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By Laura Marie Durant Heart of Jesus Reflection: Jesus, in Your Heart You show me the way to true love. Through a spirit of sacrificial love the Father sent You into the world. From the moment You came into this world Your Heart beat with great love for us. You knew the way to our hearts, hardened by our woundedness and sin, would be difficult and painful for us, so through Your example of sacrifice and total gift of self, You showed us the way to heavenly joy... Thoughts to Ponder this Third Week of Advent In today’s Gospel passage, we hear a message to those who wish to know “what they must do.” John speaks to each with regards to their own personal journey to Jesus. For each, the changes they must make are unique, but the goal is the same – to empty themselves of that which is preventing Jesus to enter into their lives fully, so that He can fill them with heavenly joy. Ask Him to help you where is it hard for you to give all of yourself and these blessings

Christ’s joy is not fleeting. His joy abides in the human heart, even in times of stress. Christ’s joy is what I wish for you this holiday season. How does one receive such a joy, so deep, that even crises cannot set it a kilter? Such joy resides in the heart of one who places their full faith and trust in Jesus. I can give personal testimony to this fact. Christ’s Joy Touched My Life Back in 2011, I felt much discontent in my job. Therefore, I knew I needed a change. So, I handed in my retirement notice. I went back to school for my Masters in Pastoral Theology and gave my life to God to do with as He sees fit. Walking away from a sure salary, and entering the unknown, took faith and trust in God. It’s been seven plus years now, and I’ve never looked back. No, I don’t make the kind of money I made in my previous life, but I have Christ’s joy, instead. And His joy is priceless! Read more...

During this third week of Advent dedicated to rejoicing, I invite you to ponder the incredible extravagance of our great God. First of all is the fact that God chose to enter our world as a baby. He could have appeared as an emperor or at least a full-grown rabbi, but, no, God does the unthinkable and comes as a tiny human being, crying, burping, and speechless. Someone noted that babies become kings, but this is the only time a king became a baby. To celebrate this event, I offer Stephen Colbert's happy dance in a video at the end of this post. Now for some other extravagances.  Think of the universe composed of zillions of stars and so vast that scientists have not been able to determine its end. A few suns and planets would have been sufficient. In our own Milky Way galaxy alone there are about 100 billion stars. But there are about 170 billion galaxies that we can discern with a telescope!  Click to continue

As we approach the Christmas season, one of the things that we try to do, every Advent, is to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It is when we go to confession and receive absolution for our sins, that we receive the gift of Christ’s peace. You know that feeling. As you walk out of the confessional, you feel a huge weight lifted off your shoulders. You feel united to Christ. That is the feeling of peace! And that is what I wish for you this holiday season. Receiving Christ’s Peace The year is coming to an end, with the promise of new and good things in the new year. There is no better time to shed ourselves of the chains of sin! Feel the glorious freedom of being in a state of grace! Every December, when I go to confession, I walk out of the confessional feeling like Jesus just gave me my Christmas present, and He is the one with the birthday. We should be showering Him with presents. Yet, it is the gift of Christ’s peace that sets our hearts aglow... Read more...

In 1521 – O ur Blessed Mother appeared to San Juan Diego on the Hill of Tepeyac, near Mexico City. see more

Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Therefore, it is a day to remember and reflect upon Our Blessed Mother’s appearance to Juan Diego. When Our Blessed Mother appeared to Juan Diego, his country was under the influence of pagan beliefs in false gods. Mary appeared to him, so that she could set in motion a means for personally evangelizing the people of Central America. Her specific words to Juan Diego were: I greatly desire that a church be built in my honor, in which I will show my love, compassion, and protection. I am your Mother, full of mercy and love for you and all those who love Me, trust in Me, and have recourse to Me. I will hear their complaints and I will comfort their affliction and their sufferings. So that I might show all My love, go now to the bishop in Mexico City and tell him that I am sending you to make known to him the great desire I have to see a church dedicated to me built here .  1 Our Lady of Guadalupe Would Not Be Deterred Naturally, when

I'm a city girl. My only experience with lambs was at a retreat house in West Virginia. There baby lambs and goats were running wild and jumping straight up into the air. I didn't know they did that. (See the video at the end of this post by clicking on the link.) Most Nativity sets include at least one lamb and a shepherd. We think it is sweet that a lamb is present. Lambs are gentle, docile, charming creatures. To call someone a lamb is a compliment, an endearing term.  However, the presence of a lamb at Jesus' birth has hidden meanings. It has ominous overtones, for it foreshadows the newborn's destiny. Click to continue

