CHRISTMAS: PUT   CHRIST  IN THE CENTER.

Secularism, paganism, hedonism, materialism, agnosticism, atheism— words that describe the modern drift of society!   That being the case, how easy it really is to forget the true meaning of Christmas!  Much more than a feast  characterized by buying and selling, eating and drinking,  carousing and sinning, it is the celebration of a Person, the greatest Person who ever came to earth, His Birthday and for our salvation. The reason for the season is the Person of JESUS CHRIST!

JESUS  means “Saviour”, as the angel announced to Mary— “He will save the people of their sins.” The extent of His saving power is infinite.  He came to save us from sadness, sin, death, hopelessness, depression,  and from eternal loss of our immortal soul. He came in the flesh close to 2000 years ago, but lives on and will live on in the hearts of those who love Him until the end of times!   He said, “I will be with you until the end of the world!”

Therefore confronted with so many obstacles in the modern-pagan world, what can we do to prepare ourselves to celebrate His Birthday?    Some quick and clear advice!

1. SILENCE.  Cultivate silence in the depths of your heart.  God indeed longs to communicate with you, but can only communicate when, like Mary, you have a silent, contemplative and receptive heart. Hosea sums int up!  “I will take her to the desert and speak to her heart!” The desert means silence!  Remember the Christmas hymn, “Silent Night!”

2. PRAYER.  Advent/ Lent are key moments in the Liturgical year and must be characterized by more frequent and fervent prayer.   Prayer transforms our hearts!  Listen to what St Peter of Alcantara says to the transforming power of prayer.  “In mental prayer the soul is purified from its sins, nourished with charity, confirmed in faith, and strengthened in hope; the mind expands, the affections dilate, the heart is purified, truth becomes evident; temptation is conquered; sadness dispelled; the senses are renovated; the drooping powers revive; tepidity ceases; the rust of vices disappear….”  With these powerful and encouraging words of one of the saints that spiritually directed St. Teresa of Avila, prayer should be essential for our lives, especially as we prepare for the birth for Jesus!

3.  CONFESSION.   Clean the interior stable so that Jesus can be born!  The Child Jesus told St. Jerome that the gift He wanted most were the  sins   of St Jerome, so that he could purify them and renew his heart!

4. RECONCILIATION.  Make peace with your brothers and sisters that you have damaged due to pride and sin. Christmas  and peace go together! Pride and sin close the gates to the entrance of the Child Jesus into your heart.

5. CHARITY TOWARDS THE POOR.   Look around you and see who is poor and in need and extend your hand and open your heart to him and you will be doing this to Jesus. Remember!  Jesus is truly in your brother and sister, especially the one most in need!

6. ORDER THE DISORDERED!  St. Ignatius and the Exercises challenge us to order our lives. Why not look into your heart now and  cast out any thing that is causing disorder and turmoil.

7. KINDNESS!  In moments of tension, weariness, and overwhelming work responsibilities, the temptation is to snap out and be mean. Strive for  KINDNESS.    A mean word is like a hornet’s sting; not easily forgotten! However, a kind word is soothing, strengthening and source of consolation.  As Francis de Sales stated clear and to the point:  “You can save more souls with a teaspoon of honey than a barrel of vinegar!”

8. CHRISTMAS LIGHT: YOUR  LIGHT!  Shine brightly by a life of holiness! Jesus said that he is the Light of the world….. but also,  “You are the light of the world!”  May the Christmas lights motivate you to be a human light, casting out the darkness of sin and pointing to Jesus the light of the world!

9.  COMMUNION AND CHRISTMAS.    The word “Christmas” refers to the Mass of Christ!  No better way to prepare for Christmas and to celebrate Christmas, then to receive Jesus the Bread of Life into your “Bethlehem”— house of Bread!  True Christmas joy is discovered in receiving Jesus with great faith, love and fervor  in Holy Communion!   “O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!

10. MARY AND CHRISTMAS.  Advent is  a very Marian season.  The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, the Feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and Christmas day itself— Mary is truly present. The joy of the mother is the birth of her child, what immense joy indeed!  The joy of Mary, the Mother of God, the Mother of the Church, and our mother, is the birth of Jesus the Lord and Saviour! May Mary’s joy be ours!

True joy and happiness is only found in the Lord. Mary’s Magnificat says it all:  “My soul  proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour….”  May this be the most joyful Christmas in your life  because  JESUS is the center, focus, ands heart of this day— His birthday.  He was born on earth, so that one day you will be born forever in heaven!

