GOSPEL READING TODAY - LUKE 3:10-18

Luke 3: 10 - 18
10	And the multitudes asked him, "What then shall we do?"
11	And he answered them, "He who has two coats, let him share with him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise."
12	Tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?"
13	And he said to them, "Collect no more than is appointed you."
14	Soldiers also asked him, "And we, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Rob no one by violence or by false accusation, and be content with your wages."
15	As the people were in expectation, and all men questioned in their hearts concerning John, whether perhaps he were the Christ,
16	John answered them all, "I baptize you with water; but he who is mightier than I is coming, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
17	His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into his granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."
18	So, with many other exhortations, he preached good news to the people.

THE WINNOWING FORK - By: Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

THE WINNOWING FORK

I can still remember watching a man winnow the wheat as a kid. It was amazing to see him deftly toss the stalks of the wheat around and so facilitate the separation of the grain from the stalks. It is good for us to remember that a day of judgment will come to us all and, on that day, we will have to give an account of the lives we have led.

Purification is the image that comes to mind – the rubbish being separated from me such that I will be purified. This is the process through which we will all go through if we are going to make it into eternal life. Judgment and purification go hand in hand in terms of the end result they achieve. I am sure there are things in our lives which we are not proud of. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a means by which we enter into this process of purification by acknowledging our sins and turning away from

them, both now and forever.

Sin is a nasty character that never gives up. The devil is quite aware that there are many who have strong beliefs in this area. It is important that we do not give up in the face of a challenge and, by preparing ourselves well, endure it. This is the way a disciple of Jesus thinks – always in terms of victory over sin and never towards a compromise.

The image of winnowing is used at the start of the Gospel (Luke 3:10-18) to remind us that the work of the Gospel is to purify our lives beginning with our thoughts, words and deeds. We should hold nothing back from the God who loves us and we should seek to pray for one another daily. The ever-present danger in the modern world is to fail to recognize the work of Satan as he seeks to tempt us every once in a while.

REFLECTION QUESTION: Do you surrender yourself to the winnowing fire of God’s love that cleanses and purifies?

Holy Spirit, come and purify my heart and mind so that everything they direct my body to do will be holy.

GOSPEL READING TODAY - FEAST OF OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE

Luke 1: 26 - 38
26	In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,
27	to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
28	And he came to her and said, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!"
29	But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be.
30	And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
31	And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.
32	He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,
33	and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end."
34	And Mary said to the angel, "How shall this be, since I have no husband?"
35	And the angel said to her, "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.
36	And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.
37	For with God nothing will be impossible."
38	And Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE - By: Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

 

Our Lady of Guadalupe is sometimes referred to as the Blessed Mother of the Americas. The story of a poor man receiving this vision of Our Lady and the accompanying miracle is one that has inspired many of the faithful in the Americas. The simplicity of Juan Diego’s faith is truly inspiring. His faith and trust in God is worthy of imitation.

All of the apparitions of the Blessed Mother are designed to foster faith in Jesus. Today’s apparition paved the way for many of the native people of the Americas to become Christians. It is important for us to remember that it is by the fruits of an apparition that we will know its authenticity. This is assuming, of course, that there is nothing  theologically wrong with the message (if any) of the apparition.

Why does God choose Mary to appear to the people more often than any other saint? I do not know the answer to this question but perhaps we  can consider the following. Mary is the closest human person to Jesus – she knows Him best and would have understood His character and desires better than most, if not all people. Mary always points us to her Son. She is not interested in any self-aggrandizement. Any hint of this would throw the apparition’s authenticity into doubt and cause the Church to distance itself from the apparition.

Jesus acknowledges the special place of Mary in our lives when He entrusts her to the Beloved Disciple in John 19. It is crucial that we realize that this entrustment is paralleled with another whereby we are entrusted to Mary’s care through the image of the Beloved Disciple being allowed to call Mary his mother. The simplicity of this image is its power. We cannot dismiss it from the Scriptures and so we have to seek and understand it as best as we can in order to remain faithful to it. 

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: Do you heed the messages given by Our Lady during her miraculous apparitions?

 

Jesus, You are the only way to the Father. Help me to surrender my life into Your hands so that I can focus my life on Your will and how it is that You ask me to live my life.

