Merry Christmas!

Read It:

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus
that the whole world should be enrolled.
This was the first enrollment,
when Quirinius was governor of Syria.
So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town.
And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth
to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem,
because he was of the house and family of David,
to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
While they were there,
the time came for her to have her child,
and she gave birth to her firstborn son.
She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger,
because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields
and keeping the night watch over their flock.
The angel of the Lord appeared to them
and the glory of the Lord shone around them,
and they were struck with great fear.
The angel said to them,
"Do not be afraid;
for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy
that will be for all the people.
For today in the city of David
a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord.
And this will be a sign for you:
you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes
and lying in a manger."
And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel,
praising God and saying:
"Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests."

 

CHRIST IS BORN TODAY IN THE CITY OF DAVID! REJOICE!

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December 24, 2011

Read It:
Zechariah his father, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied, saying:

"Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
for he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty Savior,
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his prophets he promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hand of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.
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."

Reflect on It: Jesus is coming to be the light in the darkness. To guide our feet into the way of peace. Are you ready?

Pray About it: Sweet Jesus, I am ready, Come Emmanuel.

Live It! Challenge: Go to mass for Christmas!

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December 23, 2011

Read It:When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child
she gave birth to a son.
Her neighbors and relatives heard
that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her,
and they rejoiced with her.
When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child,
they were going to call him Zechariah after his father,
but his mother said in reply,
"No. He will be called John."
But they answered her,
"There is no one among your relatives who has this name."
So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called.
He asked for a tablet and wrote, "John is his name,"
and all were amazed.
Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed,
and he spoke blessing God.
Then fear came upon all their neighbors,
and all these matters were discussed
throughout the hill country of Judea.
All who heard these things took them to heart, saying,
"What, then, will this child be?
For surely the hand of the Lord was with him."
Reflect on It: There's so much goodness in this gospel, but what I want to focus on is the part that says" "her neighbors and relatives heard... and they rejoiced with her". I think the concept of rejoicing with other is often lost on us. The Lord showed Elizabeth great mercy and her relatives and friends rejoiced in that. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. Share a little joy today with someone else.

Pray about It: Lord, your coming is so close. Help me to rejoice in it the way that I should.

Live It! Challenge: Rejoice in the goodness that the Lord is giving to someone else in your life.

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December 22, 2011

Read It:Mary said:

"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
for he has looked upon his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
and has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever."

Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months
and then returned to her home.

Reflect on It: This part of Scripture is called Mary's Magnificat. Her magnificat is her song of praise. She is seeing all the good things that the Lord has done for her and she is offering her thanks and praise to him! Notice how Mary's whole turn of speech here is directed towards the Lord. Her whole life was a song of praise to him. I think this gives us good reflections on our lives. I always pray that my life is a song of praise to the Lord. That my actions glorify him and thank him for the goodness he is doing in my life.

Pray About It: Jesus, help my life to be a song of praise for you. I want to live a life centered on you where I love you more than anything else. Make my life a magnificat.

Live It! Challenge: Make a list of 5 things from the day that you are thankful for.

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December 21, 2011

Read It:
Mary set out in those days
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
"Most blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled."

Reflect on It: "Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled". Mary believed what was spoken to her. In a few days, we will have the opportunity to believe that which is spoken to us. The birth of the Christ Child and the fact that this birth will change the world. The Lord is coming. Get ready.

Pray about It: Sweet Jesus, help me to be ready for your coming in just a few days. Help me to be a person that believes in your Word and let that word be good enough for me. Amen.

Live It! Challenge: What is something that the Lord has spoken to you? Do you believe it? Spend some time reflecting on this today.

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December 20, 2011

Read It:In the sixth month,
the angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin's name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
"Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you."
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
"Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end."

But Mary said to the angel,
"How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?"
And the angel said to her in reply,
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God."

Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word."
Then the angel departed from her.
Reflect on It: As you can see, this is the same Gospel from Sunday. It's important to notice that we are still called to preparation for our Lord. We still have a last leg of the race to run. Let's finish off Advent strong. We are waiting in joyful hope and anticipation for the coming of Jesus at Christmas. How are we called to say yes to him in a profound way this week?

Pray About It: Sweet Jesus, you are coming on Sunday, help my heart to be ready.

Live It! Challenge: Get your soul clean by going to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Reconcile yourself to God through this sacrament. There are extra opportunities for confession at parishes across the diocese and St. James is offering confession at 7 pm tonight, tomorrow (Wednesday) and Saturday from 10 am-12 pm.

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December 19, 2011

Read It:
In the days of Herod, King of Judea,
there was a priest named Zechariah
of the priestly division of Abijah;
his wife was from the daughters of Aaron,
and her name was Elizabeth.
Both were righteous in the eyes of God,
observing all the commandments
and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly.
But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren
and both were advanced in years.

Once when he was serving as priest
in his division's turn before God,
according to the practice of the priestly service,
he was chosen by lot
to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to burn incense.
Then, when the whole assembly of the people was praying outside
at the hour of the incense offering,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him,
standing at the right of the altar of incense.
Zechariah was troubled by what he saw, and fear came upon him.

But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah,
because your prayer has been heard.
Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son,
and you shall name him John.
And you will have joy and gladness,
and many will rejoice at his birth,
for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.
He will drink neither wine nor strong drink.
He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb,
and he will turn many of the children of Israel
to the Lord their God.
He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah
to turn the hearts of fathers toward children
and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous,
to prepare a people fit for the Lord."

Then Zechariah said to the angel,
"How shall I know this?
For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years."
And the angel said to him in reply,
"I am Gabriel, who stand before God.
I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news.
But now you will be speechless and unable to talk
until the day these things take place,
because you did not believe my words,
which will be fulfilled at their proper time."
Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah
and were amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary.
But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them,
and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary.
He was gesturing to them but remained mute.

Then, when his days of ministry were completed, he went home.

After this time his wife Elizabeth conceived,
and she went into seclusion for five months, saying,
"So has the Lord done for me at a time when he has seen fit
to take away my disgrace before others."

Reflect on It: In yesterday's gospel, we see the announcement of Christ's birth and today, the announcement of John the Baptist's birth. Both Zechariah and Mary have exchanges with the angel that are similar, except for Zechariah doubts the angel and is stricken with silence because of his disbelief. When Mary says, how can this be? It is not a statement of doubt, more a statement of wonder. Here, Zechariah, isn't quite ready to hear the truth. Jesus, the Lord of the Universe is coming. Will we be like Mary who is in wonder or Zechariah, who doubts?

Pray about It: Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.


Live It! Challenge: Re-read yesterdays gospel and today's gospel and see how they are similar and how they differ.

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December 18, 2011: Fourth Sunday of Advent

Read It:
The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin's name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
"Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you."
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
"Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.

"Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his kingdom there will be no end."
But Mary said to the angel,
"How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?"
And the angel said to her in reply,
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God."
Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word."
Then the angel departed from her.

Reflect on It: The savior of the world is coming on Sunday. Are you ready? The story of the Annunication, tells us of Christ's birth and shows us Mary's yes. Her yes here paved the way for the coming of the Savior. Get ready, He's almost here!


Pray about It: Sweet Jesus, I am ready for you to come into the world. Help my heart to be ready this week!

Live It! Challenge: Be ready for the Lord's coming by praying about the yesses He is asking you to make.

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December 17, 2011

Read It:The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ,
the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Abraham became the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.
Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah,
whose mother was Tamar.
Perez became the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
Ram the father of Amminadab.
Amminadab became the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
Salmon the father of Boaz,
whose mother was Rahab.
Boaz became the father of Obed,
whose mother was Ruth.
Obed became the father of Jesse,
Jesse the father of David the king.