Bleak and dreary, windy and stormy. dark-tunnel with no light, misty and foggy— all of these are natural images depicting a state of soul that St. Ignatius defines as DESOLATION.     Ignatius defines more accurately desolation as,  ” Darkness of soul, turmoil of spirit, inclination to what is lowly and earthly, restlessness rising from many disturbances and temptations which lead to want of faith, want of hope and want of love.  The soul is wholly slothful, tepid, sad and separated, as it were, from its Creator and Lord….  (Spiritual Exercises #317, # 4 Rule describing state of desolation.)

In a state of desolation, we must know what to do! If we make a wrong move, it could lead to a spiritual calamity, disaster, moral ruin!  One wrong move in desolation, indeed could be catastrophic!  Therefore, by using “Preventive medicine” let us avoid the disaster!

Following are ten (10)  REMEMBERS…..  things that we should call to mind– remember– when the clouds of desolation are descending deeper into our minds, hearts and lives.

1. REMEMBER!    That if God  is with us who can be against us.  Our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth.  Finally, the words of the Archangel Gabriel to Mary, “Nothing is impossible with God.”  God can remove the desolation in a split-second!

2. REMEMBER!  You have had dark moments in the past— extremely dark tunnels— but God has pulled you through into the light! Even tunnels have small lights on the roof and the exit the brilliant sunlight!

3. REMEMBER!  You are not the only person in the world going through desolation; actually all go through as part of being human.  You are at an advantage!  You know what to do to counteract the desolation.

4. REMEMBER!  “Universal negatives”, be aware! In desolation, everything, everybody, every circumstance is tainted in a grey-ugly lens.   The devil tempts you to believe that you are worthless, a dismal failure, and you have always been this way and always will be! LIAR!  The devil is lying and reject his pretense!

5.  REMEMBER!  JESUS AND DESOLATION.   Jesus went through intense desolation in the Garden of Gethsemane, but He conquered it!  How?  By intensifying His prayer. In desolation, the devil tempts you to give up prayer or at least to diminish.  “Agere contra”  Do the opposite! Pray even more!

6.  REMEMBER!  The joyful moments of your life where God was clearly present embracing you.   These moments will return if you exercise patience.  Jesus said that by patience you will save your soul!   Your prayer  cannot  be, “Lord, give me patience, right now!!!!!!!!

7. REMEMBER!   HEAVEN!  Even the most painful, excruciating, bitter moments that life deals us, they will all one day terminate. If, we patiently stay close to God, live in the sate of grace and willingly conform our wills to the will of the heavenly Father, then heaven is ours!  “Eye has not seen; ear has not heard, nor has it entered into the mind of man the wonderful things that God has prepared for those who love Him.”  Pray, love, wait patiently, grow in grace-heaven is right around the corner and it is forever!

8. REMEMBER!   St Paul teaches that God never sends a trial that supersedes our strength. Indeed, with the trial, problem and desolation, God can always help you to survive victoriously! We indeed are the epitome of weakness, but God is the opposite: He is Rock solid, strength. Indeed God is OMNIPOTENT!

9. REMEMBER!  The  sun will rise the following morning.  The spiritual sun will be elevated in the hands of the priest. If well-disposed, that same sun (the Son of God) will descend into the depths of your “little Bethlehem” your soul which becomes a “Bethlehem”– that is to say truly ” A house of Bread”. The remembrance of Daily Holy Communion, can easily pull your from the profound depths of desolation to indescribable consolation!

10. REMEMBER!    In moments of sadness Mother Mary comes to me speaking words of wisdom— “Let it be!”  Our Lady of Guadalupe gently rebuked St. Juan Diego,  “Do not worry!  Am I not your mother. I have you in the crossing of my arms….”   Remember the Marian prayer the MEMORARE.   “Never was it known that anyone who called upon you was left unaided…   The motto of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary reiterates the same point:   MARIA INVOCA, MARIA COGITA  meaning,  Invoke Mary and think about Mary.

In sum, the dark clouds of desolation eventually will descend upon you; it is inevitable and certain!  However, well-equipped, well-prepared, these stormy, tempestuous, seemingly calamitous moments can be dissipated and dispelled, if we can simply  REMEMBER  the following rules of hope leading to victory.   OUR HELP IS IN THE NAME OF THE LORD, WHO MADE HEAVEN AND  EARTH!!!

OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE: VIVA MARIA!!!!

