1 Peter 3:18-22

Beloved:

Christ suffered for sins once,

the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous,

that he might lead you to God.

Put to death in the flesh,

he was brought to life in the Spirit.

In it he also went to preach to the spirits in prison,

who had once been disobedient

while God patiently waited in the days of Noah

during the building of the ark,

in which a few persons, eight in all,

were saved through water.

This prefigured baptism, which saves you now.

It is not a removal of dirt from the body

but an appeal to God for a clear conscience,

through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

who has gone into heaven

and is at the right hand of God,

with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.

The Holy One of God

 

 Mk 1:21-28

Then they came to Capernaum,

and on the Sabbath, Jesus entered the synagogue and taught.

The people were astonished at his teaching,

for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.

In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit;

he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?

Have you come to destroy us?

I know who you are—the Holy One of God!"

Jesus rebuked him and said,

"Quiet! Come out of him!"

The unclean spirit convulsed him and, with a loud cry, came out of him.

All were amazed and asked one another,

"What is this?

A new teaching with authority.

He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him."

His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.

In today's Gospel reading at Mass, the unclean spirit acknowledges Jesus as the Holy One of God.  One would think during this time, the people would hear this and realize Jesus is truly the Son of God, but as we know, this is not enough, and they would need more proof. 

How often do we act as those did during that time by seeing and not believing?

And for as much as evil sometimes seems to rule, we should always know who the Son of God is, and no one is above Him. 

12 Days of Christmas

Here are some articles from the web to describe the true meaning of the 12 days of Christmas.

The 12 days of Christmas in Christian tradition signifies the time between the birth of Christ and the arrival of the three wise men, also known as the Magi. It starts on December 25, which is celebrated as Christmas Day, and lasts until January 6, which is the Epiphany, also referred to as Three Kings' Day.

             12 Days of Christmas Carol - Lyrics Meaning and History (christianity.com)

            Twelve Days of Christmas - Wikipedia

Merry Christmas!

The Light of Christmas

December is the darkest month of the year. The days are shorter, and the dark hours take over the night.  Waiting for the dawn of morning, we feel the renewal of a new hope.  

Every year, my wife and I have an advent wreath.  There are many symbols and rituals around the lighting of the candles.  Four candles represent the weeks leading up to Christmas day and the lighting of the fifth candle for the Birth of Jesus Christ.

"The Advent season is a time of preparation that directs our hearts and minds to Christ’s second coming at the end of time and to the anniversary of Our Lord’s birth on Christmas."  What is Advent? | USCCB   

Waiting for the light of Christ gives us hope just as we wait for the dawn of a new day. And beyond Advent and Christmas, this hope will continue throughout the year as we are in constant preparation for the second coming of Christ. 

What is preparation?

We must have our souls ready. We are both body and soul and when Christ comes again, He will be here to judge the depths of our souls to determine our worthiness to meet the Father in Heaven. 

In the next few weeks, take the time to reflect in prayer and prepare for Christ's coming.

Photo - pixabay - fincayra0204  

Morning Offering Prayer

 Morning Offering Prayer

O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary,

I offer you my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day

for all the intentions of your Sacred Heart

in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world,

for the salvation of souls, the reparation of sins, the reunion of all Christians,

and in particular for the intentions of the Holy Father this month.

Amen.

The Holy Spirit

Some thoughts on the Holy Spirit.

First, The Holy Trinity - all in one

    The Father

    The Son

    The Holy Spirit

God revealed himself in the Old Testament, and as years passed, He brought into the world His Son, who fulfilled the prophecy revealed in the Old Testament. Jesus was born, died, resurrected, and ascended into Heaven. And now the world waits for His return.

So, is that it? 

No, because we have God, the Father, And Jesus, our Savior, with us daily. How is this possible? The Trinity is three in one. Once Christ ascended into Heaven, he did not leave us. The Holy Spirit came to Mary and the Apostles and has been with us ever since. The Holy Spirit works in our lives daily, just as Christ did. 

Something to think about.

The Nicene Creed

 

I believe in one God,

the Father almighty,

maker of heaven and earth,

of all things visible and invisible.

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,

the Only Begotten Son of God,

born of the Father before all ages.

