Designated Drivers And Designated Drunks

"Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature" (Mk 16:15). -----------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, December 31, 2011, Pope St. Sylvester I

1 John 2:18-21, Psalm 96:1-2, 11-13, John 1:1-18 Link to Readings --> http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/123111.cfm

"My reason for having written you is not that you do not know the truth but that you do, and that no lie has anything in common with the truth." -1 John 2:21

On this last day of the year, many people try to escape from reality by drinking alcohol, taking drugs, or staring at TV. Some feel so miserable they don't even think of not drinking. They resign themselves to despair and only hope they won't drive when they drink. They even promote "designated drivers." But for every "designated driver" there are at least a few "designated drunks." In contrast to the world, the Lord warns us: "Stay sober and alert. Your opponent the devil is prowling like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, solid in your faith" (1 Pt 5:8-9). "Children, it is the final hour; just as you heard that the antichrist was coming, so now many such antichrists have appeared" (1 Jn 2:18). "Let us not be asleep like the rest, but awake and sober! Sleepers sleep by night and drunkards drink by night" (1 Thes 5:6-7). "Be on guard lest your spirits become bloated with indulgence and drunkenness and worldly cares" (Lk 21:34). "Awake, O sleeper, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light" (Eph 5:14). "Avoid getting drunk on wine; that leads to debauchery. Be filled with the Spirit" (Eph 5:18).

Prayer: Father, may I not live under the influence of anything but You.

Promise: "The light shines on in darkness, a darkness that did not overcome it." -Jn 1:5

Praise: Pope St. Sylvester trusted in God's guidance of the Church during difficult times by writing in humility and courage.

3rd Sunday of Advent

This week, oh! Christ, Your church celebrates another great feast of Your mother and ours.

The feast of "Our Lady of Guadalupe", is important because it shows Mary's care for the down trodden people.

She appeared to Juan Diego and gave him a message of love.

And so we thank You, Jesus, for Your mother and her loving care.

Jesus, continue to prepare us to give You the Christmas present You want us to give You.

And help us to know what that is.

Amen and Amen.

Thank you Lord, for loving us totally.

PREPARING TO PREPARE FOR CHRISTMAS

Sirach 48:1-4, 9-11, Psalm 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19, Matthew 17:9-13 Link to Readings --> http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/121011.cfm

"Elijah has already come, but they did not recognize him." -Matthew 17:12

The prophetic ministry of Elijah prepared the way for John the Baptizer's prophetic ministry. John prophesied "in the spirit and power of Elijah" (Lk 1:17). Jesus even stated that John "is Elijah" (Mt 11:14). Elijah prepared the way for John, who came to "prepare the way of the Lord" (Mt 3:3). God prepared the way for His Son's coming for centuries. He sent prophet after prophet. He gave visions, warnings, and encouragements. In fact, the entire Old Testament points to the coming of Jesus, the Messiah. If God, Who is all-knowing and always ready, spent centuries preparing for Christmas, then we, who know so little and are often unprepared for the future, surely need at least four weeks of Advent to prepare for Christ's Christmas coming. We need Elijah's ministry of fire (Sir 48:1, 3) to burn away the "holiday" distractions and fill us with the fire of the Holy Spirit to be prepared to welcome Jesus. We need to be immersed in John's "baptism of repentance" this Advent (Mk 1:4). Our sincere Advent Confession removes "speed bumps" of sin (see Lk 3:5), which prevent us from being quick to welcome Jesus. Instead of preparing for the "holidays" by attending Christmas parties, we need to prepare for "Christ-Mass" by attending Christmas banquets, that is, Advent Masses, the eucharistic banquets of the Lamb. "Prepare the way of the Lord" this Advent, and have the Christmas of a lifetime.

Prayer: Father, this Advent, may I "learn to value the things that really matter" in life (Phil 1:10). I devote my life to seeking Jesus.

Promise: "Give us new life, and we will call upon Your name." -Ps 80:19

Praise: Maria spends her Advent in prayer and in preparing her heart for the coming of her Lord.

WOMAN-LIBERATION

"The woman answered, 'The serpent tricked me into it.' " –Genesis 3:13

In the wake of the first sin, on the worst day in history, the Lord said to the serpent: "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel" (Gn 3:15). God's curse of the serpent is a promise of mercy for us. The woman and the snake will hate each other and be at war. The offspring of the woman will have a decided advantage and win the war.
 