Marvellous celebration, explosive with joy, peace, love, and victory— this is the Feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe!   Our Lady appeared in 1531, 4 times, to Saint Juan Diego, healing his ailing(dying) uncle Juan Bernardino, using Saint Juan Diego as her ambassador and messenger.  The content of the message?   Notify the Bishop Juan Zumarraga that she wanted a church built on the hill of Tepeyak, on the outskirts of the city of Mexico so that she could hear their prayers and through her intercession alleviate their sufferings.

THE SIGN!   The Bishop wanted a sign to believe in the authenticity of the message and the person who was appearing– the Blessed Virgin Mary!  The sign was indeed given on December 12, 1531.
Juan Diego was summoned to fetch, cut and bring to her, castillian roses growing on the dry, barren, arid hill in the cold of December. This he did and she arranged the flowers with her own hands to bring to the Bishop!  Off Juan Diego went as “Our Lady’s messenger”.

Upon arriving in the presence of the Bishop, Juan Diego opens his tilma(apron) and the miracle occurs: the flowers cascade to the ground, but an even greater miracle occurs: imprinted on the cactus tilma is the beautiful image of the mother of God, under the title of Our Lady of Guadalupe.   The Bishop falls to his knees, and with tears in his eyes, begs pardon, and believes in the sign, in the great miracle! 

Eventually the church will be built and miracles, extraordinary miracles, both natural and supernatural will happen and even to this day.  As Mary was present when Jesus  carried out His first miracle at Cana, in Galilee, still she is instrumental in bringing out miracles through her most powerful intercession.

Some interesting facts to reflect upon with respect to Our Lady of Guadalupe.

1. After the apparitions in 1531 within about 30 years, close to 8 million Mexicans were converted to Catholicism; the greatest mass-conversion in the history of the world. It was a perpetual “Pentecost” for 30 years!

2.  IMAGE/PAINTING OF OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE.  Still after 480 years, the image impressed on cactus fibre  still exists. Usually, it would disentegrate in 20-30 years!

3. VISITATION!  After the Basilica of St. Peter, in Rome, where  some of the Popes are buried (Pope John Paul II) and even the remains of St. Peter, the first Pope, the second most visited church in the world is the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe!

4. BLACK RIBBON.  Symbolic of a pregnant woman. Mary was carrying within her womb Jesus, the Way, Truth, and  LIFE  of the world.  Our Lady of Guadalupe is the “Pro-Life” Virgin, often used in Pro-life rallies and marches and protests in front of abortion clinics.  Mary teaches us to say “Yes” to human life which is precious, from the moment of conception until natural death.

5. SUPERNATURAL LIFE.   She asked for the church.  The Church is the Mystical Body of Christ. Jesus is the Head of the church and we are the members of His body; Mary, for her part, is the  neck  that connects the Head to the other members.

6. HEALING.  A mother is concerned about the bodily health of her child. Mary is even more concerned about the spiritual health of her children. Therefore, in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, there are non-stop confessions. For that reason, Pope John Paul II called Marian Sanctuaries, “Spiritual clinics”.

7. NOURISHMENT.   That which most exults the heart of Mary is to see her children in church, participating in Mass and receiving Holy Communion with reverence and devotion. Christmas can be every day because Jesus is born in the moment of consecration and also in the moment of reception of Holy Communion. Your own heart becomes  a little Bethehem, which by the way means, “House of Bread”.

8. PATRON OF THE AMERICAS.   The Immaculate Conception is the title of the Patoness of the United States.  However, Our Lady of Guadalupe, is the Patron of all of the Americas!  She is the Mother of God, the Mother of the Church, and the Mother of all of us individually!

9.  SAINT JUAN DIEGO!  How patient this man!  It took more than 400 years for him to be canonized. It happened on the Feast day of St Ignatius Loyola (July 31), 2002. His feast day is December 9, which was the first day of the Apparitions!

10. TRUST IN MARY: OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE.   Juan Diego was overwhelmed with a serious problem— the imminent death of his elderly uncle, Juan Bernardino.  So much was his concern, that he tried to avoid our Lady. But she cut him off!   Her consoling words to Juan Diego are for you and me.  “Do not be afraid!  Am I not your mother? I have you in the very crossing of my arms!”  In your problems, run to Mary, cast your problems in the Heart of Mary, trust Mary. She will never abandon you. Your best refuges are two: the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus. May they be your haven, security, oasis, and peace in time and and in eterntiy!  Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us!

 THE IMMACULATE ONE: MARY MOST HOLY!!!!

