Sunday, December 13, 2020
Happy Feast Day of St. Lucy in the Catholic Church December 13
Information from https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=75:
Lucy's history has been lost and all we really know for certain is that this brave woman who lived in Syracuse lost her life during the persecution of Christians in the early fourth century. Her veneration spread to Rome so that by the sixth century the whole Church recognized her courage in defense of the faith.
Because people wanted to shed light on Lucy's bravery, legends began to crop up. The one that has passed the test of time tells the story of a young Christian woman who vowed to live her life in service of Christ. Her mother tried to arrange a marriage for her with a pagan and Lucy knew her mother could not be swayed by a young girl's vow, so she devised a plan to convince her mother that Christ was the better partner for life.
After several prayers at the tomb of Saint Agatha, Lucy saw the saint in a dream. St. Agatha told Lucy her mother's illness would be cured through faith, which Lucy used to persuade her mother to give the dowry money to the poor and allow her to commit her life to God.
While Lucy and her mother were grateful to God, the rejected bridegroom was deeply angered and betrayed Lucy's faith to the governor Paschasius. The governor attempted to force her into defilement at a brothel, but the guards who came to take her away were unable to move her, even after hitching her to a team of oxen.
The guards heaped bundles of wood around her but it wouldn't burn so they finally resorted to their swords, and Lucy met her death.
Though details of her life remain unknown, it is widely known that during her lifetime Christians were persecuted for their faith. They were forced to endure horrific torture and often met painful ends during Diocletian's reign. Though the details surrounding her death remain only as legends, it is all modern-day Christians can rely on.
Lucy's legend did not end with her death. According to later accounts, Lucy warned Paschasius he would be punished. When the governor heard this he ordered the guards to gouge out her eyes; however, in another telling, it was Lucy who removed her eyes in an attempt to discourage a persistent suitor who greatly admired them.
When her body was being prepared for burial, they discovered her eyes had been restored.
Sigebert (1030-1112), a monk of Gembloux, wrote sermo de Sancta Lucia, in which he described Lucy's body as remaining undisturbed in Sicily for 400 years until Faroald II, Duke of Spoleto, seized the island and transferred Lucy's remains to Abruzzo, Italy. It was later removed by Emperor Otho I in 972 to Metz and left in the church of St. Vincent. There is much confusion about what happened to her body after its stay at St. Vincent's, but it is believed that several pieces of her body can be found in Rome, Naples, Verona, Lisbon, Milan, Germany, France and Sweden.
In 1981, thieves stole all but her head but police were able to recover them on her feast day.
Lucy, whose name can mean "light" or "lucid," is the patron saint of the blind. She is often seen with the emblem of eyes on a cup or plate. In paintings, she is often depicted with a golden plate holding her eyes and often holds a palm branch, which is a symbol of victory over evil.
Saint Lucy's Prayer:
Saint Lucy, you did not hide your light under a basket, but let it shine for the whole world, for all the centuries to see. We may not suffer torture in our lives the way you did, but we are still called to let the light of our Christianity illumine our daily lives. Please help us to have the courage to bring our Christianity into our work, our recreation, our relationships, our conversation -- every corner of our day. Amen
Readings for Sunday, December 13, 2020 in the Catholic Church
Readings for Saturday, December 13, 2020 in the Catholic Church
Third Sunday of Advent
Lectionary: 8
Reading 1
IS 61:1-2A, 10-11
The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
because the LORD has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor,
to heal the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives
and release to the prisoners,
to announce a year of favor from the LORD
and a day of vindication by our God.
I rejoice heartily in the LORD,
in my God is the joy of my soul;
for he has clothed me with a robe of salvation
and wrapped me in a mantle of justice,
like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem,
like a bride bedecked with her jewels.
As the earth brings forth its plants,
and a garden makes its growth spring up,
so will the Lord GOD make justice and praise
spring up before all the nations.
Responsorial Psalm
LK 1:46-48, 49-50, 53-54.
