We celebrate a new month and anticipate new beginnings as days grow shorter.
The few hours of day-light ebb to their lowest point in the middle of this month.
What seems to be cold, dark and empty is actually part of the transformation of this season.
What seems to be ending is actually preparation for a new beginning.
Perhaps this is why we experience celebrations of light this month.
If we study biblical history against the findings of other historians of yore, we see that God has a perfect plan to place ‘light upon light’ so there would never be eternal darkness.
The Hebrew people began to celebrate the miracle of light when a day’s worth of lamp oil stretched into the full eight days needed to process oil from from olives. The lamp of perpetual light in the Temple never went out.
At this same, darkest, time of year, God chose to send his son, to be born of a virgin. His life, death and resurrection enabled all who believe that Mary bore the son of God to “see the Light” and never know the deep, dark, pain of death.
The “light of Christ” entered the world of darkness and continues to be our ‘Perpetual Light’ to this day. “. . . God from God, Light from Light . . . begotten, not made, of one being with the Father, through Him all things were made . . . “
We who believe in the saving grace of God’s son, Jesus Christ, celebrate the Light the pierced the darkness of this sin-filled world.
His work is continuous, active, never ending, eternal and revealing to all who choose to see.
His work is continuous, active, never ending, eternal and revealing to all who choose to see.
This annual pageant begins anew each December and reveals new beginnings in the lives of those who choose to let God’s perfect presence into our soul.
May this month’s words of wisdom light up our soul and fill us with joyous anticipation of new birth in Jesus Christ.
December 1, 2018
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Now the earth was without shape and empty, and darkness was over the surface of the watery deep, but the Sprit of God was moving over the surface of the water.
God said, 'Let there be light.' and there was light!
God saw that the light was good, so God separated the light from the darkness.
God called the light 'day' and the darkness 'night.'
There was evening, and there was morning, marking the first day." Genesis 1:1-5
12-2 First Sunday of Advent [Hope]
"Now, may our God be our hope. He Who made all things is better than all things. He Who made all beautiful things is more beautiful than all of them. He Who made all mighty things is more mighty than all of them. He Who made all great things is greater than all of them. Learn to love the Creator in His creature, and the maker in what He has made.” Saint Augustine
"Now, may our God be our hope. He Who made all things is better than all things. He Who made all beautiful things is more beautiful than all of them. He Who made all mighty things is more mighty than all of them. He Who made all great things is greater than all of them. Learn to love the Creator in His creature, and the maker in what He has made.” Saint Augustine
12-3 "God writes his name on the soul of every man.” Fulton Sheen
12-10 "Therefore, when God gives spiritual comfort, receive it with thanksgiving, but know that it is the bounty of God, not thy merit.
12-13 "By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.” Hebrews 11:3
12-4 "Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch
cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:4-5
12-5 "Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth—in a word, to know himself—so that, by knowing and loving God, men and women may also come to the fullness of truth about themselves.” Pope John Paul II
[Today we lay to rest President George Herbert Walker Bush who died on Friday. May he rest in peace and rise in glory.]
12-6 "[Jesus'] body was for Him not a limitation, but an instrument, so that He was both in it and in all things, and outside all things, resting in the Father above. At one and the same time - this is the wonder - as man He was a human life, and as Word He was sustaining the life of the universe, and as Son He was in constant union with the Father.” Athanasius of Alexandria
12-7 "No one can make excuses, because anyone can love God; and He does not ask the soul for more than to love Him, because He loves the soul, and it is His love.” Angela of Foligno
continued from Mary’s inception.
12-8 “Hail, FULL OF GRACE, the Lord is with you,” said the Archangel Gabriel to Mary, daughter of Ann and Joachim.
Hail, KA-HARI-TOMANI, means having already been filled with grace, currently filled with grace and forever filled with grace.
It’s not only a ‘continuous active verb but it began and
12-9 2 Advent [Faith] "Faith and love are like the blind man’s guides. They will lead you along a path unknown to you, to the place where God is hidden.” John of the Cross
"For through the Spirit, by faith, we eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus . . . the only thing that counts is faith working through love.” Galatians 5:5-6
Be not puffed up, be not overjoyed, nor vainly presume, but rather be the more humble for this gift and the more cautious and fearful in all thine actions; for this hour will pass away and temptation will follow.
