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My Prayer Box
for the Fourth Sunday of Advent
from My
Catholic Tradition
“You cannot strengthen the
weak by weakening the strong.
You cannot help the
wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.
You
cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
You
cannot help men permanently by doing for them what
they could and should do for themselves.” -
Abraham Lincoln
To subscribe to the newsletter, please follow this
link. |
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Finding the true joy in Christmas
Our Redeemer is born to deliver us from sin
and restore us to eternal life
by Archbishop of Denver Charles J.
Chaput, O.F.M. Cap.
as published
the
Denver Catholic
Register, December 17, 2008 |
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The
Most Rev. Charles Chaput
is the Archbishop of the
Catholic Archdiocese of Denver Colorado, USA. |
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Each year
in December, the noise, anxiety and party going
of the season tend to obscure the reality we
celebrate. But this year, in the midst of our
country’s troubling economic problems and the
uncertainty they breed, some of us may have a
hard time finding any joy in Christmas.
It’s worth remembering that the world we know
today is not so different from the world of the
first Christmas.
For Mary, the Jewish teenager, there was nothing
sentimental about being pregnant and unmarried
in the Galilean hill country. She had her faith
in God. She also had the protection of her
betrothed. But whether she had the understanding
of her local relatives and friends is another
matter. Women of her day could be, and sometimes
were, stoned for perceived adultery. The warmth
from her cousin Elizabeth may not have been
widely shared.
Nor could Mary’s story have been easy for
Joseph. No matter how great his faith, no matter
how vivid the angel’s message, no matter how
good his heart, he still likely struggled with
very human temptations to doubt and confusion.
In fact, the Eastern Church captures his
humanity beautifully in her traditional
iconography of the Nativity. The icons often
portray Joseph apart from the manger scene,
turned slightly away from the mother and child,
deep in thought.
The road to Bethlehem would have been dangerous
and physically demanding. Bandits and brigands
were common. The Roman occupiers could be
brutal. The inability to find shelter at an inn
would have been more than inconvenient; it would
have been life-threatening. And few of us today
can really imagine the squalor of giving birth
in a stable or a cave.
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To read
the entire article,
please click here. |
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Our
Faith: What you might want to know |
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The Church |
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The Office of Catechism
of the United States Congress of Catholic Bishops
website puts our knowledge of the Catholic
Faith to a test! |
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1. |
True or false.
God's ultimate design from the beginning of
his choice of Abraham to father God's People
was to call all of mankind into his family. |
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2. |
Fill in the
missing
phrase: "You are a chosen race, . . . , a holy
nation, God's own people (1 Pet 2:9). |
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a. |
the descendents of
Abraham |
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b. |
a pilgrim Church
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c. |
a people set apart
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d. |
a royal priesthood
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e. |
the circumcised of
heart |
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3. |
Jesus'
desire
is primarily to save us as individuals and,
secondarily, to incorporate us into the People
of God. |
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4. |
The mystical
union
of the community of believers as the Body of
Christ is accomplished by |
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the Holy Spirit |
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b. |
the Sacraments |
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c. |
the definitive
establishment of the kingdom on earth |
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d. |
solidarity in social
action |
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e. |
Pick a combination
of the above. |
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5. |
True or false.
The unity of the Church derives from the unity
of the Holy Trinity. |
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6. |
True or false.
The mystical unity of the Body of Christ
involves a special obligation to the faithful
who are suffering, poor, or persecuted. |
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7. |
True or false.
Belief in Christ and trust in the Church are
opposed to each other. |
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8. |
Fill in the
missing
phrase: Christ Jesus "gave himself for us to
redeem us from all iniquity and to . . ."
(Titus 2:14). |
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a. |
purify for himself a
people of his own |
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b. |
instill in our
hearts the love of the Holy Spirit |
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c. |
call us into the
community of the faithful |
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d. |
incorporate us into
the Body of Christ |
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e. |
save us from the
evil fruit of our deeds |
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9. |
Which of the following
is false regarding the Church as the
Bride of Christ?
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The Church is the
fruitful mother of all God's children. |
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b. |
As the Groom, Christ
cares for the Church as for his own body.