St John the Baptist with Saints , Cima da Conegliano  [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel   Luke 3:10-18 ( New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition)      And the crowds asked John the Baptist, ‘What then should we do?’  In reply he said to them, ‘Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.’  Even tax-collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, ‘Teacher, what should we do?’  He said to them, ‘Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.’  Soldiers also asked him, ‘And we, what should we do?’ He said to them, ‘Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.’ As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concernin

In Luke 5:22, Jesus asks the Pharisees, “What are you thinking in your hearts?” It is a rhetorical question, as Jesus knew quite well what the Pharisees were thinking; what the Pharisees believed. It is here, in the Gospel of Luke where we read of the historical event of Jesus physically healing the paralytic, and spiritually healing his friends. The room, in which Jesus was teaching, was so crowded that the paralytic’s friends could not get him inside. Yet, they knew that if they could somehow get their paralytic friend in front of Jesus that Jesus would heal him. Their faith in Jesus was great. So, the friends dropped the man into the room from the roof! “ When He saw their faith, He said,  ‘ As for you, your sins are forgiven ’”(Luke 5:20). Jesus knew that the Pharisees did not recognize Jesus as God, and that they believed only God can forgive sins. But, for the friends and the paralytic, they knew otherwise... Read more...

Love and Happiness It has always been believed that happiness depends on love more than on anything else. The greater the love, the greater the happiness. Yet for some unaccountable reason it does not always occur to us that, like everything else that is worth achieving, loving must be learnt. Far from being an exception to the rule, learning to love is more difficult than anything else because human beings are insatiably selfish and learning to love means learning to be selfless.   read on....

Entramos en el mes de diciembre. Es el último mes del año. Diciembre tiene alegría de fiesta, de música navideña, de campanitas y cascabeles, regalos y vacaciones. Pero también es un mes que llega, para los que ya somos adultos, con un agridulce sabor no tanto en la boca como en el corazón. Es un mes familiar y de hogar, pero no siempre están todos en la famiia ni en el hogar. También es un mes en que los días se nos escapan como viento con prisa y aligerado. Empezamos a sentir como una inquietud, como una urgencia porque hay muchas cosas que hacer, por preparar, por adquirir : regalos y compras navideñas, algún detalle para la casa con motivos alusivos a esta festividad, tal vez un viaje, un encuentro … Total que perdemos la calma y la tranquilidad. Malo es eso porque nos embarullamos y al final todo son prisas y apuros. Preparemos las cosas con tiempo y orden para que esto no nos suceda. leer más...  

I usually simply pray in my own words from my heart. However, the Catholic Church has a treasure trove of traditional written prayers which were never composed to rattle off by rote but written from the heart to inspire our hearts, especially when we are in a dry place when our own words have shrivelled. I have gathered a few traditional Advent prayers to ignite a spark of prayer in all of us., connecting us to all those who have gone before us and all those who walk with us in the Mystical Body of Christ. continue

Now that the Thanksgiving holiday is over, odds are we are all up a pound, or two, or three… With all the holiday parties, it is so easy to overindulge; so easy to gain weight. Embracing temperance, this holiday season, can be a gift to ourselves and to Christ. When we refrain from that extra piece of pumpkin pie, the cookies, and the hot chocolate with whipped cream, we save on the calories. The “sacrifice” we make, by saying no to the goodies, can be offered up to Jesus, in thanksgiving for His sacrifice on the Cross. When we refrain from drinking too much, we prevent scandal to our reputations. The “sacrifice” we make, by saying no to the alcohol, can be offered up to Jesus in thanksgiving for His love for us. When we refrain from overspending on holiday gifts, we save money for those needed expenses. The “sacrifice” we make, by saying no to extravagance, can be offered up to Jesus, in thanksgiving for always providing what we need. Embracing temperance takes some practi

Fr. Cedric Pisegna, a Passionist priest, posted the following prayer on Facebook recently. In the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season and perhaps as you live through the illness or death of loved ones, you might find the words helpful. "Dear Lord, sometimes I feel like I am imprisoned by my fears. I fear the future, I fear the unknown, I fear failure, I fear embarrassment, I fear suffering, I fear loss, I fear death. Such fears have kept me from moving forward in many areas of my life. I pray that you can forgive me for this lack of faith. I know in my heart that no fear is greater than your love for me. I long for the inner peace and serenity of being free from my unnecessary anxiety about so many things. Teach me that even when I am fearful, I can still move forward. Let me have the courage to face my fears. Help me to live the life that you want for me, a life of peace."  Click to continue

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Linaioli Tabernacle, St John the Baptist , Fra Angelico  [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel   Luke 3:1-6 ( New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition)      In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, ‘The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord,