·
In the Old Testament, Malachi speaks of the coming of Elijah the prophet before “the great and terrible day of the Lord.”   The second coming of Christ and final judgment.

·
When Jesus says that Elijah has already come, he is referring to John the Baptist who prepared the way for the first coming of the
Lord, the same as Elijah will do prior to Jesus’ second and final coming.

·
“A servant is not greater than his master.  If they persecuted me, they will persecute you
also.” (Jn 15:20)  Like Jesus and St. John the Baptist, true followers of Christ will also
“suffer at their hands.”  This is an Ignatian meditation on The Two Standards!  We are in spiritual warfare.  Are we under the Standard of Jesus Christ?  Or under the Standard of Satan?   We should recall before we answer that Jesus Christ and His Church are one!   

·
The persecution has already begun – with’ the HHS Mandate.  This is what the US Conference of Catholic Bishops have to say about the Mandate:
“On January 20, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) reaffirmed a rule
that virtually all private health care plans must cover sterilization,
abortifacients, and contraception.  The
exemption provided for ‘religious employers’ was so narrow that it failed to
cover the vast majority of faith-based organizations – including Catholic
hospitals, universities, and charities – that help millions every year.  Ironically,
not even Jesus and his disciples would have qualified for the exemption,
because it excludes those who mainly serve people of another faith.”  In addition, “There is no exemption for
objecting insurers, secular employers, for-profit religious employers, or
individuals.” 

·
Contraception, far from preventing abortions, leads to
abortion… 1) When contraception fails abortion eliminates the unwanted pregnancy
by killing the child; 2) The pill and other contraceptive drugs and devices are
abortifacients – they allow conception, but prevent implantation in the womb
destroying the life of a human being in the earliest stages of development – a
mini-abortion.   

·
Contraception, abortion and sterilization are woven of
the same cloth – a belief that a child is a burden not a blessing.  Nowhere in Scripture is a child referred to
as anything but a blessing!  And the
Church of Jesus Christ affirms that pro-life mentality.

·
This contraceptive mentality kills not only the child,
but sacrificial loving between husband and wife – married love becomes selfish
love.  It also promotes promiscuity.  It makes lust appear glamorous and the
virtues of chastity and purity old fashioned. 

·
Natural Family Planning (NFP) allows a husband and
wife to delay pregnancy for a serious reason using the natural rhythms of the
woman’s body – infertile periods designed by God.  It involves sacrificial loving between
spouses and an ongoing decision as to whether God is calling them to have
another child at this time.  NFP is so
successful that couples having trouble getting pregnant use it to enhance their
chances of having a child!

·
It is negligence for a married couple of child-bearing
age not to learn and use NFP.  And it is
sinful not to throw out their contraceptive mentality with their contraceptive
devices!

·
This country was founded by people seeking religious
freedom.  Today religious freedom is
being challenged as never before over the Church’s teaching on the evils of
sterilization, abortifacients, and contraception. 

·
Each of needs to examine our conscience – do we think
with the mind of the Church on

these issues?  No matter what any politician says, we cannot
disagree with the Church’s teachings and think that we are still Catholic.

·
We need to beg for the gift of faith to believe in ALL that God has revealed through Christ and His Church, on the authority of Him revealing it, He who can neither deceive nor be deceived!

·
Jesus Christ will come again in His second and final coming.  He will separate the sheep from
the goats, putting the sheep on His right for eternal life and the goats on His
left for eternal punishment.  “For
whatever you did to the least of these you did to me.”  Who is least than the tiniest baby in the
womb?   Which side will we be on? 

   

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20TH Lk. 1: 26-38 Mary’s
holy hour… 

   

2.   The Sacraments were instituted by Jesus Christ Himself.

3.   They are 7 in number; none will be added nor subtracted!

4.   Sacramentals, on the other hand, were instituted by the church and there are many; still, there can be added new
sacramentals.

5.   DEFINITION:  “A Sacrament is an external sign instituted by Christ to communicate grace.”  — Classical definition!

6.   Protestant churches—the mainline—would have two: Baptism and Holy Matrimony.

7.   The Sacraments can be divided into three separate categories: a) The Sacraments of Initiation which are Baptism,
Holy Communion, and Confirmation. Upon receiving these three one should be a
mature adult in the faith; b) Sacraments of Healing which are  the Sacraments of Penance  and the Anointing of the Sick; c) Finally, the last category of Sacraments as divided  in traditional terms, are the Sacraments of service  and they are Holy Orders and Holy
Matrimony.   There we have it!

