"Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you."

On the carefully programmed Advent journey to Christmas, December 21, 2014, the Fourth Sunday belongs to Mary. This is so because Christmas, which celebrates the birth of Jesus, necessarily involves the motherhood of Mary. Our Discussion Questions will guide your Sunday Bible Study with family, friends and church groups.

Also on this last Sunday of Advent we begin more intensively to prepare for the celebration of Christmas. There are the many practical things to do: the buying of presents, the shopping for food and all the necessities of a great feast. But we do not forget that this great feast is in honor of the Lord and we take time to prepare ourselves spiritually as well.

God's Promise to David

Sunday’s Scripture texts describe God’s promise to David and its fulfillment in Jesus, the Son of David. From the First Reading, David expresses his sincere desire to build a temple for God but it is actually God who will build his own house and establish a great family of descendents: the House of David. Fr. John J. Ludvik say this meant God would actually become personally present among humankind through David’s descendant, Jesus the Messiah.

The amazing thing about this promise by God is that it does not depend on David's worthiness. David had committed adultery with Bathsheba and then had her husband killed. In the Psalms we hear echoes of David's repentance. Fr. Alex McAllister SDS explains that we ourselves are indeed spiritual descendents of David. And Fr. Phil Bloom says there is also a message here for us: Not to go out and sin, but to know that every day we depend on God's mercy - and his promise.

Hail Mary, Full of Grace

"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee." For nearly two millennia Catholics, and other Christians, have committed to memory these words of the angel Gabriel as they pore devotedly over the sacred scriptures. The angelic salutation, now incorporated into the prayer of the Hail Mary, is sent up to heaven millions of times each day from every corner of the globe. Father Cusick says our frequent repetition of these words can dull our sense of awe for the fantastic event which they announced: the incarnation of God.

Fr. Demetrius R. Dumm, O.S.B. points out for us the fact that when considered specifically as the mother of our Savior, Mary is also the most perfect model of fruitfulness. Mary models for us a life that is wonderfully fruitful through loving concern for the welfare and happiness of others. And the challenge we face according to Fr. John Foley, S. J. is this: How much do you and I listen to the voice of God’s promise, written in our hearts? Do our words and actions tumble out without reference to that unwavering love deep within?

The Word Became Flesh

Our Readings this Sunday place us at the origin of the human existence of the Word of God. The word became flesh in Mary’s womb. One does not require a massive brainpan to conclude that the awesome entry of God into the body of an itinerant preacher named Jesus of Nazareth was no hit and run accident. It was set from day one. Fr. James Gilhooley explains that for God the long journey was part of the gift to us.

Fr. Ron Rolheiser discusses the virgin birth. He said it should invite imitation rather than admiration. What is at issue, he points out, is not celibacy rather than sex but patience rather than impatience. It is about accepting to live in tension rather than capitulating and compensating in the face of unrequited desire. Paul Dion, STL meanwhile answers a question frequentl;y asked: Was the Blessed Virgin Mary a Virgin Forever?  ...

Meanwhile, Fr. Orlando Sapuay, M.S. explains that The Word came to Mary looking for far more than accommodation. He became flesh of her flesh. That means our flesh, human nature. This means whatever God the Father gave His Only-Begotten Son in human nature, He gave all this to all of us. The Annunciation therefore is not to Mary alone, but to you and me. Each one of us has part of God's plan. We are not merely part of the audience. We are actors in the eternal Christmas pageant. Fr. Joseph Pellegrino reminds us that like Mary, we can make the spiritual physical. No, we can’t give birth to the Savior, but we can make His Presence a reality in the world.

It is a continuing miracle that the whole world pauses to celebrate at Christmas. Far more marvelous is the blessed Christian for whom the lights, festive parties and gift-giving are only signs of the real source of abiding joy: the gift of Jesus, "He who saves his people from their sins." Prepare well for a truly merry, blessed, 'Christ-Mass'.

Preparing for Christmas

We recall this Christmas message from Pope Benedict two years ago when he said Christmas is not a fairy tale for children. It's a message that's equally valid today. Christmas is much more than the season of Santa Claus and sugar plums. It is God's answer to mankind's yearning for peace.

