Juan Diego: readiness of faith

today we celebrate the feast of Blessed Juan Diego. The 57 year old Native Mexican to whom the Blessed virgin Mary appeared in 1531.

It was on the tilma od Juan Diegoe that the image of our Lady of Guadalupe was imprinted and thus remains today as an object of devotion in the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico city.

In order to understand Juan diego I thought we might go back to yesterday and revisit the openign prayer for the Mass:

"Mary had a faith that your spirit prepared and a love that never knew sin, for you kept her sinless from the first moment of her conception. Trace in our actions the lines of her love and in our hearts her readiness of faith. Prepare once again the world for your Son..."

Trace in our actions the lines of her love and in our hearts her readiness of faith."

Readiness of faith ...This is what Juan diego possessed. This is what we need as we journey forth...

Readiness of faith to respond to life rather than react to it.

To respond in faith simply means to recognize that we are always beneath the watchful gaze of GOd whose love moves the sun and the other stars as Dante put it in the close of his poem, Divine comedy, "l' amor che moveil sole e l' altre stelle."

When we respond to life rather than react we enter into this love and we allow it to move us regardless of the situation, circumstance that surrounds us.

when we react we try to take matters inot our own hands but when we respond we allow ourselves to be led.

These are the exact sentiments of Pope Benedict when asked about being elected Pope: "during my priestly ordination I placed myself into the hands of the bishop and ultimately of th eLord. I cannot pick and choose what I want. In the end, I must allow myself to be led...I am always in the Lord's hands, and I must be prepared for things that I do not want."


Again th eprayer for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception comes to us: trace in our actions the lines of her love and in our hearts her readiness of faith...

Immaculate

Genesis 3:9-15,20; Psalm 98 Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds; Ephesians 1:3-6,11-12; Luke 1:26-38

"I am the immaculate conception." Words of the Blessed Mother to St. Bernadette at Lourdes in 1858.

The celebration of the "Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary" was made a feast of the church by Pope sixtus IV in 1476, a holy day of obligation by Pope Clement XI in 1708, and defined a dogma of the church by Pope Pius IX in Ineffabilis Deus in 1854.

Its scriptural foundation can be found in the words of the angel to Mary in today's gospel, "Hail, full of Grace the lord is with you."

The question to ask is "what does it mean to be full of grace?"
The answer according to the church is to be without sin, without stain, without spot or blemmish hence the "Immaculate" title given to this woman of women who has been given the dignity and honor of becoming the mother of God.

In the words of St. Anselm, "without God's son, nothing could exist; without Mary's son, nothing could be redeemed."

How does this grace work. The grace Mary recieves is a grace that comes through Christ and his redeeming work. IT is prevenient grace or grace that prevents sin from occurring in advance.

For instance, one can be saved from falling into hole in two ways. The first way and the normal ways is by being rescued from the hole once we have fallen into it or secondly being prevented from falling into the hole in the first place altogether. In both cases we are saved, in the first case we have to deal with the effects of the fall, bruised and battered, in the second we are saved from those effects completely.

Mary's immaculate conception is the result of the latter; the rest of us fall into the hole and thus suffer the effects of the fall, the effects of original sin, whereas Mary, does not.

So she is perfectly free and full of grace which makes her "yes" so much more beautiful and meaningful.

The second scritpural reference for this feast is found in the first reading of today, Genesis 3:15. We find ourselves right smack in the middle of the fall. Adam and Eve have already eaten from the forbidden fruit and they are hiding and covering themselves up and God is interrogating them as to what happen and what ensues is the blame game: the man blames the woman, the woman blames the snake and so on and so forth.

Right in the middle of this darkness, this disobedience, this fall of man their is a glimmer of hope in the words God speaks to the serpent 3:15, "I will put enimity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel."

This passage is considered the protoevangelion, the first gospel or foreshadowing of the gospel of Christ in the bibilical record.

The woman and her seed, her offspring shall fight against the serpent. The woman is Mary and her offspring is Christ.

Even in the middle of this fall from grace, God is not concerned with blaming but rather with correcting. Already God has a plan to pull man from the pit of his self destructive ways; God already has an answer to Man's "no" that has echoed through the ages and the answer is found on the lips of the one who is immaculately conceived, "Behold, may it be done to me according to thy word."

Mary's yes to God undos all the nos throughout history. Thus we disocver grace far surppasses sin, as St. Paul tell us in the letter of Romans, "but despite the increase of sin, grace has surpassed it, so that, as sin reigned through death, grace may reign by way of justice leading to eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord," Son of God and Son of Mary.

