Epiphany is truly a feast of the Nativity of Our Savior, Jesus Christ. The Three Kings are central to Christmas. They teach us that every single person (ALL!) is called to know, love, serve and adore Jesus Christ. And we are to do this with our entire being.
Let us present a loving heart to the Divine Child and be willing to suffer for Christ; for the Faith. Already as a newborn, Jesus shed His Precious Blood to save us. Keep Jesus in your mind and heart, so that you will never deliberately offend Him. Don't forget the great truths of His four comings and continue to ponder them all year. Consider the link between Our Lord's coming at Christmas and His coming at Holy Mass. Meditate upon the moment of your death when you must render a definitive account of your time on this earth. How loving and [...]
A beautiful Christmas hymn is tollite hostias et adorate dominum, "Offer your gifts to the Divine Child and Adore Him" (Psalm 95:8-9). What will you offer Him? The most acceptable gift is a contrite and loving heart. Do you pray every day? Spend time before the manger and think about the incredible love of the Divine Child for you! Make an effort to think about and reject [hate] your sins, for your sins are what most offend Baby Jesus. Ask the Blessed Virgin to adore the Divine Child on your behalf. To truly love Him, seek to please Him in all [...]
From the Sermon 'Day of Joy and Pardon' given on December 25, 2023 O My Adorable Infant - by St. Alphonsus Ligouri O my dearest Redeemer, for the sake of the suffering Thou didst endure and the tears Thou didst shed in the stable of Bethlehem, give me tears – give me a great sorrow – that may make me all my life long lament the displeasure I have caused Thee. Grant me love for Thee, but such love as may compensate for the offenses I have committed against Thee. I love Thee, my Infant Savior, my Infant God. O my [...]
Scripture frequently mentions the angels. They are beings of pure spirit who have great wisdom, power and holiness. First and foremost, the angels exist to give glory to God. In addition, they assist in the salvation of souls. The angels are grouped into three hierarchies and nine choirs. They reflect God's perfections and it behooves us to pray to the different angels according to their mission. Know the seven ways in which your guardian angel assists you. Acknowledge the valuable work he does on your behalf and engage your guardian angel in conversation.
We form our ideas, habits and custom from our childhood and if that is reinforced over time, it becomes who we are and how we live. At the root of the grave crisis in the Church is secularization. Too many Catholics have allowed the secular world to completely overrun our customs. We must begin to change this. It will not happen overnight. Take small steps in the right direction. How can you include more silence, prayer, recollection, and detachment from the world in your daily routine and celebration of Advent and Christmas? Because Christmas is not about cookies, eggnog and parties. [...]
The world we live in is pagan; we must broadcast the Gospel everywhere to bring all to the obedience of faith. Today the Faith is being destroyed from the inside. We have had wicked popes, but none have tried to impose their [lack of] morality upon the Church. Yet Scripture and Tradition have prepared us. We know the truth, because the Catholic Faith is what has been believed everywhere (universality), always (antiquity) and by all (consensus). What to do? Get on your knees and ask our Blessed Lady to protect our faith. Pray to have have the strength to live according to the [...]
Christ was born to save sinners [us!] at midnight in Bethlehem in piercing cold. What a wondrous night of joy, of salvation, and of of pardon. Yet we must acknowledge sin as sin and not dismiss it under a pretext of focusing on the "positive." Otherwise, Christmas loses its true meaning. Let us not fail to ask Him for the great spiritual graces He wishes to grant this day. The shepherds brought their gifts; you must also bring your gifts to Him. What will you bring to Him?
Fiducia Supplicans, the latest scandalous document from the Vatican, is a direct contradiction of the truths of the four great comings of Christ. Only one without faith in Christ could author or support this document. It is truly diabolical and the height of sinister modernism, attempting to create a new kind of "pastoral" blessing. The truth is that God calls us to repent, to convert, and turn away from sin. Christ came to give us the grace and strength to overcome sin and to be able to make heroic sacrifices. Sadly, only a few Catholic bishops have given faithful public responses. [...]
The very name "Jesus" means "God saves." All His comings (advents) have to do with the salvation of souls. We pray: O Lord show us Thy mercy and grant us Thy salvation. Can there be a more important prayer? And this God answers through the Blessed Virgin Mary. Consider the Church's three feasts of December 8, 10, and 12. They emphasize: the glory and power of God, the purity we require, true faith, true worship, and our duty to form homes where we work out our salvation. God created Our Lady and made her our Mother to show us His mercy [...]