David became the father of Solomon,
whose mother had been the wife of Uriah.
Solomon became the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
Abijah the father of Asaph.
Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,
Joram the father of Uzziah.
Uzziah became the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah.
Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amos,
Amos the father of Josiah.
Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers
at the time of the Babylonian exile.

After the Babylonian exile,
Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
Zerubbabel the father of Abiud.
Abiud became the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
Azor the father of Zadok.
Zadok became the father of Achim,
Achim the father of Eliud,
Eliud the father of Eleazar.
Eleazar became the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.

Thus the total number of generations
from Abraham to David
is fourteen generations;
from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen generations;
from the Babylonian exile to the Christ,
fourteen generations.

Reflect on It:
In Genesis, the Lord promises Abraham that his descendants will number like the stars in the sky, because Abraham is faithful to the Lord. In this second genealogy,  we see again that the Gospel writers are tracing Jesus to David, a king. This helps to show Jesus' roots as a man and where he came from. Jesus knew the importance of family and knowing where he came from. Are we caring for our family and feeling a bit of pride about where we came from this Advent?

Pray about It: Lord, I know your son Jesus is of royal blood. Help me to live that royalty as his adopted son or daughter. Amen.

Live It! Challenge: Help your parents do a task today around the house.

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December 19, 2011

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December 16, 2011

Read It:
Jesus said to the Jews:
"You sent emissaries to John, and he testified to the truth.
I do not accept testimony from a human being,
but I say this so that you may be saved.
John was a burning and shining lamp,
and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light.
But I have testimony greater than John's.
The works that the Father gave me to accomplish,
these works that I perform testify on my behalf
that the Father has sent me."

Reflect on It:
John testified to the truth. The Truth is Jesus Christ. He has testimony greater than John's. What a world Jesus came into. John the Baptist paved the way for the Lord, often with much resistance. He just testified to the truth. John was a burning and shining lamp for the world. I hope that we too are the light for the world and prepare the way for the coming of Christ.

Pray about It: Lord, help me to be a burning and shining lamp, preparing the way for you. Amen.

Live It! Challenge: Today, bask in the truth by being positive all day long!

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December 15, 2011

Read It:When the messengers of John the Baptist had left,
Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John.
"What did you go out to the desert to see--a reed swayed by the wind?
Then what did you go out to see?
Someone dressed in fine garments?
Those who dress luxuriously and live sumptuously
are found in royal palaces.
Then what did you go out to see?
A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.
This is the one about whom Scripture says:

Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
he will prepare your way before you.

I tell you,
among those born of women, no one is greater than John;
yet the least in the Kingdom of God is greater than he."
(All the people who listened, including the tax collectors,
who were baptized with the baptism of John,
acknowledged the righteousness of God;
but the Pharisees and scholars of the law,
who were not baptized by him,
rejected the plan of God for themselves.


Reflect on It:
We see in the Gospel today that even the least in the kingdom are greater than John the Baptist, while at the same time, he is the greatest of those born of women. He is the messenger of the Lord. He was decreasing while Christ increased. John didn't walk around thinking he was a big deal, he knew his life was to be a testament to the Lord. Are we living our lives in the same way?

Pray About It:
Sweet Jesus, help me to decrease so that you can increase. I want to live my life with you at the center. Amen.

Live It! Challenge: Identify one way that you can serve another person in secret today. Decrease so that others might increase.

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December 14, 2011

Read It:

At that time,
John summoned two of his disciples and sent them to the Lord to ask,
"Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?"
When the men came to the Lord, they said,
"John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask,
'Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?'"
At that time Jesus cured many of their diseases, sufferings, and evil spirits;
he also granted sight to many who were blind.
And Jesus said to them in reply,
"Go and tell John what you have seen and heard:
the blind regain their sight,
the lame walk,
lepers are cleansed,
the deaf hear, the dead are raised,
the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.
And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me."

