Tuesday of the First Week of Advent

On that day, a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,

and from his roots a bud shall blossom.  

~Isaiah 11:1

"For a stalk to grow or a flower to open there must be time that cannot be forced; nine months must go by for the birth of a human child; to write a book or compose music often years must be dedicated to patient research ... To find the mystery there must be patience, interior purification, silence, waiting...."  ~St. John Paul II

“I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,

for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned

you have revealed them to the childlike.*

~Luke 20:21

Monday of the First Week of Advent

The Lord, the King who is to come! O come, let us adore Him! 

Invitatory Antiphon for Advent from the Divine Office 

God wants us "all to be saved" (1 Timothy 2:4); for this reason He gave us His Son, and with Him and through Him, all the means necessary for our salvation. Therefore, if a soul is not saved, it alone will be responsible....Sanctity is not reserved for a few; Jesus, by His Incarnation and by His death on the Cross, merited the means of salvation and sanctification for all who believe in Him. He, the All-holy, came to sanctify us, and has taught us, "Be you therefore perfect, as also Your Heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:48)....therefore, if I do not become a saint, it is entirely my own fault." ~Father Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, O.C.D., Divine Intimacy

Come, let us go up to the Lord’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob,

that he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths. ~

~Isaiah 2:3

Holding fast like Mary, with Mary...

O God, eternal majesty,
whose ineffable Word
the immaculate Virgin received
through the message of an Angel
and so became the dwelling-place of divinity,
filled with the light of the Holy Spirit,
grant, we pray, that by her example
we may in humility hold fast to your will.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

~Collect for December 20 from The Roman Missal

Dear Mary, Virgin of Advent, teach me your humility that I may always hold fast to the Father's will.  Amen.

4th Sunday of Advent

You shall conceive and bear a son. ~Luke :31

Today’s reading of the gospel calls to mind the beginning of our redemption, for the passage tells us how God sent an angel from heaven to a virgin.

He was to proclaim the new birth, the incarnation of God’s Son, who would take away our age-old guilt; through him it would be possible for us to be made new and numbered among the children of God.

And so, if we are to deserve the gifts of the promised salvation, we must listen attentively to the account of its beginning.

The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.

What is said of the house of David applies not only to Joseph but also to Mary. It was a precept of the law that each man should marry a wife from his own tribe and kindred.

Saint Paul also bears testimony to this when he writes to Timothy: Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descended from David, as preached in my gospel. Our Lord is truly descended from David, since his spotless mother took her ancestry from David’s line.

The angel came to her and said, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David.”

The angel refers to the kingdom of the Israelite nation as the throne of David because in his time, by the Lord’s command and assistance, David governed it with a spirit of faithful service. The Lord God gave to our Redeemer the throne of his father David, when he decreed that he should take flesh from the lineage of David.

As David had once ruled the people with temporal authority, so Christ would now lead them to the eternal kingdom by his spiritual grace. Of this kingdom the Apostle said: He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son.

He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever. The house of Jacob here refers to the universal Church which, through its faith in and witness to Christ, shares the heritage of the patriarchs. This may apply either to those who are physical descendants of the patriarchal families, or to those who come from gentile nations and are reborn in Christ by the waters of baptism.

In this house Christ shall reign for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.

During this present life, Christ rules in the Church. By faith and love he dwells in the hearts of his elect, and guides them by his unceasing care toward their heavenly reward.

In the life to come, when their period of exile on earth is ended, he will exercise his kingship by leading the faithful to their heavenly country. There, for ever inspired by the vision of his presence, their one delight will be to praise and glorify him.

~from a homily on Advent by St. Bede

Third Sunday of Advent

There stands among you, unknown to you, the one who is coming after me.  ~John 1:26

Into the theological plan of his gospel John the evangelist draws John the Baptist; deep calls to deep at the utterance of divine mysteries. We hear the evangelist relating the story of the forerunner, the man whose gift it was to know the Word as he was in the beginning, speaking to us of the one who was commissioned to go ahead of the Word made flesh.

There was, says the evangelist, not simply a messenger of God, but a man.

This he said in order to distinguish the man who shared only the humanity of the one he heralded from the man who came after him, the man who united godhead and manhood in his own person.

The evangelist’s intention was to differentiate between the fleeting voice and the eternally unchanging Word. The one, he would suggest, was the morning star appearing at the dawning of the kingdom of heaven, while the other was the Sun of Justice coming in its wake.

