Reading 1 Rom 13:8-10 Love one another as God Loves you.

Brothers and sisters:

Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another;

for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

The commandments, You shall not commit adultery;

you shall not kill;

you shall not steal;

you shall not covet,

and whatever other commandment there may be,

are summed up in this saying, namely,

You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Love does no evil to the neighbor;

hence, love is the fulfillment of the law.

Thus says the LORD:

If folks would do this...to each other...instead of what folks have been doing to each other...what a wonderful world this would be...

Is 58:9b-14

Thus says the LORD:
If you remove from your midst oppression,
false accusation and malicious speech;
If you bestow your bread on the hungry
and satisfy the afflicted;
Then light shall rise for you in the darkness,
and the gloom shall become for you like midday;
Then the LORD will guide you always
and give you plenty even on the parched land.
He will renew your strength,
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring whose water never fails.
The ancient ruins shall be rebuilt for your sake,
and the foundations from ages past you shall raise up;
"Repairer of the breach," they shall call you,
"Restorer of ruined homesteads."

If you hold back your foot on the sabbath
from following your own pursuits on my holy day;
If you call the sabbath a delight,
and the LORD's holy day honorable;
If you honor it by not following your ways,
seeking your own interests, or speaking with malice—
Then you shall delight in the LORD,
and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth;
I will nourish you with the heritage of Jacob, your father,
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

The Kiss of Death

Spy Wednesday conversion to Holy Wednesday

By Hugh McNichol
Op/Ed

One of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, 
went to the chief priests and said, 
"What are you willing to give me 
if I hand him over to you?" 
They paid him thirty pieces of silver, 
and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to hand him over. 

On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, 
the disciples approached Jesus and said, 
"Where do you want us to prepare 
for you to eat the Passover?" 
He said, 
"Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, 
'The teacher says, "My appointed time draws near; 
in your house I shall celebrate the Passover with my disciples."'" 
The disciples then did as Jesus had ordered, 
and prepared the Passover. 

When it was evening, 
he reclined at table with the Twelve. 
And while they were eating, he said, 
"Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me." 
Deeply distressed at this, 
they began to say to him one after another, 
"Surely it is not I, Lord?" 
He said in reply, 
"He who has dipped his hand into the dish with me 
is the one who will betray me. 
The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him, 
but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. 
It would be better for that man if he had never been born." 
Then Judas, his betrayer, said in reply, 
"Surely it is not I, Rabbi?" 
He answered, "You have said so."

Wednesday's Gospel reading preludes the betrayal of Judas. How appropriate then is the sometimes used phrase of, "Spy Wednesday," for this period before our celebration of the Sacred Triduum. The events that lead Jesus to the cross are filled with intrigue, suspense and an impending sense of disaster.

Clearly, the powers of good and evil, light and darkness, sin and salvation are poised to exhibit themselves at the place we call Golgotha. The Joannine account of Jesus betrayal seems to show Jesus' deep understanding of His role as the Messianic fulfillment. Judas in his interrogatory and somewhat cynical half statement of,"Surely it is not I, Rabbi?" provides the catalyst for the process of darkness to unravel. What is so significant about this ,"Spy Wednesday" is that it theologically reflects the daily struggles we all endure in order to accept a relationship with the Lord.

To live the life that Jesus intended for us is a perpetual struggle on a daily basis with good and evil. Sometimes when we are questioned about our transgressions, we, sometimes answer back. "It's not me Lord." But the tranquility of Jesus' realization of His mission provides us with hope in the days to come. Rather than provide a discourse to the Twelve, Jesus calmly recalls the Old Testament references to Him and even shares a piece of food with Judas, simultaneously dipping a morsel into the bowl. We should remember that the act of sharing a meal with others is a deeply rooted Semite notion of intimacy and close relationship. Jesus is sharing the meal, not with strangers, but with intimate friends.

Often, we dip morsels and share food with those we love; we feign intimacy and even deceive one another. Jesus is not blind to the events that are revealing themselves as a result of Judas' clandestine negotiations. Judas has turned on Jesus' friendship and love. We too in our lives are sometimes turned against Jesus' love through sinful and unloving activities. There is a real message here in Jesus' tranquil resignation to the events that are coming. Faith in the love and power of the Father.