God from God, Light from Light,

true God from true God,

begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;

through him all things were made.

For us men and for our salvation

he came down from heaven,

and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,

and became man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,

he suffered death and was buried,

and rose again on the third day

in accordance with the Scriptures.

He ascended into heaven

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory

to judge the living and the dead

and his kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,

who proceeds from the Father and the Son,

who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,

who has spoken through the prophets.

I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.

I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins

and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead

and the life of the world to come.

Amen.

One Book

So many books out nowadays would have never been published 40 years ago. Books that target specific immoral issues infecting our society. Some would say I don't read books anymore. Any information I need is online. But here is the main difference.  Books can be around for hundreds of years. Online information can change almost daily. The books printed today could still have an impact on those who read them later on. The unethical, unrighteous, and evil words on the pages of some books will possibly influence future societies.

One book has been around as long as 600 B.C., and a newer version about 1,800 years ago. It has all the information one would need to live a good and moral life and learn from the mistakes of others. It is in some way, an encyclopedia of life and death.  And today, it is the most popular book ever printed, which is the Bible. 

If you have one, pick it up and re-read it. If you don't, find one, because it will change your life forever.

Photo - pixabay - bohdanchreptak

Matthew 28: 16-20

The eleven disciples went to Galilee,

to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them.

When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted.

Then Jesus approached and said to them,

“All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,

baptizing them in the name of the Father,

and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,

teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.

And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”

John 19: 19-31

On the evening of that first day of the week,

when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,

for fear of the Jews,

Jesus came and stood in their midst

and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.

The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.

As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”

And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,

“Receive the Holy Spirit.

Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,

and whose sins you retain are retained.”

Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,

was not with them when Jesus came.

So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”

But he said to them,

“Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands

and put my finger into the nailmarks

and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

Now a week later his disciples were again inside

and Thomas was with them.

Jesus came, although the doors were locked,

and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”

Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands,

and bring your hand and put it into my side,

and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”

Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me?

Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

Now, Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples

that are not written in this book.

But these are written that you may come to believe

that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,

and that through this belief you may have life in his name.

The Good from the Bad

Good comes from something bad.

This a simple statement that almost always holds true. 

The Nashville school shooting and all the evil that took place on that day have caused a city and nation to unite in the after moments. And that one uniting thing is prayer. 

In the last few days of watching and reading the latest updates, usually, someone will say, please continue praying for the victims of this tragic event. We have seen this so many times in the past how people are united in prayer. 

If you are new to daily prayer, take this time to start, especially now, but continue to pray daily because there is always something to pray for.

Photo - pixabay - Godsgirl_madi

First Sunday of Lent

Mt 4:1-11

At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert

to be tempted by the devil.

He fasted for forty days and forty nights,

and afterwards he was hungry.

The tempter approached and said to him,

"If you are the Son of God,

command that these stones become loaves of bread."

He said in reply,

"It is written:

One does not live on bread alone,

but on every word that comes forth

from the mouth of God."

Then the devil took him to the holy city,

and made him stand on the parapet of the temple,

and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down.

For it is written:

He will command his angels concerning you

and with their hands they will support you,

lest you dash your foot against a stone."

Jesus answered him,

"Again it is written,

You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test."

Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain,

and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence,

and he said to him, "All these I shall give to you,

if you will prostrate yourself and worship me."

At this, Jesus said to him,

"Get away, Satan!

It is written:

The Lord, your God, shall you worship

and him alone shall you serve."

Then the devil left him and, behold,

angels came and ministered to him.

Have Faith

 

Top news concerns in no particular order:

• Earthquake in Turkey - 46,957 dead
• The war in Ukraine - one year later
• North Korea testing missiles
• United States plans to expand the training of Taiwanese forces
• East Palestine, Ohio (US) Train Derailment disaster

These are just a few troubling news stories we should all be looking at.

I realize there will always be bad news every day, but it's usually just a couple of reports. Today is more than usual, and most of these have been ongoing.  

Throughout history, events like these have occurred and have always come to an end, but not without a cost.  We are at the point where the need for prayer is of the utmost importance.