R. (Is 61:10b) My soul rejoices in my God.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked upon his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
R. My soul rejoices in my God.
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
R. My soul rejoices in my God.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
R. My soul rejoices in my God.
Reading 2
1 THES 5:16-24
Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing.
In all circumstances give thanks,
for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
Do not quench the Spirit.
Do not despise prophetic utterances.
Test everything; retain what is good.
Refrain from every kind of evil.
May the God of peace make you perfectly holy
and may you entirely, spirit, soul, and body,
be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The one who calls you is faithful,
and he will also accomplish it.
Alleluia
IS 61:1 (cited in LK 4:18)
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
JN 1:6-8, 19-28
A man named John was sent from God.
He came for testimony, to testify to the light,
so that all might believe through him.
He was not the light,
but came to testify to the light.
And this is the testimony of John.
When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests
and Levites to him
to ask him, “Who are you?”
He admitted and did not deny it,
but admitted, “I am not the Christ.”
So they asked him,
“What are you then? Are you Elijah?”
And he said, “I am not.”
“Are you the Prophet?”
He answered, “No.”
So they said to him,
“Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us?
What do you have to say for yourself?”
He said:
“I am the voice of one crying out in the desert,
‘make straight the way of the Lord,’”
as Isaiah the prophet said.”
Some Pharisees were also sent.
They asked him,
“Why then do you baptize
if you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?”
John answered them,
“I baptize with water;
but there is one among you whom you do not recognize,
the one who is coming after me,
whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.”
This happened in Bethany across the Jordan,
where John was baptizing.
Saturday, December 12, 2020
Where did Our Lady of Guadalupe Appear?
Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to St. Juan Diego at Tepeyac or the Hill of Tepeyac, historically known by the names Tepeyacac and Tepeaquilla, which is located inside Gustavo A. Madero, the northernmost delegación or borough of Mexico City.
Near the site of her apparition is the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Right next to the new basilica is the Old Basilica. Her feast day is December 12.
Trump's Beautiful Christmas Message for 2020
I saw this originally from Dr. Taylor Marshall. It's Donald Trump's Christmas message. I will admit, I was very inspired by the words of the President. He didn't beat around the bush or talk in euphemisms and vagueness. He clearly gave a beautiful, profound, biblical message about Christmas. That Jesus Christ was born into the world to redeem the world by his death. Amazing. I can't remember a politician talking this clearly on the subject of Christmas. Truly beautiful and inspiring!
Our Lady of Guadalupe - my personal thoughts
I don't currently have a strong devotion as such to Our Lady of Guadalupe, but I heard a great sermon today at Mass and wanted to share some of what the priest told me. This may not be everything he said, but it's some of the things I remember. The story of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a very beautiful one, and also very miraculous.
Juan Diego, who was recently canonized, was one of the few Catholics in Mexico. Our Lady appeared to him in an apparition while he was out in the desert. He went to tell the bishop from Spain about what he had witnessed. I believe the bishop had asked for some kind of proof. So he went back to the site of the apparition to tell the Blessed Virgin that he would need "proof". So she made appear a beautiful rose bush. This was a great miracle in that it was in the middle of the desert where very little grows. Also, little did St. Juan Diego know but this type of rose didn't even grow natively in Mexico, but was in fact native to Spain.
As proof of what had happened he either collected or Our Lady placed many roses in the tilma of this saint and he brought them back to the bishop. He told the bishop what had happened. When St. Juan let the roses drop from his tilma that he had been carrying, there was revealed a beautiful image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. As the priest mentioned, this image of Our Lady is unique in that God himself placed it there and it was not the work of human hands.
There are many miracles which I recall from elsewhere concerning this image. The tilma was only meant to last a few years, but has now been preserved from decay for almost 500 years. That in itself is a miracle. Tests of the tilma reveal it is not painted by any methods available to human beings. From what I recall, the image was placed there with intense radiation. There are many striking details. For example, I believe an image of what transpired in that room with the bishop is actually visible under microscope in the eye of the Blessed Virgin on the tilma. What an astonishing fact.