8.   The Sacraments are “Powerhouses” of grace.   As electricity— watts and volts—have power to enlighten and transmit energy on a natural plane, so are the sacraments on a supernatural plane able to transmit and communicate powerful spiritual energy that we call “grace”.

9.   Sacramentals and prayers and novenas and litanies and pilgrimages and even exorcisms have great value; however, the
graces communicated through the sacramental system are infinitely more
powerful, like the difference between children playing Little-League baseball
and the Major Leagues.   Therefore, we should take advantage of the spiritual “Powerhouses” that are at our disposal. 

10.FREE OF CHARGE!  God’s gift through the sacraments is absolutely free for our picking and taking, like a treasure-chest filled with
diamonds and rubies and gold in which the owner gave you permission to dig in and take as much as your heart desired!  
How foolish not to take as much as we desire!    

11.FAITH!   The primary condition is faith.   Jesus would perform many miracles but upon one very important condition: FAITH. 
Faith indeed can move mountains!  Faith can raise the dead! Faith can transform lives! 

12.DISPOSITIVE GRACE.   Another key point in understanding the Sacraments is that of “Dispositive grace”.   This theological principle states that we receive graces— few or many—in direct proportion to the disposition of our soul.   The better the soul is disposed the more abundant the graces.  An example would be the reception of Holy Communion. In one scenario a teenager is forced to come
to Mass on Sunday fighting with his siblings in the car on the way to Mass, arrives late, is on his cell-phone texting during Mass, during Mass he is thinking about what he will eat after Mass; finally, receives Holy Communion without any thought and leaves Mass even before it is over.  On the other hand a prayerful and pious Mother comes to Mass 30 minutes early praying fervently before Mass for her family, her own conversion, for the souls in Purgatory and loading the altar with many intentions. (The movie: the Great Miracle). Every part of the Mass is’ important to her and she is participating fully, actively and consciously. (Vat. II, Sacrosanctum Concilium). As she approaches Holy Communion she humbly begs the Blessed Virgin Mary to intercede for her so that she might make the most
fervent Holy Communion in her life.  With faith, reverence, humility, and love she receives Holy Communion: the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus the Lord of Lords and King of Kings.  After Mass she stays to prolong her thanksgiving, thanking and loving the Lord abundantly and praying the Rosary, imploring the Blessed Virgin Mary to help her to offer due thanksgiving to the
Lord.   These two scenarios are all too common in the reception of the greatest of all Sacraments, the Most Holy Eucharist.   The teen receives the Eucharist but with little or no benefit at all. The pious woman receives Holy Communion and an explosion of grace and sanctification occurs in her heart and soul.  Where do you fall in these scenarios? Probably in between the two extremes! Another even more marked contrast would be Judas Iscariot receiving Holy Communion at the Last Supper, rushing out into the night to betray Jesus; then imagine the Blessed Virgin Mary receiving the Body and Blood of Jesus from the hands of the Apostle St John!   One received unto his own condemnation the other for her sanctification and that of the whole world!

13. PREPARATION.  In sum it is of vital importance that the Sacraments be properly prepared for and that they be received with the best of dispositions. St. Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians, warned them not to eat and drink the Body and Blood of the Lord for their own condemnation, but to examine their consciences before they approached the table of the Lord.  Catechists, parents, teachers, and priests must make a concerted effort to attain a proper understanding and preparation for the sacraments.   The well-known writer and teacher, Scott Hahn, in one of his talks, compares the Sacraments to fire.  Fire can be used for good purposes or can do irreparable damage; fire can warm a freezing hiker or fire can burn down an entire forest. Likewise the Sacraments—especially that of the Eucharist— can sanctify us immensely or be a cause for our perdition and condemnation! Let us use this fire properly!