A few words from the Pope
""On the path of advent shines the star of Mary Immaculate, "A sign of certain hope and comfort. To reach Jesus, the true light, the sun that dispels all darkness of history, we need light near us, human people who reflect christ's light and thus illuminate the path to take. And what person is more luminous than Mary? Who can be a better star of hope for us than she, the dawn that announced the day of salvation. For this reason, the liturgy has us celebrate today, as Christmas approaches, the Solemn Feast of the Immaculte Conception of Mary: the mystery of God's grace that enfolded her from the first instant of her existence as the creature destined to be Mother of the Redeemer, preserving her from the stain of original sin. Looking at her we recognize the loftiness and beauty of God's plan for everyone: to become holy and immaculate in love, in the image of our creator."

As eve was the mother of all living, Mary,the New Eve, becomes the mother of everlasting life in Christ her Son.

Here is a bit from honoring the Blessed mother, with song, images and quotes from the saints: ave Maris Stella

everyone counts

Isaiah 40:1-11; Psalm 96 The Lord Our GOd comes with Power; Matthew 18:12-14

Today in the church we celebrate the memorial of the Doctor of the Church St. Ambrose of the 4th century, bishop of Milan.

He was elected Bishop by popular demand even before he was ordained and is known for his eloquence in speech and holiness in deeds.

A few words from the Good Doctor on receiving the Eucharist

"If it is "daily bread," why do you take it once a year? . . . Take daily what is to profit you daily. Live in such a way that you may deserve to receive it daily. He who does not deserve to receive it daily, does not deserve to receive it once a year.


This is the Bread of everlasting life which supports the substance of our soul."On gentleness:

"If the highest end of virtue is that which aims at the advancement of most, gentleness is the most lovely of all, which does not hurt even those whom it condemns, and usually renders those whom it condemns worthy of absolution."And one more just for Good Measure:

"No one heals himself by wounding another."

Now for Advent...

In the words of Jesus in today's gospel

"What is your opinion?" Jesus said to his disciples, "What is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in th ehills and go in search of the stray? And if he finds it, amen, I say to you he rejoices more over it than the ninety-nine that did not stray. In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost."

Everyone counts. This is the meaning of the scripture of above. We are not the ones to determine who is unworthy. Everyone counts.

How easy is it for us to discount others. How easy is it to refuse to recognize others as part of the fold. How easy it would it be to stay witht he ninety nine on the hills where it is safe and sound and secure. Yet, we must go forth into the dark places, where the wolves are, in search of the lost and forsaken.

Everyone counts.

In some way, we are all lost. Especially if we think we are found. We are always in need of Him who was sent for us all.

Advent is about preparing for the one who is sent for the lost. The one who leaves the heights of heaven and comes to the valley of sin and death in search for the lost, you and I.

We count. This is the message of the incarnation. We count, all count, everyone counts.

st nick

Today is the feast of St. Nick.


St. Nick was a bishop who was known for his generosity especially in providing for the dowry of young ladies so that they could get married. He paid the dowry of many so that they could enjoy the gift of married love. You could say his generosity kept love alive.
Something we use to do as a family growing up still sticks in my head.

Each night before the feats of st nick, we would put out bowls on the table. Through the night, some how mysteriously so, the bowls would be filled with candy of different sorts and chocolates.

Each of us upon waking the morning of the 6th of December would find a bowl just for us filled with sweetness. It was our way of celebrating St.Nick who is known for his generosity.

Generosity, giving to others was represented by the sweetness in the bowls.

This morning i woke and there were no bowls, no candy, but sweet memories that linger that remind me the importance of being generous and how generosity whether understood or not, asked for or not, is always met to make life a little sweeter.

St. Nick continues to teach us the importance of the words of Jesus, "It is better to give than to receive."

Blessed St. Nick to all and to all a Good night.

lowly

Isaiah 29:17-24; Psalm 27 The Lord is my light and my salvation; Matthew 9:27-31

Isaiah speaks these words:
"The lowly will ever find joy in the Lord, the poor rejoice in the Holy one of Israel..."

Perhaps the reason so many of us are still without joy, are still without rejoicing is becasue we aren't lowly enough. Perhaps we still hold our selves in high estimation.

The lowly person is the one who knows he is need and wants only what he needs, nothing else will do. We are needed but are we lowly? We want many things, but do we truly want what we need?

Advent is the time to rediscover our lowliness in the proper sense of the word; advent is the time to stop holding ourselves in high esteem and start living in the esteem of God. Even the estimation of ourselves fails to truly capture our own worth and thus fail to reveal our true need.

Today ponder the words of Jesus in the gospel, the question he poses:
"Do you believe I can do this?...Let it be done for you according to your faith...And their eyes were opened."