But the greatest miracle of all was the conversion of so many people. The priest today mentioned that the Catholic faith had not taken hold in Mexico, but after this apparition, within a decade or so, there were 9 million baptisms. People entering into the sacraments and the life of Christ is the greatest of all miracles, far more than the roses or tilma. In fact, these material miracles only serve to highlight the spiritual reality.
Happy feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe today. We'll see you all next time.
New Vatican Creche or Nativity Scenes are Horrifying.
Can anyone tell me what is up with the Vatican Nativity Scenes???
It may be hard to believe but these are legitimate, unedited photos of Nativity Scenes found in the Vatican and approved by Vatican officials. What is going on here?
Look at the first one up there. What is going on? Is it a space alien landing on Planet Earth to learn about our species? Maybe it's a random sculpture featured on Ancient Aliens which they insist was an ancient culture's representation of people from another galaxy.
Given that these are nativity scenes, it seems the artist is doing some kind of portrayal of the Blessed Virgin Mary. But come on! This isn't beautiful. If you want to try some kind of strange, experimental art form, go ahead, but don't do it for the Vatican's Nativity scene!
Then on to the second one. No, they did not get these from the Egypt section of the museum. Nope, these are recently-created art pieces representing Mary and Joseph. You probably thought it was an Egyptian sarcophagus. Wrong again.
Who are these for? Devout Catholics will be shocked to see these. Non-Catholics will wonder what on Earth is going on. It definitely does not bolster the image of the Catholic Church in the minds of non-Catholics. To depict Our Blessed Mother, Joseph, and Jesus Christ in this way is almost scandalous.
Things seem to have gone off the rails since last year. Check out this video of Nativity Scenes at the Vatican which came from 30 countries. Some are a little different, various artistic styles, but none compare to the strange scenes above for 2020:
Is there any point in debating Protestants online?
No.
Thanks for visiting the blog once again, see you next time.
Okay, not so fast. I'm assuming you would like a longer explanation to this question. I just wanted to offer some of my own personal experience and thoughts concerning debating Protestants. Also, if you are absolutely required to debate, I wanted to provide some pointers as to perhaps better ways to deal with such situations.
Just today I noticed there was a post from the Vatican on Twitter. I believe the post was related to a plenary indulgence being granted by the Church. In response to the Vatican tweet, a Protestant was throwing out disparaging comments regarding indulgences and temporal punishment due to sin. I popped in and asked what his purpose was for coming onto a Catholic twitter account just to say he doesn't agree with a point of Catholic teaching.
I gave a brief explanation of Catholic beliefs regarding indulgences but also said I was not interested in debating him any further. Here's why:
I don't really think in 99% of the cases, there is any point in debating non-Catholic Christians regarding the Catholic Church. It does very little good, and probably only entrenches the other side more than they currently are. I applaud people and groups who have gone out there to do apologetics work for the Church such as Catholic Answers. In fact, Catholic Answers has been huge in my Christian life. But for the most part, I find there is little if any value in debating with Protestants. Let's get more specific.
First of all, when debating there are a few things I've noticed.
The burden of proof is always on Catholics. The format is always the Protestant grilling the Catholic on every point of doctrine and the Catholic being in a position where they must justify and defend every Catholic teaching perfectly. The Catholic is always on the defensive. The Protestant on the other hand is rarely questioned. He takes the role of questioner and the Catholic assumes the role of "answerer". It's an unfair and biased format to begin with.
If the Catholic who is forced to respond to these accusations is well-versed and able to handle himself well, the Protestant employs his next tactic: rapid-fire questions. If he accuses the Catholic of worshipping the Virgin Mary and the Catholic successfully refutes him on that, he immediately jumps to indulgences and how they are not Biblical. Having responded to that line of attack, the Protestant yet again jumps to one of a dozen topics he has ready.