He distinguished the witness from the one to whom he testified, the messenger from him who sent him, the lamp burning in the night from the brilliant light that filled the whole world, the light that dispelled the darkness of death and sin from the entire human race.

So then, the Lord’s forerunner was a man, not a god; whereas the Lord whom he preceded was both man and God. The forerunner was a man destined to be divinized by God’s grace, whereas the one he preceded was God by nature, who, through his desire to save and redeem us, lowered himself in order to assume our human nature.

A man was sent. By whom? By the divine Word, whose forerunner he was.

To go before the Lord was his mission. Lifting up his voice, this man called out: The voice of one crying in the wilderness! It was the herald preparing the way for the Lord’s coming.

John was his name; John to whom was given the grace to go ahead of the King of Kings, to point out to the world the Word made flesh, to baptize him with that baptism in which the Spirit would manifest his divine sonship, to give witness through his teaching and martyrdom to the eternal light.

~John Scotus Erigena (c. 810-77)

Dear Jesus living in Mary, let me be Your voice, let me reflect Your light.  Amen.

Waiting in Mary-darkness

I live my Advent in the womb of Mary,
And on one night when a great star swings free
from its high mooring and walks down the sky
to be the dot above the Christus i,
I shall be born of her by blessed grace.
I wait in Mary-darkness, faith’s walled place,
with hope’s expectance of nativity.

I knew for long she carried me and fed me,
guarded and loved me, though I could not see.
But only now, with inward jubilee,
I come upon earth’s most amazing knowledge:
someone is hidden in this dark with me.

~"Advent" by Jessica Powers aka Sr. Miriam of the Holy Spirit, O.C.D.

Memory and Hope

"Advent is concerned with that very connection between memory and hope which is so necessary to man. Advent’s intention is to awaken the most profound and basic emotional memory within us, namely, the memory of the God who became a child. This is a healing memory; it brings hope. The purpose of the Church’s year is continually to rehearse her great history of memories, to awaken the heart’s memory so that it can discern the star of hope.…It is the beautiful task of Advent to awaken in all of us memories of goodness and thus to open doors of hope."

~Pope Benedict XVI

I think of the days of long ago,
and remember the years long past.
At night I muse within my heart.
I ponder, and my spirit questions.
~Psalm 77(76):6-7

In you I hope all day long
because of your goodness, O Lord.
~Psalm 25(24):5

Dear Mary, Virgin of Advent, awaken in me the memory of your Divine Child, the Dayspring from on High, whose birth is the dawn of everlasting hope. Amen.

Second Sunday of Advent

Prepare a way for the Lord. ~Isaiah 40:3

Let us examine the scriptural texts foretelling the coming of Christ. One such prophecy begins with a reference to John the Baptist: The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight. What follows, however, applies directly to our Lord and Savior, since it is by Jesus rather than by John that every valley has been filled in.

You have only to recall the kind of people you were before you put your faith in the Lord to see yourselves as deep valleys, as pits plunging precipitously into the lowest depths. But now that the Lord Jesus has come and has sent the Holy Spirit in his name, all your valleys have been filled in with good works and the Holy Spirit’s fruits.

Love no longer tolerates the presence of valleys in your lives; if peace, patience, and goodness find a home in you, not only will each of you cease to be a valley but you will actually begin to be a mountain of God.

Among the pagans we daily see this prophetic filling of every valley realized, just as among the people of Israel, now deprived of their former privileged status, we see the overthrowing of every mountain and hill. But because of their offense, salvation has come to the pagans, to stir Israel to emulation.

If you prefer you can visualize these fallen mountains and hills as the hostile powers that formerly raised themselves up in opposition to the human race. Such an interpretation is legitimate because, in order to fill in the kind of valleys we have been speaking of, the enemy powers—the mountains and hills—must be laid low.

Now let us turn to that part of the prophecy which also concerns the coming of Christ and see whether this too has been fulfilled. The text continues: Every crooked way shall be straightened. Each one of us was once crooked; if we are no longer so, it is entirely due to the grace of Christ. Through his coming to our souls all our crooked ways have been straightened out.

If Christ did not come to your soul, of what use would his historical coming in the flesh be to you? Let us pray that each day we may experience his coming and be able to say: It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.