As believers in the power of God's love and goodness, Spy Wednesday, should provide a period for reflection and introspective prayer. We need to examine our lives and look for the moments that we have falsely shared intimacy with our brothers and sisters in faith. More precisely, contemplate of lack of true, "communio" in our lives. With Judas' false interrogatory response to Jesus, he reveals his true self. Betrayer. Jesus sees right through Judas' false piety and friendship. Jesus sees right through our own appearances when we falsely present ourselves as holy and faithful followers. Our frail human spirit reflects in our sinful acts and lack of faith.

Jesus recognizes this and offers new hope to Judas and us. The "morsel" which Jesus offers to Judas is an offering of friendship and love. Some biblical scholars have even indicated that the "morsel" is symbolic of Jesus' Eucharistic manifestation. Judas does not partake of the meal with Jesus, but he was invited just the same. There is a sense that Jesus recognizes Judas' confrontation with the powers of evil. Jesus does not admonish him or chastise him, but permits Judas to engage in this struggle and reveal the implications of his actions and unfaithfulness. There is hope for conversion. There is hope for grace. There is hope in Jesus' acceptance of the Father's plan. There is hope for Easter glory.

As preparations begin for the Church's celebration of our New Passover ,this Wednesday before the Triduum invites all of us to share in, "Holy Wednesday", not to pursue darkness and evil, but progress on the path of light and life. The Church in its wisdom sees this period of "Holy Wednesday" as a time for personal preparation. Unlike Judas, our preparations should be motivated by the promise of new life in the Paschal Mystery and not a rejection of the "morsel" which Jesus offers to us in friendship and love.

1 Corinthians 13...What is Love?

13 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

¹³ And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Letter from Jesus about Christmas --

It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season.

How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don't care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth, just GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Now, having said that let Me go on. If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn't allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santas and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn. If all My followers did that there wouldn't be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town.

Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can remember Me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish: I actually spoke of that one in a teaching, explaining who I am in relation to you and what each of our tasks were. If you have forgotten that one, look up John 15: 1 - 8. 
If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth here is my wish list. Choose something from it: 

1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell Me all the time.

2. Visit someone in a nursing home. You don't have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them. 
3. Instead of writing the President complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent out this year, why don't you write and tell him that you'll be praying for him and his family this year. Then follow up... It will be nice hearing from you again. 
 4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can't afford and they don't need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth, and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.

5 Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.

6. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don't know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile; it could make the difference.

7. Instead of nit picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren't allowed to wish you a "Merry Christmas" that doesn't keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday. If the store didn't make so much money on that day they'd close and let their employees spend the day at home with their families

8. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary-- especially one who takes My love and Good News to those who have never heard My name.

9. Here's a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no "Christmas" tree, but neither will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don't know them, buy some food and a few gifts and give them to the Salvation Army or some other charity which believes in Me and they will make the delivery for you.

10. Finally, if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to Me, then behave like a Christian. Don't do things in secret that you wouldn't do in My presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of mine.

Don't forget; I am God and can take care of Myself. Just love Me and do what I have told you to do. I'll take care of all the rest. Check out the list above and get to work; time is short. I'll help you, but the ball is now in your court. And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those whom you love and remember

I LOVE YOU, Merry Christmas.....
JESUS

Acts of Mercy

1. Resist sarcasm; it is the antithesis of mercy: “Set, O Lord, a guard over my mouth; keep watch, O Lord, at the door of my lips!” (Psalm 141:3).
2. 
   
3. Pare down possessions: share your things with the needy.
4.  
5. Call someone who you know is lonely, even if you understand why they’re lonely. Especially if you do.
6.  
7. Write a letter of forgiveness to someone. If you cannot send it, sprinkle it with holy water, ask Christ Jesus to have mercy on you both and then burn or bury it.
8. 
   