Clearly the opponent is not at all interested in clarification or understanding. Rather, he is simply seeking to destroy the other side. He is not asking questions in good faith. He is trying to find rhetorical victories. There are many things wrong with this approach. One thing I've seen is some Protestants insisting that Catholics hold a certain belief despite the fact that they don't actually believe it. They copy-and-paste documents and quotes from anti-catholic sources to "prove" that Catholics do in fact believe certain things.
I find this very strange. To me, it would make sense to find something Catholics actually believed and then attempt to disprove it rather than trying to find something they don't actually believe and try to prove that they do. How does that make any sense? I suppose it is like what Bishop Fulton J. Sheen once said:
“There are not one hundred people in the United States who hate The Catholic Church, but there are millions who hate what they wrongly perceive the Catholic Church to be.”
If your strategy is to "prove" to the Catholic that he is wrong about something he doesn't actually believe, you have a terrible strategy.
I mentioned copying-and-pasting. This is another popular strategy employed by non-Catholics. I have in the past attempted to debate someone on a particular topic. I will personally write up my reaction to whatever they are saying and expect a reasonable response. Instead what I get is a very long copied-and-pasted text from some other source usually filled with dozens of errors. The person who sends it probably hasn't even bothered to read what I've written, but just proceeds to paste something from some random source that he thinks will cover what I said.
Do you really think someone doing this has any interest in coming to the truth on a particular topic? Often they don't even wait for a response and will post 2, 3, or 4 more multi-paragraph attacks. Do they think whoever posts the most words is the winner?
These are some of the strategical ways in which debating is pointless in this context. But there are other reasons why there are inherent pitfalls to Catholics attempting to debate Protestants.
One issue is the Protestant oversimplification of doctrines. Correct doctrine isn't about being simpler or more complex as such. Rather, it's about coming to the Truth. But during the Protestant reformation, when the Protestant movement came into being (about 500 years ago), they stripped away anything which prevented them from having a one-on-one religion with God. Anything that did not comply with this was wiped out. Priests, sacraments, the visible Church, all taken away. It became very individualistic. Because the Protestant religion is so simple, they often go into debates with bumper-sticker slogans rather than defined doctrine such as that found in the Catholic Church that has taken centuries to develop.
As an example, when discussing temporal vs. eternal punishment due to sin, a Protestant simply explained how simple it all is: "Jesus forgives everything!" and goes on to say no such thing as temporal punishment, etc. All so simple. Do something bad, God forgives, badabing badaboom! Do Catholics believe God forgives sin? Yes, of course we do! But we just haven't simplified every single aspect of every doctrine into 3 words. Somehow there is a belief out there that the simpler a belief, the more true it must be, which is obviously false.
Another issue when discussing any particular topic is that the Catholic Church has a two-thousand year history. During this time there have been great saints in the Church including Doctors of the Church who have written extensively on hundreds of topics. St. Thomas Aquinas, who is one of the main theologians of our faith, wrote many more words than the Bible. For example, his Summa Theologiae contains 3x more words than the entire Bible. On top of these writings, we have papal encyclicals, bulls, and other letters. Plus there are thousands of writings by saints throughout the centuries. These all make up our Catholic heritage and it is wonderful. However, when it comes to discussing any particular thing, it just means Protestants have millions of pages to distort and use as "proof" for their purposes. Things are distorted, not contextualized, etc. Often, writings are outright misquoted. Catholics are then forced to give an account for every word that has been written and defend it.
On the other hand, Protestants get off easy here once again. We cannot just bring up something a random Protestant once said about a topic and use it for a "gotcha" moment. The person to whom we are speaking can simply dismiss anything they can't explain or that they disagree with. They just say oh he doesn't represent real Christianity or I don't have to listen to him or her, he's not the Bible, etc. For example, I could say the prosperity gospel preached by Joel Osteen is wrong and a Protestant will simply say oh yeah doesn't matter, I don't listen to Osteen. On the other hand, when a non-Catholic brings up something a particular pope said or wrote, a Catholic can't simply dismiss it. They are once again forced to defend, perfectly, whatever that particular pope may have said.
