Prayer: Pope Francis

At this moment in history, marked by the ecological crisis and grave economic and social imbalances only worsened by the coronavirus pandemic, it is all the more important for us to acknowledge one another as brothers and sisters,” he said.

Stressing that health is an international issue, he appeared to criticize so-called ‘vaccine nationalism’, which U.N. officials fear will worsen the pandemic if poor nations receive the vaccine last.

“I beg everyone, heads of state, companies and international organizations to promote cooperation and not competition, to find a solution for everyone - vaccines for all - especially for the most vulnerable and needy in all areas of the planet.”

May the Child of Bethlehem help us, then, to be generous, supportive and helpful, especially towards those who are vulnerable, the sick, those unemployed or experiencing hardship due to the economic effects of the pandemic, and women who have suffered domestic violence during these months of lockdown.

Give away that Light Epiphany 2021

Give away that Light

Epiphany 2021

www.johnpredmoresj.com | predmore.blogspot.com

predmoresj@yahoo.com | 617.510.9673

January 3, 2021

Isaiah 60:1-6; Psalm 72; Ephesians 3:2-6; Matthew 2:1-12

 

 

For Christians, our celebration on the feasts of the Incarnation lead up to the Epiphany, and even beyond, while for much of the world Christmas happened on December 25th. I had phone conversations with a number of people recently who were very sad on Christmas Day because this year’s celebration was not like past years, and then I talked with other people who found something magical this year because they were able to focus upon the mystery that is Christmas. People of faith are able to hold onto mystery, which makes a big difference.

 

A mystery is a revealed truth about God that can be affirmed in faith, but can never be adequately or completely explained rationally. We hold that mystery in our hearts, and the mystery revealed in today’s feast is that we are one and that we belong to each other. God desires to unite all humanity in Christ whether they believe in him or not. In the first Epiphany, God revealed that the Gentiles are co-heirs with the Jews, co-partners in the promise of salvation offered through Christ. 

 

Epiphany gives us our mission because we have to bring the light of Christ to people whose hearts are darkened. We have to bring light to those people who are sad because this Christmas was unlike others; we have to bring light to the Ebenezer Scrooges of our world; we have to bring light to people of goodwill who have parts of their heart darkened by hurt and suffering; we have to bring light to the dark portions of the Herods in our lives, for if someone had loved Herod and assured him that his position in the world was safe, that love would have saved the slaughter of many innocent boys. The power of the light and love into the darkened areas of hearts undoubtedly will erase hatred and violence and to replace it with hope and goodwill.

 

Each of us, though we are people of goodwill, have darkened places caused by insecurity, lack of insight or understanding, betrayal, or failure, and we try hard to keep those places hidden from everyone, even from ourselves, with memories too painful to recall that we obscure them from our consciousness. It is only when we bring those painful memories and areas of suffering to light that we begin to heal and to gain new insights that give us wisdom. The more light we shine on those areas, the greater the light becomes, and our suffering can be useful in bringing about a greater good for the sake of others who are struggling.

 

A mystery of God’s light is that it can be shared without diminishing it. The more light we bring to others, the brighter the world becomes. Even when we divide a light, it is never dimmed. This feast proclaims that God’s light is revealed to all nations, and we hope and pray that they accept the light that is Christ. That light in the star of Bethlehem brought the Magi to Christ; Christ beckons us to come and to receive his light. He gives us a light, a fire, that kindles other fires. May our prayer be that Christ’s light touches the dark places of a person’s heart so that they can see the goodwill and joy that is intended for them. 

 

Scripture for Daily Mass

 

First Reading:

Monday: (1 John 3) We belong to God, and anyone who knows God listens to us, while anyone who does not belong to God refuses to hear us. This is how we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit.

 

Tuesday: (1 John 4) Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love. In this way the love of God was revealed to us.

 

Wednesday: (1 John 4) Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another. No one has ever seen God.
Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us.

 

Thursday: (1 John 4) If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 

 

Friday (1 John 5) Who is the victor of this world? The one who believes in Jesus, who came through water and Blood, and the Spirit testifies to him.   

 

Saturday (1 John 5) We have confidence that if we ask anything according to his will, God hears us.

 

Gospel: 

Monday: (Matthew 4) He went around all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, and curing every disease and illness among the people.

 

Tuesday: (Mark 6) When Jesus saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. By now it was already late and his disciples approached him and said, “This is a deserted place and it is already very late.