Reflect on It:

The blind regained their sight, the lame walked, the lepers were cleansed, the dead were raised! All of these things were being done by Jesus and yet the disciples still asked. The disciples were called to go forth and preach the good news. How are we called to take the good news to others in these last weeks of Advent. We're called to make room for the coming of the Lord! Are you ready?

 

Pray about It: Lord, help me to bring your light and love to others this day. Amen.

 

Live It! Challenge: Today, talk about the Jesus' coming with a friend at work or school, focusing on Christ being the reason for Christmas.

 

 

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December 13, 2011

Sorry it's a bit late today! Ack! Here's the reflection. Thanks for staying with me.

Read It:
Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people:
"What is your opinion?
A man had two sons.
He came to the first and said,
'Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.'
The son said in reply, 'I will not,'
but afterwards he changed his mind and went.
The man came to the other son and gave the same order.
He said in reply, 'Yes, sir,' but did not go.
Which of the two did his father's will?"
They answered, "The first."
Jesus said to them, "Amen, I say to you,
tax collectors and prostitutes
are entering the Kingdom of God before you.
When John came to you in the way of righteousness,
you did not believe him;
but tax collectors and prostitutes did.
Yet even when you saw that,
you did not later change your minds and believe him."

Reflect on It:
In today's Gospel, we see that there's room in the kingdom for even the tax collectors, and prostitutes. The son who at first told his father no, but then decided to go, was let into the kingdom. There are a lot of times where we tell the Lord no, but there's always room for us to repent and be in the Kingdom. It's better for us to be like the first son than the second.


Pray about It: Lord, let me be with you in eternity.


Live It! Challenge: What is one thing that we can do to truly rejoice in the goodness of God?

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December 11, 2011: Expectant Joy!

Read It:
A man named John was sent from God.
He came for testimony, to testify to the light,
so that all might believe through him.
He was not the light,
but came to testify to the light.

And this is the testimony of John.
When 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."
So they asked him,
"What are you then? Are you Elijah?"
And he said, "I am not."
"Are you the Prophet?"
He answered, "No."
So they said to him,
"Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us?
What do you have to say for yourself?"
He said:
"I am the voice of one crying out in the desert,
'make straight the way of the Lord,'"
as Isaiah the prophet said."
Some Pharisees were also sent.
They asked him,
"Why then do you baptize
if you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?"
John answered them,
"I baptize with water;
but 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."
This happened in Bethany across the Jordan,
where John was baptizing.
Reflect on It: This gospel sounds similar to last week's Gospel, but it is a bit different. Again, we see that people are mistaking John for the Messiah? Are we living our lives in the same way? Do people see Christ so clearly in us that they mistake us for him? I hope so. Today, this third Sunday of Advent, is marked with special, expectant joy. The Messiah is coming. Prepare the Way of the Lord.

Pray About It: Make my heart ready for you Oh, Lord.

Live It! Challenge: Deck yourself in the finest pink you own as it is Gaudete Sunday. It's the liturgical color of the day and it shows our hope and joy in the middle of this season. You know you love this challenge!

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December 10, 2011

Read It:

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ,
the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Abraham became the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.
Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah,
whose mother was Tamar.
Perez became the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
Ram the father of Amminadab.
Amminadab became the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
Salmon the father of Boaz,
whose mother was Rahab.
Boaz became the father of Obed,
whose mother was Ruth.
Obed became the father of Jesse,
Jesse the father of David the king.

David became the father of Solomon,
whose mother had been the wife of Uriah.
Solomon became the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
Abijah the father of Asaph.
Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,
Joram the father of Uzziah.
Uzziah became the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah.
Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amos,
Amos the father of Josiah.
Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers
at the time of the Babylonian exile.

After the Babylonian exile,
Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
Zerubbabel the father of Abiud.
Abiud became the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
Azor the father of Zadok.
Zadok became the father of Achim,
Achim the father of Eliud,
Eliud the father of Eleazar.
Eleazar became the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.

Thus the total number of generations
from Abraham to David
is fourteen generations;
from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen generations;
from the Babylonian exile to the Christ,
fourteen generations.