THE POWER OF THE LORD - By: Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

Luke tells us that “the power of the Lord” was with Jesus and that this is what gave Him the power to heal people and perform other miracles. It might be helpful to us to reflect upon this power and ask how we can tap into it in our own lives and ministries because it is obviously a key aspect of the success of the ministry of Jesus.

Power is something that can be very dangerous – power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Jesus has the power to perform miracles and yet no one ever accuses Him of being corrupt and is able to sustain the charge. Jesus places His power at the service of the Gospel. Herein lies possibly the only safety net available to people who exercise power – ensure that the exercise of your power is for the benefit of others and not yourself. Selflessness is the only safeguard against abuse.

Jesus’ life is full of examples of how He sees Himself as the servant of all rather than the one to be served. It would have been very easy for Him to develop a sense of self-importance that would have meant the death of the Gospel, but He did not. Jesus’ generosity as expressed in His willingness to die on the cross, the most selfless act the world has and ever will witness, comes precisely out of His infinite love for us all. Jesus is willing to forsake any thought of self-preservation in order to put our salvation before His own comfort.

We live in a world that does not really understand such an attitude of heart. It is up to us as disciples of Jesus to open our lives to the grace of the Holy Spirit so that we too can become witnesses to the same truth of Jesus’ life. In fact, the development of selflessness in our lives is essential to our being true disciples of Jesus.

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: What are your attitudes to power? How do you exercise power in your life?

 

Holy Spirit, help me to see the gifts and the power that I exercise in my life as gifts from God. May I use them faithfully for the building of His Kingdom on earth.

GOSPEL READING TODAY (Dec. 10, 2012) - LUKE 5:17-26

Pinagaling ang Isang Paralitiko

               17 Minsan, habang si Jesus ay nagtuturo, may mga Pariseo at mga tagapagturo ng Kautusan na nakaupo sa di-kalayuan. Sila'y galing sa lahat ng bayan ng Galilea at Judea, at sa Jerusalem. Nasa kanya ang kapangyarihan ng Panginoon upang siya'y magpagaling ng mga maysakit. 18 Dumating ang ilang lalaking may dalang isang paralitiko na nakaratay sa higaan. Nagpipilit silang makapasok sa bahay upang mailagay ang maysakit sa harapan ni Jesus. 19 Wala silang madaanan dahil sa dami ng tao, kaya't umakyat sila sa bubungan, binakbak ito at ibinaba sa harapan ni Jesus ang paralitikong nasa higaan. 20 Nang makita ni Jesus ang kanilang pananampalataya, sinabi niya sa paralitiko, "Kaibigan, pinapatawad ka na sa iyong mga kasalanan."
               21 Pagkarinig nito'y nag-usap-usap ang mga tagapagturo ng Kautusan at mga Pariseo, "Sino itong nagsasalita ng kalapastanganan sa Diyos? Hindi ba't Diyos lamang ang makakapagpatawad ng mga kasalanan?"
               22 Palibhasa'y alam ni Jesus ang kanilang pag-uusap, sinabi niya sa kanila, "Bakit kayo nag-iisip nang ganyan? 23 Alin ba ang mas madaling sabihin, 'Pinapatawad ka na sa iyong mga kasalanan,' o 'Tumayo ka at lumakad'? 24 Ngunit upang malaman ninyo na ang Anak ng Tao ay may kapangyarihang magpatawad ng mga kasalanan dito sa lupa..." sinabi niya sa paralitiko, "Tumayo ka, buhatin mo ang iyong higaan, at umuwi ka na!" 25 Agad namang tumayo ang lalaki, at sa harap ng lahat ay binuhat niya ang kanyang higaan at umuwing nagpupuri sa Diyos. 26 Nanggilalas ang mga naroroon at nagpuri sila sa Diyos. Sila'y namangha at nagsabi, "Kahanga-hanga ang mga bagay na nasaksihan natin ngayon!"

GOSPEL READING TODAY - Luke 1:26-38 (Announcement of the Birth of Jesus)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlpG0NqkL5o

Announcement of the Birth of Jesus

26	In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,
27	to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
28	And he came to her and said, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!"
29	But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be.
30	And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
31	And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.
32	He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,
33	and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end."
34	And Mary said to the angel, "How shall this be, since I have no husband?"
35	And the angel said to her, "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.
36	And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.
37	For with God nothing will be impossible."
38	And Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

GOSPEL READING TODAY - THE HEALING OF TWO BLIND MEN

  
Matthew 9:27-31

27And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed [him], crying out, “Son of David, have pity on us!” 28When 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. 29Then he touched their eyes and said, “Let it be done for you according to your faith.” 30And their eyes were opened. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” 31But they went out and spread word of him through all that land.