 

Wednesday (Mark 6) After the five thousand had eaten and were satisfied, Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and precede him to the other side toward Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. And when he had taken leave of them, he went off to the mountain to pray. 

 

Thursday (Luke 4) Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news of him spread throughout the whole region. He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all.

 

Friday (Luke 5) It happened that there was a man full of leprosy in one of the towns where Jesus was; and when he saw Jesus, he fell prostrate, pleaded with him, and said, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” 

 

Saturday (John 3) Jesus and his disciples went into the region of Judea, where he spent some time with them baptizing. John was also baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was an abundance of water there, and people came to be baptized, for John had not yet been imprisoned.

 

Saints of the Week

 

January 3: The Name of Jesus was given to the infant as the angel foretold. In the Mediterranean world, the naming of person stood for the whole person. Humans were given the power to name during the Genesis creation accounts. If one honors the name of the person, they honor the person. The name Jesus means “Yahweh saves.”

 

January 4: Elizabeth Ann Seton, religious (1774-1821), was born into an Episcopalian household where she married and had five children. When her husband died, she became a Catholic and founded a girls’ school in Baltimore. She then founded the Sisters of Charity and began the foundation for the parochial school system in the U.S. She is the first native-born American to be canonized.

 

January 5: John Neumann, bishop (1811-1860), emigrated from Bohemia to New York and joined the Redemptorists in Pittsburgh before being named bishop of Philadelphia. He built many churches in the diocese and placed great emphasis on education as the foundation of faith.

 

January 6: Andre Bessette, religious (1845-1937), was born in Quebec, Canada. He joined the Congregation of the Holy Cross and taught for 40 years at the College of Notre Dame. He cared for the sick and was known as a intercessor for miracles. He built St. Joseph’s Oratory, a popular pilgrimage site in Canada.

 

January 7: Raymond of Penyafort, priest (1175-1275), was trained in philosophy and law and was ordained in 1222 to preach to the Moors and Christians. Though he was appointed bishop of Tarragon, he declined the position. Instead he organized papal decrees into the first form of canon law. He was later elected Master of the Dominican Order. 

 

This Week in Jesuit History

 

• Jan. 3, 1816: Fr. General Brzozowski and 25 members of the Society, guarded by soldiers, left St. Petersburg, Russia, having been banished by the civil government. 
• Jan. 4, 1619: The English mission is raised to the status of a province. 
• Jan. 5, 1548: Francis Suarez, one of the greatest theologians of the church, was born at Granada. 
• Jan. 6, 1829: Publication of Pope Leo XII's rescript, declaring the Society to be canonically restored in England. 
• Jan. 7, 1566: Cardinal Ghislieri was elected pope as Pius V. He was a great friend of the Francis Borgia and appointed Salmeron and Toletus as apostolic preachers at the Vatican. He desired to impose the office of choir on the Society and even ordered it. He was canonized as St. Pius V. 
• Jan. 8, 1601: Balthasar Gracian was born. A Spanish Jesuit, he wrote on courtly matters. He is the author of "The Compleat Gentleman" and "The Art of Worldly Wisdom." 
• Jan. 9, 1574: Fr. Jasper Haywood died at Naples. He was superior of the English mission. As a boy he was one of the pages of honor to the Princess Elizabeth. After a brilliant career at Oxford, he renounced his fellowship and entered the Society in Rome in 1570. An able Hebrew scholar and theologians, he was for two years professor in the Roman College.

 

Regala esa luz Epifanía 2021

                                                           Regala esa luz

Epifanía 2021

www.johnpredmoresj.com | predmore.blogspot.com

predmoresj@yahoo.com | 617.510.9673

3 de enero de 2021

Isaías 60: 1-6 ; Salmo 72 ; Efesios 3: 2-6 ; Mateo 2: 1-12

 

 

Para los cristianos, nuestra celebración en las fiestas de la Encarnación conduce a la Epifanía, e incluso más allá, mientras que para gran parte del mundo la Navidad sucedió el 25 de diciembre . Recientemente tuve conversaciones telefónicas con varias personas que estaban muy tristes el día de Navidad porque la celebración de este año no era como los años pasados, y luego hablé con otras personas que encontraron algo mágico este año porque pudieron concentrarse en el misterio que es navidad. Las personas de fe pueden aferrarse al misterio, lo que marca una gran diferencia.