Jesus my Lord has come, then. He has smoothed out your rough places and changed your disorderly ways into level paths, making in you an even unimpeded road, a road that is absolutely clear, so that God the Father may walk in you and Christ the Lord make his dwelling in you and say: My Father and I will come and make our home in them.

~Origen, 183-253, one of the greatest thinkers of ancient times, became head of the catechetical school of Alexandria at the age of eighteen. In 230 he was ordained priest by the bishop of Caesarea. His life was entirely devoted to the study of Scripture and he was also a great master of the spiritual life. His book On First Principles was the first great theological synthesis. Many of his works are extant only in Latin as a result of his posthumous condemnation for heterodox teaching. Nevertheless, in intention he was always a loyal son of the Church.

Dear Jesus, living in Mary, strengthen me to do whatever road work You ask of me this Advent so that I may prepare Your way.  And let me leave aside my hard hat so that You may penetrate not only my head but also my heart, filling every valley of mine with Yourself, our Emmanuel.  Amen.

An Advent Prayer for Our Priests

In this time of special Grace, this blessed season of Advent, we pray to you, O Holy Virgin Mary, for our priests. Give them a heart that is able to relive Christ's coming in their lives, a heart able to contemplate the way in which the Son of God, on the day of their Ordination, radically and definitely marked their entire existence immerging them in His priestly heart. May Christ renew them daily in the Eucharistic Celebration so that their own lives become transfigured into His coming for humanity. Give our priests an attentive heart able to recognize the signs of Jesus' coming in the lives of every man, especially to the young who are entrusted to them, so that they are able to recognize the sign of that special coming which is the vocation to the Priesthood.

~Adapted from the 2011 Advent message given to priests by Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy

Ave Maria!  Cardinal Mauro's message, which can be accessed here, is worthy of our attention and reflection, even if we are not members of the clergy.  Our Lady is, as Cardinal Mauro calls her, the Icon and Model of the Church, and all of us can learn from her to live as she did, "in vigilance, filled with loving and grateful wonder."  Dear Mary, Virgin of Advent, pray for us as we journey with you to Bethlehem.  Amen.

First Tuesday of Advent



Mary the New Eve
Statue from Ecuador


I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. ~Luke 10:21

Advent has a twofold character, for it is a time of preparation for the Solemnities of Christmas, in which the First Coming of the son of God to humanity is remembered, and likewise a time when, by remembrance of this, minds and hearts are led to look forward to Christ's Second Coming at the end of time. For these two reasons, Advent is a period of devout and expectant delight.

~from The Roman Missal, Third Edition
"Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the Calendar"

Dear Mary, Virgin of Advent, teach me the devout and expectant delight of Advent that was yours as you sheltered in your womb the Divine Child, for whom you longed "with love beyond all telling."  Amen.

First Sunday of Advent

Grant your faithful, we pray, almighty God,

the resolve to run forth to meet your Christ

with righteous deeds at his coming,

so that, gathered at his right hand,

they may be worthy to possess the Kingdom.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

~Collect for the First Sunday of Advent, The Roman Missal



Stay awake! You never know when the Lord will come. ~Mark 13:33

Our God will come openly; our God will come and will not keep silent. The first coming of Christ the Lord, God’s Son and our God, was in obscurity; the second will be in sight of the whole world.

When he came in obscurity no one recognized him but his own servants; when he comes openly he will be known by both good people and bad. When he came in obscurity, it was to be judged; when he comes openly it will be to judge. He was silent at his trial, as the prophet foretold: He was like a sheep led to the slaughter, like a lamb before his shearers. He did not open his mouth.

But, Our God will come openly; our God will come and will not keep silence. Silent when accused, he will not be silent as judge. And he is not silent now. By no means; when people of today recognize his voice and despise him, Scripture assures us that he will not be silent, he will not hold his hand.

Nowadays when the divine commands are spoken of, some people begin to jeer. They are not at present shown what God promises, they do not see what he threatens—so they laugh at his commands. After all, good people and bad enjoy this world’s so-called happiness; good people and bad suffer from what are deemed this world’s misfortunes.

Those whose lives are geared to the present rather than the future are impressed by the fact that this world’s blessings and sufferings fall to the lot of good and bad without distinction. If wealth is their ambition, they see it being enjoyed not only by decent folk, but also by people of the worst kind. If they are in dread of poverty and all the other miseries of this world, they also see that the good and the bad both suffer from them.

