Unexpected Message

~~~ 1 John 2:3-11 ~~~ Psalm 96 ~~~ Luke 2:22-35 ~~~

Purification...Presentation...Consecration

...the parents of Jesus took him up to Jerusalem
to present him to the Lord...

After the required days for purification
Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the temple.

They presented him as the Jewish law prescribed
and there they met the prophet Simeon and the prophetess Anna.

Joseph provided the gift of a pair turtle doves.
It was in a way buying back your son from God.

The message in the temple was not at all
what these new parents were expecting to hear.

There joy in the birth of their son Jesus
was muffled by the news...

“Behold, this child is destined
for the fall and rise of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be contradicted
(and you yourself a sword will pierce)
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.

Simeon reveals to Mary and Joseph
that his eyes have seen the light of salvation.
The birth of the child Jesus banishes the darkness.
Jesus is the true light of true light.

Whoever loves his brother remains in the light,
and there is nothing in him to cause a fall. 
Whoever hates his brother is in darkness;
he walks in darkness
and does not know where he is going
because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

Jesus brought love into the world...
a world blanketed in darkness.

A great light has come
to inspire and to lead  us to eternity.

Glory to God in the highest.

Blessed into the light of Christ.

~~~Peace~~~
JOY
to the World!

The Holy Family

~~~ The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph ~~~

~~~ Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14 ~~~ Psalm 128 ~~~ Colossians 3:12-21 ~~~
~~~ Luke 2:41-52 ~~~

God chose to send Jesus into a family.
Mary, Joseph, and Jesus give us a beautiful family model.
Mary was young, vibrant, healthy and eager
 to do the will of God.
She was a woman of prayer.

Joseph was already in love with Mary
so he was able to find within himself
the strength to take his part in God's plan.

Together they created the perfect environment
for God's plan to be revealed.
God sent the life of Jesus to flourish
until birth within Mary.

...kindness to a father will not be forgotten...

Mary was certainly the birth mother of Jesus,
but Joseph was not his birth father.

Joseph was equivalent to the adoptive father of Jesus.
Legally Joseph was the father of Jesus.
The angel, sent by God, prepared the mind
and heart for Joseph to be a willing participant in this plan.

This unique family arrangement has far reaching
meaning even for today's families.

Jesus was obedient to both Mary and Joseph.
Jesus honored his parents.
At the same time Jesus acted like a typical young boy.
He left his parents without telling them he was off to the temple.

The holy family unit is a beautiful model for our world today.
What makes a family holy?
Is it because Jesus was their son?
Perhaps this title was bestowed upon them
 because of their son, Jesus.

But any family can be a 'holy' family.

Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,
heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, 
gentleness, and patience,
bearing with one another and forgiving one another, 
if one has a grievance against another; 
as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.
And over all these put on love, 
that is, the bond of perfection.

Recently Pope Francis gave us three vital components
for a 'holy' family ...Prayer, faith, and joy.

Families should pray together.
We have many opportunities to pray in a family.
It is important that we pray for one another.
It is important that we acknowledge that we need God in our family.

Keeping the faith alive in our family;
it part of how we interact with those outside of our family.
How we treat others is a reflection of our faith.
We should practice and foster our faith within the family unit.

Is there joy in your family?
If you do not have joy then it is difficult
to recognize the joy within your family.

The joy of a holy family is deeply connected to God.

In joy we can put on holiness, compassion,
kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
In joy we can find ways to forgive one another...
to extend unconditional love to one another.

May you find peace and blessings
as you strive to create a greater sense
of holiness in your family.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
pray for us!
Help us to be more loving and our families will be 'holy'.

~~~Peace~~~
Joy
to the World!

Christmas Blessings

~~~The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas)~~~
Mass at Midnight
~~~Isaiah 9:1-6 ~~~ Psalm 96 ~~~ Timothy 2:11-14 ~~~
~~~ Luke 2:1-14 ~~~

For unto us a Child is born.

The gift of this child is no ordinary birth.

The birth of Jesus is the most important historical event.

The world was not aware of the darkness

 that had settled all around.

How many people are still choosing to remain in darkness?

You have seen the great light?

The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom
a light has shone.

Would you follow a star that led to a dirty smelly stable?

Would that be your primary path to achieving your dream?

Those who came to this stable were forever changed.

You are invited to be changed by this sleeping child.

The angel said to them,
“Do not be afraid;
for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy 
that will be for all the people.

Joy that will be for all people.
Do you believe this verse?
Do your have an appetite for Joy?
Is it something that your crave?
Is it something that you protect in your heart?

“Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

The grace of God has appeared...
to cleanse for himself a people as his own, 
eager to do what is good.

The grace and blessings of the crib
inspire us to see the world through the eyes of love.

~~~Peace~~~
JOY
to the World!

He Stirs Our Heart

~~~ 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8B-12, 14A, 16 ~~~ 

~~~ Psalm 89 ~~~ Luke 1:67-79 ~~~

For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

Christmas is the season for joy and happiness,

even when you are carrying the sad loss of a loved one.

It is a time for remembering all the good things 

God has brought into your life.

Zechariah was quick to praise God 

with his prophecy as soon as his voice was restored.

This canticle is recited as part of morning prayer each day.

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;

for he has come to his people and set them free...

God comes to us a tiny baby.
He stirs our hearts with his quiet cooing.
He melts our hearts with his surprising smile.
He gives us hope as he grabs hold of our finger.

God comes to us as a tiny baby;
inviting us to a closer look...
inviting us to his caress his soft delicate cheek.

God sends his mercy to us in the pure
heart of the infant Jesus.

For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

The manger calls us to kneel in wonder and awe...
our salvation is revealed within the crib.