 

Un misterio es una verdad revelada acerca de Dios que puede afirmarse en la fe, pero nunca puede explicarse de manera adecuada o completa de manera racional. Tenemos ese misterio en nuestros corazones , y el misterio revelado en la fiesta de hoy es que somos uno y que nos pertenecemos el uno al otro. Dios desea unir a toda la humanidad en Cristo, crean en él o no. En la primera Epifanía, Dios reveló que los gentiles son coherederos con los judíos, co-socios en la promesa de salvación ofrecida por Cristo.

 

La epifanía nos da nuestra misión porque tenemos que llevar la luz de Cristo a las personas cuyos corazones están oscurecidos. Tenemos que iluminar a las personas que están tristes porque esta Navidad no fue como las demás; tenemos que traer luz a los Ebenezer Scrooges de nuestro mundo; tenemos que traer luz a las personas de buena voluntad que tienen partes de su corazón oscurecidas por el dolor y el sufrimiento; tenemos que iluminar las partes oscuras de los Herodes en nuestras vidas, porque si alguien hubiera amado a Herodes y le hubiera asegurado que su posición en el mundo era segura, ese amor habría salvado la matanza de muchos niños inocentes. El poder de la luz y el amor en las áreas oscurecidas de los corazones sin duda borrará el odio y la violencia y los reemplazará con esperanza y buena voluntad.

 

Cada uno de nosotros, aunque somos personas de buena voluntad, hemos oscurecido lugares causados ​​por la inseguridad, la falta de percepción o comprensión, la traición o el fracaso, y nos esforzamos por mantener esos lugares ocultos para todos, incluso para nosotros mismos, con recuerdos demasiado dolorosos para nosotros. recordemos que los ocultamos de nuestra conciencia. Es solo cuando sacamos a la luz esos recuerdos dolorosos y áreas de sufrimiento que comenzamos a sanar y a obtener nuevas percepciones que nos dan sabiduría. Cuanta más luz iluminemos esas áreas, mayor será la luz , y nuestro sufrimiento puede ser útil para lograr un bien mayor por el bien de otros que están luchando.

 

Un misterio de la luz de Dios es que se puede compartir sin disminuirla. Cuanta más luz traemos a los demás, más brillante se vuelve el mundo. Incluso cuando dividimos una luz, nunca se atenúa. Esta fiesta proclama que la luz de Dios se revela a todas las naciones, y esperamos y oramos para que acepten la luz que es Cristo. Esa luz en la estrella de Belén llevó a los magos a Cristo; Cristo nos invita a venir y recibir su luz. Él nos da una luz, un fuego, que enciende otros fuegos. Que nuestra oración sea que la luz de Cristo toque los lugares oscuros del corazón de una persona para que pueda ver la buena voluntad y el gozo que está destinado a ella.

 

Escritura para la misa diaria

 

Primera lectura:

Lunes: (1 Juan 3) Pertenecemos a Dios, y quien conoce a Dios nos escucha, mientras que quien no es de Dios se niega a escucharnos. Así es como conocemos el espíritu de verdad y el espíritu de engaño.

 

Martes: (1 Juan 4) Amados, amémonos unos a otros, porque el amor es de Dios; todo el que ama es engendrado por Dios y conoce a Dios. El que no tiene amor no conoce a Dios, porque Dios es amor. De esta manera se nos reveló el amor de Dios.

 

Miércoles: (1 Juan 4) Amados, si Dios nos amó tanto, también nosotros debemos amarnos unos a otros. Nadie ha visto nunca a Dios.
Sin embargo, si nos amamos unos a otros, Dios permanece en nosotros y su amor llega a la perfección en nosotros.

 

Jueves: (1 Juan 4) Si alguien dice: “Amo a Dios”, pero odia a su hermano, es un mentiroso; porque quien no ama a un hermano a quien ha visto, no puede amar a Dios a quien no ha visto.

 

Viernes (1 Juan 5) ¿Quién es el vencedor de este mundo? El que cree en Jesús, que vino por agua y sangre, y el Espíritu le da testimonio.   

 

Sábado (1 Juan 5) Tenemos la confianza de que si pedimos algo conforme a su voluntad, Dios nos escucha.

 

Evangelio: 

Lunes: (Mateo 4) Se fue alrededor de toda Galilea, enseñando en las s ynagogues, proclamando el Evangelio del Reino, y sanando toda enfermedad y toda dolencia en el pueblo.

