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.
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 during the liturgical
season of Advent and are represented by the liturgical color purple. The
remaining days of December mark the beginning of the Christmas season. The
liturgical color changes to white or gold — a symbol of joy, purity and
innocence. The liturgy of Advent focuses on remembering Christ's first coming
at Bethlehem which then directs our mind to Christ's Second Coming at the end
of time. The readings focus on the people of the Old Testament awaiting the
Messiah, John the Baptist, heralding the way for Christ and the Blessed Virgin
Mary and her maternal preparations. The main Feasts of Advent are St. John
Damascene, (December 4), St. Nicholas (December 6), St. Ambrose (December 7),
Immaculate Conception (December 8), St. Juan Diego (December 9), St. Damascus
(December 11), Our Lady of Guadalupe (December 12), St. Lucy (December 13), St.
John of the Cross (December 14) and St. Peter Canisius (December 21).
Christmastide begins with the First Vespers (Evening Prayer) of Christmas on
December 24th and ends on the Sunday after Epiphany. Christmas and Easter are
the only solemnities with octaves attached in the revised calendar. The
Christmas octave differs from Easter in that it includes some major feasts: St.
Stephen (December 26), St. John the Evangelist (December 27), and St. Thomas
Becket (December 29). The octave closes on January 1, the Solemnity of Mary,
Mother of God. The feast of St. Francis Xavier (December 3) is superseded by
the Sunday liturgy. The feast of St. Sylvester I (December 31) is superseded by
the Feast of the Holy Family.
The
Reason for the Season
The month of December is filled with expectation and
celebration. Preparation is the key word for the first 24 days of December.
Everyone is getting ready for Christmas — shopping and decorating, baking and
cleaning. Too often, however, we are so busy with the material preparations
that we lose sight of the real reason for our activity. Christmas is a
Christian feast — and we must reclaim it as such! In the same way that a family
eagerly prepares for a baby, so in Advent should we prepare for the coming of
the Christ Child. We should keep Advent as a season of waiting and longing, of
conversion and of hope and keep our thoughts on the incredible love and
humility of our God in taking on the flesh of the Virgin Mary. Let us not
forget to prepare a peaceful place in our hearts wherein our Savior may come to
dwell. The best person we can turn to for help during Advent is Mary, Christ's
and our Mother. She awaited the day of His birth with more eagerness than any
other human being. Her preparation was complete in every respect. Let's crown
our preparation and borrow something of Mary's prayerfulness, her purity and
whole-hearted submission to God's will.
First Saturday
Genesis, Chapter 26, Verse 7
When the men of the
place asked questions about his wife, he answered, “She is my sister.” He was afraid that, if he called her his wife,
the men of the place would kill him on account of Rebekah, since she was
beautiful.
So, Isaac (whom was bound as a sacrificial offering to
God) the only son of Abraham, now is grown, has a wife and is pulling the same
trick as his father Abraham with the men who desire his wife-stating she is my
sister.
"From the
point of view of the history of culture these episodes are very instructive.
But it is not very probable that Abraham would have run the risk twice. Moreover,
a similar incident is reported in regard to Isaac and Rebecca. This recurrence
indicates that none of the accounts is to be accepted as historical; all three
are variations of a theme common to the popular oral histories of the
Patriarchs. That women were married in the way here supposed is not to be
doubted. The purpose of the story is to extol the heroines as most beautiful
and show that the Patriarchs were under the special protection of the
Deity."[1]
Another lesson we
can take from this is that Isaac here was dealing with men that had no fear of
God. Men who take what they want and will kill to get it. Isaac here could not
fight them because he was not strong enough. Isaac could not leave because
there was a famine. So, he sought to deceive. Yet, even in his weakness God was
with him and when Abimelech, the righteous king, discovered the truth put him
under his royal protection; thus, saving him from danger. Righteous men &
nations always seek to protect the weak.
1.
Confession: This confession can be made before the
First Saturday or afterward, provided that Holy Communion be received in the
state of grace. In 1926, Christ in a vision explained to Lucia (Fatima) that
this confession could be made a week before or even more, and that it should be
offered in reparation.
2.
Holy Communion: Before receiving Holy Communion, it is
likewise necessary to offer it in reparation to Our Lady. Our Lord told Lucia
in 1930, “This Communion will be accepted on the following Sunday for just
reasons, if my priests allow it so.” So, if work or school, sickness, or another just reason prevents
the Communion on a First Saturday, with this permission it may be received the
following Sunday. If Communion is transferred, any or all of the other acts of
the devotion may also be performed on Sunday if the person so desires.
