her. Similarly an attempt to burn Lucy to death failed so she was dispatched by thrusting a sword into her throat. The date of Lucy's martyrdom was December 13, 304.Lucy's suitor, however, had other plans, and revealed Lucy as a Christian. Authorities went to collect her, planning on forcing her into prostitution -- but they were unable to budge her, even after tying her to a team of oxen. She was then tortured by having her eyes torn out. They'd planned on torturing her by fire, too, but the fires kept going out. She was then killed by being stabbed in the throat with a dagger.
Because of the above, St. Lucy is the patron of those with eye problems, and is often depicted carrying her eyes (often on a plate), being tied to a team of oxen, with St. Agatha, or before her judges. Her relics lay in Syracuse for hundreds of years, were translated to Constantinople, and then to Venice where they may be venerated at the Church of San Geremia. Her head was sent to Louis XII of France, and reposes in the cathedral of Bourges.
Her name, "Lucia," means "Light," and light plays a role in the customs of her Feast Day. According to the Julian calendar, December 13 was the shortest day of the year. wearing a crown of candles, and carrying a torch to light her way, moves from house to house in each village or neighborhood and brings baked goods to each home before the sun rises.The change to the Gregorian calendar altered the date to December 21st, but did not change Lucy's feast day celebration, and she is forever associated with lengthening days and more sunlight. Whatever the fact to the legends surrounding Lucy, the truth is that her courage to stand up and be counted a Christian in spite of torture and death is the light that should lead us on our own journeys through life.

Our Lady Of Guadalupe
We are here this morning to celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Most of us know the gist of the story. Some 477 years ago, in 1531 an elderly Indian man named "Juan Diego" had a vision of Mary, the mother of Jesus, at Tepeyac, a squalid Indian village outside of Mexico City. Mary directed Juan Diego to tell the bishop to build the church in Tepeyac. The Spanish Bishop, however, dismissed the Indian’s tale as mere superstition — he was, after all, an Indian — but then, to humor Juan Diego, he insisted that he bring some sort of proof, if he wanted to be taken seriously. So, three days later, the Virgin Mary appeared again and told Juan Diego to pick the exquisitely beautiful roses that had miraculously bloomed amidst December snows, and take them as a sign to the Bishop. When the Indian opened his poncho to present the roses to the Bishop, the flowers poured out from his poncho to reveal an image of the Virgin Mary painted on the inside of the poncho. That image hangs today in the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City and is venerated by thousands of pilgrims from all over the world.
The vision also tells us something about ourselves: that we generally listen to people who look and act important. That the people to sweep the hallways or fry the burgers or paint the numbers on our curbs do not really have anything to say to us. The vision challenges us to listen to the people who do not look or act like us.
Juan Diego’s vision of where God wants to be or whom we should listen to should come as no surprise to us. Throughout history, God has consistently chosen to be with poor people. We know that our God "hears the cries of the poor." While it is true that God loves each and every one of us, there is a special place in God’s heart for the poor and the powerless. In that respect, Juan Diego’s message is a restatement of Jesus’ vision of God.
The Mother of God, through her messenger Blessed Juan Diego and her permanent apparition on his mantle, invites the people of America to place all their trust in God and in His commandments. In other words, she invites us to submit ourselves completely to the reign of Christ the King, the Holy One of Israel who helps us and guides along the way of life to eternal life.
The very vivid vision described in our first reading (Rev 12) has particular meaning for everyone in the Americas since the appearance of Our Lady to St. Juan Diego took the same form as what is described in that reading from Rev 12.
…a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was with child…(Rev 12:1-2)
This is the image Our Lady left on St. Juan Diego’s tilma. She is clothed with the sun, standing on the moon, and has a crown of twelve stars. She is pregnant and so Our Lady of Guadalupe is revered as Patroness of the Unborn and also revered as Patroness of the Americas since she appeared in the center of North and South America.