14.  APPRECIATION AT ALL TIMES!   We should constantly be aware of the danger, with respect to the Sacraments, of taking them for granted. Especially this is the case if one has easy access to multiple opportunities for daily Masses and easy access and availability for the Sacrament of Confession. In the sacristies of the nuns of Blessed Mother of Teresa of Calcutta there is a plaque on the wall that serves as a reminder to the priest—but this should be for all of us—that reads as such: “Priest, man of God, say this Mass as if it were your first Mass; your last Mass and your only Mass!” In other words, we must be constantly on the watch to not lose our first love, as we are reminded in the Book of Revelation!  

2.   ACTIVE CHARITY!  The compassion of the stretcher-bearers was not limited to pious thoughts, clichés or simply pious platitudes but their compassion moved them to action to help  remedy the plight of their suffering friend. Question:  Is your love simply words and
lip-service or is it translated into concrete actions?  Remember the words of Jesus at the end of the Sermon on the Mount:  “Not all those who say Lord, Lord will enter the Kingdom of God, but those who do the will of my heavenly Father.”

3.   FAITH AND BELIEF.  Indeed charity—supernatural love for God and neighbor- is the greatest of all virtues for we will be judged on love. However, in order of action faith comes before charity. Clearly we cannot love what we do not know! Therefore, these friends of the paralytic must have either seen Jesus, heard Him preach, witnessed one or more of His miracles or simply heard of Jesus. But in any case, they placed firm faith in the power of Jesus to heal their friend.   They had the faith that can move the mountains.  Question
and challenge!  In this year of faith, have you made a concerted effort to grow in your own faith and taken the necessary means to accomplish this goal and objective? If so, keep climbing! If not, why not start today!

4.   STRENUOUS EFFORT AND SACRIFICE.   The athletes have a saying:  “No pain no gain!”  A classical “Rock n’ Roll” group of the 60’s was named: “Blood, Sweat and tears”. Without exerting energy and effort, our own blood, sweat and tears, then little will be accomplished. These friends, the stretcher-bearers, had to carry the dead-weight of their friend. No van, car, bus, helicopter or subway service! Those were tough days! Maybe they had to travel a mile or two. The Gospel does not specify the distance. However, very possible it may have been that these friends ended up with blisters on their hands and maybe popped and bloody blisters on their palms of their hands. Remember the hands of the crucified Savior and Redeemer, Jesus the Lord!  Question and challenge: Are you willing to walk the extra mile, to undergo the pain, to offer your own blood sweat and tears to glorify God and to save souls and to work out your own sanctification and salvation?  Our God is a loving God but He will always challenge us to give more each day!  Why not accept the challenge?  

5.   TENACITY, PERSISTENCE AND PERSEVERANCE.  When confronted with a huge obstacle— namely, the house where Jesus was teaching was packed to the gills— there was no way to maneuver their paralyzed friend through the multitude.  Easily defeated they could have decided to give up the pursuit of Jesus, thrown in the towel and disheartened and discouraged returned their paralyzed friend home just as he was. Not on your life for these courageous troopers! Come hell or high water, they were determined to attain their goal and objective: to meet Jesus and attain the cure and healing of their friend. These men had the attitude of St. Teresa of
Avila: a determined determination to never give up!!!!   Question and challenge: When confronted with obstacles in your path, detours in your way, contradictions and thorns along the route, do you easily give up and simply throw in the towel? Why not make a
serious examination of conscience on this point! Remember the words of Saint James: “Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials. For you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. And let perseverance be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4)   

6.   CREATIVITY!   Not only were the faithful friends not daunted and sidetracked to attain their object— the total healing of their friend
the paralytic—but they utilized one of the most original, creative indeed humorous tactics to meet Jesus. They decided to climb on top of the roof of the house, move the tiles and lower him down to Jesus. Wow!!!  Question and challenge! Blessed Pope John Paul II,   ushering us into the new millennium, challenged all of us to become missionaries, apostles and to take efforts to evangelize in this “Springtime of grace”.  Furthermore, the saintly pope challenged us to be open to “Apostolic creativity”.  This means, that we must be open to the breath of the Holy Spirit who breaths where He wills and be ready to utilize new, creative and modern means to preach the word of God to the entire human race. (Mt 28). Are you willing to drop your nets into the sea, to go fishing in new waters and pursue the lost sheep in a new and original way that the Holy Spirit may inspire you? Follow the saints and be courageous!

