December 25, 2014: 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, 2014: Christmas EVE!

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, 2014

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, 2014

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, 2014

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 Thursday. 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 20, 2014

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 confessions today from 3:30-4:30 and at 7:30 pm.

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December 19, 2014

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, 2014

Read It:
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet:

Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,

which means “God is with us.”
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home.
He had no relations with her until she bore a son,
and he named him Jesus.

Reflect on It: Today, we see Joseph's tenderness. Pope Francis has spoken a lot of tenderness and the importance of tenderness in Christians. Joseph doesn't want to cause Mary shame, he plans on divorcing her quietly. An angel appears to him and tells him that Mary is bearing the Holy Spirit's child. Imagine the humility and humbleness of heart Joseph had to have in that moment. We often hear of Mary's fiat, her yes to the Lord for bearing the Christ child, but Joseph also has a yes. In this moment, Joseph says yes to God to be the earthly Father of his son. Imagine the pressure: You have the Immaculate Conception and the Incarnation to take care of. St. Joseph's docility and humility made him able to do this. Also, if an angel of the Lord appears to you in a dream, you should probably listen ;).


Pray about It: Father in Heaven, you sent a messenger to Joseph and helped him to be ready to love your son with your heart. Help me to see how you break through the day today! I love you and want to say yes to the things you're asking of me! Amen!

Live It! Challenge: Today, say yes to something that you know the Lord is asking of you, even if it's hard.

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December 17, 2014

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 16, 2014

Today the staff of St. James is on retreat. I will be praying especially for you and your intentions.

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 15, 2014

Read It:
When Jesus had come into the temple area,
the chief priests and the elders of the people approached him
as he was teaching and said,
“By what authority are you doing these things?
And who gave you this authority?”
Jesus said to them in reply,
“I shall ask you one question, and if you answer it for me,
then I shall tell you by what authority I do these things.
Where was John’s baptism from?
Was it of heavenly or of human origin?”
They discussed this among themselves and said,
“If we say ‘Of heavenly origin,’ he will say to us,
‘Then why did you not believe him?’
But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we fear the crowd,
for they all regard John as a prophet.”
So they said to Jesus in reply, “We do not know.”
He himself said to them,
“Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Reflect on It:
Again, we see that today we can't be of both worlds, serving two masters. Really, we're called to just love one master and to serve him. Jesus asks them boldly whether the origin of John's Baptism was earthly or heavenly. The crowd doesn't want to answer, scared to get it wrong and to be outcasts. Today, we're called to be all in. We can't serve two masters. So, who will you serve today?

Pray about It:
Sweet Jesus, I want to live in a way in which I am all in. Help me to do that today! Rejoice!

Live It! Challenge: Today, find something in your life you've been unwilling to give over to the Lord and give it to him.

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Sunday, December 14th, 2014: Gaudete Sunday! Rejoice!

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 13, 2014

Read It:
As they were coming down from the mountain,
the disciples asked Jesus,
"Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"
He said in reply, "Elijah will indeed come and restore all things;
but I tell you that Elijah has already come,
and they did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased.
So also will the Son of Man suffer at their hands."
Then the disciples understood
that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.

Reflect on It: Will we recognize him when he comes? Are our hearts ready for that miracle that will happen in just a few days?

Pray About It: Sweet Jesus, help me to recongize you when you come in glory!

Live It! Challenge: what are some of the ways you recognize Jesus in your life already?

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December 12, 2014: Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

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: Today, is the Feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Mary appeared to St. Juan Diego and asked him to build her a Church. After some resistance from the Church authority at the time, Mary instructed Juan Diego to go to the top of a mountain and pick some flowers for her. While this was improbable, because of the winter, Juan Diego still did so and when he took them as a sign to the bishop, he took the flowers out of his cloak and on it appeared the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Regardless of how she appears, Mary is always out to serve her son. As we can see from today's Gospel, Mary is always willing to do what is asked of her by the Lord and to do it with great love. Juan Diego did the same, followed with great love, what the Lord asks of us. Let both of them be our example today!

Pray about It: Mary, help me to always see what it is that the Lord is asking me to do. Let me do it with a joyful heart.

Live It! Challenge: Today, look up the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe and see why she is the Patronness of the Unborn.

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December 11, 2014

Read It:
Jesus said to the crowds:
"Amen, I say to you,
among those born of women
there has been none greater than John the Baptist;
yet the least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
From the days of John the Baptist until now,
the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence,
and the violent are taking it by force.
All the prophets and the law prophesied up to the time of John.
And if you are willing to accept it,
he is Elijah, the one who is to come.
Whoever has ears ought to hear."

Reflect on It:
Whoever has ears ought to hear. Many times, I think we don't hear the things that the Lord is calling us to. I know I tend to talk and talk, but fail to listen to what the Lord has to say. When I was younger, someone once told me we have two ears to hear and one mouth to speak. We should listen twice as much as we speak. For the girl that always talks, it was hard to take to heart. Today's gospel is really a call for us to build some silence into our lives. Silence is what allows us to hear the the things that God is asking of us, it's important that we build some into our lives, especially during Advent.

Pray about It: Lord, your words bring us ever lasting life! Help me to hear what it is that you are saying to me today so that I can believe in you and love you more daily. I love you!

Live It! Challenge: Today, spend 10 minutes in complete silence: no music, no texting, no facebook, silence and see what the Lord is saying to you!

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December 10, 2014

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: This is by far one of the Scriptures that sticks with me the most right now in my life. If Christ believes his burden to be easy and his burden light, then mine is a walk in the park. I love that with this Gospel, we're taking it on together...my burden becomes his and his burden is easy. I love, love love that. He is meek and humble of heart and is willing to carry our cross for us.