Meanwhile, Msgr. Charles Pope discusses the many paradoxes and seeming impossibilities in the incarnation. He reminds us that as mysteries they cannot be fully solved, so they claim our reverence. As we approach Christmas lists some of the paradoxes of Christmas, saying as little of them as possible, just enough to make the paradox clear. And do you know the twelve days of Christmas? It starts on the evening of Christmas Day and end on the morning of Epiphany (January 6th).

And Dr. Lilles offers a pathway for prayer in Advent. He reminds us that Advent is a time for opening our hearts to the Lord with contrition-filled prayer. It is the most important thing we can do to prepare for the joy of Christmas. He says not to do so is to prefer to live in self-contradiction, a cold dark misery not worthy of human dignity.

Celebrating the Holidays

Jennifer Fulwiler was doing Christmas cards this week when she catches sight of a certain person’s name and address, about half way down the third page of labels. Every time she see it, she winces because it reminds her of just how unsaintly she can sometimes be. This is a story about what hitting reply to an email instead of forward taught her about sin. And if you ever get in the same bind, here's a video that will tell you how to quickly untangle it.

It’s Christmas, so we’re singing carols. But the Blessed Virgin Mary merits only passing mention in a few carols or—even better—no mention at all in most. Michael Linton looks into it for us. Also, "Do You Hear What I Hear?" is one of the most popular Christmas songs today. Do you know the story behind the song? This popular Christmas song's plea for peace is as relevant today as when it was written—during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

As you ponder what presents to give friends and family, Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio's helpful thoughts offer a Catholic approach to holiday gift-giving. Similarly, Fr. Peter deSousa suggests that we share the gift of love with those who are lonely, suffering or in need.

Finally, this time of year, it's not out of this world to hear about generous folks going around and dropping coins in parking meters or picking up a round of drinks for strangers at the bar. But some truly secret Santa has helped out three Michigan Kmart customers by picking up their layaway tabs. Really.

Another eventful week in our Catholic World. Have a great and blessed new week.

Keep the Faith. Peace.

Wally Arida
Publisher & Editor in chief

BURNING QUESTION: Was the Blessed Mother a Virgin Forever?
FEATURED BLOG: The New Translation: What's Changed and Why
PASTORAL HISPANA: Maria la Virgen del Adviento


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"Make straight the way of the Lord"

We have in Sunday’s Gospel, Dec. 14, 2014 - the Third Sunday of Advent - an interesting interrogation. The priests and Levites came out from Jerusalem to find out who this John the Baptist was, and whether he was the Messiah. Our Discussion Questions will guide your Sunday Bible Study with family, friends and church groups.

Gaudete. Rejoice.


The third Sunday of Advent is often called "Gaudate" which means, "rejoice". We count it as the mid-point of this season of anticipation. You will notice that the candle we light this Sunday is pink not purple and the priest's stole and other parts of our altar environment are rose suggesting a more rejoicing attitude. And appropriately, Fr. Phil Bloom reminds us that Joy is a decision. St. Paul tells us we will find joy by praying without ceasing, giving thanks in all circumstance and refraining from every kind of evil. Rejoice always.

Fr. John J. Ludvik explains further that Gaudete Sunday invites us into a world of reversals, a world where the captives are freed, where the hungry are filled and where the rich are sent away empty. It is certainly a world where things are turned upside down. In Sunday's Gospel, Fr. John Foley, S. J. points out, the people are hungry for daylight. “Are you the light?” they shouted to John. Will you “bring glad tidings to the poor, heal the broken-hearted, proclaim liberty to the captives and release the prisoners?” No, he replied, “I am pointing you toward the light. He will be here soon.”

During the season of advent, Christians are asked to light candles as a sign of hope. But lighting a candle in hope is not just a pious, religious act; it’s a political act, a subversive one, and a prophetic one. Fr. Ron Rolheiser says Hope is precisely that, a vision of life that guides itself by God’s promise, irrespective of whether the situation looks optimistic or pessimistic at any given time.

The Voice Crying Out in the Wilderness

Father Cusick quotes the Catechism (CCC719) to explain the messsenger, "John the Baptist is 'more than a prophet.' In him, the Holy Spirit concludes his speaking through the prophets. John completes the cycle of prophets begun by Elijah. Like John the Baptist we also have been called to be apostles and witnesses. We have been entrusted with a mission from God, Fr. Joseph Pellegrino tells us. We are created for a purpose.

