Last day of 2010

The first reading begins in a most fitting way as we close the old year and begin a new year, "Children it is the last hour." (1 john2:18-21)

The last hours of 2010 are upon us. Preparations are being made to welcome the new year and in our own hearts and minds we have already moved on.

We are people who love to look ahead. Seldom do we stop and look behind.

Perhaps we should do that today. Take a few moments from these last hours and look back over the hours spent this past year. Go back to the beginning.

What resolutions did you make? How did you carry them forth? Which ones did you succeed at and which ones were failures?

What kind of shape did your life take over the past 351 days? Have your relationship skills improved? Or are you still fighting the same fight with the same tools with the same result?

Where have you been surrised by the developments of your life and lives of those around you? Where have you been shocked? Where have you been challenged to grow and beocme the man or woman God created you to be?

When did you give love a fighting chance? When did you fight for love? When did you build up and when did you tear down?

How has your faith journey been affected by the journey of these past 351 days and nights?

Are you closer to God? Are you closer to surrender? Are you more willing to trust and let Him guide you?


How have you become a more impactful memeber of your faith community? Your comunity at large? Your family?

Where did you encounter a glimpse of the power of God?

When were you brought to your knees? When did you lift you hands in praise? When did you pray and truly talked with your God and listen to Him as well?

When did You laugh? When did you cry? When did you mourn? When did you Hope?

These are just a few questions to guide you in these last hours of this year as you prepare to welcome the hours to come in the new.

And remember, every hour counts for every hour may be the last hour and thus we are always moving toward the first hour of the rest of our lives.

Stop! Pause! Think! Reflect! Recieve! Open your heart and mind to the living God. As we learn from the Magi this Sunday, be not afraid to be led another way!

Don't drop the ball before the Ball drops.

6th day of christmas: surround sound

We all are familiar with the song, "twelve days of Christmas."
The twelve days mark the 8 days of the Christmas octave plus the four days that led up to the Epiphany, usually celebrated january 6th, though now we celebrate it the SUnday following New Years.

the song was written as a tool to teach the faith at a time when catholics were being persecuted in England. That is right, Catholics were persecuted in England, just in case people have forgotten.

so here is the teaching as it was taught then:
Partridge in a pear tree Jesus Christ, symbolized as a mother partridge that feigns injury to decoy predators from helpless nestlings.

Two turtle doves Old & New Testaments

Three French Hens Faith, hope, charity

Four Calling birds The Four Gospels

Five Golden Rings The Pentateuch or Five Books of Moses (Genesis through Deuteronomy)

Six geese a laying Six days of creation

Seven Swans a swimming 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Eight maids a-milking 8 Beatitudes

Nine Ladies Dancing Nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit

Ten Lords a-leaping 10 Commandments

Eleven pipers piping The 11 faithful disciples

12 drummers drumming 12 articles of the Apostles Creed

Today is the 6th day of Christmas so we ponder the six days of creation; we ponder the work of God's hand.

In the words of St. Bernard, "in the work of creation God gave us ourselves. In the work of redemption God gave us himself. We love God for the gift of ourselves, but how much more love should we owe for the gift of himself."

Today set aside a few moments to take in the beauty of creation. Peer into the created beauty and catch a glimpse of God.

Today might be a good time to turn off the TV, the radio, the noise makers and sit in silent awe of the beauty that surrounds. Creation is the original surround sound, echoing forth God's deliberate and willful love for us all.

As you ponder creation imagine God saying, "Can you hear me now." Get out and get some fresh air for a change. Let the freshness of creation fill your heart and mind.

If you still don't get it, then look to the child in the manger. The Creator becomes the creature so that the message might be turned up a notch and heard more clearly.

a sword shall pierce your heart

Simeon the prophet, as he holds baby JEsus in his hands, he stares into the face of this child who bears the marks of eternity and then his gazes meets that of his mother's, speaks these words that have echoed forth from the temple threshold through the ages,

"behold this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted and you yourself a sword will pierce so that thoughts of many shall be revealed."

"A sword shall pierce..."

These words remind us that when it comes to love, we can never play it safe. We cannot keep a distance. When it comes ot love we must be willing to be wounded.

christmas reminds us that God does not play it safe; he does not keep a safe distance. Rather he journeys from heaven to earth, he ocmes down to be not just with us, but one of us.

He allows himself to be wounded by love for all.

Mary's yes to god also opens wide the door to love. She alos bears the mark, bears the wound. Her heart is pierced by love itself.

She does not play it safe; she does not keep her distance. She opens wide to love.

We too must follow her lead.

If love is goign to be a force that changes the world then we can no longer play it safe, guard our distance, go forth cautiously.

We must be willing to let the sword of love pierce our heart; we must be wounded.

"Crucify my heart, crucify my thoughts, crucify my words, crucify my love that I may be wounded for you O Lord, Sweet Jesus, that my life may radiate your love, your goodness, your grace, your gentleness, your obedience, your devotion to the Father, your devotion to all of humanity."

Pope on christmas Day

An excerpt from today's first reading from 1 John
"Whoever loves his brother remains in the light, and there is nothing in him to cause a fall..."