Reflect On It:
Today, we see a whole lot of names in the gospel: This person became the father of this person...this person became the father of this person. The reason Matthew did this was to show that Christ was born from the line of King David. He is the true King of the Universe. While it seems like a lot of names, this is important to those who doubted that Jesus was of royal blood. This proves it.


Pray About It:
Lord, help me to let you be the king of my heart. You are enough for me. Amen.

Live It! Challenge: Speak today to someone about your love for the Lord.

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December 9, 2011

Read It:
Jesus said to the crowds:
"To what shall I compare this generation?
It is like children who sit in marketplaces and call to one another,
"We played the flute for you, but you did not dance,
we sang a dirge but you did not mourn."
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said,
"He is possessed by a demon."
The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said,
"Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard,
a friend of tax collectors and sinners.'
But wisdom is vindicated by her works."

Reflect on It:
Today, we see a gospel, where people keep changing their mind. First, the crowds are upset because there was no dancing or mourning, then John came neither eating or drinking and then the Son of Man came eating and drinking and they called him a glutton and a drunkard. People were always trying to catch up Jesus on his teachings, like he wouldn't know the truth, he is the truth! Often, we are people that ask for a sign, well that sign is coming on December 25th....Are you ready? Be a man or woman of your word and trust that the Lord's coming is the answer to the things we need and the questions we have.

Pray about It: Lord, I believe, help my unbelief. Let your coming be enough for me.

Live It! Challenge: Today, make a list of all the things that Christ has done for you lately. Then thank him for it!

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December 8: Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception!!

Read It:

The angel Gabriel was sent from God

to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin's name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
"Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you."
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
"Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end."
But Mary said to the angel,
"How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?"
And the angel said to her in reply,
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God."
Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word."
Then the angel departed from her.

Reflect on It:

The YOUCAT (the Youth Catechism of the  Catholic Church...check it out if you haven't already) #83 says: The Church believes that "the most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin". This means that in order to say yes to God, Mary had to be preserved from sin for all time. It's a bit difficult to carry perfection in your womb if you yourself are all about sin.

This Immaculate Conception is what is important in Mary being able to say yes. In the Gospel, we see that Mary, who's "full of Grace" would conceive and bear a son and her answer was not just a yes, but a RESOUNDING yes. Today, Mary is our model of saying yes. This yes if often called a fiat. What's the yes the Lord is asking you today? How does he want you to say yes this Advent?

Pray About It: Lord, help me to say yes to you today. Help me to be like Mary and to make my heart ready for what you have in store for me. Amen.

Live It! Challenge: Today is a Holy Day of Obligation, which means that the Church believes the day to be so important they require you to go to Mass. Make sure you go today and thank the Lord for the gift of Mary.

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December 7: Feast of St. Ambrose

Read It:

Jesus said to the crowds:
"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."

Reflect on It:
It is in Sweet Jesus that we find our rest. He helps us to carry our crosses daily. His yoke is easy and his burden light. Recently, our bishop, Bishop Paul S. Loverde, dedicated the Diocese to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and several weeks later, all of the parishes in the diocese did the same thing, dedicating their individual parishes to the Sacred Heart. I love this image. Sweet Jesus gives us rest. Crawl up in that big ol' loving heart of his and rest. In His heart we find love and joy and peace and hope (the four themes of Advent). Today, rest in Him, knowing that Jesus always fashions our crosses to fit us specifically and that no yoke or burden is too hard for him to carry!

Pray about It:
Sweet Jesus, I want to rest in you. Help me today to place all of my burdens and distraction into your Sacred Heart so that I might be ready for you in just a few weeks. I love you, Lord. Help me to love you more and more each day. Amen.

Live It! Challenge: Make a list of five distractions that are bothering you right now, right them down and give them to the Lord.

