And Mary Treasured All These Things in Her Heart

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (B)

New Year Day

Luke 2: 16-21     “Mary treasured all these things and reflected on them in her heart.”

Catholic celebrates New Year’s Day by inviting people to Church to honor the Mother of Jesus with the new born baby still in her arms. The silence of the Lord’s mother revealed a deep and determined sense of purpose. How clearly and how loudly this strong woman speaks through her Son! She gave birth to Him who in turn will give life to the world.

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul states, “When the designated time had come, God sent forth His Son born of a woman."  It is the delightful and faith-filled woman whom we honor on the first day of the New Year. We find Jesus and Mary together and nothing can separate them. As we look into ourselves, how genuine is our devotion to Mary, the mother of the Lord our savior?

“Mary treasured all these things and reflected on them in heart.” Mary is truly an example of all the people we pray.

“O LOVING FATHER, MAY THE PRAYER OF MARY, THE GIFT OF A MOTHERS’ LOVE, BE YOUR PEOPLE’S JOY THROUGH ALL AGES; AND MARY’S RESPONSE, BORN OF A HUMBLE HEART, DRAW YOUR SPIRIT TO REST ON YOUR PEOPLE. GRANT THIS THROUGH CHRIST OUR LORD. AMEN. 

And the Word Became Flesh

Christmas Day

John 1: 1 – 18      “And the Word became flesh.”

The power Jesus brought with him on that first Christmas night is the most unusual, and the uniqueness of that power is dramatized by the singular way Jesus came into the world.

 

Jesus came into the world as the son of a carpenter and a humble handmaid. He came into the world like you and me: naked, helpless. Jesus knew hunger. He knew thirst. He knew pain. Jesus experienced ridicule. He experienced rejection. He even experienced the worst death anyone could experience – crucifixion! When Jesus arrived in the world, he was greeted by lowly shepherds. When the time for his ministry came, he identified himself with the poor, with the suffering, with the powerless.

And this life of Jesus brings us to the extraordinary power that Jesus brought with him into the world. This power is contained in a two-fold reality: 1) God loves each one of us and because of God’s great love for us, He sent his only Son. 2) This loving God of heaven and earth is the Father of us all; because of this, we are all brothers and sisters! This two-fold truth is God’s Christmas gift to each one of us. What we do with this amazing reality is both our gift to God and the challenge of Christmas to each one of us beautifully summarized by an unknown poet:

“When the song of the angels is stilled, when the star in the sky is gone, when the kings and princes had gone home, when the shepherds are back with their flocks, then the challenge of Christmas to each one of us begins – to find the lost, to heal the broken-hearted, to feed the hungry, to release the prisoner, to rebuild the nations, to bring peace among brothers and sisters, and to make music with the heart.”

            LOVING FATHER, AS THE LIGHT OF THE CHRISTMAS MORNING DAWNS UPON THE EARTH AND THE GLORY OF THE LORD SHINES UPON US, WE NOW EXPRESS OUR PROFOUND AND UNENDING GRATITUDE FOR THE GIFT OF YOUR SON. THIS GRATITUDE IS OUR RESPONSE THROUGH JESUS YOUR SON OUR LORD. AMEN 

I am the Servant of the Lord

December 18, 2011

4^th Sunday of Advent (B)

Luke 1: 26-38     "I am the Servant of the Lord. Be it done to me according to your word."

Some religious educators fear that Catholics give too much honor to Mary. A common reply to this concern is that God Himself bestowed a sublime dignity on Mary by choosing her as the mother of His Son. Listen to what the angel Gabriel says to her in today’s gospel reading: “You have found favor with God. The Holy Spirit will come over you. Your child will be the Son of God. Blessed are you among women.” Because all these praises and privileges were freely bestowed upon one woman by the Creator Himself, then that woman must surely deserve our admiration.

Mary is vital to our faith today for another reason. Mary was deeply holy but sensibly practical. On the question of bearing a child, she immediately asked, “How can this be?’ since she was not married. Here we see a beautiful touch of toughness in Mary who trusted yet questioned and gave her consent on the condition that the information was correct --- “I am the servant of the Lord.  Be it done to me according to your word.” Who, better than Mary, can help us prepare for the birth of the Christ Child? Our imitation of her virtues can also make Christ present within us and through us His light can illumine the world.

On this final Sunday of the Advent Season, we pray:

“O LOVING FATHER, AS WE AWAIT THE BIRTH OF JESUS, TEACH US ALWAYS TO FOLLOW THE EXAMPLE OF MARY OUR MOTHER. THIS  IS OUR PRAYER THROUGH JESUS CHRIST YOUR SON OUR LORD. AMEN.”

 

Who are You?