Can Catholics win a debate with Protestants?
The answer to this question is clearly yes. We've seen great success from the likes of Jimmy Akin and Tim Staples in this area. I think in order to be successful in this area, you must be aware of some tips and strategies.
Be Ready and Be on Offense
Don't always put yourself in a defensive position trying to prove all Catholic doctrines. As much as possible, take the offense. For example, if a Protestant is asking about where something is found in the Bible, perhaps turn the tables by asking where the Bible says everything must be found in the Bible. I'll talk more about this in a moment. You should probably have a few major topics to bring up along these lines. Think about where the conversation could lead and be prepared. Have pointed questions ready that you can grill your opponent with.
Bible Alone
One major thing that must be corrected immediately is the Bible Alone proposition. Do not accept it at face value. Unequivocally, when entering into a debate with a Protestant, there will be an immediate underlying assumption that all correct Christian beliefs must be clearly stated in the Bible, otherwise they are false. Dispute this proposition immediately. You can ask rhetorically how we know the books that belong in the Bible. Who compiled the Bible? If the Bible doesn't have a table of contents, how do we know what belongs? Protestants will present parts of the Bible which refer to the Scriptures as being of great value, as well as verses saying no one should alter the Bible in any way, etc. But there is no list of books that belong in the Bible actually found in the Bible. Don't give in on this point. Otherwise you just go on the defensive. Tell them that Jesus Christ did not give us a Bible, he gave us a Church and that Church is the bulwark of the Truth. It's important to note that no teaching in the Bible, properly understood, contradicts Catholic teaching. The Bible is a Catholic book and there are many verses which prove the Catholic faith. All I am saying is to not accept the initial premise of Bible-Alone.
Stick to One Topic
I can't stress this enough. As alluded to earlier, the rapid-fire or machine-gun-fire questions are a favorite tactic employed by anti-Catholic debaters. They may simply present a laundry-list of issues they have with the Church to create a sort-of slam dunk moment because it's so overwhelming. Or they may bring up a subject they think is pretty solid, but when an informed Catholic begins to respond effectively, they simply switch to another topic. Don't worry, they think, they have dozens of these topics from which to choose. They keep switching from one to another until inevitably the Catholic opponent admits ignorance on a subject and they declare victory.
Force your interlocutor to stick to one topic until you are done discussing it. If they bring up a new topic, ignore it and just keep talking about the initial one.
Is there any point to debating Protestants?
Is there any point to debating with Protestants? 99% of the time I would say there is no point. For the most part, Protestant debaters are only interested in overwhelming you with massive amounts of text and when you don't respond to each and every objection, they simply declare victory. It's a pointless exercise. It's perhaps best to just wish them well and let them know you are not interested in debating.
There is however the 1% of the time when a person's main priority is not to debate as such, but to acquire information for their genuine curiosity. They want further information and want to truly discuss your faith. If an honest Protestant just wants to discuss, I don't have a problem with that. But that is rarely the case. Recently I posted a Youtube comment asking if anyone would like to discuss the Catholic faith and someone expressed interest. So I opened the dialogue. He asked me what I thought were the main differences between Catholics and Protestants. I answered. But then he responded clearly looking to debate me on the subject. I was a little let down that he approached me under false pretenses, but as mentioned, people not simply looking for the mic-drop moment are rare.
Conclusion:
I would say for the vast majority of the time, it is best not to engage in debate with anyone on the topic of your Catholic faith. Answer questions charitably but if it devolves into walls of anti-Catholic text, it's best to leave it at that, wish that person well and not return to that conversation.
Let me know what you thought about this article and your own experience in debating. Have a great day!