Reflection

Jesus asked them, “Do you believe that I can [heal] you?” ~ v. 28

Belief in Jesus is basically a commitment to accept Jesus for what he claimed to be: the Son of God. “Until one is committed, there is hesitancy” says Scottish mountaineer and writer W. H. Murray. “The moment one definitely commits oneself, even Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur … which no one could have dreamt would have come his way.”

To what extent have I committed myself irrevocably to Jesus Christ? Can I put my finger on one thing “which no one could have dreamt” that can be traced to my commitment to Jesus Christ?

“It is love that makes faith, not faith love.” ~ Saint John Henry Newman

Reflection Credits: Mark Link, SJ, Daily Homilies, slightly adapted

THE POWER OF INSIGHT - By: Fr. Joel Jason

I will never forget the first time I flew in an airplane. It was a trip to Cebu and the plane I took was a small one. I was nervous because of the inclement weather. The sky was dark and the clouds were thick. As the plane took off, it began to rain hard. To calm my anxiety, I took out my rosary and started praying. Then I noticed the flight attendant who was seated facing me. She looked very calm. She even smiled at me when our eyes met. I said to myself, “Is there something she knows that I do not know?” All I could see was darkness and heavy rain and there she was, all smiles and a picture of perfect peace and serenity. The plane began to pick up altitude. Up ahead I saw a thick mass of dark cloud. I started fingering my rosary a little faster. And then it happened. After passing through a thick black cloud, my eyes were greeted by bright rays of sunshine. I couldn’t believe it – behind the cloudy skies was a welcome burst of daylight! While all I could see were the clouds and the darkness, the flight attendant could see the sunshine behind it all. In today’s Gospel (Matthew 9:27-31), Jesus restores the sight of two blind men. There seems to be nothing ordinary with those men, except when they began speaking. When they called out, they addressed Jesus as “Son of David” and “Lord.” These are “messianic” titles every Jew anticipates of the coming Messiah. The religious leaders of Jesus’ time saw Him, but they did not see Him as the “Son of David” or “Messiah,” or maybe they refused to. The blind men, on the contrary, did. This goes to show that while they did not have sight, they had insight into who Jesus is. On my first plane ride, sight sowed fear in my heart as I saw nothing but darkness and clouds. Insight born out of experience gave peace and serenity to that flight attendant. Sight robbed me of the opportunity to enjoy my first plane ride. Insight gave the flight attendant a ready smile and sunny disposition.    REFLECTION QUESTION: Give a thorn to an insightful man and he will see roses. Give him sand and he will find sea. How about you?   Lord Jesus, grant me the grace of insight more than sight, that I may see the world in a different light. Amen.

Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top

THE POWER OF WORDS

A group of frogs was traveling through the woods, and two of them fell into a deep pit. All the other frogs gathered around the pit to see what could be done to help their companions.

When they saw how deep the pit was, they told the unfortunate frogs they would never get out.

The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit. The other frogs kept telling them to stop, that they were as good as dead.

Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were saying and simply gave up. Spent and disheartened, he quietly resolved himself to his fate, lay down at the bottom of the pit, and died as the others looked on in helpless grief.

The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could.

Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and suffering and just die. He jumped even harder and finally made it out.

When he got out, the other frogs asked him, “Why did you continue jumping? Didn’t you hear us?”

Reading their lips, the astonished frog explained to them that he was deaf, and that when he saw their gestures and shouting, he thought they were cheering him on. What he had perceived as encouragement inspired him to try harder and to succeed against all odds.

This story teaches two lessons:

1. There is power of life and death in the tongue. An encouraging word to someone who is down can lift them up and help them make it through the day.

2. A destructive word to someone who is down can be what it takes to kill them. Be careful of what you say. Speak life to those who cross your path.

I STILL KNOW WHO SHE IS

It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80s arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He said he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00.

I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would be able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch and decided since I wasn’t busy with

another patient, I would evaluate his wound. On examining it I saw it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors and got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound.