St Mary’s Residence
95th Anniversary
Today’s Mass is a great act of thanksgiving. We thank God for all that has been achieved here in St Mary’s Residence over the last ninety-five years. We thank God for the staff, and for the leadership that they have exercised. We thank God for the members who have lived in this Residence and for the good that they have done. On this anniversary, first and foremost, we acknowledge the great contribution made by the Sisters, Daughters of the Divine Charity. We thank Sister Mary Clair, the current Superior, and Sr Almaisa Brito, the Administrator of the Residence and all the sisters past and present who have given their lifeblood for the work of this Residence.
An Anniversary celebration such as this is a time not only for thanksgiving but also for reflection, for re-examination of orientations, for clarification of the road map and for resolutions for the future… I would like to bring in a great figure of Catholic tradition: St Augustine of Hippo who was engaged in a great quest for truth and for freedom.
Augustine tells us the story of his quest in his great book, The Confessions. There he speaks to us of the human being – you and I – being a great enigma. We know that people are capable of great goodness and of creating great beauty. Yet we also know, with equal certainty, that human beings are capable of destructiveness and great obscenity. So we can well ask: What lies at the heart of this great enigma that we are? Augustine pointed out that we have to come to understand ourselves either as an absurdity, being of no sense with a huge contradiction at its core, or as participants in a great mystery. That’s our choice, absurdity or mystery.
This realization, the fruit of so much reflection and education in St Augustine, led him to express his two great classic affirmations: “I believe in order to understand”. In other words, I believe in God in order to understand myself and the world around me. And secondly “I understand the better to believe”. In other words, I study and struggle so that my faith becomes deeper and clearer.
Today you remind me in a very natural way of the second letter of St Paul to the Corinthians in which St Paul conveys an idea that seems to apply especially to you. He describes the faithful of that Church as “Letters from Christ” “You are a letter from Christ…written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God; not on stone tablets but on the tablets of human hearts”. (2 Cor.3:3)
You, like all Christians are letters from Christ. In that capacity, you have not only the right but also the obligation to be God's message to the whole of humanity. This is certainly not a letter written with ink, but something much deeper, more beautiful and mysterious. It is the presence of God in your hearts, a text written by the Holy Spirit, a letter made into flesh and blood at the service of each person that you encounter.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus says to us “Love one another” and “Remain in my love.” Then Jesus goes on to explain. “I have told you this that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be complete.” The mark of one who is truly living in His love is joy, the joy that we see in one another. Joy even in the midst of suffering is a sign of knowing Jesus – “Yes, I am loved by God. Yes, I know that I give myself as Mary and Jesus gave themselves totally.” It is not simply to love one another but to love one another as Christ has loved us. That makes the difference. The greatest love a person can have for his friends is to give his life for them. "And you are my friends if you do what I command you. He loved those who hated him. He loved those who beat him. He loved those who crucified him.
This evening we thank the Lord for guiding this Residence through these Ninety-five years of its history. We ask his blessing on these next years under the gracious patronage of our Mother Mary. May God continue to bless the work of St Mary’s Residence and all those who have been a part of its journey in the past, at this moment, and in all the events and challenges that lie before us in the years to come.
God bless you all.
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

My Yoke is Easy
Refusal to forgive others, ready criticism of others, and all the many shapes that selfishness assumes in our minds and in our dealings with others, are indications of the failure to take up the yoke of love. The person who is prompt to criticize others, who finds fault with all manner of behavior is not only a heavy burden to oneself; they also weighs heavily on those one lives with.
The remedy that Jesus brings us for such a burdensome life is love.
"Come to me, all you that are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest," Jesus tells the crowd. (Matthew 11:28) The invitation is extended to all.
Jesus' yoke – his rules – are simple: Love God and love each other. And here's the bonus: he offers to teach his disciples how to live fully into these two rules. "Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me," he says. (Matthew 11:29)
This invitation to "learn from me" suggests relationship, which opens up a new way of thinking about this image of "yoke." A yoke usually joins two working animals together as a team. One of those animals is the experienced one, the leader. Jesus invites his followers to harness up with him. He assures them that he will help them plow through all the challenges of their lives. He invites them to work along side him has he prepares the field – God's glorious Kingdom – for planting and harvesting.
What do you do to rest? Listening to the radio all day long or watching TV all evening will not bring you rest. It will fill your mind with thoughts and you will not have room in your mind for God or spiritual matters. When you want rest, go to the Lord in prayer.
Jesus certainly knew all about yokes. As a carpenter he would have been asked from time to time to make a wooden yoke for farmers so that they could get two oxen to pull a plough or other farm implement together. The yoke was the wooden crossbeam that joined the two animals at the neck and that crossbeam dragged the farm implement. Since animals are different sizes it was common to have a yoke cut to measure for the animals pulling it. Otherwise it would not fit the animal correctly and cause considerable discomfort. As a carpenter Jesus must have cut many such yokes. The yoke that Jesus cuts for us does not cause discomfort but brings us comfort because the yoke of Jesus is easy and light. The invitation of Jesus to us is not a yoke that weighs us down but is easy and light,
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your selves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light. (Matt 11:29-30)

