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Advent |
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Love. Hope |
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The second candle of the Advent
Wreath is generally called the Bethlehem
candle, reminding Christians that God appeared
to them in a humble manner; Bethlehem was
located in the territory of one of the least
powerful tribes of Israel.
“Advent” comes from the Latin word for
"arrival" or "coming" and is a period of
preparation for the birth of our Lord. It
begins four Sundays before Christmas and
signals the start of the Christmas season,
which, for Catholics, lasts through the
Baptism of Our Lord.
Advent is a time of joyous anticipation, but
also of penance and preparation for the great
Christmas feast. The liturgical color of the
season is purple, a sign of penance, which is
also used during Lent. The
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Church discourages excessive ornamentation,
boisterous music and even weddings during Advent,
in order to foster a sense of quiet hope.
The first Sunday of Advent also marks the
beginning of the liturgical year, the Church's
"New Year's Day," at
which time we change the cycle of readings we are
using at Mass.
The Advent Wreath originated from a pre-Christian
tradition of Germany and Scandinavia where the
people gathered to celebrate the return of the sun
after the winter solstice. The circular wreath
made of evergreens interspersed with four candles
represented the circle of the year and the life
that endures through the winter. As the days grew
longer, people lit candles to offer thanks to the
"sun god" for the light.
For Catholics the wreath represents God's
eternity. The purple candles symbolize faithful
expectation, joy and hope. In earlier times the
season of Advent had stronger penitential and
ascetic aspects, and a relaxation of disciplines
was offered on the third Sunday of Advent, also
called Gaudete Sunday, from the Latin for
"rejoice", the first words of the Introit.
The first candle is often called the prophet's
candle, and is meant to signify the hope of Jesus'
arrival. The second is generally called the
Bethlehem candle, reminding Christians that God
appeared to them in a humble manner; Bethlehem was
located in the territory of one of the least
powerful tribes of Israel. The third candle is the
shepherds' candle, representing the joy that more
than half of Advent is over. The final candle is
the angels' candle, symbolizing their peace and
the message of good news that they offer.
On the first Sunday of Advent, the wreath is
sprinkled with holy water and blessed before
lighting the first purple candle. |
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The
Immaculate Conception |
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December 8, 2007 |
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This article
is from
Catholic Answers |
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"It’s
important to understand what the doctrine
of the Immaculate Conception is and what
it is not.
Some people
think the term refers to Christ’s
conception in Mary’s womb without the
intervention of a human father; but that
is the Virgin Birth.
Others
think the Immaculate Conception means Mary
was conceived "by the power of the Holy
Spirit," in the way Jesus was, but that,
too, is incorrect.
The
Immaculate Conception means that Mary,
whose conception was brought about the
normal way, was conceived without original
sin or its stain—that’s what "immaculate"
means: without stain. The essence of
original sin consists in the deprivation
of sanctifying grace, and its stain is a
corrupt nature. Mary was preserved from
these defects by God’s grace; from the
first instant of her existence she was in
the state of sanctifying grace and was
free from the corrupt nature original sin
brings. |
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When discussing
the Immaculate Conception, an implicit
reference may be found in the angel’s greeting
to Mary. The angel Gabriel said, "Hail, full
of grace, the Lord is with you" (Luke 1:28).
The phrase "full of grace" is a translation of
the Greek word kecharitomene. It therefore
expresses a characteristic quality of Mary.
The traditional translation, "full of grace,"
is better than the one found in many recent
versions of the New Testament, which give
something along the lines of "highly favored
daughter." Mary was indeed a highly favored
daughter of God, but the Greek implies more
than that (and it never mentions the word for
"daughter"). The grace given to Mary is at
once permanent and of a unique kind.
Kecharitomene is a perfect passive participle
of charitoo, meaning "to fill or endow with
grace." Since this term is in the perfect
tense, it indicates that Mary was graced in
the past but with continuing effects in the
present. So, the grace Mary enjoyed was not a
result of the angel’s visit. In fact,
Catholics hold, it extended over the whole of
her life, from conception onward. She was in a
state of sanctifying grace from the first
moment of her existence." |
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For the
complete article, please click here to go to
Catholic Answers. |
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This week's Readings:
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This is from the
St. Vincent de Paul website, on the Gospel
of
Mt 24:37-44, for
The First Sunday of
Advent |
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Reflection:
John the Baptist is prophet, judge, precursor.
With these three roles we note a parallel with the
prophetic, kingly, and priestly roles in Israel
that come to fulfillment in Jesus Christ. John is
the bridge between Israel of old and Jesus the
Messiah. John forcefully reminds us that
vindication or punishment is our choice, according
to the life we lead. Who is this strange man John?
He is the voice that
cries out to us an Advent message: “Repent, for
the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” For those of us
who are totally taken up with the present
moment—simply getting up, getting to work, keeping
the house and preparing meals, etc.—it may seem
strange to live in light of a future event. The
beginning of Advent is a time when the Church
reminds us that how we do these everyday things is
how we bear fruit and receive everlasting life.
(Living Liturgy, p. 10)
Vincentian Meditation:
John knew the Advent secret: He focused his whole
life on the coming of Jesus. “I am not the Christ.