Every year the church celebrates the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.  This Marian Dogma states that Mary was conceived without the stain of Original Sin.   The English poet Wordsworth poetically asserted,  “Mary is our tainted nature’s solitary boast.”  So that the Human nature of  Jesus would be unstained it was convenient, according to the Angelic Doctor St. Thomas Aquinas, that the channel from which He would come to earth would be stainless, most pure, without the slightest contagion of sin— and that Immaculate One is the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Therefore, let us honor, pay tribute, offer the highest honor to her, below God Himself  in some concrete way. Following are some points for reflection and action to manifest our love for The Mother of God, the Mother of the Church, Our Mother and the Immaculate Conception.

1. SINLESS.  Never did Mary even in the slightest way commit any sin– neither mortal, nor venial, nor in thought, word nor in deed, nor in intention. All that she did was totally, absolutely directed to the honor and glory of God. That is why in her Magnificat she said, “My soul proclaims the greatness of God and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.”

2. SINNERS AND THE IMMACULATE ONE.  Therefore, our love and devotion to Mary Immaculate well help us in our battle against sin and the ultimate victory!  

3. PRAYER IN TEMPTATION!  In times of temptation, therefore, we should call out to Mary and why not this prayer:  “O Mary conceived without sin , pray for us who have recourse to thee.”   Our spiritual weakness is fortified by the prayer of Mary!

4. MIRACULOUS MEDAL.   Why not wear faithfully the   “Miraculous Medal” as an exterior sign of your consecration.   This  medal was the fruit of Mary’s visiting St. Catherine Laboure and asking that this medal be made, worn, and promulgated. Originally, the title was the “Medal of the Immaculate Conception. However, in time due to the numerous miracles attributed to Mary through this medal, it has been called the “Miraculous Medal.”

5. APOSTLE OF MARY.   St Maximillian Kolbe loved to call Mary “The Immaculata”. His confidence in her was total.  She offered him two crowns: white and red, to choose from!  Kolbe chose both, symbolic of his life of purity (white) and martyrdom (red).   May we be fiery apostles of Mary like Kolbe…. How?????

6. PROPAGATE THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE MIRACULOUS MEDAL.   Kolbe carried these medals and gave them out at random, he called them “Spiritual ammunition”.  These were his spiritual bullets he used in his fight against Satan who the Immaculate crushes by her foot. (Gen 3:15)  The Protevangelium.

7.  EXPLAIN THE MEDAL!  Utilize the giving as a means for explanation. Be a Marian catechist through the medal!    On the front is the image of Mary with her hands opened from which rays are streaming out= Mary is full of grace and wants to obtain for us the most choice graces. She is standing on the world with her foot crushing the serpent. The devil is astute, but Mary is more powerful.  Encircling the medal are the words honoring the Immaculate Conception:  “O Mary conceived without sin; pray for us who have recourse to thee.” 

8. THE OTHERS SIDE OF THE MEDAL.   On the backside of the medal are other important symbols. The 12 stars= from Rev./Apoc. 12.  The woman clothed with sun with a crown of  twelve stars on her head. Mary is Queen of the universe!  Then there is the cross and underneath the cross is the big letter  M .  The meaning refers to Jesus on the cross and Mary underneath the cross.  “Woman behold they son; son behold thy mother. From that moment the disciple took her into his home.  (Jn 19:26,27)   )  Meaning= Mary is the universal mother of all the living. Furthermore, at the foot of the cross. she is associated with Jesus in the passion and is “Co-Redemptrix”.  Jesus is the only Redeemer, but Mary collaborated intimately in this work of the salvation of the entire world.  The two hearts. One heart is pierced with the lance= the Sorrowful Heart of Mary.  The other is crowned with thorns= the Sacred Heart of Jesus. 

9. MARIAN CATECHISM.  Therefore, by wearing the Medal, knowing its meaning, giving freely to others as a gift, and by explaining the medal, a powerful catechism and education in the faith is accomplished!

10. LIVING IN THE PRESENCE OF JESUS AND MARY.   By the wearing of the Medal it is a constant reminder that we are never alone.  Jesus and Mary are always with us! May we find secure and constant refuge in the Most Pure and Immaculate heart of Mary and in the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus!     “O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.”

Let us lift our eyes to Mary, think often of Mary, invoke Mary, imitate Mary, love Mary— if done, her Son Jesus will be our best Friend in time and in eternity!  

HUMILITY: THE FOUNDATION OF THE SPIRITUAL LIFE

Jesus rarely praised people, but He does in two circumstances: Nathanael, who is called an Israelite without guile and John the Baptist who he says is the greatest born of woman.  An extraordinary virtue, practiced to  an exalted degree by John the Baptist was his humility.

What is humility? St Teresa of Avila says that humility is  TRUTH.  Humility also might be defined as  the recognition that all the good that I can possibly do comes from God, the author of all good gifts, and all the evil I have done comes from my own wickedness.

