Second Sunday of Advent
FEAST OF JUAN DIEGO-CHRISTMAS CARD DAY
Genesis, Chapter 31, Verse 42
If the God of my
father, the God of Abraham and the Fear
of Isaac, had not been on my side, you would now have sent me away
empty-handed. But God saw my plight and the fruits of my toil, and last night
he reproached you.”
This is Jacob speaking about his treatment from his
father in law Laban. We see that Laban feared
Isaac; Jacobs father because God was with him. People who know the Lord radiate
a presence; it affects their whole being. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is
real. God’s Holy presence changes us physically, mentally and in a deeper sense
within the heart. We are new people. In a similar way Moses face radiated this
presence so much his face had to be covered because its glowing terrified the
Israelites. In earlier postings we discussed how Sarah; Abraham’s wife was
exquisitely beautiful at an advanced age. Those who radiate the presence of God
seek His will. They have the right intention giving all things to God. They
avoid mortal sin and obey the laws of God. They cherish God in their hearts and
seek to do those things that please God. At times we find ourselves so
engrossed with our day to day activities and worry about the mundane; much like
Saint Martha forgetting “the better part”. If we are to radiate His presence we
must be in His presence. Perhaps
today would be a good day to develop the practice of putting one item on your
daily “To Do” list that you know will please God. We should above all; avoid
thinking of ourselves too much, honor our own and others bodies and work hard
to create a better world.
Patriarch’s examples
of fatherhood
Probably nobody denies that the typical father exercises less authority in his home today than at any time in history. Reasons for this decline probably are of no interest or help in the present discussion; but the effect of it cannot be overlooked. For evidence accumulated by psychiatrists, social workers and similar experts proves unmistakably that when children lack a strong father to guide them, they suffer serious damage in many important ways. Consider these facts:
·
There
is a startling growth in homosexual tendencies among the young, and most
authorities agree that the boy who develops feminine characteristics usually
has had unsatisfactory relations with his father in one or several important respects. Increases in
juvenile delinquency — a headlined trend in every part of the country — are
also due to the weak position of the father; the lack of an affectionate and
understanding relationship between father and son is a prevalent characteristic
in the background of boys charged with criminal offenses. Many authorities also
blame the shocking rates of divorce and marriage breakdowns to this cause. The
fathers of those who cannot succeed in marriage, often never gave their
children a realistic example of how a man should live with his wife in this
relationship.
·
The
importance of the father as an
example of manhood to his son and daughter probably cannot be overestimated.
For example, one day your son may marry and have a family. To be a successful
father, he should know how to train his children; how to treat his wife and
their mother in their presence; what to discuss with them about his work; how
to show them manual skills, such as repairing a chair or painting furniture;
how to perform in countless other important
areas. The best way to learn how to act as a father is to observe one in
action.
·
What
ideals will he display as husband and father? To a large extent, that answer
will depend upon those he has learned from you, his father, in your own home.
What part will he play in the religious education of his children? The answer
will largely depend upon whether you have led the family to Mass each Sunday,
whether you say grace before meals in your home, whether you take an active
part in the spiritual life of your parish. How should he act toward his wife —
aloof, affectionate, domineering, docile? Here too the answer will mainly
depend upon your example.
·
The
adage, "Like father, like son," is firmly based on fact. No matter
how much he may resist your influence; your son will be like you in many
different ways. If your influence is wholesome, the effect upon him will be
wholesome. If you are a bad father, you will almost surely corrupt him in some
significant way. Remember also that you represent God before your child because
you are — or should be — the figure of authority in your home. He will be
taught that he can always depend upon the mercy and goodness of the eternal
Father; but it will be difficult for him to grasp the full importance of that teaching if he cannot rely upon the goodness of
his earthly father.
·
It
has been said that, in addition to giving wholesome example, a good father
follows four fundamental rules in his dealing with his children. First, he shows himself to be truly and
sincerely interested in their welfare. Secondly,
he accepts each child for what he is, and encourages any special talent which
the youngster possesses. Thirdly, he
takes an active part in disciplining his children. And finally, he keeps lines of communication open with them at all
times. Each of these rules is worth detailed consideration, because the typical
American father often ignores one or more of them.