Pray about It: Lord, your burden is light and your yoke is easy. Help me to desire it daily. Amen.

Live It! Challenge: What's your biggest burden? Think about this and offer in prayer to our Lord.

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December 9, 2014

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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The Feast of the Immaculate Conception December 8, 2014.

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. Get yourself to mass!

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Second Sunday of Advent: December 7, 2014

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 7, 2014

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 6, 2014: The Feast Day of St. Nicholas

The Feast Day of St. Nicholas:

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:
Without cost you have received, without cost you are to give...I think sometimes this piece of Scripture trips me up more than any other. Without cost, I'm called to give: of my time, of my life, of all sorts of things....I have been given so much and I should be giving even more. What have you been given without cost?

Pray about It: Sweet Jesus, the harvest is abundant, and the laborers are few. Help me always to give myself to you without counting the cost, because your burden is light and your yoke is easy. Amen.

Live It! Challenge: Today, cross off one item from your Christmas list that you really, really want. Instead give something to someone else.

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December 5, 2014

Read It:
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Beware of men, for they will hand you over to courts
and scourge you in their synagogues,
and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake
as a witness before them and the pagans.
When they hand you over,
do not worry about how you are to speak
or what you are to say.
You will be given at that moment what you are to say.
For it will not be you who speak
but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
Brother will hand over brother to death,
and the father his child;
children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.
You will be hated by all because of my name,
but whoever endures to the end will be saved.”

Reflect on It:
Often, I'm really concerned about how I will approach particular conversations, mainly because I have to speak the truth, or because I know they'll be hard. I love today's gospel, because it's a promise from the Holy Spirit that he'll be there with me when I need him. Before I start a difficult conversation, I pray to the Holy Spirit to be with me. Today, we can take heart that the Holy Spirit will be with us when it's hard to witness to the truth.

Pray about It:
Holy Spirit, you promise to always give us the words to say when we're unsure. Be with us today so that we can speak the truth in love! I love you Lord! Amen.

Live It! Challenge: Have a difficult conversation that you've been avoiding.

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December 4, 2014

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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December 3, 2014

Read It:

At that time:
Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee,
went up on the mountain, and sat down there.
Great crowds came to him,
having with them the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute,
and many others.
They placed them at his feet, and he cured them.
The crowds were amazed when they saw the mute speaking,
the deformed made whole,
the lame walking,
and the blind able to see,
and they glorified the God of Israel.

Jesus summoned his disciples and said,
"My heart is moved with pity for the crowd,
for they have been with me now for three days
and have nothing to eat.
I do not want to send them away hungry,
for fear they may collapse on the way."
The disciples said to him,
"Where could we ever get enough bread in this deserted place
to satisfy such a crowd?"
Jesus said to them, "How many loaves do you have?"
"Seven," they replied, "and a few fish."
He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground.
Then he took the seven loaves and the fish,
gave thanks, broke the loaves,
and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds.
They all ate and were satisfied.
They picked up the fragments left over--seven baskets full.

Reflect on It:
It always makes me laugh that the disciples doubt whether or not Jesus can feed everyone in the crowds. They constantly doubt and are unsure about what he can do. Jesus loves them and meets his disciples with care, basically showing them his love. I would get so frustrated. Good thing I am not God. Today, let's trust that Jesus is in control of all the things in our lives.

Pray about it:
Holy Spirit, help me to trust that you can do anything in me. Help me to be open to the ways you want to break through to me today. Help me to love you more deeply this Advent Season.

Live It! Challenge: Today, give God something you've been holding out on. Let him take care of it.

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First Tuesday of Advent: December 2, 2014

Read It:

Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said,
"I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to the childlike.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows who the Son is except the Father,
and who the Father is except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him."

Turning to the disciples in private he said,
"Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.
For I say to you,
many prophets and kings desired to see what you see,
but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it."

Reflect on It:
We know of the goodness of God. Blessed are we to see Christ in the Eucharist, to hear his word. So many people desire that relationship with Christ, but don't have it. We are blessed to be those people. As we ponder Advent in our hearts, let's be people who desire a deeper, bigger, crazy awesome relationship with Christ.


Pray About It: God our Father, help me to have a better and deeper relationship with your son this Advent season. I love you Lord. Help me to desire you always.


Live it! Challenge: Spend five minutes today going to before the Lord in the Eucharist.

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First Monday of Advent: December 1, 2014

Read It:
When Jesus entered Capernaum,
a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying,
"Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully."
He said to him, "I will come and cure him."
The centurion said in reply,
"Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof;
only say the word and my servant will be healed.
For I too am a man subject to authority,
with soldiers subject to me.
And I say to one, "Go," and he goes;
and to another, "Come here," and he comes;
and to my slave, "Do this," and he does it."
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him,
"Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.
I say to you, many will come from the east and the west,
and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven.

Reflect on it: In this gospel, we see the words that we say in the Eucharistic prayer as our response: Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof, only say the word and my soul shall be healed. On this first Monday of Advent, we see that we are HARDLY worthy to have the Lord enter our hearts and our lives this Christmas, which leads to the question of if you have prepared a place in your heart for him? As we Christmas approaches, is there space? Are we preparing for him the way we would prepare for any other guest? I hope so.

Pray about it: Sweet Jesus, as Advent starts, help me to realize how truly good you are to want to enter under my roof and it means to have you as an active part of my life. Help me to be ready and to watch for you this Advent.

Live It! Challenge: Today, pray about what the Lord is asking you to do to prepare for his coming.

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