9. Learn to say this prayer: “Dear Lord, bless [annoying person’s name] and have mercy on me!”
10.  
11. Plan a mini pilgrimage to a local shrine; make an effort along the way to live the corporal work of mercy of “welcoming the stranger” as Christ.
12.  
13. Do something kind and helpful for someone who you don’t get along with, or who has wronged you.
14.  
15. Be mindful of your behavior online. Is that post designed to improve your image … and leave others feeling bad? Are you hammering people in order to serve your anger and humiliate others?
16.  
17. Have masses said for the living: friends and family members, even strangers you read/hear about, who are having a hard time.
18.  
19. Be generous enough to allow someone to help you; people need to feel needed.
20.  
21. If you didn’t mean to be a pain in the neck to someone, admit that you were and ask the person to forgive you.
22.  
23. Take a tip from Cardinal Timothy Dolan and carry around $5 Starbucks and McDonald’s gift cards for the homeless.
24.  
25. Take time in prayer to contemplate the good qualities of someone who is difficult for you. Do the same for each member of your family.
26.  
27. Send a card, flowers, gift or note to someone on the six-month anniversary of his or her loved one’s death. By then most people have stopped recognizing their grief.
28.  
29. Offer to babysit for a busy mom to go out and have a couple of hours to her self.
30.  
31. Make a meal (or buy a gift certificate) for a mom who’s just given birth or adopted a child, or for someone who’s just gone through a loss.
32.  
33. Hold. Your. Tongue.
34.  
35. Offer to run an errand (groceries, dry cleaning pick up, dog-walking) for a busy parent or homebound person.
36.  
37. If you can’t sit down beside a homeless person to talk for a while today, at least send a donation to a ministry that does do this (such as Christ in the City).
38.  
39. If you’re sharing a treat, take the smaller portion.
40.  
41. Memorize the 14 corporal and spiritual works of mercy and show your children what they mean.
42.  
43. Instead of losing patience with someone online (or in person), try to hear their fear. Ask God for what Solomon asked for: “an understanding heart.”
44.  
45. Offer to drive an elderly person to Mass.
46.  
47. Recall a time you were not given a benefit of a doubt, and extend one to someone else.
48.  
49. Put down the phone and really listen to someone else. With eye contact.
50.  
51. Have alternative drinks, other than water, for times when those who have been struggling with alcohol come to visit.
52. 
    
53. Take advantage of sales to buy small toothpastes, soaps, shampoos, socks and feminine products/toiletries; donate them to parish outreach, or make gift bags and have them ready to hand out where needed.
54.  
55. Read John Paul II’s “Dives in misericordia” bit-by-bit through the year.
56.  
57. Create a short end-of-day ritual to ask for (and extend) forgiveness with those you live with. “…do not let the sun set on your anger” (Eph 4:26).
58.  
59. Make a list of your “enemies.” Then, every day, say a prayer for them.
60.  
61. Make a point to smile, greet or make conversation with someone who is not in your everyday circle.
62.  
63. Give away something of yours (that you really like) to someone you know who would enjoy it.
64.  
65. Pray a Divine Mercy Chaplet as you are traveling to or from work.
66.  
67. When mercy for others is difficult, pray Cardinal Merry del Val’s Litany of Humility.
68.  
69. Make a gratitude journal for your spouse and jot down little things he or she does that you’re grateful for. Bite your tongue and go write in it (or at least read it) the next time you want to criticize in a moment of frustration.
70.  
71. Learn to make an Ignatian “Examen” every night. Remembering God’s mercy each night helps us to be merciful.
72. 
    
73. Respond to provocation with the respect you wish a person would show you.
74.  
75. Learn the Jesus Prayer and use it.
76.  
77. Take a few minutes during the week to stop at a church and sit before the Tabernacle, simply to be with Christ, the Merciful. If you cannot do that, meditate upon the crucifix.
78.  
79. Pray a novena for the good of someone you dislike.
80.  
81. Dig out your most attractive stationery and hand-write an actual letter to someone, as a means of demonstrating their importance to you.
82.  
83. Offer to read to someone who is feeling ill or is just feeling blue.
84.  
85. Ask the Holy Spirit to groan for you when you cannot bring yourself to pray for someone who has done you an injury.
86.  
87. Lead with a kind comment with friends as well as strangers.
88.  
89. When conversations devolve into “the dark joy” of gossip, help change the subject.
90.  
91. Can you play the piano, or any instrument? Can you recite poetry? Give free “concerts” to the forgotten people in nursing homes and assisted living centers.
92.  
93. Visit the graves of your ancestors, or visit a local cemetery and walk around praying a rosary for all the souls buried there
94. 
    