Lost sheep
We believe firmly that God is good, He is love. But that his love is personal, directed to me, insignificant as I am of myself is quite another matter. Our Lord reveals here the personal, loving care that the heavenly Father has for each of his children.
"Sheep" had a long history as a common metaphor for God's people in the Old Testament before Jesus gave this parable. "The Lord is my shepherd . . ." (Ps 23:1). "We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture" (Ps 100:3).
Since God takes so much trouble to recover a lost one, they must carefully guard against causing one to stray (Mt 18:5-10). "The sheep that so foolishly and willfully strayed is not only recovered and restored to the flock; but rejoiced over, as if the recovery were a great gain”. This example of unconditional forgiveness must also characterize the disciples (Mt 18:21-35.
None is too lost or too insignificant to be sought. Jesus says that God, the shepherd, is concerned about each of his sheep. And if one of them strays, he will not just wait to see whether the lost sheep will return on its own. He goes after the lost one; he seeks it and seeks it until he finds it. He does not wait for the lost sheep to return on its own. He picks it up and carries it home. It is not the sheep’s choice whether to come home or stay lost. The sheep is not consulted about that.
In the parable, Jesus tells us that it is the shepherd, and not the sheep who knows what is good for the sheep. He has a purpose in searching for the lost sheep, and his purpose is to bring the sheep home. But there is never a question of leaving the sheep out there, even if that is where the sheep thinks it wants to be. Chapter Eighteen of the Gospel according to St. Matthew begins with disciples asking Jesus the question, "Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?" Jesus instructs the disciples that if they are to enter the Kingdom of Heaven they must become like little children (Mt. 18:1-5). In verses ten through fourteen Jesus begins by referring to these "little ones" again. Here he refers to these little ones as sheep who have strayed from the fold and that it is his mission to bring these lost sheep back so that none of them will be lost.

Immaculate Conception of Mary
One of the titles given to Mary is “Ark of the Covenant.” The Ark of the Covenant in the Old Testament was a chest made of wood to carry the two stone tablets containing the commandments God gave to Moses (Ex 25:16). Therefore, we could say the ark contained the word of God and Mary contained Jesus the Word of God in her womb, so for that reason Mary is sometimes called Ark of the Covenant. In the Old Testament those who were called on to move the Ark of the Covenant could not be sinners because the ark was considered so holy since it carried God’s word (1 Chron 15:14). In like manner, Mary, who is the new Ark of the Covenant, could not be touched by sin. It makes perfect sense that God would specially prepare Mary in holiness to carry Jesus in her womb. God and sin are opposites, and God prepared the sinless Virgin Mary to be a fitting mother to Jesus his Son.
It was not until December 8, 1854, after Pope Pius IX had consulted all the Bishops of the world, that he pronounced and defined in the Ineffabilis Deus the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This dogma states that the Blessed Virgin Mary, "in the first instance of her conception, by a singular privilege and grace granted by God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin, is a doctrine revealed by God and therefore to be believed firmly and constantly by all the faithful."

In summary, this dogma proclaims that the soul of the Blessed Virgin Mary who was the tabernacle created by God Himself for the purpose of the incarnation, was never subject to original sin, but completely preserved from the original taint. In other words, the Blessed Virgin Mary was created immaculate by God as the new Eve, equal to the first Eve that was created immaculate by God.
When Our Lady appeared in Lourdes four years later in 1858 she said to St. Bernadette, “I am the Immaculate Conception” confirming the Pope’s decision to declare the dogma of the Immaculate Conception four years earlier. Our Lady herself confirmed the Pope’s declaration that she was immaculate.
The angel said to Mary, “Hail, full of grace!” (Luke 1:28) The particular word Luke used to describe Mary as “full of grace” (κεχαριτωμέη) means that Mary was full of grace all her life. It means that Mary is full of grace not just at the moment the angel comes to her but that she is full of grace since the beginning of her life.
In Adam and Eve's case, they were created immaculate in soul, spirit and body for the Divine purpose of being eternal children of God. In that original state of sinlessness, they could not die. They had eternal life.

But because they refused to trust and obey God, tempted by Satan who was an angelic being who had rebelled against God, they decided to do what they wanted. They disobeyed God by sinning. Consequently, sin was transmitted to the entire human race, depriving Adam and Eve's descendants of the original state of holiness and justice that they enjoyed. [CCC. 404]

Following the disobedience of our first parents in the Garden of Eden, God said, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel." [Gen. 3:15] The seed of the woman who will crush the head of the serpent is Christ, the woman at enmity with the serpent being the Blessed Virgin Mary.