Listen to a few of the most profound but humble words of St. John the Baptist!
He must increase but I must decrease…
I am not even worthy to unfasten his sandlestrap…
I am only a voice crying out in the desert: prepare the way for the Lord….
When the bridegroom comes, then the friend of the bridegroom disappears…
You come to be baptized by me; I should be baptized by you…
Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world… And John’s disciples left John to follow Jesus…

  All of these biblical passages manifest a remarkable humility on the part of Jesus’ cousin and precursor.   St. Ignatius of Loyola offers his retreatants a meditation of “The 3 degrees of humility”.  The first is death rather than mortal sin; the second, death rather than deliberate venial sin; the third degree of humility is a willingness to suffer humiliations so as to imitate the Lord all the more closely.   Given that the royal highway to humility is through humiliations, let us reflect on some ways that the Lord might offer us some “Golden Opportunities” to practice humility and thereby grow in humility.   “Jesus meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto yours.”

1.  MISTAKES/ERRORS!   Shakespeare says, “To err is human; to forgive is divine.”  When you make a mistake beg pardon and right away. That is humility! “I’m sorry!” Two short words, but words that demand great humility!

2. FORGIVE!  On the other hand, if asked to forgive, do it right away!  No delay!  Remember, if you want to be forgiven by God, then you must forgive. Otherwise, do not pray the Our Father…”Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us…

3. INTERRUPTIONS/UPSET PLANS!   When your “all-important” plans and schedules have been interrupted or upset, then do not get angry, but simply accept it.  Roll with the punches!  Maybe God has better plans than your plans!!!!   “My way or the highway”  is not found in the Gospel, according to my readings!

4. CONVERSATIONS!  Let the other have the last word! Proud people believe they always have the right to the last word. James says that we should be slow to speak and quick to listen. Why not listen attentively to the end!

5. CONFESSION!   Simply preparing yourself well for the Sacrament of Confession and then humbly confessing your sins to the priest who represents Jesus is an act of humility. Form the habit of frequent confession and you will be cultivating a humble heart that is so pleasing to Jesus, who is meek and humble of heart!

6.  LAST PLACE!   Put into practice Jesus’ teaching on humility. He says that when you are invited to a party that you should not seek the first and best place, but rather the last place. Then the host will invite you to a seat of honor.   Remember the Lord’s words:  “The first will be last and the last will be first…. and those who humble themselves will be exalted…”

7.  FRATERNAL CORRECTION!  When somebody points out your defects, faults, or limitations, instead of becoming defensive and angry, humbly thank the person and try to put into practice the advice. Humble people recognize that they make many mistakes and when highlighted by others are thankful and ready to obey!   We all have blind spots and  God sends others who see our “blind spots” to bring us into the light!

8.  SEEK ADVICE!  Humble people recognize that they do not know it all. As the Greek philosopher asserted:  “The only thing I know is that I know nothing.”  We must all be humble learners sitting at the feet of the Master.  Still, we should seek out spiritual direction periodically. St Teresa of Avila, St. John Bosco, St. Ignatius of Loyola, St Faustina— they all had many points in common among which one was that  they all had spiritual directors to humbly point them in the right direction towards Jesus, “The Light of the world.”

9. IGNORED! FORGOTTEN!  NOT TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT!   When it happens that you are ignored, forgotten, made fun of, a but of a sarcastic joke, subject to ironic and derisive smiles or even insulted directly— then  you have your “Golden opportunity” to practice the Ignatian third degree of humility and thereby skyrocket in humility, through these “Royal humiliations”.   Grace, grace and even more graces is needed to accept these!  A suggestion!  Offer it for the salvation of a soul. Another suggestions!  In moments of humiliations, call to mind the humiliations of Jesus in His passion, for example His crowning with thorns. These two thoughts can spiritually motivate you!

10. HUMILITY BEHIND THE WHEEL!    Beyond the shadow of a doubt, at times on the road, others may cut you off, rush in front of you,  leave you with the “Red light!!!!”  Instead of uttering choice, disedifying words, bless that driver!  Jesus says clearly that we should even bless our persecutors; this can even be applied to our fellow drivers.  Maybe your prayer and humility will direct that person on the “Highway to heaven?”

In sum, in hell burns the proud! Satan rebelled against God in pride and hell is his eternal destiny.  Mary, on the contrary, said, “Yes” to the Lord in total humility, saying, “  May the Hearts of Jesus and Mary be our model, guidance and haven of refuge.    “Jesus meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto yours.”