While taking care of his wound, I asked him if he had another doctor's appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry. The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife.

I inquired as to her health. He told me that she had been there for a while! As she is a victim of Alzheimer's disease.

As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late. He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now.

I was surprised and asked him, 'And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?'

He smiled as he patted my hand and said, 'She doesn't know me but I still know who she is.'

I had to hold back tears as he left, I had goose bumps on my arm and thought,
'That is the kind of love I want in my life.

True love is neither physical nor romantic'.
True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be.

THE CARPENTER and the BRIDGE

Once upon a time, two brothers who lived on adjoining farms fell into conflict. It was the first serious rift in 40 years of farming side-by-side, sharing machinery and trading labor and goods as needed without a hitch.

Then the long collaboration fell apart. It began with a small misunderstanding and it grew into a major difference and finally, it exploded into an e

xchange of bitter words followed by weeks of silence.

One morning there was a knock on John's door. He opened it to find a man with a carpenter's toolbox. "I 'm looking for a few days' work," he said. "Perhaps you would have a few small jobs here and there I could help with? Could I help you?"

"Yes," said the older brother. "I do have a job for you. Look across the creek at that farm. That's my neighbor. In fact, it's my younger brother! Last week there was a meadow between us. He recently took his bulldozer to the river levee and now there is a creek between us. Well, he may have done this to spite me, but I'll do him one better. See that pile of lumber by the barn? I want you to build me a fence an 8-foot fence -- so I won't need to see his place or his face anymore."

The carpenter said, "I think I understand the situation. Show me the nails and the post-hole digger and I'll be able to do a job that pleases you."

The older brother had to go to town, so he helped the carpenter get the materials ready and then he was off for the day. The carpenter worked hard all that day -- measuring, sawing and nailing. About sunset when the farmer returned, the carpenter had just finished his job.

The farmer's eyes opened wide, his jaw dropped. There was no fence there at all.

It was a bridge .. A bridge that stretched from one side of the creek to the other! A fine piece of work, handrails and all! And the neighbor, his younger brother, was coming toward them, his hand outstretched..

"You are quite a fellow to build this bridge after all I've said and done."

The two brothers stood at each end of the bridge, and then they met in middle, taking each other's hand. They turned to see the carpenter hoist his toolbox onto his shoulder.

"No, wait! Stay a few days. I've a lot of other projects for you," said the older brother.
"I'd love to stay on," the carpenter said, "but I have many more bridges to build."

Remember This...
God won't ask what kind of car you drove, but He'll ask how many people you helped get where they needed to go.

God won't ask the square footage of your house, but He'll ask how many people you welcomed into your home.

God won't ask about the clothes you had in your closet, but He'll ask how many you helped to clothe.

God won't ask how many friends you had, but He'll ask how many people to whom you were a friend.

God won't ask in what neighborhood you lived, but He'll ask how you treated your neighbors.

God won't ask about the color of your skin, but He'll ask about the content of your character.

God won't ask why it took you so long to seek Salvation, but He'll lovingly take you to your mansion in Heaven, and not to the gates of hell.

PARASITE OR PELICAN - By: Fr. Joel Jason

It was the morning after Christmas and two boys were conversing about the gifts they received on Christmas day. The first one proudly announced, “As Christmas gift, my big brother gave me a bicycle.” Amazed, the second  boy wondered aloud, “Wow, how I wish…” “That you got a bicycle too?” the first one interrupted. “No,” he continued, “how I wish I could give a bicycle to my brother, too.”

A pelican is a species of a bird that is known to be a self-sacrificing animal. Mythic stories abound that with their long pointed bills, they would wound their breasts and feed their young with their own blood until they die of blood loss. (How different it is today when it is the young who lose their blood for the sake of the mothers in the name of “choice.” I believe the pro-choice philosophy can learn a lot from the pelican).

This is the reason why the early Christians associated the pelican with the symbol of Christ Himself (a big capital P with a cross at the base), whose self-emptying sacrifice won for humanity the fullness of life.