As soon as the Kingdom of God was corrupted by Satan, the holy and eternal soul, spirit and body of God's children became subject to death. Therefore, God instituted a redemptive plan to reinstate His eternal Kingdom. Through the new Adam, Christ, and the new Eve, the Blessed Virgin Mary, God planned to reclaim His kingdom and save His people from eternal death.
Every day we have to overcome temptation and sin. We ask Mary immaculate to help us overcome all temptation and sin in our lives. O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.
Amen.

Prepare the way of the Lord! Make straight… a highway for our God!
My dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,
It is said that some people cause a lot of joy when they appear while others cause a lot of joy when they disappear! John the Baptist is among those who bring a lot of joy when they appear. And today’s readings explain why this strange looking man brought so much joy wherever he went.
John’s mission is to prepare the people of Israel for the day of salvation which is to dawn in the coming of Christ. John knows that he has an important mission, to prepare a way for his master.
John the Baptist is one who, by his whole life, points to the Lord. John the Baptist's life was fueled by one burning passion -- to point others to Jesus Christ and to the coming of his kingdom.
St. John the Baptist is the last prophet of the OT. You know the difference between a Prophet, a Poet and a Pragmatist.
The prophet is someone who is not afraid to speak out. He is not afraid of calling a spade, a spade. He will speak the truth even if it will cost him his head. He speaks out in order to call people to change and by changing their ways change the prevailing situation. The job of the prophet is a thankless job. Who wants to create enemies? The poet is someone who sets possibilities before us. He sees the ugliness of the present but tells people that things don’t have to remain that way. He points to a beautiful future that all of us can create together. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a poet. He witnessed, nay he experienced firsthand the oppression of black Americans at the hands of white Americans. It was ugly. But he knew in his heart that things don’t have to be that way. He created a dream in his heart and then shared that dream with America. He said: “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. “ The pragmatist is someone who gets things done. He delivers. Things don’t remain in the drawing board. He turns plans into reality. Lee Kwan Yu is a pragmatist. He turned Singapore into a prosperous city-state. They say that the former Clark Airbase is even bigger than Singapore.
Prepare the way of the Lord! Make straight… a highway for our God!
Every year, as we draw closer to Christmas, we hear this same invitation. God, who in every age has shown his burning desire to be with his children, now comes to ‘live among us’. (John 1: 14) Today too he stands at the door and knocks because he wants to come in and ‘eat’ with us. (Rev 3: 20)We ourselves often long to meet him, to have him as our companion on life’s journey, and to be filled with his light. For him to enter our lives, we first need to remove the obstacles in his path. It is no longer a matter of clearing the roads, but of opening our hearts to him.Jesus himself identified some of the barriers that close our hearts: ‘theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride…’ (Mark 7: 21-22) At times these barriers may be put up by grudges against our relatives or friends, prejudice against people of other races, indifference to the needs of our neighbors, or a lack of attentiveness and love in our families.
There were only two people on this earth who had no sin, Jesus and Our Lady. If you say you have no sin are we expected to think that you are Jesus or Our Lady? If we say we have no sin do we not mean that we have allowed our consciences to go dead so that now we sin but are not even aware of it?
To prepare the way of the Lord has great meaning when we apply it to our own hearts. It is in our own hearts that we need to prepare a way for the Lord. It is in our hearts that we need to make a straight highway for God. It is the valleys of sin in our own hearts that are to be filled with God’s mercy and healing, and the mountains and hills of pride in our own hearts that are to become low. God is searching for us and wants to hold us against his breast.
To prepare the way of the Lord is to repent, to change our lives, to change our attitudes, to change our behavior, to turn our back on the way we used to be and to begin making the Kingdom of God a reality in our own personal life through acts of kindness.
How can we do something practical to prepare the way of the Lord? By asking his forgiveness each time, we realize we have put up a barrier that obstructs our communion with him. We may want to undertake some changes in our lives. However, there is a real danger that our good intentions remain only good intentions. Good intentions are important. They are the first step. Unless you take the first step, you will always remain where you are. Are there things there, things we are doing, saying that might not please Jesus when he comes or that might make it a little harder for Jesus to come into our hearts? Then we are to pick them up, get them out of the way, and toss them aside. We do that by asking Jesus to forgive us and by changing the things, we do and say.