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c. |
Each of the
faithful, as well as the Church as a
whole, is a bride of Christ. |
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d. |
The Church is
betrothed to Christ in order to become one
spirit with him. |
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e. |
None of the above |
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10. |
Which of the following
is false about the Church as the
Temple of the Holy
Spirit? |
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a. |
What the soul is to
the human body, the Holy Spirit is to the
Mystical Body. |
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b. |
The Holy Spirit is
the source of the unity in diversity in
the Church. |
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c. |
The Holy Spirit is
the principle of every saving action in
the Church. |
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d. |
Pick a combination
of the above. |
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e. |
None of the above. |
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To
learn more about Our Faith, please
click here. |
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The Fourth Sunday of Advent
December 21,
2008
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First Reading
from the Prophet Samuel |
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2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a,
16 |
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When King David was
settled in his palace, and the LORD had
given him rest from his enemies on every
side, he said to Nathan the prophet,
“Here I am living in a house of cedar,
while the ark of God dwells in a tent!”
Nathan answered the
king,
“Go, do whatever you have in mind, for the
LORD is with you.”
But that night
the LORD spoke to Nathan and said:
“Go, tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the
LORD: Should you build me a house to dwell
in?’
“It was I who took you from the pasture
and from the care of the flock
to be commander of my people Israel. I
have been with you wherever you went, and
I have destroyed all your enemies before
you. And I will make you famous like the
great ones of the earth. I will fix a
place for my people Israel; I will plant
them so that they may dwell in their place
without further disturbance.
Neither shall the
wicked continue to afflict them as they
did of old, since the time I first
appointed judges over my people Israel. I
will give you rest from all your enemies.
The LORD also
reveals to you that he will establish a
house for you. And when your time comes
and you rest with your ancestors, I will
raise up your heir after you, sprung from
your loins, and I will make his kingdom
firm.
I will be a
father to him, and he shall be a son to
me. Your house and your kingdom shall
endure forever before me; your throne
shall stand firm forever.” |
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Responsorial From the Book of Psalms |
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Ps 89:2-3, 4-5, 27,
29 |
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R. For ever I will sing
the goodness of the Lord.
The promises of the LORD I will sing forever;
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim
your faithfulness.
For you have said, “My kindness is established
forever”;
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the
Lord.
“I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant:
Forever will I confirm your posterity
and establish your throne for all generations.”
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the
Lord.
“He shall say of me, ‘You are my father,
my God, the Rock, my savior.’
Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him,
and my covenant with him stands firm.”
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the
Lord. |
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First Reading
from the Letter to the Romans |
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Rom 16:25-27 |
Brothers and sisters:
To him who can strengthen you, according to my
gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ,
according to the revelation of the mystery
kept secret for long ages but now manifested
through the prophetic writings and, according
to the command of the eternal God, made known
to all nations to bring about the obedience of
faith, to the only wise God, through Jesus
Christ be glory forever and ever. Amen.
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Reading From the
Gospel of Luke |
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Lk 1:26-38 |
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The angel Gabriel was
sent from God to a town of Galilee called
Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named
Joseph, of the house of David, and the
virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he
said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly
troubled at what was said and pondered what
sort of |
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greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to
her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found
favor with God.
“Behold, you will conceive in your womb and
bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and
will be called Son of the Most High, and the
Lord God will give him the throne of David his
father, and he will rule over the house of
Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will
be no end.”
But Mary said to the
angel,
“How can this be, since I have no relations
with a man?”
And the angel said to
her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the
power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child
to be born will be called holy, the Son of
God.
And behold,
Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a
son in her old age, and this is the sixth
month for her who was called barren; for
nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I
am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to
me according to your word.”
Then the angel
departed from her. |
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Suggested Readings |
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intersection of
morality, reason, and politics. This isn’t
just a book for Catholics, but for anyone who
cares about the state of America’s soul —and
how that concern might shape the 2008
elections.”
—John
L. Allen Jr., NCR and CNN senior Vatican
correspondent, Amazon |
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Happiness Is a Serious
Problem: A Human Nature Repair Manual
by Dennis Prager.
In this unique blend of self-help and moral
philosophy, talk-radio host Dennis Prager
asserts that we're actually obligated to be
happy, because it makes us better people.
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Praying With Frederic Ozanam
(Companions for the Journey Series)
-
Paperback, by Ronald Cm Ramson (Author) |
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Praying With Louise De
Marillac (Companions for the Journey Series)
by Audrey Gibson (Author), Kieran Kneaves
(Author) |
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Praying with Vincent de
Paul (Companions for the Journey)
2004, by Thomas McKenna
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The Rise of Christianity:
How the Obscure, Marginal, Jesus Movement Became
the Dominant Religious Force ....