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December 6, 2011: Lost Sheep

Read It:

Jesus said to his disciples:
"What is your opinion?
If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray,
will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills
and go in search of the stray?
And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it
than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.
In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father
that one of these little ones be lost."

Reflect on It:
Jesus wants us to be close to Him always. In today's Gospel, we see that he will leave the 99 sheep to find the one lost sheep. I know sometimes we aren't willing to look that hard or that long for something, thinking, oh, I have plenty of those, but not Jesus. He is never outdone! What I love about this passage is that Jesus is searching for us. I think often we align ourselves with the 99 and think, oh, I'm not important enough for the Lord of the Universe to search for me, but here's the truth. He is! He is searching for us and never leaving us. As we prepare the way of the Lord this week, know that he is searching for you and can be found in a manager in just a few weeks.

Pray about It: Lord, help me to never be separated from you or your love. Even when I stray, thank you for coming to find me.

Live It! Challenge: Come close to the Lord through the sacrament of Confession. Don't let your heart be distracted with sin.

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December 5, 2011:

Read It:

One day as Jesus was teaching,
Pharisees and teachers of the law,
who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem,
were sitting there,
and the power of the Lord was with him for healing.
And some men brought on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed;
they were trying to bring him in and set him in his presence.
But not finding a way to bring him in because of the crowd,
they went up on the roof
and lowered him on the stretcher through the tiles
into the middle in front of Jesus.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said,
"As for you, your sins are forgiven."

Then the scribes and Pharisees began to ask themselves,
"Who is this who speaks blasphemies?
Who but God alone can forgive sins?"
Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them in reply,
"What are you thinking in your hearts?
Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,'
or to say, 'Rise and walk?'
But that you may know
that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins?"
he said to the one who was paralyzed,
"I say to you, rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home."

He stood up immediately before them,
picked up what he had been lying on,
and went home, glorifying God.
Then astonishment seized them all and they glorified God,
and, struck with awe, they said,
"We have seen incredible things today."

Reflect on It: In today's Gospel, we see the that a man who was healed after his interaction with Christ. What I love about this particular gospel passage is that it is the faith of the friends that save the man. Is our faith enough that it would save another? The men knew that their friend could be healed if they only could get him in the presence of the Lord. Do we believe this? I hope that we are like the men who lowered their friend and that we have their faith.

Pray About It: Sweet Jesus, help us to be saved through the faith of our friends. Help me to be aligned to the people who we know will help get us to Heaven.

Live It! Challenge: The man in the story needed only to be in front of Jesus to be healed. Today, spend a few minutes in front of the Blessed Sacrament.

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Sunday, December 4, 2011: Second Sunday of Advent! PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD!

Read It:
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God.

As it is written in Isaiah the prophet:
Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you;
he will prepare your way.
A voice of one crying out in the desert:
"Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths."John the Baptist appeared in the desert
proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
People of the whole Judean countryside
and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem
were going out to him
and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River
as they acknowledged their sins.
John was clothed in camel's hair,
with a leather belt around his waist.
He fed on locusts and wild honey.
And this is what he proclaimed:
"One mightier than I is coming after me.
I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals.
I have baptized you with water;
he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
Reflect on It:
Prepare the Way of the Lord! In the Annunciation, we hear the angel tell Mary that not only will she conceive a child in her womb, but that her cousin, Elizabeth, who is considered barren will give birth to a son. That son is John the Baptist. John the Baptist's whole roll in life was to Prepare the way of the Lord. John was so holy and his life was so directed to the Lord, that people mistook him for the Messiah. John the Baptist wasn't worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals and neither are we, but God is good and numbers us amongst his flock. At this mid way point of Advent, we see we too can prepare the way of the Lord. The world is crying out right now for this redemption. In the midst of Christmas crazy, may we be men and women who prepare the way of the Lord through prayer and thanksgiving.

Pray about It: Sweet Jesus, as John the Baptist was decreased so that Christ could increase, I pray that you help me to do that as well. Help me to understand that you are coming and that we must prepare the world for your coming. Amen.