Saint Nicholas
The Greek histories of his life agree that he suffered imprisonment of the faith and made a glorious confession in the latter part of the persecution raised by Dioletian, and that he was present at the Council of Nicaea and there condemned Arianism. The silence of other authors makes many justly suspect these circumstances. He died at Myra, and was buried in his cathedral.
How different it is what we celebrate as a Church and what our popular culture has made of this holy man. The man we celebrate is rooted in history. He lived in the 4th century. He was Bishop of Myra in Lysia. People made pilgrimage to his burial site to pray and ask God’s blessings, so that he would continue to pray and work wonders in God’s name for them as he did in his lifetime. His relics were taken to Bari, Italy and a Basilica was built there for worship of God and to pray. His Body continues to give a scented oil that has been used to anoint people who are sick to received blessing.
Our popular culture has turned St. Nicholas into a jolly and mindless senile old man. He has become the product of shear imagination and fantasy. He is no longer even Santa Claus, a shortened version of Santa Nicholaus. He is Mr. Claus. He has a Mrs. Claus. Or he is just Chris. We have now a jolly ho, ho, ho -- instead of a holy man of God! How empty and meaningless we have become. St. Patrick, the Missionary Saint and Apostle of Ireland, who brought Christian Faith and true worship of God to a whole nation has become reduced as a feast for everyone and reduced to wearing green, corned beef and cabbage and green beer.
What have we done to Christmas? We have made it the greatest shopping feast and continuous party time. Christ is no longer the center of the feast and like Joseph and Mary there is no room for him in the inn.
Christian Faith and History.
The true story of Santa Claus begins with Nicholas, who was born during the third century in the village of Patara. At the time the area was Greek and is now on the southern coast of Turkey. His wealthy parents, who raised him to be a devout Christian, died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still young. Obeying Jesus' words to "sell what you own and give the money to the poor," Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He dedicated his life to serving God and was made bishop of Myra while still a young man. Bishop Nicholas became known throughout the land for his generosity to the those in need, his love for children, and his concern for sailors and ships.
Under the Roman Emperor Diocletian who ruthlessly persecuted Christians, Bishop Nicholas suffered for his faith, was exiled and imprisoned. The prisons were so full of bishops, priests, and deacons, there was no room for the real criminals—murderers, thieves and robbers. After his release, Nicholas attended the Council of Nicea AD 325. He died December 6, AD 343 in Myra and was buried in his cathedral church.
Through the centuries many stories and legends have been told of St. Nicholas' life and deeds. These accounts help us understand his extraordinary character and why he is so beloved and revered as protector and helper of those in need.
One story tells of a poor man with three daughters. In those days a young woman's father had to offer prospective husbands something of value—a dowry The larger the dowry, the better the chance that a young woman would find a good husband. Without a dowry, a woman was unlikely to marry. This poor man's daughters, without dowries, were therefore destined to be sold into slavery. Mysteriously, on three different occasions, a bag of gold appeared in their home-providing the needed dowries. The bags of gold, tossed through an open window, are said to have landed in stockings or shoes left before the fire to dry. This led to the custom of children hanging stockings or putting out shoes, eagerly awaiting gifts from Saint Nicholas. Sometimes the story is told with gold balls instead of bags of gold. That is why three gold balls, sometimes represented as oranges, are one of the symbols for St. Nicholas. And so St. Nicholas is a gift-giver.
One of the oldest stories showing St. Nicholas as a protector of children takes place long after his death. The townspeople of Myra were celebrating the good saint on the eve of his feast day when a band of Arab pirates from Crete came into the district. They stole treasures from the Church of Saint Nicholas to take away as booty. As they were leaving town, they snatched a young boy, Basilios, to make into a slave. The emir, or ruler, selected Basilios to be his personal cupbearer, as not knowing the language, Basilios would not understand what the king said to those around him. So, for the next year Basilios waited on the king, bringing his wine in a beautiful golden cup. For Basilios' parents, devastated at the loss of their only child, the year passed slowly, filled with grief. As the next St. Nicholas' feast day approached, Basilios' mother would not join in the festivity, as it was now a day of tragedy. However, she was persuaded to have a simple observance at home—with quiet prayers for Basilios' safekeeping. Meanwhile, as Basilios was fulfilling his tasks serving the emir, he was suddenly whisked up and away. St. Nicholas appeared to the terrified boy, blessed him, and set him down at his home back in Myra. Imagine the joy and wonderment when Basilios amazingly appeared before his parents, still holding the king's golden cup. This is the first story told of St. Nicholas protecting children—which became his primary role in the West.
Another story tells of three theological students, traveling on their way to study in Athens. A wicked innkeeper robbed and murdered them, hiding their remains in a large pickling tub. It so happened that Bishop Nicholas, traveling along the same route, stopped at this very inn. In the night he dreamed of the crime, got up, and summoned the innkeeper. As Nicholas prayed earnestly to God the three boys were restored to life and wholeness. In France the story is told of three small children, wandering in their play until lost, lured, and captured by an evil butcher. St. Nicholas appears and appeals to God to return them to life and to their families. And so St. Nicholas is the patron and protector of children.

