ICEMANforChrist

December We turn our attention indoors with Advent prayers and preparations for the birth of Christ; for most of us, the indoors makes up the part of our environment in which we spend the most time. It is also the most unregulated and can be the most polluted part of the total environment –due to new home cleaning products and tighter ventilation. Consider a simpler home environment, where houseplants purify the air, where fresh air is plentiful, and where chemical products are limited and controlled. The yearly cycle of twelve months can make us more aware of our human environment and should help us as individuals and as a community to conduct a monthly examination of conscience. FIRST FRIDAY December 1 Sirach, Chapter 3, Verse 7 Those who fear the Lord honor their father, and serve their parents as masters. Besides the virtues that must characterize our conduct toward God, special duties are enjoined, such as honor and respect toward parents, with corresponding

FEAST OF SAINT ANDREW Psalm, Chapter 19, Verse 10-11 1 0 The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The statutes of the LORD are true, all of them just; 11 More desirable than gold, than a hoard of purest gold, Sweeter also than honey or drippings from the comb. Fear of the Lord is pure; so one can deduce that a person that fears the Lord is pure. So what is purity? Freedom from anything that weakness or impairs or changes the nature of a being or its activity. Purity of faith means the absence of error what is contrary to the revealed truth; purity of intention is the exclusion of self-will in the desire to perform the will of god; purity of morals commonly refers to the virtue of chastity and therefore freedom from wrongdoing in sexual activity, but on a broader level it means the absence of misbehavior, especially in one's external or publicly recognizable conduct. (etym. Latin puritas, clearness, cleanness, uprightness.) Christ gave us his faith

Sirach, Chapter 2, Verse 15-17 15 Those who fear the Lord do not disobey his words; those who love him keep his ways. 16 Those who fear the Lord seek to please him; those who love him are filled with his law. 17 Those who fear the Lord prepare their hearts and humble themselves before him. Ben Sira gives a stern warning to those who compromise their faith in time of affliction; they fail in courage and trust and therefore have no security (vv. 12 – 14 ). But those who fear the Lord through obedience, reverence, love, and humility find his “mercy equal to his majesty” (vv. 15 – 18 ). [1] “Perfect love casts out all fear .” Many of us are conscious of our sins and failures. The older we get, the more we become aware that we have not measured up to what God had in mind for us from all eternity. We begin to worry about Judgment Day. Fear . Even when we are younger, if we have a good conscience, we worry over our sins. Remember that God loved us so much that he sent his So

Sirach, Chapter 2, Verse 7-10 7 You that fear the Lord, wait for his mercy, do not stray lest you fall. 8 You that fear the Lord, trust in him, and your reward will not be lost. 9 You that fear the Lord, hope for good things, for lasting joy and mercy. 10 Consider the generations long past and see: has anyone trusted in the Lord and been disappointed? Has anyone persevered in his fear and been forsaken? Has anyone called upon him and been ignored? Serving the Lord is not without its trials; but no matter what happens, the genuine believer will remain sincere, steadfast, and faithful. Misfortune and humiliation are means of purification to prove one’s worth. Ben Sira believed that patience and unwavering trust in God are ultimately rewarded with the benefits of God’s mercy and of lasting joy. [1] 49 Godly Character Traits [2] As we near the Advent season let us take up the nature of God by reflecting on these traits that make us a model for our children and ou