Therefore they say to themselves, “God does not care about human affairs, he exercises no control over them. On the contrary; he has sent us into the abyss of this world, and simply abandoned us to its sufferings. He shows no sign of his providence.” Consequently, seeing no evidence of anyone being called to account, such people hold God’s commands in derision.

Nevertheless, each person would do well to take thought even now, because when he wills to do so, God looks, and he judges; he will not tolerate an hour’s delay. When he wills to do so, he waits.

Why does he do this?

Surely if he never passed judgment in this present life, some people would think he does not exist. But if he always gave sentence here and now, there would be nothing reserved for the Day of Judgment. That is why much is kept for that day; but in order to put the fear of God into those whose cases are deferred, and so convert them, some judgments are made here and now.

For it is clear that God takes no pleasure in condemning. His desire is to save, and he bears patiently with evil people in order to make them good.

Yet we have the Apostle’s warning: The wrath of God will be revealed from heaven against all ungodliness, and God will reward each one according to his deeds.

The Apostle takes scoffers to task by asking them: Do you think lightly of God’s abundant goodness and his forbearance? Do you despise him and think his judgment a matter of no account because he is good to you, because he is long-suffering and bears with you patiently, because he delays the day of reckoning and does not destroy you out of hand?

Do you not know that the patience of God is meant to lead you to repentance? By the hardness of your heart you are storing up wrath against yourself on that Day of Retribution, when the righteous judgment of God will be revealed and he will give every one the reward his or her deeds deserve.

~St. Augustine, 354-430

And in the morning...

"Rose of Sharon" by Ann L. Krumrein

Today you will know that the Lord is coming,

and in the morning you will see his glory.

~Invitatory Antiphon from the Liturgy of the Hours for December 24

Dearest Mary, Mystical Rose, the time of singing has come! The winter is past, the rain over and gone. You spread out your glorious and graceful branches, and, like a vine, you cause loveliness to bud. Your blossoms become glorious and abundant fruit as you give birth to your Beloved Son. We come to you to be filled with the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Let us see His face and hear His voice, for His voice is sweet and He is lovely indeed. With you, Virgin of Advent and Mother of God, we sing forever the goodness of the Lord! Amen! Alleluia!

Ave Maria! Dear family and friends, tidings of comfort and joy to you on this Christmas Eve! The above prayer is not mine -- it comes from the Holy Word of God, as you will see if you turn to Songs 2:11-14, Sirach 24:16-18, and Psalm 89. No, that's not quite true -- this prayer is mine because His Word dwells within me, for which I am humbly grateful. The beautiful Rose of Sharon is, of course, an image captured by my sister Ann Krumrein, who used to grow these on the front porch of the home she and her husband lived in when they resided in Lanham, MD years ago. It is one of three shots she took and put together for me in a beautiful triptych that now graces the wall above my prayer altar. Rejoicing with you in the blessed birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Alice Claire

O Emmanuel!

O Emmanuel, king and lawgiver, desire of the nations, Savior of all people: Come and set us free, Lord our God. ~O Antiphon for December 23

Emmanuel. Could we have found a name more sweet? God-with-us. That is to say that nothing in our difficulties, our misunderstandings, our sorrows, even in our agony, will find us alone. We will always have Someone with us, Someone present in our very heart to give the strength and light necessary in those moments.

Also, at the same time, our Beloved is always before us. He is the All-Powerful and He wants that we should be saints, all of us. Therefore, we never again need to be afraid. We can be certain that, should it be called for, even heroism is within our reach because our Companion on the road, our daily Food, is always there. We know that He is in us and we know what He asks of us. We know to what degree of detachment and to what gift of self He calls us. We know to what point we must be found holy at the moment of our death.

In what peace, in what serenity, in what an outpouring of joy should we live, just recalling this name of the Lord? What bad thing can befall us, or even what lesser good, since all is known by Him, all is willed, all is allowed by Him who has prepared our eternal happiness. He knows what He allows.

What a lack of awareness it is and what a hurt for the Heart of Jesus that we should have the slightest fear! Let us strive to be cured of this terrible ill by repeating often “God-with-us.” Even now He can, and wills to triumph over all the hell within us.

~Mother Marie des Douleurs Wrotnowska

O Mary, Virgin of Advent, blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus!

O King!