First Friday : advent First week

Today, once again, he calls us to participate with Him in bringing His light to the world. We have plenty of examples of darkness in our world: violence, war, the culture of death, injustice, etc. That is why we are called to be messengers of light in our world.
If we can express in one word the reason for the decision to follow Jesus, we have to say that it is Faith. Faith is the first principle upon which every supernatural work is based upon. St. Augustine says: “Ground all of your works in faith, for the just man lives by faith and faith acts through love. May your works be based on faith; believing in God will make you faithful”
I Believe is the First article of the Creed and the New Catechism of the Catholic Church has a complete analysis of the virtue of faith. Faith is called: Man’s Response to God. The Catechism tells us “by faith, man completely submits his intellect and his will to God. It is a free assent to the whole truth that God has revealed…” faith is full of practical consequences. It is reflected in our conduct. It informs our whole life down to the last detail. We see things in the light of faith and act accordingly.
It is very appropriate today when we read of Jesus giving sight back to two blind men who expressed their confidence in him. “The Lord is my light,” goes the re­sponsorial psalm, “and my salvation” (Ps 27:1). The more we get to know ourselves (and that is a lifetime study), the more we recognize how blind we can be. We are blind often to our own irritating traits. We are blind to the generous and inspiring qualities of those closest to us. We are blind to the signs of God’s love and care for us in the world around us. We are blind to sources of beauty and joy around us.
As we share the Body and Blood of Christ today, a good prayer would be that this light shine in every corner of our soul and our life: “You are my light, my salvation, Lord” (Ps 27:1).

St Francis of Xavier
The Catholic Church commemorates the feast day of St. Francis Xavier today, the Spanish priest regarded as the "Patron of Foreign Missions."
Born in Pamplona, Spain in 1506, he was one of the first seven followers of St. Ignatius of Loyola.
In 1541, four years after his ordination, he was sent as a missionary to India where he preached in the Portuguese colony of Goa. Crossing the sea of Arabia and India, they landed at Goa on the 6th of May, in 1542,
To do what he did and to go where he did in the circumstances in which he did it, are really quite remarkable. But all he did was take the Lord seriously and become a missionary as a disciple of the Lord.
On the Arrival in Goa on May6th 1541 he immediately began to preach and was successful in making converts. To call down the blessing of heaven on his labors, St. Francis consecrated most of the night to prayer. Having spent the morning in assisting and comforting the distressed in the hospitals and prisons, he walked through all the streets of Goa, with a bell in his hand, summoning all masters, for the love of God, to send their children and slaves to catechism. The little children gathered in crowds about him, and he led them to the church and taught them the creed and practices of devotion, and impressed on their tender minds strong sentiments of piety and religion. By the modesty and devotion of the youth, the whole town began to change its face and the most abandoned sinners began to blush at vice.
The Feast of St. Francis Xavier commemorates the death of St. Francis Xavier, patron saint of Goa. Fondly called the Goincho Saib or the Lord of Goa, St. Xavier was a Spanish Jesuit missionary who preached Christianity in many parts of Asia. After achieving great success in Goa, St Xavier set sail for China but breathed his last at the Sancian Island, about 10-km from the mainland of China, on December 3, 1552 while he was waiting for a boat that would agree to take him to mainland China..He was first buried on a beach of Shangchuan Island. His incorrupt body was taken from the island in February 1553 and was temporarily buried in St. Paul's church in Malacca on 22 March, 1553. Pereira came back from Goa, removed the corpse shortly after April 15, 1553, and moved it to his house. The body was received in Goa on March 16th 1554 from Malacca which would be his final resting place. The body is now in the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Goa, where it was placed in a glass container encased in a silver casket on December 2, 1637.