7.   CRUSH HUMAN RESPECT!   The faithful friends could have easily been criticized for their “unorthodox” strategy and tactics. Nonetheless, they could care less!  Their love, compassion, determination, sincerity and good will would not be thwarted but implemented, despite the possible objection of the populace! Question and challenge!  Are you a “People-pleaser” or a “God-pleaser”? Are your actions motivated by human respect and a hidden desire to receive accolades and applause by people or are the actions motivated by the Ignation A.M.D.G. — All for the Greater honor and glory of God!  Check and examine your hidden designs and
intentions; where do they lie?   

8.   VICTORY!  After all the time, effort, struggles,
setbacks, apparent contradictions, the friends of the paralytic, the stretcher
bearers, attained their final objective to encounter Jesus. Rejoicing over the
faith and love of these men and the faith and suffering of the paralytic, Jesus
—-always overflowing in goodness—bestows on the man a double blessing! First,
Jesus heals him of his spiritual paralysis—another name for sin. Then, Jesus proceeds
to heal his body, thereby restoring to the limbs of the paralytic healing,
strength and mobility! Question and challenge! Are you aware of the reality of
your own paralysis? Maybe you can walk, hop, skip and run; however, you (as
well as the world at large) all suffer from moral paralysis which means that we
are sinners!  Why not approach Jesus the
Healer this very day through a good confession so that Jesus can heal and
strengthen your limbs so that you can leap with joy in His presence!

9.   JOY AND REJOICING! The friends lived out the Pauline expression:
“Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep!”   The paralytic’s joy had no bounds; likewise
the joy of the friends exploded! Question and challenge? Has jealousy or envy ever
consumed you over the success of your brother, sister, relative, friend or
neighbor? If so, repent! Live out: “Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep
with those who weep!”   

2.   OBEDIENCE.   The Holy Father asked Ignatius to send some
of his followers from the Company of Jesus to India and the Far East and
Francis Xavier obeyed. Obedience to God, the Pope, and the Church is always a
true sign of holiness by which God blesses with abundant graces.  “Lord, not my will but yours be done!”  (Prayer of Jesus to the Father in the Garden
of Olives).

3.   LOVE FOR POVERTY. Upon arriving in
India, Xavier’s heart overflowed with love for the poor of the country. His
love knew no bounds. 
Identification!   Instead of
seeking out comfortable lodgings and ease, Xavier decided to live with the
poor, sleep like the poor, eat and drink with the poor, and become poor
himself.  Jesus’s first Beatitude
exemplifies this attitude of heart: “Blessed
are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt. 5: 3).

4.   LOVE FOR THE CHILDREN.   Jesus taught love for children.  “Let
the children come to me for such is the kingdom of heaven.”  Francis Xavier loved the children and they
loved him. He taught them their catechism, as well as their prayers. Such was
the love the children had for him that barely did he have time to say his
prayers or even eat!
                      

5.   APOSTOLIC CREATIVITY.  Xavier was a genius, as teacher and
missionary. As a tool for memorization of the catechism, Xavier made use of the
song. In simple verse and rhyme Xavier taught the children the basics of
catechism. Domino effect!  Then the
children would return home and sing the catechism thereby teaching their own
parents. Pope John Paul II exhorts followers of Christ to be opened to the Holy
Spirit and new apostolic creativity and initiatives.  Jesus said to Nicodemus that the spirit blows
where He wills. Like Xavier let us be open to the wind-direction of the Holy
Spirit and follow!
                    

6.   BAPTISM!  It all starts with the sacrament of Baptism.
After instructions, Francis Xavier would baptize in the hundreds leading to the
thousands! At the end of his day at times he could no longer hold up his arm
any longer due to the huge numbers of Baptisms he would do.

7.   ORDER THE DISORDER/ORGANIZATION.   This great saint after finishing his time in
one place, would leave well-formed catechists to carry on with the mission of
forming the people in the community. HELPERS & LAY LEADERS!  Now more than ever zealous priests need
zealous lay-leaders to help to carry on the task of evangelization.   “The harvest is rich but the laborers are
few.”        
              

8.   INCULTURATION. While travelling to
Japan, Xavier had to learn the social mores and customs of another country. In
this case dressed in rags caused the Japanese Emperor revulsion. As St. Paul
says, “I become all things to all men so as to win as many to Christ as
possible.” Xavier donned the most elegant clothes fashionable and gave gifts to
the Emperor, thereby winning the Emperor’s friendship and opening up the door
to the preaching of the Gospel message in Japan.