Third Sunday of Advent (B)
John 1: 6-8, 19-28

This gospel for the Third Sunday Advent invites us to reflect on these questions: “Who are you?” and “What do you have to say for yourself?” The honesty of our spiritual lives depends to a great extent on how we relate to psychological inflation. Do we mentally stand up and applaud ourselves? Do we feel puffed up because we met or associated with some celebrities? When others say we are the greatest, do we believe? When we hear it said of someone else, do we think it is said only to be polite but not really meant as in our case?

            John the Baptizer can help us glory in being part of the common people without trying to be some kind of a heavenly-sent dignitary. As we now joyfully await the birthday celebration of Jesus, we bask in the golden glory He has shared with us and acclaim Him as the one true Celebrity whom we adore. Happy to have the dignity of being His servants, we testify to the  light but like John the Baptist we realize that we are not the light.

            As we move a step closer towards Christmas, we now  pray to God our Father that we may always find Christian joy in our hearts: “O LOVING FATHER, WITH CONFIDENCE WE PLACE OUR NEEDS BEFORE YOU. TEACH US TO DEDICATE OURSELVES TO YOUR WAY OF LIFE AND IN DOING SO, TO FIND OUR PEACE. WE ASK YOU THIS IN THE LIGHT AND IN THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT THROUGH JESUS YOUR SON OUR LORD. AMEN.

My Yoke is Easy

Thursday, 2^ND Week of Advent

Matthew 11: 28 - 30

FOR MY YOKE IS EASY AND MY BURDEN IS LIGHT. People say, “Do what you love and you will never have to work another day for the rest of your life.” Things are light and easy when you enjoy them. Jesus must enjoy going around and talking about His Father, reaching out to people and being close to them, telling parables to hungry  hearts, loving and freeing people from their burdens. No wonder His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

Jesus wants to share with us that lightness in His spirit. Learn from Jesus – to forgive, to share, to inspire, to keep faith, to be of service to people – these are the real tasks worth living that will make your shoulders relaxed, your smile light, and your heart alive!

            “O LOVING FATHER, GIVE US THE LIGHTNESS OF HEART WE FIND IN JESUS. THIS IS OUR PRAYER THROUGH JESUS YOUR SON OUR LORD. AMEN.”

Advent Minded People

2^ND Week of Advent (B)

Mark 1: 1- 8

December 4, 2011

Mark announces his Gospel as the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. But before he tells us about Jesus Christ and his Good News, he introduces John the Baptizer as the Lord’s forerunner. It was John who announced the coming of the Messiah – Jesus Christ. John prepared the mission of Jesus. Jesus and John had the same mission although John stressed repentance whereas Jesus emphasized salvation.

We now ask ourselves a timely Advent question: Have I truly received the Messiah, or am I still looking for another? The more we reflect on the Advent readings, the more we come to realize that Advent is a genuine invitation to welcome the real presence of Jesus Christ. Even though we are convinced that we are now living the Christian life, we can become more Advent-minded people if we wholeheartedly open ourselves to Jesus Christ and to his message for it is the very nature of the Messiah to continually reveal Himself both to us and through us.

“O GOD OUR FATHER, DURING THE SEASON OF ADVENT MAKE STRAIGHT THE PATH FOR US AND PREPARE US  TO MEET BOTH YOU AND YOUR BELOVED SON DURING THIS COMING SEASON OF CHRISTMAS. THIS IS WHAT WE ASK OF YOU IN THE LIGHT AND IN THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT THROUGH JESUS YOUR SON AND OUR LORD. AMEN.

People of Advent

 

1^st Sunday of Advent (B)

Mark 13: 33-37

“Be constantly on watch!” This is the gospel advice for the first Sunday of Advent. Watch for opportunities to let God into our lives. This is the countdown time for the celebration of the birth of Jesus. The advent wreath is a weekly reminder of the remaining days. In addition to the liturgical and devotional ceremonies, there are other “liturgies” or advent activities outside the Church which can be made both spiritual and centered on Christ, like 1) the Christmas shopping 2) the sending of Christmas cards 3) decorating our surroundings for Christmas 4) preparing the Christmas meal. These are some ways in which we can truly become “People of Advent.”

And now we look into ourselves and we ask: How much thought and effort do we exert in making ourselves truly people of Advent? How serious and faithful are we in really preparing for the coming of Christ during the season of Advent?

“O LOVING AND COMPASSIONATE FATHER, AS WE LOOK FORWARD T O YOUR SON’S BIRTH AMONG US, MAY WE LIVE BY THE EXAMPLE OF LOVE AND DEVOTION HE HAS SHOWN US. THIS IS OUR PRAYER THROUGH JESUS YOUR SON OUR LORD. AMEN.

-          Nick Yatco,SJ

November 27, 2011