Another comes after me. He will baptize you with
the Holy Spirit and with fire.” He realized that
his all-consuming vocation was to prepare the way
of the Lord. Our vocation is very similar. St.
Vincent tells us that the person of Jesus must be
absolutely central in our lives, as it was for
John the Baptist.
(Robert P. Maloney, Seasons in Spirituality: Reflections on Vincentian Spirituality in Today's World , p.47)
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The Sunday Readings
“Repent, for the
kingdom of heaven is at hand!” |
December 9,
2007:
The
Second Sunday of Advent
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First Reading From
the Book of Isaiah: |
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Psalm: Sunday 42 |
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On that day, a shoot
shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his
roots a bud shall blossom.
The spirit of the
LORD shall rest upon him:
a spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
a spirit of counsel and of strength,
a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD,
and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD.
Not by appearance
shall he judge, nor by hearsay shall he decide,
but he shall judge the poor with justice, and
decide aright for the land’s afflicted.
He shall strike the
ruthless with the rod of his mouth, and with the
breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.
Justice shall be
the band around his waist, and faithfulness a belt
upon his hips.
Then the wolf
shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard
shall lie down with the kid; the calf and the
young lion shall browse together, with a little
child to guide them.
The cow and the
bear shall be neighbors, together their young
shall rest; the lion shall eat hay like the ox.
The baby shall
play by the cobra’s den, and the child lay his
hand on the adder’s lair.
There shall be no
harm or ruin on all my holy mountain; for the
earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD,
as water covers the sea.
On that day, the
root of Jesse, set up as a signal for the nations,
the Gentiles shall seek out, for his dwelling
shall be glorious. |
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Responsorial From the Book of Psalms:
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Ps 72:1-2, 7-8,
12-13, 17 |
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R. Justice shall
flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for
ever.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
he shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and
fullness of peace for ever.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and
fullness of peace for ever.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and
fullness of peace for ever.
May his name be blessed forever;
as long as the sun his name shall remain.
In him shall all the tribes of the earth be
blessed;
all the nations shall proclaim his happiness.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and
fullness of peace for ever.
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Second Reading from the Letter to
Romans |
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Rom 15:4-9 |
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Brothers and
sisters:
Whatever was written previously was written for
our instruction, that by endurance and by the
encouragement of the Scriptures we might have
hope.
May the God of
endurance and encouragement grant you to think in
harmony with one another, in keeping with Christ
Jesus, that with one accord you may with one voice
glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ.
Welcome one another, then, as Christ welcomed you,
for the glory of God.
For I say that
Christ became a minister of the circumcised to
show God’s truthfulness, to confirm the promises
to the patriarchs, but so that the Gentiles might
glorify God for his mercy.
As it is written:
Therefore, I will praise you among the Gentiles
and sing praises to your name. |
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Reading From
the Gospel of Luke:
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Mt 3:1-12 |
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John the Baptist
appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea and
saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at
hand!”
It was of him that
the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said:
A voice of one crying out in the desert,
Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.
John wore clothing
made of camel’s hair and had a leather belt around
his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. At
that time Jerusalem, all Judea, and the whole
region around the Jordan were going out to him and
were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as
they acknowledged their sins.
When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees
coming to his baptism, he said to them,
“You brood
of vipers!
Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance.
And do not presume to say to yourselves,
‘We have Abraham as our father.’
For I tell you,
God can raise up children to Abraham from these
stones.
Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees.
Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit
will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
I am baptizing you with water, for repentance,
but the one who is coming after me is mightier
than I.
I am not worthy to carry his sandals.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
His winnowing fan is in his hand.
He will clear his threshing floor
and gather his wheat into his barn,
but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable
fire.” |
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References |
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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 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 faithfully
Catholic commentaries. Like other volumes
in the world-renowned Navarre Bible
series, these commentaries draw on Church
documents, the exegesis of Fathers and
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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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For Your Laugh Lines
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"I was thinking
about how a status symbol of today is those
cell phones that everyone has clipped onto
their belt or purse. I can't afford one. So,
I'm wearing my garage door opener."
"You know, I spent a fortune on deodorant
before I realized that people didn't like me
anyway."
"I was thinking that women should put pictures
of missing husbands on beer cans!" |
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Recipes |
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Globe
Artichokes with Green Beans and Garlic
Dressing |
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Hot Chocolate
Rum Soufflés |
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MAKES SIX
Ingredients
1/2 cup (unsweetened) cocoa powder
5 tbsp caster (superfine) sugar, plus extra caster or
icing (confectioners’) sugar for dusting
2 tbsp dark rum
6 egg whites
1/2 cup whipped cream flavored with dark rum
1 tbsp grated orange rind
Click
here for the Web Version
Click here for a Printer Friendly Version |
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When serving the soufflés at
the end of a dinner party, prepare them just before the
meal is served. Put them in the oven when the main course
is finished and serve piping hot.
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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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This
volume of commentary on the New English Bible text of the First Book of Kings
follows the pattern of the now well-established series on the Old and New
Testaments. The main divisions of the text are those provided by the New English
Bible itself, but these are further subdivided for the purposes of the
commentary, which is printed in short sections following the relevant portion of
the text.