 

Martes: (Marcos 6) Cuando Jesús vio la gran multitud, su corazón se compadeció de ellos, porque eran como ovejas sin pastor; y comenzó a enseñarles muchas cosas. A estas alturas ya era tarde y sus discípulos se le acercaron y le dijeron: “Este es un lugar desierto y ya es muy tarde.

 

Miércoles (Marcos 6) Después de que los cinco mil habían comido y estaban satisfechos, Jesús hizo que sus discípulos subieran a la barca y lo precedieran al otro lado hacia Betsaida, mientras él despedía a la multitud. Y cuando se despidió de ellos, se fue al monte a orar.

 

Jueves (Lucas 4) Jesús regresó a Galilea con el poder del Espíritu, y su noticia se extendió por toda la región. Enseñó en sus sinagogas y fue alabado por todos.

 

Viernes (Lucas 5) Sucedió que había un leproso en uno de los pueblos donde estaba Jesús; y cuando vio a Jesús, se postró, le suplicó y dijo: "Señor, si quieres, puedes limpiarme".

 

Sábado (Juan 3) Jesús y sus discípulos fueron a la región de Judea, donde pasó algún tiempo bautizando con ellos. Juan también estaba bautizando en Enón, cerca de Salim, porque allí había agua en abundancia, y la gente iba a ser bautizada, porque Juan aún no había sido encarcelado.

 

Santos de la semana

 

3 de enero: El nombre de Jesús fue dado al infante como predijo el ángel. En el mundo mediterráneo, la denominación de persona representaba a toda la persona. A los humanos se les dio el poder de nombrar durante los relatos de creación del Génesis. Si uno honra el nombre de la persona, honra a la persona. El nombre Jesús significa "Yahvé salva".

 

4 de enero : Elizabeth Ann Seton, religiosa (1774-1821), nació en un hogar episcopal donde se casó y tuvo cinco hijos. Cuando murió su esposo, ella se hizo católica y fundó una escuela para niñas en Baltimore. Luego fundó las Hermanas de la Caridad y comenzó la fundación del sistema escolar parroquial en los Estados Unidos. Es la primera estadounidense nativa en ser canonizada.

 

5 de enero : John Neumann, obispo (1811-1860), emigró de Bohemia a Nueva York y se unió a los Redentoristas en Pittsburgh antes de ser nombrado obispo de Filadelfia. Construyó muchas iglesias en la diócesis y puso gran énfasis en la educación como fundamento de la fe.

 

6 de enero : Andre Bessette, religioso (1845-1937) , nació en Quebec, Canadá. Se unió a la Congregación de la Santa Cruz y enseñó durante 40 años en el Colegio de Notre Dame. Cuidaba a los enfermos y era conocido como intercesor de milagros. Construyó el Oratorio de San José, un lugar de peregrinaje popular en Canadá.

 

7 de enero : Raimundo de Penyafort , sacerdote (1175-1275), se formó en filosofía y derecho y fue ordenado en 1222 para predicar a moros y cristianos. Aunque fue nombrado obispo de Estragón, declinó el cargo. En cambio, organizó los decretos papales en la primera forma de derecho canónico. Posteriormente fue elegido Maestro de la Orden Dominicana.

 

Esta semana en la historia de los jesuitas

 

·                3 de enero de 1816: P. El general Brzozowski y 25 miembros de la Sociedad, custodiados por soldados, abandonaron San Petersburgo, Rusia, después de haber sido desterrados por el gobierno civil.

·                4 de enero de 1619: La misión inglesa es elevada a la categoría de provincia.

·                5 de enero de 1548: Francisco Suárez, uno de los más grandes teólogos de la Iglesia, nace en Granada.

·                6 de enero de 1829: publicación del rescripto del Papa León XII, declarando que la Sociedad será canónicamente restaurada en Inglaterra.

·                7 de enero de 1566: El cardenal Ghislieri fue elegido Papa como Pío V. Era un gran amigo de Francisco Borgia y nombró a Salmeron y Toletus como predicadores apostólicos en el Vaticano. Deseaba imponer el oficio de coro a la Sociedad e incluso lo ordenó. Fue canonizado como San Pío V.

·                8 de enero de 1601: Nace Balthasar Gracian . Jesuita español, escribió sobre asuntos cortesanos. Es el autor de "El caballero completo " y "El arte de la sabiduría mundana".