O King of all the nations, the only joy of every human heart: O Keystone of the mighty arch of man. Come and save the creatures you fashioned from the dust. ~O Antiphon for December 22

O King of nations! You are approaching still nigher to Bethlehem, where you are to be born. The journey is almost over, and your august Mother, consoled and strengthened by the dear weight she bears, holds an unceasing converse with you on the way. She adores your divine Majesty; she gives thanks to your mercy; she rejoices that she has been chosen for the sublime ministry of being Mother to God.

She longs for that happy moment when her eyes shall look upon you, and yet she fears it. For, how will she be able to render you those services which are due to your infinite greatness, she that thinks herself the last of creatures? How will she dare to raise you up in her arms, and press you to her heart, and feed you at her breasts? When she reflects that the hour is now near at hand, in which, being born of her, you will require all her care and tenderness, her heart sinks within her; for, what human heart could bear the intense vehemence of these two affections — the love of such a Mother for her Babe, and the love of such a creature for her God?

But you support her, O Thou the Desired of nations! for you, too, long for that happy birth, which is to give to the earth its Saviour, and to men that corner-stone, which will unite them all into one family.

Dearest King! be blessed for all these wonders of your power and goodness! Come speedily, we beseech you, come and save us, for we are dear to you, as creatures that have been formed by your divine hands. Yea, come, for your creation has grown degenerate; it is lost; death has taken possession of it: take it again into your almighty hands, and give it a new creation; save it; for you have not ceased to take pleasure in and love your own work.

From The Liturgical Year, volume 1, Advent by Abbott Prosper Louis Paschal Guéranger, O.S.B.

O Mary, Virgin of Advent, blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus!

O Rising Dawn!

O Rising Dawn, Radiance of the Light eternal and Sun of Justice: come and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. ~ O Antiphon for December 21

O Rising Dawn, who lightens our darkness ... in whose light we see light ... who made the great lights and yet outshines them all ... for whom even darkness is not dark and night is as clear as the day ... whose life is the light of men ... who lives in unapproachable light yet dwells among us ... who has come into our world as light so that whoever believes in You may never remain in darkness ... O Morning Star that never sets ... O Sun of Righteousness who rises with healing in your wings! ... Light from Light, God from God, True God from True God! O Rising Dawn, come!

O Mary, Virgin of Advent, blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus!

O Key of David!

O Key of David, and sceptre of the house of Israel, who open and none may close, who close and none may open, come and bring out of prison the captive who sits in darkness and the shadow of death. ~O Antiphon for December 20

O Key of David, the Father has entrusted all things to You, giving you all power and authority on heaven and earth. You open for us who believe the Kingdom which You purchased for us with Your most precious Bllood, "a kingdom of truth and life ... of holiness and grace ... of justice, love, and peace." You invite us to enter in and dwell with You and the Father for all eternity. You shut the door on all the darkness of hell and sin, of pain and death, of sadness and fear. You lead us into the splendor of Everlasting Light, setting us free to live for the praise of Your glory. O Key of David, come!

O Mary, Virgin of Advent, blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus!

O Root of Jesse!

O Flower of Jesse’s stem, you have been raised up as a sign for all peoples; kings stand silent in your presence; the nations bow down in worship before you. Come, let nothing keep you from coming to our aid. ~O Antiphon for December 19

Do You not give fecundity to the root hidden underground, and can You not, if You so will, make this darkness in which You are pleased to keep me, fruitful? Live then, little root of my heart, in the deep, invisible heart of God; and by its power, send forth branches, leaves, flowers and fruits, which, although invisible to yourself, are a pure joy and nourishment to others. Without consulting your own taste, give of your shade, flowers, and fruit to others. May all that is grafted on you receive that indeterminate sap which will be known only by the growth and appearance of those same grafts. Become all to all, but as to yourself remain abandoned and indifferent. Remain in the dark and narrow prison of your miserable cocoon, little worm, until the warmth of grace forms you, and sets you free. ~Rev. Jean-Pierre de Caussade, S.J., in Abandonment to Divine Providence

O Mary, Virgin of Advent, blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus!

O Adonai!

O Adonai, leader of the House of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the burning bush and gave him the Law on Sinai, come to rescue us with outstretched arm. ~O Antiphon for December 18

Ave Maria! Today's O antiphon begins with "O Adonai." This was the word the Hebrews used in the place of the holy and unutterable name of God which they were forbidden to pronounce, even now. We recall the giving of the law to Moses, the law that we are born with written on our hearts, and the power of God to deliver us from slavery to Satan. We remember, too, that both Mary and Joseph were told by angels to name their son Jesus because he would save his people from their sins (Luke 1:30-32; Matthew 1:21-23).

