In itself, there is no harm in rejoicing even through a certain consumerism of the Christmas atmosphere, if we speak about the profound reasons why this holiday exists. Yet, as I said, many often overlook these reasons because we don’t find them where they should be. Then we are content to contemplate an absence, as if we put all the gift packages on one side, without ever opening them.
Try to think of it: John felt the Holy Spirit through the body of his mother Elisabeth who received it through Mary who was pregnant with Jesus. Truly, a chain reaction of love. God’s gifts, though a variety of charisms, are for everyone. When we answer with generosity to God who is daily visiting our life, we too can spend our life with lasting enthusiasm and bring Christ to a world which thirsts for love, for meaning and for joy. A vocation which is a call to immediate action, with no delay.
Dearest Mother Mary and Saint Joseph, pray for me that I may have the faith you both lived. When questions arise in my heart, help me to respond generously to God as you did. May I trust in all that God has spoken in imitation of each one of you. Jesus, I trust in You.
The “Year of St Joseph” ended this month on the feast day of the Immaculate Conception (December 8), but we keep our eyes fixed on the foster father of Jesus, Guardian of the Holy Family, given the approach of Christmas. We reflect on his increased mystical presence in the Church. It is remarkable that, in the private revelations about St Joseph, both in the apparitions of Our Lady, as to the mystic and devout saints, Heaven is calling for greater devotion by Catholics to the foster father of Jesus and chaste husband of the Mother of God.
“It is true that someone validly ordained can, for grave reasons, be discharged from the obligations and functions linked to ordination, or can be forbidden to exercise them; but he cannot become a layman again in the strict sense [cf Code of Canon Law, cann. 290-293; 1336 # 1 3, 5; 1338 # 2; Council of Trent DS 1774], because the character imprinted by ordination is for ever. The vocation and mission received on the day of his ordination mark him permanently.”
The following list of Holy Days of Obligation to be observed in the Diocese of Macau (Code of Canon Law c.1246) serves as a reminder to the faithful of their duties to attend Holy Mass on the said days:
The Church in Germanophone regions has the tradition of celebrating Rorate Mass during Advent. Rorate means “Drop down” in Latin, and is the first word of the Introit for Votive Mass to Our Lady during Advent. The introit is “Rorate caeli desuper, et nubes pluant justum.”
Who was the man who became Father Christmas, Santa Claus and why? And why does he have two tombs in dispute?
Contemporary Christian spirituality attempts at avoiding two extremes: “spiritualism” (the individualistic and escapist fuga mundi and contemptus mundi) on one hand, and “activism” (human and social promotion disconnected from prayer and contemplation) on the other.
For several decades the emphasis has been on the “Word” and in the parish, the group of the Word is the most prestigious. Even in the Mass, the liturgy of the Word seems to be the most important part, to the point that, often, the Eucharistic liturgy runs away like a question of the clock. It seems that the Sacraments are secondary and many have forgotten them even in practice. Is this the right path, or should we also go back to talking about the sacraments?
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