·                9 de enero de 1574: P. Jasper Haywood murió en Nápoles. Fue superior de la misión inglesa. De niño fue uno de los pajes de honor de la princesa Isabel. Después de una brillante carrera en Oxford, renunció a su beca y entró en la Sociedad en Roma en 1570. Un hábil erudito y teólogo hebreo, fue durante dos años profesor en el Colegio Romano.

 

Morning of Prayer: Poems of Christmas Joy

 Fr. Predmore is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. 

 Topic: Online Morning of Prayer: Poems of Joy – Savoring the Gifts of the Incarnation 

Time: Jan 2, 2021 09:30 AM to 12:00 noon Eastern Time (US and Canada) 

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84726451248?pwd=cVRVWExPOWVFSW1STkdTMUpJOHM1QT09 

Meeting ID: 847 2645 1248 Passcode: Joy!

Prayer: Unknown

O God, by your heavenly star, you guided those who were wise to your beloved Son. May your blessing come to rest on us. Make us wise with your wisdom, energized by your love, and ready to proclaim your Son as our Savior. May your Word made flesh make his home among us.

Spirituality: For the Innocent Victims of Herod.

“These then, whom Herod’s cruelty tore as sucklings from their mothers’ bosom,
are justly hailed as “infant martyr flowers”;
they were the Church’s first blossoms,
matured by the frost of persecution
during the cold winter of unbelief.”

St. Augustine

“The star of Bethlehem
shines forth in the dark night of sin.
Upon the radiance
that goes forth from the manger,
there falls the shadow of the cross.
In the dark of Good Friday, the light is extinguished
but it rises more brightly, as the sun of grace.
on the morning of the resurrection.
The road of the incarnate Son of God,
is through the cross and suffering.
to the splendour of the resurrection.
To arrive with the Son of Man,
through suffering and death,
at this splendour of the resurrection,
is the road for each one of us,
for all mankind.”

St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross

Prayer: The Venerable Bede

Let us believe in Christ, who saves not only the body but also the soul from death, and let us observe in our works what we believe, so that by believing we may have eternal life in is name.

Poem: “The Light Shines in the Darkness” by John Shea

In those long-ago days of Christmas innocence when it always snowed gently in a starry and windless night, my parents would hustle my sisters and me into the back seat of the car. We would drive slowly, snow crunching under cold tires, into the neighborhoods of the rich to see the “lights,”

Reindeer and wise men, sleighs and shepherds, elves and Mary, angels and carolers, Santa Claus and Baby Jesus were lit up on lawns so night passengers in slow-moving cars could gawk through frosted windows and say, “Look at that one!”

Once when we returned from the “lights,” I saw another light. No razzle-dazzle, no blinking on and off, no glitz, no “Oh, wow!” In the window of our second-floor flat the lit tree glowed in the surrounding darkness, a simple contrast. It carried me away.

I ran up the stairs to get closer to the revelation, only to find its moment of glory had passed. Just a pine tree shedding needles on the rug. But it had done its Christmas work.

The darkness would never be the same.

Poem: "I am There," by Karl Rahner, S.J.

 Now God says to us

What He has already said to the earth as a whole
Through His grace-filled birth:

I am there. I am with you.
I am your life. I am your time.
I am the gloom of your daily routine. Why will you not hear it?
I weep your tears - pour yours out to me.
I am your joy.
Do not be afraid to be happy; ever since I wept, joy is the standard of living
That is really more suitable than the anxiety and grief of those who have no hope.

I am the blind alley of all your paths,
For when you no longer know how to go any farther,
Then you have reached me,
Though you are not aware of it.

I am in your anxiety, for I have shared it.
I am in the prison of your finiteness,
For my love has made me your prisoner.

I am in your death,
For today I began to die with you, because I was born,
And I have not let myself be spared any real part of this experience.

I am present in your needs;
I have suffered them and they are now transformed.

I am there.
I no longer go away from this world.
Even if you do not see me now, I am there.

My love is unconquerable.
I am there.
It is Christmas.
Light the Candles! They have more right to exist then all the darkness.
It is Christmas.
Christmas that lasts forever.