(Paperback) by Rodney Stark
(Author)
From the Publisher
"... this account of Christianity's remarkable
growth within the Roman Empire is already the
subject of much fanfare. |
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"Anyone who has puzzled
over Christianity's rise to dominance... must
read it,"
...
Read the first page. |
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Living Liturgy:
Spirituality, Celebration, and Catechesis for
Sundays and Solemnities, Year A,
2008 (Paperback) by C.PP.S. Joyce Ann Zimmerman
(Author), Thomas A. Greisen (Author), S.N.D. de
N. Kathleen Harmon (Author), M.S. Thomas L.
Leclerc (Author) |
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"Perfect for home use or to prepare for weekly
liturgy . . . It includes help for the
celebration, ideas for catechesis on the
particular event, and ways to understand the
readings more deeply. Finally, it includes
sample questions from which priests, deacons,
lay groups, ministers and others can jump off
into deeper discussion." |
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Straight Answers, Answers
to 100 Questions about the Catholic Faith
by Ph.D Rev. William P.
Saunders (Author)
Review by: Reverend William G. Curlin Bishop of
Charlotte
Straight Answers offers Catholics a simple and
direct response to the many questions concerning
the Catholic Church. It spells out profound
truths in very |
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simple language for all who seek a better
understanding of their Faith. I highly recommend
it for Catholics, both young and old. |
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The Power of Intention:
Learning to Co-create Your World Your Way
From Amazon:
After years of spiritual study and reflection,
inspirational speaker and |
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bestselling
author Wayne Dyer has emerged a highly esteemed
teacher. His current message about tapping into
the power of intention may sound like good old
positive thinking: just stay focused on what you
want, rather than focusing on the lack of having
what you want. But the teaching here goes deeper
than just controlling thoughts (although he does
acknowledge that thought control is a
surprisingly challenging and significant
endeavor).
This book might
help readers land a better job, but it's more
relevant for those who are ready to detach from
an ego-driven life filled with quick fixes of
happiness and step into a more authentic,
joyful, and spiritually fulfilling life. His
core teachings speak to tapping into a universal
source of energy that can also be called the
"power of intention." |
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The Chariot of Israel:
Exploits of the Prophet of Elijah
THE CHARIOT OF ISRAEL: When Elijah was caught up
to heaven, his disciple Elisha cried out, "the
chariot of Israel, and its horsemen." Elisha was
referring not to the chariot but to the prophet.
This study of Elijah’s life will captivate you
as it walks you through a pivotal period in
Israel’s history, and illustrative maps will
give you a better picture of the physical
geography of this ancient land. |
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Read
more about the Liturgical Year |
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The Origins of the
Liturgical Year (Pueblo Books)
by Thomas J. Talley (Author) The Rev. Dr.
Thomas J. Talley, Professor of Liturgics
at the General Theological Seminary in New
York, is one of the leading liturgists in
the country. He gives us a fresh
examination of the complex history of the
Liturgical Year. |
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The Cultural World
of Jesus: Sunday by Sunday, Cycle C.
(Bestseller! the Cultural World of Jesus:
Sunday by Sunday)
by John J. Pilch (Author)
Reader
Review: The book by Pilch provides those
who not only fill the pulpits across this
country but also all interested in the
cultural world in which Jesus lived with a
lot of pertinent information that sheds
light on a lot of areas that have been
"muddled" in the past. Yes, I highly
recommend this book. - James Mauldin |
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Learn
more and read the Old Testament. |
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Preaching from the
Old Testament
by Elizabeth Achtemeier (Author) Reader
Review: The author of these thirty-two
short chapters begins and ends with the
assumption that problems we experience
with the Old Testament are our problem,
not the Bible's. This subordinating of the
Bible reader to the well-weathered book he
holds in his hand opens doors, not to
forced |
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harmonisations of problematic
passages, but to fresh reappraisal of
difficult texts on their own terms. -
David A. Baer |
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The Navarre Bible:
Pentateuch (The Navarre Bible: Old
Testament)
This volume helps
you make the first five books of the Old
Testament a vital part of your spiritual
reading and practical growth in the
Christian life. It contains the full
English and Latin texts of these books,
along with extensive and
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faithfully Catholic
commentaries. Like other volumes in the
world-renowned Navarre Bible series, these
commentaries draw on Church documents, the
exegesis of Fathers and Doctors of the Church, and the works of
contemporary spiritual writers — particularly
St. Josemaría Escrivá, who initiated the
Navarre Bible project. |
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Comments and Suggestions are Most Welcome.
If you have any comments or contributions,
please
use the form in this link.
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