2. Accept your child and encourage his talents. One man hoped for a son and found it impossible to conceal his disappointment when a girl was born. He now spends much time trying to inculcate masculine virtues in her and berates her constantly because she is not proficient at sports. A successful lawyer prides himself upon his intellect and once hoped that his son would achieve great scholastic success. But the lad, now in high school, has shown no pronounced ability in academic work; however, he is skilled at working with his hands. He must face unending sneers from his father about his "stupidity." A third man married a beautiful woman and expected his daughters to be beauties too. One girl is extremely plain, however. Even at the age of ten she knows that she is a complete disappointment to her father. All of these examples indicate ways in which fathers display a lack of acceptance of their children. It is a fact that the qualities a child inherits — his physical attributes, aptitudes, and many other characteristics — are the result of chance. He may be a genius or an idiot: you should not claim credit if the first possibility occurs any more than you should feel ashamed for the second. The moral is plain: your children are a gift from God, and you should always accept each of them in a spirit of gratitude. In fact, the saintly father will accept a defective child with greater gratitude, for God has offered him an opportunity to provide more love, affection and direction than the ordinary youngster might need. Remember also that your child is an individual, with talents which you perhaps cannot appreciate. Let him develop them in the best way possible. In attempting to learn why many gifted children do not go to college, researchers have found that their parents often have actively discouraged them. In a typical case, a father became wealthy through real estate investments and could easily afford college for a son with a strong aptitude in science. But the father accused the boy of trying to "put on airs" whenever college was discussed. Thanks to him, the son is now a misfit.
3. Don't shirk unpleasant tasks of parenthood. "See your mother; don't bother me" is a remark commonly made by one type of father. He returns from work, eats his dinner and then settles down to an evening behind his newspaper or before the television screen. When his children seek his aid with their homework or when they become unruly and require a strong parental hand, he is "too busy" to pay attention. Such an attitude tells a child that his mother is the true figure of importance in the family, while Dad is only the boarder who pays the bills. It is not fair for fathers to enjoy all the pleasures of parenthood — to play with the children, to boast about their growth — and to give mothers all the painful duties. A father should discipline as often as the mother. If he fails to do so, he gives the children the idea that he does not stand with the mother in her efforts to instill proper manners and acceptable forms of behavior. As a matter of fact, in major matters the good father is likely to be the court of last resort. This is as it should be for his authority is more impressive and its effect more lasting than that of the mother.
4. Keep lines of communication open with your children. Teenagers often say that they cannot talk to their fathers about questions which disturb them. This breakdown in communication usually stems from one of three factors, or a combination of them. The father may be so severe in his discipline that he appears as a dictator in the youngster's mind; in the past he has always been "too busy" to keep on close terms with his boy; or he has not given his youngster the respectful attention he should have. Stalin-type fathers fortunately are on the way out in America, for most men have learned that it is easier to train a child with loving kindness than with brute force. But some stern unyielding fathers remain. They may beat their child into patterns of behavior that offend no one, but in the process, they often create a bitter adult who is never able to confide fully in another human being. The second and third possible explanations for a child's unwillingness or inability to confide in his father may have even worse effects than the first. In the first instance, unless the father is a calloused brute, his child may at least discern evidence that his father is interested in his welfare. But when a father does not even care enough to concern himself with the child's upbringing in any serious way, he evidences a complete absence of love or interest. There are many things that human beings prefer to keep to themselves, and it is probably good that this is so. Your child should not feel that he must lay bare his innermost thoughts and desires. But he should know that in times of stress and strain he has a sympathetic and loving adviser to turn to. You will fulfill that role if you strive always to treat him with courtesy and sympathy, and with an understanding based upon your memory of the difficulties, problems, fears and aspirations of your own boyhood. Never ridicule him: it is the opposite of sympathy and probably locks more doors between father and son than any other action.
Activity Source: Catholic Family Handbook, The by Rev. George A. Kelly, Random House, Inc., New York, 1959
The voices of Isaiah and John the
Baptist tell us to prepare.
1. A firm belief that everything is ordered by God’s wise providence, and that no evil can befall us except by His permission, who never allows us to suffer more than is for our good.
2. That if we call upon Him in adversity God will help us, whenever it is expedient for our salvation. Thus, to encourage us He says, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble, I will deliver thee” (Ps. xlix. 15); and, “If God be for us, who is against us?” (Rom. viii. 31); and “Can a woman forget her infant so as not to have pity on the son of her womb? and if she should forget, yet will not I forget thee: behold, I have graven thee in My hands” (Isaias xlix. 15, 16).
3. That it is useless to resist Divine Providence, for all who have done so have been filled with shame and ignominy, “Who hath resisted Him and hath had peace?” (Job ix. 4.)