"The Eternal Year"

Christmas Eve Mass

The simple story of Christ’s birth touches our lives to evoke our deepest emotions, emotions we do not even understand, but it is something so profound and its truth settles deep inside us in a place we call home. This moment touches the part of us that naturally loves and wants to be meaningfully loved, and God does it year after year through the Nativity. On this night, in a stable in Bethlehem, God enters into our human family as a newborn baby, and love changes everything. Tonight is about the possibility of what this love can do.

How do you need God’s love to touch your heart this year? To restore hope, to heal hurts and disappointments, to reconcile with a loved one, to reconcile idealism with reality? Christmas allows us to make space for mystery and wonder. Allow yourself to be transfigured by this love that changes everything. Even for a moment, live in this love that draws us in, leads us on, lures us into harmony and goodwill. Feed yourself with the sights and sounds, fragrances and taste, the sensuality of touch.

We need to grow this love by nurturing our relationships with kindness and compassion and by speaking words that affirm and encourage. You have a choice, and you can always use words that build bridges and form deeper bonds. I invite you to say to someone with whom you are not enjoying your best moments presently: “I’m glad you are here. I’m glad I am with you. I want your happiness, and I want the best for you.” You don’t have to solve the relationship; you simply need to let the person know that she or he is still important to you. It might be very difficult to have the courage to utter, but once you do it, you will experience the positive effects of saying it, even if the person might not respond as fully and freely as you want. Take the risk. Go beyond what you think is possible. You will be speaking the truth, and those words might be someone’s best Christmas gift.

Our relationships depend on the capacity of each of us to understand our own difficulties and aspirations, and those of others. When you understand yourself, which includes knowing how you suffer, you can profit from every moment you have to live. You can enjoy every moment. When you are truly happy, we all profit from your happiness. We need happy people in the world.

The Christ child was born to reconcile us to God, to draw us closer, to strengthen our bonds to God. Let’s approach the crib of our dreams and inspirations, the place where we know everything will be alright, the place that we return to every year, the place we know is our home and where we are always welcome. This is a crib of the mystery of love, and it needs to be nurtured and fed. Let the crib nourish our hearts in silence, and let’s nourish the hearts of those around us who need to come this this crib. Our hearts bring the crib to them. The power of this love is deep and endless and full of mystery. Let’s see what love can do for our world this year.

La Misa de la Navidad

 La simple historia del nacimiento de Cristo toca nuestras vidas para evocar nuestras emociones más profundas, emociones que ni siquiera entendemos, pero es algo tan profundo y su verdad se asienta muy dentro de nosotros en un lugar que llamamos hogar. Este momento toca la parte de nosotros que ama naturalmente y quiere ser amado de manera significativa, y Dios lo hace año tras año a través de la Natividad. En esta noche, en un establo de Belén, Dios entra en nuestra familia humana como un bebé recién nacido, y el amor lo cambia todo. Esta noche se trata de la posibilidad de lo que este amor puede hacer. 

¿Cómo necesitas que el amor de Dios toque tu corazón este año? ¿Restaurar la esperanza, curar las heridas y las decepciones, reconciliarse con un ser querido, reconciliar el idealismo con la realidad? La Navidad nos permite hacer espacio para el misterio y la maravilla. Déjate transfigurar por este amor que lo cambia todo. Aunque sea por un momento, vive este amor que nos atrae, nos guía, nos atrae hacia la armonía y la buena voluntad. Aliméntese con las vistas y los sonidos, las fragancias y el sabor, la sensualidad del tacto.

 

Necesitamos hacer crecer este amor alimentando nuestras relaciones con bondad y compasión y hablando palabras que afirmen y alienten. Tienes una opción y siempre puedes usar palabras que construyan puentes y formen vínculos más profundos. Te invito a que le digas a alguien con quien no estás disfrutando tus mejores momentos en este momento: “Me alegro de que estés aquí. Me alegro de estar contigo. Quiero tu felicidad y quiero lo mejor para ti ". No tienes que resolver la relación; simplemente necesita hacerle saber a la persona que todavía es importante para usted. Puede ser muy difícil tener el coraje de decirlo, pero una vez que lo hagas, experimentarás los efectos positivos de decirlo, incluso si la persona no responde tan plena y libremente como quieres. Tomar el riesgo. Vaya más allá de lo que cree que es posible. Dirá la verdad y esas palabras podrían ser el mejor regalo de Navidad para alguien.