The woman is Eve, the chosen people, the Church, and Mary. On Calvary, moments before His death, Jesus called Mary "woman" (Jn 19:26). He told her to adopt all His disciples. Therefore, the offspring of the woman is not only the human race and Jesus but also Jesus' disciples. Thus, God has promised us victory over "the ancient serpent known as the devil or Satan" (Rv 12:9).
 
Jesus destroyed "the devil's works" (1 Jn 3:8) and even swallowed up death in victory (1 Cor 15:54). From the moment of her conception, Mary shared perfectly in her Son's time-transcending victory over Satan. We, as disciples of Jesus and adopted children of Mary, also share greatly in Jesus' victory.

Today's great, solemn feast is a celebration of victory, hope, Mary, and discipleship. Today is a celebration of Jesus – God, Man, Savior, and Lord. Alleluia! Praise the Lord Jesus!

PRAYER:	Father, may I be free from sin by repenting and constantly depending on Your grace. "O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you."
PROMISE:	"Nothing is impossible with God." –Lk 1:37
PRAISE:	Praise Jesus, Whose Presence was the reason for Mary's Immaculate Conception.

Y'ALL COME

"To whom can you liken Me as an equal? says the Holy One." –Isaiah 40:25

No one equals God in anything. Consider God's strength; He is unequaled in strength. Almighty God is so strong that He made and sustains the millions of stars which span light-years in space (Is 40:26).
 
Almighty God is willing to share His unlimited strength with us. "He gives strength to the fainting; for the weak He makes vigor abound" (Is 40:29). When God strengthens old or weak people, they can outrun, outwork, and outlast young folks. Those who let God renew their strength "will soar as with eagles' wings; they will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint" (Is 40:31).
 
It gets better. God will make you so supernaturally strong that you will be able to say with Paul: "In Him Who is the Source of my strength I have strength for everything" (Phil 4:13). God's love in you will be stronger than death (see Sg 8:6). Death, sickness, pain, and Satan will wear out before you will. You will have the strength to enter into eternal life and rest (see Mt 11:29).

To receive this supernatural strength, come to Jesus. "All you who are weary and find life burdensome" (Mt 11:28), come to Jesus.

PRAYER:	Father, beginning this Advent may I have Your strength for everything.
PROMISE:	"My yoke is easy and My burden light." –Mt 11:30
PRAISE:	St. Ambrose put all his giftedness – his intelligence, education, and passion – in God's employment. He was so holy as a catechumen he was selected for bishop at thirty-four

FREE-GIFTS

Isaiah 40:1-11, Psalm 96:1-3, 10-13, Matthew 18:12-14 Link to Readings --> http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/120611.cfm

"Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her slavery is at an end." -Isaiah 40:2, our transl.

St. Nicholas is famous not just for giving gifts, but for gift-giving that set people free. His gifts freed three young women from beginning lives of prostitution. What about the gifts you will give this Christmas? Will these gifts set people free, merely distract them from their slavery, or even be one more enslaving factor in their lives? Jesus came and will come this Christmas to "proclaim liberty to captives, recovery of sight to the blind and release to prisoners, to announce a year of favor from the Lord" (Lk 4:18-19). Christ's Christmas coming this year is yet another proclamation of a year of total liberation.

Our Christmas gifts will free people if they lead others to Christ, Who is the Truth that sets us free (Jn 14:6; Jn 8:32, 36). For instance, giving people a Bible, a cross, or prayer can free them. Giving something that you made yourself (e.g. cookies, crafts, poems, or even songs) usually has more power to lead others to freedom in Christ than store-bought items. Giving your time and service to others can be acts of Christian love which free people from depression, fear, confusion, and self-hatred.

This type of gift-giving is not popular in our materialistic world. We may even be ridiculed for such "old-fashioned," "religious" gift-giving. If so, we will then be able to give even greater gifts such as forgiveness, mercy, and unconditional love. These gifts have the greatest power to free people and lead them to Christ.

Prayer: Father, in Jesus, free me from sin and for evangelization.

Promise: "It is no part of your heavenly Father's plan that a single one of these little ones shall ever come to grief." -Mt 18:14

Praise: St. Nicholas was a saintly monk before God raised him to abbot, archbishop, and saint. He set a standard for giving gifts of generosity and freedom.