Advent Tuesday first week : Be child Like relations to God
What he communicates to his followers here is the surprising truth that it is their very simplicity, their trusting childlike acceptance of his person that has qualified them to be recipients of the Father's revelation. They are more blessed than prophets and kings because it has pleased the Father to choose those who, like Jesus himself, are actuated by concern for pleasing the Father. They possess a high dignity, incomparably greater than the privileged of this world, not through ambition, nor because of their learning, power or influence, but, paradoxically, because God prefers the simple-hearted, those who approach him with the confident trust and love of children.
How do children differ from the learned and clever? The little ones are, in this contrast, individuals open to instruction, to learning something new, to being helped. If we bring a child-like willingness to be taught, to be led, and to be helped to the Savior, we open ourselves to the grace and power of this season. The childlikeness commended by the Lord consists in a willingness to believe that there is more to see and more to hear than we see and hear so far.
It is an absolute necessity that one must become like a child in order to enter the kingdom of Heaven. Now in order to be as a child, that means, on one level, to have complete confidence in one’s parents and to not worry about where things are going to come from. Little children do not worry about whether they are going to have a meal; they just assume that they will. They do not worry about whether they are going to have a roof over their head, but nonetheless they have confidence that all of these things are going to be taken care of. They just go. They just move on from one thing to the next and they do not worry about all the little things. That is the same kind of confidence we have to have.Become like a little child in the presence of God, to have that simplicity of a child which many of us find to be repulsive because we think that becoming more complex is the more impressive thing to do. In becoming more simple, we will become more childlike. That is exactly what Our Lord tells us we must do.
That is the kind of relationship Our Lord wants. to have those childlike traits, those virtues that we see only in little children: the complete confidence, the total love, the dedication, all of the things that a child is about. Those are the things God wants to see in us, to have that trust – total and complete trust in God – not worrying about everything, not upset about all kinds of things, not trying to control everything, just letting go and giving it all over to God; and when we have a difficulty, to come to Him; when we are having a great day, to come to Him. Any of you who are parents know how children are. They do not go very far from Mom and they make sure they pay a visit quite often. They are off playing all by themselves, they come racing over, grab her by the legs, go back, and play. A few minutes later, they come racing back, just want to sit on her lap for thirty seconds, and off they go to play again. They are constantly coming back. How many times a day do we check in with Our Lord? How far do we go away from the Lord? Little children always want to be right in the sight of their mother. They do not even like to be in the next room. We need to keep God always in our presence. No matter where we are, He is in our hearts if we are in the state of grace, but we need to keep our minds focused on Him. Be like a little child in the arms of God.

Advent Monday First week
A centurion was a military leader in the Roman army. His title means "commander of a hundred"; but a centurion may not have been a commander of a literal hundred soldiers. He may have been responsible for more than a hundred! At any rate, he was clearly a Roman commander of great significance.
This centurion was a humble man, a sensitive man deeply concerned for his servant, a man devoted to the needs of others rather to his own, a man who believed in the power of prayer. Ordinarily, a hardened Roman leader wouldn't be so personally affected when a servant became sick. But this centurion clearly loved and cared deeply for this "boy" who was his "servant". He was willing to go out of his way to save his beloved servant's life.
It is a mark of Christ-like character when we, who are in positions of leadership, show loving concern and care for those who are under us. That's how our Master Jesus treats us. Do those who are under you, or who work for you, know that they are loved by you? Do you love them so much that you bring them to Jesus?
In his request of Jesus, the Centurion teaches us much about prayer. First, when we go to Jesus for help, we ought to go confidently, knowing that he hears us. Secondly, our prayer ought to be selfless, on behalf of others and not in our own self-interest. Thirdly, our prayer should be rooted in the conviction that it will be answered.
His faith stands out because it is one that was placed confidently and completely in Jesus' authority as the Son of God. Matthew, under the leading of the Holy Spirit, encourages us to have the same sort of faith as the centurion.

