A Bit of Christmas in February!
Today we celebrate the Great Feast of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple”!
“Dear brothers and sisters,
Forty days have passed since we celebrated the joyful Feast of the Nativity of the Lord.
Today is the blessed day when Jesus was presented in the the Temple by Mary and Joseph…”
The Roman Missal
Please join the Holy Family as they live faithfully the Jewish Law and experience the Christmas joy again.
You and your families are with us in prayer!
Pax
Jesus still heals!
We are a world that is hurting. The Pandemic of 2020 has left a terrible mark on our people. There is so much death, there is so much poverty and hunger, there is so much despair, yet Jesus speaks to us through our hurts and pain.
In the Gospel reading for today, Mark 1:21-28, St. Mark only records for us a brief statement of Jesus for us to meditate on.
“Be silent and come out of him!” Mark 1:25
In this early part of Jesus’ Ministry, the hearers in the Synagogue were impressed by His words but the demon knew Him and knew His purpose.
“I know who you are, the Holy One of God” Mark 1:24
It might seem strange but let us use these words of the demon and call on Jesus more earnestly now than ever. He will cast out any demon that we are struggling with. Jesus will bring order in our chaotic time. Total Trust in the Lord!
Pax.
…Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men and women.”
Mk 1:17
Happy Word of God Sunday!
Jesus is the Word of God and to follow Him, we must first know Him! To do this, the first thing we must do is read and live the Bible.
Today we read about the calling of the Brothers to stop what they are doing, they are fishermen, to fish for people so that they may have an encounter with Jesus (Mark 1:14-20). If we compare these early days of their ministry, and the end of their ministry, it may seem that they are different people. In reality they have been changed by their relationship with our Lord! They allowed their lives with Jesus to change them. Little by little in their life with Jesus, the Word of God radiated more brightly in their lives and they brought more people to love and serve the Lord. We radiate what they radiated two thousand years ago. If we live the Word of God, we radiate by our lives Jesus and in doing so become fishers of women and men!
We, the Caritas Community, are with you in prayer and are here for you!
Pax.
The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples; and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”
John 1: 35-36
We have entered the Holy Time we call Ordinary, meaning numbered time. This is the time between and after the Holy Seasons of Christmas and Easter. Today we have the example of St. John the Baptist. He gives us a wonderful example of humility that we must use to be real disciples of Jesus. St. John had a tremendous Ministry and he would let it go because life is found in Jesus.
If we follow St. John, we would not let ourselves get in the way of pointing people to Our Lord!
These are challenging times, may we be humble like St. John the Baptist and let our lives direct people to Jesus. May our actions be alway acts of love.
Pax
Happy Feast of the Baptism of the Lord!
I am the Lord, I have called you in to righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.
Is 43: 6-7
Today we conclude the Season of Christmas. As all things in 2020, it was not a normal celebration of this Holy Season as much as we have been accustomed to over the years of our lives. This was a season of much more reflection and contemplation. Hopefully it was a season of peace.
Today’s Feast reminds us of who we are who have been baptized into Christ. As Isaiah the Prophet stated above, “I have given you as a covenant to the people”. Baptism has made us other Christs! What an awesome mystery! The Father wants to say about us “Listen to him or her!”
A better world begins when we live our Baptism!
We enter Ordinary Time until Ash Wednesday.
Pax
Can all things be forgiven? Keeping hatred in your heart will only hurt yourself, therefore, to forgive is to set yourself free. You can’t rid the …
To forgive is to set yourself free
They were overjoyed at seeing the star and entered the house they saw the Child with Mary and prostrated themselves and did Him homage.
Mt 2:11
We begin the last part of the Christmas Season. We begin the Epiphany Season. Jesus is made known to the Magi and we join them in meeting Jesus!
Let us put ourselves into that great event of our salvation history. The Magi (aka Kings) followed a star. Their whole lives were given to finding what the star pointed to. They gave their gifts and they received the greatest gift possible: the Creator in an Infant! After this encounter they returned home but they had been forever changed!
May we be forever changed by our encounter this Christmas with the Divine Infant and may our homes be filled with His Light!
Pax.
Happy Feast of the Motherhood of Mary
And Mary kept these things and reflecting on them in her heart,
Luke 2: 19
As we begin this New Year 2021, we have a powerful example to look at and to follow, Mary the Mother of Jesus.
Mary had her life directed my her humble and obedient surrender to the Divine Will. She could not understand everything that she was going through but she took these things into her heart and did what she needed to do.
We too are called to do the Divine Will. Where will that bring us? It will bring us to peace.
Mary’s obedience change the world and brought hope into the world. If we choose to live the Two Great Commandments, love God and love neighbor, regardless of the cost, we will find peace.
Be peace!
Pax.
The Lord said to Moses:
“Speak to Aaron and his sons and tell them:
This is how you shall bless the Israelites.
Say to them:
The Lord bless you and keep you!
The Lord let His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you!
The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace!
So shall they invoke My Name upon the Israelites,
and I will bless them.”
6:22-27
We begin the New Year 2021 with this great promise of the Lord Almighty: I will bless them!
In Jesus, we have the power to bless each other. And all will receive blessings. The old Year is gone and we are able and blest to say we are around for 2021. We do not know what is in store for us for this New Year but we do know that if we bless one another, we will have a better Year.
Blessings is a Divine Attitude! If we bless everyone, we make the world a better place. Yes, we will encounter people who will be difficult and many hurtful to us and those whom we love, but if we bless them, we participate in the Divine Attitude of Blessing and we remain in peace!
Please do not reture hate for hate! Return hate with a blessing and experience peace.
Let us make this a beautiful Year! Be a blessing and change the world one person at a time.
The Caritas Community is with you in prayer!
Happy New Year!
Pax.
Happy Feast of the Holy Family of Nazareth
When they had fulfilled all of the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their town of Nazareth. The Child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom and favor of God was upon Him. Luke 2:39-40
We are still celebrating Christmas Day! On this Christmas Day, 27 December 2020, we meditate on the Holy Family of Nazareth. This Jewish Family, Jesus, Mary and Joseph, is the role model for the Christian Family. There are many things that we can take from this Family and use in the way that we live.
First, They were faithful to the Divine Word. They did all that they were required to do to live faithful lives.
Second, Mary and Joseph provided a home that was safe so that their Son would grown in strength and wisdom.
Finally, Mary and Joseph probably did not understand all the things that Jesus was doing and saying, but they had total trust in love. Jesus, on His part, was obedient to them.
This year, 2020, has been challenging but the example of the Holy Family will show us how to deal with whatever comes our way.
Christmas Blessings!
Pax.
Hermitage of Peace 