Prayer is the most powerful act we can do, and when the world prays, change happens. Some might believe it has no effect, and those have little or no faith at all. Well, you cannot pray if you don't have faith and hope; they go together. 

So, if you are concerned about some world news, maybe it's time to start your conversation with God and have a little faith. 

 Matthew 17:20 

He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” 

Photo - pixabay - geralt

The Smoke Screen

Living the faith of Christ can be difficult. We go about daily life with all the interjections of evil surrounding us. But sometimes, the bombardments from the evil one are difficult to see.

It's almost like a smoke screen, the enemy is firing rounds at us, and we do not know where it is coming from. We do not understand why we are reacting to the influence the enemy has on us. 

The difficulty is understanding good and evil. This may seem like a simple solution. We all know what good is but is the good disguised as evil in reality. After all, he is known as the Bible tells us satan is the master of lies. Evil is a master in deceiving us to believe into believing that something evil would be perceived as good. 

The resolve is just as difficult to see, but as the devil is attacking us non-stop, we should be in non-stop prayer and examining our conscience to see through the smoke screen. 

Photo: pixabay - intographics

Merry Christmas

Most would think days after Christmas would be the end of Christmas, but actually, it's just the beginning. Birthdays are generally celebrated the day of and the days after.

Does anyone really just stop celebrating the day after their birthday? 

Then why should we stop the celebration of the Savior of the World and the Son of God?

Merry Christmas!!

The Angelus Prayer

 

V. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.

R. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

    Hail Mary, full of grace,

    The Lord is with Thee;

    Blessed art thou among women,

    And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

    Holy Mary, Mother of God,

    Pray for us sinners,

    Now and at the hour of our death. Amen

V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord.

R. Be it done unto me according to thy word.

    Hail Mary, etc.

V. And the Word was made Flesh.

R. And dwelt among us.

    Hail Mary, etc.

V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.

R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

LET US PRAY

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, that we to whom the Incarnation of Christ Thy Son was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection. Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.

A Time for Peace

I remember my grandfather telling me the story of when he was at the Battle of the Bulge in World War II.  The story goes it was Christmas eve, and the Germans and Americans were separated by a river.  Fighting had taken place during the day, but as night came and midnight, the action stopped. It was Christmas. Both sides realized the peace of Christ, the peace of Christmas.  

We should all find the time this week to stop and take a break from the holiday rush. Do not lose sight of what Christmas day brings, peace and joy to the world. A time to reflect on the past year and look forward to the hope of a New Year. Remember, when the stress gets too much, fighting forces can find the time for quiet and take the peace of Christ into their hearts.

Photo: pixabay - Angeleses   

 

  

The Wait

We wait for so many things in our lifetime; some are longer than others. We wait for the perfect job, waiting for the change in seasons, waiting for the line you are standing in to get shorter, and the list could go on and on. 

But December brings us a particular waiting time. Waiting for a birth. The time of waiting for Christmas day. Sometimes the business market will push the limits on when this starts (Christmas in July), but the real wait begins at the beginning of Advent. 

The anticipation of the Lord and celebration of His coming into the world as Fully God and Fully Human. Even as we celebrate this day year after year. It is a perfect time to renew ourselves. Just as Christ became new to the world, so can we become new within Christ and continue in the spiritual life. Advent is similar to Lent in preparation for the Resurrection. 

We should primarily focus this week on the great day Jesus Christ came into our presence to dwell among us. This is the greatest gift we could receive for Christmas. No gift in a box wrapped in paper can be greater than the celebration of God becoming Man.

Photo: pixabay -  anncapictures     

December

December this the month of Jesus Christ.

This month the world celebrates the birth of Jesus during the Christmas season throughout the entire month. 

But December is Advent, and Christmas begins on December the 25th and ends 12 days on the Epiphany.

Christmas has become so commercialized with no emphasis on Christ or God. Happy holidays greeting has become the substitute phrase for Merry Christmas; this is just another way to try to remove Christ from our society.

Christians worldwide should take this month to proclaim the good news, spread the word of the Gospels, and educate those who do not know the world's Savior.

Merry Christmas

Photo: blende12 - pixabay 

The Apostles' Creed

I believe in God the Father Almighty Creator of Heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son Our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into Hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, And sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father almighty; from hence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Amen.