Advent: First Sunday

Happy Advent to all of you who visit my pages. May God Bless you with His peace

First Sunday of Advent: A journey with Hope

My dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,

Today is a special day, the beginning of a special season, Advent and the new liturgical Year B.
The Gospel of Mark, which begins in this First Sunday of Advent, was the first written Gospel. It was around 60AD…Christians were being persecuted in Rome by the anti-Christ, Nero. Peter and Paul had been recently executed in Rome, and it was to the Roman Christians that Mark wrote this Gospel. He wrote to bring hope … he wrote to remind them of the teaching of the Apostles (who were dying off) … and he wrote to remind them that “You do not know when the lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning.” So, therefore, be ready and alert. St. Paul (20 years earlier) reminded Jesus’ followers in his letter to the Corinthians (our second reading) that Jesus, Himself, would keep them firm to the end, irreproachable on the day of the Lord.
You may remember what I said about the wreath and the candles last year; but some of you asked me again I think it is a good time to repeat the meaning of it once more; the circle of the green wreath reminds us of God Himself, His eternity and endless mercy and Love, which has no beginning and end. The green of the wreath speaks of the hope that we have in God, the hope of newness, of renewal, of eternal life. Candles symbolize the light of God coming into the world through the birth of His Son. The four outer candles represent the period of waiting during the four Sundays of advent, which themselves symbolizes the four centuries of waiting between the prophet Malachi and the birth of Christ. The Advent color purple is the color of penitence fasting and solemn prayer as well as the color of royalty the Advent of the King, Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Three Candles are purple, symbolizing penance, preparation and sacrifice; the Pink candle symbolizes the same but highlights the Third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday, when we rejoice because our preparation is now half way finished. The Light reminds us that Jesus is the Light of the world that comes into the darkness of our lives to bring newness, life and hope. It also reminds us that we are called to be a light to the world as we reflect the light of God’s grace to others (Isa. 42:6).The Purple Candle is traditionally the candle of Expectation or Hope or Prophecy. The second purple Candle is the Peace Candle or Bethlehem or John the Baptist or Annunciation. Third Sunday Pink Candle is Joy Candle or Angels or Magi or proclamation. Fourth Sunday Purple Candle is the Candle of Love or Shepherds or Mary or Fulfillment.The Center Candle is the White and is called the Christ Candle. It is traditionally lighted on Christmas Eve or Day. The Center location of the Christ Candle reminds us that the incarnation is the heart of the season giving light to the world.
During Advent we focus on waiting, waiting for the Second Coming of Jesus, and during the week before Christmas our waiting changes to waiting for our celebration of the birth of Jesus. Anytime we wait we do so because we expect something to happen; we wait for a bus or train because we expect it to arrive. When we are waiting for a bus or train we cannot see it coming but hope it will come. During Advent we are waiting for the Second Coming of Jesus because the Second Coming of Jesus will bring all God’s plans for the world to completion. As we wait in hope for the Second Coming of Jesus we know he is with us in so many ways especially in the sacraments.
For those who are finding these times difficult for one reason or another the message of Advent is “Wait for God in patient hope.” God has not abandoned us, God is with us though sometimes our lack of faith prevents us from seeing him. Remember Jesus in the womb of Mary for nine months; Mary could not see Jesus but she knew that the Word had been made flesh and she was waiting in hope for his birth. Wait in patient hope for God to fulfill his plans in his own way in his own time.
Advent is not only about preparing for the celebration of Jesus’ birth at Christmas. We live between the first coming of Jesus when he was born at Bethlehem and his Second Coming at the end of time when he will come as Judge of all. Advent is also a time for us to reflect on the Second Coming of Jesus. So Advent is concerned with the two comings of Jesus; our preparation for the celebration of Jesus’ birth and our preparation for his Second Coming.
Stay Awake. Be prepared. If we go through life sleepwalking we might be caught unaware, like the people outside the ark at the time of the great flood. Noah was certainly not a sleepwalker. Noah was wide-awake. He was prepared. His neighbors thought him a fool, but Noah was prepared to meet the Lord. Like Noah we have faith. With Noah, we are in the ark, waiting in faith. Like Noah, we want to be prepared, and we want to stay awake, to be ready for Christ's arrival, for the coming of the light into the dark corners of our lives.
Today we light our first Advent candle. four weeks of traveling through the darkness toward the dawning light of Christmas day. Perhaps the darkness we travel through this year is the grief we still feel over the death of a loved one, or the ending of a friendship, lingering illness, or a conflict at work, a division with the family, or a scandal within our church. If Christmas is all about being "home for the holidays," then Advent is about traveling home. It's about staying awake and alert during the journey home so that we don't miss the exit off the highway.
Isaiah repeats himself at the close of the first reading, "Yet O Lord, you are our father," and add another image, "we are the clay and you the potter; we are all the work of your hands." God created us out of the clay of the earth. Now, as we begin this Advent season we ask our Heavenly father to remold us into a faithful people .
In the First Letter of Peter, St. Peter writes, “Be watchful and alert…your opponent, the Devil, is prowling like a lion, ready to devour you.”