New Year's Eve

Only in the Eucharist

It is New Year's Eve. 

Do you want to look back or forward?

It all depends. 

Where have you been and where are you going?

On New Year's Eve we straddle the past and the future. 

Memories become mixed with dreams. 

Tears with Hope. 

Laughter with Sighs. 

The faces of those we have known come to mind while we wait to meet those yet to come. 

And as the years go by and time moves on we look back tonight. 

 We see the mistakes we have made, the wounds we have caused and the hearts that We have broken. 

We see The people we have overlooked and failed to reach out to. 

We see friends with whom we grew up,  people We have met.  

We see the people who have loved us and whom We have loved

We see all of these people and many are here but most are gone, moved on and 

somewhere else in life or no longer in this world. 

How can we go back and say we are sorry?

How can we show how grateful we are? 

How can we say we love them? 

How do we let them know?

Only In the Eucharist!

Only in the Eucharist can we go back. 

For In the Eucharist there is no time or space. 

The past and the present and the future are all here together in one heavenly moment!

Only in the Eucharist can we go back and say we are sorry for the things we have 

done and the people we have hurt.

Only in the Eucharist can we reach out to those we overlooked and did not notice who 

were hungry and lonely and lost. 

Only in the Eucharist can we say I love you to all those who are no longer around or 

have gone before us. 

 For only the Eucharist can bring together all those whom time and distance and the 

years have separated. 

Only in the Eucharist can we reach out and go back and make peace and share love 

with all those people whom we have embraced, touched, rubbed elbows, cried and hurt and loved.

And only in the Eucharist can we go forward with Hope for a better year. 

With Hope that Love is stronger than death and that it is truly Love and Love alone that causes the human heart to beat.  

For in the Eucharist Hope, Love, Peace, and Forgiveness becomes flesh and dwells among us. 

It is only in the Eucharist that the past can be healed, we can live in peace today 

 and have hope for tomorrow. 

December 30

Anna the Prophetess Lk.  2:36-40

Anna never left the Temple, 

but stayed there worshipping day and night, fasting and praying. 

And because she did;

She was there when Mary and Joseph Presented Jesus in the Temple. 

Every parish needs an Anna. 

Someone who is always in Church;

Keeping the doors unlocked. 

Praying day and night. 

Keeping the Flame of Faith burning. 

For they are the living Flame of Faith

Like the Tabernacle Candle 

Always present before the Lord. 

December 29

St. Thomas Becket

Thomas was the Archbishop of Canterbury and martyred on this day in 1170 

in the Cathedral in Canterbury England by henchmen from King Henry. 

Who wanted to silence Thomas. 

While We may not have to defend our Faith by shedding our blood;

We may  have to defend the Faith,

Against a society and government that wants us 

to compromise our Faith and 

what we believe and how we practice it. 

For many would prefer us to put our Faith under a bushel basket and never speak of it. 

And so like Thomas Becket sometimes we too must stand up for our Faith. 

For While we may not be martyred for the Faith like Thomas a Becket

We may most certainly experience rejection and ridicule for it. 

The Holy Family

 The Holy Family

Do we ever treat our friends better than we treat our family?

Why is that?

Because We choose our friends but we do not choose our family. 

We are born into a family. 

Maybe the only child;

Or the oldest or the middle or the baby. 

Maybe we have a mom and a dad

Or just one or the other. 

Those are a lot of relationships to deal with. 

All under the same roof for 18yrs or more. 

So family can take a lot of work. 

And those who put in the work of building a family will reap its rewards. 

What makes a family Holy?

It is not money. 

Mary and Joseph were so poor there was no room in the Inn

It is not being popular;

They had to flee for their lives to Egypt. 

It is not even always understanding each other,

As Jospeh was ready to divorce Mary;

And Mary could not understand why Jesus got lost in the Temple. 

And Jesus did not know what Mary and Joseph were all upset about when they found Him. 

What makes a family a Holy Family is…

Compassion when one is suffering;

Kindness when one is down;

Humility when the other is right. 

Patience when times get rough 

Gentleness when another is broken;

Bearing with others when they get on your nerves;

Forgiving another after being hurt. 

And above all Loving one another.

This is what makes a Holy Family. 

No family is perfect;

But every Family can be Holy

Feast of St. Stephen Dec 26

Being First

Everyone loves being first. 

First in line. 

First to be chosen,

And First to choose. 

Except when it comes to Martyrdom. 

Very few people race to the front of the line to be stoned, crucified, or beheaded. 

But Stephen did.

He is the first martyr. 

The first to die for Christ. 

As he was dragged outside of Jerusalem 

And stoned. 

We may not be called to lay down our lives,

But we can be martyrs of a different kind. 

We can be the first to forgive. 

The first to apologize. 

The first not to gossip. 

The first to lay down the phone or turn off the TV in order to pray. 

These kind of firsts are not always easy. 

But then again Martyrdom never is. 

Christmas

 Just Jesus

At the first Christmas, there were no lights or Christmas trees

There was no shopping and no big family get-togethers

There was not even room at the Inn. 

There was just Jesus!

And when the shepherds and Wise Men came. 

There was no king sitting on a throne dressed in royal robes. 

Just Jesus!

Lying in a manger wrapped in swaddling clothes. 

If your Christmas,

Is all about lights and decorations 

Presents and treats. 

Then it will be just another Christmas 

Nice for a day

But forgotten when the tree comes down 

The treats are gone

And The presents put away. 