In today’s Gospel Jesus teaches the multitude, then feeds them by the miraculous multiplication of the loaves. This prefigures the ultimate self-giving that Jesus will make of Himself – “this is my body…this is my blood” for the salvation of humanity. Jesus is the divine pelican who feeds the young with His very self, which is what we commemorate at every Eucharistic celebration. Ironically, the people of Jesus’ time acted more like parasites, following Jesus wherever He went, not because of His teaching but because of a free meal, prompting Jesus to confront them saying, “I tell you truly, you are looking for Me not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the bread and had your fill” (John 6:25).

As we draw nearer to the Christmas mystery, what part of you becomes more operative – the parasite or the pelican? May we all summon the pelican in us and allow it to soar and bring us all up to the heavenly heights. 

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: If you were to complete the sentence, “Wow, how I wish…” what would it be? That “I received a bicycle” or “that I can give a bicycle”?

GOSPEL READING TODAY - Matthew 15:29-37 - Healing of many people; Feeding of the 4,000

29 At that time: Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, went up on the mountain, and sat down there. 30 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. 31 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. 32 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.” 33 The disciples said to him, “Where could we ever get enough bread in this deserted place to satisfy such a crowd?” 34 Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” “Seven,” they replied, “and a few fish.” 35 He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground. 36 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. 37 They all ate and were satisfied. They picked up the fragments left over — seven baskets full.

Reflection

“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.” ~ v. 30

The late columnist Ann Landers gave advice to people for over 30 years. One day an interviewer asked her, “What question are you asked most?” Ann said it was a very simple question, “What’s the matter with me? Why am I lonely?” When asked what answer she gave to this question, Ann said, “Get involved! Do something for other people. The people who need help are all about you. Everywhere you look you see them.”

The advice of Ann Landers and the example of Jesus in the Gospel invite me to ask: Who is one person whom I could help?

“Self sacrifice is never entirely unselfish, for the giver never fails to receive.” ~ Dolores McGuire

Reflection Credits: Fr. Mark Link, SJ, Daily Homilies, slightly adapted

Prayer Response

Lord Jesus, look on us with the same mercy you had for the sick and hungry. Thank you! Teach us also to share our blessings to those around us.

GOSPEL READING TODAY: HEALING AT CAPERNAUM - Matthew 8:5-11

5 When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him and appealed to him, 6 saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.” 7 He said to him, “I will come and cure him.” 8 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. 9 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.” 10 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. 11 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.”

TODAY’S

BLESSING

LIST

THE HOUSE OF THE LORD - By:Fr. Joel Jason

A parishioner who had an attitude approached her pastor and said, “Father, I want to go on a pilgrimage and climb to the top of Mt. Sinai. I’m sure God will be pleased to have me visit the place where He gave the Ten Commandments.”

The pastor replied, “Frankly, I think He will be more pleased when you begin obeying the Ten commandments.”

Sometimes we have this simplistic notion that if I go to a holy site, I become automatically holy by osmosis. Not necessarily. A person’s sanctity is not determined by one’s presence in a holy place. A person’s sanctity is determined by his capacity to make a place holy.

The antiphon of today’s Psalm proclaims: “I rejoiced when I heard them say: let us go to the house of the Lord.” The house of the Lord goes beyond the confines of the walls of Jerusalem. The house of the Lord is where people gather and celebrate and create the Shalom (peace) of God. The psalmist proclaims: “May peace reign in your walls, in your palaces peace.” He who brings peace, builds the house of the Lord. He who keeps peace sustains the house of the Lord. This peace is not simply the absence of conflict. This peace is the fruit of a life lived in observance of God’s life-giving law.

Are you sad that you’re not financially blessed to visit the Lord’s house in Jerusalem? Why not make your own home an experience of the house of the Lord? Make peace, keep peace and work for peace, then you will always be in the house of the Lord! 

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Is your idea of sanctity geographical? Is your awareness of God’s presence confined to a place, a time or an activity?

 

“Where can I run from Your love? If I climb to the heavens You are there. If I fly to the sunrise or sail beyond the sea, still I find You there. Amen!”

Liturgy for the First Sunday of Advent (First Week of Advent)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjEyInT3i14&feature=sharehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjEyInT3i14&feature=share

Life is a Coffee

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor.

Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.

Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some... expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said:

"If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.

Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink.

What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other's cups.

Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of Life we live.

Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us."

God brews the coffee, not the cups.......... Enjoy your coffee!

"The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything."