95. Go On Retreat. It’s a way to be merciful to yourself and also to the people around you, who know you need to go on retreat. If you cannot do that, at least try to make a day, or evening, of recollection.
96.  
97. Admit your jealousy, both to yourself and your confessor.
98.  
99. Offer to pray with someone, even someone you encounter on the street or public transport who looks like they could use it.
100.  
101. Keep holy cards, short prayers, or blessed medals handy and give them out to people you meet as you are inspired as a blessing to others.
102.  
103. Offer hospitality in your home to someone or a group of people you would normally never invite over.
104.  
105. With a few other people at your church, plan a party and invite all those from “the highways and byways” to come.
106.  
107. If someone you know seems to lack faith, share some of yours — tell him or her how Christ has changed your life.
108.  
109. Pay the parking or toll fee for the person behind you.
110.  
111. Give the much-maligned Pope Benedict XVI a fair reading sometime. You’ll be surprised.
112.  
113. Pray every day for the souls in Purgatory. Pray for your dead.

Advent Today

Advent Today                                   

Today, the Advent season lasts for four Sundays leading up to Christmas. At that time, the new Christian year begins with the twelve-day celebration of Christmastide, which lasts from Christmas Eve until Epiphany on January 6. (Advent begins on the Sunday that falls between November 27th and December 3rd each year.) 

Advent symbolizes the present situation of the church in these “last days” (Acts 2:17, Hebrews 1:2), as God’s people wait for the return of Christ in glory to consummate his eternal kingdom. The church is in a similar situation to Israel at the end of the Old Testament: in exile, waiting and hoping in prayerful expectation for the coming of the Messiah. Israel looked back to God’s past gracious actions on their behalf in leading them out of Egypt in the Exodus, and on this basis they called for God once again to act for them. In the same way, the church, during Advent, looks back upon Christ’s coming in celebration while at the same time looking forward in eager anticipation to the coming of Christ’s kingdom when he returns for his people. In this light, the Advent hymn “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” perfectly represents the church’s cry during the Advent season:

O come, O come, Emmanuel, 

And ransom captive Israel, 

That mourns in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God appears.

Rejoice! Rejoice!

Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

While Israel would have sung the song in expectation of Christ’s first coming, the church now sings the song in commemoration of that first coming and in expectation of the second coming in the future.

MERCY MERCY MERCY

Works of Mercy

Corporal Works of Mercy

The Corporal Works of Mercy are these kind acts by which we help our neighbors with their material and physical needs.

1. feed the hungry
2. give drink to the thirsty
3. clothe the naked
4. shelter the homeless
5. visit the sick
6. visit the imprisoned
7. bury the dead

Spiritual Works of Mercy

The Spiritual Works of Mercy are acts of compassion, as listed below, by which we help our neighbors with their emotional and spiritual needs.

1. counsel the doubtful
2. instruct the ignorant
3. admonish sinners
4. comfort the afflicted
5. forgive offenses
6. bear wrongs patiently
7. pray for the living and the dead

The Charles Schulz Philosophy

You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just ponder on them.

Just read straight through, and you'll get the point.

1.   Name the five wealthiest people in the world.

2.   Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.

3.   Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.

4.   Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.

5.   Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.

6.   Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

How did you do?

The point is, a rare few of us remember the headliners of yesterday.

And these champions and leaders…They are not second-rate achievers.  They are the best in their fields.  But the applause dies.  Awards tarnish.  Achievements are forgotten.  Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:

1.   List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.

2.   Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.

3.   Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.

4.   Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.

5.   Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

The lesson:

The people who make a difference in our life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money...or the most awards.  They simply are the ones who care the most.

 ''Be Yourself.  Everyone Else Is Taken!"