When comfort shall be taken away from thee, do not presently despair; but wait with humility and patience for the heavenly visit, for God is able to restore thee a greater consolation.
This is no new thing, nor strange to those who have experienced the ways of God: for the great saints and ancient prophets have often felt this kind of variety.”
Thomas à Kempis, Imitation of Christ
12-11 "Those who love me, I will deliver; I will protect those who know my name. When they call to me, I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble, I will rescue them and honor them.” Psalm 91:14-15
12-12 "The goodness of God is the highest object of prayer, and it reaches down to our lowest need. It quickens our soul and gives it life, and makes it grow in grace and virtue.” Julian of Norwich
12:14 "We have been called to heal wounds, to unite what has fallen apart, and to bring home those who have lost their way." Francis of Assisi
12-15 "Three things are necessary for the salvation of man: to know what he ought to believe; to know what he ought to desire; and to know what he ought to do.” Thomas Aquinas
Later that evening, the two men, backed by the choir, stood in front of the main altar in St. Nicholas Church and sang "Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!"
Valley, similar to the Trapp Family Singers of "The Sound of Music" fame, incorporated the song into their repertoire. According to the Leipziger Tageblatt, the Strassers sang the song in a concert in Leipzig in December 1832. It was during this period, several musical notes were changed, and the carol evolved into the melody we know today.
12-27 This year we celebrate the 200 year anniversary of Silent Night.
Almost 100 years after the song’s composition, war once again ravaged Europe, but at midnight on Christmas Eve 1914, the guns fell silent.
12-16 3 Advent [Joy] “Rejoice [gaudatte!] in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let all men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:4-7 [The Third Sunday of Advent is called Gaudete (Rejoice) Sunday. Advent is a penitential season of abstinence, sacrifice, and prayer in order to prepare our souls for the advent or coming of the Lord. On Gaudete Sunday we celebrate that our hopeful anticipation for the coming of Christ at Christmas is almost over. Rose is the liturgical color used to signify joy, therefore we light the rose Advent candle on the third Sunday of Advent and the priests wear rose vestments.]
12-17 “Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be known* in all the earth. Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.” Isaiah 12: 5-6
"Augustine drew out the meaning of the manger using an idea that at first seems almost shocking, but on closer examination contains a profound truth. The manger is the place where animals find their food.
Thus the manger becomes a reference to the table of God, to which we are invited so as to receive the bread of God. From the poverty of Jesus’ birth emerges the miracle in which man’s redemption is mysteriously accomplished.” Pope Benedict XVI
12-18 "We should recall that no man is an island, entire of itself. Our lives are involved with one another, through innumerable interactions they are linked together. No one lives alone. No one sins alone. No one is saved alone. The lives of others continually spill over into mine: in what I
think, say, and do, and achieve. And conversely, my life spills over into that of others: for better or for worse. So my prayer for another is not something extraneous to that person, something external, not even after death.” Pope Benedict XVI
12-24 “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.’” John 8:12
12-19 “Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been borne by me from your birth, carried from the womb; even to your old age I am he, even when you turn gray I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save.” Isaiah 46:3-4
12-20 After I enter the chapel I place myself in the presence of God and I say to him, “Lord, here I am; give me whatever you wish.”
If he gives me something, then I am happy and I thank him.
If he does not give me anything, then I thank him nonetheless, knowing, as I do, that I deserve nothing. Then I begin to tell him of all that concerns me, my joys, my thoughts, my distress, and finally, I listen to him. Catherine Labouré
12-21 "Others, again, seeing their own imperfections,
become angry with themselves with an impatience that is not humble.
They are so impatient with their shortcomings as if they would be saints in one day.
There is no perfect remedy for this but in the dark night. There are, however, some people who are so patient, and who advance so slowly in their spiritual progress, that God wishes they were not so patient." John of the Cross
[The darkest days, laid out by God, are a perfect setting for the 'new Light' who is to come into the world to pierce that darkness.]
If he gives me something, then I am happy and I thank him.
If he does not give me anything, then I thank him nonetheless, knowing, as I do, that I deserve nothing. Then I begin to tell him of all that concerns me, my joys, my thoughts, my distress, and finally, I listen to him. Catherine Labouré
12-21 "Others, again, seeing their own imperfections,become angry with themselves with an impatience that is not humble.
They are so impatient with their shortcomings as if they would be saints in one day.
Many of these make many grand resolutions, but, being self-confident and not humble, the more they resolve, the more they fall, and the more angry they become; not having the patience to wait for God’s time; this is also opposed to spiritual meekness.
[The darkest days, laid out by God, are a perfect setting for the 'new Light' who is to come into the world to pierce that darkness.]
12-22 "Our perfection does not consist of doing extraordinary things, but to do the ordinary well.” Gabriel Possenti
12-23 4 Advent [Peace] “The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:23-25 [Nazarite Blessing]
12-25 The Christ-Mass “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God . . . and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, the glory as a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.” John 1:1, 14
"If we approach with faith, we too will see Jesus ... for the Eucharistic table takes the place of the crib. Here the Body of the Lord is present, wrapped not in swaddling clothes but in the rays of the Holy Spirit." John Chrysostom
"Augustine drew out the meaning of the manger using an idea that at first seems almost shocking, but on closer examination contains a profound truth. The manger is the place where animals find their food.
But now, lying in the manger, is He who called himself the true bread come down from heaven, the true nourishment that we need in order to be fully ourselves.
This is the food that gives us true life, eternal life.
Thus the manger becomes a reference to the table of God, to which we are invited so as to receive the bread of God. From the poverty of Jesus’ birth emerges the miracle in which man’s redemption is mysteriously accomplished.” Pope Benedict XVI
12-26 The German words for the original six stanzas of the carol we know as "Silent Night" were written by Joseph Mohr in 1816, when he was a young priest.
On December 24, 1818 Joseph Mohr journeyed to the home of musician-schoolteacher, Franz Gruber, who lived in an apartment over the schoolhouse in nearby Arnsdorf.
He showed his friend the poem and asked him to add a melody and guitar accompaniment so that it could be sung at Midnight Mass.
Later that evening, the two men, backed by the choir, stood in front of the main altar in St. Nicholas Church and sang "Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!"
Karl Mauracher, a master organ builder and repairman from the Ziller Valley, traveled to Oberndorf to work on the organ, several times in subsequent years. While doing his work at St. Nicholas, he obtained a copy of the composition and took it home with him. Thus, the simple carol, began its journey around the world as a "Tyrolean Folk Song."
Two traveling families of folk singers from the Ziller
Two traveling families of folk singers from the Ziller
Almost 100 years after the song’s composition, war once again ravaged Europe, but at midnight on Christmas Eve 1914, the guns fell silent.
In Flanders, along the front, men could be heard on both sides singing Silent Night in their own languages. Those languages continue to multiply, with at least 140 translations bringing the simple and profound message around the world:
Christ the Savior is born.
Christ the Savior is born.
12-28 "The goodness of God is the highest object of prayer, and it reaches down to our lowest need.
It quickens our soul and gives it life, and makes it grow in grace and virtue.” Julian of Norwich
12-29 "It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night, to the
music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre. For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy.” Psalm 92:1-4
12-30 "And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority 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, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” Matthew 28:18-20
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, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” Matthew 28:18-20
12-31 EVE of New Year!
Today is the oldest you’ve ever been; yet the youngest you’ll ever be, so enjoy this day while it lasts.
“. . . forgetting what lies behind and looking forward to that which lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. . .” Philippians 3:13-14
Another year has passed all too quickly.
Memories - fond and sad - swirl about me as I pray that the Lord continue to guide me through the new year.
May the Word-made-flesh become more present in us as we seek words of encouragement and direction throughout the coming year.
NEW YEAR BLESSINGS!