 

Nuestras relaciones dependen de la capacidad de cada uno de nosotros para comprender nuestras propias dificultades y aspiraciones, y las de los demás. Cuando te comprendes a ti mismo, lo que incluye saber cómo sufres, puedes aprovechar cada momento que tienes para vivir. Puedes disfrutar cada momento. Cuando estás verdaderamente feliz, todos nos beneficiamos de tu felicidad. Necesitamos gente feliz en el mundo.

 

El niño Jesús nació para reconciliarnos con Dios, para acercarnos más, para fortalecer nuestros lazos con Dios. Acerquémonos a la cuna de nuestros sueños e inspiraciones, el lugar donde sabemos que todo estará bien, el lugar al que regresamos cada año, el lugar que conocemos es nuestro hogar y donde siempre somos bienvenidos. Este es un pesebre del misterio del amor, y necesita ser nutrido y alimentado. Dejemos que la cuna alimente nuestros corazones en silencio, y alimentemos los corazones de quienes nos rodean y necesitan venir a esta cuna. Nuestros corazones les traen la cuna. El poder de este amor es profundo, infinito y lleno de misterio. Veamos qué puede hacer el amor por nuestro mundo este año.

God’s Abiding Fidelity: The Family of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus 2020

                        God’s Abiding Fidelity

The Family of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus 2020

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December 27, 2020

2 Samuel 7:1-16; Psalm 89; Romans 16:25-27; Luke 1:26-38

 

 

In a year in which our extended families may not have been able to come together for major events and holidays, we’ve had to collectively examine the family around us and we’ve had to rely upon one another, and we have been there for one another. The readings highlight fidelity to God, which implies fidelity to our family of faith. Abram trusts God even though he is old and childless and he follows the command to God to look up at the sky to count the stars and to trust in God’s blessings. Through his fidelity, Abram becomes Abraham and soon discovers that his wife Sarah has become pregnant. He is to become the father of many descendants because of his trust. Likewise, we have been gifted with the Christmas star this year, and thus we have an invitation to lift up our faces and to be filled with hope in God’s promises to us. 

 

Joseph and Mary likewise trust in the law of Moses when they bring the boy to the Temple for his ritual Presentation. They meet the righteous Simeon, who prayed for many people during his long life, and the widowed Ana, the prophet, who found solace in being close to the Lord in the Temple. These people of prayer were instrumental for the development of the family of Jesus, especially when Joseph and Mary took him to Galilee to grow in wisdom and strength. Ana and Simeon’s prayers helped the faith move from its former phase to a new mode of being. As we transition from this year of unbalance, we need people of prayer to help guide us to something new and imaginative.

 

As we reflect upon this year and pivot a new one, take a survey of the ways your prayer has evolved. I recall waking up each morning with a fresh attitude and a generous spirit and I would offer the beginnings of my day to God. Then I would catch the news cycle and feel weighed down a bit; then the texts, emails, and phone calls started coming in because of the worry and concern of many people. By the end of the day, my shoulders were heavy, eyelids were droopy, and the gravity of concerns were substantial, and I would sit before God just to breathe and to offer up the intentions entrusted to me. Sometimes I would feel like a container that would receive the intentions and then store them to offer them to the Lord at mass and in my personal prayer, and God always lifted the burdens from my shoulders and revived my spirits, so that I could go to bed with a lighter heart, one that placed trust in God. The intentions were never mine to carry, but simply to hold until I could bring them to the Lord. They are God’s; they rightly belong in God’s heart, the one who can do all things with great possibility and promise. 

 

As we celebrate the family of Joseph and Mary, our families of origin, and our families of faith, let’s receive the prayers that people entrust to us. Our prayer for each other is essential, as we have discovered this year. Sometimes, it is all we can have and all we can offer. Let’s offer them to the Lord at Eucharist; let’s lift them up for the Lord to hear. While these stories today appear to be about the fidelity of Abram, Simeon, Anna, and Joseph and Mary, they are about God’s fidelity to us, so that when we look up at the sky and see those stars, or the clouds, or the Christmas Star, we will know the God is blessing us today and promises to do so for our future. So, let’s celebrate with joy that we have one another and that our prayers and compassion will make life easier for another person, and let’s remember that God’s heart is still filled with gladness that the Christ has been born for us once again. 

 

Scripture for Daily Mass

 

First Reading:

Monday: (Acts 6) Stephen worked great wonders among the people and adversaries debated with him fiercely. They threw hit out of the city, stoned him, and laid him at Saul’s feet.  