3.
Rosary: The Rosary is a vocal prayer said while
meditating upon the mysteries of Our Lord’s life and Passion
and Our Lady’s life. To comply with the request of our Blessed Mother, it must
be offered in reparation and said properly while meditating.
4.
15-minute meditation: Also offered in
reparation, the meditation may embrace one or more mysteries; it may include
all, taken together or separately. This meditation should be the richest of any
meditation, because Our Lady promised to be present when she said “...those who
keep me company....”
World AIDS Day serves to remember those who have died
from AIDS and to bring about awareness of HIV/AIDS through education and
publicly held events. HIV is a virus that attacks the body's immune system and
makes it progressively more difficult to fight infections and diseases. Once
HIV advances and becomes so severe that the body's immune system is too weak to
fight off many infections and diseases, it is called AIDS. There is currently
no cure for HIV or AIDS and if left untreated by antiretroviral medication,
patients' immune systems fail leading to death. World AIDS Day is also an
opportunity for people to show their support for people living with HIV. World AIDS
Day is one of the eight WHO Global Health Days. The day was created by the
World Health Organization in 1988. Since its inception over two decades ago,
the world has managed to halt and reverse the spread of HIV. According to the
WHO, the occurrence of new cases has decreased 35% between 2000 and 2015, while
AIDS-related deaths have decreased by 24% over the same time frame, all thanks
to antiretroviral treatments and widespread AIDS education and awareness. World
AIDS Day is observed on December 1st of each year.
Read
this again and replace HIV with SIN
World
AIDS Day Facts
·
The Red Ribbon is the universal symbol of
support for those living with HIV/AIDS.
·
The AIDS Memorial Quilt Project allows
friends and family members of someone who has died from AIDS to construct a
quilt panel and have it placed in the quilt. The quilt travels and is displayed
throughout the US.
·
The first case of what is now known as
AIDS was reported in the US in June 1981.
·
According to the Centers for Disease
Control, more than a million people in the United States are living with HIV
infection, and almost 1 in 5 are unaware of their infection.
·
According to World Health Organization,
AIDS has claimed over 39 million lives globally.
World
AIDS Day Top Events and Things to Do
·
Wear a Red Ribbon, an international symbol
of AIDS support.
·
Learn the facts of how HIV is transmitted
so you can be better prepared. Remember, HIV is spread through body fluids such
as blood, semen, rectal and vaginal fluids and breast milk.
·
Get involved in a fundraising effort to
support research into HIV/AIDS treatment. Many fundraisers are done in the form
of HIV/AIDS day walks.
·
Watch a movie or documentary about
HIV/AIDS. Some popular suggestions: Dallas Buyers Club (2013), Philadelphia
Story (1993), Longtime Companion (1990), The Age of AIDS
(2006) and AIDS, Inc (2007).
·
Get tested if unsure of your infection
status. Local pharmacies sell HIV home test kits, or you can find free testing
sites in most areas.
49 Godly Character Traits[4]
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 our
sisters and brothers in Christ. Today reflect on:
Boldness
vs. Fearfulness
Confidence
that what I have to say or do is true and right and just in the sight of God
(Acts 4:29)
2610 Just
as Jesus prays to the Father and gives thanks before receiving his gifts, so he
teaches us filial boldness:
"Whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you receive it, and you
will." Such is the power of prayer and of faith that does not doubt:
"all things are possible to him who believes." Jesus is as saddened
by the "lack of faith" of his own neighbors and the "little
faith" of his own disciples as he is struck with admiration at the great
faith of the Roman centurion and the Canaanite woman.
"Read
these counsels slowly. Pause to meditate on these thoughts. They are things
that I whisper in your ear-confiding them-as a friend, as a brother, as a
father. And they are being heard by God. I won't tell you anything new. I will
only stir your memory, so that some thought will arise and strike you; and so
you will better your life and set out along ways of prayer and of Love. And in
the end you will be a more worthy soul."
You won't submit to the will of God... and yet you fall in with
the
will of the most insignificant creature!
Daily Devotions
[1]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wife%E2%80%93sister_narratives_in_the_Book_of_Genesis
[4]http://graceonlinelibrary.org/home-family/christian-parenting/49-godly-character-qualities/
[5]http://www.escrivaworks.org/book/the_way-point-1.htm
Comments
Post a Comment