4. That our sufferings when borne with patience and submission lose their sharpness and bring us merit and reward. “For that which is at present momentary and light of our tribulation, worketh for us, above measure exceedingly, an eternal weight of glory” (n. Cor. iv.17).
St Juan
Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin (1474-1548). Little is known about the life of
Juan Diego before his conversion, but tradition and archaelogical and
iconographical sources, along with the most important and oldest indigenous
document on the event of Guadalupe, "El Nican Mopohua"
(written in Náhuatl with Latin characters, 1556, by the Indigenous writer
Antonio Valeriano), give some information on the life of the saint and the
apparitions. Juan Diego was born in 1474 with the name "Cuauhtlatoatzin"
("the talking eagle") in Cuautlitlán, today part of Mexico City,
Mexico. He was a gifted member of the Chichimeca people, one of the more
culturally advanced groups living in the Anáhuac Valley. When he was 50 years old,
he was baptized by a Franciscan priest, Fr Peter da Gand, one of the first
Franciscan missionaries. On 9 December 1531, when Juan Diego was on his way to
morning Mass, the Blessed Mother appeared to him on Tepeyac Hill, the outskirts
of what is now Mexico City. She asked him to go to the Bishop and to request in
her name that a shrine be built at Tepeyac, where she promised to pour out her
grace upon those who invoked her. The Bishop, who did not believe Juan Diego,
asked for a sign to prove that the apparition was true. On 12 December, Juan
Diego returned to Tepeyac. Here, the Blessed Mother told him to climb the hill
and to pick the flowers that he would find in bloom. He obeyed, and although it
was winter time, he found roses flowering. He gathered the flowers and took
them to Our Lady who carefully placed them in his mantle and told him to take
them to the Bishop as "proof". When he opened his mantle, the flowers
fell on the ground and there remained impressed, in place of the flowers, an
image of the Blessed Mother, the apparition at Tepeyac. With the Bishop's
permission, Juan Diego lived the rest of his life as a hermit in a small hut
near the chapel where the miraculous image was placed for veneration. Here he
cared for the church and the first pilgrims who came to pray to the Mother of
Jesus. Much deeper than the "exterior grace" of having been
"chosen" as Our Lady's "messenger", Juan Diego received the
grace of interior enlightenment and from that moment, he began a life dedicated
to prayer and the practice of virtue and boundless love of God and neighbor. He
died in 1548 and was buried in the first chapel dedicated to the Virgin of
Guadalupe. He was beatified on 6 May 1990 by Pope John Paul II in the Basilica
of Santa Maria di Guadalupe, Mexico City. The miraculous image, which is
preserved in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, shows a woman with native
features and dress. She is supported by an angel whose wings are reminiscent of
one of the major gods of the traditional religion of that area. The moon is
beneath her feet and her blue mantle is covered with gold stars. The black
girdle about her waist signifies that she is pregnant. Thus, the image graphically
depicts the fact that Christ is to be "born" again among the peoples
of the New World and is a message as relevant to the "New World"
today as it was during the lifetime of Juan Diego.
Things to Do[4]
·
Read
Pope John Paul II's homily at the canonization of St. Juan Diego.
·
Meditate
on Our Lady's beautiful words to St. Juan Diego: "Hear and let it
penetrate into your heart, my dear little son; let nothing discourage you,
nothing depress you. Let nothing alter your heart or your countenance. Also, do
not fear any illness or vexation, anxiety or pain. Am I not here who am your
Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not your fountain of
life? Are you not in the crossing of my arms? Is there anything else that you
need?"
·
Cook
some Mexican dishes for dinner and bake a Rose Petal Pound Cake or other rose
theme for dessert in honor of St. Juan Diego.
·
From
the Catholic Culture Library:
·
Recommended
Reading: For children: The
Lady of Guadalupe by Tomie dePaola. For adults: The Wonder of Guadalupe by Francis Johnston.
·
For
music for Juan Diego's and Our Lady of Guadalupe's feast, see www.savae.org. The San Antonio Vocal Arts Ensemble have
two cds of authentic music by Mexican medieval composers. Very beautiful!
·
Visit
Our Lady
of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas for detailed accounts on the
apparition to Juan Diego.