 

Tuesday: (1 John) What we heard, and saw with our eyes, what we looked upon, and touched with our hands, concerns the Word of life.

 

Wednesday: (1 John) God is light and in him there is no darkness. We have fellowship with him. Walk in the light as he is in the light.  

 

Thursday: (1 John) We are friends with God if we keep his commandments. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light and there is nothing in him to cause a fall.   

   

Friday (Sirach 3) God sets a father in honor over his children; a mother’s authority he confirms over her sons. Take care of your father when he is old.   

 

Saturday (1 John 2) It is the last hour and the anti-Christ is coming. You have the anointing of the Holy One, and you have all knowledge.

 

Gospel: 

Monday: (Matthew 10) Jesus said, “Beware of men who will hand you over to their courts and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be led before governors and kings.  

 

Tuesday: (John 20) Magdalene ran to Simon Peter and the Beloved Disciples to tell the news that Jesus has been removed from the tomb. In fear, they ran to see the tomb.

 

Wednesday (Matthew 2) When the magi departed, an angel told Joseph to take his wife and child to Egypt because Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.  

 

Thursday (Luke 2) When the days were completed for the purification, Mary and Joseph brought the child to the Temple, where they met Simeon, a righteous and devoted man.

   

Friday (Matthew 2) When Herod died, an angel told Joseph to return to Israel. “Out of Egypt have I called my son.”

 

Saturday (John 1) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things came to be through him. A light shines in the darkness.  

 

Saints of the Week

 

December 27: John, Apostle and Evangelist (d. 100), was the brother of James and one of the three disciples to be in the inner circle. He left fishing to follow Jesus and was with him at the major events: the transfiguration, raising of Jairus' daughter, and the agony in the garden. He is also thought to be the author of the fourth gospel, three letters, and the Book of Revelation. 

 

December 28: The Holy Innocents (d. 2), were the boys of Bethlehem who were under two years old to be killed by King Herod in an attempt to eliminate the rise of the newborn king as foretold by the astronomers from the east. This event is similar to the rescue of Moses from the Nile by the slaughter of the infant boys by the pharaoh. 

 

December 29: Thomas Becket, bishop and martyr (1118-1170), was the lord chancellor and archbishop of Canterbury in England during the time of King Henry II. When he disagreed with the King over the autonomy of the church and state, he was exiled to France. When he returned, he clashed again with the king who had him murdered in Canterbury Cathedral.  

 

December 30: The Family of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus, was a feast instituted in 1921. It was originally the 3rd Sunday after Christmas. The Holy Family is often seen in Renaissance paintings - and many of those are of the flight into Egypt. 

 

December 31: Sylvester I, pope (d. 335), served the church shortly after Constantine issued his Edict of Milan in 313 that publicly recognized Christianity as the official religion of the empire and provided it freedom of worship. Large public churches were built by the emperor and other benefactors. Sylvester was alive during the Council of Nicaea but did not attend because of old age.

 

January 2: Basil the Great and Gregory Nanzianzen, bishops and doctors (fourth century), are two of the four great doctors of the Eastern Church. They are known for their preaching especially against the Arian heretics. Basil began as a hermit before he was named archbishop of Caesarea. He influenced Gregory who eventually became archbishop of Constantinople. Their teachings influenced both the Roman and Eastern Churches.

 

This Week in Jesuit History

 

• Dec 27, 1618. Henry Morse entered the English College at Rome. 
• Dec 28, 1802. Pope Pius VII allowed Father General Gruber to affiliate the English Jesuits to the Society of Jesus in Russia. 
• Dec 29, 1886. Publication of the beatification decree of the English martyrs. 
• Dec 30, 1564. Letter from Pope Pius IV to Daniel, Archbishop of Mayence, deploring the malicious and scurrilous pamphlets published against the Society throughout Germany and desiring him to use his influence against the evil. 
• Dec 31, 1640. John Francis Regis died. He was a missionary to the towns and villages of the remote mountains of southern France. 
• Jan. 1, 1598: Fr. Alphonsus Barréna, surnamed the Apostle of Peru, died. He was the first to carry the faith to the Guaranis and Chiquitos in Paraguay. 
• Jan. 2, 1619: At Rome, John Berchmans and Bartholomew Penneman, his companion scholastic from Belgium, entered the Roman College.