Live It! Challenge: Re-read the Gospel above and think about how the Lord is asking you to prepare the way.

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December 3, 2011: Give without Cost

Read It:
Jesus went around to all the towns and villages,
teaching in their synagogues,
proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness.
At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them
because they were troubled and abandoned,
like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples,
"The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest."

Then he summoned his Twelve disciples
and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out
and to cure every disease and every illness.

Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus,
"Go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
As you go, make this proclamation: 'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.'
Cure the sick, raise the dead,
cleanse lepers, drive out demons.
Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give."

Reflect on It: In today's gospel, we hear that we have received without cost and are to give without cost as well. Are we people who count what we receive? I think that often, we have to consider if we count when we receive. As the world focuses on Christmas, we tend to look at what we're getting. The Lord of the Universe calls us to give without cost. We have received everything with no cost, including the Christ Child. He is all we need and now in turn we go to serve him. Are we wrapped up in finding the perfect gift this season. Give in a different way, give without cost. Give your entire life to Christ.

Pray about It: Lord, everything I have is yours. Help me this day to give without cost.

Live It! Challenge: Figure out an item that you can live without this Advent and donate it to a local charity. (This one is hard, but we can do it together!) Then say a prayer for the person who will receive it.

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December 2, 2011: Do You Believe?!

Read It:

As Jesus passed by, two blind men followed him, crying out,
"Son of David, have pity on us!"
When he entered the house,
the blind men approached him and Jesus said to them,
"Do you believe that I can do this?"
"Yes, Lord," they said to him.
Then he touched their eyes and said,
"Let it be done for you according to your faith."
And their eyes were opened.
Jesus warned them sternly,
"See that no one knows about this."
But they went out and spread word of him through all that land.

Reflect on It:

In today's gospel, we see that Jesus asks the blind men if they believe that they can be healed. I think we often struggle with this question...Do we REALLY believe that Jesus can heal us? Really and truly. I know there are things in the depths of my heart that I wonder if the Lord can truly heal. Can he truly heal the ugliness of my sin, of the darkness that sometimes resides in the depths of my being? These men were healed because they believed. Jesus is quick to say, let it be done for you according to your faith. Would we be able to be healed based on our faith? Advent is about allowing the Lord in, preparing for him and making sure that we TRULY believe that the savior of the world is coming on December 25th and that he can and will give us everything we need to be with him in eternity. He desires to heal the darkness of sin and give us newness of life. This should wreck us with delight. In a few weeks, the Lord of healing, in the form of a child is going to grace us with his presence and all can be healed. May our faith save us.

Pray about It: God Our Father, we long to be healed by your son. Today, help us to be men and women who truly believe that he can do it and to look forward to the coming of our King.

Live It! Challenge: Read through the Announcement and Birth of Christ in the Gospel of Luke (Chapters 1 and 2)

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December 1, 2011: The Rain WILL Fall

Read It:

Jesus said to his disciples:
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,'
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.

"Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
And everyone who listens to these words of mine
but does not act on them
will be like a fool who built his house on sand.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
And it collapsed and was completely ruined."

Reflect on It: What is interesting about today's gospel is not that it says if the rain comes, it says, "The rain fell, the floods came and the winds blew". Here is some breaking news: There will be rain. There will be floods and there will be wind! The Lord promises us all of these, but the important part is how you respond to them. One man, the wise man, built his house on rock (the rock...Jesus...it's all coming together now!) and the fool, built his on sand (things of this world). The goal is not for us to be completely ruined when the rain and wind and floods come. Christ, our king is coming in three weeks. Are we built on Him? Will this rock our world? It should. Work to build your life on the rock.

Pray about It: Sweet Jesus, help us to be wise men and women who build our lives on you. Let us be strong enough to not have our lives be completely ruined when the rain, floods and wind comes. Thank you for being who I build my life upon.

Live It! Challenge: Eliminate something in your life that makes you be built on the sand.

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