Mary Mother of God - New Years 2017

Today, New Years Day, is a solemn feast day in the Church's liturgical calendar. We know it now as the Feast of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, but it has had different titles over the years. Fr. Thomas Rosica, of  Salt&Light, has an excellent article on these titles. Here is the LINK :>

Link	New Years and resolution are commonly linked at this time. Here is an approach using the Prayer of Examine to review the year past.

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Voices of Christmas Week

Monday  St Stephen	Psalm Ps 31: Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit. Be my rock of refuge, a stronghold to give me safety. You are my rock and my fortress; for your name’s sake you will lead and guide me. Into your hands I commend my spirit; you will redeem me, O LORD, O faithful God. I will rejoice and be glad because of your mercy. Rescue me from the clutches of my enemies and my persecutors. Let your face shine upon your servant; save me in your kindness.
Tuesday St. John	So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb. They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first; he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in. When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed. It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, always and everywhere to give you thanks, lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God, through Christ our lord. For on the feast of this awe-filled mystery, though invisible in his own divine nature, he has appeared visibly in ours; and begotten before all ages, he has begun to exist in time; so that, raising up in himself all that was cast down, he might restore unity to all creation and call straying humanity back to the heavenly Kingdom
Wednesday Holy Innocence	When the magi had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.” Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, Out of Egypt I called my son. O God, whom the holy innocents confessed and proclaimed on this day, not by speaking but by dying, grant, we pray, that the faith in you which we confess with our lips may also speak through our manner of life.  Beloved: This is the message that we have heard from Jesus Christ and proclaim to you: God is light, and in him here is no darkness at all. If we say, “We have fellowship with him,” while we continue to walk in darkness, we lie and do not act in truth. But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, then we have fellowship with one another, and the Blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from all sin.
Thursday Simeon	The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted (and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” May your people, O lord, whom you guide and sustain in many ways, experience, both now and in the future, the remedies which you bestow, that, with the needed solace of things that pass away, they may strive with ever deepened trust for things eternal. Through Christ our lord.
Friday Holy Family - Return From Egypt	Brothers and sisters: Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. Almighty ever-living God, who in the nativity of your son established the beginning and fulfillment of all religion, grant, we pray, that we may be numbered among those who belong to him, in whom is the fullness of human salvation.
Saturday Now Hear the story	In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. He was in the world, and the world came to be through him, but the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him. But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision but of God. And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only-begotten Son, full of grace and truth.

Christmas

Our Advent days are now fulfilled. We began with a precious new gift given to us by the Lord – a gift of time. These beautiful liturgies were filled with many voices, the Voices of Advent. For the first three weeks of Advent it was the voices of the ancient prophets we heard, telling us that God has a new plan for our lives; announced with ancient words but with new expectation for us today. For this last week of Advent, it has been no less than the voices of angels awaking us from the slumber of doubt and unbelief; announcing, “He is here!” The second Preface of the Advent liturgy summed up the message conveyed by all these voices – For all the oracles of the prophets foretold him, the Virgin mother longed for him with love beyond all telling, John the Baptist sang of his coming and proclaimed his presence when (at last) he came. Now in this new gift of time – 2016, a new Christmas begins. Now it is not only about hearing a new message, but also seeing it fulfilled. The Second Preface of the Christmas liturgies tells: “For on the feast of this awe-filled mystery, though invisible in his own divine nature, he has appeared visibly in ours; and begotten before all ages, he has begun to exist in time;” – in this our new gift of time. The people of the Old Testament knew well no one can see the face of God, not even Moses on the mountain of the Ten Commandments. In Exodus, we read:  But, (God) said, "You cannot see my face, because a man cannot see me and live." The LORD said, "Look, there is a place near me where you can stand on the rock; and as my glory passes by, I'll put you in a crevice in the rock, and cover you with my hand until I've passed by. Then I'll remove my hand so you may see my back, but my face must not be seen." Ex: 33:20 But God wanted us to be able to see him face to face. That is why we have this day, so that we can see our God, face to face. But not only does he come as one of us, but as a baby child into who’s face we can now gaze with tenderness. Now we may say that in a literal sense it was only they who lived during Jesus time on earth who actually saw Jesus face to face. Perhaps, but, as for presence and intimacy with Jesus we are not left out. Today, when you approach this altar to receive Holy Communion, there in your hand you are holding Jesus, with the same intimacy as were the people of that first Christmas day. In his real and true presence in the Eucharist, we behold our God, face to face. While gathering together these reflections for this Christmas message I came across this Christmas song composed by Francesca Battistelli, a contemporary Christian song-writer and singer. The title of the song is, You’re Here. Bellow is a video of her performing her song.

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Advent Annunciations

JOSEPH

ZACHARIAH

MARY

The Angel's Voice of Advent During these Advent days, we have heard the voices of the prophets proclaiming to us God's plan to come and save us. As we meditated on the prophets' words, we sought to make them personal; to hear how we should now be looking to our own future, to discover what plans the Lord has for us. Now, in these final days of Advent, it is the angel's voice that we hear, foretelling God's plan. We may not have had the experience of an angel's visit, standing before us, telling us of God's plan, yet deep within a voice may be heard, announcing God has some personal for us to accomplish. Listen again to the angel's voice, then listen again, deep within your own heart, for the message that is for you to hear. “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.” From what sins have I been saved? From what sins am I yet to know salvation?  * * * “Though you are barren and have had no children, yet you will conceive and bear a son. Now, then, be careful to take no wine or strong drink and to eat nothing unclean. As for the son you will conceive and bear, no razor shall touch his head, for this boy is to be consecrated to God from the womb. It is he who will begin the deliverance of Israel from the power of the Philistines.” How well I know my many limitations - my many plans that came up empty.  Have I considered that a lowly messenger can be the bearer of a great message when God sends them?  * * *  “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.” "Do not be afraid" - easy to say, so impossible to be. What voices of fear speak loudest in my heart - telling me to take my place and not expect?  Can I learn that it is not I but Christ who lives in me who has the powers necessary to do what is asked of me?  For nothing will be impossible for God.” Yes Lord, I am willing to accept, to be your servant and instrument. May all you ask of me be done according to your word.”