When I came back to the Faith in 1981, one Scripture passage became the rudder of my spiritual life. It is Ephesians 1: 3-4. Through the years, this passage has spoken to me in many ways and has sustained me through many trials.
Verse 4 , however, is particularly relevant for this time of the year, and was echoed by St. John Paul II in a Christmas reflection. It states this, "God chose us in him before the world began to be holy and blameless in his sight, to be full of love." Those first five words tell us something about ourselves that is amazing and astounding -- each one of us was distinctively and individually chosen by God to have life.
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“. . .
Be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and playing to the Lord in your heart.” (Ephesians 5:18-19)
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St. Francis adoring the Christ Child (Fabrizio Santafede 1560-1623)
A well-researched biography of Saint Francis of Assisi must of necessity resound with the same two overriding themes: his deep, intense love for and devotion to his Savior, Jesus Christ; and his commitment to a radical living out of his Master’s example of poverty.
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"In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death and to guide our feet into the way of peace." (Excerpt from the Canticle of Zechariah, Lk 1:78-79)
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It’s crunch time! Christmas is only one week away and if you’re tempted to panic over a to-do list long enough to stretch across state lines, take some hints from the spiritual masters about how to handle Christmas “crunch time” without losing sight of the reason for the season.
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Christmas is almost here! You made your lists, checked them twice. You began your mission to find the best Christmas present for everyone on your list on time Black Friday. You were off with the pack. Thankfully you did your homework, checked sale ads before leaving home, scanned the web, and asked advice from the gift receivers. You fought the crowds to get that perfect item. You rejoiced each time you crossed a person off your list.
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The following testimony is from Nicole Marshall, who addressed teens at the Young Women of Grace Dare to Prepare Advent Retreat which took place on December 8 at St. Joseph’s Church in Coopersburg, Pennsylvania.
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We’ve all heard of the spirit of the anti-Christ, but is there an accompanying spirit of anti-Mary? The current condition of our world tell us a lot about the nature of this spirit – and also why there is so much reason to believe that an Age of Mary has already begun.
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The feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe isn’t situated in the middle of Advent out of coincidence. Advent was made for women – and not just because we bake all the cookies and buy all the gifts. Like us, Mary was made for this season and the way she completed her mission in Guadalupe gives us a blueprint of how to confront the challenges of today.
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And [Mary] gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn” (Lk 2:7)
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