Christmas Card
Day
Way back in 1843,
the first commercial Christmas card was created in England by Sir Henry Cole, a
civil servant who was responsible for the idea of sending greetings scribbled into the
now familiar cards we get around the season of good cheer. Christmas Card Day
honors its inventor on the 9th of December. The first ever commercial Christmas
card showed a family raising a toast, and in the following year’s designs showing
flowers or depicting the promise of spring were favored. Lithograph firm Prang
and Mayer started selling their whimsical Christmas cards, often featuring
children or cartoon animals, across the pond to America in 1874. By 1880, Prang
and Mayer were producing a massive five million cards a year. With so many
designs, shapes and sizes, some Christmas cards have become collector’s items
which have been known to shift at a pretty penny at auction. One of the world’s
first cards, commissioned by Cole and produced by J. C. Horsley, saw the hammer
come down at £22,250 in 2001. Another one of Horsley’s cards sold for almost
£9000 in 2005 – and if you want to see a big collection of these coveted cards
you can drop by the British Museum to see Queen Mary’s early 1900s collection. Today,
seasonal cards are posted all over the world and can be found in hundreds of
thousands of designs. The most popular messages you’ll find inside a
Christmas card are ‘seasons greetings’ and ‘merry Christmas, and a happy new
year’ – but many also stick to religious roots by featuring a short biblical
verse or a religious blessing.
How to Celebrate Christmas Card Day
·
If
you’ve got time, it’s always nice to make handmade cards to send out. Get hold
of some glitter and a dab of glue and see what you can come up with. The
recipients are sure to appreciate it – or if you have children, get them
involved in making cards for friends and family! With the advent of e-mail,
it’s easier than ever to send Christmas wishes to friends and family across the
world – e-cards appeared in the 90s and are frequently used in place of
physical cards, so you’ve got no excuse nowadays not to send those season’s
greetings. But since nothing beats the real thing, perhaps now is the right
time to send out those Christmas cards so they all get to your family and
friends before the last post on 23rd December! And if you don’t celebrate
Christmas, you could always send out some cheery cards to celebrate the coming
of the new year!
Rediscovering the Faith[5]
Have you been away from the Church? Are you thinking about
coming back? Do you know someone who wants to come home to the Catholic Church,
but is struggling with their faith? Maybe you or someone you know has
experienced one of these thoughts:
·
I grew up Catholic, but for some reason I just sort of stopped going to
Church…
·
I just moved to a new city, I tried going to a couple different
parishes, but I never really felt welcomed...
·
After my marriage ended, I felt uncomfortable around my family, friends
and parish…
·
I just don't understand why the Church teaches what it does! Some
teachings seem so outdated…
·
I tried to contact my parish about getting married, but no one got back
to me…
If you have experienced one of these situations or thoughts,
you are not alone. The Church wants you to know that you are a child of God,
called by name, precious in his eyes and loved by him (Is. 43:1,4). The Church
also wants you to know that you are missed. When one member of the Body of
Christ suffers, the entire Body of the Church suffers.
This website
contains resources to help you rediscover the faith and answer questions about
the Church and Church teachings. We invite you to explore this site and contact
your local parish.
"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."
If thy right eye scandalize thee, pluck it out and cast it
from thee! Your poor heart, that's what scandalizes you! Press it, squeeze it
tight in your hands: give it no consolations. And when it asks for them, say to
it slowly and with a noble compassion — in confidence, as it were: 'Heart,
heart on the Cross, heart on the Cross!'
As we begin 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:
Determination vs.
Faintheartedness
Purposing to accomplish God’s goals in God’s time regardless of the opposition (II Timothy 4:7–8)
2577
From this intimacy with the faithful God, slow to
anger and abounding in steadfast love, Moses drew strength and determination
for his intercession. He does not pray for himself but for the people whom God
made his own. Moses already intercedes for them during the battle with the
Amalekites and prays to obtain healing for Miriam. But it is chiefly after
their apostasy that Moses "stands in the breach" before God in order
to save the people. The arguments of his prayer - for intercession is also a
mysterious battle - will inspire the boldness of the great intercessors among
the Jewish people and in the Church: God is love; he is therefore righteous and
faithful; he cannot contradict himself; he must remember his marvelous deeds,
since his glory is at stake, and he cannot forsake this people that bears his
name.
Daily Devotions
[2]Goffine’s
Devout Instructions, 1896.
[5]http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/how-we-teach/new-evangelization/rediscovering-the-faith/index.cfm
[6]http://www.escrivaworks.org/book/the_way-point-1.htm
[7]http://graceonlinelibrary.org/home-family/christian-parenting/49-godly-character-qualities/
Comments
Post a Comment