We were given God's life at baptism so we can share his life with others.“I am the voice crying out in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord.” Which way? The only way! Like John, Fr. Orlando Sapuay, MS urges us, we prepare the way of the Lord with our lives of holiness and righteousness. There is no other way to prepare ourselves for the coming of the Lord but to live with Him and in Him.

Knowing that Jesus is Close

Fr. Alex McAllister SDS points out to us that if we read the Sunday Gospel text very carefully, we will realise that Jesus himself must have been actually present when John the Baptist was cross-examined by the Levites. Why else would John the Baptist say: ‘There stands among you, unknown to you, the one who is coming after me’? The life implication of this gospel passage is ultimate in its significance. Fr. Campion P. Gavaler says it is whether or not we recognize God's coming among us in Jesus Christ.

But whose vision of God is yours? Is it the God of John full of anger? Or does it belong to the Teacher? His is a God anxious to forgive our sins and faults when we get down on our knees and ask for forgiveness in the confessional. Fr. James Gilhooley reminds us that the best eraser in the world is confession to God.

The Immaculate Conception

Last Monday, Dec. 8, the Catholic Church celebrated the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. And forty-six years ago yesterday, Pope Paul VI closed the Second Vatican Council in St. Peter’s Basilica along with 2,300 bishops gathered from the entire world. The Council Fathers saved December 8, the day on which they wanted to place everything in Mary’s hands, for something even more special. They solemnly invoked Mary under a new title: Mother of the Church.

The Immaculate Conception is one of the most overlooked and rejected dogmas. But for Benedict XVI, it was so "overwhelmingly obvious" that six years ago he talked about it three times in eight days. Without it, he says, Christian redemption "would lose its foundation." This dogma is also the most misunderstood. While it refers to the Immaculate Conception of the infant Mary, many Catholics mistakenly think it refers to the virginal conception of the Christ Child. Fr. Ryan Erlenbush adds that this common misconception about leads us to a further point of reflection: Was Christ immaculately conceived? His answer to this Christological question will help us to understand the Marian dogma in a new light.

And recalling Thursday's Feast of Immaculate Conception, Benedict XVI encouraged

The Season of Advent

It is the most Sacramental season. And there is much in this season of anticipation that resonates deeply with our culture even as it contradicts some of our less noble inclinations. As people concerned with spreading the Good News, Stephen P. White says this should be a consolation to us, an incentive to redouble our efforts.

Taylor Marshall's family found another spiritual way to use Advent. He says if you observe Advent in a certain way, you will not only establish a family altar for the whole year, you will also establish the daily family Rosary. He tells us how they did it. And for converts or anyone else who needs some baby steps to get started celebrating Advent, Catholic convert Jennifer Fulwiler offers eight of her favorite super-simple ideas sent to celebrate Advent. She also talks about one of her favorite holiday traditions. She offers seven good reasons to continue mailing out Christmas cards.

Food-Related Tech Geeks

We close this issue with a nifty article for the cooking geeks among you. Recently Jill Harness featured a microwave that was hacked to play YouTube videos while it cooked food. But for those who want their kitchen hacks to play a direct role in their food preparation, here are ten ideas to get your food-related geek-juices flowing. How about cooking chicken pesto using your office coffee maker.

Another eventful week in our Catholic World. Enjoy the Thanksgiving weeken with your family and loved ones.

Keep the Faith. Peace.

Wally Arida
Publisher & Editor in chief
BURNING QUESTION: Do Catholics "worship" Mary as we do Jesus?
FEATURED BLOG: The spiritual act of voting in our elections


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"He was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel"

This Sunday, Jan. 1, 2012, is not only the Feast of Mary, the Mother of God, it is also the World Day of Prayer for Peace. It is highly appropriate that the whole Church pauses at the commencement of the New Year to take time to pray for world peace. Our Discussion Questions will guide your Sunday Bible Study with family, friends and church groups.

Mary, Mother of God

The readings for Sunday are extremely short; probably the shortest in the whole liturgical year, but this does not mean that they are without meaning. This Sunday we see Mary just days after the grueling journey and the amazing birth of Jesus. All is well. The child is healthy and cute, and the angels, unable to contain their joy, have once more danced into Mary’s life. Even the animals understand. It is breathtaking.

When we look at how Mary gave birth to Jesus, we can see that there are four moments in the process: Impregnation by the Holy Spirit; gestation of God within one’s body and soul; the stretching and agony of giving birth; and the nurturing of an infant into adulthood. Fr. Ron Rolheiser explains to us what is implied in each of these.