If you want Christmas to be truly special

Find some quiet time

just with Jesus

For If you have Just Jesus this Christmas, you’ll have everything

December 24

Christmas Eve

Tonight the Word will become flesh and dwell among us. 

Tonight the Virgin Mary will give birth to a Son.

Tonight we are all innkeepers. 

Will there be room in our hearts?

Tonight we are all angels. 

Will we proclaim Peace on Earth and good will to all?

Tonight we are all shepherds,

Will we hasten to see the Lord?

Tonight we are all Wise Men,

Will we come to adore Him?

Tonight the Christ Child reminds us

That we are all children of God!

Will we see each other as brothers and sisters in the Lord?

December 23

O Emmanuel, Come!

O Come, O come Emmanuel 

And ransom captive Israel.

That mourns in lonely exile,

Until the Son of God appears. 

From slavery in Egypt to Exile in Babylon. 

Israel always seemed to be wandering;

Trying to find its way to the Promised Land

Or back to it. 

We are all Prodigal children. 

Who think they I know what they want and where they are going

Only to be disappointed and disillusioned in the end. 

Trying to find our way back home. 

Held captive by our passions and desires. 

Only when the Son of God can ransom us from sin and death

By His cross;

And only when the Son of God appears again in all of His glory,

Will we find our way home,

Dec. 22

O Desire of Nations Come!

O come Desire of Nations,

Bind in one the hearts of all mankind. 

Make all our sad divisions cease

And be for us the King of Peace. 

History is littered with one war after another. 

Promising to be the war to end all wars. 

One Revolution after another. 

Promising to bring Peace and equality to all. 

And they never do. 

They always fall short 

And they seem to only plant the seed for another war or revolution. 

There is only One who can unite the hearts of all men. 

Who can make our sad divisions cease. 

And only when we acknowledge Him. 

THEN there Will there be Peace on Earth. 

4th Sunday of Advent

What am I?  

St Paul called himself a “Slave of Christ Jesus.” Rom.1:1

What does that mean?

It means he does whatever Jesus wants. 

His mission is to serve Jesus and be at His disposal for whatever and whenever Jesus wants. 

Mary called herself the “Handmaid of the Lord.” Lk. 1:38

What does that mean ?

It means that she seeks to serve only the Lord. 

Her mission is to let it be done to her according to His word. 

Joseph was the Husband of Mary and the father of Jesus. Mt. 1:24

What does that mean ?

It means that he places the needs of Mary and Jesus above his own. 

His mission is to do as the angel commanded him and take Mary into his home.  

St. Francis of Assisi called himself “The Troubadour of the Great King.”

It means that he wrote songs and poems about God. 

His mission was to sing the Praises of God through Brother Sun and Sister Moon. 

Reflecting on the lives of Paul and Mary and Joseph and Francis. 

We must ask ourselves. 

What am I?

When the Lord comes,

He will ask us, “Who are you?”

What will we say?

Dec. 20

O Key of David Come!

O Come, Thou Key of David, Come!

And open wide our heavenly home. 

Make safe the way that leads on high,

And close the path to misery. 

What is the Key to Happiness?

Many claim to possess it. 

And when people try to open it with the key

It remains closed. 

Because it was not the True Key. 

The True Key to Happiness is in the hands of David’s Son. 

And those sheep who follow the Good Shepherd,

Will be led to Gate

That only Jesus can open

And they will find Green Pastures and Life and Happiness 

For ever and ever!

Dec. 19 O Root of Jesse Come!

O Come thou root of Jesse come,

from every foe deliver them;

That trust Thy mighty power to save. 

And give them victory over the grave. 

The Egyptians; the Philistines, the Assyrians,

The Babylonians, the Romans, the Nazis. 

It seems that Israel was always under attack;

And God sent them prophets 

To tell them that He would deliver them;

And He always did. 

Whenever we are under attack

From outside or from within. 

From others or from ourself. 

Trust in God’s mighty power to save

And give us victory even over the grave. 

The O Antiphons

     The O Antiphons are a series of seven short sentences that are recited at Evening Prayer beginning on December 17 until Christmas. They are most commonly found in the hymn,

O Come, O Come Emmanuel.  They have been used in the Catholic Church since before the 4th century.  Each Antiphon begins with a title for Jesus drawn from the book of the Prophet Isaiah. 

Advent is a time of waiting for the Messiah and the O Antiphons focus our Attention and Expectation for His Coming. 

Each antiphon begins with the word COME.  

They seek to stir up our longing and excitement for the one who will come to save us. 

And everyone needs saving. 

Saving from one thing or another;

Saving from sin;

Saving from death;

Saving from violence or war;

Saving from Poverty and Illness;

Saving from fear or anxiety;

Saving from sorrow and sadness;

Saving from addictions;

Saving from division in our families and society. 

And so we pray with longing, with desire, with hearts aching to be saved. 

Come O Lord and set us free!

And with each O Antiphon, the Longing and Desire increases

Until they become a cry,

Come now!

Hurry!

Do not delay!

For we cannot wait much longer!

December 17 : O Wisdom

The first O Antiphon is of Wisdom

 O Come, Thou WISDOM from on high,

And order all things far and nigh;

To us the path of knowledge show,

And teach us in her ways to go.

Rejoice! Rejoice!

Emmanuel shall come to the O Israel. 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. Jn. 1:1

Jesus is the Word made flesh, spoken by the Father. 

Jesus is the Wisdom of God Who orders all things;

Who sets all things on the path to Salvation. 

May every word, we speak be Wise,

That leads others to Salvation, Hope and Peace