Silent Night, Holy Night,
All is calm, all is bright...

Sing carols today with all your heart.
It is love, grace, beauty, and mercy
of which we sing.

O Little Town of Bethlehem
how still we see thee lie!

O come let us adore him.
O come let us adore him.
O comes let us adore him, Christ the Lord.

May the Glory of his Light shine on us forever.

~~~Peace~~~
Joy
to the World!

Veni, Veni Emmanuel

~~~ Malachi  3:1-4, 23-24 ~~~ Psalm 25 ~~~ Luke 1:57-66 ~~~

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,

and ransom captive Israel,

that mourns in lonely exile here

until the Son of God appear.

“What, then, will this child be?

For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.”

Emmanuel...

God with us.

God has always been with us.

He took on our humanity to become one of us.

This act of becoming human brought God 

completely with his people.

The friends of John's family wondered at what marvels 

were in store for this child.

Not even his parents understood

 the future role he would play in God's plan.

Mary might have asked herself 

what her child would be...for she knew the hand of the Lord

was at work within her heart and body.

Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand.

The scene is set...

Mary and Joseph have nearly reached Bethlehem.

They have one more day to travel.

There will be no fresh, clean room 

for this young mother.

She will deliver in a stable filled with hay for the animals.

Nothing can take away her joy...

Nothing can dim her anticipation

 for the birth of Jesus.

Mary rests her weary body upon the back of the donkey.

She rides upon a donkey just as her son will do 

on Palm Sunday; before he is crucified.

O Come, O Come Emmanuel!

Free us from the fires of hell...save us...

teach us to love like you love.

O Come, O Come Emmanuel

be with us in times of joy and sorrow...

be with us in life and in death...

be with us when we are lost and confused...

be with us when our physical pain intensifies...

be with us in the depths of our heart.

Turn our hearts and the hearts

 of the whole world toward you, Lord.

Your birth brings new life...new hope...

new beginnings for our eternity.

You come to ransom Israel...

you come to save us.

Go out and tell the goods news

the Lord is near to all who call upon him.

For He that is mighty hath done great things to me, 

and holy is His Name.

These words of Mary 

shed his grace upon us this day.

The Lord has done great things for you too.

Rejoice and be Glad.

Jesus comes to be with you.

Blessings as we eagerly wait for the coming of the Lord.

May the joy of his anticipated birth 

move you to a greater expression of love.

~~~Peace~~~

JOY

to the World.

O Rex Gentium~King of the Nations

~~~ 1 Samuel 1:24-28 ~~~

~~~ (Psalm) 1 SAMUEL 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8ABCD ~~~

~~~ Luke 1:46-56 ~~~

 O Rex Gentium 

(O King of the nations)

O King of all the nations, 

the only joy of every human heart;

O Keystone of the mighty arch of man:

Come and save the creature you fashioned from the dust.

My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

Hannah prays from the life of joy. 

She has given birth to a son, Samuel. 

She is obedient to God's plan.

Just as Elizabeth and Mary give birth to sons

according to the God's plan.

All three women filled with life 

sustaining fulfilling joy.

For us too; when we comply to the will of God

there is joy in our heart.

To allow God to form us into his design

means that we accept him as the King of our heart.

The O Antiphon reminds us that we were created from dust.

Jesus comes to save us; we will return to dust.

Mary said:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;

my spirit rejoices in God my savior.

for he has looked upon his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed:

the Almighty has done great things for me,

and holy is his Name.

Mary's prayer, that we know as the Magnificat,

echoes the joyful prayer of Hannah.

Mary knew the scriptures she was familiar

 with the story of Hannah and Samuel.

I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the LORD. 

I prayed for this child, and the LORD granted my request. 

Now I, in turn, give him to the LORD;

as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the LORD.”

She left Samuel there.

The scriptures tell us to make our requests known to the Lord;

just be sure you are ready to accept his answer.

The Lord answers all of our prayers.

Be vigilant. Wait patiently.

The answers come in God's time.

May the Blessings of the Lord

cause your heart to leap for joy.

The Lord is very near to us.

~~~Peace~~~

JOY

to the World!

O Oriens, O Morning Star

~~~ Song of Songs 2:8-14 ~~~ Psalm 33 ~~~ 

~~~ Luke 1:39-45 ~~~

My lover speaks; he says to me,

“Arise, my beloved, my dove, my beautiful one,

and come!

The beauty of being in love is the brightness of the your life.

Nothing is dull or ordinary, everything is more than it was before.

Love makes all things new.

The morning star breaks the darkness.

The morning star brings joy ever closer

 to all who would open their eyes.

"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;

 those who lived in a land of deep darkness—

on them light has shined." Isaiah 9:2

The Morning Star brought great joy to Mary and Elizabeth.

They each carried within the wonder of new life.

The joy these two women carried within

exuded from every pore of the body.

I can just picture them singing and dancing together.

Our soul waits for the LORD...

For in him our hearts rejoice;

in his holy name we trust. 

What causes you to want to sing and dance?

What brings bright light into your heart?

It does not matter if you are young or old

something does bring you joy.

Make it a habit to record what brings joy into your heart.

Later this can serve as a reminder that you are Blessed.

The Morning Star rises first bringing light to the night sky...
eventually it out shines all of the other heavenly bodies.

Jesus, the Morning Star, possesses the
greatest of all brilliance.

Pray for God to shine forth his bright light on the darkness...
the darkness in our heart....
the darkness in our families...
the darkness in our communities...
the darkness in our country...
the darkness in our world. 

Come, O Morning Star,
shine your bright light into our darkest spaces.

Blessing of Joy
and Brightness from the Morning Star.

~~~Peace~~~
JOY
to the World!