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"To err is human; to forgive divine." Alexander Pope

For Reflection: According to this quote, am I acting "divinely?" What resolution can I make for the coming new year in light of my answer?

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New research suggests that listing the amount of exercise needed to burn off the calories in a food item is more effective in dissuading consumption.

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A Catholic student who was bullied and vilified as a "bigot" for telling a teacher he was offended by homosexuality has filed a lawsuit against the Howell Public School District in Howell, Michigan.

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“No punishment can suppress the inalienable dignity of those who have committed evil. The door to repentance and rehabilitation must always remain open.”

Pope John Paul the Great

 For Reflection: To what extent do I keep the door to repentance and rehabilitation open for those who have injured me? Am I seeking to repent and rehabilitate in light of those to whom I have caused injury?

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A 59 year-old breast cancer survivor was doing a Pilates maneuver which caused her body to "swallow" her breast implant - which forced her to have it surgically retrieved and reinserted.

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"If you do not receive him who repents, because you are merciless, you sin against the Lord God; for you do not obey Our Lord and God in acting as He acted." Anonymous

For Reflection: How well do I act as Our Lord and God acted in light of mercy?

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Yesterday, we celebrated the feast day of St. John the Evangelist who in his writings often referred to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved. There was a beautiful relationship of filial love between St. John and Our Lord, a love that we should all be striving for.

On yesterday's Women of Grace Live radio, I shared some reflections from today's Divine Intimacy meditation in which Fr. Gabriel of Saint Mary Magdalen, OCD, offered a powerful reflection about love. He tells us that Our Lord revealed His Love for us by the very fact that He concealed His divinity, His majesty, His power, and His infinite wisdom to assume our human nature. The Divine Infant was completely dependent upon a creature, though He was God, the Word was made flesh for our sake, and was born of a virgin.

Fr. Gabriel then goes on to issue a challenge. He says, "Let us try to understand this mystery in order to apply it to our poor lives." He later continues, "To repay His infinite love, to prove our love for Him, let us resolve to strip ourselves generously of everything that could hinder our union with Him; above all, let us divest ourselves of self-love, pride, vanity, all our righteous pretensions. What a striking contrast between these vain pretenses of our "ego" and the touching humility of the Incarnate Word!"

Let us take time during this holy season of Christmas to really ponder the mysteries of the Incarnation. How can we divest ourselves of the things that hinder our union with God? It is truly a call to a deep ascenticism.

Perhaps take time to meditate upon an image or statue of the Nativity scene, such as the one depicted here which so strikingly displays the humility of that moment of great love, God becoming flesh and dwelling among us. Then allow the mystery of that great love to reveal itself and come alive in your life in a deeper way than ever before through the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit.

"Who would not love Him who loves us so much?"

 

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JA writes: "I've been thinking about becoming a licensed massage therapist.  The only problem is that I know that part of the curriculum in many massage schools consists of learning about the new-age techniques and putting them into practice. . . .

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Because the latest technology is making it more and more difficult for parents to monitor what media their children are consuming, parents need to not only beware of the kind of shows that are being marketed to kids these days, but must be able to teach their children how to "filter" out the right from the wrong in what they're watching.

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"We need to smooth off the rough edges a little more each day [to] get rid of the defects in our own lives with a spirit of penance, with small mortifications. Jesus Christ will later make up for whatever is still lacking." St. Josemaria Escriva

For Reflection: How does seeking forgiveness from others help to smooth off rough edges?

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