Christmas is about true fellowship...


These are a few of the words the Pope expressed as he gathered in Rome at a lunch given to th epoor and needy of the city.

"The Baby that we see in the manger is God himself who made himself man, to show us how much he desires our good, how much he loves us: God has become one of us, that he might make himself close to each of us, that he might conquer evil, liberate us from sin, give us hope, that he might tell us that we are never alone. We can always look to Him without fear, calling Him Father, sure that in every moment, in every situation of life, even the most difficult ones, He never forgets us. May we say ever more often: Yes, God himself takes care of me, he loves me, Jesus was born for me, too; I must trust in him always."

Here are a few words spoken at the midnight Mass the Pope celebrated (excerpts)

"This new family of God begins at the moment when Mary wraps her first-born in swaddling clothes and lays him in a manger. Let us pray to him: Lord Jesus, who wanted to be born as the first of many brothers and sisters, grant us the grace of true brotherhood. Help us to become like you. Help us to recognize your face in others who need our assistance, in those who are suffering or forsaken, in all people, and help us to live together with you as brothers and sisters, so as to become one family, your family....


Saint Luke does not say that the angels sang. He states quite soberly: the heavenly host praised God and said: “Glory to God in the highest” (Lk 2:13f.). But men have always known that the speech of angels is different from human speech, and that above all on this night of joyful proclamation it was in song that they extolled God’s heavenly glory. So this angelic song has been recognized from the earliest days as music proceeding from God, indeed, as an invitation to join in the singing with hearts filled with joy at the fact that we are loved by God. Cantare amantis est, says Saint Augustine: singing belongs to one who loves. Thus, down the centuries, the angels’ song has again and again become a song of love and joy, a song of those who love. At this hour, full of thankfulness, we join in the singing of all the centuries, singing that unites heaven and earth, angels and men. Yes, indeed, we praise you for your glory. We praise you for your love. Grant that we may join with you in love more and more and thus become people of peace. Amen."

Holy Innocents and Herod the Grinch

Readings for today

It is strange that in the middle of this joyous season when the angels burst forth into song, "glory to God in the highest and peace to his people on earth," when the shepherds scrabble to the manger to behold the sign, "a child wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger," and the magi come from afar bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh that we would turn our gaze from the scene in Bethlehem and the star shining bright and the child playing and giggling on the hay to the slaughter, innocent blood shed upon the soil.

In the middle of this feast of feast we remember that Heaven isn't always welcomed, goodness isn't always embraced, and light is often shunned for darkness.

Herod, to save his own skin, his own reputation, to guard his greed for power, picks a fight with heaven and slaughters anyone in his path.

Wherever goodness is evil lingers in the shadows trying to disavow that goodness, the good news, the joyous tidings. Evil always seeks to bring bitterness, weeping, distraught.

These children are killed because of their similiarity with the Christ child. It was a case of mistaken identity or rather Herod wanted to make no mistake in eliminating this child who was coming to usurp is power.

Herod is the ultimate Grinch who sought to steal the spotlight, who sought to steal christmas.

Herod takes life while Christ comes to bring life.

What a contrast and what a proven lithmus test for truth and goodness. Herod takes life and destroys it, christ gives life and saves it.

Herod seeks to destroy the children while Jesus says let the little children come to me and unless you become like a child you shall not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

When we look into the world today we also face a slaughter of innocents. Millions of children are being taken and destroyed. Blood is being spilled daily, hour by hour.

The new Herod in our society are those who push for abortion, the destruction of innocent lives. Those who lead mothers and fathers astray masquerading this evil as free choice and women's choice. These are the ones who steal christmas daily. These are the new grinches in our society.

They do the same thing that Herod does but on a larger scale.

The Herod in our society are all those who allow famine, and disease and malnutrition to take the lives of so many children. They allow greed and selfish gain to blind them to the reality of life and its fragile nature.

Our Chidlren are even today in danger. What will we do to curb the tide of this holocaust, this slaughter.

As St. John tells us in the first reading, "we must walk in the light." In God there is no darkness at all.

We pray, "Lord, Jesus Christ your light shine within us, let not our odubts and our darkness speak to us; Lord, Jesus Christ, your light hsines within us let my heart always welcome your love."

Once we pray then we must act. Do not delay.

On January 24, there will be a march for life in Washington DC. Perhaps we can go and march for life. Or we can offer a rosary for an end to abortion and the slaughter of so many chidlren. We can pray for the conversion of doctors and nurses who particpate.

Visit a abortion mill, a place where babies are destroyed and pray. Our witness is needed now more than ever.

It is time to make some noise. We must be the voice for the voiceless. We remember the Holy Innocents so that their silence can be heard and our fight might be invigorated and history does not repeat itself.

We must not let them steal christmasfrom so many.

A few words from St. Quodvultdeus
"Herod you are not restrained by the love of weeping mothers or fathers mourning the deaths of their sons, nor by the cries and sobs of the chidlren. You destroy those who are tiny in body because fear is destroying your heart. Yu imagine that if you accompolish your desire you can prolong your own life, though you are seeking to kill Life Himself..."

death of an aunt during Christmas

Today I will celebrate the memorial mass of my aunt. My mother's sister who died after a long struggle with cancer. She was 56 years young.

she leaves behind a husband of 34 years, a son who is 32 and a daughter in law along with two step grandchildren and one grandchild, 20 months old, a mother, and 8 siblings and countless nephews and nieces.

we will gather in the church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Halletsville, Texas today at 11 am.

The family will gather, the friends will come, the coworkers shall arrive. In that little space for this brief moment of time we will seek to say goodbye to a person that truly loved to laugh.

On Dec 21 she breathed her last. In the words of the gospel, JEsus says "I will come back again and take you to myself so that where I am you also may be." Dec 21, 2010 Jesus came back.

Dec. 21 as you know is the winter solstice. It is the shortest day and the longest night on the calendar. It marks a turning point, in which the days will grow longer and nights will grow shorter. Light will increase and darkness will decrease.

In some sense, death is also a turning point. It is a reversal. One who dies in faith will encounter an increase in light and a decrease in darkness.

as St. Paul says in the second reading Rom 6:3-9, "Are you not aware that we who are baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Through baptism into his death we were buried with him, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live a new life."

My aunt because of her illness knew her time was limited. She knew her earthly life was drawing to a close. She took it as opportunity to get ready.

She went to confession after being away after some time. She began to order everything accordingly, making arrangements physically and spiritually. Getting ready to welcome the arrival of Christ.

When I visited her a week before she died, I asked her what she wanted me to tell everyone at her funeral.

She paused for a moment, she looked at me, and she said these words, "Tell them thank you and that I love them."

She ended her life with a heart full of gratitude and love.

What a beautiful way to welcome Christ when he comes: Gratitude and love.

Unlike my aunt, we may not be given the opportunity to prepare with notice. So we must take every moment and make it an opportunity.

Should we not allow our hearts to be filled with gratitude and love on a daily basis for the people around us for the God who walks with us.

To many things are taken for granted. Too little time is spent giving love.
We must return to the basics of gratitude and love.

It is a beautiful way to die but also a beautiful way to live.

This way we may live out the psalm we read today , "The Lord is my shepherd there is nothing i shall want...only goodness and kindness shall follow me, all the days of my life an dI shall dwell in the house of the Lord for years to come ."

Eternal rest grant unto her O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon her. Receive her soul and present her to God the most high.

We love you Aunt Doris and we will miss you. But mostly we thank you for showing us how to prepare for the coming of Christ who comes to bring us home.

Christmas Eve

No i am not Aethist. But I thought i might explore the billboard that the aethist put up outside of New Jersey as they continue their so called "war" against Christmas.

But first things first.

Today is Christmas Eve. Christmas eve is a fascinating time. It has inspired poems and novels alike.

We are all familiar with the following:

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.'

The famous novel by Charles Dickens, 'A Christmas Carol' better known as 'Scrooge' begins on Christmas Eve with the following lines to captivate and intrigue,

"Marley was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. Scrooge signed it: and Scrooge's name was good upon 'Change, for anything he chose to put his hand to. Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail."

Christmas eve is often the setting for many beginnings and such is the case for us.

Christmas is where it all begins, so to speak. The anticipation of the child culminates in a child in a manger wrapped in swaddling clothes.


The angels burst in song as they bring good news and glad tidings to the shepherds in the field, singing "glory to God in the highest and peace to his people on earth."

When you look at the christmas reality, it goes without saying, that no one could have ever imagined such a reality. No one could have ever imagined the sign the angels give, "a child is born and wrapped in swaddlign clothes and lying in a manger."

Aethist are right to suggest that this isn't reasonable. That is what the billboard suggest, 'tis the season for reason.' They are correct; the child in a manger born to a virgin, a birth announced by angels to shepherds in a field, and a bright star to lead to way far exceeds our reason; it is more than we can imagine.

This makes no sense at all. But this is the beauty of Christmas. God comes in ways that we could never have imagined, never have dreamed, but we certainly have hoped for.

God acts in ways beyond our imagination. This is what the good news is all about. God is not limited by our reasonableness, by our imagination. Reality is not what we can concieve it to be, it just is. Our job is to let reality inform our mind and not try to coerce reality with mind games.

This is where aethesit go awry. They what everything to fit their limited way of thinking. What kind of God is that. The God of the aetheist is their reduced to their ability to think. They make their thinking their God. In this case they are right not to believe. I don't have faith in their thinking skills, why should they have faith in it.

One thing i know about our thinking as far as humanity is concerned is that it is often flawed in many ways.

Tis the season to move beyond our reason. Tis the season to be captivated by our God who comes to stretch our imagination, stretch out thinking, inviting us to allow reality once again to be the center of our life, not as we would have it or conceive it but as it is, "wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger."

whene ever we say merry Christmas we acknowledge that God comes in ways that is beyond our wildest imagination and this is why it is faith and hope. Our Reason is purified by our faith otherwise it just remains our own jumbled mess and who could ever have faith in that.

God is more than and this is the good news of glad tidings that causes the angels to burst forth in song sining "glory to God in the highest and peace to men of good will on earth."