GOSPEL READING TODAY (Dec. 2, 2012) - Luke 21:25-28, 34-36

Mga Tanda ng Pagbabalik ng Anak ng Tao

 25  "Magkakaroon ng mga palatandaan sa araw, sa buwan, at sa mga bituin. Sa lupa, ang mga bansa ay masisindak at malilito dahil sa ugong at mga daluyong ng dagat. 26 Ang mga tao'y hihimatayin sa takot dahil sa pag-iisip sa mga kapahamakang darating sa sanlibutan sapagkat mayayanig ang mga kapangyarihan sa langit. 27 Sa panahong iyon, makikita nila ang Anak ng Taong dumarating na nasa alapaap, at may kapangyarihan at dakilang karangalan. 28 Kapag nagsimula nang mangyari ang mga ito, magalak kayo sapagkat malapit na ang inyong katubusan." 34 "Ang katakawan, paglalasing at kabalisahan sa buhay na ito ay alisin ninyo sa inyong isip. Mag-ingat kayo at baka bigla kayong abutan ng Araw na iyon 35 na tulad ng isang bitag. Sapagkat darating ang Araw na iyon sa lahat ng tao. 36 Kaya't maging handa kayo sa lahat ng oras. Lagi ninyong idalangin na magkaroon kayo ng kalakasan upang makaligtas sa lahat ng mangyayaring ito, at makaharap kayo sa Anak ng Tao."

REFLECTION

[Jesus said,] “Be careful … Be on watch and pray.” ~ v. 34, 36

Farmers hope for lots of rain right after they plant their corn. Once it sprouts and gets a good start, they hope for a “dry period.” The reason is to force the corn’s roots to grow downward in search of water, rather than stay on the surface. Unless the tap root of the corn grows downward to the “water level,” the corn will wither and die when the heat of summer sets in – it will have no way to draw up water.

Our prayer life is like that. God usually gives us a good start. Then God lets a “dry period” set in to force our prayer roots to grow downward to the faith level, rather than stay on the surface at the feeling level.

Why must prayer be primarily an exercise of faith rather than feeling?

Reflection Credits: Fr. Mark Link, SJ, Daily Homilies

THE END IS THE BEGINNING - By: Fr. Joel Jason

Today is the last day prior to a new liturgical year. Tomorrow is the start of the Church’s calendar, the 1st Sunday of Advent. It is the New Year’s eve in the Church calendar.

The readings of the past weeks and days have had an apocalyptic flavor. They warn of the End Times. They speak of readiness for the coming of the end.

This might be puzzling especially when we know that with the Advent season, we prepare for the beginning, the coming birth of the Messiah. The reason is this — the beginning is useless without keeping the end in mind. Our excitement and anticipation to accept Christ’s birth will mean nothing unless we are ready to accept Him as Just Judge of the End Times.

Let us remember that we celebrate Christmas not only because we will be having a cute baby to adore and cuddle. This is the role of the Advent season. Advent will prepare our hearts to realize that the “cute” baby in the manger of Jerusalem will soon become an adult that will bring “fire on the earth.” Unless we prepare ourselves to be disturbed from our complacency in sin and mediocrity, Christmas will be nothing but a sentimental and emotional holiday. 

REFLECTION QUESTION:  

As Advent approaches, where do your thoughts and desires focus on?

GOSPEL READING TODAY

Luke 21:34-36

 

34 Jesus said to his disciples: “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise 35 like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. 36 Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.”

 

Reflection

Today is the eve of Advent. The spirit of Christmas is upon us once again, and the revelry in the air is all the more telling of an economy in the upswing, with lavish spending evident in all the malls and jam-packed restaurants all over the land. Surely it is during this season of “carousing and drunkenness” when we must pause and reflect on the message of our Lord in today’s Gospel. It is also the time to be vigilant. Isn’t it strange that on the eve of Christianity’s greatest celebration, such foreboding message should come from the Celebrant Himself? As He warned in another Gospel passage: “… in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away.” (Mt.24:38-39) That is how it will be in His Second Coming. So, to be “vigilant at all times . . . and have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent. . .” 

 

Father God, on this eve of Advent, please let Your Holy Spirit keep us vigilant and prayerful, well prepared for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ, for it is during times of celebration that we become complacent and vulnerable to the temptation of the evil one. Help us, Father, to be ready for His coming. Amen.