Happy Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe - December 12
Happy Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe - December 12
Information from https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/our-lady-of-guadalupe:
The Story of Our Lady of Guadalupe
The feast in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe goes back to the 16th century. Chronicles of that period tell us the story.
A poor Indian named Cuauhtlatohuac was baptized and given the name Juan Diego. He was a 57-year-old widower, and lived in a small village near Mexico City. On Saturday morning December 9, 1531, he was on his way to a nearby barrio to attend Mass in honor of Our Lady.
Juan was walking by a hill called Tepeyac when he heard beautiful music like the warbling of birds. A radiant cloud appeared, and within it stood an Indian maiden dressed like an Aztec princess. The lady spoke to him in his own language and sent him to the bishop of Mexico, a Franciscan named Juan de Zumarraga. The bishop was to build a chapel in the place where the lady appeared.
Eventually the bishop told Juan to have the lady give him a sign. About this same time Juan’s uncle became seriously ill. This led poor Juan to try to avoid the lady. Nevertheless the lady found Juan, assured him that his uncle would recover, and provided roses for Juan to carry to the bishop in his cape or tilma.
On December 12, when Juan Diego opened his tilma in the bishop’s presence, the roses fell to the ground, and the bishop sank to his knees. On the tilma where the roses had been appeared an image of Mary exactly as she had appeared at the hill of Tepeyac.
Reflection
Mary’s appearance to Juan Diego as one of his people is a powerful reminder that Mary—and the God who sent her—accept all peoples. In the context of the sometimes rude and cruel treatment of the Indians by the Spaniards, the apparition was a rebuke to the Spaniards and an event of vast significance for the indigenous population. While a number of them had converted before this incident, they now came in droves. According to a contemporary chronicler, nine million Indians became Catholic in a very short time. In these days when we hear so much about God’s preferential option for the poor, Our Lady of Guadalupe cries out to us that God’s love for and identification with the poor is an age-old truth that stems from the Gospel itself.
Readings for Saturday, December 12, 2020 in the Catholic Church
Readings for Saturday, December 12, 2020 in the Catholic Church
Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Lectionary: 690A
Reading 1
ZEC 2:14-17
Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion!
See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the LORD.
Many nations shall join themselves to the LORD on that day,
and they shall be his people,
and he will dwell among you,
and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you.
The LORD will possess Judah as his portion in the holy land,
and he will again choose Jerusalem.
Silence, all mankind, in the presence of the LORD!
For he stirs forth from his holy dwelling.
or
Rv 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab
God’s temple in heaven was opened,
and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple.
A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun,
with the moon under her feet,
and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth.
Then another sign appeared in the sky;
it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns,
and on its heads were seven diadems.
Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky
and hurled them down to the earth.
Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth,
to devour her child when she gave birth.
She gave birth to a son, a male child,
destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod.
Her child was caught up to God and his throne.
The woman herself fled into the desert
where she had a place prepared by God.
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have salvation and power come,
and the Kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Anointed.”
Responsorial Psalm
JUDITH 13:18BCDE, 19
R. (15:9d) You are the highest honor of our race.
Blessed are you, daughter, by the Most High God,
above all the women on earth;
and blessed be the LORD God,
the creator of heaven and earth.
R. You are the highest honor of our race.
Your deed of hope will never be forgotten
by those who tell of the might of God.
R. You are the highest honor of our race.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, holy Virgin Mary, deserving of all praise;
from you rose the sun of justice, Christ our God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
LK 1:26-38
The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.
or
Lk 1:39-47
Mary set out
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
“Most blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.”
And Mary said:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.”
Friday, December 11, 2020
The Vatican Christmas Tree of 2020 plus the History of the Vatican Christmas Tree from 2012 to 2020!
The Vatican just installed its 2020 Christmas Tree. It is a spruce tree and came from town of Kočevje, Slovenia, which is in the region of Kočevsko where 90% of the area is covered by trees.
Did you know Slovenia is the only country that contains the word LOVE within it?