9.   PRAYER AND PENANCE.  It is impossible to find a saint who did not
take the “Two-P’s” seriously—  PRAYER & PENANCE!   At the end of his exhausting day, Xavier spent
hours in front of the Most Blessed Sacrament, praising the Lord, thanking the
Lord and imploring for the sanctification and salvation of the people God
placed in his path. The consolation that God sent  Francis Xavier during his prayer was so intense
(very much like that of his contemporary St. Philip Neri) that he begged the
Lord “basta”— “enough” of the consolation lest he die of its intensity! May
Xavier attain for us the fire of intensity in our prayers! Penance?  He slept very little so as to accompany the
Lord and offer himself as victim for the salvation of souls.

10. APOSTOLIC ZEAL.  The favorite prayer of Xavier was “GIVE ME
SOULS!”  Another saint who had a similar motto was Saint John Bosco whose motto was posted on the wall of his
office: “Give me souls and take all the rest away.” St. John of the Cross
asserts: “Authentic charity is manifested by apostolic zeal.” Indeed if we truly
love God then we should love what God loves— the salvation of immortal
souls.   In the Office of Readings for
the Feast of  St. Francis Xavier, in a
letter written to St. Ignatius, there is a passionate appeal for more workers
to gather in the harvest, specifically reproaching the proud and learned at the
Universities of Europe (especially Paris). 
The words of Xavier explode with apostolic zeal and intense suffering
for the salvation of immortal souls.  
Let us meditate attentively the words of St. Francis Xavier.
                                                                

“Many, many people hereabouts are not becoming Christians for one reason:
there is nobody to make them Christians. Again and again I have thought of
going round the universities of Europe, especially Paris, and everywhere crying
out like a madman. Riveting the attention of those with more learning than
charity: What a tragedy:  how many souls
are being shut out of heaven and falling into hell, thanks to you! I wish they
would work as hard at this as they do at their books, and so settle their account
with God for their learning and the talents entrusted to them.”  (Office of Readings, Dec. 3,
Feast of St. Francis Xavier)

May the last words of St. Ignatius of Loyola to St. Francis Xavier ignite our hearts to become missionaries in our
modern world in this year of grace, the year of faith— GO SET ALL ON
FIRE!!!   

2.   SILENCE.    Elijah encountered the Lord on the mountain
in silence. Neither the earthquake nor the thunderstorm contained the voice of
the Lord, but the gentle breeze.   In the
Diary of Mercy in my soul, St. Faustina wanted to live fully Advent and made
the proposal to cultivate silence and recollection.  The Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI upon his
visit to USA and the seminarians in New York exhorted them to silence so as to
hear the gentle voice of God. Today we are being bombarded by so many alien
voices that distract and even deafen us from hearing the voice of the Holy
Spirit.

3.  PRAYER.  A necessary corollary that follows from silence is prayer.   In Advent we should establish a time, a
place, and form the habit of prayer. Both Advent and Lent being “strong”
Seasons of grace should be times to both prolong and intensify our prayer life.
          

4.   GIVE UP AND FAST FROM SIN.  To conquer sin, bad habits that we have been
dragging with us like a chain for years and inveterate vices  we cannot except through the grace of God and
a strong effort of the will on our part. To fall a slave to sin is easy; just
let yourself go and be led and dictated by your passions. Jesus calls sin  slavery.  
Prayer is the indispensable remedy to overcome any sin in any time any
place and any circumstance. Let us meditate on the words from the Catechism of
the Catholic Church on the power and liberating force of prayer.

“Prayer is a vital necessity. Proof from the contrary is no less
convincing: if we do not allow the Spirit to lead us, we fall back into the
slavery of sin. How can the Holy Spirit be our life if our heart is far from
him?  
Nothing is equal to prayer, for what is impossible it makes possible,
what is difficult is easy…. For it is impossible, utterly impossible for the
man who prays eagerly and invokes God ceaselessly to sin.