A wonderful Advent meditation in deed.

Words from St. Anselm
"Insignificant man, escape from your everyday business for a short while, hide for a moment from your restless thoughts. Break off from your cares and troubles and be less concerned about your tasks and labors. Make a little time for God and rest a while in him. Speak now to God and say with your whole heart: I seek your face; your face, Lord, I desire."


Also, Hanukah started Dec 1 and last until dec 9; A Jewish feast that really is for all who desire religious liberty. The feast is really about the light that refused to burn out. The story can be found in the Book of Maccabees. It really is about courageously standing up for one's belief. Don't we all need to have little extra does of courage these days when it comes to our beliefs. Hanukah for all of us, may th elight of our faith also refuse to burn out.

three little pigs

Isaiah 26:1-6; Psalm 118 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; Matthew 7:21,24-27

Nursery rhymes and nursery tales these are things of child hood that never leave but cling to our subconscious and wait for the moment to burst forth from our cerebral folds, no longer dormant, no longer hidded and buried beneath our old age and grown upness but once again alive and full of song.

Nursery Rhymes mean so much more to me, now that I am old and able to appreciate the rhyme and meter and story told.

Like Baa Baa black sheep, have you any wool, yes sir yes sir three bags full, one for the master, one for the dame, one for the little boy who lives down the lane...The generous sheep who keeps giving, who sheds it precious wool for the sake of others. The precious lamb that never ceases in its generosity year after year growing the wool, in order to give it away.

Or All around the mulberry bush, the monkey chased the weasel, the monkey thought it was fun until Pop! goes the weasel...Another lesson with gravity and seriousness, it ain't all fun and games, sometimes what we think is fun can truly hurt...

Then of course there is the Farmer and the dell, high ho derry o the farmer and the dell...I am not sure what this one is about but I know the farmer takes a wife, the wife takes a child, the child takes a nurse, the nurse takes a cow, the cow takes a dog, the dog takes a cat, the cat takes a rat, the rat takes the cheese and some how in the end the cheese is all alone... maybe this is a reality check for life...There is always soemone in need of something or someone else and that we are all in it togther..It could be the social teachings of the church.

But the gospel of today reminds me of the Three little pigs...They each built their home, one out of straw, one out of sticks, and one out of bricks then along comes the big bad wolf, who wants some bacon for breakfast and a pork tenderloin for supper.

"Little pig, little pig, let me in
Not on the hair of my chinny-chin-chin
I'll huff and I'll puff and blow your house in.'

Then of course we know how it turns out, the hot air consumes the straw house and the stick house but the brick house is too great, to fortified for the hot air from the outside to affect it and it remains standing and the pigs are safe and the wolf gets it in the end.

Jesus in the gospel invokes the image of the brick house, "Everyone who listens to the words of mine and acts on them will be like the wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock."

Okay...Advent is the time to check the foundation. Is our life founded on the rock? Is it firm or have we swayed, are there cracks. Now is the time to remove the straw and sticks and fortify with bricks, the words and life of Christ will do.


What say you?

Because the rain will fall, the flood will rise, the wind will blow regardless, the wolf with its hot air will fight against any house, this we should come to expect.

But if we stand firm, this too shall pass.

Advent and nursery rhymes and tales, perhaps now we are old enough to finally understand.

You decide what will it be, sticks, straw, or bricks?

advent is waiting

Words from Pope Benedict

"Our whole personal, familial and social existence passes through this dimension of waiting. Waiting is something that is present in a 1,000 situations, from the smallest and most banal to the most important, which draw us in completely and in the deepest way. Among these, we think of a husband and wife waiting for a child; of waiting for a relative or friend who is coming from far away to visit us; we think of a young person waiting to know his grade on a major exam or the outcome of a job interview; in romantic relationships, of waiting to meet the beloved person, of waiting for a letter, or of receiving forgiveness... One could say that man is alive so long as he waits, so long as hope is alive in his heart. And man is able to recognize that what he waits for and what he hopes for discloses something about his moral and spiritual "stature."

Everyone of us, therefore, especially in this season in which we prepare for Christmas, can ask himself: What am I waiting for? For what, in this moment of my life, does my heart long? And this same question can be posed at the level of the family, of the community, of the nation. What are we waiting for, together?..."

Then Pope Benedict goes on to suggest that we look to Mary, for it is in her that we discover how to wait and how to live...especially as we anticipate the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.

"There is a mysterious correspondence between the waiting for God and the waiting for Mary, the creature "full of grace," totally transparent to the plan of love of the Most High. Let us learn from her, the woman of Advent, to live with a new spirit in our daily gestures, with the sentiment of a profound expectation that only the coming of God can fulfill.