The tree is placed in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican. The tree came from an area of forest that is protected and sustainable.
The Archbishoip of Maribor in Slovenia was on hand and indicated that the region from which the tree came was the site of many Christian martyrs persecuted under communism.
Along with the tree, the Vatican received ceramic figures for the Nativity scene which came from a region in Italy called Castelli, which is in Abruzzo.
The tree itself weighs seven tons, stands 30 meters (or about 100 feet) tall and is 75 years old. It was planted right after the end of World War II.
The tree will remain in St. Peter's Square until January 10, 2021.
Last year in 2019, the Vatican received its 85-foot tree from the Veneto region of Northern Italy
In 2018, the tree came from Friuli Venezia Giulia, more specifically, from Pordenone in Italy, weighed 4.5 tons and was 23 meters tall.
In 2017, the Vatican got its 28-meter high red fir Christmas Tree from Elk, in North-Eastern Poland.
In 2016, the Christmas tree came from the Dolomites, a mountain range in northeastern Italy, and was 82-feet tall.
In 2015, the tree came from Bavaria
In 2014, the 25-meter white spruce Christmas tree came from Catanzaro region of Italy
In 2013, during Pope Francis's first year as Pope, the chosen tree was 25 meters tall and came from Bavaria.
In 2012, during the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI, the Vatican Christmas Tree came from Pescopennataro, a small town in the Italian region of Isernia
The first year that the Vatican had a giant Christmas tree was in 1982 and started with Pope John Paul II.
Joe Biden's Catholicism - and the "Psalms" incident.
I have seen a few articles appearing saying that many Catholics are happy that Joe Biden will be president as he is only the second Catholic to hold this office, after John F. Kennedy.
(Before beginning to discuss this it's important to note that the election results are not official yet. Many have jumped to the conclusion that Joe Biden has won, but the electors do not officially choose the winner of the election until December 14. I'm no legal expert, I'm not even American, but I have heard that Trump even has some recourse beyond this date. Anyway, that's just a long side-note and not relevant to our discussion.)
As mentioned, Joe Biden has been declared and declares himself Catholic. But it's not just a statement of fact, but something he brings up from time to time when discussing his faith. Some have gone so far as to say he is a devout Catholic. I can't say whether or not he is, and particularly I cannot say whether or not he considers himself to be such. But there are some strange things that have happened regarding Biden in relation to his faith.
One that came up recently was Mr. Biden was quoting the "Palmist" as he put it. He should have said Psalmist, as in a writer in the Book of Psalms. Psalms are spoken or sung at every Mass, and referred to quite often. For a "practicing" and "devout" Catholic not to know how it is pronounced seems very odd. Of course, the P and not the S are silent in this word.
This is not a matter of personal pronunciation and there are no accepted variations on how to say Psalm or Psalmist. It's not as if some people just pronounce it differently. It would be like someone pronouncing psychologist "pie-chologist".
I once remembering hearing a guy who was about 15-17 years old pronounce Psalm the same way as Joe Biden. These are probably the only two people whom I've ever hear do so. Even at that time I thought it was odd. I wrote it off as just him not knowing the word or being able to pronounce it. He's a teenager, that happens. But for a man who was Vice President of the United States and is over 70 years old, this seems somewhat unbelievable.
However, we must keep in mind that while mispronouncing Psalm or Psalmist is a little odd, it's not really a moral issue. On the other hand, fully supporting and promoting abortion paid for by tax dollars is a grave moral issue. We cannot simply see that stance as as acceptable position. It would be the equivalent of a politician declaring their support for murder. There are not two sides to this issue from a Catholic perspective. There are other moral issues as well that would put Joe Biden on the wrong side of the faith.
Some bishops, but not all, have declared they would not give Joe Biden the Eucharist during Mass, meaning they believe his actions and belief put him outside of "communion" with the Church.
We cannot judge the state of his Joe Biden's soul, that's between him and God. I'm only talking about his outward words and actions.
