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. Overview of December [1] The month of December is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception , which is celebrated on December 8. The first day of December falls during the liturgical season known as Ordinary Time and are represented by the liturgical color green. The next 23 days fall du...

Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle Psalm 19, Verse 10-11 10 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. Our Lord showed no fear of the money changers or the priests when He overturned the tables in holy zeal for the statutes of the Lord. Is the Holy Spirit moving you to make a real change today? Are you being called to be holier, stronger, more committed to God and better prepared for the trials and persecution of our world? Consider the message of The Holy League. [1] The Holy League History- Pope St. Pius V formed the original Holy League in response to the dire situation in which Christian Europe found itself in 1571. Small bands of Catholic men and remnant armies from various nations came together under the spiritual leadership of the saintly pontiff and the military leadership of Don John o...

Genesis, chapter 22, Verse 12 “Do not lay your hand on the boy,” said the angel. “Do not do the least thing to him. For now I know that you fear god, since you did not withhold from me your son, your only one.” This was the last test of Abraham. It was by Abraham’s confidence and humility before God that all the peoples of the earth are blessed for God did not withhold from us his only son Jesus Christ in sacrifice for our sins. Rabbinical sources record that there were 10 tests of Abraham: [1] 1)       God tells him to leave his homeland to be a stranger in the land of Canaan . 2)       Immediately after his arrival in the Promised Land, he encounters a famine. 3)       The Egyptians capture his beloved wife, Sarah , and bring her to Pharaoh. 4)       Abraham faces incredible odds in the battle of the four and five kings. 5)    ...