Jesus, the name above all other names, bestowed upon Him by the Father who greatly exalted Him (Philippians 2:9-11) ... Jesus, before whom we "adoring, bend the knee, while we own the mystery" ... Jesus, who fulfilled the old law and gave us the new when He commanded us to love one another as He did (John 13:34) ... Jesus, who stills come in majesty and awe though, at times, there is in Him no comeliness whereby we might know Him (Isaiah 53:2) ... Jesus, who from the cross stretched forth His arms in unspeakable love to gather us into the heart and the kingdom of His Beloved Father ... JESUS!

O Adonai, O Sacred Leader and Master of All, O Jesus, our Lord and our God! Come and rule our hearts and our lives with Your enduring love!

O Mary, Virgin of Advent, blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus!

O Wisdom!

O Wisdom, you came forth from the mouth of the Most High and, reaching from beginning to end, you ordered all things mightily and sweetly. Come, and teach us the way of prudence. ~O Antiphon for December 17

Ave Maria! My heart always skips a happy little dance when December 17 appears on the calendar as today we sing the first of the seven Great O Antiphons. For the next seven evenings, a different O antiphon will accompany the singing of the Magnificat during Vespers. Each antiphon begins with "O," followed by a specific biblical title of the Messiah and then a brief recounting of the saving will and action of God recalled in title. Several good articles on these beautiful and powerful antiphons can be found here, here, here, here, here, and here. O joy untold! O hope assured! O come, Divine Messiah!

At Mass today, we hear the gospel of the genealogy of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:1-17). It's full of tongue-twisting names, most of which I can never remember. But what I do remember is the second chapter of Lumen Gentium (The Dogmatic Constitution on the Church), which is entitled "On the People of God." Its opening sentence declares: "At all times and in every race God has given welcome to whosoever fears Him and does what is right. God, however, does not make men holy and save them merely as individuals, without bond or link between one another. Rather has it pleased Him to bring men together as one people, a people which acknowledges Him in truth and serves Him in holiness." We did not come from nowhere. We do not exist in a vacuum. We are not alone. We belong to God, we are His people, the sheep of His flock (Psalm 100:3). And we have each other. Our genealogy is far greater, richer and deeper than we realize. "Blest be the tie that binds!" It is precious indeed!

O Mary, Virgin of Advent, blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus!

"Live moments of silence..."

Ave Maria! On the occasion of the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, December 12, Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, sent a message to the media of Latin America, stressing the need for silence in our lives as we prepare for Christmas. The following excerpt is a challenging and welcome invitation to make deep interior silence a priority in our lives, not only during this holy Advent season but also every day of our lives.

I invite you to live moments of silence during these days of Advent, to hear Jesus' voice who speaks to our heart. Holding Mary's hand, let us meet with him without haste, as he always awaits us! Lets put a dike to the flood of concerns and noises that so often drag us endlessly. Silence is like a blank screen on which we can project the film of our daily life to see it clearly. If we project it on a wall full of pictures, books and objects, with a background of noise, we will understand little. Only in silence do we assume in a more conscious way our options; in silence we hear the voice of God. In this way we will be able to be genuine bearers of his Word -- as Mary who, "kept all these things in her heart" (Luke 2:19) -- and do whatever he tells us (cf. John
2:5).

Perhaps it is difficult advice to follow at this moment of news bombardment, pastoral needs, bustle in families, in our media and in parishes, not to mention purchases, gifts, parties and celebrations. However, if we dedicate time to choose the ingredients and to prepare the dinners and meals we will share over the holidays, must we not also prepare, and even more so, what we will communicate through radios, newspapers, television programs and Web sites? What can we give that is substantial, if our life is filled only with repeated words, with little depth and contents? Let us dedicate time to the Lord whom we are awaiting this Advent.

May Mary ... grant us from God the gift of interior silence, precisely to be able to renew our life of discipleship, so that he will make fruitful our words, texts, images and musical notes, and make them bearers of the Good News.

Dear Mary, Virgin of Advent, let me enter into your silence as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of Jesus, the fruit of your womb and the Father's Incarnate Word. Amen.