I look forward to your comments!
P.S. I just looked up the word "palmist" in Google Images when making the headline graphic and found out that there is a word palmist and it seems to be a fortuneteller who reads palms. I have no idea if this means anything about Joe Biden. It would be very unnerving if he was more familiar with palm reading than a book in the Bible, especially since palm reading is prohibited by the Catholic Church and a violation of the First Commandment.
Happy Feast Day to Pope St. Damasus December 11 in the Catholic Church
Happy Feast Day to Pope St. Damasus who died on this date in 384 AD.
Great biography from Franciscan Media:
From: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-damasus-i
Saint Damasus I’s Story
To his secretary Saint Jerome, Damasus was “an incomparable person, learned in the Scriptures, a virgin doctor of the virgin Church, who loved chastity and heard its praises with pleasure.” Damasus seldom heard such unrestrained praise. Internal political struggles, doctrinal heresies, uneasy relations with his fellow bishops and those of the Eastern Church marred the peace of his pontificate.
The son of a Roman priest, possibly of Spanish extraction, Damasus started as a deacon in his father’s church, and served as a priest in what later became the basilica of San Lorenzo in Rome. He served Pope Liberius (352-366) and followed him into exile.
When Liberius died, Damasus was elected bishop of Rome; but a minority elected and consecrated another deacon, Ursinus, as pope. The controversy between Damasus and the antipope resulted in violent battles in two basilicas, scandalizing the bishops of Italy. At the synod that Damasus called on the occasion of his birthday, he asked them to approve his actions. The bishops’ reply was curt: “We assembled for a birthday, not to condemn a man unheard.” Supporters of the antipope even managed to get Damasus accused of a grave crime—probably sexual—as late as A.D. 378. He had to clear himself before both a civil court and a Church synod.
As pope, his lifestyle was simple in contrast to other ecclesiastics of Rome, and he was fierce in his denunciation of Arianism and other heresies. A misunderstanding of the Trinitarian terminology used by Rome threatened amicable relations with the Eastern Church, and Damasus was only moderately successful in dealing with that challenge.
During his pontificate, Christianity was declared the official religion of the Roman state, and Latin became the principal liturgical language as part of the pope’s reforms. His encouragement of Saint Jerome’s biblical studies led to the Vulgate, the Latin translation of Scripture which 12 centuries later the Council of Trent declared to be “authentic in public readings, disputations, preaching.”
Reflection
The history of the papacy and the Church is inextricably mixed with the personal biography of Damasus. In a troubled and pivotal period of Church history, he stands forth as a zealous defender of the faith who knew when to be progressive and when to entrench.
Damasus makes us aware of two qualities of good leadership: alertness to the promptings of the Spirit, and service. His struggles are a reminder that Jesus never promised his Rock protection from hurricane winds nor his followers immunity from difficulties. His only guarantee is final victory.
Readings for Friday, December 11, 2020 in the Catholic Church
Friday of the Second Week of Advent
Lectionary: 185
Reading 1
IS 48:17-19
Thus says the LORD, your redeemer,
the Holy One of Israel:
I, the LORD, your God,
teach you what is for your good,
and lead you on the way you should go.
If you would hearken to my commandments,
your prosperity would be like a river,
and your vindication like the waves of the sea;
Your descendants would be like the sand,
and those born of your stock like its grains,
Their name never cut off
or blotted out from my presence.
Responsorial Psalm
PS 1:1-2, 3, 4 AND 6
R. (see John 8:12) Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Lord will come; go out to meet him!
He is the prince of peace.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
MT 11:16-19
Jesus said to the crowds:
“To what shall I compare this generation?
It is like children who sit in marketplaces and call to one another,
‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance,
we sang a dirge but you did not mourn.’
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said,
‘He is possessed by a demon.’
The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said,
‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard,
a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’
But wisdom is vindicated by her works.”
Thursday, December 10, 2020
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