Those who pray are certainly saved; those who do not pray are certainly
damned.”  (CCC #2744)

5.   SACRIFICES/ ACTS OF PENANCE.   Jesus said that some devils are expelled
only by prayer and fasting. Jesus gave eloquent testimony to this by praying
and fasting 40 days in the desert.  In
1917 Our Lady of Fatima told the three children, Jacinta Francisco and Lucia,
the importance of prayer and offering sacrifices for the conversion of poor
sinners. Why not make a small sacrifice at the table for love of God and for
the conversion of sinners?  Give up
cookies, drink water rather than soda, avoid putting condiments on your meal,
or even try to eat a little bit less— all of these sacrifices offered to God
with great love can be instrumental in saving souls.  St. Thomas Aquinas reminds us that the
salvation of one soul is worth more than the whole created universe!

6.   HOLY MASS AND HOLY COMMUNION IN
ADVENT.  By far the greatest act we can
carry out is to assist at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and to receive
reverentially and devoutly Holy Communion. Why not propose this Advent to come
to Mass and Holy Communion and bring as many family members as possible to
Jesus, Emmanuel—God with us!  Actually,
mystically and sacramentally every day can be “Christmas” because Christmas is
Jesus being born and Holy Communion Jesus is born in the depths of the pious
soul!   “O come let us adore Him, Jesus
the Lord!”             

7.   CLEAN THE BARN OF YOUR OWN SOUL.  Jesus was born in a cold, dirty, smelly,
musty, hard stable which was a refuge of animals. Our soul can be compared to
this stable. How pleasing to Jesus it would be to born in the clean stable of
your heart.   Why not clean the cobwebs,
mud and dirt and foul smell from your interior stable of Bethlehem— your
heart and soul—by preparing assiduously for and making the best confession of
your life.  The words of Isaiah the prophet can truly motivate us: “Though your sins be red as scarlet I will make
them as white as the snow.” St. Jerome willingly offered the Child Jesus many
gifts for His Birthday— books, prayers and penances, which were all pleasing
to Jesus. However Jesus responded to the saint and said you are lacking one
thing that I would like: give me your sins! The name Jesus means “Savior”; He
came to save us from our sins.
                                

8.   RECONCILIATION AND PEACE. One of the
many titles for Jesus is “The Prince of peace”. 
St Francis of Assisi composed the immortal prayer, “Lord make me a
channel of your peace.”  One of the 8
Beatitudes of Jesus is “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called
the children of God.” (Mt. 5:8). If there is somebody that you have not
forgiven and you are harboring resentment and bitterness and unwilling to
forgive, now is the time to practice the virtue of humility and seek
reconciliation and peace with that person. Jesus warns us that if we are
offering the gift at the altar and we remember that somebody has something
against us then we should leave the gift and be reconciled and then return to
offer the gift.  “Lord, make me a channel
of your peace.”                    

9.   HELP THE POOR.  In some concrete fashion we should feel the compulsion
to help the poor of the world, our community, or parish, or family. Call to
mind the words of Jesus: “I was hungry, thirsty, a stranger, naked, sick and in
prison…..Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, that you do unto me.”
(Mt 25). Ways to help the poor are countless. Beg the Holy Spirit to enlighten
your mind to see Jesus in the poor and act on the inspiration.  Why not be a Good Samaritan on the Highway of
life?
                             

10.  A DEEPLY MARIAN ADVENT.  No doubt Jesus is the reason for the season! However,
Jesus chose Mary to be the means by which He would enter into the world to
carry out our salvation by His Paschal Mystery—Passion, death and
Resurrection. Advent is a truly Marian season. Marian Liturgical Solemnities
and Feasts are not lacking. On Dec 8th the Universal Church
celebrates the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. “O Mary conceived
without sin pray for us who have recourse to thee.” The Immaculate Conception
is the patroness of the United States. Furthermore, 4 days later, the church
celebrates Our Lady of Guadalupe. Our Lady appeared to Juan Diego 4 times in
1531 in Mexico and assured him as well as the whole world of her motherly love
and concern for all. Why not renew our love, devotion and affection for Mary
who is the Mother of God, the Mother of the Church and our Mother.  Undoubtedly a practice very dear to the heart
of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the recitation of the most Holy Rosary. In Advent
the Joyful mysteries take pride of place. Why not before dinner unite the
family together around the family sanctuary and pray the Rosary.  “The family that prays together stays
together.”