Does this all impinge on Mary’s peace? No, says Fr. John Foley, S. J. She is good to her word. The Gospel says that she quietly "kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.” Mary was a woman of complete faith. Fr. Joseph Pelligrino points out that she had faith that somehow God would care for her in her pregnancy, in the childbirth, throughout her life, and at the foot of the cross. She had faith that His plan was working through this wonderful child of the common life.

Father Cusick reminds us that we therefore proclaim and preach the marvel God has brought forth in her, granting her a unique role in our redemption as "Mother of God". And so as we honor Mary on this day as Mother of God, we recall that during the Second Vatican Council Paul VI called her Mother of the Church. Fr. John J. Ludvik tells us that today we are reminded that all Christians too have conceived Christ in their hearts and are called to bring him forth into the world.

So why does the Roman liturgy celebrate January 1, the Octave of Christmas, as a holy day of celebration, the Feast of Mary the Mother of God? Because this paradoxical phrase strikes at the very heart of Christmas. Jesus is so with us that after Gabriel’s visit to the Virgin of Nazareth, the Divine Word can never again be divided from our humanity.

The New Year & World Day of Peace

The fresh New Year is in some ways like the infant Jesus "wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger." Fr. Demetrius R. Dumm, O.S.B. explains that both the new year and the new child seem so vulnerable but the almighty power of God is hidden in the new year, just as it is in the tiny infant. God is fully prepared to wrap our fragile lives and hopes in the warm blanket of his ever present and constant love.

As we begin the New Year, we focus on the First Reading from the Book of Numbers and Fr. Phil Bloom asks us to make this resolution: Bless those who are close to you. At first it may be awkward to do so, but at least begin with a blessing in your heart. And in celebration of World Day of Peace, Fr. Alex McAllister says we should pray for peace - peace in our hearts, peace in our communities, peace in the world. In the words of the Book of Numbers let us pray that ‘the Lord will uncover his face to you and bring you his peace.’

Celebrating the New Year

Around this time of year, we see on TV and the Internet all sorts of lists of the most memorable events of the past year, as we try to put the past year in perspective. It's another New Year. But for what reason, asks Jamieson the Wolf?

So Leon Suprenant list his seven reasons why January 1st itself is of significance. While George Weigel, on the other hand, talks about his long-standing aversion to making a Big Deal out of New Year’s Eve. He explains why he feels going bonkers over the turn of the civil calendar is giving a bit more to Caesar than Caesar has a right to receive.

In the new year, why not set out to do a little memorizing — not only of Scripture — but of key phrases from the Catechism that “speak” to you? Pat Gohn named her favorite 25 lines that capture the essence of the first 1000 paragraphs of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. And Jerome Placido offers solid advice to the youth in our communities: Make each day of the New Year a conversion story.

New Year Resolutions

Whatever your plans for New year’s Eve or New Year’s Day, the beginning of a new calendar year invites us to reflect on the past and focus on the future. At the New Year’s Eve dinner party Danielle Bean hosts nearly every year, she subject friends and family alike to her list of discussion questions. She usually winds up sharing a little and laughing a lot. You can use her list (or make your own!) for personal reflection or family discussion.

And with the New Year comes new hope for a new beginning. Melissa Knoblett-Aman says a new beginning is a perfect time to decide to strengthen your Catholic faith life. Listen to the inner voice that calls us to do good and avoid evil and to the church’s moral teaching that helps spell out what is good and what is evil in practical terms. Then, Francis Cardinal George, OMI adds, pray for strength from God to change your activities.

And what life changes do you want to make in the New Year? What is your New Year's resolution for the New Year? Are you one who is looking to land a new job in the New Year? If you are, experts say you should be deliberate in deciding what you want and how to achieve it. And if you are one looking to make a financial resolution for the New Year, know that such resolutions have more often than not traditionally failed each year. Being realistic and sharing goals with others can help limit disappointment.

Another eventful week in our Catholic World. Have a great and blessed new week.

Keep the Faith. Peace.

Wally Arida
Publisher & Editor in chief




BURNING QUESTION: Is it a sin to wear a rosary as jewelry?
FEATURED BLOG: Did the Holy Innocents die baptized?
PASTORAL HISPANA: Santa Maria como madre de Dios es un regalo para la Iglesia


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